Urban foraging (forum)

Mike starts with ...
I get quite a few kgs of mangoes from parks near me during the season.In fact quite alot.Santols and black sapotes are others trees I visit in public places at times.Yesterday I picked up this assortment but mainly for seeds.
I support each area has fruit trees in public places where locals can do a bit of recreational harvesting.
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Time: 12th June 2012 5:24pm

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Mike says...
Sorry this picture is better as I harvested a couple of seedlings as well.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

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Time: 12th June 2012 5:27pm

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Julie says...
No problems with Q'fly Mike?

Time: 12th June 2012 7:48pm

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amanda says...
And how do u know they haven't been sprayed with something nasty?

Time: 12th June 2012 8:01pm

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Mike says...
Julie not in any of that lot.Guavas,sapodillas,malay apples can have live rice to hamper the urban forager but not most of the time and not mangoes.My bagged guavas and other prone fruit at home don't get them.Cockatoos,flying foxes,fruit spotting bugs and fruit sucking moths are just as destructive.

Time: 12th June 2012 8:07pm

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gus says...
Awesome haul Mike.
I love the idea of foraging but I don't think there will be many better spots to do it in than Cairns. Most I have seen around here are a few mulberries and sometimes grapes.

Time: 13th June 2012 12:07am

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amanda says...
gus!? U have not 'travelled' the old dunny cart laneways in the older parts of Perth/Freo it seems...?? ;)

Go exploring - but take cuttings too -not just the fruit!?

(had loads of fun doing this as a kid)

Honestly can't understand why u are all so obsessed with Cairns??
Weird.

Time: 13th June 2012 1:33am

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About the Author amanda19
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Mike says...
Amanda the trees in public parks are never sprayed.It would be just about impossible to spray a 25m tall mango tree.I have never seen pesticide enthusiasts do any recreational spraying in parks,on roadsides or other public lands.
Amanda you are correct about Cairns, there's nothing to see up here.Go west I say and Carnarvan might be just the place.

Time: 13th June 2012 5:33am

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amanda says...
That's good to hear Mike - so stick to the public park and/or wild fruit hey?

Nothing wrong with Cairns Mike :) It's just the stuff that they don't tell u about "paradise"...lurking underneath.. ;-D


Time: 13th June 2012 9:19am

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MaryT says...
There's a nice walk near here where I can collect Dianella berries. Don't tell anybody but they're yummy.

Time: 13th June 2012 9:46am

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gus says...
I'm not obsessed with Cairns. I just like tropical fruit and cairns seems to have a lot of old established exotic fruit that I have never seen here.
I can't imagine seeing mango trees and giant jaboticabas growing in the local park.
I have never heard of Dianella berries? Most people probably walk past that bush and don't even know they are edible.

Time: 13th June 2012 11:08am

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BJ says...
If I went on a forrage today I could collect a bucket full of surinam cherries from 2 dozen outstandingly cropping trees. The only problem is that each is more like a punch in the face with a jerry can of diesel than the next.

Oh, there are also tonnes of guavas. Unfortunately they are all hit by heliopeltis this year, making them a pain to cut around the stone cells.

Time: 13th June 2012 11:20am

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About the Author Theposterformerlyknownas
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amanda says...
Sorry gus - not meaning to offend in any way - just an observation that Cairns seems to have overrun so many topics of late - in more ways than just the fruit...

Sin City is just one spot in Aust and yes - it's almost impossible to not grow something great there.

There are actually Public Foraging set ups in WA...there's even jaboticabas at the one in Fremantle...
Surprise ;-)

But no - if u are looking for a mangosteen to forage - we know it aint' going to happen, sadly...we live in SW WA - so we have to grow what we can - and sustainably I guess...

Time: 13th June 2012 1:33pm

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Mike says...
Well if people are over my posts I'll understand it.I would not want to over-run the forum with undercurrents.As a matter of fact I kept an eye out today for the underbelly but couldn't even find an overtone.
When it comes to fruit, queensland and even NQ has something to say.I am just one of the vehicles.People have their choice o topics to read and engage in.

Time: 13th June 2012 4:17pm

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MaryT says...
Keep your posts coming, Mike. We wait for Fridays for the next hit of fruit photos. You know you can take your camera to the fruit; you don't have to buy them :) I'd start a thread on North Sydney market but they'd be the same week after week. sigh

Time: 13th June 2012 5:21pm

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gus says...
Hi Amanda, what do you mean by public foraging set ups in W.A? That sounds right up my alley. Are there websites or anything? I am very surprised to hear there are Jab trees in Freo. I would love to know where.


