Our gardens will inevitably get shadier as mature trees start to grow. We will also get more shade in our gardens throughout the year during different seasons. In this episode of the Homegrown Podcast, we will discuss how to grow food if you have areas of shade in the garden. What to plant, how to maximise production and minimise disease.
Looking for a healthy, homemade wrap alternative? These DIY spinach sushi wraps are a delicious and nutritious way to use up garden greens and create quick, wholesome meals. Whether you follow a gluten-free, low-carb, or plant-based lifestyle, these wraps are a game-changer. Made from fresh spinach, herbs, and garden vegetables, they’re packed with nutrients and completely free from preservatives and additives.
These wraps have the texture of nori but are 100% vegetable-based. Use them for sushi, wraps, or as a healthy tortilla alternative. This is the perfect recipe for zero-waste gardeners who want to make the most of their seasonal harvests. I am so impressed with how amazing these are!
These dehydrated spinach sushi wraps taste and feel just like the real deal but I know exactly what is in them. Use excess garden greens along with bottle gourd or zucchini to make a batch of sushi wraps for a quick and easy lunch. Like most of my recipes, you can mix and match different greens and herbs depending on what’s in season or in abundance in your garden.
Garden Vegetable Variations
Don’t have spinach? No problem. Try other leafy greens such as:
NZ spinach (Tetragonia)
Swiss chard
Rocket/arugula
Sweet potato leaves
Amaranth greens
You can even mix in edible weeds like chickweed or purslane for extra nutrition.
Recipe Notes
Psyllium Husk helps bind the mixture and gives flexibility.
Herbs are optional but add great flavor.
Dehydration Time varies depending on water content and thickness.
Spinach "sushi" wraps
Yield: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours10 minutes
Easy way to preserve excess produce and have wraps on hand for a quick garden-to-plate lunch when you need it.
Ingredients
4 cups spinach or greens*
1/2 cup fresh herbs*
1 TBSP psyllium husk
1 - 2 TBSP water
2 cups chopped bottle of gourd or zucchini
Instructions
Rinse the greens and quickly blanch for 30 seconds in hot water then transfer to iced water to cool.
Strain and add to a mixer or blender. (use the blanching water on the garden once it has cooled down)
Peel Bottle gourd using a vegetable peeler, remove the center seeds and pith then chop into 2-3cm cubes. If using zucchini there is no need to peel.
Add all the ingredients to a blender or mixer and blitz until combined. You may need to move things about with a spoon to get it mixed or add a dash more water. You want a thick paste-like consistency not too watery.
Spread the mixture onto 3-4 silicon dehydrator trays. You may need to do this in batches or use baking paper and a tray if you do not have enough of the silicon trays. The mixture should be thick enough to not see through to the tray or paper but also as thin and even as you can (before seeing through to the tray)
Dehydrate at 50 degrees celsius until dry. Check after 2-3 hours as the time will vary depending on the water content of the greens you used.
Remove and carefully run a knife around the edges to loosen it. Carefully peel off the sheet it is best to do this one bit at a time holding the sheet as close to the tray as possible as to not tear it.
Once removed from the tray cut the sheets into the desired size (I cut in half for wraps but I keep them whole for sushi rolls) then roll them up and place them in an airtight storage jar. Or use them straight away. would
Use the wraps with your favorite salad ingredients and grilled chicken, haloumi or similar.
Notes
Greens - I used NZ spinach including the young stems but you could use any spinach or greens such as chard, rocket, sweet potato leaves etc just remove any thick stems.
Herbs - add herbs or leave them out (replace with more greens) completely up to you. Try adding 1/2 cup of herb such as parsley, chives or coriander for added flavour.
If you do not have a dehydrator you can use an oven on low to 50 degrees but be aware it may take up 6 hours so ensure you are home and not leaving the oven unattended.
These homemade spinach sushi wraps are a sustainable way to reduce kitchen waste and boost your nutrition. Whether you’re preserving an abundant garden harvest or just trying to eat healthier, they’re a delicious, eco-friendly addition to your kitchen staples.
Explore how to grow Bottle Gourd in your garden and how to preserve the harvest! Bottle Gourds are an abundant climbing plant that produces a range of different-sized and shaped fruits depending on the variety. Not only do they produce a huge amount of food, but they can also be dried to use as bowls, cups, bottles, and other vessels or containers.
