First hard frost

It is official - the 2013 garden season has come to an end. Last night we had our first hard frost. 

I previously reflected on this year's garden season so I do not want to repeat myself. However, I do want to brag one thing...

I harvest 750.7 lbs of produce. This is 348.6 lbs MORE than last year! And it works out to be more than 3 lbs of produce per square foot. 

Here is the breakdown:

Another summer comes to an end

Garden in early summer

Alas, after 92 days, summer has officially come and gone. As we say goodbye to summer and welcome in fall, I wanted to take a few moments to document my 2013 garden.

I was not able to start seeds as early as I normally do since I spent two weeks out of the country during prime seed starting dates. Nonetheless, this worked out well, because...

The main gardening season got a late start due to a frost that occurred on May 13th - just days after giving away all the extra tomato plants I had grown. I was able to protect the tomato plants I had just planted before the cold weather hit. Luckily, only the tips of the tomato leaves were frost-bitten and the plants were able to survive. However...

Early summer sure was a wet one - the entire east coast was flooded by hard rain for about a month. At first I thought the rain would be good for the newly planted vegetables and fruits, but alas, there is a point where you can get too much water. The tomato plants became infected with leaf spot due to all the wet weather. Fortunately, the tomatoes continued to grow and produce an overabundance of fruit!

Ryan (AKA, Emanuel Labor as he called himself) and I removed two raised beds that were falling apart and he rebuilt me an additional two new 12X5 foot raised beds. My garden now has a total of 240 square feet of space. At first I thought this was not enough (I NEEDED more), but I think I have come to terms with this amount of space. Of course, I do reserve the right to change my mind in future years!

This year has been the best gardening years by far! There are too many successes and very few failures to recap so below are some of the highlights and things for me to remember for next year:

Problems with growing zucchini - part 3

Ever notice your beautiful zucchini plants suddenly wilt in what seems like overnight. If so, a squash vine borer is probably to blame. Unfortunately, the damage is already done by the time you notice the first signs of the plant beginning to wilt. The infested plants usually die very quickly (24-48 hours after I first notice the plants looking weak).

Squash vine borer larvae

The squash vine borer has a cream colored body with a brown head. It overwinters just below the soil surface and emerges in the spring as a moth. The moth looks more like a wasp with an orangish-red body and black wings. The moth lays individual small brown eggs on leaf stalks and vines of zucchini plants. Once hatched, the larva immediately bores into the stem where it feeds before exiting the stem to pupate in the soil. If the plant dies before the borer has completed its life cycle, the larva can migrate to a neighboring plant and resume feeding there.

Frass

The burrowing larvae destroy the internal tissue of the zucchini plant causing the whole plant to die. You will likely notice something that looks like wet sawdust around the base of the plant. This is excrement from the squash vine borer called frass and it is the telltale sign that a squash vine borer has been enjoying dinner at the expense of the zucchini plant. 

Squash vine borers are difficult to control, so the key to squash vine borer management is controlling the borers before they enter the stem. Promptly pull and destroy any plants killed by squash vine borers.

In my experience, the squash vine borer is the worst insect that can invade my garden as it does the most damage before it is even detected.

Problems with growing zucchini - part 2

They're baaack! Squash bugs. How do I know? I found their eggs on the backs of some of my zucchini leaves.

Typically, squash bugs begin arriving in the garden around mid June and attack all cucurbit crops (squash, cucumber, pumpkin, etc). However, in my garden, squash bugs show a strong preference for zucchini.

Squash bugs are often mistaken for stink bugs; however, squash bugs have a slightly longer and leaner body. (I find that squash bugs smell like bubble gum when squished, rather than skunk.) Both insects are equally annoying and difficult to get rid of from the garden.

As soon as they begin to feed, squash bugs start laying eggs, which are found

Squash bug eggs

primarily on the undersides of leaves, between veins of the squash plant. The eggs are brown, oval shaped, and often seen in groups of 10 or more.

The larvae hatch about 2 weeks after eggs are first laid. The larvae morph into nymphs that are light gray in color with black legs. The nymphs feed in groups until they mature into adults (5-6 weeks later).

Leaves and fruits become speckled with sunken puncture wounds from where the squash bugs (nymphs and adults) sucked the sap from the plants. Eventually the feeding will cause enough damage that the plant will wither and die. 

The adult squash bug spends most of their time hiding around the base plant and on the underside of leaves. This, and the fact that squash bugs disperse quickly when disturbed, make it difficult to control squash bugs. Thus, early detection of the squash bug eggs is the key to minimizing damage to the plant. Once I find the eggs, I squish them with the back of my fingernail. This helps to reduce the number of adult squash bugs I find later in my garden.

This year I planted zucchini late in the season (mid-July) to try to avoid a major infestation of squash bugs. This seemed to work, so I will do it again next year.

Problems with growing zucchini - part 1

I cannot grow zucchini for the life of me. I usually start off great with beautiful looking plants and just when they start to produce fruits, something causes its demise. Either a squash vine borer chews through the stem of the plant, squash bugs invade the plants and suck the juice out of the fruits, or powdery mildew strikes. Unfortunately, I have found all three in my garden this week!  It is not surprising since these problems often appear in July/August. But, did I really need to get all three problems at once. Well, it gives me something to b!tch write about.  

Over the next few posts, my plan is to cover each of the problems I have with growing zucchini. I will start with powdery mildew... 

