1
00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,239
Speaker 1: Petrol prices are going up, but damn levels are going down.

2
00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,880
Speaker 1: So we have water wise gardening in mind today and

3
00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,720
Speaker 1: specifically we are looking at the subject of gardening with

4
00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:11,960
Speaker 1: succulents in South Africa. It's a great pleasure to welcome

5
00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:14,600
Speaker 1: back to the show via zoom Gardening grew Tanya Fisher,

6
00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:18,680
Speaker 1: editor of The Gardener and Ittaioneer magazines, regularly appearing on

7
00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,360
Speaker 1: gardening television as well, and really lovely to have you

8
00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:23,560
Speaker 1: back on the show again today. Tanya, thanks for your time.

9
00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:27,880
Speaker 2: That's a pleasure. Happut that and everyone at home too

10
00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,160
Speaker 2: good to be able to check with you again you too.

11
00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,040
Speaker 1: Let's start with what makes succulents such a good choice

12
00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:35,280
Speaker 1: for South African gardens. Is it all about the water

13
00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:37,280
Speaker 1: challenges or do they have other benefits as well?

14
00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:45,839
Speaker 2: Oh no, it's just it's so gorgeous, you know. I

15
00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:51,640
Speaker 2: think there's my My world was turned upside down with

16
00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:55,080
Speaker 2: their many many, many many moons ago. And I can't

17
00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,320
Speaker 2: say the exec because that might give too much away.

18
00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:02,040
Speaker 2: I think there is so much more to them, and

19
00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,760
Speaker 2: just the added benefit is that they are incredibly tough.

20
00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:09,440
Speaker 2: A lot of them are indigenous, which just serves us

21
00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:13,280
Speaker 2: beautifully in South Africa, and in fact, we have one

22
00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:18,680
Speaker 2: of the most diverse biomes of indigenous succulents, So that's

23
00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,720
Speaker 2: a big, big tick. But what is it that makes

24
00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,000
Speaker 2: them so beautiful? And I think besides the fact that

25
00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:28,560
Speaker 2: they water wise, I think for me it's it's the shape,

26
00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:33,440
Speaker 2: the shapes which are so rhythmical, so concentric, they almost

27
00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:40,440
Speaker 2: become mesmerizing. It's like looking into one of those kaleidoscope

28
00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:42,679
Speaker 2: you know, those little things that yes, what do you

29
00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:45,959
Speaker 2: call those? It's a kaleidoscope, Yeah, that thing. You know,

30
00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:50,880
Speaker 2: there's there's a there's a rhythm and and and an order.

31
00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,320
Speaker 2: And I think in the madness of the world that

32
00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:58,560
Speaker 2: we live in, order in nature is so so rewarding

33
00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,760
Speaker 2: because it's not a time table, that's not a timesheet,

34
00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,920
Speaker 2: it's not a robot, but it's just the it's part

35
00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:10,600
Speaker 2: of nature. And that order, for me particularly brings such comfort.

36
00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:15,240
Speaker 2: And I think the rhythm in the leaves because it

37
00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,440
Speaker 2: doesn't change, there's a rhythm that just does not change,

38
00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:24,720
Speaker 2: and I really admire that and and become sucked into

39
00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:27,920
Speaker 2: the to all of that, and I think that's the

40
00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:31,160
Speaker 2: best part about it. And the colors, the colors are.

41
00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, you're not alone in the in this fascination,

42
00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,079
Speaker 1: you know, Tony, I wrote a magazine article a couple

43
00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:40,079
Speaker 1: of years ago about succulent poaching in South Africa and

44
00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:43,440
Speaker 1: the devastation that is happening in the richters felt and

45
00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,680
Speaker 1: realizing the scale of demand that that that, you know,

46
00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,000
Speaker 1: that has been created, that people all over the world

47
00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:53,520
Speaker 1: have recognized how beautiful these plants are, and sadly humans

48
00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,080
Speaker 1: doing what humans do that you know, most of us

49
00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,240
Speaker 1: probably look at them and say how beautiful, leave them

50
00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:00,160
Speaker 1: where they are, but they're always those one or two

51
00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,800
Speaker 1: who want them for themselves and cause huge destruction in

52
00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,280
Speaker 1: the process. But just to emphasize what you're saying, that beauty,

53
00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,800
Speaker 1: the repetitive patterning and there is complete uniqueenesce of the

54
00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:13,359
Speaker 1: look is what has made them so popular. Now you've

55
00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,639
Speaker 1: mentioned we're lucky to have such a diverse range of

56
00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,600
Speaker 1: indigenous succulents to choose from in this country. Do you

57
00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:21,760
Speaker 1: want to mention a couple of your own favorites or

58
00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,160
Speaker 1: ones that are quite easy to get going with if

59
00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:25,800
Speaker 1: you've never grown succulents before.