So far this season, each vine has produced over 30kg of food with the potential for much more! Once you know how to grow and use bottle gourd, it may just become one of the most-used vegetables in your garden.
Help train the vines up structures. Prune older leaves to improve airflow. Hand pollinate when possible.
FERTILISE
Feed with compost teas and keep well mulched.
PESTS
Rats, aphids, snails.
HARVEST
Harvest when large and still green for eating or leave to dry out for bottles.
REPRODUCE
Grows easily from seed.
Why Grow Bottle Gourd?
Here are some of the many reasons to grow Bottle Gourds
Easy to grow
One plant provides an abundance!
Climbing vine – vertical gardening
Cover or create shade for the garden
Versatile crop
Make bowls or vessels
Base crop to make many dishes
Grows well in containers
Popular Bottle Gourd Varieties
Gourds come in many different shapes.
New Guinea Bean – Lagenaria siceraria – Italian heiloom. Popular in India where it grows easily. Large pale green tube-like gourds that can grow over 1m if left. Harvest at 40cm for eating. creamy white flesh simular to Zucchini.
Birdhouse Gourd – Lagenaria siceraria – Round bowl-shaped gourds with a narrow neck that can be used green as a zucchini substitute or left to dry and make into bowls and hanging bird feeders.
Round Bottle Gourd –Lagenaria siceraria – Large round bottle gourds that are perfect for making bowls. Can be eaten when young and green.
Mini bottle Gourd –Lagenaria siceraria – Popular for crafts. Round on the bottom then a skinny center with another bowl at the top similar to an hourglass shape.
Cucuzza Squash – Lagenaria siceraria– Slim elongated pale yellow-green gourd. Can be used as a Zucchini substitute.
Speckled Swan or Gooseneck Gourd –Lagenaria siceraria – Dark green with light speckles. Bowl-shaped base with a curved neck to look like a swan. Very decorative gourds.
When to Plant Bottle Gourd?
Gourds love warm weather! Plant your seedlings out into the garden after your last frost when the weather is starting to warm up. Seeds can be started indoors until it is warm enough to go into the garden.
Top Tips on How to Grow Bottle Gourd
Choose a sunny spot with 6-8 hours of sunlight or dappled part shade.
Plant seeds directly in the garden or in seed trays first.
Ensure you have a decent-sized trellis or arbor for them to grow up. Bottle gourds are vigorous growers similar to a pumpkin. It is best to train them up off the ground. Pergola-type structures or tunnels work best so that the bottle gourds can hang down.
Keep new plants well watered, especially during summer
Prune older leaves off that are starting to go brown or damaged to allow more airflow. Bottle gourds, like pumpkins, can get powdery mildew in wet or humid weather.
Hand pollinate to ensure successful harvests. I have found that even with bees about hand-pollinating is often necessary. Remove the petals from the male flower (which has no baby fruit on it) and dust the female flowers with pollen (they have baby fruit at the base of the flower)
How to Care and Maintain Bottle Gourd
Bottle Gourd plants will grow quickly in late summer and may need help to be trained or directed in the right direction to remain on the trellis. Hand-pollinate for added success. Remove powdery mildew leaves.
Pests / Disease
Rats may eat the fruit. Slugs and snails can be an issue when the plants are still small.
How/ When to HarvestBottle Gourd?
Bottle gourds can be harvested at many stages. While the skin is still soft and can be easily scratched, they are best for eating.
To get a continuous crop harvest regularly, so the plant has more energy to keep producing. Near the end of summer, when the plant slows dow,n you can leave the gourds on the vine to dry and go brown for crafts and vessels.
ReproducingBottle Gourd
Bottle Gourds grow easily from seed.
Allow the gourd to mature on the plant (until it stops getting bigger and starts to get harder skin or go brown and dry). Cut the gourd open and scoop out the seeds. Separate from the flesh and allow to dry completely on a plate. Pop in a container or brown paper bag, label and date, then store in a coo,l dark location until next spring.
Ways to Cook and Use Bottle Gourd
Bottle Gourd can be used fresh, dried, or frozen. Bottle gourd is used in a similar way to Zucchini. Peel the outer skin off using a vegetable peeler. If the gourd has started to go hard on the outside, you may need to use a knife to slice the outer skin. Remove the center pith and seeds.
Bottle gourd has very little flavour and makes a great vegetable to use as a filler or to carry flavours via dressings and marinades. Bottle gourd is a great way to thicken up smoothies.