Powdery mildew on zucchini leaves

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that is favored by warm temperatures, high humidity, and poor airflow. It is often seen on zucchini, cucumber, and melon plants.

Shaded from the sun, powdery mildew first appears on the surface of leaves found in the crown or lower portion of the plant. It appears as white/gray, powdery spots on the top sides of leaves. If not controlled, powdery mildew can quickly spread to the stems and fruit of the same or closely related plant families (i.e. curbits: cucumbers, melons, etc).

Prevention ensures the greatest success. To minimize the risk of plants becoming infected with powdery mildew, it is best to grow zucchini (and other curbits) in full sun with proper spacing between plants. 

However, despite these preventative measure, it is still possible for the plants to get a powdery mildew infection. Thus, it is best to monitor the leaves on a weekly basis for signs of infection. 

At the first sign of infection, remove and destroy (do not compost) infected plant parts (leaves and stems). In addition, spray/dust sulfur on the leaves of the infected plants (preferably in the evening to avoid burning the leaves) to help control the spread of the disease. Continue to monitor and remove infected leaves and spray/dust sulfur on a weekly basis. 

Oh, and cross your fingers and hope for the best.  

Growing carrots

Carrots smell amazing when they are first harvested - like a bouquet of wisteria and gardenia. The slightly phenolic aroma is intoxicating. It is no wonder rabbits keep finding their way to my carrot patch! I seriously think the perfume industry is missing out on some untapped fragrances that can be extracted from vegetables. 

The smell of carrots is fresh in my mind as I just harvest the mother load today. It has been a long wait for these sweet treats, especially given the cooler, wet spring we experienced this year. 

Fortunately, not all the carrots were "of size" so I will probably continue to harvest them throughout the rest of the season. A handful every couple of days is still too much for two people, but that is why I have friends, neighbors, and co-workers - to share the bounty! This is probably the real reason I love gardening. If Ryan and I ate everything we harvested, we would be a lot thinner and healthier. But that is for another blog  ;)  

In general, carrots are slow to grow and are picky about their growing conditions. 

Although carrots can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring, seeds germinate best when the soil temperature is 60-65oF. So it is best to give the soil a few weeks to warm up in the early spring. 

Carrot seeds must be seeded directly in the garden. They should be sprinkled over the surface of nutrient-rich, deeply tilled sandy soil that is free of stones. The seeding density needs to be just right: close, but not too close together. This can be quite the chore given the size of carrot seeds and the fact that they are hard to see when sprinkled over the soil surface. There are lots of ways to help get the right spacing, but the easiest is to take a pinch of seeds and gently rub them between your fingers over the surface of the soil...think of how you might sprinkle pepper over your food.

To germinate, carrot seeds need even moisture. But be careful watering! It is best to use a mister to water carrot seeds during the 14-21 days it takes for seeds to germinate to prevent seeds from floating away with every watering. 

I keep the soil evenly moist throughout the growing season. Too much water, especially after a hot spell, may result in the carrots splitting (see photo).

Waterlogged carrot

After about 2 months, to see if the carrot is ready to harvest, look at the thickness of the leaves at the soil line. Carrots are ready to harvest when the leaves at the soil line are thick and about 1 inch in diameter. The shoulder of the carrot may be visible when ready to harvest, but not always. 

To harvest, hold the carrot top close to the soil and give it a tug. Success? You may find you have a tiny root. Try another one. Same thing? Wait another week and check again. If the carrots look like a good size, start harvesting as many as you can eat in a weeks timeframe. 

Carrots can be left in the ground without rotting. You will be in for an even more tasty treat when carrots are allowed to go through a cold spell (light frost).

Praying mantis

Baby praying mantis

Despite its awkward appearance, the praying mantis is a gardener's best friend.

Praying mantis will eat any insect that is large enough to capture their attention, but small enough to grasp with their spiked forelegs. Unfortunately, this sometimes includes honey bees. 

However, for the most part, praying mantises are beneficial insects. They are predators that feed on "bad" bugs such as aphids, moths, flies, and beetles which are more destructive than the honey bee and are often a larger feast for the praying mantis. 

A bugs life is a tough life. Praying mantis are cannibalistic when food sources are scarce. In addition, females will kill their partner after mating and baby mantises will eat each other in an "eat or be eaten" way of life. 

Nonetheless, I am excited that I have finally found a praying mantis in my garden. I just hope that these guys stick around and help me to organically control the insects in my garden. Lord knows I have plenty of japanese beetles feasting on my raspberry bushes and apple trees.

Darn rabbits

Dear Mrs. Bunny, your dare-devil partner, and all your little ones:

I am watching you. 

Peppers eaten by rabbits

I see you in the mornings and in the evenings munching on a variety of produce that is meant for human consumption. I see one bunny as the look out bunny while the others munch away. You think you are SO clever by bringing your cute little 4 inch offspring with you to the feast.  I am on to you.

There are solutions that your family will not like - just look at what I was capable of earlier this year when I was tilling the garden. It could happen again. And this time, it may not be an accident.

Just because you can reach my vegetables, does not mean you can eat my vegetables. If you are seeking vegetation, please eat the weeds which are far more plentiful.

Warm regards,

The FARMER

Tomatoes are here

There are a few things that come to mind when I think of summer: fireflies, longer days, warm nights, hot cars, tall corn stalks, 4th of July, and of course tomatoes.

