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Asparagus: Tips For Long-Term Production In Your Garden

2024

The Tip of the Spear

How exciting to see new asparagus spears emerging from the ground with warming spring weather! But, as with icebergs, most of what asparagus is all about happens underground. This article provides tips for producing healthy crops in your own garden over a long period of time.

Asparagus is a herbaceous perennial grown in USDA zones 2 through 9. This spring, a 2-year-old bed produced beautiful thick spears for 2 dinners and 2 small freezer bags. Normally, we don’t start harvesting asparagus until the third year, but I couldn’t resist… Next year, it should produce a few weeks longer. In the fourth year and thereafter, a healthy asparagus bed can be picked for up to 8 weeks. Because these plants can last 15-20 years or longer in the garden, it’s worth paying special attention to soil preparation.

Asparagus is readily available in early spring when it’s least expensive in grocery stores. After a few weeks, however, the price triples. For that reason and because I like harvesting unsprayed fruits and vegetables from my yard, it was time to plant an asparagus bed. Plus, I now have the space, and never turn down an opportunity to reduce mowing time.

Preparing the Asparagus Bed

I chose a spot that gets 8-10 hours of direct sun during the growing season. Asparagus suffers less root disturbance if it’s grown in a bed of its own rather than mixed among other seasonal vegetables. The airy fernlike growth can reach over 5′ tall, so keep this in mind if planting shorter plants that need sun in the next bed. I live in the northern hemisphere, so tall plants (pole beans, ‘Sugar Snap’ peas, staked tomatoes) go on the northern end of the gardens.

In early spring of 2023, I planted 10 robust crowns of 1-year-old Asparagus officinalis ‘Millennium’ from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. This variety comprises mostly male plants, reducing the chore of thinning out young seedlings that eventually crowd the bed. The crowns had multiple buds—dormant but visible—and the roots stretched about 12″ long.

There was no indication of fusarium, a disease that turns root interiors brown. Check a few roots by cutting them; they should be white inside. Destroy infected crowns. ‘Millennium’ has intermediate resistance to rust, another fungal disease.

For asparagus, thorough soil preparation results in highly productive harvests. I strongly believe in getting the soil in optimal condition for stress-free trees, shrubs, perennials, vegetables, and flowers. Healthy plant growth, relatively few insect problems, and bountiful harvests attest to the extra effort. Amending heavy clay, sandy, or rocky soil is quite the challenge, but the payoff is always worth it.

Soil Testing

PH should be slightly acidic to neutral, in a range from 6.5 to 7.0. If in doubt about the pH of your soil, have it tested by your local agricultural extension service (the Master Gardeners). Do this a few months before planting, if possible, and add agricultural lime according to the results and their recommendations.

Clearing the Surface

The area where I originally had planted the asparagus was grass and weeds. I stripped the top layer of soil, including all vegetation, from a plot measuring 4′ x 15′, setting it aside for later use.

The area is close to a vein of quartz running through the back yard, so a large quantity of rocks larger than 3/4″ was removed. You’ll notice in the photo at the top of the page that I missed a few! Over time, as more rocks work their way to the surface, they’ll be removed.

Excavating the Asparagus Bed

A garden fork I’ve used for decades.

With a sturdy garden fork, I dug out almost 24″ of native clay and set it aside, separate from the surface vegetation. Then, in the bottom of the trench, the vegetation removed from the surface was mixed with small twigs, oak leaves, old potting soil, leaf litter from the woods, pine fines, and some of the excavated clay soil.

Weeds that low in the ground will die and decompose. But if they ended up within 6-12″ of the surface, dandelions and other long-rooted perennial weeds could grow back.

Continuing To Fill the Trench

I added more materials to the trench, including about 200 pounds of coarse (large-grained) sand, more oak leaves and leaf litter, purchased planting mix, and the excavated soil. Mixing the materials rather than layering them produces a medium that drains consistently through the soil profile.

The organic matter decomposes in the soil, and earthworms help themselves to this bounty. Earthworms consume soil and organic matter, excreting nutrient-rich castings and beneficial microbes. As they tunnel through the ground, they improve percolation. Air, water, and roots can more easily penetrate the soil.

You’d think that adding all those oak leaves would acidify the soil, but once they begin to decompose, they’re slightly acidic or close to neutral. Cow manure helps nudge the pH a bit higher. Peat moss acidifies the soil, so I didn’t add any other than the small amount in the amendments.

With the surface of the bed almost level with the ground outside the bed, I incorporated 150 pounds of aged cow manure in the top 6-8″ of improved soil. Rain and irrigation move the nutrients lower into the soil, where roots can absorb them. I lightly firmed the soil as I added materials to the trench.

All these amendments raised the surface of the bed several inches. It will settle somewhat as the organic materials compress and decompose.

Planting the Asparagus Crowns

Laying Out the Bed

Once the trench had been almost filled and lightly firmed, I spaced out locations for the crowns. Catalogs recommend planting them 10-14″ apart. But I’ve read that more generous spacing can lead to a longer-lasting planting. Now in my 70’s, I want to be able to pick asparagus from this bed for the rest of my life, but 30 years will do!

The bed is wide to accommodate a zig-zag pattern for the crowns spaced about 24″ apart. An old native dogwood tree off the west end and a Japanese maple off the east end of the bed limited the length of the asparagus garden; hence, the zig-zag pattern. Suppliers sometimes recommend planting 10 plants per person.

I spread the long roots over a raised cone of soil in the trench, with the dormant stem buds at the top. Amended backfill was pulled over the roots, so only about 1″ of soil covered the crowns.

The First Year

For the first summer of this planting, I watered heavily (1½”) when there was no rain for a week. The ferns grew well, although I didn’t pick any of the spears.

A thick layer of the previous autumn’s oak leaves covered the bed all summer. Much of it decomposed and was incorporated into the soil by earthworms. Mulch conserves moisture, suppresses weeds, and contributes organic matter. Oak leaves on the property are plentiful and free, so I collect white and willow oak leaves in autumn. They’re stockpiled near the woods or stored in large bags placed outside, against the basement wall.

In late April of 2023, high winds and hail from an F1 tornado flattened the 4′ tall ferns to the ground. Large hailstones battered the stems, leaving them pocked or broken and the greenery shredded. After a while, new stems grew from the ground. Using branches from the woods, I propped up any existing ferns that looked as though they could still photosynthesize. Dozens of flats of vegetable seedlings—destined for the farmers’ markets—growing near the asparagus bed were destroyed (photo, below).

The Second Year of the Asparagus Bed

Each plant grew an impressively vigorous root system in the first year. The reason I know this is because I needed to move the plants to make room for a small greenhouse.

The Japanese maple I’d brought from Maryland and kept potted for 10 years before planting it here needed a new location as well. Because the maple would soon begin leafing out, I dug it out first and replanted it in the front, near the street. It survived abnormally hot weather as it began growing leaves, but the uppermost twigs died off. We’ve had a 6-week drought—with high heat, no less—but it finally rained a few days ago.

Young asparagus divisions beginning to grow.

When moving the asparagus plants, I made a few divisions and temporarily planted them in this pot.

Moving the Asparagus

The new location for the asparagus bed is about 25′ from the original plot, farther from the quartz deposit. I dug a new trench, of course, taking all the enriched soil from the old bed and moving it to the new excavation. And I supplemented with more aged cow manure, planting mix, and half-decomposed leaf litter from the woods to the north.

I dug each substantial clump and planted it after opening a hole in the new bed. This exposed the roots to the air for only a brief period of time. At the time of the transplant in late winter, the asparagus was still dormant. Again, I set the root ball so the crown would end up only 1″ below the surface, firmed the soil, and watered them in.

After the sun had started warming the soil and as weed seeds began germinating, I mulched with dry oak leaves saved from last autumn.

Every few weeks (three times), I pulled the mulch aside and added 1-1½” of compost, excavated soil, and cow manure over the early spears. This encourages the plants to grow thicker spears. Shallow planting results in thin spears. They won’t need more soil, but each year, I’ll add a few bags of aged cow manure and compost under the mulch.

Avoid burying the crown too deeply at the beginning. There might not be enough energy stored in the roots for the spears to grow to the surface before they fail.

Male Or Female Plants for Better Asparagus?

Asparagus berries, with seeds inside.

Asparagus is dioecious, meaning an individual plant is either male or female. Both male and female plants flower, but males lack the necessary parts to make berries and seeds. Here in the Piedmont of North Carolina, the plants flower in late spring to early summer.

As new varieties become available, the preference among growers leans toward male plants. Females grow thicker stems, but males grow more of them. Male plants live longer, according to the University of Illinois. Some of the older varieties, such as the ‘Jersey’ series, are being retired.

Females have small green-to-red berries that need nourishment. They consume resources that instead could have contributed to foliage or root growth. When the seeds drop to the ground and germinate, they cause crowding within the bed. Consequently, extra effort is required to maintain adequate spacing between plants. The berries, by the way, are toxic to humans.

The ‘Millennium’ crowns I received last year and this year are about 75% male plants. I planted 10 last year (a few females) and potted up the rest to sell at the farmers’ markets. In the future, I’ll hold the female plants aside, and maybe make a bed just for them. Removing the berries would solve the problem of crowding.

I might experiment germinating the seeds. ‘Millennium’ is a hybrid, so the offspring might vary from each other, but I think the differences would be negligible. These plants will not be sold, but kept for my own use only.

Asparagus started from seed takes an additional year to grow before beginning the harvest. Seed suppliers offer seeds of named varieties.

White and Purple Asparagus?

Purple asparagus varieties also are available. ‘Erasmus’ is 100% male, and ‘Purple Passion’ comprises 60% male plants.

Purples have the advantage of additional antioxidants—the anthocyanins. Anthocyanins (pigments that make leaves or fruits red, blue, or purple) can boost cardiovascular health and help regulate blood pressure. Berries—strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries—also have high levels of anthocyanins.

White asparagus has been blanched, or covered with soil to prevent light from reaching emerging spears. Deprived of light, they can’t form chlorophyll, so they grow white. They are more tender, but have slightly reduced nutrient levels.

Asparagus Nutrients

Asparagus is a low-fat, low-calorie vegetable. Half a cup of plain asparagus contains:

20 calories
3.7 grams of carbohydrates
1.8 g. fiber (mostly water insoluble, helping with regularity)
2.2 g. protein
some vitamins A and C, iron, potassium, and phosphorus
51% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin K. Because of the high vitamin K content, consult a registered dietician if you’re taking blood thinners.
34% of the recommended folate
11% of the recommended riboflavin (B2)

Asparagus aids our digestive health by eliminating toxins from our system. Asparagus is a source of inulin, a type of fiber that reduces bacterial endotoxins of polysaccharides. Several intestinal problems can be helped by consuming asparagus (check with your doctor or dietician). While not as effective as beets, okra, and kale, asparagus does moderately well in binding bile acids in the intestine. These advantages help prevent cancer and heart disease.

You’ve probably heard of the benefits of a “healthy gut”, and asparagus is among the best foods to achieve this.

Consuming asparagus can cause the strong smell of sulfurous compounds excreted in urine. The odor is from amino acids (asparagusic acid). Some people have the genes that give them the ability to detect the smell, which is perfectly harmless. Asparagus is mildly diuretic, helping to regulate blood pressure.

Young, thin spears eaten raw can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people.

Yearly Maintenance of the Asparagus Bed

Once the asparagus bed becomes established, there isn’t much you’ll need to do:

Provide water if there’s prolonged drought. Asparagus roots grow deep into the soil, taking moisture stored there. They store water in their fleshy roots and can overcome a couple of weeks of dry weather.
Address issues with insects early on to prevent widespread damage.
Fertilize with 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 (N-P-K), or similar organic fertilizer, after harvesting the spears, but not late in the season. If the soil test indicates sufficient phosphorus (P), find a fertilizer low in the middle number. Look for a higher percentage of nitrate nitrogen (N), rather than urea or ammoniacal N. That information is on the label. Urea and ammoniacal N slowly lower the pH, making the soil more acidic. Nitrate N slowly raises the pH over time, preferred by asparagus.
Topdress the bed once or twice a year, in spring and early summer, with aged manure and compost.
Weed the bed.
After a freeze kills the ferns, cut them at soil level and remove from the bed.

Chickweed, an edible annual cool season weed.

Concluding

Doing extensive groundwork when planting this vegetable will reward you and your family long into the future.

How to cook it:

Enjoy your asparagus steamed, adding butter and a dash of salt.
Occasionally, I incorporate lightly cooked asparagus neatly lined up in an omelet (use thin spears or cut larger ones in half, lengthwise).
Grill or stir-fry it.
Steam it and then add butter, minced garlic, and grated Romano cheese.
Use it in pasta primavera with other spring vegetables.

No matter how you prepare it, asparagus is an elegant, delicious springtime vegetable. Something to look forward to for the next 20 years, or maybe 30…

Enjoy!

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Sowing Seeds For Early Crops

Feb29

2024

Brassicas germinated 3 days after sowing seeds in these round 6″ pots.

Sowing Seeds For The First Crops: Too Early?

The calendar is approaching my favorite part of the year—warming temperatures… birds singing their special songs… starting seeds for the garden. New crops of brassicas—arugula, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, mustard greens, pac choi—top the list. I also grow lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, peas, bunching onions, and others. In this article, I’ll describe an easy step-by-step process for sowing seeds you can do right now.

Bumble bee on ‘Arcadia’ broccoli in spring.

Some varieties of leafy greens are productive from early autumn through spring here in zone 7b, in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Last fall’s crops will flower in late winter or spring (photo, right), and are then replaced with young transplants. With cooperative weather, cool season crops offer a fantastic return on investment!

Starting in early March, I’ll sell transplants at local farmers’ markets or plant them into my own gardens. In preparation for the season, though, growers have nurtured these plants for 4-6 weeks before they’re offered for sale.

It’s important to plant young plants; heading crops, such as broccoli and cauliflower, confined in cell packs only 1 or 2 weeks too long will not properly head up. So, it’s important to start sowing seeds at the proper time—not too early and not too late.

Gardeners living in colder climates need to adjust their gardening calendar accordingly. Yes, at this time, it might be too early for some. Leafy greens prefer chilly weather. Many fail in the heat of high summer, although they might succeed in northern gardens (northern hemisphere) at that time. With careful variety selection and placement (light shade during the hottest hours of the day), we can stretch the season for these healthy greens.

“How do I use these greens?”

Although I’m not a vegetarian, cool season greens are the foundation of my diet. I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to pick fresh greens for salads, sauces, veggie omelets, soups, sandwiches, and stir-fries in winter. And as a side dish, on pizza, with pasta, and in smoothies, if you like them. It never gets old!

Cool season greens are versatile in the kitchen but curiously underrepresented in our gardens. Considering the fact that many contain the highest levels of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and beneficial antioxidants among edible foods, it’s a wonder more gardeners aren’t growing them! The brassicas (Brassicaceae family, formerly Cruciferae) are particularly nutrient-dense, and this family of plants is the only one with measurable amounts of the sulforaphanes. Sulforaphanes are antioxidants that help prevent cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and inflammatory illnesses. They also help maintain eyesight, brain function, and heathy skin.

Growing your own produce from seed saves money in these times of high inflation. You can harvest what you need for the day, so nothing goes to waste. And most crops can be grown cleanly, without pesticides, before the insects move in. Furthermore, there are hundreds of varieties to choose from that never appear in garden centers or grocery stores.

Maybe you’d enjoy experimenting with new varieties each year, as I do. Some have become my favorite foods, so they’re planted in my gardens each year. Among cool season greens, those include my favorite vegetable—mini broccoli ‘Happy Rich’—as well as ‘Nabechan’ bunching onions, Johnny’s AllStar Gourmet Lettuce mix, a butterhead lettuce called ‘Skyphos’, arugula ‘Astro’, ‘Arcadia’ broccoli (in autumn), dinosaur kale, and ‘Sugar Snap’ and ‘Oregon Giant’ peas.

Ready to begin?

Preparing To Sow Seeds

Pepper seeds sown in a 9-cell market pack.

It’s helpful to read this entire article before proceeding so you can gather materials and plan your setup. You will need:

supplies (cell packs or pots, flats, labels, soil, seeds, vegetable fertilizer)
warmth to start the seeds
a waterproof surface
adequate light to keep seedlings healthy and strong
timely transplanting to prevent crowded plants
detailed records for future reference

Perhaps you’ve chosen lettuce, arugula, and ‘Black Magic’ kale seeds for your first project. You’ll need clean cell packs or pots, fresh seedling mix, and at least one flat to keep them in. You might already have used pots and flats lying around somewhere. Clean them first with a 10% bleach solution to kill pathogens.

Instead of trashing the failing window blinds, I cut the plastic slats, which make perfect plant labels. You can also use a plastic milk jug. Sharpie pens write smoothly, but the ink eventually fades in bright sun. Placing the label below ground or on the shady side of the plant keeps it legible for a while longer. A journal or a computer log is recommended as a backup and for additional notes.

I recently bought a few inexpensive heavy gauge flats from a big box store. Made by Ferry-Morse, they have no holes in the bottom and measure 10 x 20½” (inside diameter). They’ve proven their usefulness for holding pots of germinating seeds, so I’ll go back for several more.

Temperature For Sowing Seeds

Successful germination depends on a source of warmth if your home is on the cool side, as mine is. Although lettuce can sprout at 40-50° F, it germinates erratically or not at all above 70-75°. Other greens will get off to a better start when the soil temperature is in the 70’s to low 80’s. After germination, these seedlings will need cooler temperatures.

What are the options? Heat mats are available. One that measures 21 x 21″ consumes 45 watts of electricity and costs about $40-60. Larger commercial sizes, for 8-10 flats, cost over $125.