60
00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,480
Speaker 2: So I'm going to go with this and I'm not

61
00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:31,840
Speaker 2: going to prescribe. I'm not going to say you've got

62
00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:33,560
Speaker 2: to use this and this and this, and I'm not

63
00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:36,800
Speaker 2: going to spot start talking Latin and foreign languages to you.

64
00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,560
Speaker 2: What I want you to do. And anybody who's out

65
00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,080
Speaker 2: there who's kind of thinking, gosh, maybe I'm going to

66
00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,600
Speaker 2: give this thing a go. Is you're going to go

67
00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:48,560
Speaker 2: to your local garden scene and there's always going to

68
00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,280
Speaker 2: be a succulent table somewhere. You're going to look at

69
00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:53,880
Speaker 2: it for a couple of things. Number one, what picks

70
00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,400
Speaker 2: your fancy, you know, like what makes your eyes sparkle

71
00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:02,200
Speaker 2: and twinkle. And for different people, it's various things. It

72
00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,480
Speaker 2: could be shaped, it could be colored, could be the

73
00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:09,600
Speaker 2: simple texture of it. And in terms of that, if

74
00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:12,240
Speaker 2: the label on the plant actually doesn't tell you how

75
00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:14,400
Speaker 2: to care for them, I'm going to give you a

76
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:18,600
Speaker 2: general bit of care instructions that should get you on

77
00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,920
Speaker 2: your way. Number One, those little pots that you buy

78
00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:24,479
Speaker 2: them in, those they normally are they come in a small,

79
00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,680
Speaker 2: little teeny weeny pot like a little fairy plant. I

80
00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:31,000
Speaker 2: mean they miniscule. They two SIPs of coffee if it

81
00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,360
Speaker 2: has to be a coffee cup. They're really small gus.

82
00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:38,279
Speaker 2: That's just the transportation method to get it to your garden.

83
00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:42,839
Speaker 2: And I've seen so many succulents die by the fear

84
00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:47,040
Speaker 2: of love or neglect, or or slowly in an ICU

85
00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,640
Speaker 2: table sitting outside your back kitchen door where they still

86
00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,400
Speaker 2: in those little pots. Those are just the transportation methods.

87
00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:56,560
Speaker 2: So for goodness sake, whatever you do, get them out

88
00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:59,159
Speaker 2: of there, take them out of those pots and plant

89
00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,279
Speaker 2: them into a slight, bigger pot or out into the garden.

90
00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:04,920
Speaker 2: And the trick with this is when you're taking them

91
00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,400
Speaker 2: out of the pots, you're going to see that the

92
00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,000
Speaker 2: soil that they in, the growing medium as we call

93
00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:15,480
Speaker 2: it in fancy terms, is very gritty, it's very sandy.

94
00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:18,760
Speaker 2: So you know it's not difficult to have to replicate

95
00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:23,800
Speaker 2: that in the West way. So you know you're gonna

96
00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:26,040
Speaker 2: be okay, You're gonna take that plant. You're going to

97
00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:29,120
Speaker 2: pop it into your beat sand like soil. If you

98
00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:31,919
Speaker 2: do happen to live closer to the mountain or an

99
00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,880
Speaker 2: area which is quite boggy and you've got some clay soil,

100
00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,640
Speaker 2: I want you to take that clay soil out, replace

101
00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:40,839
Speaker 2: it with some compost or some potting soil and a

102
00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:46,400
Speaker 2: bit of good coarse grit, either sand or some very

103
00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,560
Speaker 2: fine gravel, and that will just help for the drainage,

104
00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:53,320
Speaker 2: because that's what it's all about. So pop them in there.

105
00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:57,480
Speaker 2: Don't be scared to add a few layers of mulch.