I cannot wait to see all the different colors and shapes of the heirloom tomatoes I am growing this year - 10 varieties in total (oh my, what was I thinking). 

First of many tomato harvest

I picked my first tomatoes this weekend: one yellow pear tomato, one sweet 100 cherry, two roma, and a handful of sun gold cherry tomatoes. While this harvest was small, it is only a matter of time before I am again swimming in tomatoes. 

Using the peppers, sweet onions, and basil that I have harvested from my garden, I am making my first batch of homemade tomato sauce with about 3 gallons of stewed tomatoes that I froze at the end of last summer.  This is the first of many days to come.

Growing onions

Although onions can be grown from seeds, sets, or transplants, I prefer to grow them from seeds. After a cold winter, the arrival of seed catalogs and the starting of onions seeds remind me that spring is around the corner. I like to watch the seeds germinate and sprout long leaves which need to be cut 2-3 times before transplanting. I also like detangling the roots of the seedlings when it is time to transplant them in the spring. To me, onions = spring.

As an experiment, I planted Walla Walla onion seedlings last November. I read that planting sweet onions in the fall results in a sweeter onion. What I did not know was that the onions would be larger and mature much earlier than those planted in the spring. So, this November I will be planting even more onions to overwinter!

While I am already enjoying the Walla Walla onions (over 1 lb each!) I planted last fall, I have noticed that the onions I planted this spring are starting to bulb up nicely. I anticipate the rest of the onions being ready to harvest around the end of July.

Onion showing symptoms
of Pantoea ananatis

This week, I came across one sweet onion (Candy) that had suddenly looked kind of weird. The onion was bulbing up like the others, but it had floppy white/bleached looking center leaves (the outer leaves were green and healthy looking). Having seen what happens to tomato plants if disease is not controlled early, I ripped this onion out of the ground and started my investigation into what was the cause of the wilt. 

It turns out that the onion was likely infected with a bacterial disease caused by Pantoea ananatis. This bacterium causes what is called "center rot" and commonly occurs in sweet onions during periods of hot weather. The classical sign of infection is the collapsed bleached center leaves hanging down beside the onion's neck. Bingo! This is exactly what was wrong with my onion.

Go figure: high temperatures are necessary for the development of this disease. We have been in a 90-degree heat wave for about 2 weeks. This is another benefit of growing onions over the winter - they mature earlier, thereby helping to prevent loss from center rot.

I also suspect that the overhead misters I installed on the onion bed may have contributed to the bacterial disease. Water from the misters could be held in the leaf axils making the onion more susceptible to bacteria entering the plant. Needless to say, I have turned off the misters and will rely solely on drip emitters for the rest of the season. 

Tomato leaf spot

Septoria leaf spot infected tomato leaves

About 2 weeks ago, the lower leaves of the some of my cherry tomato plants began to show signs of Septoria leaf spot, an infection caused by the fungus Septoria lycopersici.

While I usually do not see this problem until later in summer, given all the rain we received this month, I am not surprised that it arrived this early in the season. 

Septoria leaf spot is characterize by the formation of numerous small circular lesions that are 1/16-1/8" in diameter. Spots first appear on lower leaves and have a dark brown border and a grayish-white center. 

Heavily infected leaves turn yellow and wither off the trunk of the plant. This can result in sun-scalding of fruit and ultimately a reduction in the amount of fruit produced. 

In an attempt to slow the spread of the fungus, I have had to defoliate all the lower leaves of all my cherry tomato plants. I removed infected leaves using pruning shears (cleaned with a 30% bleach solution before and after each cut). 

Sadly, it looks like I have tomato trees rather than bushy tomato plants. Luckily, none of the fruit show signs of infection. However, I have lost a few clusters of tomatoes due to my heavy pruning of the infected leaves (and not paying attention to where exactly my pruning shears were snipping...oops).

To minimize risk for disease, tomato plants should be:

• Spaced 2 feet apart
• Staked to improve circulation
• Watered early in the day using soaker hoses or drip irrigation to minimize splashing of water onto the leaves
• Grown in a new location in the garden every year

Although I followed all these recommendations, I was not able to prevent Septoria leaf spot from rearing its ugly head. Unfortunately, once this fungus appears, the only thing you can do is control its spread.

Every 7 days (or after rainfall), I will have to treat the infected plants with a copper-based fungicide or a fungicide that contains chlorothalonil. Fungicides will not cure infected leaves, but they will protect new leaves from becoming infected. I will also have to be diligent about removing infected leaves since the disease is spread by wind and water splashing up from the ground and infected leaves.

Cabbage worms

As soon as I see little white butterflies with greyish-brown dots on its wings visit my garden, I know it is time to protect my vegetable garden from cabbage worms.

Cabbage Worm (length = approximately 1")

These butterflies lay hundreds of tiny yellow eggs on the underside of the leaves. The eggs hatch and release velvety green larvae (cabbage worms) that love the taste of broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, and other members of the brassica genus. The larvae feed on the foliage of these vegetables, creating numerous holes. About three weeks after hatching, the cabbage worm form a cocoon-like pupal case. A few days later, a new butterfly emerges and the cycle starts again...and again, throughout the summer. In the fall, these pests overwinter and emerge again in the spring.

Cabbage worms can be very destructive during their short lifespan. Leaves become riddled with small holes, altering the appearance of the plant, reducing yield, and eventually impacting the plant's ability to undergo photosynthesis.