Maybe the top of the water heater provides suitable temperatures for starting a few pots of seeds. You might need to moderate the heat by raising the pots above the warm surface. Check them daily!

Miniature Incandescent Christmas Lights

These brassica seeds germinated overnight, above the mini lights.

I use indoor/outdoor miniature incandescent Christmas lights for warmth—not light—under the seeded flats. One 100-bulb string of lights (approximately 40 watts) on the hard floor of the spare bedroom and covered with 6 upside-down mesh flats (photo, above) works for me. Their gentle warmth is distributed over a large area, so I can start many flats of seeded pots at one time.

Be careful not to crush any bulbs, as this can cause remaining bulbs to burn hotter or to go out entirely. Don’t use higher wattage bulbs. Safety first!

You might want to test this layout before proceeding. Perhaps you have a folding table or counter space in the utility room that could serve this purpose.

When that greenhouse kit gets built, I’ll probably start seeds out there. Indoor space is very limited, and plants fill every bright window. Now that the knee replacement has improved mobility, I’ll work on a more efficient infrastructure for sowing seeds and transitioning them to outdoor growing. Maybe I’ll start seeds indoors and grow them on in the minimally heated greenhouse; it all depends on the severity of the weather and electric rates.

Preparing Pots For Sowing Seeds

A flat of seeds over mini lights, with plastic to hold the warmth until seeds germinate.

I start over 200 varieties of plants for the farmers’ markets, so many of the flats are shifted around almost daily. After the first round of seedlings has been transplanted, I start another. Some varieties need more time to sprout, while others, such as arugula, germinate in just 2 days.

A sheet of clear plastic over the flats holds in humidity and warmth from the mini lights. Labels identifying each variety hold the plastic above the soil. For good air circulation and to let condensation evaporate, keep the plastic open on the edges.

Light For Germinating Seeds

Your seedlings must receive direct sunlight or strong artificial light as soon as they emerge from the soil. One or two days in inadequate light will cause the seedlings to weaken and stretch toward the light, so don’t delay getting them into the sun.

From horticultural supply companies, you can find ready-to-assemble light stands with shelves and LED fixtures. There’s one with 3 shelves, six 4′ LED tubes, and an attractive powder-coated aluminum frame that costs $1,000. Smaller units for 1-3 flats are more affordable at $100-400. They might give off enough warmth to satisfy the need for warm soil. One advantage in using this setup is that the light fixture above each shelf sustains transplanted seedlings for 2-3 weeks as long as the temperature is at acceptable levels. Cool season greens do best with a drop in temperature (below 60-65°) after germination.

You won’t need advanced carpentry skills to put something together yourself. One or two 4′ long shop lights each fitted with 2 daylight (full spectrum) tubes (LED or fluorescent) cost $30-70. Use 2 x 4’s for the supporting framework or suspend the fixture under a table. Chains and S-hooks raise or lower the fixture, or simply elevate the seed trays to get them closer to the light.

In My Basement

In the basement and over two 6′ tables, I nailed chains and rope to the floor joists and positioned the lights as needed (photo, above). I’ve used these fixtures for decades to start seeds and root cuttings, to rehabilitate plants, and to grow delicate species and stock plants.

Plants that need strong light (vegetables, herbs, succulents) grow only 3-4″ below the tubes; 12″ below the tubes, however, is too far away. Light intensity drops precipitously with each inch of distance from the light source. Running the fixtures for 16-18 hours per day should supply enough energy for the plants to grow normally.

Seedlings won’t mind 24/7 lighting over the short term. Not turning the lights on and off every day adds to their longevity.

I prefer to start seeds without relying on electricity, using just the sun. But, at times, starting seeds under these light fixtures is convenient, particularly when they can grow there for a week or two before I’m able to transplant them.

Natural Sunlight And Temperature

sowing seeds, small transplanted seedlings

Seedlings and fresh transplants enjoy the protected space on the porch.

Newly transplanted seedlings go out to the sunny enclosed porch (photo, above), which faces south. I usually keep them there, in bright but filtered sun, for their first 1-2 days. On an overcast, calm day, new transplants can go outside if the temperature is above 50°. When the wind’s blowing, though, I keep the flats on the porch and vent the plastic to admit cool air. The enclosed porch—when the plastic “door” is closed—heats up to 90° or higher on a sunny winter day.

For a few nights when the porch was too cold for young plants, I brought them back indoors. Now, at the end of February, dozens of flats stay outside on woven ground cover (a durable polypropylene fabric), hugging the wall of the porch. That’s on the south side of my house, a warm microclimate. There’s less wind here and nighttime temperatures rise a few degrees above areas farther from the house.

Success depends on temperature, so I check expected hourly temperatures daily and the forecast for the coming week. I cover the flats with plastic or an old sheet when they need a little protection. But, at this stage, they’re becoming more resilient to temperature fluctuations.

In the morning, I’ll remove the plastic and let them bask in the sunshine. Those little seedlings double in size in a week, and roots are filling the pots. Almost ready for the market!

How Low Can They Go?

Maturing seedlings of cool season greens tolerate temperatures in the high 20’s and 30’s. They’ll take temperatures lower than that when they’re a bit older and planted in the garden. Remember, this regimen applies to cool season greens and vegetables, not to main (summer) season crops, which need a frost-free environment.

In this part of northern North Carolina, elevation 1200′, late February temperatures range from the mid- to high 50’s in the daytime to the mid-30’s at night. Keep in mind that those are averages and that actual temperatures can vary considerably from the average.

As an experiment, I left 3 containers of newly transplanted ‘Freckles’ lettuce seedlings outside, exposed to 21-22° on 2 nights. They’re fine! Lettuce resists damage better than some of the other crops.

One Step At A Time

We don’t want to subject tender seedlings only a few days old to the rigors of outdoor conditions, especially freezes and wind. Indoor-grown seedlings that received less than adequate sunlight will need a more gradual transition. Some will thrive, while others—the spindly, weak ones—will sulk or die.

When in doubt, proceed in incremental steps—gradually lowering the temperature and introducing seedlings to increasing sun and wind speeds. (For summer vegetables, harsh sunlight is another factor to consider.) This is called hardening off. Assuming the weather cooperates, vegetable plants can be hardened off within one week.

Root systems grow quite fast in order to supply water to foliage and stems. Leaves adapt to prevailing outdoor conditions, growing a thicker cuticle. The cuticle is a protective waxy outer layer over the epidermis, designed to slow moisture loss from within the leaves.

Growing On To Transplant Size

brassica seedlings hardening off outdoors

Broccoli, turnip greens, cabbage, and arugula seedlings hardening off next to the porch.

Choose a location where your plants can grow for another 2-3 weeks before they’re planted out. Maybe that’s a sheltered patio or the sunny side of a carport. You might need to take them indoors for the night if it’s too cold.

Check local weather reports, paying close attention to nighttime temperatures. If the cool season greens have been properly hardened off, they shouldn’t be damaged by temperatures around 30°F. After the first week, they’ll tolerate temperatures down to the mid-20’s, and some even lower.

Research the varieties you’re growing. A few cool season vegetables, such as ‘Tokyo Bekana’ Chinese cabbage, tatsoi, and Swiss chard exposed to extended periods of cold weather might bolt (flower prematurely) before reaching full size. Have an old sheet or floating row fabric available to cover them on cold nights. I’d rather plant these crops and take a chance with the weather than let them get potbound in their cell packs.

Soil warmed by the sun lends some protection to plants in the ground. Or you could repot them into 1-2″ larger containers and protect them indoors at night if it’s still too cold.

Alternatively, a caterpillar tunnel or similar clear covering placed over the garden row can protect transplants during a stretch of freezing weather. Vent it in the daytime to prevent overheating. A cold frame helps plants transition to outdoor conditions.

Good planning includes preparing garden soil so it will be ready to receive your transplants when that moment arrives.

Agricultural extension offices print spreadsheets online that indicate when to plant seeds or transplants into the garden. This guideline for sowing seeds helps keep North Carolina gardeners on track, although we need to heed local weather forecasts.

Fertilizer

Lack of fertilizer in ‘Freckles’ lettuce compared to 2 pots that were fertilized.

Potting soil normally doesn’t remain fertile for more than 2 or 3 weeks unless timed-release fertilizer is included in the mix. The package’s ingredients label should indicate whether or not fertilizer has been added. To maintain steady growth of seedlings, fertilize with a product formulated for greens or vegetables every 2 weeks starting 2-3 weeks after germination.

Rain and frequent irrigation rapidly leach the primary nutrient needed for greens—nitrogen—through the soil. Running low in nitrogen stresses plants, and they might not recover when they’re planted. Always keep these seedlings evenly moist—but not wet—to prevent checking their growth. Heavy rain necessitates more frequent fertilization (photo, above).

From speaking with my customers over the years, it appears that many are hesitant to use any kind of fertilizer on edible plants. Fertilizer is not toxic! Organic sources and chemical (or synthetic) sources of fertilizer break down to the same molecules, and the plant, to a large degree, decides which ones to absorb. Organics add other beneficial nutrients to the soil.

In cold soil, microbes that break down fertilizer into usable forms are not active. So, using a synthetic fertilizer in winter supplies the needed nutrients until the ground warms up. Otherwise, I do prefer organic fertilizers in all my gardens. Used frequently, chemical fertilizer kills microbes and earthworms living in the soil.

Continued on Page 2.

Headings:

Page 1: Sowing Seeds For The First Crops: Too Early? (“How do I use these greens?”), Preparing To Sow Seeds (Temperature For Sowing Seeds, Miniature Incandescent Christmas Lights, Preparing Pots For Sowing Seeds, Light For Germinating Seeds, In My Basement, Natural Sunlight And Temperature, How Low Can They Go?, One Step At A Time), Growing On To Transplant Size (Fertilizer)

Page 2: Sowing Seeds: The Process, Transplanting Into Larger Containers (The Process, Sowing Seeds and Transplanting In Multiples)

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Pages: 1 2

Strawberries From Your Own Garden

Mar14

2021

updated 7/14/2024

Strawberries!

Do you have an empty plot in the garden where you’ve wanted to plant something but aren’t sure what to plant? It’s too small for blueberries or raspberries. Tall plants will shade vegetables in the other raised beds, so you need something that stays rather short on this south side of the garden.

Here’s an option: strawberries!

Now that spring is in the air—and in your local garden centers—this is the perfect time to plant young strawberry plants. Nurseries are filling up with all sorts of temptations—hardy annuals, trees and shrubs, early greens and vegetables, and budded spring-flowering bulbs in pots. You might find young, well-rooted strawberry plants already leafing out.

Strawberry plants can be purchased from neighborhood nurseries, farmers’ markets, and specialty mail order companies. Some varieties are available as seeds, but most are bare-root plants sold in bundles or rooted plants in pots. Bare-root crowns are less expensive than potted plants but need to be planted right away. I’ve been selling ‘Seascape’ strawberry plants at local farmers’ markets.

Strawberries, by the way, are not berries at all, but aggregate accessory fruits. Those little brown spots on the outside of the strawberry are the achenes, or ovaries of the flower, each containing a seed. The achenes are the true berries. The colorful part is an enlarged receptacle, the flower part that normally holds the ovary. But I’m quite sure no one will warm up to the term “strawreceptacle”.

U.S. per capita consumption of strawberries was 7.6 pounds in 2020, and that number is growing. North Carolina is third in the nation for strawberry production, after California and Florida. Among nations, top producers include the United States, China, Mexico, Turkey, and Egypt.

Types of Strawberries

Strawberry species are native to the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In the 1700’s, French botanists crossed the strawberry native to the eastern U.S. (Fragaria virginiana) with a Chilean species (F. chiloensis), yielding, eventually, most of today’s cultivars. That explains the “x”, representing an interspecific cross, in the name Fragaria x ananassa. Breeding efforts using genetics from several species have resulted in hundreds of varieties available today.

Strawberries grow within USDA zones 3 to 9. Some varieties prefer the cooler end of that range, and others need somewhat warmer climates. Most require at least 200 to 300 chill hours, when plants are exposed to cool temperatures between 32° and 45° F. Most strawberry plants stop fruiting above 75° or 80°. (Above: the newer edition of the USDA plant hardiness zone map.)

Planting varieties that mature at different times prolongs the harvest, but place them in separate beds for ease of maintenance. Keep track of the varieties you’ll be growing in your garden.

There are 4 main groups of strawberries, with many varieties within each category. Look for disease resistance, and consider other characteristics, such as color, fruit size, and time of harvest.

1. June-Bearing

These large-fruiting varieties bear heavily over a period of two weeks to a month in mid to late spring. They respond to a short daylength, having formed flower buds the previous autumn. The buds, though, stay dormant through winter, safely tucked inside the mulched plants.

For gardeners living in areas with a limited growing season, June-bearing strawberries are a good choice. Those who wish to preserve the fruits often select varieties from this group.

June-bearers develop many runners, or stolons, which root at the tips and grow new plants from there. The “matted row system” is commonly used on farms and in home gardens for this group of berries. Runners are permitted to roam about and root in at will, within the confines of the bed. Each year, the beds are thinned or renovated immediately following the harvest.

Because flowers will be snipped off over the first 4 to 6 weeks after a new planting, as recommended, June-bearers will have no fruits the first year. You can avoid this task by planting crowns of June-bearers later in the season, after they flower. They will bear fruits in the next spring season.

Although strawberries are short-lived herbaceous perennials, some commercial operations renew their stock every year, establishing young plants in a new location.

2. Everbearing

Everbearing strawberries have a large first crop, a smaller late crop (especially in areas with warm summers), and sometimes a few berries in between. They are not affected by daylength.

Berries in this group are smaller and not as abundant as June-bearing types. The total harvest is about the same as for June-bearing types, although it is spread out over time.

Remove flowers and runners the first 4 to 6 weeks after the initial planting. This will sacrifice the early harvest, but they’ll flower again and yield berries later in the season.

3. Day-Neutral

Day-neutral varieties produce strawberries through the growing season and will flower regardless of daylength. Fruits are smaller and the plants don’t yield as heavily as the June-bearers.

As with the everbearers, remove flowers and runners that develop during the first 4 to 6 weeks after planting. They will flower again later and set fruits in the current season. Cooler temperatures might yield heavier crops in late summer.

4. Alpine

Wild Strawberry Red Fruit Sweet - Radfotosonn / Pixabay

Alpine strawberry.

These are the smaller, oval-shaped berries carpeting the ground in their native northern hemisphere habitats. Sometimes called “fraises des bois“, French for “strawberries of the woods”, these strawberries often belong in the species Fragaria vesca, although several species of alpine strawberries grow around the world.

They’re found in a wide range of climates, in USDA zones 3 to 9. Avoid planting in low spots or where the soil stays soggy after rain.

Alpine strawberries tolerate some shade but give them 4-6 hours of direct sunlight. Plant them 12-18″ apart. They don’t grow a vigorous system of runners but will propagate from seeds and division.

Some strawberry enthusiasts swear by these tiny morsels and grow no others.

Preparing the Bed for Strawberries

Find garden space that gets full sun for the best yields. Strawberries start growing before the end of winter, when the sun is still low in the sky. Take this into consideration when locating your garden. In partial sun, foliage and fruits might be plagued by diseases that ruin the crop.

Avoid low spots. Locate the beds on higher ground where cold air won’t collect and freeze the flowers. Try growing strawberries in containers if you don’t have garden space.

Don’t plant them where tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, or eggplants have grown in the past 5 years. Verticillium wilt disease from infected plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) can also infect strawberries (family Rosaceae).

Strawberries prefer sandy loam and must have well-drained soil. This is one reason you often see them growing in raised beds. Another benefit of raised beds is increased air circulation, which helps prevent diseases from spreading among the plants.

How To Configure Strawberry Beds

The Matted Row System

In the matted row system, space strawberries 18″ apart down the middle of a 4′ wide bed. Spacing between the beds depends on the method of harvest and whether large tools (tiller, mower, wheelbarrow) will be required. For most home gardeners, 2′ or 3′ between beds serves that purpose.

June-bearing strawberries grow in matted rows, allowing their numerous runners to spread. Over the growing season, let plants fill in to a density of 4 or 5 plants per square foot. Heavy leaf canopy discourages weeds from growing in the bed, but overly congested growth encourages diseases.

The Hill or Mounded System

In this technique, crowns will be spaced in a zigzag manner 12″ apart, in mounds 8″ high. These hill systems are narrower than matted row systems, at about 24″ wide. This permits better air circulation and drainage around the plants. Disease prevention is of prime importance.

This method suits everbearing and day-neutral strawberries, which have fewer runners. In fact, websites recommend removing all runners in hills, forcing plants to grow lateral crowns next to the original plants.

Dig In!

: Pine fines.

: Compost.

Loosen the Clay

First, remove all vegetation where the strawberries will be planted. They don’t compete well with weeds.

Loosen the existing soil, breaking up the clay to a depth of about 12″. This is easier to do if the soil is damp. Don’t work the soil if it’s wet, though; that will collapse the air spaces between soil particles.

Add Drainage Material

Now, incorporate (don’t layer) 2″ to 4″ of pine fines, sometimes called soil conditioner, into the loosened soil. Pine fines (photo, above) are partially composted small bits of pine bark. Because they decompose very slowly, they help keep the soil open, improving drainage for many years. Pine fines might not be available everywhere. See if you can find bags of “soil conditioners” that include pine fines.

Strawberries also like large-grained coarse sand (not play sand) added at this time.

Adjust PH, Peat Moss

Strawberries need acidic soil, with a pH range between 5.5 and 6.5. One or two inches of pre-moistened peat moss incorporated 8″ into the bed will help lower the pH in alkaline soil.

Your local agricultural extension office can analyze a soil test and make recommendations about pH and fertilizers.

