Living Mulch (forum)

Dekka starts with ...
I would just like to let everyone know how pleased I am with the 'Warrigal Greens' (Tetragonia tetragonoides) that I have growing under my, formally struggling, Citrus. It has completely excluded all grass and weeds and the Grapefruit has never looked better. What surprised me more was how good the native spinach tastes after it is boiled.- Better than English spinach. I'm using Kumara over the rest of my place and although it doesn't do as good a job as the Warrigal Greens at suppressing weeds, I end up with more sweet potato than we need so the neighbours benefit. I believe you can also eat the leaves of the sweet potato but I haven't tried that yet.

Time: 5th January 2009 9:42am

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About the Author Dekka
Newcastle
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John says...
Thats intersting, as traditionally, anything under a citrus is seen as competing with it, as they are shallow rooted.

Time: 5th January 2009 10:08am

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About the Author John20
Perth
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Phil. says...
Yes, I planted a few seeds and was amazed at what a useful (and attrative) ground cover it made, very drought tolerant and lush green all year round. The young tips make a very pleasant alternative vegetable. I imagine it must be very shallow rooted not to interfere with the growth of your citrus trees, I may try it as a cover for my orchard.

Time: 5th January 2009 10:10am

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Margaret says...
Do you allow chooks to scratch around your citrus? If so, how are they coping with the oxalic acid that I understand is in the leaves? I too have been searching for a ground cover around citrus and hadn't considered warrigal greens so would appreciate learning of anybody's experience

Margaret

Time: 5th January 2009 11:37am

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About the Author Polly
Lambton
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Phil. says...
Chooks can eat rhubarb leaves with no obvious ill effects. It's the oxalates in the leaves which make them poisonous for humans.

Time: 5th January 2009 11:42am

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Kath says...
I live one hour south of Perth on poor sand & grow clover & comfrey in my citrus orchard-got it really well established & now the chooks spend 4-5 days a week in there. The clover adds nitrogen & it all seems to work well. Nice hot one here today!!
Kath
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 5th January 2009 12:05pm

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About the Author KathK
perth
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Jantina says...
Looks great Kath, does it require much water to keep it looking so good?

Time: 5th January 2009 12:30pm

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About the Author Jantina
Mt. Gambier S.A.
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Kath says...
Yeh Jantina, we need retic here as we have terrible sand which doesn't hold water. It gets watered three times a week normally & if we've had a real hotty I'll give it another one.Kath

Time: 5th January 2009 12:38pm

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About the Author KathK
perth
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Jantina says...
Thanks Kath,I think our area is a bit big to use that much water on ( 2 acres of orchard). Our chooks have plenty of greenpick from autumn until early summer, they will just have to make do with vegie garden rejects over summer. Might do a small area and see how it survives the summer without water, our soil is sandy but things do grow well in it and I could water 2 or 3 times.Jantina

Time: 5th January 2009 1:27pm

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About the Author Jantina
Mt. Gambier S.A.
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Dekka says...
Here's a pic of Warrigal greens growing under our Nagami kumquat. Both are in flower and getting along nicely.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 7th February 2009 10:08pm

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About the Author Dekka
Newcastle
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Jantina says...
Sure looks healthy.

Time: 8th February 2009 9:35am

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About the Author Jantina
Mt. Gambier S.A.
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juanita says...
where can you buy warrigal greens?

Time: 8th February 2009 10:13pm

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About the Author juanita
melbourne
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Cooked says...
digger sell it as seed

Time: 8th February 2009 11:47pm

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Julie says...
Also known as New Zealand Spinach.

Time: 10th February 2009 5:02pm

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About the Author Julie
Roleystone
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Karen & Paul says...
Hi, we are searching for a soil binding groundcover to stabilise a large mound beside our soon to be driveway. We want to eventually plant it out with our citrus and fruit trees. Would this Warrigal Greens stabilise the slope? Any other suggestions?
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 18th October 2009 9:56am

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About the Author Karen Paul1
Pottsville NSW
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Julie says...
I can recommend crown vetch as being a very hardy ground cover, and a legume. The seeds are available from Green Harvest and (maybe) Phoenix Seeds.

It seems to grow in any soil - anything that will get through a WA summer without water would have pretty deep roots, so it should be good for binding the soil.

Time: 19th October 2009 7:50pm

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Roleystone WA
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