Some gardeners cover their crops with a light floating row cover to prevent the butterflies from laying eggs. This sounds great, but I practice intensive gardening. It is too difficult to cover just the brassica crops. AND, the floating row cover should be applied at transplanting to be the most effective. 

Alternatively, cabbage worms can be hand-picked off the plants. Yeah, this sounds like a lot of fun. Not really! This is a labor-intensive endevour that I know I will not win, so I don't even attempt to fight this battle.

I prefer to use an "organic" control that relies on the bacterium, bacillus thuringiensis (also called "Bt"). Bt can be found at most garden centers under the brand names "Dipel" or "Thuricide".

Although harmless to humans, Bt is toxic to a number of destructive worms upon digestion, including: cabbage worms, tomato hornworms, and cutworms. However, it must be applied when the cabbage worms are actively feeding on the leaves. Once the cabbage worm ingests the Bt, it will stop feeding and die of starvation within 3-5 days.

Since Bt rapidly degrades in the sun, I sprinkle it sparingly over the leaves surface just after the sun goes down in the evening. A bonus: cabbage worms mainly feed at night so the Bt will be most effective at this time as well. Unfortunately, Bt must be reapplied after it rains.

It is possible to still get harvestable ("sellable") produce despite a cabbage worm infestation, provided that it is caught and treated early in the season.

Garlic scapes

Garlic Scapes

Tuesday I harvested the garlic scapes from one of the two varieties of hardneck garlic I planted last fall (Music).

Garlic scapes are the "flower" stalks of hardneck garlic plants. These twisting and twirling stems shoot up from the center of the garlic plant's leaves and signal that the garlic is 3-6 weeks away from being ready to harvest.  

While the scapes do not need to be cut off the plants, some people believe the plants energy will be diverted from forming plump bulbs if the flower was allowed to grow. However, last year I left the scapes on a couple of the garlic plants and did not notice any significant difference between the size or weight of the garlic. So, I do not think it hurts the size of the bulb to the keep the garlic scape on the plant...but why waste such a tasty treat. 

I first noticed the garlic scapes forming about 3 weeks ago. Since it is best to harvest young and tender garlic scapes, I have been keeping a watchful eye on the stalks as they twisted and turned. If I harvest the garlic scapes too early, the scape will continue to grow, making it difficult to remove the nub of new growth. Too late and the scape would be too fiborous to eat. And, you will want to eat them! Garlic scapes have the texture of fresh green beans and taste like mild garlic. They are excellent in salads, stir-fries, and pestos!

Freedom from the hose

Once a garden has been planted, there is nothing more important than water for its ability to survive. 

The best time to water is in the morning (6-9 am) or early evening (5-7 pm), before the sun sets. Since I rather sleep in the morning, I spend my evenings watering each vegetable bed by hand using a hand-held sprinkler.

Not only is overhead watering a waste of water and an invitation for disease, I spend more than 12 hours per week watering all my gardens. Last year I vowed that it was going to be my last year lugging around a garden hose to water the vegetable gardens.

The most economical method for watering vegetable gardens is to use a soaker hose. However, in the past, I found that the soaker hose needed to be on for several hours to provide sufficient water to the roots of each plant. At the time, I really didn't feel that the plants were being watered well enough to encourage a deep root system. 

After considering the alternatives, I decided to install a drip irrigation system. Not only is a drip irrigation system a great time saver, it supplies water directly to the roots of the plants. This minimizes the loss of water due to evaporation and runoff (which occurs with overhead watering) and helps to reduce water bills. An added benefit: direct watering should keep the area between plants dry, which helps limit weed growth. BONUS!

I used the Mister Landscaper Drip Irrigation System (plus additional tubing, emitters, stakes, etc.) for my garden. Setting up the drip irrigation system was easy, but it did require some planning ahead of time. Something I do not usually do when it comes to something like this. 

Ryan efficiently used all the parts to design a simple system while my setup was far more complicated (and messy). I believe my lack of engineering skills showed through in my set up. Nonetheless, after six trips to the big box store to get additional parts, Ryan and I have completed the installation of a drip irrigation system in my vegetable garden. And...IT WORKS! :)

I placed 1 gallon per hour (gph) emitters on all the pepper plants, 2 gph emitters on all the tomato plants, and 10 gph adjustable misters to the rest of the garden (onions, lettuce, beans, etc). I have no idea whether this is the best rate for each plant. I am currently trying to optimize the watering schedule so I do not over or under water each plant. 

Once the system fully operational, it doesn't mean I can just walk away and assume the garden is being properly watered. Periodically throughout the season, I will monitor the soil's moisture level to ensure sufficient water is delivered to the roots of the plants.

Only time will tell whether the investment of the drip irrigation system will pay off. But I am looking forward to the system being a significant time saver for me. I plan to use the my extra time harvesting, weeding, and maintaining my garden, rather than watering.

Alien-like veggie

White/green Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is a cool weather vegetable and a member of the cabbage family. It is supposed to taste like a cross between turnips and cabbage. 

Although kohlrabi can be directly seeded, I grew mine indoors from seed in early March and then transplanted the seedlings in garden at the end of April.

I have to say, Kohlrabi is probably the oddest-looking vegetable that I have grown in my garden. It forms a swollen bulb-like base that sits just above the surface of the soil. The bulb is either white/green or purple (depending on the variety) and has several leafy stems that protrude randomly from it, giving kohlrabi an alien-like appearance.