Compost

Next comes the nutrient-rich compost. Incorporate 2″ or 3″ of compost into the top 4″ of soil. Placing it deeper in the soil will put it out of reach of the strawberry’s shallow roots.

Compost provides nutrients for the strawberries as well as for the microbes living in the soil. Microbes, active during the growing season, break down organic matter, making nutrients available to plant roots in a usable form. These microorganisms derive the benefit of carbohydrates from this relationship. Microorganisms also help plants fend off soil pathogens and contribute in other ways that scientists are now researching. In healthy gardens, billions of microorganisms occupy a tablespoon of soil!

For sandy soil, add more water-holding amendments, such as peat moss, pasteurized loam, and compost.

Some gardeners apply 10-10-10 fertilizer with the initial soil preparation.

Rake the soil, filling in low spots.

Planting the Strawberries

Strawberry ‘Ozark Beauty’.

If you received bare-root plants, trim long roots to about 6″. Place the roots in a bucket of cool water for an hour, in the shade.

Although a raised bed is an efficient method of growing strawberries, they can be planted in level gardens. Pay special attention, though, to slope, drainage, and air circulation.

After preparing the soil, dig a hole for each plant, spreading out the roots and firming soil around them. The crown of the plant, where the leaves meet the roots, should be right at (never below) soil level.

Mulch

Once all the plants are in place, apply 2″ or 3″ of an airy mulch, such as pine straw or weed-free straw (photo, right). The traditional use of straw as a mulch might be where the term “strawberry” came from.

Don’t cover the crowns; give them space to emerge freely. This kind of material, rather than a heavier mulch, permits air circulation and lowers humidity around fruiting stems, helping prevent rot.

Mulch cools the soil, conserves moisture, and keeps the fruits clean as they grow. As it rots, it adds organic matter to the soil and needs to be replenished now and then.

Using mulch in the growing season is optional, of course. In beds of June-bearing strawberries, a thick layer of mulch could hinder runners trying to root into the soil.

Another option used by many commercial growers and home gardeners is black plastic or fabric over the soil. This warms the soil rapidly in late winter and early spring. Commercial growers using “plasticulture” renovate the beds every year. If you’d rather not use plastic, you could use biodegradable black mulch. Using a soil cover might extend strawberry production. And weeds won’t stand a chance. Still, this is optional.

Water the bed, making sure the entire planting depth has been moistened.

In Their First Year

Most experts recommend removing all flowers during the first 4 to 6 weeks after planting. This concentrates energy in the roots and runners. For plants in the June-bearing group, however, there will be no harvest the first year if you planted them in early spring. But they should yield a bountiful harvest the next year.

Other groups of strawberries will develop more flowers in the months ahead. They will bear fruit later in their first season. For everbearing and day-neutral varieties, apply fertilizer after their first crop.

Water the beds every week if there isn’t substantial rainfall. Strawberries need 1″ to 2″ of water per week, most importantly after planting and during fruit set. Most of their roots are found in the top few inches of soil, so they are very susceptible to damage from drought.

Pollination

These early flowering plants attract bees and other pollinators. Strawberry flowers contain both male and female reproductive parts. Although they can self-pollinate or be pollinated by wind, strawberry flowers achieve more complete pollination from the activity of pollinating insects. This results in fruits that are plump and well-formed.

Headings

Page 1: Types of Strawberries (June-Bearing, Everbearing, Day-Neutral, Alpine), Preparing the Bed for Strawberries (How To Configure Strawberry Beds, The Matted Row System, The Hill or Mounded System, Dig In!), Planting the Strawberries, Mulch, and In Their First Year (Pollination)

Page 2: The Harvest, Renovating the Strawberry Bed, Varieties, Winter Protection, Potted Strawberries (The Pots and Potting Soil, Watering the Containers), Problems? (Insects and Mites, Slugs and Snails, Diseases), and Celebrate!

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Homemade Chicken Soup and Biscuits

Jan17

Homemade Chicken Soup

Please Pass Some Comfort Food

To say that the year 2020 was a tumultuous one is a grand understatement. From politics to pandemics, I don’t think I’ve seen a time with greater divisions among the population and even between family members. But let’s leave all of that behind for a while, and enjoy some homemade chicken soup.

Here’s a recipe for winter’s ultimate comfort food: Chicken Soup. While some cooks make soup with more broth or egg noodles, I like to add lots of vegetables and some cooked pasta. This is a must for anyone feeling hammered by a cold or the flu. Feel free to adjust the proportions of ingredients to suit your family. I make about a gallon at a time, and freeze portions for later use.

Ingredients for Chicken Soup

1 package of 3 or 4 chicken breast halves, with skin and bones, rinsed (excess fat or skin removed)
salt and pepper
all-purpose unbleached flour
butter and olive oil or vegetable oil
2 to 4 stalks celery, cut into slices
1 or 2 yellow onions, sliced or chopped
3 to 5 carrots, sliced
2 large cloves fresh garlic, crushed or minced
several white button mushrooms
2 bay leaves
3 or 4 15-ounce cans of low sodium, no MSG chicken broth, plus 2 or 3 cans of water
herbs: a handful of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley (chopped), 2 to 3 tsp. Italian oregano (and some sweet marjoram if you like), and 1 tsp. French thyme. Measurements can vary, depending on your preference. If using dried herbs, use half as much as the amounts specified for fresh. Start with small amounts, and add more if desired. Parsley is always much better used fresh, and is widely available.
2-4 cups fresh greens, such as spinach, dinosaur kale, Swiss chard, arugula; chopped
leftovers: vegetables and/or cooked rice or barley (optional)
enriched pasta (mini farfalle, elbows, penne, broken spaghetti…), pre-cooked or cooked separately while the soup is simmering, drained
grated Romano cheese

: Vegetables to saute.

: Italian (flat-leaf) parsley.

The Process: Making Chicken Soup

Prepare the Chicken

Place about 1 cup of the flour in a bowl.
Add 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Mix well.
Rinse the chicken well and pat dry with a paper towel.
Add chicken to the bowl, coating each piece, pressing flour onto all surfaces.

Next…

Place a large stockpot, with a heavy bottom, on the stove.
Add a few T. oil and butter. Heat it up, at medium or medium high heat.
Add each piece of chicken, after flouring it, to the hot pot. Sometimes I spoon more of the flour mixture onto the chicken, and cook it some more. This helps thicken the broth just a bit. (Don’t save the leftover flour. Discard it to prevent contamination.)
Sear the outside of the chicken, both sides, until it’s golden brown, but not burned. Adjust the heat if necessary. It will not be done inside, but will cook more when added to the broth. Move the chicken around to prevent sticking or turn down the heat. The brown residue will add flavor to the soup.
Once the chicken has browned, remove it to a dish, and turn down the heat.
Now, add the chopped or sliced fresh vegetables (celery, onion, carrot, garlic, mushroom), but not the greens, stirring often. The residue will loosen up, or use a wooden spoon to help it along. Sauté until the vegetables are lightly softened, but not browned.

And Then…

Add the broth and water, and stir. Turn up the heat to a boil, then lower the heat to a low simmer.
Add the bay leaves. Other herbs will be added later.
Add the chicken and its drippings back to the pot. Keep it on a very low simmer, not a vigorous boil, for 40 (smaller chicken pieces) to 60 minutes. Very low heat keeps the chicken more tender.
10 minutes before it’s done, add the thyme.
Remove bay leaves.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Broth is often quite high in sodium, so don’t over-salt.
5 minutes before it’s done, add oregano, marjoram, and parsley.
Remove chicken to a clean dish. You might want to use a large spoon to hold the pieces together; the meat could fall off the bones. Check the soup for tiny bones that might have fallen to the bottom of the pot.
Discard the chicken skin. Cut the meat and add back to the soup. I usually reserve some of the chicken for a stir-fry or freeze it separately for later use.
Add fresh greens and low simmer a few minutes to wilt.
Stir in cooked pasta.
Add leftover vegetables (such as cooked peas, corn, green beans), if desired.
Reheat and stir the soup, then serve. Top with grated Romano cheese and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

: Seared chicken.

: Vegetables added to flavorful drippings.

: Mixed vegetables cooking.

: Chicken soup and biscuits.

You also might enjoy homemade collards soup. It’s more comfort food for winter or for those not feeling so well. Most of the herbs and greens I use in cooking are started from seeds. At any time of the year, there’s something to pick for soups, salads, veggie omelets, and stir-fries.

Easy Buttery Biscuits

I just started making these last month. They are so good! But, in an effort to not overindulge in carbohydrates, I won’t make them often.

Very simple:

Preheat oven to 425º F.
Melt 3 T. butter in a small pot.
Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place 1 1/4 cups of self-rising flour into a bowl. This makes a dozen biscuits.
Add a dash of salt (optional).
Add about 3/4 cup heavy cream to the flour. Mix well with a fork. Add more flour if it’s too sticky.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a minute.
Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to about 1/3″ thick or slightly thicker.
Use a cookie cutter or a juice glass to shape biscuits and move them to the cookie sheet.
The last bit of dough can be shaped by hand so none is wasted. It might come out lumpy, and that’s perfectly fine. Call it “rustic”.
Spoon melted butter over the tops, dripping down the sides. The dough will absorb the butter.
Bake until the tops turn golden, about 15 minutes. Turn the sheet halfway through if your oven has a hot spot.
Serve with more butter (optional, but…). Next time I might add some shredded cheddar cheese to the dough. (***Update***: Yesterday, I made a batch of biscuits, half with cheese and half without. In the cheesy part, add thin pieces of cheddar to half the dough. Then fold the dough, roll it, and proceed with recipe. I haven’t decided which option I like better; hmm…this calls for a taste test. January 27, 2021)

: Cheesy biscuits.

Enjoy, and be well!

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Microgreens: Healthy and So Easy To Grow!

Oct28

2020, updated 2/5/2024

Mmm…Microgreens!

A mixture of microgreens, primarily brassicas, and a few beets.

Here’s an easy way to grow nutrient-dense plants in a tiny space without lifting a trowel. Have you ever tried growing microgreens? This is such a simple method of incorporating the most concentrated sources of antioxidants and other nutrients into your diet.

Maybe you’re not sure about all those supplements in the health food store, and you want to go the more natural route. Besides, the experts tell us, vitamins and minerals are best obtained from a wide variety of foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables.

Eating from several of the plant families ensures that we get a diverse assortment of nutrients. Greens provide a hefty helping of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, but missing from the plant world is Vitamin B-12. This is of particular concern among vegetarians.

Vitamin B-12 is found in seafood, meats, dairy, and fortified cereals. Because I don’t eat red meat at all, and other animal proteins only a few times per week, I take Vitamin B complex, among a few other supplements.

If you have any questions, ask your health care professional.

Why Are Microgreens So Good For Us?

Certain nutrients have gained prominence over the past decades, as research suggests their efficacy in maintaining good health. Although not among the basic food categories needed for survival (carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals), these substances help us fight or prevent many serious illnesses, including cancer. Phytonutrients, polyphenols, prebiotics, and antioxidants—oh, my! Sure, it can be confusing.

Research indicates that microgreens have between 4 and 40 times more nutrients than a similar amount of the full grown crops. That’s all it took to convince me!

Seed suppliers sell individual varieties as well as mixtures. Accordingly, they’ll vary in color and flavor. The mixtures I use are primarily composed of the brassicas, and here’s why…

**The Brassicaceae Family**

Arugula ‘Astro’ seedlings.

Let’s start with the First Family of Plant Nutrition, the cabbage and broccoli relatives. Plant taxonomists changed the name of this family from Cruciferae to Brassicaceae (“brass·i·kay’·see·ee”), but the terms cruciferous vegetable, brassica, and cole crops refer to the same group of plants. These brassicas have uniquely beneficial properties that set them apart from other plant families.

I’ve written many times in The Farm In My Yard about the health benefits of these plants. If you do just one thing to improve your diet, start with the brassicas. It helps that these microgreens are really easy to grow.

This family comprises many types of super-healthy plants. I include at least one in my diet every day: arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, mizuna, mustard greens, pac choi, tatsoi, turnip greens, and others.

I’ll prepare the broccoli, for example, steamed, in a stir-fry, or lightly cooked with garlic, olive oil, and mushrooms. Brassicas make healthful additions to pasta dishes, homemade or store-bought soups, pizza, omelets, smoothies, and salads.

You can harvest brassicas grown as microgreens within 3-4 weeks of sowing. Give them at least 6 hours of direct sunlight for optimal growth. With less than ideal conditions, you’ll still be able to harvest greens, but they’ll take longer to grow and they might lack some color. For the full complement of phytonutrients, though, give them sun.

Health Benefits of the Brassicas

Adopting a healthy lifestyle presupposes dropping some bad habits, and incorporating those that contribute to greater longevity. Adding half a cup of microgreens might not negate the harm done by smoking or your daily dose of mac and cheese, but it’s a start. Consuming foods from the brassica group helps:

reduce inflammation
slow the aging process (skin, eyes, joints, brain, vascular system)
reduce the chances of getting age-related macular degeneration and cataracts
reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia

These greens and vegetables contain varying amounts of Vitamins A, B complex, C, E, and K. They contain calcium, fats (Omega-3), fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, protein, zinc, and more. Some of these nutrients are among the dozens of types of antioxidants, which neutralize potentially harmful free radicals.

What Are Free Radicals?

Remember learning about atoms, electrons, and protons? Well, here’s a summary:

The atom contains protons and neutrons in the positively-charged nucleus. The nucleus accounts for more than 99.9% of the atom’s mass. Surrounding the nucleus are the orbits, or shells, which hold the negatively-charged electrons. Up to two electrons fill the inner shell (“1 shell”), up to eight electrons fill the next shell (“2 shell”) and other shells contain up to 2 times the square of the shell number.

The number of protons (equal to the atomic number in the periodic table) distinguishes oxygen from carbon or sulfur or any other element. A stable atom, one that is inert, has an equal number of protons and electrons. Atoms of different elements bond together to form molecules, such as sugar, proteins, and water.

In order to become stable, atoms must complete their outer shells. They do that by stealing one or more electrons from, or giving them to, another atom. The outer shell is where chemical reactions with other atoms take place. Chemical bonds hold the atoms together. When weak bonds split between atoms or molecules, free radicals are formed.

These unstable free radicals seek to steal electrons from nearby molecules. This sets up a chain reaction of instability—one molecule stealing from another molecule—causing oxidative stress. This cascade of interactions is what can damage our cells. Cancer and other inflammatory diseases can begin if the disruption occurs near cell nuclei or membranes.

Those free radicals form in response to stresses in our bodies, including pollutants and toxins in our cells and bloodstream, and enzymes present in the normal process of digestion. We are healthier if there are more antioxidants than free radicals in our systems.

What Are Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are substances that prevent oxidative stress and reduce inflammation. They can be vitamins, minerals, or any of the many thousands of phytonutrients. Deep green, red, orange, and other colorful plant pigments are loaded with antioxidants.

Vitamin E is the most abundant fat-soluble antioxidant, and might protect us from heart disease by limiting LDL (low-density lipoprotein) oxidation and plaque formation.

Vitamin C is the most abundant water-soluble antioxidant. It, too, donates electrons to free radicals, ending the damaging cascade of instability. Vitamin C shows promise in the fight against cancer, especially types that affect the mouth, larynx, and esophagus. (Discuss diagnoses and treatments with your doctor.)

In recent studies, researchers used isotopes to track the uptake of these nutrients. They associate antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene, with possible avenues of cancer treatment.

Glucosinolates

Phytonutrients are a major category of nutrients found in the brassicas. Of particular interest among this group are the glucosinolates, which include sulforaphanes. These substances are not found in significant amounts—or at all—in any other family of plants. These compounds, numbering more than 100 kinds, are key players in lowering the risk of cancer and inflammatory diseases. Different phytonutrients are found in brassicas eaten raw and in those which are cooked.

That’s why this is my go-to vegetable family. Every day. While preparing these greens for cooking, I also eat a few raw pieces. When possible, I’ll cut or chop the broccoli or kale (or any brassica) and let it “rest” on the kitchen counter for 30-60 minutes, so the enzyme, myrosinase, can start transforming precursors of sulforaphanes into the sulforaphanes themselves in the damaged plant cells. Heat destroys this essential enzyme, so we would miss out on those powerful sulforaphanes if we cooked the greens right away. Eating raw brassicas also delivers the benefit of sulforaphanes. Broccoli sprouts contain the highest amounts of these beneficial nutrients.

Before you think you’re protected because of the three little broccoli florets you just had with your steak dinner, think again. Consider making brassicas and other vegetables the main attraction, and using chicken, beef, or pork as condiments. If this is too big a leap, try adding more vegetables and decreasing the amount of meat consumed over time. Baby steps are better than not moving at all.

Cabbage Red Cabbage Blue Cabbage - manfredrichter / Pixabay

Mature red cabbage, one of the brassicas.

Other Plant Families for Microgreens, Sprouts, or Shoots

**The Amaranthaceae Family**

Amaranth, beets, quinoa, spinach, and Swiss chard are members of this family. Because of the higher oxalate content in this group, check with your doctor if you’re prone to kidney stones. Lots of pigments are found in amaranth, beet greens, and ‘Bright Lights’ Swiss chard, adding color to your clippings.

**The Amaryllidaceae Family**

This is the onion group, which also includes garlic, green onion, leeks, and shallots. Seedlings are very finely textured and take longer to grow.

**The Apiaceae Family**

Many useful herbs and vegetables belong to this family: carrot, chervil, cilantro, cutting celery, dill, fennel, parsley. All can be grown as microgreens.

**The Asteraceae Family**

This group includes endive, the lettuces, single marigold, radicchio, and sunflowers. Look for varieties that have red pigments, which have more anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants.

**The Cucurbitaceae Family**

Cucumber, melons, and squash plants have large seed leaves, so the seeds are sown father apart.