106
00:05:57,520 --> 00:05:59,440
Speaker 2: And the mulch could be in the form of a

107
00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:04,800
Speaker 2: beautiful pebble, or some seashells or some muscleshells that you

108
00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,040
Speaker 2: might have collected from the last time you went in

109
00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:13,400
Speaker 2: harvested or whatever. Really you can go absolutely wild. A

110
00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:17,919
Speaker 2: few pointers. Gray leaves generally can cope with a half

111
00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,839
Speaker 2: day to a full day sun. I'm gonna say a butt, though,

112
00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,520
Speaker 2: there is going to be a butt when buying your

113
00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,520
Speaker 2: little succulent, and you've bought it from like the indoor

114
00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:32,719
Speaker 2: section of a garden center, so it's under cover, it's

115
00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:36,120
Speaker 2: not out in the full sun. That's going to be

116
00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,320
Speaker 2: a rule of thumb that's going to tell you that

117
00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:42,320
Speaker 2: little guy was grown under controlled conditions, so like a

118
00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,560
Speaker 2: greenhouse of salts. So if you're going to plant it

119
00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:48,120
Speaker 2: directly outside, it's going to take a bit of a

120
00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:52,520
Speaker 2: beating initially, but it will it will recoup, you know,

121
00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:54,880
Speaker 2: it will get to know its environment. So in that

122
00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,560
Speaker 2: case you can kind of lead it out gently into

123
00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,919
Speaker 2: the harsh full day sun. Does that make a better sense? That?

124
00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:02,680
Speaker 1: Does it? Really?

125
00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:02,880
Speaker 2: Does?

126
00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:05,200
Speaker 1: You think about what it's been used to before it

127
00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:07,839
Speaker 1: came into your care and try and replicate that. And

128
00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:09,600
Speaker 1: if you need to move away from that, just do

129
00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,400
Speaker 1: it gradually to that. It's acclimatize. I guess it is

130
00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:15,560
Speaker 1: the word we're looking for. Okay, So very specific, soil,

131
00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:20,640
Speaker 1: be mindful of the sun environment, particularly the gray leaves.

132
00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:22,840
Speaker 1: You said half to full day sun, but are there

133
00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:25,840
Speaker 1: certain other indicators in leaf marking which tell you this

134
00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:27,640
Speaker 1: one needs a little bit more shade.

135
00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:30,680
Speaker 2: Yeah. And the other thing is, and I'm going to

136
00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:37,440
Speaker 2: say this that so many people think succulent Mexico coctus. Okay,

137
00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:43,760
Speaker 2: they don't all need full day sun. And when you

138
00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,520
Speaker 2: purchase one and it says full day sun, guys, if

139
00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,800
Speaker 2: you at home have got four to five hours sun

140
00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,280
Speaker 2: direct son, you are good to go. You can plant

141
00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:56,400
Speaker 2: it there with full confidence knowing it's going to be

142
00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:59,080
Speaker 2: really happy. And then there are others that can actually

143
00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:01,800
Speaker 2: cope with quite a bit of shade, and that in

144
00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:05,720
Speaker 2: itself is another intriguing thing. And believe it or not. Yes,

145
00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:10,720
Speaker 2: they're all indigenous, So look out for plants like gas areas,

146
00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:15,720
Speaker 2: and they've got the most beautiful flowers. Their flower looks

147
00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:19,240
Speaker 2: like if you had to look at the anatomy of

148
00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:21,960
Speaker 2: a human, what the shape of a human stomach looks like,

149
00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,360
Speaker 2: because that's actually the shape of their flowers. So they

150
00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:28,200
Speaker 2: are called gasterias, and they can grow in deep shade

151
00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:32,360
Speaker 2: where claviers grow. They hang on the side of cliffs

152
00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:36,920
Speaker 2: and on the coastal forest belts beautiful, beautiful big strap

153
00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:42,360
Speaker 2: like leaves. Another one others are called hawarthiers, and warthiers

154
00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:48,599
Speaker 2: are little star shaped, come with bands of different white markings.

155
00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:53,080
Speaker 2: Just go and google them and you will find are

156
00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:56,880
Speaker 2: you gonna get sucked into a wormhole? And you're gonna

157
00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:59,199
Speaker 2: want to go out there and get them because in fact,

158
00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:03,880
Speaker 2: they also make great indoor poplants thinking because they don't

159
00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,720
Speaker 2: need a lot of light. And of course the biggest

160
00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:09,679
Speaker 2: thing is water. Guys, don't drown them, don't kill them

161
00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:14,080
Speaker 2: with kindness. But on the other side, they are not invincible.