It is best to harvest kohlrabi when it is about the size of a baseball (any larger and the bulbs will be woody and have an unpleasant taste). After weeks of watching the bulbs grow, today was the day to harvest one of the eight plants I grew.

I ventured out to the garden, knife in hand, eager to make my first kohlrabi harvest - ever. I sawed at the thick stem to no avail. In the end, I had to rock the plant back and forth to help break up the roots, then I pulled the entire plant straight out of the ground, roots and all. Now I know why kohlrabi is not a common vegetable to grow for the mass markets...it takes more effort to harvest than most vegetables!

I found a recipe for kohlrabi and apple salad on Epicurious.com that I am looking forward to trying this weekend. For now, I wrapped the entire plant in plastic wrap to help secure the leaves and to take up less room in the refrigerator. 

But now I am curious...what does purple kohlrabi taste like?

Peas, Peas, and Peas

Sugar Ann Snap Peas

There are three different types of peas: garden peas, snap peas, and snow peas. The garden pea is the typical vegetable that most people think of when you say "peas". Snap peas have plump pods with full-sized peas. They are often confused with snow peas which have flat and nearly empty pods. Unlike garden peas which require shelling, snap and snow peas can be eaten whole - pods and all.

Peas can be planted as soon as the ground can be worked in early spring (4-6 weeks before the expected last frost). Pea seeds should be directly planted in the ground to avoid damaging their delicate and shallow root system, if transplanted. In early April, I planted two 5 foot rows of Sugar Ann Snap Peas. I spaced the seeds 2 inches apart, and about 1.5 inches deep. 

Sugar Ann is a dwarf variety of snap peas that grows on vines that are a maximum of 2 feet long. Unlike other varieties, these snap peas do not require a trellis for support. However, to make it easier to harvest, I grew mine with a simple trellis made using twine that I had strung horizontally between two stakes. I spaced the twine approximately 5 inches apart vertically for a total of 4 horizontal lines of twine. 

It has been fun to watch these vining plants grow, sending their tendrils up into the air and wrapping around each other and the trellis. 

About a week ago, the snap pea plants had begun to flower. Yesterday, I noticed there was a single snap pea pod that was ready to be picked. One pod? Do I wait for more to grow or pick this one now and eat it without sharing my harvest with others? 

Since snap peas can be picked anytime after the pods form, I decided to wait one more day before picking the first fruits of my labor. 

Today I had my first harvest of snap peas! Although just three pods, it was the perfect amount. I had one for now, one for later, and one to share. Too bad they tasted so good that I ate two myself and only shared one.  

Ping-pong turnips

Hakurei turnips with white flesh

Turnips are a cool-weather crop that is surprisingly cold-hardy. Fall crops are often sweeter and provide for a longer period than spring plantings. This is because the increasing light and heat of the spring and summer triggers turnip plants to produce flowers and seeds instead of new leaves. However, it is possible to harvest sweet turnips in the spring, provided that they are planted early and harvested young (about 2-3 inches in diameter). Older turnips can get tough, pithy, and bitter. 

About 2-3 weeks before my region's last frost, I planted Hakurei turnips directly in the garden by broadcast seeding them between the Walla Walla onions I overwintered last year. This was a great success! Since turnips are fast growing, their dense foliage helped to shade out weeds that would have sprouted up between the onions.

Today I harvested the first batch of spring sown Hakurei turnips. These turnips resemble ping-pong balls. How fun!

Since both the root and leaves are edible, I am on a search for a new tasty recipe to make with the roots and leaves that does not involve bacon grease!

Black gold

I have been busy the last few weeks. I have looking for materials to make "black gold". Black gold is simply compost. Gardeners refer to compost as black gold because it is the best nutrient-rich organic soil amendment one could add to the garden. Plus, it is inexpensive. Compost is made from materials that would have normally been discarded. 

Compost helps to improve plant growth by amending the structure of soil. It helps to break up heavy clay soils and adds water holding capacity to sandy soils. It truly is the secret ingredient to successful gardening!

A combination of "green" and "brown" materials, moisture, and air is used by microorganisms and worms to create compost. 

• Greens = nitrogen rich materials that provide nutrients and moisture for the compost; nitrogen is used by organisms for protein production. Greens are often referred to as the "wet" component of compost.

• Examples: fruit and vegetable scraps, grass clippings, spent coffee grounds, eggshells, young weeds

• Browns = carbon rich materials absorb excess moisture, facilitate air-flow and prevent compaction of the compost; carbon is used by organisms for energy production. Browns are often referred to as the "dry" component of compost.

• Examples: brown leaves, sawdust, wood chips, paper, cardboard, newspaper, hair, nail clippings, drier lint

Compost bin with fresh materials
for the microbes and worms

To make a compost pile, it is best use a combination of materials that are shredded or chopped up. This makes it easier for microorganisms and worms to feed on the materials, which in turn breaks these materials down faster.

However, just because it was once living or came from a living being, does not mean it should go into a compost pile. Avoid raw and cooked meats, fats, oils, milk, cheese, manures, weeds with flowers/seeds, pesticide treated plants and grasses or you risk inviting creatures to dinner, a foul rotten smell, and killing off the good organism responsible for making compost.

