Posts Tagged ‘veggie garden’

Ripe Tomatoes by the Fourth of July

Monday, July 6th, 2009

Lately, I’ve focused more time on being in the garden — whether my own or a client’s — than I have on writing about gardening. Today, after many days of hot, sunny weather, I woke to wind and spitting rain inspiring me to take several photos and begin sharing updates of food in the garden.

First Gold Nugget of 2009

First Gold Nugget of 2009

Try not to get too envious of our first, ripe tomato — yes, one is ready. It may be a tiny Gold Nugget, but it is an early start for the Seattle tomato season.  Still, for us it has been a bit of a wait. I seeded these on March 3, 2009!

This little nugget of summery sunshine flavor is simply the first of many to come. And though I did start this indoors and kept it in the greenhouse into early May. Until the wind today, it has been setting fruit and ripening outdoors for several weeks, rather than being coddled (and cooked) in the greenhouse.

Our early Seattle summer heat and our careful selection of plants that set fruit even in cool weather means our tomatoes are loaded with fruit already. From this tiny Gold Nugget to several Saucy Paste, enormous Oregon Springs, uniquely flowered Siberia and ever-faithful Stupice, we have plants laden with green orbs — some kinkled, some perfectly round, some small, some drupish. I must admit, when I felt the cold this morning, I moved a few of the potted plants into the greenhouse where it is still a balmy 65F (she says with her tongue-in-cheek). Others are withstanding the wind and the relative cold unprotected. Even the late-planted Long Keepers are holding up well — some in the weather; some in the greenhouse.

Keep tuned in for updates on cucumbers, watermelons, peppers, sweet peas, stunning gourd blossoms and even passionfruit!

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Posted in Edible Gardens, vegetable gardening | 2 Comments »

Michelle Obama Reminds Us Gardening Can Improve Our Health

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

This year I’ve had a huge increase in requests for edible garden design and education programs relating to gardening with edibles. I know quite a few of these new clients are interested because of the vegetable garden the Obamas added to the White House earlier this year. Fortunately, my earliest gardening work was on our family farms raising our own food. Raising food is in my blood and in my soul, so I’m always thrilled to mentor others in the art and science of growing their own. It isn’t just about the health benefits that getting out in the dirt and doing the labor means. It isn’t just about enjoying the beauty of creating a veggie garden. It isn’t just about reducing our carbon footprint and petroleum consumption by growing foods as locally and organically as we can. It isn’t just about learning that real food doesn’t come out of a plastic bag or cardboard box. It isn’t just about correcting our health by reducing our consumption of processed foods. It is about all of these things and so much more.

In a recent interview with ABC News, Michelle Obama related her experiences and thoughts on health care reform. Gracefully, she connects the dots between diet, exercise and gardening to her family’s health as an example to all of us. I enourage you to watch the interview here for her own words.

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Posted in Edible Gardens | No Comments »

Growing Garlic and Knowing When to Harvest

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

It was last October, shortly before Halloween 2008, that I planted my garlic, and it still isn’t ready yet. Many readers have written in to ask how to know when garlic is ready. Some clients have been asking all spring about planting garlic, and I’ve been telling them they need to wait until Fall. And, they’ll need some patience. Garlic takes almost as many months to mature as a human fetus (that’s about 9 if you didn’t know). So, here’s a little rundown on garlic.

Tubs of Newly Planted Garlic in October 2008

Tubs of Newly Planted Garlic in October 2008

All of the varieties I planted are hardnecks, and the scapes have been rolling in for the last few weeks. The scapes have been an unexpected treat. I knew I’d be pinching them out and using them to cook this spring, but somehow the idea that I’d have fresh garlic before I had ripened bulbs hadn’t completely connected for me. So, they have been a treat. I’ve used them to saute fresh snowpeas and king boletes. They’ve been included in garlic-sorrel vinaigrettes for salads. I’ve mixed them with fresh rosemary, sage and thyme to rub on pork loin. Really, they work equally well as a chopped garlic clove. Sometimes I think they may even be better. And, it is important to pinch the scapes out or the cloves within the bulbs won’t achieve maximum growth.

One side note: I did plant a clove of elephant garlic. It sprouted in fall, but it turned to mush after the hard winter snows. So, no elephants in the garden this summer.

