Vegetable fern Diplazium esculentum

For a few years I have wanted to grow vegetable fern (Diplazium esculentum).  This is a beautiful and ornamental looking fern that is commonly eaten as a vegetable though the warmer and wetter parts of Asia.  

Small vegetable fern - Diplazium esculentum

There are a few ferns that are commonly eaten, some are meant to be easier to grow than others.  I am told that vegetable fern spreads rapidly and is easy to grow.  It prefers some shade, it likes heat, and like most ferns it needs decent moisture to thrive.  

I am told the fronds of this species are highly nutritious, and has a host of medicinal properties.  All of the research into vegetable fern indicates that it is highly nutritious.  

One study demonstrated  that its fronds were high in protein (52.3%), carbohydrates (28.2%), Vitamin C, antioxidants, minerals (including calcium and iron), and dietary fibre (17.44%).  That study also stated it contains 324 Kcal 100 grams.  

Vegetable fern thrives in part shade

There are a few edible ferns should only be eaten in smaller amounts due to mild toxins.  Vegetable fern is unique in that it has not been recorded to have any negative effects when eaten.  

Some edible ferns (such as bracken) contain a substance called Ptaquiloside.  This compound is water-soluble and rather unstable, I have read that scientists were able to isolate this and test it on rats and ferrets who went on to develop tumors.  From everything I have read, vegetable fern does not contain this compound and is completely safe to eat.  

Not only is vegetable fern meant to be completely safe to consume, and highly nutritious, it is also highly ornamental.  It is a good looking fern.  Some fronds almost shimmer silver in the right light, I haven't seen a fern do this before.  

Most vegetables will be unproductive in shade, whereas this plant needs shade to be productive.  It also is rarely eaten in Australia, meaning if hard times hit people would not think to steal this if they raid gardens for food.  

I can't capture the silver shimmery fronds

While it doesn't matter to anyone unless they are intending to do any breeding with this plant (ferns are difficult to breed with and not something I have been able to achieve), the vegetable fern is diploid with 2n= 82.  

Vegetable fern spreads quickly through rhizomes, and I am told that it produces readily from spores.  Growing ferns from spores can be fun, the ease that this fern reputedly grows from spores means it could pop up in damp places by itself.  

I like plants that do this.  It is killed by frosts, and does not love full sun and dry areas, so I can't imagine it posing a weed issue where I live.

Vegetable fern stating to divide

My vegetable fern has grown since these photos, and has divided a little.  We have had a few cooler nights and it is showing that it does not cope with frosts.  I now have it in a sheltered spot where I think it will survive the winter.  

Hopefully in spring it will be large enough and healthy enough to grow and divide and maybe even produce some spore.  If all goes well I should be able to start eating this in spring/summer and hopefully have enough plants to be able to share them around a little.

Grechnevaya kasha - our food

Grechka = buckwheat
Kasha = porridge
Grechnevaya kasha = buckwheat kasha (buckwheat porridge) 

There is an old saying along the lines of "Shchi da Kasha, Pisha Nasha", which roughly translates to "Cabbage soup and buckwheat porridge are our food".  

There is an old Russian proverb that I not overly familiar with but am told goes along the lines of "Kasha - matushka nasha, a khlebets rzhanoy otets nash rodnoy", which roughly translates to "Kasha is our mother, rye bread is our dear father".  

There seems to be solid logic behind this saying and this proverb that goes beyond the fact that these were among the few foods that were almost always available in the old days.  

Raw buckwheat 

For some time my body weight was too low (I know, right), even though I am thin my cholesterol levels were too high, and I had too much fat around my organs.  This is not a great combination for health.  People's advice that I need to 'fatten up' strangely wouldn't help my situation health wise.  

Over the past few years there have been supply chain issues and supermarkets had been unable to get staple foods.  Since I was a child I had eaten Wheatbix for breakfast every morning.  Then for several months the shops were unable to get wheatbix.  You know the theme song, 'Aussie kids are wheatbix kids' - not any more.  

My son would only ear wheatbix for breakfast, so I decided not to eat wheatbix again, and I would let my son eat what we had left in the hopes that we could buy wheatbix again before he ran out.  

While this worked well for my son, it posed a problem for me as I wasn't sure what to eat for breakfast without wheatbix.  I don't know what other people eat, this isn't a thing I have ever had to think about before.  

Other breakfast cereals are too sugary for me, and they leave me feeling hungry early in the day.  I would need to eat an awful lot of toast to not be hungry by the time I get to work.  Eggs or oily foods on an empty stomach make me feel bad all day.  Half a dozen muesli bars each morning would fill me up and become expensive quickly.  

