Supplier of fresh warrigal greens - ME!!

[eataust]

*skite**skite*

Today, I provided three bunches of freshly-picked warrigals greens to the Food Lover's Deli in Bungendore, for sale to the trusting public :)

We have no idea how well they'll sell, or _anything_. Priced at $3.50 a bunch - about the same price as locally-grown spinach.

But - I've started!! I've provided fresh native produce for sale!! YAY!!

*wibble*

Oh boy ... what happens now??

[Bluetongue]

Woohoo! From little things big things grow

[eataust]

As long as it doesn't grow any faster than my greens do - I'm dreading a call that says "people love 'em, provide 20 bunches by tomorrow!" 'cos ... well, I can't. Well ... maybe I could. But then what??

It's one reason why I've been putting things off, because I needed to guarantee that if things DID take off, I could provide a steady supply, not a once-off. Things were going well but then the main garden of greens sort of collapsed (they got TOO long, I think, and crowded eachother out), and now that one's gone into seed-production, which means scrawny leaves.

I've got four other patches which are very healthy (apart from the chooks getting a taste for them and ravaging the leaves at every opportunity, grr) and they're doing the main supply.

I'll rip out the "collapsed" patch soon and collect what leaves I can - as soon as it's bare, it'll start re-seeding, and then I'm definitely on the way, because they self-sow like buggery.

But yeah ... I'm kinda nervous about what the next couple of weeks could bring. One advantage of the recent cool damp weather; the leafy plants are pretty good :)

[Bluetongue]

I'm sure you'll figure out a way to get a steady supply going if necessary, EA. Trial and error, with hopefully not too many of the latter. Or enough that you learn so much that you're in demand as an expert perhaps.

[eataust]

I'd rather be an expert on midyimberries but right now, all I can say is "they don't like my climate or my care!!!", so tetragon/warrigal greens it is.

And I guess salad greens (and the chronic lack thereof in greengrocers) is the reason I got into this game to start with. And warrigal greens were the first native products I ever grew (in a TINY backyard in Balmain - unless someone's ripped them out, which they probably have, they'll still be there) .. wow, almost 8 years ago. Where does the time go??! I didn't know about blanching them then though ...

I guess I could even end up supplying seedlings, but I'm not a very good nurseryperson. There's a couple of nurseries I could provide 'em to who'll exchange for other things (like berries ... ). If I end up with that many.

I am trying to work out the best way to manage a plant that is upright for the first 20cm and then starts scrambling in a semi-commercial setup. Trellis?? Not convinced ... just let it scramble? Too hard on the back ...

[Bluetongue]

Yes it does scramble well - some of our other plants are wondering where the sun has gone. Between the warrigals and the wayward pumpkins...

What about planting something hardy and fast growing like kangaroo apples, for them to scramble over? That might save your back. Hmm, will think about it some more and get back to you, EA.

[eataust]

Frankly, I'm wondering whether tetragon would take to hydroponics! Run them quite high and let them cascade down ... it's got such a tiny root system I reckon it might actually work.

I've just received the call - 6-8 more bunches for the weekend please! Yipe!! :)

The early warrigal green patch is definitely dying down, so I'll strip it out and shake out the seeds ... but they'll take a little time to germinate. Maybe I should invest in some seedlings ... !!

The batch I was growing in Rosebery scrambled down the sides of the sleepers in the raised garden bed, over the finger lime, and made a bid for the Tahitian lime before I started cutting it back :). And it only didn't hit the trellis on the other side because the triffid-raspberry had taken that over, but there was an interesting section where the greens and the raspberry fought for supremacy somewhat ...

I just don't know if it'll trellis effectively - it's a scrambler, not a climber - but maybe if I create long narrow raised beds ..

I think I'll re-ask this question in the "Growing bushfoods" section :)