Sue & Ray Garden: Tomatoes and Paw Paw

Sue and Ray's garden was a well laid out but simple affair as far as gardens go. Importantly it was in full sun and there were few if any larger ornamental trees to compete with food plants. Their very healthy tomatoe crops were in large raised beds with shade cloth over the top and orchard netting around the sides. The Orchard netting probably stopped large butterflies and grasshoppers from getting in, but occasionally the butterflies still layed their eggs on the edges.

Tomatoes in raised bed with Orchard netting on the sides

The very healthy Paw Paw trees were young and vibrant. The secret? Panting them with fish scraps beneath - lots of phosphorus and potassium and nitrogen.

Paw Paw thriving

Sue had a mint variety growing that I recognise as a more hardy tropical variety. This variety has a sharper tip to the leaf rather than a rounded tip. Further back in the yard a row of Lemon grass was establishing well.

Bungalow John's Garden: Pots big and small

Growing annuals in pots has been a common theme in the gardens on Cocos and Johns' Garden was no exception. What was exceptional was that everything looked so good and healthy.

Large raised bed with fly screens to protect from pests

 One of Johns' largest pots (more like a garden bed) was caged in with fly screens that could be easily taken off when you needed to get at the vegetables. Johns' soil mix was 75% compost made up of seaweed and all sorts of other refuse.

Within the large caged area he was growing silverbeet, French beans, Zucchinis (which would not set fruit or even open their flowers), Tomatoes, Pumpkins which had their roots in the raised beds then crawled around the garden. Outside in other pots were Cucumbers, Snake beans and more Tomatoes setting plenty of fruit. Daily observation and hand picking of pests was practiced on the vegetables outside the caged area.

John actually had some good pumpkins to show. Many butternuts that we had seen were growing 'Mini' fruits that were 4 inches long. I'm not sure if these were perhaps just not pollinated or if the soil was not right or something else.

The best Pumpkins i observed on Cocos however was on Home island .

The Pumpkin patch - Coconut fronds are used to keep them off the ground

These were all growing in the ground on an area that was used fro burning organic waste. This meant that the soil was full of charcoal and potash. There was probably also some benefit from being grown with a legume which would have set nitrogen in the soil.

Pumpkin growing with a legume (Macroptilium atropurpureum)

I think the variety of pumpkin was also important. It appeared to be a Jap crossed with a butternut. Japs' grow well in the tropical heat and Butternuts have a tough skin to protect them from rotting.

Grahams' garden

Grahams' garden was a fairly recent creation  although you didn't get that impression because it was so shady and protected.

We were told that each tree was planted with a bale of hay beneath it to compensate for the lack of organic matter in the soil.  He established significant windbreaks which has cut down on salt spray , wind and rain from coming onto the verandah. The windbreaks have also no doubt made a big difference to what can be grown here easily.

There were numerous fruit trees planted amongst the ornamaental plants in the garden but as many of these plants were planted at more or less the same time, the fruit trees have had a chance to compete and were doing quite well. 

On the vegetable front, Graham  had gone to some effort to put in a hydroponic set up that was covered in shade cloth to keep the caterpillars at bay. His Tomatoes (Climbing Romas and Grosse lisse) looked very healthy and were just getting around to setting fruit - all of which were painstakingly hand pollinated. This is probably necessary because there was very little wind penetrating the shade house and wind is needed to dislodge the pollen in the tomato flower to achieve pollination. There was also Rocket and Lettuce growing quite happily although the lettuce was now going to seed.

In the past Graham had problems with mildew on his tomatoes after extended rainy periods. One suggestion to help solve this problem was roofing  the shade house in polycarbonate transparent sheets to protect it from rain. Hydroponics don't need rain after all.

 The hydroponic set up was run on rainwater caught from the roof of the house.

 There were also some Tomato plants that he had planted outside in pots and they were doing very well thank you very much. 

There was one banana tree in a box full of organic matter but, the plant wasn’t over the moon about the conditions – there may have still been some heat and rotting going on in the lower parts of the box. It was at Grahams house that i saw  the first decent Mulberries- the trees were perhaps 10 feet tall and fruiting, although not heavily (In the tropics you get a springs crop of fruit and an Autumn crop). Another recently established tree was Breadfruit which was  10 feet tall (18 months old) had already produced some fruit. He was also growing Jambo which was common in the gardens of Home island. Amongst the ornamental plants were some stunning Gingers and Heliconias.