I started making kasha from steel cut oats.  This was ok, but left me feeling hungry pretty early in the day and my stomach felt weird.  I started to seriously consider skipping breakfast but wasn't sure how to cope with the blood sugar issues that would cause.  Even though I am thin, my blood sugars tend to be a little erratic. 

Then I made kasha using buckwheat.  This left me feeling full for a lot longer, and I like the taste.  After a little research, it appears that buckwheat kasha is extremely nutritious and healthy to eat.  That link is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to buckwheat nutrition, it contains a lot of minerals, flavonoids, rutin, fiber, and other things that are good for your body.  

For over a year I ate grechnevaya kasha for breakfast each day.  During that time I also recorded my weight, and my Body Mass Index, by chance I also had blood tests before and after.  I weighed in at the same day each week, roughly the same time, and wearing the same thing (ie before getting in the shower).  

Over that year my fat visually reduced and my weight increased (meaning I was gaining muscle).  During that time my cholesterol levels dropped, and my HDL:LDL cholesterol ratio went into the ideal range.  During this time I also stopped having blood sugar issues.  I gained strength, and I started to feel almost younger.  The only thing that changed during this time was that I stopped eating wheatbix and started eating buckwheat.  

You should eat grechnevaya kasha every morning for a month or so and see if you become stronger and healthier too.  Eating for a few days will do nothing, this is not magic.  Eating it a few times per week probably won't do a lot either.  You need to give it at least a month of eating it every day to see if it makes a difference to your health.  

If it doesn't work for you, then go back to eating...whatever it is people eat for breakfast (I can't work it out).  

Buckwheat after being soaked overnight in milk

There are a lot of ways to make kasha, and many people make kasha differently to me.  Below is how I make it.  I am not suggesting that this is the right way to make it, or even the best way to make it, but is is fast and simple and it works for me.  

1. I scoop 1/3 cup (50g) raw buckwheat into a bowl.  
2. I add a little under 1/3 cup of milk or water (some days I have milk, others I have water)
3. I leave it in the fridge overnight if possible 
4. In the morning I put the bowl in the microwave for 50 seconds
5. Sometimes I put honey on after microwaving, sometimes I don't
6. That's all, it's good to go.  

You can toast the buckwheat first, which changes the taste.  While I prefer toasted buckwheat to raw, I have only done this a few times.  It is faster/easier/cheaper to just use raw buckwheat.  Overseas they sell toasted buckwheat, here in Australia it is easiest to buy raw buckwheat that has the hull removed.  

Sometimes I soak buckwheat for two nights instead of one night.  I have only done this using milk, and I have it soaking in the fridge.  The extra night of soaking changes things, and it tastes creamier.  

Sometimes I forget to soak it.  That's ok, it still tastes good even without being soaked.

Many people add butter and salt, or egg, or onion, or fat.  All of this is good, but I think more suited to dinner meals.  For breakfast I eat a simple kasha made from buckwheat and either water or milk.  You could also add yogurt or fruit to your kasha, this is also very good.  Sometimes I add yoghurt on weekends when I have more time.

Some people cook kasha in a rice cooker, or boil on the stove top, this is also good and it needs slightly different ratios of buckwheat to water.  I don't have heaps of time in the mornings before work, plus I am sometimes half asleep, so I just put it in the microwave for 50 seconds.  It is so simple and so fast.  

Image from: https://www.goodness.com.au/organic-buckwheat-hulled-25kg/

Easily avoided problems

Some people complain about their kasha.  Most, if not all, of the problems people complain about are easily avoided.  

Gluggly or disgusting kasha is something people complain about.  The reason behind this is most people suggest using far too much water/milk, which makes it gluggy and gross.  I have seen people suggest ratios of 2:1, 3:1, or even 4:1 with more water than buckwheat.  Not surprisingly too much liquid makes it gluggy.  

I originally used a 1:1 ratio, then realised if I used less liquid it would all be absorbed and I much prefer the texture.  I now add liquid in a ratio of 1 buckwheat to about 0.8 liquid, and this works well for me.  If you prefer more liquid, then add more liquid, it won't hurt you, I just prefer the texture when there is far less liquid.  

Some people complain about a mysterious bitter taste.  Buckwheat reacts to the oxygen in the air, and the taste changes after a while unless it has been stored in an air tight container.  This is easily remedied by storing buckwheat in an air tight container.  We have issues with pantry moth if it is not in an airtight container, so I prefer to always store it in something reasonably air tight.  

Somehow, soaking overnight in too much water results in slightly bitter kasha.  I never taste any bitterness when I make kasha using milk, when I make it using water (and older buckwheat) I can sometimes taste bitter.  This is easily fixed by using slightly less water or adding a little honey.  