162
00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,280
Speaker 2: They do not go I mean they cannot go without

163
00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:22,000
Speaker 2: three to four weeks without water. So give them a

164
00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:25,920
Speaker 2: watering every ten days or so and you will be fine.

165
00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:28,559
Speaker 2: Anything more than that, it's overkilled.

166
00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,000
Speaker 1: Okay, we're talking succulents with Tanya Fissa, So if you

167
00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,480
Speaker 1: have a question around succulents specifically, please send a WhatsApp

168
00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:38,920
Speaker 1: to seven two five six seven one five six seven

169
00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:42,200
Speaker 1: those asking about other flowers and trees, et cetera. I'm

170
00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:44,000
Speaker 1: not going to ignore your message, but I'm going to

171
00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:46,040
Speaker 1: hold it over for next week with Saris if you

172
00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:49,160
Speaker 1: don't mind, so that we keep on topic with the succulents.

173
00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:51,560
Speaker 1: This is very much a succulent related question. In on

174
00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,720
Speaker 1: the WhatsApp line, though, Mary writes, please ask your guests

175
00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:58,960
Speaker 1: about moles creating havoc in our retaining wall. Succulents. We

176
00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,040
Speaker 1: have planted them over years, about twenty of them. They've

177
00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:04,800
Speaker 1: got four different levels of retaining walls. We've never had

178
00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:06,760
Speaker 1: a problem before, but all of a sudden in the

179
00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:09,319
Speaker 1: last couple of months, Mary rights, we've noticed they are

180
00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:13,240
Speaker 1: being pushed up and the roots are being eaten. It's awful.

181
00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:14,200
Speaker 1: What can we do?

182
00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:18,280
Speaker 2: Okay, there are two things I don't talk about, well,

183
00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:21,080
Speaker 2: actually three things, but we won't mention the third on air.

184
00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:25,040
Speaker 2: But the two are moles and monkeys. However, I am

185
00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:29,920
Speaker 2: going to talk holes. But but you know moles. I

186
00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:33,880
Speaker 2: mean we having a huge mole activity ritia on Braziliana

187
00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:36,640
Speaker 2: town and wherever I go. And it depends, of course seasonality.

188
00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:39,000
Speaker 2: They tend to become more active at certain times of

189
00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:41,560
Speaker 2: the year. It doesn't mean that you can't garden. Means

190
00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:43,320
Speaker 2: that we've got to be cleverer. We've got to be

191
00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,600
Speaker 2: smarter than the mole. And if they are causing havoc,

192
00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:50,280
Speaker 2: there a couple of things. Number one in your retaining

193
00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:53,960
Speaker 2: wall or your raised area. And this becomes specifically if

194
00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:57,840
Speaker 2: you're planting bulbs, because we know that moles love eating

195
00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:00,680
Speaker 2: the bulbs. Yeah, so go to your local hardware store

196
00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,920
Speaker 2: and get a bit of chicken wire, just chicken mesh.

197
00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,439
Speaker 2: You can bite by the meter. It's got a very

198
00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:09,120
Speaker 2: very fine little holes. You dig your hole where you

199
00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,679
Speaker 2: want to plant your bulb or your succulent. Line the

200
00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,400
Speaker 2: hole with a bit of this chicken mesh and it's

201
00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:17,520
Speaker 2: soft and it really doesn't hurt you, so it's easy

202
00:11:17,559 --> 00:11:21,280
Speaker 2: to work with. Just line it, so you're creating this

203
00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:25,079
Speaker 2: little half moon of your chicken mesh. Put your soil

204
00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:27,880
Speaker 2: back and plant your plant. That way the mult can

205
00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,040
Speaker 2: never get to it. Of course, that makes sense. Other

206
00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:34,000
Speaker 2: way to do it, it's just plant your plant into

207
00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:37,200
Speaker 2: the plastic nursery pots, those little plastic pots that you

208
00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:40,640
Speaker 2: get your your plants in and bury the pot and

209
00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,840
Speaker 2: then the moles can't get to them. And then of

210
00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:47,320
Speaker 2: course there are these things called mold probes and muld