Time: 13th June 2012 7:32pm

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About the Author gus
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Julie says...
gus, try this site.

http://urbantucker.blogspot.com.au/

Time: 13th June 2012 8:33pm

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amanda says...
Hey gus...there is one right in the middle of Fremantle? Near that Town Hall to the south of Target. I know about it and I live 400kms away ;-)There is also another one in Northbridge that Josh Byrne helped set up..? Near the Art Gallery.
Not sure about how they work, how old etc. Bit far away myself.
Community gardens are really on the hop in and around Perth also. Try Googling for info etc. There's a big one in East Perth. They are interesting places to visit and often have great seed collections etc.

There is a great Perth gardening group on Facebook if u are interested in joining us? 100's of members and lots of great help specific for our sands and climate..? A few members from here are now there instead/as well.

My email sunley at wn dot com dot au - if u would like more info.

Mike - it's not that - your pics are great but (and I mean no offence at all)but the pics that started this thread have no comment on what the fruits even are so I wonder how folk are supposed to learn anything from that? Therefore I am not really sure what the purpose is?

And when your fruit strains do have a name they sound like they are sources that are not run of the mill strains that anyone has any hope of finding? (let alone growing in the vast majority of Aust)

Then u tell us you are actually mulching these amazing plants? It makes for some odd reading at times? (Now MaryT is really going to bollocks me I bet!? :D

Anyway - I hear there are "unofficial maps" for almost every city - on where to find free food (and khat plants, of course ;)
Happy foraging!

(edit: I had a quick google and couldn't find any info for the Freo one gus..? I remember seeing the designs awhile back now (incl the plant types) - but maybe it hasn't been started yet...dunno - haven't been into Freo for a long time. There is permaculture west who have done/do some kind of tour of the food gardens there...
If u google Community Gardens in WA u will start to see all the connections there anyway... hope that helps a bit)

Time: 13th June 2012 8:58pm

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Original Post was last edited: 13th June 2012 11:45pm

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snottiegobble says...
Dont worry Mike, Amanda is just jealous but of course I`m not! Not half!

Time: 15th June 2012 10:49pm

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Mike says...
SG I really should not be urban foraging
when I look around the yard.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

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Time: 16th June 2012 8:49am

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MaryT says...
OMG starfruits! I love them when they're almost overripe turning slight brown in the ribs. Delicious raw or cooked. Of course you should forage just for the joy of it. :)

Time: 16th June 2012 8:57am

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Mike says...
My little starfruit is pitching in as well.Yes Mary I can't give up the hunt.
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Time: 16th June 2012 9:30am

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David says...
Is that Fwang tung Mike

Time: 16th June 2012 9:35am

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Mike says...
David no its giant siam and B10.The pics don't show how much ruiot is on them and the giant siam is trimmed to less than 1m tall.

Time: 16th June 2012 9:39am

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David says...
My Kambangan is currently 7m tall ,must trim it down ,doesnt produce that much ,dont know why.

Time: 16th June 2012 10:05am

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Mike says...
David a small tree should be able to have lots o fruit.
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Time: 16th June 2012 11:46am

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Mike says...
This is a bit closer on the same tree.
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Time: 16th June 2012 11:47am

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David says...
Good looking tree Mike ,ok thats it tomorrow its chop time for the star fruit tree,also the Salithiel Litchee tree, also a wopper.Thanks for the inspiration Mike, bye the way how old is that tree, looks Knarly.

Time: 16th June 2012 12:30pm

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Mike says...
The small tree is about 8 or 9 years I think.It is happy to stay small now after some early defiance.Like most pruning take out branches to the trunk and thin ones rather than giving them a haircut.

Time: 16th June 2012 2:06pm

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John Mc says...
Mike, I love the way you keep your fruit trees dwarf-ish, and still plenty of fruit. Do you have an example of a Black Sapote? Diospyros digyna? growing under that same regime?

Time: 16th June 2012 7:40pm

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Mike says...
John Mc I did have a trimmed productive black sapote until recently.They are very cheap in the market and I found a park tree so it took a hit for the backyard fruit team and the ongoing renewal process.The trunk now provides support for dragonfruits.

Time: 16th June 2012 8:07pm

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amanda says...
Is yours a grafted star fruit plant Mike..?
That very first star fruit pic (B10?)reminds me very much of the one I had from my little F&V shop this year - it was the best star fruit I had ever had!?

I had never been that fussed on them b4 in truth. U have mentioned the good ones to me b4....this one was not as "pretty" as the usual suspects...but it was way better.

I kept the few seeds - but do they come true to type...?

BTW I will be in Cairns soon - I will take any rejects off your hands Mike..!? ;-D

Why aren't the professional growers growing more of the best fruit Mike..? Or does the fruit stay in QLD - or get exported..?