Other people complain that their kasha has too much liquid.  Easy fix - use less liquid.  Seriously, I don't see why this is a problem for so many people.  It seems like common sense to add less liquid if your kasha has too much liquid for your liking.  While it may not be the traditional way to use less liquid, if too much liquid bothers you then add less liquid and the problem is solved.

As I said before, eat buckwheat every day for a month and see if you notice a difference to your health.  If you become healthier and stronger then keep eating it.  If you don't like it, or you don't notice any improvement, then eat something else.  Just make sure you eat it consistently every day for a month or more if you hope to notice any difference. 

African Violets double and single

I have always liked African violets, for some reason I didn't get one until the year 2021.  

The first African violet I got was a small weak plant that was not flowering when I got it, it had no variety name and was labelled as 'light blue'.  It was in a self-watering pot, which made it very simple to look after.  The plant grew larger and stronger, eventually it flowered, and flowered, and kept on flowering.  

African violets really are remarkable with how long they can flower.  

After a few years it eventually stopped flowering, and stopped growing.  I meant to repot it, but didn't.  I fertilised it with leachate from my worm farm.  It then grew leaves far larger than it ever has before, and started flowering again.  

I also have another African violet that I grew from a leaf cutting from a different variety.  This is growing in a normal pot with soil that I mixed myself because I am too cheap to buy African violet potting mix.  The leaf babies were growing well, I am not sure how many were in there.  I then fertilised them with worm farm leachate, not long after that they also started flowering.  

Perhaps it is a coincidence, or perhaps African violets like worm farm leachate.  I don't know, and as long as they are healthy and flowering I don't really care.  

My African Violets

Below are the plants I am currently propagating.  I hope to have a few baby plants of each large that are enough to be flowering and ready for sale by spring.  

Light Blue, has very large double flowers, frilly petals, and I am not sure of the variety name.  To the best of my knowledge there are no true blue African violets, most are some type of purple like this one, in the right light it kind of almost looks blue.  I don't care what the colour name is, I really like it.

African Violet

Purple or Magenta (I am not great with colour names), single pansy type flowers, small compact and highly vigorous plant.  The colour of the flowers is a little darker than in my photos, it is an amazing colour.  I was told the cultivar name is 'New Hampshire'.  The baby plants only have a few flowers per stem, I assume this is because they are still very young as the mother plant I got the leaf from had a lot of flowers per stem.  

African Violet

I like the larger frilly double flowered types of African violets.  There are also a few colours that I am considering trying to get.  I wouldn't mind doing some breeding with African violets to see what I can produce.  

I saw the picture below on a social media page, I would love to grow one that looks like this some day.  If you have a plant like that and are interested in a leaf swap, or would be willing to sell me a leaf, let me know and we will see if we can work out something.  

African Violet - not my picture

Hopefully in spring I will have a few flowering plants of my magenta/purple and the double blue African Violets for sale, and there is a slight chance I may have another few varieties.  If I have a few flowering plants for sale the details might be found on this blog's for sale page.  

100 Year Old Mint

From time-to-time, people contact me to tell me about some incredible vegetable that they are growing, sometimes it is an heirloom that has been growing in their family for years, and they generously ask if I would like it.  I don’t have unlimited space, as I get older I have less energy to look after things, and while my climate isn’t too bad it can be a bit harsh and unsuited to some plants.  

For these reasons I sometimes decline these very generous offers (and often I regret this decision later).  Other times I accept the generous offer and end up growing some amazing thing.  

Recently someone told me about a mint that they have grown in their family for over one hundred years.  They asked me if I would like to grow it.  

100 Year Old Mint

Mint is an edible herb that is also used medicinally.  Mint is perennial, it can grow virtually forever if conditions are right.  Most of the mint I grow is a few decades old at most, some varieties are far younger as they were only recently bred.  Being over one hundred years old, that is far older than any other variety I grow.  

I currently grow a few different types of mint.  Some of the fruity mints are fun, but do I really need another variety?  Also, I am trying to grow less things and invest less time in the garden.  

Growing several types of mint varieties is a bit of work as they have to be kept in pots, the pots must be off the ground to reduce chances of escape, the pots have to kept away from one another to prevent runners invading nearby pots, flower heads must be removed prior to seed drop to prevent thousands of genetically diverse seedlings sprouting and taking over.  I also tend to under utilise mint, we don't eat it or make tea from it very often. 

Even with all of this in mind, I was interested in this family heirloom mint. 

100 year old mint

Most mint is well suited to cool damp climates and struggles badly in heat and dry.  This mint is said to be better suited to heat, as evinced by having been grown in a dry area of South Australia for over a century.  