Grains and Legumes

Alfalfa, barley, oats, rice, winter wheat; chickpeas, lentils, mung beans, pea and pea tendrils.

Microgreens on caprese salad.

Headings

Page 1: Mmm…Microgreens!, Why Are Microgreens So Good For Us? (The Brassicaceae Family, Health Benefits of the Brassicas, What Are Free Radicals?, What Are Antioxidants?, Glucosinolates), and Other Plant Families For Microgreens, Sprouts, or Shoots

Page 2: What Are Microgreens?, What Are Shoots?, What Are Sprouts?, and How To Grow Microgreens, (How To Use Microgreens, The Container, The Soil, The Seeds, Maintenance, Yellow Leaves?)

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Pages: 1 2

How To Get Healthy? Start With More Greens!

Jun14

2020

Tomatoes, A Tribute to My Mother, Takotsubo, and A Tactic Called “Just One Leaf”

Open any food or garden section in print or online sites, and you’ll see articles on the benefits of eating healthy greens and colorful foods. Today, I’ll show how you can start adding leafy greens to your diet without being terribly inconvenienced. And I’ll mention how it might have saved my life.

How exciting—the first two ripe tomatoes of the season came off the vine this morning. And there’s some beautiful ‘Genovese’ basil begging to be picked. So, you can guess what’s for dinner tonight:

Tomato-Basil Salad!

It’s so easy to prepare:

ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks, including the juice
freshly picked sweet basil
cucumber, cubed or sliced
thinly sliced onion
mozzarella cheese
Italian oregano
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Mix it all together, and enjoy with some good bread for dunking (optional). This salad hits the spot when it’s hot, for one person or for a crowd.

But First, A Tribute To My Mother

My mother and I have lived together for the past 7 1/2 years. Many of the ripe tomatoes from the garden ended up in tomato-basil salad, a summertime staple for this family of Italian descent. How we loved our eggplant parmigiana, vegetarian lasagna, manicotti, and stuffed artichokes! How we loved to eat! In so many of our memories growing up and growing older—the holidays with family, sitting around the table for hours—good food always featured prominently.

Early last month, I had notified my family that there wasn’t much time left for Mother. So, my siblings prepared for a visit, and my sister sent an early Mother’s Day bouquet of white roses, purple statice, and baby’s breath—very much appreciated.

One brother came from out of town and spent the day with us, recalling some of the funnier family moments. We had ravioli and Easy Broccoli One for dinner. I’m a firm believer in the health-giving powers of broccoli, so I prepared it one way or another quite often. I’ve joked before about broccoli being Mother’s “favorite”, and she did too. “Oh, what a surprise—broccoli … … thank you…” She ate well that evening, better than any day in recent months.

But, the next morning, her time had come. She passed quickly and peacefully while I spoke to her and with 9-1-1. A friend said that the sense of hearing is the last to go, which gives some consolation, knowing she might have heard me.

“Don’t Forget To Watch Bob Ross”

My mother lived for 95 years, leaving behind a brood of 4 children, 11 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren. Photographs of family reunions, grandkids, and the great-grandchildren sat in a neat pile within reach of her favorite chair. Mother often lamented the fact that the family had scattered all over the country and couldn’t get together more often for the holidays.

She enjoyed driving her little Toyota, running errands nearby, right up until early last year. Have Rollator, will travel! When speaking with friends on the phone, her humorous references to the “joys” of growing old brought a smile to my face. Humor is the best medicine.

She was an artist, as a few relatives are and were, and I’m inclined to pick up the brush myself and give it a whirl (photo, above—a detail from one of her paintings). I don’t have to wonder very long where this stubborn streak of independence or rebelliousness came from…or my love of animals and of all nature. So, maybe some of her talents run through my veins as well. I hope so. Sure, we had occasional disagreements, but the foundation of our commitment to family was unshaken.

Stress, Nevertheless

People often speak of “a good death”, and, in all honesty, we could not have asked for a more peaceful departure. The next few days, though, taught me that the body reacts to experiences differently than the brain does. While my brain thought I was handling this major event quite calmly, my body had a different opinion.

Soon after Mother had died, the four of us siblings got together, telling stories while dividing those belongings she had gathered—and loved—for nearly a century. Whether it was the distress of a misplaced ring or the stress of her passing, I ended up in the hospital three days later.

With Covid concerns at the time, I drove myself to the emergency room, with moderate chest pain. My mother had had serious heart disease for a few decades but was able to function fairly normally with assistance from her medications and her cardiologist. But I had to wonder: is it my turn? My blood pressure had soared to a dangerous level, so I was admitted.

After several tests over the next two days, the doctors did not find any “separation of the layers” or blockages in my coronary arteries, and the valves were working as they should. But my blood pressure stayed very high. Blood tests also showed the presence of those markers when the heart has been impaired.

One consequence of blood pressure this high could be stroke, and my release from the hospital was contingent upon healthier numbers. A few medications attempted to normalize the readings, and one in particular did an astonishingly good job of lowering those numbers to 79/51. Won’t be taking that one again! (It was hydralazine.)

Takotsubo Two!

Almost 4 years previously, I woke at 4:00 in the morning with a stabbing pain in the center of my chest. Considering our family history, I thought it could have been a heart attack. The ambulance came, the EMT recorded my blood pressure at 275/135, and off to the hospital I went.

The usual tests were performed, and a cardiologist administered a catheterization to trace the blood flow in and around my heart. The score: although I was lightly sedated, his words indicating that I had “the arteries of a 20-year-old” were music to my ears. After decades of being more than careful with diet, I wondered if I had needlessly missed out on all those BLT’s, pasta, and toffee cookies.

On the day of discharge from the hospital, another cardiologist explained what happened. He said one of the lower chambers of the heart (the left ventricle) had ballooned out, giving it an odd outline. Good news—I would fully recover but would experience fatigue for a few months. He and a dietician recommended continuing with a diet heavy in healthy leafy greens and losing some weight.

What’s Takotsubo?

That’s when I first heard the term “Takotsubo”. This Japanese word means “octopus pot”, a reference to the interior shape of the affected ventricle. The syndrome was first described in Japan in 1990. More than 90% of the cases involve women, aged 58 to 75 (check, and check).

So, it happened again. This time, though, stress was very much the precipitating cause. Often called “broken heart syndrome” or “stress-induced cardiomyopathy”, a sudden life-changing event, such as the loss of a loved one, winning a lottery, being assaulted, or a car accident, can trigger Takotsubo syndrome. Most cases are due to a stressor, but around one-fourth occur for no discernible reason.

The ring, by the way, was found after my return from the hospital.

Add Just a Little More Green

Greens from the garden: green onion, mustard greens, dinosaur kale, arugula, ‘Red Russian’ kale.

I’m not a nutritionist. All I know is what I’ve read or heard over the years and observed from family members. The purpose for writing this article is simply to credit how changing my diet many years ago might have prevented a stroke or a heart attack, possibly saving my life during these two bouts with Takotsubo. (Even though the death rate from this condition is fairly low, other contributing factors and our family history concerned me.) You, too, might decide to make some improvements in your own family’s habits.

Take from it what you want—and take heart—this doesn’t have to happen overnight. I encourage you not to wait, however, until after you’ve gotten your first stent to make some changes. We did eat pretty well growing up. But, in retrospect, we consumed more carbohydrates than is currently considered healthy, and certainly fewer healthy greens.

Simply adding fresh leafy greens to soup, a smoothie, sauces, salads, a stir-fry, store-bought pizza, or rice and pasta dishes is a great step toward a healthier future. Grocery stores offer a much wider variety of greens than they did decades ago.

Growing your own plants from seed opens up so many more options. And you can’t beat the convenience of walking a few feet out the kitchen door to pick fresh healthy greens for today’s omelet or soup. Many of them can be grown in pots on the deck or the balcony if you don’t have garden space.

At the end of this article is a list of links to posts I’ve written about growing and using greens. You’ll notice the frequency with which I refer to “the brassicas” (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, etc.), the source of the most beneficial and densely packed nutrients.

Try this: a simple egg salad sandwich, on rye, made with one hard-boiled egg, mayonnaise, green olives, chopped dinosaur kale (a brassica, and super healthy), and topped with lettuce. Add chopped onion, if you like. No salt needed. I usually serve it on a bed of lettuce or mixed greens, without the bread. You can do the same with tuna or chicken salad. Adding “Just One Leaf” of kale significantly elevated the nutritional value.

Greens In Small Steps

Easing into dietary improvements by making small changes might meet with less resistance from your family. Perhaps starting a garden and letting the kids participate will get them engaged.

Children who help care for a garden are more likely to eat what they harvest. Start with easy crops, such as dinosaur or ‘Red Russian’ kale, collards, lettuce, a cherry tomato, Swiss chard, and radishes. Mustard greens are colorful and fast-growing—‘Florida Broadleaf’ has mild mustard flavor (and it self-seeds), while ‘Scarlet Frills’ offers a spark of heat and spice. These are easily grown from seed.

nasturtium 'Alaska', edible flowers and greens

Nasturtium ‘Alaska’, easy from seed, needs darkness for germination.

If your garden has good, rock-free soil, sow a pack of carrot seeds, and thin them properly. You’ll find traditional orange carrots and also nearly white, yellow, red, and purple varieties. ‘Rainbow’ is a blend of colors. Watch how excited your children will be when they harvest their buried treasure! Try growing ‘Adelaide’, a miniature carrot, in 6″ pots. Delicious, and so cute.

A customer at the farmers’ market in Rockville MD added chopped ‘Alaska’ nasturtium flowers and leaves to his grilled hamburgers. Each bite revealed a different combination of colors. Every year, he came to the market for his “burger-fetti” nasturtiums. Look for ways to introduce greens and colors at mealtime to make it fun.

Just One Leaf

As the first bits of greens have been accepted, keep adding more leafy greens (Just One Leaf or two at a time) and cutting down on some of the carbohydrates and animal proteins. Get creative in the kitchen. Soon, you’ll notice a boost in energy and might reach for a handful of nuts and a cup of green tea for a mid-afternoon snack, packed with vitamins and minerals, fiber, phytonutrients, and protein, instead of a chocolate doughnut.

Unless it’s absolutely necessary, I never peel fruits and vegetables. The skins have more antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins than the flesh. So, I don’t peel apples, peaches, carrots, cucumbers (some are less bitter, such as ‘Diva’), eggplants, sweet/white/pigmented potatoes, tomatoes, or zucchini.

But I Miss My…

Once in a while, it’s perfectly okay to indulge in an ice cream sundae or Christmas cookies. But you might find that the desire for such decadent treats decreases as your interest in healthy foods increases. Sugar is addictive!

Over time, adding healthy greens to the spaghetti sauce, a stir-fry, or the morning smoothie will become second nature. Not doing so might make you feel as though you’re missing out.

Eat Your Colors

red and yellow peppers, with healthy pigments

Ripe sweet bell peppers.

You’ll discover a new appreciation for incorporating colorful greens and vegetables into your salads. Deep green, purple, red, orange, and yellow pigments are filled with healthy antioxidants and other nutrients.

These plant pigments help prevent many major illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, age-related macular degeneration, inflammation, premature aging, and other disorders. Understand that they will help prevent illness. Do your best to eliminate other risk factors, too, and you know what they are.

Ask your doctor if you have any dietary concerns. While it is true that spinach, Swiss Chard, and beet greens (in the Amaranthaceae family) are high in oxalates, we need to examine the relationship between oxalate content and kidney stones. Some nutritionists believe that including more meat in the diet lowers the blood pH level, while a primarily plant-based diet raises the pH and lowers the incidence of kidney stones. Kale, incidentally, has extremely low levels of oxalates.

Another issue is how eating large amounts of certain raw brassicas can affect the thyroid gland, so, again, ask your doctor.

Add these to your salad and you’ll soon say good-bye to pale iceberg wedges:

deep green and red lettuces
purplish ‘Red Russian’ or blue-gray dinosaur kale (brassica)
baby beet greens (more nutrients than the roots)
turnip greens (brassica)
arugula (brassica)
spinach
Swiss chard
radish (brassica)
shredded red cabbage (brassica)
Asian greens, such as tatsoi, mustard, mizuna, napa cabbage, ‘Tokyo Bekana’ (brassicas)
broccoli leaves, or stems and small heads of ‘Happy Rich’ (brassica)
purple and orange carrots (heated carrots have more available antioxidants)
ripe lunchbox sweet pepper (red, orange, yellow; orange bell peppers are extremely high in zeaxanthin, an antioxidant that’s good for the eyes)
tomato, cucumber, green onion, celery, cooked button mushrooms, lightly roasted pecans, feta or bleu cheese, fresh basil, avocado, a hard-boiled egg, kalamata olives
and a simple homemade dressing: extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, water, fresh minced garlic, some herbs (small amounts of Italian oregano, and maybe thyme and sweet marjoram) and lemon if you like, some Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper

Colorful lettuces.

Headings

Page 1: Tomato-Basil Salad, But First, A Tribute To My Mother (Stress, Nevertheless, Takotsubo Two!), Add Just a Little More Green (Greens In Small Steps, Just One Leaf, But I Miss My…), Eat Your Colors, and Add these to your salad…

Page 2: The Veggie Omelet With Greens (Juice?, Or Cereal?), How It All Began (Close To Home, The Food Pyramid), But How Safe Are the Complex Carbs? (The Insulin Response, Too Many Carbs), In Conclusion, and Links

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Starting Seeds for Cool Season Greens

Feb24

Starting Seeds for Cool Season Greens

The coldest part of winter has passed for most of us, and it’s time to start seeds for cool season greens. Late winter transitioning to spring is my favorite time of the year. That’s when I start seeds for early harvests. This article covers details for growing some of the early greens, particularly spinach and the brassicas. On Page 3 is a recipe for a veggie omelet, an easy way to get more greens into the diet.

If the garden were bare, I would have started seeds a few weeks ago. But the greens in the vegetable garden continue to offer harvests. Unfortunately, the “list of wants” from the seed catalog is far more extensive than the garden’s square footage can accommodate! It’s time for the last harvest of collards for soup; that’ll open up some space.

While we’re harvesting established cool season greens, I’ll start several new crops indoors. These plants will be plugged into the garden as space opens up. But the seedlings will not be kept in their little pots very long; this stresses the plants and causes them to bolt, or to flower prematurely. (Photo, above: dinosaur kale germinated at night; it will green up in the sunlight.)

The First of the Cool Season Greens: Spinach

Young spinach ‘Monstrueux de Viroflay’.

I would have sown spinach directly into the garden by now, but we’ve had a long run of chilly rain. The soil is so wet that it’s doubtful any seedlings would even be tempted to germinate. At this time of the year, pay close attention to the weather forecasts. Conditions could deviate considerably from the averages.

It’s not good to dig in soil this wet anyway. That would drive out air spaces and ruin the tilth of the soil by compacting it.

As temperatures begin to moderate, slugs come out in force and will decimate any seedlings that dare to grow in this weather. Rain: good for slugs. Sluggo: bad for slugs! Organic Sluggo pellets attract and kill slugs and snails. This version of the product contains materials (iron phosphate) that add nutrients to the soil. Check the label, though; Sluggo has other products with added ingredients. The organic option is safe to use around the edibles.

Spinach From Seed Is Easy!

Spinach germinates readily, from 50°F up to the mid 70’s (soil temperature), as soon as the ground can be worked in late winter or early spring. For better chances of success, choose varieties that are disease resistant and slow-bolting. In well-prepared soil, spinach is one of the easiest crops to seed directly into the garden.

Prepare the bed by incorporating 2″ to 3″ of compost and/or aged manure into the top 5″ of soil. Spinach prefers soil pH near neutral, from 6.5 to 7.3. A soil test will indicate how much lime, if any, should be added to raise the pH.

For baby leaf harvest, sow the seeds thickly in a patch, about 1″ apart. For full-size leaves, space the seeds a few inches apart, with rows 8-10″ apart. Crowding the seeds too closely or poor soil will result in a disappointing crop.

‘Monstrueux de Viroflay’

There’s a wonderful variety called ‘Monstrueux de Viroflay’ (photos, above and below), a French heirloom dating to 1866. It grows very large for spinach, up to 20″ tall with 10″ leaves, and should be spaced several inches apart.

Viroflay, or Monster, as it is often called, is lower in oxalic acid, or oxalates, than other spinach varieties. It might be acceptable for people with health concerns that prohibit spinach consumption. Check with your doctor.

Keep the soil moist and add organic fertilizers, such as fish emulsion, Sea-Plus, or earthworm castings, every 2 weeks. In cold soil, however, liquid synthetic fertilizers high in nitrogen work better than the organics. Microbes in the soil break down organic material and make those nutrients available to plant roots. But microbes are dormant in cold soil, so they can’t perform this vital service. They’ll become more active as the soil warms up in late winter or early spring.

‘Monstrueux de Viroflay’ spinach seedlings.

Spinach Bowl

Another option is to sow seeds directly into a 14″ wide, 6″ deep bowl filled with fresh potting soil (photo, above). The pot has drainage holes. Portability allows me to bring the pot indoors on especially cold nights while the cool season greens are beginning to germinate. And moisture levels can be carefully monitored.

Since the sappy crooked pine tree that shaded the deck from afternoon sun has been cut down, conditions on the fenced-in deck are more favorable to growing vegetables in containers.

Fill the pot with potting soil to within an inch of the rim. Simply scatter seeds on the surface, a couple of inches apart for smaller varieties and a few inches apart for Viroflay. Cover with another 1/3″ to 1/2″ of soil. Water…and wait… Spinach’s two seed leaves, the cotyledons, are easily differentiated from other seedlings by their long narrow shape. Thin as necessary; you can eat the culls.