Purple King beans in recycled timber box

In another part of his yard he was growing Purple King climbing beans which although not stunningly healthy were still producing some fruit and seeds. They has been planted into boxes that he had constructed out of used palettes that had been lined with some other waste plastic to reduce the effects of rotting on the woodwork. They looked very smart and all you really needed to construct them was a drill and some screws. Graham had done a lot of salvaging of driftwood which he then milled with his “Lucas” mill. He had certainly been able to save a lot of money as well as recycle a lot of timber which he then used to build all manner of structures.

Graham had a selection of compost bins and through using them had come to the conclusion that the tumbler was the best thing. The tumbler is different from conventional bins (which are usually anaerobic) in that it works with aerobic bacteria which work a lot faster. Tumbling the bin aerates the compost and encourages these bacteria.

Other fruit trees Graham had include a Mangosteen, Custard apple and possibly Sapodilla. There was one unidentified fruit tree which had not successfully fruited so far but looked related to the Black Sapote. Dragon fruit were doing very well but had not managed to fruit. Again this may be due to the lack of pollinators.

Mikes' garden - produce in quantity

Although a recently established property Mike’s yard had a few stories to tell as far as growing vegetables. A number of the vegetables he has grown have resulted in bumper crops and a good amount of produce for the kitchen.  Like other good gardens he had plenty of sun on most of his garden.

Rockmelon was a big producer last season

Barrels  in Mikes’ front yard had been very successful supplying him with lots of rock melons, recently and Passionfruit last year but unfortunately those plant met an untimely death – possibly from too much soluble fertiliser.

Mike had used lots of seaweed and organic matter in his pots and about a 50/50 mix of organic matter and sand. He did not find Casuarina needs to be dramatically effective  - unlike Geoff.

He used slow release fertiliser quite successfully on his trees and plants in pots.

Some pots were set up almost like wicking beds, where they were essentially sitting in a well that didn’t let the water level get too high and a hole punched in the side of the box for it the water level got too high. Originally this was to try to cater for hot weather as the plants were drying out too quickly.

The hydro setup - the large tank pictured was the most expensive item

Mikes Hydroponic setup was quite successful and he had got lots of tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber and Chinese greens, parsley and rocket. Mike had various kinds f hydroponics set up but overall it set him back about  $700 in set up costs and nutrients. Mosquitoes were a problem that had to be a addressed in one of the hydro systems where water sat in the system rather than draining away at night.

Mike had plants growing in cement pots placed on the ground with gravel on the surface and these included some of the best Parsley we had seen so far as well as sage!!, lavender (lovely smell to bring back memories) and Garlic chives.

herbs in cement pots with gravel mulch

Mike had a very successful Sweet potato crop on an area that had lots of buried scraps and organic matter.. I think the organic matter was buried rather deeply then more soil placed on top. Originally this area was to be for a Banana circle but the windy site proved too much for bananas and they burned off with the salt.

What proved to be too much for the bananas was quite ok  for the figs. The figs looked great and had benefited from the application of slow release fertiliser. Figs should produce 2 crops a year in the tropics as should mulberries.

Rats were quite a problem with eating produce and Mike trapped to reduce them. They were a particular problem with Paw paw and tomatoes.

Mike has had big crops of eggplants both in hydroponics and large pots. He says he hand pollinated them so perhaps that is the key to his success, as many other people had great eggplants but no fruit. Mike also used blood and bone but recommended  one brand that had trace elements added.

Snake beans were also a high producing successful crop.

Seasonal recommendations

Mike said that he had most success with planting from June onwards which meant that there was less heavy rain and pests.

JCR's Garden - a living experiment

Johns garden  is a diverse and interesting collection of food plants and ornamental plants. John has been trying different plants here for a long time and is still trying different species to see how they fair.

There were 2 different areas in the garden. One area had full sun and this is where most of the vegetables were growing in pots or bags. A shadier area on the other side of the house was used for sun sensitive ornamental plants, some vegetables such as lettuce and mint and a whole range of seedlings which John was propagating. John mentioned that Coconut and Frangipanni roots made it impossible to grow food plants effectively and his food plants were well away from any large trees.

Pepper vine (culinary pepper)

 There were several species that John was trying that I did not see anywhere else. The Pepper vine was in a pot in full sun and was full of fruit. I think John said it was less than 12 months old. Considering it’s age it was doing very well. John had not been able to grow it from cuttings even though he had tried a few so he is waiting to propagate it from seed.