211
00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:51,240
Speaker 2: chaser awahres, and they work on batteries. You get some

212
00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:57,760
Speaker 2: that are sol and they emitter a high piercing sonic noise,

213
00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,240
Speaker 2: which does work. People say to me, I bought this

214
00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:03,040
Speaker 2: thing and it doesn't worked, But it's because they're not

215
00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:06,719
Speaker 2: following the instructions and they're not using it correctly. They

216
00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:10,800
Speaker 2: do work. I use them at home and they really

217
00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:13,120
Speaker 2: do chase the moles away. The only difficult part for

218
00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,360
Speaker 2: me is to decide which neighbor chasing them too.

219
00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:20,400
Speaker 1: I love it. Be nice to Tanyo if you live

220
00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:22,480
Speaker 1: next door to her, or she's going to send her

221
00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:26,480
Speaker 1: moles in your direction. We are talking succulents with Tanya Fisser.

222
00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:29,080
Speaker 1: If you've got a question for her, send what's up to?

223
00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:33,320
Speaker 1: Seven two five six seven one five six seven parlor

224
00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:35,760
Speaker 1: pointing out the one succulent. We've all been told we

225
00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:39,440
Speaker 1: should be planting in great abundance, particularly in the western cape.

226
00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,840
Speaker 1: The specworm, Tanya, have you had much luck growing specworm?

227
00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,440
Speaker 2: I love it. I love the specworm, and you know

228
00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:50,079
Speaker 2: that they're the moment, well not even at the moment.

229
00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:52,319
Speaker 2: If you go around to your local garden center, you're

230
00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:54,760
Speaker 2: going to see more than just a specworm, do you know.

231
00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:57,600
Speaker 2: There's the specworm, which we all know, and it's so

232
00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:00,440
Speaker 2: easy to grow, guys. I mean you just chop it,

233
00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,400
Speaker 2: leave it in a bit of bright light until what

234
00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:06,520
Speaker 2: we call it calluses, so it almost gets like a

235
00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,920
Speaker 2: little scab on the wound, and then you literally take

236
00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:11,720
Speaker 2: it and shove it in the ground. I think the

237
00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:13,920
Speaker 2: only thing you've got to worry about down your end

238
00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:15,520
Speaker 2: is for the wind blowing it over so it would

239
00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:18,040
Speaker 2: put a steak in the ground, and to hold it up.

240
00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:21,800
Speaker 2: But really you can plant them from little cuttings to

241
00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:24,680
Speaker 2: really big branches. You can just pop them in the ground.

242
00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:29,199
Speaker 2: But with the specworm you get lovely varieties. Now a

243
00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:33,440
Speaker 2: variegated form which is spectacular. It's got a smaller leaf

244
00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:42,040
Speaker 2: it's called it's called the prostrata alba prostrata meaning prostrate,

245
00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:45,840
Speaker 2: meaning low growing, so it almost cascades. I've got some

246
00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:50,160
Speaker 2: growing on a little raised brick wall, so it's right

247
00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:52,920
Speaker 2: on the edge, and then it's just cascading over the edge,

248
00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:56,480
Speaker 2: low and flat, smaller leaf kind of as small as

249
00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,840
Speaker 2: a as a five cent piece. Do we still get

250
00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:02,640
Speaker 2: five cent pieces even smaller than that, and then you

251
00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:07,000
Speaker 2: get the smaller green leave of that, So very cascading.

252
00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:11,000
Speaker 2: Some bonds are people even using interesting And of course

253
00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:14,199
Speaker 2: the leaves are delicious to eat. Yes, they've got that,

254
00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:20,880
Speaker 2: and throw a few in a salad. I mean not handfuls,

255
00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,280
Speaker 2: just a few because they give you that bit of

256
00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:24,560
Speaker 2: that tartness.

257
00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:27,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a little snighty sour taste. It's beautiful if

258
00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:29,920
Speaker 1: you've not tasted it, really is. It's a very unique flavor.

259
00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:31,760
Speaker 1: But it's got, as you said, tartness and tang is

260
00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:34,440
Speaker 1: the is the right thing to say. So a quick

261
00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:36,800
Speaker 1: follow up voice note that's come through while we're talking

262
00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:39,160
Speaker 1: about specworm if we can take a listen to that.