Bottle Gourd can be frozen to use in soups, curries, or smoothies. Dehydrated strips using a vegetable peeler or zoodle maker can be dried and used as an alternative to pasta.
If you are growing Strawberry Guava you will almost certainly experience huge bowls of fruit after a few years. They ripen quickly and new fruits are ready each day during summer or autumn. These can be eaten fresh or extras frozen to collect a bulk amount to preserve. This fruit leather is sweet and delicious and a great way to preserve and enjoy your guava harvests without the hard seeds.
Naturally sweet and delicious garden-to-plate snacks.
Strawberry Guava and Apple Fruit Leather
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours20 minutes
Sweet and tangy this fruit leather is a great way to enjoy your bumper crops without the hard seeds.
Ingredients
3 Cups (or large hand fulls) of Strawberry Guava (fresh or frozen)
2 Apples
1 tsp fresh lemon Juice
1 TBSP Honey or raw sugar (optional)
Instructions
Wash and cut the ends of the guavas (the pronged part). Place the guava in a blender and the ends in a jar to make a scraps vinegar (see below recipe) or add to the compost.
Wash, peel, and core apples (peels can go in the scraps jar too). Slice the apples and cook in a saucepan with a splash of water until soft.
Blend the guava, apple, lemon juice, and honey until you get a smooth consistency with no chunks - there will still be seeds.
Using a mesh strainer pass the mixture through a sieve to separate out the seeds. This is best done in small batches. Push down and mix around until the mixture comes out the bottom and the seeds are left behind. It seems hard at first but only takes about 10 minutes to complete. Remove the seeds (add to scraps jar or compost).
Taste and add more sweetener or lemon juice (if too sweet).
Using the fruit leather plastic tray of your dehydrator (or wax-free baking paper and tray) spread the mixture out to form one flat layer. Try to get it as even as possible.
Dehydrate until dry and only slightly sticky approx 6 hours at 60 degrees Celsius. Can take up to 10 or 12 with high moisture or thicker trays.
Remove and slice into long strips while still warm then roll up in wax-free baking paper to form roll-ups.
Store in an air-tight jar for 1-2 weeks or store in the fridge for 1 month.
Notes
Any fruit can be used for this. If they are firm fruit like apple or stonefruit, cook down first until soft or try Mango raw, so yum!
Extra crunchy chips using the Queensland Arrowroot or Canna Edulis. This is a beautiful tropical plant that can be used as a perennial substitute for potatoes. It creates a fantastic middle layer in a food forest-style garden and has lush green leaves and grows rhizomes under the ground. Both the young shoots and the rhizomes are edible.
Crispy Queensland Arrowroot Chips
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Crunchy and delicious snacks made using the perennial Queensland Arrowroot. Quick and easy to make.
Ingredients
2 young Queensland Arrowroot Rhizomes*
1 Sprig Rosemary
Sea Salt
1 TBSP Olive Oil
Instructions
Wash and peel the Queensland arrowroot and quickly submerge it in water. Using a mandoline (or hand cut) evenly slice into thin slices then quickly submerge in cold water.
Allow to sit in cold water for 5 minutes then change the water and sit again for a further 5 minutes repeat if necessary until the water remains clear (it will be murky brownish the first time).
Preheat oven to 200 degrees fan bake.
Remove the chips from the water and pat dry. Drizzle over olive oil and season with salt and chopped rosemary.
Oil a baking tray and add chips.
Bake for 5 minutes then turn over and bake until slightly golden and crispy. Remove and place on a tray to cool (they will get a little crispier as they cool).
Enjoy!
Notes
Choose young Rhizomes that only have small shoots starting. Older ones will be more bitter. Gently pull and separate from the main older rhizome.
The Queensland arrowroot oxidizes quickly and goes brown. Keeping it in water helps reduce this.
For extra flavour try soaking in a mix of vinegar and sugar for salt and vinegar chips!
Learn how to grow Guava and what to make with their abundant crops in this guide. Guavas are beautiful ornamental trees that produce delicious, tropical-tasting fruit. There are many different varieties that all have their own unique flavour. Guava trees are prolific producers and can be a great addition to your homestead. Guava trees can also be grown in pots very successfully.
Sow seeds in spring- autumn. Plant trees in Spring or Autumn.
SOIL
Free-draining compost.
LOCATION
Full sun – part shade.
CARE
Prune to maintain size after fruiting has finished in Autumn.