Horseradish tree

The Horseradish or drumstick tree (Moringa oleifera) is a small leguminous tree or shrub which produce edible flowers, leaves and fruit and roots. John had this species growing in the ground and it was quite happy with the situation, having set a number or large fruits or pods.

Pigeon pea

Pigeon peas were also growing well in the ground and were flowering and seeding. John had tried chick peas which  were not successful. The pigeon peas have the potential to be good fodder for goats and will produced seed that poultry can eat.

 John found that Turmeric was successful at times but seemed to suffer from pests. He was wondering if he needed to keep it out of the rain.

Other veges and herbs that John was successfully growing include Dill, Parsley, Garlic chives,Basil, Coriander( good harvestable amounts), Mint (Korean), Lettuce (Either oakleaf or everlast), Capsicums, French beans, Zucchini in pot (need hand pollination) and all Chinese greens did well.

Lettuce (looks like a variety called "everlast")

When planting seeds of annuals John recommends putting lots into each pot to take into account that quite a few of them might get eaten by pests during the germination process.

John also talked about successfully  growing both Jerusalem and globe artichokes in the past and Asparagus.

Annual plants in pots

John was growing most of his annual plants in pots or large bags which were either placed in trays to improve the amount of water that was soaked up by the plants. John has some soil mixtures that included gravel which he believed was a deterrent to Beetle larvae and cut worms. (John said that there were three types of cut worms) He also advocated soaking pots to kill pests but then the plant recovers and outgrows the pest attack. Putting iron sulphate or other salts in the soaking water was he believed even more effective at killing the pests in these pots.

On the fruit tree Front John had a pretty amazing bisexual Paw paw. Not all of these did well but there is at least one stunning specimen covered in fruit.

John also had a Lime tree which he has stressed to bring it into early fruiting. This involved greasing the trunk which leads to some sort of stunting of the tree. The results on the trunk look a bit ghastly but it was getting the desired result with fruit on the tree.  There were a couple of Pomellos sitting in pots waiting to be planted, According to Scott Brain the Pomello and Ruby grapefruit should do well on Cocos.

Carob

The Carob tree in a pot was a bit of a surprise to see in the tropics, but there are generally pretty tough trees so they might have half a chance at being successful. They are a legume so have the ability to fix nitrogen into the soil which is a good strategy for a plant on a sand island.

For control of grasshoppers John said Guinea fowl were the most effective control he had seen seen as they worked in a bit of a team to catch the hoppers. I’m not sure how friendly they are to vege gardens though – at least they wouldn’t scratch. They were on the island at one stage but died out because they make very poor mothers and lose their chicks.

On the subject of grasshopper control, there is an organic product called greenguard which provides control through a fungus which parasitises the grasshoppers. It takes about a week to work and is sprayed onto vegetation where grasshoppers hang out. It is however washed off by rain but perhaps spraying it on the underside of leaves of some plants will keep it around for longer. It is available from Elders stores.

Geofs' Garden

The best way to work out how to grow things on Cocos is to visit the gardeners who are already doing it. To that end we went for a visit to Geofs house.  Geofs yard is a a lovely mix of Ornamentals and food plants but not excessively shady with the one large tree being a Calophyllum inophyllum (Beauty leaf).

Paw Paw with Curry Leaf at the rear

 Geof showed us his  2 varieties of bananas which were in pots as they were not doing so well in the ground. Geoff said that people have had success with growing Bananas on this island where they are growing amazingly well on old rubbish piles that have been burned. This is understandable because Bananas are heavy feeders and love potash.

Cassava (also known as Tapioca) was growing well in Geofs' yard with relatively little attention. and there were big roots to see sticking above the ground.

The Cassava was flowering which I had not seen before. The virtues of Cassava are many. It is a starchy root and can be used in a way similar to potatoes although not as mash. It must be cooked well (boiled or roasted) because it has some toxins in the skin and the root - these are the same toxins which protect it from all sorts of pest attacks and this means that you have a trouble free crop. The easiest thing about growing Cassava is that you cut a section of the stem and stick it in the ground. 5 months later you harvest or you leave it in the ground until you need it as it doesn't keep well once picked. The young leaves if this plant are also edible when cooked - a truly versatile plants.

