Dear Readers After more than a decade (10 years wow!) of free food gardening posts for South Africa I have come to the end of this blog's journey. I have successfully saved my old blogger blog Roots and Shoots by migrating to Whisker Flowers on WordPress after Google started culling its traffic. Now I am… Continue reading New Adventures Elsewhere: Retiring Whisker Flowers
Author: Whisker Flowers
I am a Geneticist in the Agricultural Industry who dabbles in the art of sustainable food production. This blog provides a practical way of putting my knowledge that I have learned during my degrees to good use. I have always been fooling around with plants, but started 'serious' vegetable/fruit gardening in August 2010. So far, I have had success with most vegetable attempts, read several books and articles on gardening, attended several edible plant growing workshops, am almost providing all the vegetables we consume from the garden and loving the learning process! Feel free to join me and my urban homesteading endeavours for practical advise and light entertainment.
Butterfly: Garden Critter of the Month
Butterflies at a glance Occupation:Pollinators & PestsValue to Gardener:2/5 – Mostly pest species, specialist pollinatorsDanger to Humans:1/5 – HarmlessAvailability:5/5 – They’ll arrive Tafel CXXVIII. Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 unter den Befehlen des Commodore B. von Wüllerstorf-Urbair.1864. Acidalia pedilata; Cidaria undosata; Timandra goniaria; Semiothisa foveolata; Acidalia tuhuata;… Continue reading Butterfly: Garden Critter of the Month
Curry Tree: How to Grow – Herb of the Month
Curry Tree stats/requirements at a glance Ease of Raising:5/5 – Very Easy, plant and leaveWater:4/5 – DailySun:4-5/5 – Partial Shade to Full sunTraining:1/5 – Minimal (3Ds: Dead, damaged and diseased)Fertilise/Feeding:1/5 – Minimal (at least during the growing season)Time to Harvest:1/5 – Immediate, yet slow growingFrost Hardiness:1/4 – Tender (can’t cope with mild frost) Uses:Culinary & MedicinalMost… Continue reading Curry Tree: How to Grow – Herb of the Month
Lemon Grass: How to Grow – Herb of the Month
Lemon Grass stats/requirements at a glance Ease of Raising:5/5 – Very Easy, plant and leaveWater:4/5 – DailySun:5/5 – Full sunTraining:1/5 – Minimal (3Ds: Dead, damaged and diseased)Fertilise/Feeding:1/5 – Minimal (at least during the growing season)Time to Harvest:2/5 – Soon, 1-2 months after propagationFrost Hardiness:2/4 – Very tender (can’t cope with light frost) Uses:Culinary & MedicinalMost Problematic… Continue reading Lemon Grass: How to Grow – Herb of the Month
Thyme: How to Grow – Herb of the Month
Thyme stats/requirements at a glance Ease of Raising:5/5 – Very Easy, plant and leaveWater:1/5 – Minimal, weekly (especially in a container)Sun:5/5 – Full sunTraining:1/5 – Minimal (3Ds: Dead, damaged and diseased)Fertilise/Feeding:1/5 – Minimal (at least during the growing season)Time to Harvest:1/5 – Immediate (purchased a seedling) to Soon (from seed)Frost Hardiness:1/4 – Very Hardy (can’t… Continue reading Thyme: How to Grow – Herb of the Month
The C Files: How to raise chickens – Layers & Nest Business
One would think that chickens were first domesticated for their egg and meat production, but in fact they were initially kept for cock fighting in Asia. These days chickens lay eggs on a daily (or nearly-daily) basis for human consumption, before we get to all the nitty gritty about nesting let me first start off… Continue reading The C Files: How to raise chickens – Layers & Nest Business
Bay Laurel: How to Grow – Herb of the Month
Bay stats/requirements at a glance Ease of Raising:5/5 – Very Easy, plant and leaveWater:4/5 – DailySun:5/5 – Full sunTraining:1/5 – Minimal (3Ds: Dead, damaged and diseased)Fertilise/Feeding:1/5 – Minimal (at least during the growing season)Time to Harvest:1/5 – Immediate, yet slow growingFrost Hardiness:1/4 – Very tender (can’t cope with light frost), cold tolerant Uses:CulinaryMost Problematic Nemesis:Scale, aphidsContainer… Continue reading Bay Laurel: How to Grow – Herb of the Month
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