Here’s the concept: a plant forms a flower, in this case a garlic scape. If the flower opens and is pollinated, the plant throws a huge amount of energy into forming seed. As it does this, it won’t put much energy at this time into rooting or storage of energy into the roots. So, in the case of garlic, if the potential to form seed is removed by pinching out an unopened, unfertilized, seedless scape, the plant then throws its energy into maximizing its growth potential by beefing up its bulb before it goes dormant. It knows that by storing maximum energy in its root, it has more chance of putting on stronger flowers in the following year to then spread its seed. Plants are patient. What they don’t realize is we’re patient too, just waiting for the bulbs to fill out and the top growth to whither in summer. That’s when we harvest the bulbs! (more…)

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Posted in Edible Gardens, vegetable gardening | 2 Comments »

A Few Random Thoughts from a Busy Garden Coach as we Approach Summer Solstice

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

I haven’t been writing nearly as much as I do during the colder, dormant season. It’s much more fun, and profitable, for me to spend time in the garden rather than writing about the garden. Yet, as I’m looking down the barrel of summer solstice, I want to share a few quick gardening tips that may prove helpful. Solstice marks the time when days following, sadly, start to become shorter. Plants are greatly in tune with this, and your work, based on timing,  can make a huge difference in your gardening successes (and failures):

  • Pinching perennials: Not only will deadheading help extend your flowering season for most perennials, but if you tip back (aka a pinch-to-a-node) late flowering types (Mums, especially) with alternating cuts, you can create bushier plants with more blooms that are less likely to flop over when they get top-heavy with blossoms. But, stop tipping around solstice or you may not get any blooms at all.  If you’re dealing with plants that you don’t want to bloom, like basil, keep on pinchin’!
  • Pruning: Don’t prune plants that bloomed in late winter/early spring or you risk cutting off next winter’s blooms. If you haven’t sheared your hedges, which is best done in late winter/early spring, you’re running out of time. If you shear too late, you risk looking at choppy cuts all winter or forcing soft growth that gets killed in early frosts.
  • Big Harvest in June for the Foodbank

    Big Harvest in June for the Foodbank

    Seeding and Planting: You still have time to seed many hot season crops, but again, your time is running out. Get those last rounds of tomatoes, basil, peppers, squashes and beans in the ground now to extend your harvest period. Plus, now’s the time to start seeding those fall/winter crops to get them ready to set out for winter harvesting — think kale, broccoli, chard and cabbage.

  • Harvest, Eat, Preserve: As your crops roll in, stay on top of harvesting even if that means you end up making sauerkraut in June or giving away lettuce to the foodbank. By doing this, you’ll make room to rotate in new crops and reduce the likelihood of inviting pests and disease and self-seeded bolting crops into the garden by leaving past-their-prime edibles in the soil.

And finally, enjoy these long days. Soon enough we’ll all be wrapped in polar fleece, snuggling near a warm fire, desperately seeking a bloom somewhere to discuss in the many posts we have time to write up during winter. For me, for now, I’m off to put out more mammoth sunflowers, zinnia, basil and late season tomatoes to enjoy into the many remaining months of summer.

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Posted in Food, garden coach, seasons, vegetable gardening | 1 Comment »

Garden Coach on What to do with Extras from the Veggie Bed

Friday, June 5th, 2009

Today I realized our fridge is starting to overflow with veggies from our garden. Greens take up a lot of room in there. We go through them rapidly, but as the garden continues to produce and with our CSA program getting ready to roll in later this month, I found myself looking for what to do with extras (besides putting them in the compost pile).  I do get a little tired of green salads after eating them twice a day for weeks on end. But, I remind myself that I pine for fresh salad during the winter months when I’ve run out in the garden and the farmer’s market isn’t offering lettuce.  So, with that rounded thought in mind, I make another salad. I saute another batch of greens. I whip up a jar of pesto, and I chop another radish. In the end, I enjoy every fresh, homemade meal. And, I do follow some of these ideas for making good use of any excess I produce: (more…)

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Brassica Worm Pests and Pest Management

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Cabbage Loopers, or maybe they’re Imported European Cabbage Worms, are back in my garden. Last year, I handpicked them vigilantly and didn’t sustain too much damage.  This year I kept my crops covered with plastic hooping when it was really cold and floating row cover now that it is warmer.

Protective Row Cover Pulled Back Revealing Pest and Edibles

Protective Row Cover Pulled Back Revealing Pest and Edibles

I’ve seen the white adult butterflies with their signature dotted wings flittering about my garden, looking for their favorite hosts (aka my cabbages and cauliflower).  I thought the defenses were up and the crops were secured. Then, I pulled back the floating row cover in one bed to do some weeding, seeding and crop inspection. And, dang, there were a couple of worms chomping away.  SQUISH! Now they’re gone and my organic veggies are barely damaged.

So, what’s the message? Well, if there’s any opening in the floating row cover, those egg-laying white wonders are going to get into the plants. In one bed, my row cover is tightly secured over hoops with no entry point available. In the infested bed, the row cover is somewhat secured but mostly just floating. That weak link in the chain of defense meant the invaders made their way in.