A quite successful setup that Geof had was a very large pot - or half plastic rainwater tank. This was filled with sand, compost, lots of seaweed, Casuarina needles? and worm castings. Not so long ago the pots was full of lush growth of salad plants and even now there sere some pretty healthy looking Ceylon Spinach. This growing mixture in the big pot did not seem to have so many problems with pests.

 Geof has also found that overtime the organic matter goes to the bottom of the pot and the sand comes to the top. Turning this soil over to bring the organic matter back up to the top has a noticeable benefit on plant growth.

Ceylon Spinach, Italian Parsley and Rocket



Pot culture for annual plants is the conclusion that Geof has arrived at as there seems to be a veritable army of pests in the soil. These include Cut or snip worm, Rhinoceros beetle and nematodes to name few. Although the beetle pests can also get into the pots and cause havoc. If Geof suspects beetle larvae in his pots he puts them in a bucket of water for 3 days to drown them. Growing things in these pots after the drowning seems to be more successful with less pest problems.

Pot culture also gets over the problem of tree roots. 

Other plants successfully growing in this garden were Jap pumpkins (although not big),Tomatoes in pots, Lemon grass, Dragon fruit (still Young and no fruit as yet), Oregano, mint, parsley, Tahitian Lime, A type of ginger whose leaves smell like Cardamon and the small tree Japanese Cherry (Muntingia calabura).

The Japanese Cherry has a delicious pink fruit when ripe.

Geof uses fertiliser such as blood and bone, seaweed, worm castings, Iron sulphate and recommends manganese supplements.

Cocos (Keeling) Isands first impressions: Wild chickens and other relics

I landed on this speck of land in the Indian Ocean (2900km's NW of Perth) to look at gardens and native vegetation. An unlikely place to look at gardens i must admit. An unlikely place to start a vegetable garden one might say, but isolation from Australia also isolates the residents of this island from readily available inexpensive fresh food. Many perishable food items need to be flown in and this understandably adds significantly to their price.
So grow your own. Sounds easy - you are on a tropical island! However I'm lead to believe that all is not what it seems.

My learning curve began with a quick tour of the old orchard and farm. On the way to the farm i am introduced to the wild chickens which seem to be doing quite well with no predators other than rats to bother them. They make peace with the land crabs and they both share the mown verges of the roads before retreating to the impenetrable coconut forests beyond when they are disturbed.

At the orchard there is an old hydroponics setup where a food farming venture started up once upon a time - and died an untimely death. There are many stories about how and why it failed but i think the consensus was that it failed due to human foibles rather than an inability to grow food. They grew food and they grew lots of it, both in the ground and through hydroponics.

The other farming relict that are all around are the old Coconut plantations that cover the islands and were once the livelihood of 2000 people are now overgrown with Scaevola taccida (Cabbage bush) and Morinda citrifolia (Rotten cheese fruit or Noni in the pacific).  Boats would come  from Home island to harvest the coconuts on the other islands. These would then be processed for export but the industry was regarded as unviable years ago. Millions of coconuts now drop to the ground here each year with only a handful harvested by locals.

Rows of  limes are still evident while there are individuals of other fruit trees scattered here and there.

Lime trees

Guava

Black Sapote

These scattered trees and shrubs include Mango, Fig, Carambola (Star fruit) and Breadfruit. Black Sapote (chocolate pudding fruit)  and  Curry leaf. There were a lot more there in the past including Custard apple, Soursop but many have died or been salvaged by locals. Some fruit species that were tried but were thought not to be successful due to pollination difficulties were Jack fruit, Avocado, Mangosteen. One untried species was Cashew, which should enjoy this climate. Maybe someone knows if it has been tried somewhere on the islands?

Mangoes are a popular fruit that people would like to grow but they were badly affected by disease on the farm and only a few fruiting trees exist on all of the islands. There are some theories that they do not successful flower due to the lack of variability in the seasons or because of the presence of a fresh-water lens.  I the Darwin area growers of Mangoes induce them to flower earlier by cutting off their water supply (stressing them) so there presence of a permanent freshwater lens would mean that the trees are never stressed due to lack of water. There are one or two trees known to fruit well (at least sometimes) on home island. It is possible that this could be grafted on other root stocks as it may be a variety that is genetically more suited to this climate.  Generally the Mango needs a lot of TLC and if root stocks that were resistant to diseases could be obtained, this may add to the chances of successfully growing Mangoes.