Don’t neglect fertilizing potted greens. Rain and irrigation quickly wash nitrogen out of the soil.

Harvesting Spinach

Spinach.

Harvesting the crowns begins within 4 or 5 weeks, depending on weather and soil fertility. Pick individual leaves at any age, allowing the central growing tip to continue producing new leaves. Or cut the entire plant at the soil line before flower buds begin to grow.

By sowing new crops of spinach every week or two, you’ll have continuous harvests of spinach, as long as the weather favors growth.

Spinach quickly bolts, or goes to flower, at temperatures above 75°. Dry or nutrient-poor soil stresses the plants. And spinach will flower prematurely if the plants are stressed by growing too close together.

Harvest the entire plant if you notice flower buds forming. Cutting off the flowers will not stimulate spinach to grow a new bunch of leaves. Instead, start more seeds.

Use spinach steamed as a side dish, or in sauces, soups, smoothies, salads, pasta dishes, or an omelet.

And Then the Brassicas

These microgreens are mostly brassicas.

The Brassicaceae family is a huge group of edibles. It includes arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, komatsuna, mizuna, mustard greens, pac choi, radish, tatsoi, turnip, and others.

All members have similarly notched seed leaves, or cotyledons. Those are the first two heart-shaped leaves to emerge from the seeds (photo, above). Because the seed leaves are already formed inside the seed, the little plant can begin photosynthesizing—and feeding itself—immediately upon germination. True leaves, which develop after the seed leaves, are also similar for most of the cruciferous vegetables. That’s why it’s important to label your pots so you can distinguish “this” seedling from “this other similar looking” seedling.

Include On the Label:

the name of the crop (dinosaur kale)
the name of the cultivar (‘Black Magic’)
the date of sowing (brassicas germinate in less than a week if sown indoors)

Store leftover seeds in their original packets, and make sure the cultivar name is included on the label. Store in a cool, dry place, such as the refrigerator. Most seeds of cool season greens are viable for 2 years or so. If not already indicated, mark the year of purchase on the packet.

It’s helpful to keep a record of the varieties you’ve tried and liked or disliked. Include how you started the seeds (in 4″ pots or cell-packs, under lights, directly in the garden), the dates you seeded and transplanted, and the weather conditions. Include notes on what was successful and what wasn’t, and possible explanations. Did the seeds germinate and then keel over and die (damping-off disease)? Did critters eat your cool season greens as soon as they started growing? Should the seeds have been started earlier? Or later?

There are successes and failures in every gardener’s life. Being able to pinpoint the reasons for a disappointing crop will enable you to be more watchful or to try a different approach next time. Check with your local cooperative extension office, through state land-grant colleges and universities, for advice. Failure is a learning experience, not a reason to stop trying!

Damping-Off

Damping-off disease can appear soon after germination. Sometimes, diseased seedlings don’t even appear above the soil, looking as though the seeds didn’t sprout at all. The small seedling develops a narrowed brown spot on the stem. Then the top of the plant falls over, and the seedling dies. This is caused by several species of fungus, whose spores are in the air, in the soil, in the water, or on the seeds themselves.

Damping-off often accompanies:

poor air circulation
high humidity
crowding
low light
low temperatures
reusing old soil
and overwatering

Space the seeds farther apart, run a small fan nearby, water in the morning, and increase the temperature and light levels if they’re low.

The first time I used the organic biological fungicide called Actinovate, life became a bit sweeter. It is costly, but a much safer option than chemical fungicides. And, with the number of seedlings I grow each year, a wise investment. Make up a small amount of the solution when needed and apply from a spray bottle or a small watering can when sowing the seeds and as soon as the seeds germinate. Always exercise caution when using sprays, and read the labels.

Caterpillars on Cool Season Greens

When the weather warms up in mid- or late spring, you’ll notice butterflies and moths flying around your cool season greens. How nice, you might think. But those lovely insects are on a mission, and that mission is to find suitable plants on which to lay their eggs.

: Cross-striped cabbageworm, becoming more common here, on mustard greens. Expect several generations per season. Look for clusters of white woolly eggs.

: Broccoli leaves eaten by caterpillars.

Most of the brassicas are targeted by the female:

Cabbage Moth (or Diamondback Moth)
Cabbage Looper
the velvety green Imported Cabbageworm (also called the Small White Butterfly or Cabbage White Butterfly—white with black markings). Look for them lined up on the leaf’s midrib.
Cross-striped Cabbageworm (fine black stripes across the back, yellow stripe on the sides).
A few other species target particular brassicas or are limited geographically.

Here in my North Carolina garden, the 1¼” long Imported Cabbageworm has been the most commonly seen caterpillar on the brassicas. It is well-camouflaged in the green foliage. But for the past couple of years, populations of the Cross-striped Cabbageworm have been increasing. They’re especially pesky when lodged among the broccoli florets. Sometimes I don’t see them until I begin cutting the broccoli (just remove them). Inspecting the produce and spraying Bt regularly takes care of that.

Eggs hatch in a few days to a week, and immediately get to work chewing little holes and then bigger holes in your broccoli, kale, and other brassicas.

Harlequin bugs on cabbage

Another insect feeding on brassicas is the black and orange harlequin bug (photo, above). I squish them when I see them, although they’ll see you approaching them and will try to hide. They cause whitish blotches and distortions in the foliage.

Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt)

As soon as you notice the white moths and butterflies flitting near the brassicas, it’s time to get the sprayer bottle ready. The imported cabbageworm is the larval stage of a butterfly and the one you’ll see in the daytime. The other caterpillars are moth larvae and are active at dusk or at night.

Mix up a solution of Bt, Bacillus thuringiensis, available from the garden center. Dipel and Thuricide are brand names for Bt. It doesn’t take long for these voracious little caterpillars to inflict considerable damage to your plants, so don’t delay.

Spray both the upper and lower surfaces of the foliage, occasionally agitating the solution. Begin spraying a few days after first seeing the moths, or certainly when you see holes appearing. Set the sprayer nozzle to a very fine spray; larger drops of water will bead off the waxy foliage. One or two drops of dish soap in the sprayer will help the solution stick to the foliage if you can’t get a fine spray.

It washes off in the rain, but any Bt clinging on the reverse (bottom leaf surface) might be enough for the current batch of caterpillars. Spray the brassicas every 5 to 10 days, as long as the insects are active.

How Does Bt Work?

Bt is a naturally occurring bacterium that disrupts the caterpillar’s digestive system when ingested. The insects stop feeding immediately and die within a day or two. Spray as soon as you notice them because young caterpillars are more susceptible to Bt than older caterpillars.

Bt effectively rids the garden of moth and butterfly larvae, including swallowtails that eat parsley. Although they won’t bother your broccoli, black swallowtail larvae feed on parsley and its relatives in the Apiaceae family, including dill, cilantro, and bronze fennel.

The tradeoff? Fewer moths and butterflies, but more undamaged produce. I enjoy watching the black swallowtail butterflies, though, so I plant the large perennial bronze fennel for the caterpillars picked off the parsley and dill. Bt targets larvae of moths and butterflies, and nothing else.

After picking the crops, I sometimes let the caterpillars feast on the remains. Those caterpillars might feed another brood of baby birds or green anoles at that time of year. Once cold autumn weather has settled into the area, these caterpillars will no longer be around to bother the fall crop. Autumn is another delightful time to garden.

Bt is perfectly safe to use on edibles. Use up the diluted solution within a few days. Store Bt in a cool location out of the sun. Buy a small fresh bottle every couple of years, as this is a live organism, not a chemical.

Headings

Page 1: Starting Seeds for Cool Season Greens, The First of the Cool Season Greens: Spinach (Spinach from Seed Is Easy!, ‘Monstrueux de Viroflay’, Spinach Bowl, Harvesting Spinach), And Then the Brassicas (Include On the Label, Damping-Off, Caterpillars on Cool Season Greens, Bacillus Thuringiensis [Bt], How Does Bt Work?)

Page 2: Broccoli (Improve the Soil for Cool Season Greens, Harvesting and Side Shoots, When the Brassicas Bloom), Mini Broccoli (Early Sprouting Broccoli and ‘Spring Raab’, Broccoli ‘Happy Rich’, Who’s My Favorite?, Gai Lan and ‘De Cicco’, Sowing Seeds, Late Sprouting Broccoli)

Page 3: Dinosaur Kale, Hardening Off Cool Season Greens (Gradual Changes), Growing Plants Under Lights (More Tips Using Artificial Light), Getting More Cool Season Greens Into Your Diet, A Veggie Omelet Recipe Using Cool Season Greens

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Pages: 1 2 3

Collards Soup: Comfort Food for Winter

Dec27

Collards Soup

Here’s a hearty, healthy soup that will chase away that winter chill. Collards Soup, with greens and herbs freshly picked from the vegetable garden, offers balance to the delectables that we enjoyed over the holidays. Served with a chunk of warmed bread and melting butter…perfect!

Remember Paul Simon’s lyrics in “Sounds of Silence”? “I turned my collards to the cold and damp…” No? He didn’t say that?

A few leaves of collards from the garden.

Ingredients

A few strips of bacon, cooked. Save 1 or 2 tablespoons of the fat (optional).
A large bunch of fresh collard greens, washed, with largest part of rib removed. Cut into bite-size pieces and set aside.
A handful of ‘Lacinato’ (dinosaur) kale or ‘Red Russian’ kale leaves, washed, with large rib removed. Cut into ribbons and add to the collards.
2 tablespoons butter, and more for the bread
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
2 or 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
A few white button mushrooms, sliced
3 or 4 15-ounce cans of low salt chicken broth, plus 2 or 3 cans of water
1 or 2 bay leaves
2 or 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 15-ounce cans of beans (cannellini, pinto, or others), drained and lightly rinsed
1 15-ounce can diced or stewed tomatoes
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or a bit more if using fresh
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram, or 2 teaspoons fresh. Substitute Italian oregano if preferred, or use a combination. Add more herbs if desired.
3 tablespoons or a small handful fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, coarsely chopped
2 to 3 cups cooked (al dente) enriched Barilla pasta (extra protein, Omega-3’s, fiber), such as elbows or mini farfalle
Salt and pepper
Grated Romano cheese

Bright green collards, ready for the broth.

The Process

Cook the bacon, reserving some of the fat. Set aside.
In a large stockpot, heat butter and olive oil.
Add onion and celery. Cook at medium heat, stirring, until almost tender.
Add garlic. Cook for a few minutes, stirring. (Never brown the garlic.)
Add collards, kale, mushrooms, and some bacon fat, if desired. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, until they turn bright green.
Add chicken broth, water, vinegar, bay leaf, and crumbled bacon. Raise heat to a boil, then turn down to a low simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add beans and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add tomatoes and thyme, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Add marjoram and parsley, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Add cooked pasta, heat, and stir.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Done! Now, serve with grated Romano cheese and your favorite bread. This will make about 8 servings. Add more chicken stock and water if needed.

You Can Grow Them!

Collards in the garden, late December.

Collards and kale are among the easiest crops to grow in the vegetable garden. As members of the family Brassicaceae, these plants are among the most concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients in the plant kingdom! Just one or two leaves added to omelets, pizza, store-bought soup, and rice or pasta dishes will add significantly to the meal’s nutrient content.

A few collards and several kale plants (dinosaur and ‘Red Russian’), among other crops grown through the winter, supply us with enough greens to pick almost every day. They’re super cold-hardy, and get covered with clear plastic when the temperature plummets to the low 20’s F.

On the Subject of Bacon

Since there are few occasions in this blog when the subject of bacon comes up, let me add that December 30 is National Bacon Day. We have Hernando de Soto (c. 1500-1542, Spanish explorer, looking for gold and a passage to China), to credit, or to blame, for introducing pigs to the Americas. In 1539, he brought 13 pigs to the southeastern U.S., which multiplied to a herd of 700 within 3 years. De Soto died of fever, and his body was laid to rest in the Mississippi River, which he and his crew were the first Europeans to discover.

A few morsels: About 10,000 years ago, wild pigs were domesticated in Central Asia…just under 10% of the pig is processed into bacon…just over half of American households have bacon in the refrigerator.

An occasional indulgence in foods that are generally perceived to be not so healthy is more than compensated by increasing the proportions of greens and vegetables in our diets. So, I will enjoy that bacon and a piece of good bread, guilt-free, every now and then, or these buttery biscuits that are so easy to make from scratch. Hope you enjoy this one! Happy New Year!

Collards soup is ready. Enjoy!

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Brussels Sprouts Slaw: The Recipe

Aug8

Brussels Sprouts Slaw

Here’s a recipe for Brussels Sprouts Slaw—absolutely delicious and nutritious! If you like garlic and cheese and pine nuts, you’ll love this dish. And if you like this recipe, you might want to try growing your own Brussels sprouts for super-fresh flavor.

Ingredients

1 pound raw Brussels sprouts, rinsed, hard core removed, and finely shredded or sliced. Place in medium size bowl.
1/4 to 1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted in dry pan, turning often. Set aside.
1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
Dressing, below

Brussels sprouts grow on the plant’s stem.

Ingredients For The Dressing

1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 small shallot, minced
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 small to medium clove garlic, minced
1 to 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash black pepper
3 to 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Mix together all the dressing ingredients, except the olive oil, in a bowl. Now slowly whisk in the olive oil. Adjust measurements of ingredients, if desired. Some like less mustard; some like more garlic.

And Combine

Add dressing to Brussels sprouts, mix well, and refrigerate 30 minutes or more.
Then add the toasted pine nuts.
Add Romano cheese.
Adjust salt and pepper, if necessary.

Mix well and serve. This side dish can turn Brussels sprouts haters into Brussels sprouts lovers. Take it on your next picnic or try it as a light dinner. Enjoy!

Brussels Sprouts Slaw—it’s ready!

* * * * * * * * * *

Quickly Cooked Brussels Sprouts

Here’s another simple way to serve Brussels sprouts:

Rinse the sprouts and cut them in half.
Add to a pot of boiling water, or steam them in a smaller amount of water to preserve nutrients.
Let them cook on medium heat for a few minutes, then drain. Cooking longer makes them softer, but be careful not to overcook.
Either in the empty pot or in a serving bowl, add butter, a bit of salt, and chopped fresh basil to the sprouts.
Toss and serve.

Brussels sprouts is a member of the Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae) family, sometimes called the cruciferous vegetables. This large group of plants also includes arugula, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, mustard greens, pac choi, turnip greens, and others.

“Mmm…Sulforaphanes!”

: Miniature broccoli ‘Happy Rich’ my favorite vegetable.

: Dinosaur (‘Lacinato’ or ‘Toscano’) kale.

: Cauliflower.

: Pac choi, or bok choy.

The brassicas are famous not only for their generous vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but also, significantly, for their phytonutrients. And that’s not all—the anti-inflammatory brassicas also contain some protein and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Raw brassicas contain a group of nutrients called sulforaphanes, phytonutrients that help prevent many illnesses, including cancer. They also contribute to cardiovascular health and help preserve eyesight and brain function. No other group of edible plants has nearly the level of antioxidant glucosinolates that this one can boast; I’m not sure they have any!

Cutting up and immediately cooking the brassicas, however, will not produce the beneficial sulforaphanes. But there are 2 ways to get these powerful antioxidants. One is to eat them raw, as in the recipe for Brussels Sprouts Slaw.

The second way is to chop them up and let them sit on the counter for 40 minutes. There’s an enzyme in brassica tissues, called myrosinase, that is needed to produce the sulforaphanes. This enzyme, once activated by damaging the plant cells, needs time to convert sulforaphane precursors into the sulforaphane itself. But myrosinase is destroyed by heat; that’s why we need to wait before cooking them if we want those benefits.

So, if you’re preparing cooked Broccoli One or Two, Collards Soup, or simply adding any of the brassicas to store-bought pizza, steamed greens, or Eggplant Parmigiana, consider this “chop and hold” method of bringing out the best in the brassicas.

Because of the numerous health-giving attributes of the brassicas, I include at least one in my diet every day.

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Easy Broccoli One and Easy Broccoli Two: Recipes

Aug1

Fresh broccoli crowns.

The route from “farm to table” can’t be any shorter than if it starts in your own back yard. Here are two broccoli recipes that take minutes to prepare, and might convince you to grow some plants this fall. 2 or 3 servings.

Easy Broccoli One:

Use a medium size pot, with a lid. Add 2 or 3 Tbsp. water.
Broccoli: Rinse a fresh crown, about 5″ in diameter. Remove tough, thick stem. Cut head into bite-size florets; remaining tender stems should be cut smaller. Some people don’t use the stems, just under the head, but they’re perfectly edible, as are the leaves. Place florets into the pot.
Mushrooms: Wash and trim stems of a few white button mushrooms, slice, and add to pot.
Cover, heat up the pot, then lower temperature, to steam the broccoli and mushrooms. Mix once or twice. Don’t overcook; heat enough to turn broccoli to a bright dark green color, which takes only a minute or two. Overcooking this vegetable makes it soft and smelly.
Finely mince a clove of garlic, and add to a small butter pot (ours is 3″ in diameter, stainless steel) with 1 tsp. butter and 1 or 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Heat this pot over low to medium heat until garlic is a light golden color. (Burned garlic tastes terrible. If you have to start over, that’s better than using the burned garlic.) This step might take a bit longer than cooking the broccoli; I start this one first.
Drain water from the broccoli pot. Add to the broccoli the contents from the garlic pot and a dash of salt. Mix and serve.

This is a great, fast side dish by itself. Or use it over some enriched pasta, with a little more oil and grated Romano cheese. Photo, below—it’s dinner, with a few black olives on the side.