All organic (living) matter is made up of a substantial amount of carbon and a small amount of nitrogen. To make compost, the system has to have the right balance of browns (carbon) and greens (nitrogen). Ideally, a 30:1 ratio of carbon to nitrogen results in a fertile, sweet smelling compost. For the home gardener, trying to figure out how to get to this ratio is more complicated that it needs to be.

Chance of frost

It is mid-May and well past the time for the last chance of frost for my area. But, this morning I woke up to hear the bad news on the radio: "frost advisory for tonight...temperatures in the low 30's". ARGH! Not the weather I want to hear, especially after just giving away all my extra plants. 

Nonetheless, there is a lesson to be learned here...

In the spring and fall, it pays to keep any eye on the nighttime temperature forecast. By monitoring temperatures at the beginning and end of the gardening season, you will have a chance to protect temperature sensitive plants and vegetables from frost.

Plants are classified according to the minimum temperature they can tolerate:

• Hardy - plants that can withstand a hard frost
• Examples: broccoli, cabbage, garlic, peas, radish, turnips 

• Semi-hardy - plants that can withstand a light frost
• Examples: beets, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, parsley, potatoes

• Tender - plants that can be killed or injured by a light frost
• Examples: beans, corn, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes

• Very tender - plants that cannot tolerate cold weather or soil
• Examples: eggplant, peppers, watermelon

A light frost occurs at temperatures between 28-32oF. A hard frost occurs at temperatures below 28oF. 

Luckily the temperatures for tonight are not expected to dip below 32oF, so a "light frost" is probably the worst that can happen. 

Tomato plants all warm and cozy (hopefully)

I have taken a couple of measures to help prevent frost damage. This evening, I watered the soil thoroughly to help insulate the hardy and semi-hardy vegetables from frost. Wet soil holds heat better than dry soil, thereby protecting roots and warming air near the soil. 

For the tender vegetables, I covered the plants with a lightweight garden fabric. The idea is to create a tunnel to trap heat that is radiating from the ground. It is important to remember to remove the covers the next day to allow the sun to warm the soil and to prevent the temperatures under the "blanket" from getting too hot.

Luckily I haven't planted the very tender vegetables in the garden yet. I would have covered very tender plants with a double layer of a lightweight garden fabric (or a single layer of medium-weight fabric) or used plastic sheeting to create a mini-greenhouse.  

Alas, we are at the mercy of the mother nature. Whatever happens, happens.

Tonight I will also cover up to keep warm and cross my fingers and toes that the weatherman got the weather all wrong...again.  

Cut and come again lettuce

Lettuce is a cool weather vegetable that thrives when the average daily temperature is between 55-75oF. Since lettuce will "bolt" at high temperatures, it is best to plant lettuce in the spring and fall planting in the mid-atlantic region. 

In my garden, I only grow leaf lettuce. Not only is leaf lettuce is easier to grow than head-lettuce, I find the taste, texture, and variety of colors to be superior for making salads. 

Since leaf lettuce grows as individual leaves from the crown, leaf lettuce is said to be "cut and come again" lettuce. Although leaf lettuce can be harvest at any time, I tend to wait until a large mound of leaves have formed before making my first harvest. 

Lettuce interplanted between garlic

When it is time, I harvest the whole plant by cutting the leaves 1-2 inches above the crown. Harvesting in this manner encourages a flush of new growth. I can usually get two harvests from each lettuce plant before the heat of summer arrives. It is sort of like a buy one, get one free sale. I love the bonus! 

I select every other plant for harvest to give the remaining plants more space for growth.  

I started leaf lettuce (Black Seeded Simpson, Lolla Rossa, and Arugula) from seeds in early March and transplanted the seedlings outdoors in mid-April. I planted the lettuce seedlings in between the garlic that I planted in the fall. This worked out well to help shade out the weeds and conserve precious garden real-estate.

In my garden, lettuce is ready (shhhh, don't tell the rabbits)! Today, I harvested enough lettuce to use for the next 3 days for lunch and dinner. I then spent the afternoon (slight exaggeration) washing, rewashing, and washing again the lettuce. This is by far the worst part about growing lettuce in a home garden. Thank goodness for salad spinners!

Having to wash the lettuce 5-6 times to remove all the dirt, sand, and "extra" protein (slugs and bugs) from the crinkly leaves is the small price to pay for fresh produce.

Addicted to gardening

Cherry Belle radishes
1st harvest of 2013 gardening season

It was a gorgeous weekend. Temperatures were in the upper 60's, there was a light breeze, and SUNSHINE! I am loving it. 

To celebrate, I just about spent the entire weekend gardening (6 hours on Saturday and 8 hours on Sunday). I bounced from vegetable gardening to flower gardening throughout the weekend. Ryan thinks I am addicted to gardening....maybe I am. 

I do enjoy gardening, especially when the weather is nice. I am trying to get the gardens in shape before it gets too hot outside and the weeds take over. We made lots of progress in the garden this weekend. Here is what I did in the vegetable beds:  

I transplanted the remaining tomato plants, including four varieties of cherry tomatoes (Sun Gold, Sweet 100, Yellow Pear, and White Cherry). Learning from last year, I reduced the number of plants in each bed (two per variety) and centered each tomato in a support cage at the time of transplanting. No more lost fruits from struggling to place the cages around a large plant. By reducing the number of tomato plants I am growing this year, I am able to give away a number of "extra" plants to friends, neighbors, and co-workers. This makes me happy to share what I have, but it is sad to let them go. Call me selfish if you will, but I did pick the "best" of the bunch.  ;)

This year, I am trying a different transplanting technique on the tomatoes - trenching. 