Time: 17th June 2012 11:25am

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Mike says...
Amanda the B10 is grafted and they do come pretty true to type from seeds.

Transport is a problem for many fruit that bruise or get ripe too fast.The best commercial paw paws,black sapote and custard apples are those that can be picked very early.

B17 and fwang tung are also pretty good.
No worries amanda when are you coming?
Many growers prefer to stick with established varieties and it can be hard to replace old trees with new young ones.

Time: 17th June 2012 11:43am

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amanda says...
Here are the only two books I have to refer to Mike...lol...one is a QLD DPI book from 1983 and the other (green one) from 1990...

They are great reading tho - lots of nitty gritty info on growing etc...(they have names like Juong, Taen Ma, Wheeler, Kwangtung etc...for carambolas - n heaps more!?)
The green book has stuff I have never seen or heard of b4...(Mangaba, Bacuri, Cupuassu, Araza and Pejibaye..? eek!?)

I didn't mean to sound ungrateful previously - I just thought maybe u were showing off a bit...but in hindsight - why shouldn't you... :) And judging by whay that FNQ grower Andre Leu said in a recent article (WellBeing -Food) it sounds like it's a battle to keep many good cultivars going these days..?
That would be sad.

Didn't mean to intimate that u force your plants on anyone...was just thinking how if some of them get tucked away in someones yard etc what a thrill itmight be for someone to re-discover them in years from now - when we thought they were lost...(like heirlooms..?)

I reckon there must be some interesting types of Figs lurking in WA back yards...!? Lots of Italian settlers brought the Fig with them ....

Pictures - Click to enlarge

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Time: 17th June 2012 7:50pm

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About the Author amanda19
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Mike says...
Amanda the starfruit you mention have winners and losers fwang tung as it is now called survived to be common as did wheeler which is now disappearing.The tropical fruit research station for over 100 years tries to popularise excellent fruits of SE Asia and Brazil.Some got popular and others survive only in a few yards.The 5 you mention are all great fruit which are here in tiny numbers now.We should have some of these best kinds of tropical and subtropical fruits in our yards but unfortunately we are an apples and oranges kind of society.
I will continue to say 'what about this or that'. I hope others will seek to grow and enjoy the fabulous diversity of fruit and veg. out there that are highly valued in other parts of the world.

Time: 17th June 2012 8:14pm

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amanda says...
I think I understand Mike. Does Daleys want any material from these trees maybe....I would take them if WA quarantine would let them thru. It's odd we don't have growers from far north WA and the NT interested.

I am mainly interested in keeping the genetics out there - at least..?
It's true tho - Aust (far northern!) has the most extensive collection of topical fruit in the world...that's amazing really - when u think about it? U live in an area that many of us can't hope to achieve what u are....?

Biodiversity is very important. And - we can all do our do our own part where we are too perhaps... :)

(Lol...I am going to try and help save a rare pig breed I have decided!? Wish me luck? (no room for the Shire horse damn it... :)

Time: 18th June 2012 12:02am

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gus says...
Hi all,

I just wanted to share this:

http://permaculturewest.org.au/resources/pw-edible-weeds-and-foraging-around-perth.pdf

I have tried the sculpit and was pleasantly surprised. Still a bit weird eating something out of a foot path.
Are there any of you out there that eat weeds ?

Time: 22nd April 2013 11:59am

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Mikayla says...
Hi Mike! I would really like to come foraging with you some time! I live in Edmonton and would love to meet some people to be an 'edible stuff growing random places nerd with' as none of my friends or family seem to appreciate my hobby...! I have collected a fair few trees on the southside of Cairns but I would really like to make a foraging map of the cairns region.

Cheers Mikayla

Time: 11th January 2014 2:20pm

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Mike Tr says...
Mikayla I haven't been foraging as much lately except park mangoes with my plucker and a few laps around the saltwater centenary lakes.I bet you give sugarworld a workover.
I have been overloaded with fruit lately and don't need to look much.I have boxes of abiu and jackfruit lying around and trees of starfruit,paw paw and passionfruit.The pic is some of todays abius.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 12th January 2014 12:07am

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Mikayla says...
I wasn't a huge fan of abius... However I decided to put one in the fridge the other day and forgot about it for a few days. When I finally got to eating it the inside had gone completely clear and it tasted like the BEST jelly I had ever eaten... Soft, sweet and melted in my mouth... My new fav food, behind mangosteens of of course!!!

Time: 12th January 2014 6:22pm

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Moltov says...
Hi all
I am new here. Foraging for food has always fascinate me and it make lot sense. Anyway, I want to find out the legal site of it. I am quite keen to go out and get some Olive for pickling but will i get done for it?


Time: 17th March 2014 3:10pm

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