The taste of this variety is said to be part way between spearmint and peppermint.  A few other things about this mint variety also sounded good.  I think the thing that sold me on this variety is its history.  

This is a family heirloom that has been passed down generations for over a hundred years.  I love the idea of one hundred year old mint!  

Mint leaves - upper and lower surfaces

The leaves are are green and smooth with jagged edges.  They aren't fluffy, or crinkled, and I think I would be able to tell it apart from my other types of mint even from a distance.

I was sent some runners that arrived safely in the post.  I planted the runners in pots of soil, kept them in the shade for a few days after being posted, and watered well.  Other than watering it I just left it to do its thing.  

Like most mints, this is very vigorous and did a lot of growing pretty quickly.  

100 year old mint

As far as taste/smell goes, this is a good mint that to me tastes a lot like spearmint with a touch of peppermint.  

It will be very useful and versatile in making various dishes and drinks.  This variety also makes a refreshing herbal tea.  

Leaves from 100 yr old mint

I haven't grown this for long, so far it is doing everything that I want it to.  I will probably baby it a bit over its first winter just to be safe.  Given how vigorous it has been so far, I have no doubt it will easily thrive in my climate.  

Most of all, I love the history behind this particular mint.  

Fish and Chinese water chestnuts

Years ago it used to be common to read on permaculture sites how people would grow Chinese water chestnuts (Eleocharis dulcis) in those plastic clam shell pools.  People would usually also speak of having guppies in the water over the growing period.  Back then I was researching how to grow water chestnuts, and thought it was a great idea, but there were no tiny fish in the local rivers so I grew water chestnuts in buckets without any fish, and it worked well.  

Late 2023 I tried to read up on this again to see if people had noticed any difference in yield, and for some reason I couldn't find much mention of people growing Chinese water chestnuts with tiny fish.  Perhaps people no longer do this because it makes no noticeable difference to yield, or perhaps it was useful but has been mysteriously forgotten about?  

There are plenty of tiny fish in the local rivers where I now live, so thought I would give this a try and see what I can learn.  I have two identical buckets, put a pot of soil in each, and planted one water chestnut corm in each.  The buckets are next to each other.  I left them to grow for some time, then put some fish in one bucket, and no fish in the other bucket.  

From here I will see if there is any noticeable difference in the yield from each. 

Fish in bucket on the left, photo taken 02/02/2024 

After a month or so of growth there were not a lot of noticeable differences.  The plants looked much the same in terms of size and vigor.  Perhaps the one with fish had slightly thicker leaves, I am not really sure.  

It was obvious early on that there was significantly less azolla and duck weed on the bucket with the fish.  Perhaps the fish were eating some of it, or maybe the fish were eating something that helps the duckweed and azolla grow.  I'm not really sure.  

By the end of February the difference in duckweed and azolla coverage is pretty dramatic.  The bucket on the left with fish has less than 10% coverage, the bucket on the right with no fish has over 90% coverage.  Often it is fully covered by azolla and duckweed, this gets disturbed when I fill up the bucket with water.  

Still early, both plants look similar 

Fish in this bucket - hardly any azolla and duckweed

No fish in this bucket - plenty of azolla and duckweed

I probably should have done this with no azolla or duckweed, but it is too late for that this year.  

I tend to grow a mix of azolla and duckweed on top of the water as it prevents mosquitoes from emerging.  Duckweed seems to eliminate any algae growth.  The azolla also sequesters nitrogen from the atmosphere and releases this when it dies and breaks down.  

Perhaps the fish are eating the azolla and duck weed, maybe they would starve without it.  So perhaps it is for the best that I did include it.  All I know is the bucket with fish has considerably less azolla and duck weed.  

Perhaps fish are eating the azolla and duck weed 

Now that autumn is upon us the leaves have yellowed and mostly died back.  It won't be long before I can lift these pots, let them dry slightly, then harvest the corms.  

Both buckets were growing in my greenhouse, I think the amount of shade will reduce the number (and average size) of corms produced in both buckets.  They both have significantly less leaves than the ones grown in full sun.  

The bucket with fish still has limited duckweed and azolla, the bucket with no fish is covered in azolla and duckweed.  I am keen to compare the yield of these buckets, both in terms of number of corms as well as the size/weight of corms, and see if there is any noticeable difference between the two buckets.  I probably won't get around to digging them up until some time in winter.  

Most winters I sell water chestnut corms, and duck potatoes, through the for sale page on this blog.  Being dormant over winter means they handle postage really well.  If you are interested, they are normally ready mid to late winter.  At this stage I only sell within Australia.