 

Trenched tomato plant

The majority of the tomatoes I am growing this year are indeterminate. Meaning they will continue to grow and produce fruits until they are killed by frost in the fall. These plants will get HUGE! While the plants are staked and caged to help contain the monstrosity they will become, a few strong gusts of wind can pull the entire plant (roots and all) out of the ground. 

To help prevent that from happening, this year, I decided to try planting the tomatoes sideways instead of upright. To do this, I snapped off all but the upper leaves of the tomato plant. I then made a trench in the soil and added a handful of medium-to-fine crushed eggshells prior to laying the tomato plant in the trench on its side. I gently bent the plant stem up and then buried the roots and the majority of the stem with soil. Just the upper leaves remained above the soil. Roots will form all along the stems of the tomato plant, thereby developing a stronger root system (and hopefully preventing the wind from pull the plants out of the ground). Let's see if this works. 

Now that the tomato plants are off the deck, I have room for the pepper plants. Today I started the hardening off process for the pepper plants. First, I potted up the pepper plants into larger containers, added some fresh potting soil, and then gave them a good watering. I set the pepper plants in the sun for 20 minutes before moving them to the shade. It is still too cold at night for the pepper plants, so I will bring them in at night and set them back out in the morning. When I am at work, I will keep the peppers in the shade to get filtered sunlight and in the evening, I will place the plants in the sun for about an hour before bringing them back in the house for the night. I will probably transplant the peppers into the garden in 2-3 weeks, when the nighttime temperatures are in mid-50's.

This is going to be a good year for gardening.  

:)

Busy in the garden

I have been busy in the garden trying to get ready for this year's bounty. The majority of April has been spent weeding, prepping, and building. 

Ryan all smiles as he see the end is near
for completing another raised bed.

We removed two small raised beds that were rotted and falling apart. In their place, we built two 5X12 foot raised beds. We certainly got our exercise digging out the turf to make room for these beds, but in the end, it was worth it. I now have four 5X12 foot raised beds for growing vegetables this year - approximately 10% more space than what I had the last two years.

For each bed, I first rototilled leaf compost (~ 3 cu feet) into the existing soil, then added peat moss (~ 1.5 cu feet), medium grade vermiculite (2 cu feet), Miracle Grow vegetable and flower garden soil (~ 16 cu feet), and greensand (~ 2 lbs). The plants should be happy!

Spring has arrived

I took the day off yesterday (Friday) so I could have three whole days dedicated to gardening. I know, sometimes you just got to have your priorities straight. I planned this day off over a month ago in anticipation of warmer weather. Boy did I get lucky! The temperature was 65oF yesterday, 55oF today, and tomorrow is supposed to be nearly 70oF. The weather outlook for the next ten days is looking equally good. Woohoo. Spring has arrived! 

Yesterday I spent several hours removing weeds and tilling two of the vegetable gardens. Of course this did not happen without incident. I am sadden to report that I killed a baby bunny while tilling one of the raised beds. What a horrible accident! The lesson here: first check for rabbit holes before using any mechanized equipment in the garden. RIP little bunny.

Garlic growing in raised bed (foreground);
"greenhouse" (background)

Thankfully, today was far less traumatic. I transplanted broccoli, napa cabbage, and onion seedlings outside. These are cool weather vegetables that are hardy enough to withstand a light frost should the temperatures dip. As an added precaution, I covered these plants with plastic tunnel. This tunnel works like a greenhouse to block the wind, raise the daytime temperature, and to hold in heat at night to prevent frost from damaging the leaves. In addition, I directly sowed carrot, turnip, radish, scallion, and snap pea seeds into the ground. These too are cool weather vegetables that can be seeded prior to the last frost. Since there are no leaves yet, I am not worried about frost damage. Hopefully the weather cooperates and these seeds can get a good start. 

Veggies and garden plan - 2013

Every year I challenge myself to grow something new in the garden – herbs, vegetables, or fruits.  This year is no different then years past.  

After scouring my favorite seed catalogs, conducting [way to] many internet searches, and talking with my gardening friends, I am ready to debut my 2013 edible garden!  

Below is a list of vegetables I am planning to "squeeze" into my garden for the 2013 growing season. My plan is to track the growth of the seedlings for better planning for next year. Check back often for updates as my garden grows.

KEY
TBD = To be determined
N/A = Not applicable
(I) = Indeterminate
(D) = Determinate