Easy Broccoli Two:

In a medium frying pan, add about 2 Tbsp. thinly sliced onion and 1 or 2 Tbsp. olive oil. On medium heat, cook and turn until onion is transparent to a light golden color.
Then add broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces, prepared as in Easy Broccoli One. Add 2 Tbsp. water and a dash of salt.
Mix well, and cover to steam over low heat. Stir once or twice, adding water if necessary. It’s done when it turns a bright green color or cook it to the desired tenderness. Drain excess water.
Serve with grated Romano cheese.

Wasn’t that easy? Delicious and super-healthy! Sometimes I add a few stems of ‘Happy Rich’ miniature broccoli (photo, below) if they’re ready to pick. This variety has small heads with great flavor. Several inches of the stem and the leaves are also edible. Like other brassicas, it tolerates freezing temperatures, and this one often forms heads until mid summer.

B and C vitamins are water soluble. Use as little water as possible so nutrients aren’t washed down the drain. Or, add the liquid to soup or freeze for later use.

After trying these recipes, you might decide to grow your own broccoli. Start seeds yourself or look for transplants at your local garden center or farmers’ market in mid summer to early fall and again in late winter to early spring. After you pick the main head, smaller side shoots (photo, below) will grow above the remaining leaves for many more weeks. You’d be right if you were thinking that broccoli is “the gift that keeps on giving”. Enjoy!

: Broccoli ‘Arcadia’ side shoots.

: Miniature broccoli ‘Happy Rich’ has white flowers.

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Time To Think About Fall Greens and Vegetables

Jul29

Ready To Sow Fall Greens and Vegetables?

Lettuce Red Lettuce Green Lettuce - PMAnguita / Pixabay

Several varieties of head lettuces.

It’s hard to believe it’s already time to start seeds for fall greens and vegetables. I’ve been putting it off because of the hot weather we’ve been having. But, unless I want to buy transplants, seeds will have to be started soon. You folks up north probably have sown seeds for the broccoli and cauliflower by now, and certainly the Brussels Sprouts.

Here in North Carolina, fall seems a long time away, but in order for us to harvest those fall greens, we need to start sowing seeds now. Remember to locate your fall/winter garden where it will receive adequate sunlight. And, of course, I’ll sow successive crops through the rest of summer and early fall, as space permits.

Because we have a long growing season in the Carolinas, we can squeeze in another crop of summer vegetables. Zucchini, summer squash, cucumber, and beans can be sown again. But with the encroaching canopy of the trees on the berm, south of the garden, I’ll be planting only cool-season vegetables. The ‘Diva’ cucumber is loaded with fruits. And I will wait patiently for every last fruit to ripen on the tomatoes and peppers.

(***Update***: A few days ago, a large and dangerously crooked pine tree was taken down, and now there’s more afternoon sun for the tomatoes and peppers. More sun also gives us opportunities to grow containerized vegetables and fall greens inside the fence, protected from deer.)

If They Can’t Take the Heat

Spinach.

Temperatures are still too hot to sow lettuce and spinach outdoors, so I’ll wait another week or two. It’s still in the 90’s! They can be started indoors, in air-conditioned space, if needed.

Check the temperature of the soil before sowing seeds in the garden. Direct sun beating down on the dark soil surface can raise the temperature too high and dry it out very quickly. Look for one of those “Easy Tunnels”, or fabricate something yourself, to partially shade the soil and the tender young seedlings. You can purchase knitted shade fabric, made from black polyethylene, from mail order suppliers. In the southern states, 30-50% shading should work during the late summer months. This could lower the temperature by 10° or 15°F. Keep the soil surface moist to ensure good germination and to cool it down.

The best germination occurs between 60° and 75°F for lettuce and spinach. I usually put transplants into the garden instead of sowing seeds directly because hungry slugs, snails, and cutworms find tiny seedlings very tender and delicious.

Organic Sluggo will bait the mollusks (slugs and snails) to their deaths, and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), sprayed on the seedlings, will kill cutworms. Slug baits made with iron phosphate, such as organic Sluggo, are far less harmful to pets and to people than products containing metaldehyde, so be sure to read the labels.

One way to gather up a whole lot of slugs is to place a board, maybe 1′ x 2′, over damp soil. Go out and check the underside early the next morning, old knife in hand, and cut them quickly in half or squish them any way you choose…but, don’t use salt in the garden!

Choosing Varieties of Fall Greens

Sowing seeds for fall greens and vegetables, which prefer cool weather, can be tricky in July’s heat. Look online or through seed catalogs for lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and other crops that are described as being heat tolerant varieties. Yes, all lettuce and broccoli varieties prefer cool temperatures, but some will take warmer or colder weather than others as they form heads. If you’re buying transplants, ask the grower.

Either way, plan to provide some sort of device that will lower the temperature during these last hot weeks of summer. For later harvests, I’ll sow seeds that grow cool and mature in cold weather, and they will not need the shade fabric. Plants grow better with more hours of direct sun as the temperatures cool down.

Check with your local agricultural extension office for recommendations or for a planting calendar.

Planting Young Transplants

Soil

Rich, dark soil with lighter brown clumps of clay, before incorporating.

Starting a vegetable garden with soil that has not been conditioned could result in a mediocre or poor harvest. Fall greens grow faster and larger in well-prepared soil.

Garden soil for these crops needs additional organic matter (compost, composted cow manure), drainage material (pine fines, coarse sand), and sometimes lime. A soil test will indicate the need for lime.

Our fall greens are being planted in soil that has been worked for 6 years, so it’s in very good condition. I will, however, continue to add compost, fertilizer, or manure to the garden.

When digging soil, bring some of the lower-level clay up to the surface, and turn under the richer topsoil 4″ to 6″ deep (a few inches deeper for tomatoes, in spring). Over time, the clay soil on the surface will improve as mulch decomposes or when compost is added as a top dressing. Here you can see clumps of light brown clay that were brought to the surface of the soil (photo, above) before they were broken up.

Roots

Growers use pots and market packs of various sizes, including small 9-cell packs, 4-cell packs, 2″ peat pots and 4″ plastic pots. The smaller the root ball, the more carefully you will have to monitor the care.

: Broccoli roots before…

: …and after.

An important step before planting is to rough up the outside of the root ball (photos, above). This slightly injures the inner root layer called the pericycle, stimulating the plant to quickly send out new lateral roots into the soil. Be careful not to so severely damage the root system that the plant can’t supply water to the leaves on a hot, sunny day. Do this for every plant that is about to be repotted or planted into the garden.

A root ball that’s tightly packed with roots can be shallowly scored down the sides in a few places. Use a knife, a rock, or even a twig. Or use a cultivator to pry out some of the roots.

To Bury or Not To Bury?

Broccoli ‘Arcadia’ from 4-cell-pack.

Most young vegetable transplants can be placed an inch deeper into the soil, or up to the bottom leaves. If the plant is more mature and has developed a somewhat woody or tough stem, plant it at the same level it was growing in the pot. But always, if possible, choose younger transplants.

Older plants can be stressed by being potbound or underfertilized, and might go to flower or head up prematurely, yielding undersized harvests. Young plants will require more time to grow, but they will give you the largest heads of lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. If in doubt, plant the top of the root ball level with the soil surface.

Firm the soil around the roots and stem using medium pressure. Humidity in the soil between the soil particles will encourage the stem to grow fine roots without interference from tightly packed soil. Watering the plant will help the soil settle in around the root system and provide much-needed moisture.

Broccoli ‘Arcadia’ in winter.

These are same broccoli ‘Arcadia’ plants photographed in late December (photo, above). Trees on the berm cast too much shade until leaves dropped off, delaying harvest. When the garden gets more sun, heads should form in mid to late winter.

Fertilizer

Planting fall greens and vegetables into late September, I mix a handful of granular organic vegetable fertilizer into the planting area. These crops grow beautifully with adequate nitrogen, so I will soon use higher nitrogen fish emulsion. Another application of fish emulsion will be made every 2-3 weeks through November, or every 2 weeks for potted greens.

Mustard seedlings in the garden.

Microbes in the soil break down organic compounds and make nutrients available to the roots. But, as the weather cools significantly, microbial activity slows down. I’ll use synthetic soluble fertilizers a few times in winter to keep the plants growing.

Greens and vegetables will grow all winter here, with some protection during very cold weather. This is worth the effort, since I can pick beautifully fresh kale and spinach for the Sunday omelet, or a big bunch of collards for collards soup.

Mustard ‘Florida Broadleaf’ was sown in late September, and germinated a few days later. The thinned seedlings will be used in soup, salad, or an omelet. Spinach sprouted about a week later.

Arugula

: Arugula flowers.

: Arugula ‘Astro’ seedlings.

Love, love arugula! A forkful of salad greens that has a piece of arugula in it…mmm… The variety I prefer is ‘Astro’. It’s not as hot as the wild types, and it tolerates warmer temperatures. Arugula will self-sow if it likes where it’s growing. Just let it flower and set seed. The papery seed capsules release the seeds, which germinate within 2 weeks, during favorable weather, near the mother plant.

It grows well in morning sun, during warm weather, and in moist, rich soil. Those who are more adventurous than I might enjoy growing the hotter ‘Wasabi’. Arugula doesn’t look like a member of the family Brassicaceae, but it, too, is in that famous family.

You might have seen the term “cruciferous” being used when describing members of the family Brassicaceae. It refers to the flowers of these plants, which have 4 petals arranged in the shape of a crucifix. The terms brassica, cole crops, and crucifer (or cruciferous) refer to the same plants.

Broccoli

One of the most nutrient-rich foods, broccoli is a must in my garden. Nutrients include protein, Vitamins A, several B’s, C, K, minerals, fiber, and their famous phytonutrients. To say that we eat broccoli in one form or another every 2 or 3 days is not an exaggeration. Just ask Mother.

Broccoli crowns.

Heat and cold tolerance ranges from poor to excellent, depending on the cultivar. In this zone 7b area, ‘Imperial’ can be sown in July or planted as transplants from July through August; Johnny’s Selected Seeds’ catalog rates it “excellent” in heat tolerance for broccoli. Normally, broccoli grows best in cool weather, but you can extend the harvest by choosing 2 or 3 varieties that are suited to the weather at different times of the year.

The variety that will see us through the winter is cold-hardy ‘Arcadia’, which grows a large number of side shoots once the main head has been harvested. For that reason, don’t cut off too many leaves when you do harvest broccoli, because each of those leaves could be topped by another side shoot.

By the way, tender broccoli leaves are edible as well. Add them to soup, a smoothie, pasta, or a stir-fry. After the harvest is done, I keep the plants in the garden to flower. Bumble bees and other early risers are fond of this bounty, and the flowers are quite pretty!

Bumble bee visiting broccoli flowers in early spring.

Miniature Broccoli ‘Happy Rich’

Broccoli ‘Happy Rich’.

I’ve grown ‘Happy Rich’ for many years. This plant grows a small head at the end of a stem, harvested ideally before the white flowers open. Each of those little green beads is a flower bud, and even if the buds start opening when the stems are picked, they’re still going to the kitchen.

The head will never get to the same size as regular broccoli, but the flavor is superb. Once the little heads have been cut off with 5″ to 8″ of the stem, the plant will branch out and grow more little heads. The stem, the leaves, and the head are edible—steamed, stir-fried, or added to soup or a pasta dish.

Two plants have been growing in the garden since the spring, and they don’t look very happy. It’s been a hot summer, so I didn’t expect them to survive this long.

Bt

Cabbage worms on broccoli.

The white cabbage moths visit frequently—more frequently, alas, than I do with the bottle of Bt.

Bt is an abbreviation for Bacillus thuringiensis, a naturally-occurring bacterium that kills caterpillars of moths and butterflies (but not sawflies). Before you groan “no chemicals”, Bt is used by organic growers and it’s been around for decades. Perfectly safe, even for pollinators, and not a chemical.

All brassica crops are targeted by a few kinds of moths, which lay eggs on the leaves. They soon hatch into voraciously hungry and well-camouflaged caterpillars. After consuming some of the Bt, they stop feeding and die shortly thereafter. Young caterpillars are more easily controlled than older caterpillars. Thuricide and Dipel are two brand-name products with Bt as the active ingredient.

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Page 1: Ready To Sow Fall Greens and Vegetables?, If They Can’t Take the Heat (Choosing Varieties of Fall Greens), Planting Young Transplants (Soil, Roots, To Bury Or Not To Bury?, Fertilizer), Arugula, Broccoli, and Miniature Broccoli ‘Happy Rich’ (Bt)

Page 2: Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collards, Kale, Lettuce, Nutritional Considerations of Fall Greens (Where’s the Beef?), and Only the Beginning

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Easy Herbed Salmon For A Quick Dinner

Jul20

Herbed Salmon

The Good

Most of us are familiar with the benefits of including salmon in our diets. It’s an excellent source of protein, Vitamins B12, B3, B6, D, Omega-3 fats, and the mineral selenium. Other nutrients include phosphorus, iodine, choline, pantothenic acid, and some potassium, iron, and zinc.

Research indicates that salmon helps ease the inflammatory process (through bioactive peptides—amino acids—affecting joints, brain, and heart tissues), and plays a part in preventing macular degeneration and certain kinds of cancer. The Omega-3 fats it contains are the ones that are most helpful, namely DHA and EPA.

The Bad

Every now and then, I come across someone who recommends not consuming it. The stated cause for concern is the level of pollutants found in salmon. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s), no longer produced but still circulating in the environment, and other contaminants are thought to contribute to some types of cancer.

After reading over a dozen credible websites comparing wild-caught salmon to farm-raised salmon and their positions on PCB’s, I decided to summarize and offer this: Wild salmon is many times lower in PCB’s than farm-raised salmon. And, many studies show no correlation between salmon consumption and an increase in cancer.

Consistency among the websites is as scattered as confetti in the wind! Even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency don’t agree on the acceptable level of PCB’s in our food sources, last time I checked.

Farmed salmon originating in Washington State and Chile have less contamination than farmed salmon coming from Europe. Wild-caught salmon from Alaska has lower levels than any other sources. Because PCB’s accumulate in fatty tissues, it is often recommended to trim off excess fat and the skin.

As consumers, we have access to both farm-raised and wild-caught salmon. So I purchase only wild-caught salmon from Alaska. When it is available, I buy a larger fillet, rinse it, place serving-size pieces into plastic bags, and freeze it. Admittedly, the texture is much better when cooked fresh, and that’s how I serve it to others.

And the Not-So-Pretty

There’s another significant difference between salmon from farmed sources and salmon that’s wild-caught. The healthier Omega-3 polyunsaturated fat is higher in wild salmon, and the less healthy Omega-6 is higher in farmed salmon. You want to consume a higher Omega-3 level compared to Omega-6, even though we do need a smaller amount of Omega-6 fat in our diets. So, wild salmon wins again.

Even though there’s some scary, and dubious, information on a few websites I visited, the consensus remains on the “we recommend a moderate consumption of wild-caught salmon” side of the argument. One site, among my favorites for science-based nutritional information, strongly supports a plant-based diet and therefore recommends against eating any salmon.

I like this fish too much to eliminate it from my diet, and we eat other kinds of fish as well. For its heart-healthy benefits, I will continue to prepare it every week or two. Most of the websites I visited recommended consuming salmon once or twice a month. Including salmon in your diet is your choice, and the information is out there for you to decide.

How to Prepare Herbed Salmon

Ingredients

This is for 2 servings.

8 to 12 ounces fresh salmon fillet, rinsed
1 quick spritz non-stick cooking spray, optional
several leaves of ‘Siam Queen’ Thai basil, coarsely chopped, or 2 tsp. dried (more or less according to taste)
1½-2 tsp. fresh dill weed, or 1 tsp. dried (or to taste)
Salt to taste
2 to 3 Tbsp. butter

The Process

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray, if you choose.
Lay the salmon, skin side down, if you choose to keep it on, on top of a small amount of butter in the dish. If fish is thick, score the thick part with a knife to cook it faster.
Press the basil and dill onto the salmon. Fresh herbs are preferred, but these two herbs retain good flavor when dried.
Place the rest of the butter, in pieces, on top of the fish.
Bake hot 8 to 15 minutes, shorter or longer depending on thickness of the fish. Baste once or twice while cooking to distribute those delicious flavors.
It’s done when the flesh flakes. Monitor closely because fish will be dry if overcooked.
Sometimes I broil it for the last minute to “caramelize” the points.
No need to turn it unless it’s very thick.
Give it a dash of salt after removing it from the oven.
Serve with the herbed butter in the pan. I don’t use lemon, which would overpower the flavors of the herbs.

If you prefer, fish can be grilled. Avoid very high temperatures or burning the fish, as this can affect nutrients and produce free radicals, which you don’t want.

It’s that easy! A little experimentation in the kitchen can result in fabulous meals for you and your family, ones you’ll go back to regularly. When I started offering Thai basil for sale at farmers’ markets, I had to figure out a way to use it in cooking. I never was fond of the licorice flavor of Thai basil. So I tried it in a couple of dishes and salads…nothing clicked.

Then, I thought, since I like salmon with dill, let’s try Thai basil with fish. Now, that’s the only way I make salmon! Over the years, I’ve tried other varieties of Thai basil and sweet basils, but prefer the richly-flavored ‘Siam Queen’ Thai basil, an All-America Selections Winner. Even though it has a powerful fragrance fresh, it mellows beautifully during cooking. This herb loves our hot summers, and, so far this year, we have been spared that dreaded basil disease, Basil Downy Mildew.

How to Dry Basil

When the plant starts to produce flowers, I cut back the flowering stems to a few inches above the soil, discard the flowers, rinse leaves and pat dry.

Remove any leaves that lack good color; pale leaves or very old ones are off-flavor or more bitter. Basil is a fast-growing leafy herb that needs to be fertilized now and then to produce high quality foliage.

Thai basil ‘Siam Queen’.