Now I’m checking daily (if not a couple times a day) for worms on my cabbages. And, the floating row cover is more secured in all areas.

The best part about picking off the worms? Seeing my cabbages starting to tighten up and form yummy purple balls and little buds of cauliflower beginning to appear amid the protective leaves. I think I might even harvest my first cabbage today. Not only will that make a tasty addition to my endless salads, but it will also open up a planting spot for one of my Butternut squashes that are ready to move out of the greenhouse and into the garden beds.

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Posted in Edible Gardens, IPM, Insects, Localvore, pests, vegetable gardening | 1 Comment »

How Much Time Does a Garden Coach Spend in Her Garden Each Week

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Yesterday I was helping a regular client prune several woody shrubs away from a deck she’ll be renovating this summer. The shrub work was long past due, but together we made great progress. As we were working she asked, “Robin, how many hours a week do you spend working in your garden?”

Stone & Filled Beds Make for Easy Summer Care

Stone & Filled Beds Make for Easy Summer Care

Hmmm…that was like getting the job interview question you’re completely unprepared for. Fortunately, I wasn’t interviewing for a job as the question gave me pause. How much time do I spend working in my own garden in a week?

I answered my client honestly. I barely have time and energy left this time of year to get out in my own garden. My hands are exhausted from pruning and weeding and typing and writing all day, so my own weeds flourish and my shrubs thrive despite the work I know I should devote to them.

Fortunately, I’ve invested almost a decade developing my garden, which has a lot of stone work. And, stones don’t require a lot of maintenance. And, my beds are quite full from years of planting, dividing and spreading perennials. Some I regret and now classify in the weed department (Alstromeria & cat mint rules this regret.) Still, I would like to have garden perfection with zero weeds, perfectly coiffed shrubs and pest-free cabbages.  But, time is at a premium. And when free evenings bring lightening storms and hail such as we had last night, I miss out on my rare opportunities to weed away the evening sunlight.

So, to answer the question. I find myself puttering through the garden with coffee each morning most days of the year for a good 30 minutes or so. I visit my potted garden and greenhouse for about 30 minutes a day in spring and summer (at least). I visit my veggie beds daily to harvest (if not to weed and plant and water) for about 20 minutes a day. And, when I have an actual day to really get out there. Well, those are the days I can put in a good 8-10 hours renovating big spaces and making progress pruning those shrubs, pulling those weeds, squashing those slugs and dressing up the finished areas with a nutrious layer of composted mulch. And, of course, I try to wind down sunny evenings sitting in the garden with a glass of wine or iced tea — and odds are, I’ll pull another weed while I’m at it. So shall we say I spend a good hour or two, on an average day, working in the garden (and sometimes quite a bit more.)

Now that I’ve wrapped up this thought, I’m going to escape into my own garden for a rare two hour, mid-day weed-a-thon. Wish me luck!

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Floating Row Cover are Multipurpose Summer Sheets for the Garden

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
March Planted Brassicas in April

March Planted Brassicas in April

There are many reasons to cover our vegetable garden beds. We add hoop houses with plastic to increase heat, extend the growing season, ramp up edible production rates, and provide other protections as illustrated here.  But, for some crops and during the warmer times of year, when flying pests are looking for delicious spots to lay their eggs, something more lightweight and breathable makes sense. Floating row cover is the answer to these needs.

Floating row cover is a lightweight, partially opaque fabric that is used for a variety of reasons in the garden, including:

  • Retaining heat in young beds — but not as much as plastic.
  • Protecting plants like carrot and brassicas from flying insects. (The row cover keeps the insects from getting to the plants where they like to lay eggs and then lay waste to garden crops.)
  • Allowing some light and lots of sunshine into crops
  • Increasing airflow to the plants to reduce fungal disease problems
  • Keeping some pests, like the neighborhood cats & pecking birds, out of freshly tilled and seeded beds.
Lettuces Under Floating Row Cover Hoop House

Lettuces Under Floating Row Cover Hoop House

The cool season crops I planted into the garden beds back in March were given a boost of heat by way of hoop houses covered in plastic.  But, as the days have warmed and the crops have started to acclimate to the warmer weather and longer days, I decided it was time for some of them to switch out their winter plastic coverings for the  lighter fabric provided by floating row cover.

My lettuce bed would grow just fine without floating row cover and likely wouldn’t be decimated by pests — except for my neighbor’s cat. I do not want to find that he or his buddies are using my beds as his toilet. So, strapping the row cover onto the hoops means that sunlight reaches the plants, rains do too. Air also begins to circulate better across the plants, which will help keep down warm-heat related problems. And, the darned cat can’t get into the bed!