263
00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:43,040
Speaker 3: Hi, Papa, it's Spoula speaking. Could you please ask your

264
00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:48,200
Speaker 3: guest how do you make spec wormer grow faster? Particularly

265
00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:50,440
Speaker 3: if you've got a small spec worm in a very

266
00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:53,360
Speaker 3: very big terra cotta outdoor planter. How do you make

267
00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:56,000
Speaker 3: them grow faster? Thank you bye, I'm.

268
00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:57,760
Speaker 1: So glad you asked that because I was looking at

269
00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:01,080
Speaker 1: mine earlier this week, thinking you really taking your time

270
00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:04,000
Speaker 1: and getting going. Aren't you tania any trick to making

271
00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:04,680
Speaker 1: them grow faster?

272
00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,080
Speaker 2: So he has an interesting thing when we are in

273
00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,840
Speaker 2: the gardening world, and they've they've worked this out over

274
00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:16,000
Speaker 2: time and through testing and trial and error. If you

275
00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:21,120
Speaker 2: take a small plant and put it in a big pot, yeah, okay,

276
00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:26,160
Speaker 2: it grows slower than if you took a small plant

277
00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:29,680
Speaker 2: and put it into a pot maybe ture or three

278
00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:34,720
Speaker 2: sizes in terms of centimeters bigger than its original pot.

279
00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:35,680
Speaker 1: Interesting?

280
00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:37,320
Speaker 2: Am I describing it correctly?

281
00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:37,680
Speaker 1: Yes?

282
00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:43,520
Speaker 2: It's so. It's something about I think, and we can

283
00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:49,160
Speaker 2: argue this about plant psychology in that it it knows

284
00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:51,920
Speaker 2: that it needs it can get there quicker. It can

285
00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,680
Speaker 2: get there quicker because here's the perimeter, here's my limits.

286
00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:57,360
Speaker 2: And I think it's also got something to do with

287
00:15:57,360 --> 00:15:59,840
Speaker 2: the moisture levels, about how much is kept in a

288
00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:03,400
Speaker 2: smaller container, whereas in a larger container it might also

289
00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:07,360
Speaker 2: just feel slightly lost here's the other interesting, interesting thing.

290
00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:14,000
Speaker 2: Plants planted together, ye together, grow faster than plants just

291
00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:15,560
Speaker 2: on their lonesome.

292
00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:19,480
Speaker 1: Much like people in that respect. I thank you just the.

293
00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:24,120
Speaker 2: Same, We're just the same, so and and okay, but no, okay,

294
00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:27,000
Speaker 2: let's let's leave the woo woo part aside, because this

295
00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:29,440
Speaker 2: might this is gonna cause us go out there, if

296
00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:31,600
Speaker 2: I'm telling you. But the other thing is, of course,

297
00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:35,320
Speaker 2: just give it some mean fertilizer. I would get something

298
00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:39,560
Speaker 2: like Atlantic bio Ocean. Give it a good handful of

299
00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:41,280
Speaker 2: that in the part you could do that every four

300
00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:46,280
Speaker 2: to six weeks. Really sprinkle that around. Because it's an organic,

301
00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:49,640
Speaker 2: you can't really add too much and make and that's

302
00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:51,720
Speaker 2: just going to give it the kickstart that it's going

303
00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:55,600
Speaker 2: to need. And the nutrition because if you've got optimum nutrition,

304
00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:59,200
Speaker 2: much like an athlete, you know you're going to perform better.

305
00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:01,400
Speaker 2: So you're plus plant will grow faster.

306
00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:04,560
Speaker 1: Paulo, I hope you were taking notes, And if you weren't,

307
00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:06,159
Speaker 1: remember you can go back and listen to all of

308
00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:08,879
Speaker 1: this on podcast after the show. Tanya, always a delight

309
00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:10,640
Speaker 1: having you on the show. Thank you so so much

310
00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:13,639
Speaker 1: for the advice today and for the passion for these plants,

311
00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:15,280
Speaker 1: and we look forward to chatting to you again in

312
00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:16,000
Speaker 1: the near future.

313
00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:19,280
Speaker 2: Thanks Papa, Happy gardening everyone, and.

314
00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:22,199
Speaker 1: You too, please. Tanya Fesser, Editor of The Gardener and

315
00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:23,800
Speaker 1: Detioneer magazines,