Lay the leafy stems on a dish lined with a paper towel, and keep at room temperature, out of direct sun. Turn them occasionally. When leaves are almost dry and beginning to curl, strip or snip them from the stems and place them back in the dish to dry thoroughly. Instead, you can remove all the good leaves from the stems at the start, placing them in a single thickness on the paper towel so they don’t mat together.

Another option is to hang small clusters of stems to dry. Gather the stems together with a rubber band, which will continue to hold the stems firmly as they shrink.

Microwaving or oven-drying herbs at very low heat is faster, but nutrients are destroyed, and, to me, the herbs always taste burned. I don’t recommend this practice.

Both Thai basil and dill retain very good flavor when dried. Use more, maybe twice as much, when using fresh herbs, which is my preference.

Storing Basil

Once they are crispy dry, store the whole leaves in a glass jar. The reason you don’t chop them up is that cut surfaces cause more of the flavor to dissipate. Be sure the leaves are dry; if there’s any moisture remaining, they will go moldy in storage. With one or two plants grown in the summer, I can harvest enough leaves to get us through the winter.

What’s for dinner at your place? After writing this, I think tonight we’ll have Herbed Salmon. And Tomato-Basil Salad, since I just picked 3 beautiful ‘Big Beef’ tomatoes from the garden.

Tomato-basil salad.

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How To Grow the Best Blueberry Plants

Jul7

Planting a Blueberry Patch?

July is National Blueberry Month, but it’s a rare day when I don’t consume blueberries. For many years, breakfast 5 or 6 days per week consisted of plain Cheerios, a handful of English walnuts, a handful of fresh strawberries, and a handful of fresh blueberries. Throw in half a nectarine or peach in season, or part of a banana, and I’m “doin’ the body good”. More fruit and nut than anything else.

Today is Day One

Until today. This morning, when I was researching nutritional information on the luscious little berry, I read the caution about eating blueberries and dairy, especially high-fat dairy, at the same time. The super-healthy antioxidants found in blueberries (strawberries, too) lose their desired effect when dairy and berries are eaten together.

Eating a lot more blueberries will increase the level of antioxidant activity, even in the presence of dairy. Apparently, this goes for strawberries as well. But this can get expensive, especially when berries are out of season.

So, all of you smoothie drinkers out there who use yogurt as a base might consider saving the blueberries until a few hours later. Or skip the yogurt. And today, the blueberry partnership comes to an end in my kitchen. At breakfast, anyway.

Blueberry Nutrients

A few berries in the bowl won’t hurt, and they certainly have other healthful reasons for including them. A ½-cup serving contains:

40 calories
1 g. protein
<1 g. fat
11 g. carbohydrate
7 g. sugars (blueberries have a low glycemic index of 53)
2 g. fiber
high amounts of vitamins A, C, K (blood clotting, bone health, heart health), and the mineral, manganese

But it’s the antioxidant benefit I’m after more than anything else. Blueberries contain huge numbers of antioxidants, including the flavonols, quercetin (linked to lower blood pressure and reduced heart disease) and myricetin (cancer, diabetes).

Anthocyanins include malvidin and delphinidin, found predominantly in the blueberry skins.

What Antioxidants Do

Blueberries have the highest antioxidant levels among commonly found fruits and vegetables—when they’re not eaten with dairy products. Anthocyanins are one group of antioxidants, the pigments that give red, blue, and purple fruits and vegetables their colors.

Antioxidants are health-promoting flavonoids belonging to a huge group of polyphenols. They circulate through our vascular system and help protect us from the damaging effects of free radicals. Those free radicals are produced as normal products of metabolism. They also help prevent free radical cell damage due to exposure to alcohol, cigarette smoke, and other pollutants.

A free radical, lacking an electron or two in the molecule’s outer orbit, is unstable as it tries to steal an electron from a nearby molecule, replicating the instability. This can lead to the development of cancerous cells if it happens in DNA. Antioxidants neutralize the unstable molecules.

More Benefits

In addition to helping prevent oxidative DNA damage, potentially leading to cancer, and slowing down the aging process by 2½ years, antioxidants in blueberries are also linked to lower LDL cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol that can lead to heart disease. But there are many other factors that contribute to this illness. One of those factors is inflammation, and blueberries—you guessed it—are also anti-inflammatory.

Many studies point to the positive effects blueberries have on blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, urinary tract infections, brain function, and muscle damage after strenuous workouts. Antioxidants help our bodies produce more nitric oxide and can relax blood vessels, helping to lower blood pressure.

This little fruit also slows the progression of age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. There are plenty of reasons to include blueberries and other colorful plant pigments in the diet.

One clue to their growing popularity is the fact that per capita blueberry consumption tripled between 2000 and 2015, to just over 3 pounds per person per year. When I move to a place with more land, planting a blueberry patch is high on the list of garden projects.

Prepare for Planting Your Blueberry

Sun

First, locate your blueberries where they’ll receive at least 6 or 7 hours of direct sunlight. In areas with hot summers, dappled shade in mid-afternoon helps prevent stress. Consider the tree canopy and how soon it might begin to cast too much shade on your blueberry garden.

For all permanent plantings, I like to give plants an excellent base to root into. The section in Soil Prep 101 for Your Vegetable Garden headed “Prepare for Soil Prep” offers details on getting started, with a few exceptions for blueberries. Blueberries, in particular, require very acidic soil.

A soil test is recommended to get an accurate reading of the soil’s fertility, pH, and tilth. Proper planting and management will reward you with perhaps 20-30 years of blueberry harvests.

Drainage

Planting mix composed primarily of pine fines.

Very dry soil is difficult to dig, so watering the area a few hours or the day before starting the process will make it easier. I usually use a sturdy garden fork for the initial dig.

Loosen the soil 15-20″ deep, and 3 or 4 times the width of the root ball. Add a cubic foot or more, depending on how bad the soil is, of partially composted pine bark chips, also called soil conditioner or pine fines (photo, above) to facilitate drainage. Don’t layer the pine fines; instead, incorporate them into the full depth of excavated soil.

If you have sandy loam to begin with, you might not need as much soil conditioner. Here in the piedmont of North Carolina, however, we have heavy, sticky clay. Clay soil holds moisture and fertility, but it requires amendments to improve the drainage.

Coarse sand (not play sand, which is too fine) is another material that can improve drainage, but it should be used in conjunction with organic matter.

Loosening the soil and adding amendments and plants raises the finished level of the bed. Take this into consideration as you sculpt the land. Blueberries need good drainage, and you want to make sure you didn’t create a berm where the water has nowhere to drain. Hire a professional gardener, if you prefer, to till and prepare the soil according to how you want it done.

If you’re planting the shrubs in a row or in a group, the plants will thank you if you dig the entire bed instead of just the area around each plant. Remember to place the tallest-growing varieties on the north side of the garden (northern hemisphere). Concentrate the peat moss and compost near the plants, but add some peat and pine fines between them as well.

Gypsum

Gypsum (calcium sulfate) can be added annually for several years to soils that are especially intractable. It works by “flocculating”, or gathering, tiny particles of clay soil into larger particles, opening up minute channels through the soil profile. The larger air pore space allows water, air, and roots to more easily penetrate the soil.

Unlike lime (no lime for blueberries!), gypsum doesn’t raise the pH of the soil. Pelleted gypsum can be incorporated into the soil at the beginning of the process and applied as a top dressing in subsequent years. Water will carry it lower into the soil.

Soil PH

Because blueberries are sensitive to high salt content, do not add mushroom compost or composted manure to the garden. Manure also can raise the pH of the soil.

Our soils in the eastern U.S. tend to be acidic, but not acidic enough for blueberries. Blueberry plants need a pH below 5.5, even as low as 4.3. Peat moss is very acidic, and blueberries love it. In addition to the pine fines, add at least one cubic foot of pre-moistened peat moss per plant. Again, thoroughly incorporate the peat with the top 12″ to 15″ of soil, breaking up the clods as much as possible.

Pockets of dry peat moss buried in soil will remain dry for a long period of time because it resists absorbing water. Clay readily absorbs water; you need to thoroughly mix the clay particles into the peat moss. Pre-moistened peat moss is easier to work with.

A moderate amount of aged compost can be incorporated into the top 6-8″ of soil. The amended soil should be at least 3 times the width of the root ball. Sure, that sounds like work, and the plants probably would survive with a lesser effort, but greater effort equals greater rewards!

Rake the area smooth.

Time to Plant Your Blueberry

Before removing the blueberry plant from its pot, water it. This will help the root ball slide out of the pot. Don’t pull the plant by the stem; this could damage the delicate root system. Avoid heavily damaging the roots of blueberries because they lack root hairs. Keep the label for each plant with the plant.

Let gravity help you. Tilt the pot almost upside-down and see if the plant comes out without too much coaxing. Be ready to catch it before it lands on the ground; stems are brittle and easily broken. If the roots still won’t let go of the pot, cut away the plastic pot with a utility knife or sharp pruners. Or use an old bread knife along the inside of the pot, separating the pot from the outside of the root ball.

Know how large the plants will grow when they reach maturity in order to gauge how far apart they should be planted. Plants often grow larger than the size indicated on labels. And to maintain the health of the foliage, spacing them farther apart assures good air circulation.

Grab Your Shovel

Hollow out a hole in the prepared garden. The depth should be almost the height of the root ball. Allowing ½” to 1″ of the root ball to protrude above the finished grade is advised.

Never cover the original root ball with new soil; doing so would suffocate the roots and damage the stem. Blueberries prosper when planted in a raised bed, ensuring good drainage and high oxygen content at the crown of the plant.

Use a cultivator to loosen some of the roots on the outside of the root ball, or score it several times with a knife, slicing shallowly from top to bottom. This light damage will stimulate the root system to quickly send out new roots.

You want to encourage the plant to grow roots away from the plant and into the amended soil instead of circling around the original root ball. Whenever you add anything into the landscape, do not dig a bowl with a smooth surface. Use a shovel to create jagged edges, which will direct growing roots into new territory.

Now plant the blueberry, backfilling with amended soil. Guide the loosened roots out into the prepared ground. Using medium pressure, firm the soil. Loosely packed soil will settle, possibly dragging the plant too deep into the ground.

First Pruning

With young plants, remove very thin twigs, crossing or damaged stems, and cut back long stems to remove most flowers. Mature plants at the nursery, grown in large pots—okay, experts still recommend pruning them, but I’ve had no problems letting them set some fruit the first year when the plants are well cared for.

Label the Blueberry Plant

For new plants, bury the label on the north side of the stem. This way, you’ll know where to find the label if you need to know the cultivar’s name. Plastic labels that are shaded will last a long time. It’s not a bad idea to take pictures or to record this information in a journal. Keep track of the plants’ names in case one or two should perish, because…

…blueberries are particular about their pollinizers—the plants that provide the pollen. So, you’ll want to know the names of plants that need to be replaced. All blueberries bear fruit, but you don’t want to create a gap in bloom cycles by guessing which varieties to buy. Ensuring an uninterrupted succession of flowers and mature pollen throughout the bloom season yields an abundant harvest of beautiful berries.

Mulch

Once all the blueberries have been planted and the soil raked smooth, apply the mulch. I prefer to use pine products, such as 4″ of pine straw or 2″ to 3″ of pine bark nuggets for blueberries. An inch of pine fines also works. Don’t apply mulch against the stems.

Avoid walking over the newly prepared garden to prevent compressing the soil.

Pine straw.

Mulch helps cool the soil and hold in moisture. It also helps prevent most weeds from growing, which compete with blueberries for moisture and nutrients. More mulch will be needed as it decomposes, but pine bark chunks can last a few years.

Shredded hardwood mulch is attractive and readily available. And it holds well on a slope, except during heavy rains. A thin layer, an inch or so, is acceptable. But too much hardwood will raise the pH of the soil. As long as you can maintain the pH that blueberries require, using a thin layer of shredded hardwood is okay. But pine straw and pine nuggets are preferred.

If the soil pH is too high, switch from shredded hardwood to pine bark nuggets. In fact, specialists recommend alternating between pine products and hardwood every several years. Changing the pH with mulch is a very slow process. So, you’ll need soil acidifier, which is available at garden centers, to lower the pH if it drifted too high.

Water

Blueberry ‘Patriot’, in a pot for several years.

If you can’t plant the blueberries right away, they might require water every day.

Water the new garden well. For the next 2 weeks, or until the plants root in, the only water available to them is the moisture held by the original root ball. Naturally, if ample rain falls while they’re rooting in, you might not need to water. Dry clay soil in the bed will steal moisture from the plant’s root ball.

If the plant was being watered daily at the nursery, it might require daily watering after planting. Large leafy plants dry fast in warm, breezy conditions. New growth on the tips of the stems visibly wilts if the roots have been damaged or if the soil is dry. Having no root hairs subjects blueberries to early wilting if moisture levels drop too low. Water immediately, or those tender new leaves will turn brown.

Direct water from the hose over the original root ball. Feel the water first, to make sure it’s not hot. Give each plant at least 3 gallons of water, more for larger specimens. Water the soil a few inches beyond the root system to encourage new roots to grow toward the moisture. Monitor soil moisture levels for the first growing season.

Tap water has a high pH, so regularly irrigated soil will require acidifying.

How Are They Looking?

Do they wilt every day although you water every day or two? Water deeply so that the entire root system is moistened. Shallow watering might satisfy roots near the surface, while those deep in the soil remain dry. As new roots grow into the soil, water more widely around the plants. The original root ball often resists absorbing moisture if it has gone too dry. That’s why we recommend pre-moistening peat moss and watering the potted plant before planting.

Overwatering also can cause wilt. Don’t overdo it. Too much water in clay soil prevents air from reaching the roots. Essentially, they drown. An overwatered plant is less likely to recover. I can’t over-emphasize the importance of good drainage… and that means amending clay soil.

Excessive root injury sustained when planting will cause the plants to wilt. You might need to lightly shade them for a few days to ease the stress. After a week or two, prune off branches that didn’t recover, or leave them for a while longer to see if dormant buds sprout from live wood.

Check to see if the root ball has settled too deeply into the soil. Raise it up if that’s the case. The crown of the plant should be flush with the surrounding soil level, or, preferably, raised a little above it. And make sure all air pockets around the roots have been filled with soil.

If your new blueberries are looking good and starting to grow, congratulations! Blue star!

Settled In

Once the plants begin to root in, after a couple of weeks, you can decrease the frequency of watering. It’s tempting to assume that the recent gentle rain is enough for the next few days. But it might have been only ¼”, which dampens the mulch but not the soil.

If in doubt, dig several inches into the soil near the edge of the original root ball to see whether the soil is running dry or is sopping wet. You don’t want either of those conditions.

One inch of water throughout the garden will moisten the top 4-6″ of soil. Every week during the growing season, the entire garden should receive 1½” of water, and more than that in sandy soil. After the plants have become established, water less often, if you need to at all, but water deeply when you do.

Family Likeness

Early season flowers and leaves on our potted ‘Patriot’ blueberry.

Looking at the flowers in late winter to late spring, you might have noticed the similarity between blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) flowers and the flowers of Pieris japonica, and those of the sourwood tree, Oxydendrum arboreum. Their flowers resemble little bells.

All of them belong to the family Ericaceae, which includes heaths, heathers, azaleas, and rhododendrons, although these shrubs’ flowers bear less similarity to those of blueberries. Cranberry, bilberry, and huckleberry also belong to the Vaccinium genus.

Gardeners cultivate 50 or 60 species of blueberries around the world. Several species native to the United States and Canada formed the basis for almost all of the many blueberry varieties available today.

New dwarf cultivars of blueberries feel right at home in foundation plantings. Edible landscaping highlights both the ornamental and the edible aspects of growing blueberries.

Headings

Page 1: Planting a Blueberry Patch?, Today Is Day One, What Antioxidants Do (Blueberry Nutrients, More Benefits), Prepare for Planting Your Blueberry (Sun, Drainage, Gypsum, Soil PH), Time To Plant Your Blueberry (Grab Your Shovel, First Pruning, Label the Blueberry Plant, Mulch, Water, How Are They Looking?, Settled In), Family Likeness

Page 2: The 5 Major Groups of Blueberries (Lowbush Blueberry, Northern Highbush Blueberry, Southern Highbush Blueberry, Rabbiteye Blueberry, Half-High Blueberry), Blueberry Maintenance (Water, Mulch, Fertilizer, Pruning, Blueberry Pollination, Disease, Picking), Woodchucks and Friends, Plant Protection, Cage Your Blueberries

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Pages: 1 2

The Best Eggplant Parmigiana

Jun25

updated 1/20/2024

Eggplant Parmigiana

One of the favorite dishes from our kitchen is Eggplant Parmigiana. First, I have to admit that I never use Parmesan. Locatelli Romano is our preferred cheese for Italian dishes. Purchased as a solid wedge, and grated in batches, it’s always on hand in the refrigerator.

As a kid, I would “borrow” a chunk of Romano from my Sicilian grandmother’s kitchen, and hide under the table where I could savor every little bite. Mmm….so good!

Over the years, I’ve tried many recipes for Eggplant Parmigiana, but it wasn’t until last year that I came up with this combination. An organized kitchen is helpful as this dish is being orchestrated. And having some potted herbs outside the kitchen door is very handy.

Have These Ready

one 13″x 9″ Pyrex baking dish, or other dish that can take low heat from the stovetop, and oven heat
2 non-stick frying pans, medium to large, for eggplant
separate bowls to hold zucchini and eggplant slices
pie plate for eggs and water
wide bowl for bread crumbs

Ingredients

1 or 2 small zucchini, yellow or green, unpeeled, cut into 1/4″ slices
2 medium (less seedy than large) fresh eggplants, unpeeled, cut lengthwise into 1/4″ slices (no need to “bleed” out moisture)
Your favorite meatless tomato sauce
2 cups or more seasoned bread crumbs; see below
2 eggs plus 1 Tbsp. water, stirred together in pie plate
Extra virgin olive oil
butter
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, sliced
About 3/4 lb. Provolone cheese, thinly sliced
1 to 1 1/2 cups Romano cheese, grated
1 or 2 cups wilted greens, such as spinach, arugula, Swiss chard, and dinosaur kale. Or use 1 or 2 bags of prepared greens. Greens are optional, but recommended. You can also use fresh greens.