FERTILISE
Feed with compost teas and keep well mulched.
PESTS
Rats, birds, fruit flies, bats.
HARVEST
Harvest regularly. Fruit will drop from the plant when ripeor come off easily in your hand.
REPRODUCE
Grows easily from seed. Seeds can be saved from ripe fruit. Cuttings can be taken.
Why Grow Guava?
Here are some of the many reasons to growGuava
Easy to grow
One plant provides an abundance
Lush evergreen leaves
Cover or screening
Shade protection
Immune booster
High Vitamin A and C
High antioxidants
Folate
Popular Guava Varietiesto Grow
Guavas come in many different types a few key types, depending on your location, are:
Strawberry / Cherry Guava – Psidium cattleianum – Popular small red guava – prolific. Taste is sweet with hints of strawberry and a little tart and bitter. Dense coverage of small shiny evergreen leaves.
Lemon Guava – Psidium cattleianum – Small yellow guava similar to the strawberry but with sweet slight lemon flavours. Dense coverage of small shiny evergreen leaves.
Hawaiian Guava –Psidium guajava – Large tropical-tasting fruit with bright pink centre and yellowish outside when ripe. Large matte leaves that can be used for tea.
Ruby Supreme –Psidium guajava – Popular selection of hawaiina guava. Large tropical-tasting fruit with bright pink centre and yellowish outside when ripe. Large matte leaves that can be used for tea.
Indian Guava – Psidium guajava– Large crunchy guava with green skin and white flesh. Large matte leaves that can be used for tea.
Mexican cream –Psidium guajava – Medium yellow guava with light creamy flesh. Large matte leaves.
Purple Malaysian Guava –Psidium guajava – Deep crimson red-purple leaves. Pink flowers and the fruit have striking purple flesh.
When to PlantGuava?
It is best to plant new Guava plants is in Spring to Autumn so they have time to get established before winter. Avoid planting during the peak of summer as this can stress new plants out.
Top Tips onHow to GrowGuava?
Choose a sunny spot with 6-8 hours of sunlight or dappled part shade.
Dig a hole twice the size of the current pot. Prepare the soil with free-draining compost.
Small trees may need a sturdy stake to support them.
Keep new plants well watered, especially during summer
Keep the base weed-free and well-mulched. Pull mulch away from the trunk to avoid rotting.
Prune in Autumn after they fruit to maintain size.
Plants will grow quickly and can be pruned in late Autumn after fruiting has finished. Young trees may produce more fruit than they can hold if branches look under stress you may need to thin fruits off before branches snap. Fruits are susceptible to fruit fly. Net the tree or individual fruits after the flowers have finished and turned into small fruit. Strawberry guavas ripen quickly, and regular harvesting can reduce fruit fly.
Some trees will get damaged by frost and lose their leaves. Plant in warm protected areas of your garden.
Pests / Disease
Rats and birds love the sweet fruit. Exclusion nets or bags may help or harvest regularly. Fruit fly and guava moth are a common problem. Ensure you net your fruit trees just as the fruit is setting to avoid worms in your fruit 😬
How and When to Harvest Guava
Guavas will ripen around late summer – autumn. Each variety will vary, and strawberry guava will often put on multiple crops.
Guavas will change colour and come off easily in your hand when ready.
Guavas can be eaten when they are still crunchy, or allow them to soften for a more creamy texture.
Reproducing Guava plants
Guava can be grown from both cuttings and seeds. Easy to grow from seeds but may be slightly different to the original plant. I have had plenty of success with seed-grown plants, though.
Save seeds from mature well ripe fruit. Rinse off the flesh and soak in a jar of water for 24 hours. Plant seeds in quality compost and potting mix and keep warm and well-watered until they sprout.
Take 15cm cuttings from semi-hardwood. Remove the bottom half of the leaves and the top shoot. Place in moist soil to root. Keep in the shade to prevent cutting and drying out.
Tips for Cooking and Using Guava
Guava can be used fresh or frozen.
Guava pairs well with: Citrus, Strawberry, Lime, Watermelon, Papaya, Peach, Pineapple, Mango, Melon, Coconut, Kiwifruit, Pear, Chilli, Mint, Ginger, Apple
Guava can be frozen to use in larger batches as you wait for more to ripen. Make jams, jelly, chutney, or preserves in syrup. This Apple and Guava fruit leather is a must-try!