Vegetable	Variety	Days to Maturity	Start Inside	Start Outside	Emerge	Cotyledon	1st True Leaves	Step-up	Transplant Out
Broccoli	Marathon	68	3/4/13	N/A	3/6/13	3/7/13	TBD	3/16/13	4/6/13
Cabbage	Napa Minuet	48	3/4/13	N/A	3/5/13	3/6/13	3/12/13	3/16/13	4/6/13
Carrot	Sweet Treat	70	N/A	4/6/13	4/25/13	4/25/13	5/5/13	N/A	N/A
Cucumber (pickle)	Spacemaster	62	TBD	6/2/13	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
Cucumber (standard)	Bush Champion	55	TBD	6/2/13	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
Green Beans (bush)	Provider	50	N/A	4/14/13 5/17/13	4/25/13	4/25/13	4/27/13	N/A	N/A
Green Beans (pole)	Fortex	60	N/A	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
Herb	Cilantro	N/A	3/16/13	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	4/6/13	N/A
Herb	Parsley	N/A	3/16/13	N/A	N/A	4/1/13	N/A	4/6/13	5/12/13
Herb	Sweet Basil	N/A	3/16/13	N/A	3/23/13	3/23/13	N/A	4/6/13	5/12/13
Kohlrabi	Purple & White Vienna	55	3/4/13	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	4/6/13	4/25/13
Lettuce	Lollo Rossa	55	3/4/13 3/16/13	N/A	3/6/13 3/18/13	3/7/13	N/A	3/16/13	4/13/13
Lettuce	Black Seeded Simpson	45	3/4/13	N/A	3/6/13	3/7/13	3/11/13	3/16/13	4/13/13
Lettuce	Arugula (wild)	30-45	3/4/13	N/A	3/6/13	3/7/13	N/A	3/16/13	4/13/13
Onion (red)	Ruby Ring	112	1/20/13	N/A	1/25/13	2/2/13	2/8/13	2/12/13	4/6/13
Onion (sweet)	Walla Walla	125	1/20/13	N/A	1/24/13	1/27/13	2/2/13	2/12/13	4/6/13
Onion (yellow)	Patterson Candy	104 110	1/20/13	N/A	1/23/13	1/27/13	2/4/13	2/12/13	4/6/13 4/14/13
Peas (snap)	Sugar Ann	52	N/A	4/6/13	4/13/13	4/13/13	4/19/13	N/A	N/A
Pepper (hot)	Habanero	95	3/4/13	N/A	N/A	3/23/13	N/A	4/6/13	5/20/13
Pepper (hot)	Jalapeno Gigante	70	3/4/13	N/A	N/A	3/23/13	N/A	4/6/13	5/20/13
Pepper (hot)	Serrano	55	3/4/13	N/A	3/10/13	3/12/13	3/18/13	3/23/13	5/20/13
Pepper (hot)	Pasilla Bajio	80	3/4/13	N/A	3/10/13	3/12/13	3/30/13	3/23/13	5/20/13
Pepper (hot)	Mystery	70-80	3/4/13	N/A	3/10/13	3/12/13	3/30/13	3/23/13	5/20/13
Pepper (sweet)	CA Wonder (Red)	75	3/4/13	N/A	3/16/13	3/18/13	N/A	3/23/13	5/20/13
Pepper (sweet)	CA Wonder (Orange)	75	3/4/13	N/A	3/16/13	3/18/13	N/A	3/23/13	5/20/13
Pepper (sweet)	CA Wonder (Canary Bell)	72	3/4/13	N/A	3/16/13	3/18/13	N/A	N/A	N/A
Pepper (sweet)	Italian Marconi Golden	90	3/4/13	N/A	3/10/13	3/12/13	N/A	3/23/13	5/20/13
Radish	Cherry Belle	24	N/A	4/6/13	4/10/13	4/10/13	4/15/13	N/A	N/A
Scallion	Tokyo Long White	65	N/A	4/6/13	4/19/13	4/23/13	5/10/13	N/A	N/A
Squash	Scallop Blend	55	N/A	5/25/13 6/2/13	6/6/13	6/6/13	6/12/13	N/A	6/30/13
Tomato (cherry)	Sun Gold (I)	57	3/4/13	N/A	3/9/13	3/12/13	3/14/13	3/23/13	5/5/13
Tomato (cherry)	Supersweet 100 (I)	65	3/4/13	N/A	3/11/13	3/12/13	3/18/13	3/23/13	5/5/13
Tomato (cherry)	Snow White (I)	74	3/4/13	N/A	3/9/13	3/12/13	3/15/13	3/23/13	5/5/13
Tomato (cherry)	Yellow Pear (I)	75	3/4/13	N/A	3/10/13	3/11/13	3/14/13	3/23/13	5/5/13
Tomato (paste)	San Marzano (I)	80	3/4/13	N/A	3/10/13	3/11/13	3/18/13	3/23/13	4/27/13
Tomato (slicer)	Big Rainbow (I)	85	3/4/13	N/A	3/12/13	3/14/13	3/19/13	3/23/13	4/27/13
Tomato (slicer)	Green Zebra (I)	80	3/4/13	N/A	N/A	3/11/13	3/18/13	3/23/13	4/27/13
Tomato (slicer)	Indigo Rose (I)	80	3/4/13	N/A	3/8/13	3/9/13	3/15/13	3/23/13	4/27/13
Tomato (slicer)	Japanese Trifele (I)	80	3/4/13	N/A	3/10/13	3/11/13	3/16/13	3/23/13	4/27/13
Tomato (paste)	Italian Roma (D)	80	3/4/13	N/A	3/8/13	3/9/13	3/15/13	3/23/13	4/27/13
Turnip	Hakueri	38	N/A	4/6/13	4/14/13	4/14/13	4/24/13	N/A	N/A
Watermelon	Sugar Baby	80	N/A	5/25/13 6/2/13	6/6/13	6/6/13	6/12/13	6/19/13	6/23/13
Zucchini	Fordhook	57	N/A	6/2/13	6/15/13	TBD	TBD	N/A	TBD
Zucchini	Baby Round	45	N/A	5/25/13 6/2/13	6/10/13	6/10/13	TBD	N/A	TBD

Raised Bed Plans