Bread Crumbs—Ingredients

Mix together all these ingredients in the bowl:

Flat-leaf parsley.

Several slices dry rye, whole wheat, and/or white bread, processed to medium-fine crumbs. I collect odds and ends in an open bag in the refrigerator, letting them dry.
1/2 to 2/3 cup grated Romano cheese
2 or 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh or 1-1 ½ tsp. dry Italian oregano
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper, or to taste
1/4 tsp. thyme, French preferred

The Process

Place baking dish on small burner of stove. Add a layer of sauce to coat the bottom of the pan.
Add zucchini slices close together in single layer, on top of sauce in baking dish. Turn on stove to very low heat, which will begin softening the zucchini as eggplant is being prepared. Move the pan around so no spots overheat. Turn over zucchini slices once for even heating. Make sure your dish will be safe to use like this. (If you prefer not to heat the pan, add some time when baking the eggplant.)
In frying pans, add olive oil and a little bit of butter. Not too much.
One slice at a time, dip eggplant in egg bath, then press into bread crumbs, coating both sides.
Add breaded eggplant slices to frying pans (I use 2 pans to speed up the process), and sauté over medium heat until medium brown. Don’t use high heat; this will brown the bread crumbs, leaving eggplant raw.
Place cooked eggplant slices close together, in a single layer on top of zucchini, into baking dish.
Continue sautéing eggplant slices, adding oil and butter as needed. While the next batch is cooking, add a layer of Romano, mozzarella, and Provolone cheeses, and more sauce, to the baking dish.
Add the greens in the middle layers.

Continue Layering

Continue layering eggplant, cheeses, and sauce until dish is filled. Usually there are 2 or 3 layers of eggplant. You can add leftover egg and bread crumbs, finishing with sauce.
Drizzle 1 or 2 Tbsp. olive oil over the top, plus a couple of pinches of oregano.
Bake at 350 degrees, loosely covered with foil. If the pan is filled to the top, place an old cookie sheet on the bottom rack to catch the spillover. If sauce is watery, lower heat, loosen foil, and cook a bit longer.
It’s done when sauce is gently bubbling all over, usually 40 to 50 minutes.
Serve with extra grated Romano cheese and sauce, if needed.

Wasn’t that easy? Maybe not the first time, but it is delicious! Serve with some good bread and a green salad or tomato-basil salad. Maybe some wine…good company…and…

Fresh artichoke.

…Stuffed Artichokes

Snip the points off the artichoke leaves, remove the smallest bottom leaves, trim the stem to an inch or so, rinse, and drain.

Use the bread crumb recipe above, adding more Romano cheese, salt, and garlic. Place the artichoke in the bowl of bread crumbs and spoon the mixture between the leaves. Use your fingers to firm more crumbs between the leaves.

Place in artichoke holders and add 2 to 3 cups of water in a heavy stock pot. Drizzle olive oil, 2 or 3 Tbsp. water, and a dash of salt over the tops of the artichokes.

Using a covered stock pot, 2 well-stuffed large artichokes will need 2 to 3 hours on a low simmer to steam. Add water as necessary. They’re done when you can easily remove a large leaf. When you pull the leaf through your teeth, the green part is tender and will scrape off. (Artichoke greens are good for gut health.) Some prefer to use a pressure cooker, which speeds things up considerably.

Stuffed artichokes can be made ahead of time and reheated in the oven, covered with foil.

This dinner was a big hit when relatives came to town earlier this month. Enjoy!

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Vegetables in Containers: How To Grow Them

Jun17

2018

updated 8/30/2024

No Garden Space? No Problem!

Growing Vegetables in Containers

Peppers and onions.

Before I started this blog, I managed the Edibles Department for a few years at an independent garden center in Charlotte, North Carolina. As some of our customers downsized to apartment living or to a condo with a balcony, they didn’t want to give up growing their own herbs and vegetables. So, they were glad to hear that they could grow vegetables in containers…as long as the balcony was on the right side of the building. And the right side for vegetables is the sunny side of the building.

Lack of direct sunlight and adequate growing space are limiting factors. Look around, though, and you might come up with some ideas. For example, some of our customers were given permission from their condo associations to garden in common areas. Running for open association board positions yourselves is one way to garner support. I encourage you to attend board meetings, bringing your neighbors, a plan, and a promise to maintain the site.

Neighborhood community gardens are another possibility, although there often is a waiting list. With so much emphasis on eating healthy foods, little pocket parks and community gardens are popping up all over the country.

For Your Convenience

A young tomato damaged by a squirrel.

Another reason to grow vegetables in containers is simply to have them close at hand when they’re needed. A few steps out the kitchen door to a handful of cherry tomatoes and a ripe ‘Flavorburst’ sweet pepper for today’s salad has its charms.

Keeping the pots elevated on the deck prevents some animals, such as deer and rabbits, from making off with the fruits of your labor. Won’t stop the raccoons, though. (***Update***: Or the squirrels; one thought this little green tomato had something to offer. Discard any fruits that have been chewed on by animals. If needed, I’ll wrap the potted tomato plants, growing on the deck, in bird netting. June, 2019.)

Sun? Not So Much

The choices for edibles in a shady spot are limited. The ones that might succeed in bright shade are arugula, cilantro, parsley, lemon balm (interesting research with Alzheimer’s), French sorrel, and seasonal leafy greens. With just a bit more sun, basil, rosemary, oregano, and maybe a cucumber plant could grow for you.

Reflected light counts, to a degree, including light bouncing off light-colored walls. And a white surface under the pots reflects more light onto the vegetables in containers.

Remember to monitor the sun’s path throughout the seasons. Once trees drop their leaves in the fall, your balcony or patio might receive more direct sunlight than it did in the summer. This opens up all kinds of possibilities for potted cool-season greens and vegetables. Pay close attention to expected temperature changes for the duration of your crops.

Fruiting plants, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and squash need at least 6, and preferably 7 or 8 hours of direct sun. These vegetables also need warm summery weather.

Approaching Summer Solstice

Our vegetable garden is now receiving the maximum amount of light, with the sun directly overhead. In the springtime of the last two years, heavy rains caused the tree canopy up on the berm, to the south, to swell with heavy, overhanging branches. Trees now cast considerable shade early and late in the day for most of the growing season. So, I planted fewer tomato plants and more greens.

Two large ‘Big Beef’ tomatoes are beginning to ripen, and a whole lot of ‘Sun Gold’ and ‘Mexico Midget’ cherry tomatoes. So, even with less-than-ideal conditions, there will be something to harvest.

At Julia’s Request

Several family members from New Jersey and California recently visited us in North Carolina. I promised Julia this article about growing summer vegetables in containers.

Vegetables In Containers: Which Ones?

: Potted green onions.

: Potted tomato.

Sweet and hot peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants can be grown in containers, as well as zucchini, yellow summer and Patty Pan squashes, cucumbers, and green beans. Also, it’s easy to grow most herbs in pots. Green onions, carrots, potatoes, and peas can grow in pots!

It’s just a matter of the details. One of those details is to look for dwarf or bush varieties of the crops you want to grow. There’s even a variety of corn (‘On Deck’) that grows in large pots.

One of the popular combinations I used to sell included a sweet or a hot pepper planted with two herbs. Theme combinations (‘Jalapeno’ pepper-cilantro-Greek oregano; ‘Carmen’ frying pepper-Italian parsley, Italian oregano) grew in 14″ pots. Customers found them irresistible if they were bearing fruit.

Growing more varieties of leafy greens in containers has become a priority as our garden becomes more shaded. In addition, greens can grow all year in regions with moderate winters.

Starting With Tomatoes

Much of the information in “Starting With Tomatoes” also applies to other vegetables in containers.

Potted ‘Indigo Blue Berries’ cherry tomato ripens to orange and black.

Beginning with America’s favorite, tomatoes grow well in pots. Will it be a beefsteak or a cherry? An heirloom or a modern hybrid? A slicer or a sauce-type? Determinate? Indeterminate (it keeps growing until frost, bearing fruit all summer)? Black, red, yellow, or orange? Striped or solid? There are many thousands of varieties of tomatoes to choose from!

‘Terenzo’ tomato.

A dwarf tomato called ‘Terenzo’ (photo, right) can grow in a 10″ hanging basket, but a ‘Cherokee Purple’ heirloom or a ‘Big Beef’ needs something considerably larger. For the large varieties, I use pots at least 20″ in diameter.

The long-vining indeterminate cherry types (‘Sun Gold’, ‘Black Cherry’, ‘Mexico Midget’) can grow in a pot as small as 14″ in diameter, but they’d be happier in bigger pots. You’ll need to pay closer attention to water and fertility when using smaller pots.

Vegetables In Containers: Types Of Pots

Each kind of pot has both advantages and disadvantages.

Summer vegetables generally fare better in larger pots rather than smaller pots. Although the pot looks enormous compared to the transplant’s diminutive size, don’t be tempted to plant more than one tomato per pot. You’ll be amazed how quickly that one tomato plant fills a 20″ pot. A new transplant in a large pot runs a greater risk of root rot during rainy weather. But, placing it under an overhang will prevent this loss. It’ll be different once more roots and foliage have grown.

An indeterminate tomato, such as ‘Cherokee Purple’, ‘Sun Gold’, or ‘Black Krim’, can share a 20″ diameter pot (photo, below) with a couple of herbs, such as parsley and oregano. Plant the tomato toward the back of the pot, on the north side (northern hemisphere), and plant the herbs near the southern rim.

Terra Cotta

Terra cotta looks good and has some weight. But clay is porous, so water vapor passes through the pot to the air outside, quickly drying the soil. If you want to use your large clay pots, you could line them with food-grade plastic and punch some holes in the bottom for drainage. This will slow down the evaporation process.

Certainly, use clay pots if you prefer, but prepare to water more often.

Ceramic Pots

Ceramics are beautiful and heavy, and they can be expensive. Soil temperature rises uncomfortably on the sunny side unless the pot is shaded. Try using light colored pots in the summer, which will reflect most of the heat.

If you’re unsure of the safety of the glaze, line the inside of the pot with food-grade plastic bags, poking several holes in the bottom for drainage. Choose a different pot if a sticker on the bottom warns “Not for direct contact with food”.

You could also plant the tomato in a large nursery pot, and then insert it into the decorative glazed container. Make sure both pots have drainage holes. This “double-potting” allows air circulation around the interior pot and eliminates concerns about questionable glazes.

Tomato ‘Rutgers’, sweet basil, and Italian parsley in a 20″ wide pot, April, 2019.

Plastic and Vinyl

These pots are inexpensive, readily available, and easily moved. They’re also the most likely to blow over in windy weather. But this is the first choice for most gardeners. Most of these pots last a few to several years in the sun, but, eventually, sunlight will degrade the material.

Wood Containers

Untreated cedar or redwood and half whiskey barrels are suitable for growing vegetables in containers. Check to make sure the pots drain freely.

Reservoirs and Other Considerations

Earth boxes and plastic pots often have built-in reservoirs or detachable saucers. And you can purchase caster kits and trellises for increased functionality. Some gardeners have the option to move their plants from the morning sun on one side of the deck to the afternoon sun on the other side; wheels make this so much easier.

Caution: some of the reservoirs are too deep before the water begins to exit the overflow hole. This can cause young plants to rot if the soil stays sodden all the time. You could drill a hole in the side, below the overflow hole, reducing the capacity of the reservoir. Or simply tilt the pot to allow excess water to drain. Older plants, full of foliage, will absorb water in the bottom of the planter, as long as it isn’t raining for several days straight.

Mosquitoes and Tree Roots

Add a piece of Mosquito Dunks to prevent mosquitoes from maturing in the secluded reservoir. They need only a few days in warm weather to complete their life cycle. Or tip the container to drain all excess water.

A pot sitting directly on soil anywhere near trees or shrubs will invite their roots to invade. Believe me, they will try to grow in that beautiful composted soil. Elevate the pot off the ground. This also facilitates drainage from the pot.

A few pieces of broken flagstone or “pot feet” raise the pots above the surface of the deck, helping to preserve the deck’s finish.

Saucers

Use saucers under the pots, but don’t let water remain in them for more than an hour. Plant roots need oxygen as much as they need water. Water in the saucer prevents air from entering the bottom of the pot.

Saucers aren’t absolutely necessary, but help if the soil has gone too dry. Just keep filling them until no more water is absorbed by the soil. In tall pots, though, the force of gravity will prevail over capillary action, preventing water from reaching the top of the root ball. So, you’ll also need to water the top portion of soil.

During long periods of rainy weather, I remove the saucers, or turn them upside down and keep them under the containers. This is impractical, however, if the pot weighs 50 pounds. Consider removing the saucer and using a few pieces of broken flagstone or brick to elevate the pots, if necessary.

Potting Soil

Reused polyester fiberfill covers the drainage hole.

Before filling the pot, place a small handful of polyester fiberfill (from a hobby store) over the drainage hole. This prevents soil from eroding through the hole, and prevents earthworms and other critters from entering. If you pull some of it through the hole to a point at the bottom, excess water will continue to drain if there’s soil in the little cone. This is helpful for potted plants that rot easily during long stretches of rainy weather (succulents, lavender, thyme, sage). This synthetic material doesn’t rot, so it’s reusable.

Use a good quality potting soil that drains well, but has peat moss to hold moisture. In addition to the peat moss, the mixture will have perlite (white particles that help drainage), pine bark chips (drainage), lime (to adjust the pH), compost or a starter charge of fertilizer, and often a wetting agent (to help the soil absorb water).

Amending the Potting Soil

Feel free to experiment with mixtures of different materials. Soils with a lot of bark (pine fines, wood products) in the mix tend to dry out faster. You can mix in smaller-particle loamy topsoil, spongy peat moss, aged manure, or compost to help slow water loss. Water-absorbing crystals might help, too. But moisten them before you add them to the soil. If you don’t, you’ll understand why I italicized the word “before”.

Adding a layer of undyed mulch on top of the soil helps conserve water and keeps the soil a bit cooler.

While some gardeners add rocks to the bottom of the pot, I never do. It was thought the rocks increased drainage, but the opposite is true; they create a perched water table in the layer of soil right above the rocks. Water percolating through the soil profile is held in this layer by capillarity, and often rots roots trying to grow there, limiting the useful volume of soil.

Headings

Page 1: Growing Vegetables In Containers, Sun? Not So Much, Vegetables In Containers: Which Ones?, and Starting With Tomatoes (Vegetables In Containers: Types Of Pots, Reservoirs and Other Considerations, Mosquitoes and Tree Roots, Saucers, Potting Soil (Amending the Potting Soil)…

Page 2: Transplanting the Tomato, Water, Going Away?, Staking, Fertilizing Vegetables In Containers, Blossom End Rot, On PH, Pollination), Peppers and Eggplants, Cucumbers, Squash (Squash Vine Borers), Green Onions (Bunching Onions from Seed), Leafy Greens, and Picking Vegetables In Containers

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So, What Can I Do With All Those Greens?

May16

“So, what can I do with all those greens?”

When there’s a bumper crop of kale, collards, spinach, Swiss Chard, or any of the other greens (which are so good for you, by the way), this is what you can do. Whether your winter greens are looking a little tired, or you just need to remove them to make space for the warm-season vegetables, many are asking that question.

Curly kale, Swiss chard, dinosaur kale, arugula.

Cook ‘n’ Freeze Those Greens

Have a few zip-lock sandwich bags handy.
Select healthy-looking greens and wash thoroughly. Inspect carefully for slugs, caterpillars, and other insects.
Cut and remove the thickest of the midribs.
Separate the varieties, or combine them.
Cut into wide ribbons, or thin, if you prefer.
Get out the Big Wok, or any other large, heavy pot.
Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. butter, more or less, to the pan. Heat it up.
Add a clove or two of minced fresh garlic. Saute until it begins to turn a pale golden color, but not brown (browned garlic is burned and tastes awful).
Add the greens. Lots of them.
Turn the greens continuously over low-medium heat, so they’re well-coated with the oil. You’ll see that they wilt down quickly.
Season with salt and pepper (optional).
When evenly wilted, allow to cool somewhat.
Ladle half a cup or a cupful into each sandwich bag.
Squeeze out the air, seal up the bags, and set aside to cool.
Put them into a larger freezer bag or plastic container.
Freeze. Use within a few months.

In the Kitchen

***Update*** July 11, 2019: I harvested all the remaining Swiss chard and kale from last year (photos, below) and cooked them up this morning. There was a cup of leftover chicken stock, so that, too, was added to the pot while the vegetables cooked.

: Swiss chard ‘Bright Lights’.

: Swiss chard.

: ‘Lacinato’ and ‘Red Russian’ kale.

: Cooked greens ready to freeze.

Next time you make soup or an omelet, bring home a pizza, or serve rotisserie chicken over seasoned rice, add a bag of these magical greens. Add these greens to a dish of lasagna or eggplant parmigiana. Simple! Put a bag in the refrigerator in the morning to thaw for that night’s dinner. Even canned soup from the grocery store is more nutritious after adding these greens. Fresh leaves added when the soup is heating up wilt almost instantly and double the vitamin content.

When you realize how simple this is—and how good it is for you—you’ll plant a whole lot more this fall. It’s easy to sneak these greens into your cooking, and your finicky eaters might not even notice!

Veggie omelet with fresh microgreens. You could also use a bag of thawed greens in the fold.

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