Brassica and Spinach Bed covered with floating row cover

Brassica and Spinach Bed covered with floating row cover

Some of my other beds don’t have hoops, but they’re filled with crops that I know have pest problems in the Seattle area:

I could simply drape the fabric over the plants and let it float in place. This technique works well as long as you don’t have a big wind come through. Plants simply push the fabric up as they grow; it is that lightweight. However, I opted to hammer some stakes into the ground and affix the cover crop to it. This insures a few key things:

  • The fabric won’t blow away
  • The cat can’t poop on my cauliflower
  • Birds can’t eat my radish seed or seedlings
  • I can see through the fabric to watch the plants grow.
Recycled Aluminum posts with plastic clips holding row cover in place

Recycled Aluminum posts with plastic clips holding row cover in place

In one of these non-hooped beds, I used recycled coated aluminum poles from my old, broken down zipper greenhouse. I draped the fabric over them and affixed them with extra hoop house clips.  In another bed, I hammered wooden stakes into the edge of the bed and stapled the material to the posts and to the nearby fence. Both seem to be working quite well.

It is also important to realize that the floating row cover as well as plastic hoop covers will also keep the pollenators out of the plants. So, as you’re planning your cropping rotations, it is important to remember this. Right now, my beds are filled with items that don’t require pollenation. Essentially, I’ve got greens and root veggies going. However, later, as I start adding in squash, cucumber, tomatoes and other flowering/fruiting vegetables, I’ll need to be sure to place them in zones where the covers can be opened to allow bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other beneficial insects to join the party and help make my garden productive. If that means picking a few green worms off my cabbage later in the season, so be it. But for now, those white butterflies can fly, fly away!

Unfortunately, it doesn’t help with slugs, but that’s a post for another day.

Want to learn more about cabbage loopers, carrot fly, and other edible garden pests? Visit the gardenhelp store and pick up a copy of Steve Solomon’s Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades. It is a fantastic resource for all veggie gardeners!

Need some floating row cover for your garden? Contact Irish Eyes to order yours now!

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Posted in Edible Gardens, Greenhouse, IPM, pests, vegetable gardening | 1 Comment »

The Easiest Vegetable Garden Anyone Can Grow Anywhere, Anytime!

Monday, January 5th, 2009

So, you’re interested in growing your own food? Maybe you have no experience. Maybe its the dead of winter. Maybe you live in a one-room apartment. Regardless of your situation, you can grow these edibles! Within as few as 3-7 days you’ll be enjoying your crops that with a little care won’t stop producing.  Hard to believe? Well, I won’t sell you a set of knives to go with this promise, but I do guarantee that with less than 3 minutes of attention daily, space smaller than a throw pillow, and very little cost, you’ll have fresh greens to keep you healthy year-round.

Day Seven: Top View of Sprouts Ready to Eat!

Day Seven: Top View of Sprouts Ready to Eat!

If you’re a locavore trying to find lettuce to put on sandwiches in the winter, you probably aren’t having any luck. After our latest freezes, local farmers don’t have many leafy greens to offer. Yesterday, I stopped at every veggie farm stand at the Ballard Farmer’s Market. I came home with root veggies galore — parsnips, turnips, Jerusalem artichokes, golden beets, red beets, carrots and onions. I scored some cabbage too, but no kale. And certainly no lettuce for sandwiches! Thankfully, I can replace my sandwich lettuce with fresh sprouts from my kitchen window garden.

Fresh sprouts are a fantastic way to maintain a healthy diet. Sprouts are the youth stage of plant growth. Much of their energy is derived from stored nutrients bursting forth from the seed; some comes from the photosynthesis process that begins as the young sprout unfurls green leaves. They are rich in minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and even protein. And it requires pennies to grow them. All you need is sprout-ready seed and water. Sunlight isn’t even required and can sometimes ruin the taste of your sprouts.

To start, be sure to avoid trying to eat just any old sprouted seed. Some seeds like tomato and eggplant seed can be toxic. Some seed has been treated with chemicals that don’t make for good, fresh sprouts. Look for seed that is certified for sprouts. Many bulk grocery stores, for instance, offer mung beans for sprouting. Many nurseries offer broccoli, spicy blends, and salad blends to sprout. Just be sure you know you’re sprouting something that’s safe to eat before you start. You’ll find sprout seeds on sale now in the Garden Help Garden Store Edible Gardening section.

Next, you’ll need a sprouting tray or jar lid for your project. When I was growing up, we used a mason jar with a screw on “sprouter” lid. These are inexpensive and fairly easy to use. Often they come with an adjustable lid so you can change the hole size depending on the size of your seed. Today, I’m using a two-tier system that allows me to grow different sprouts, starting batches on different days. The amount this produces is smaller, but I can usually bring in a fresh batch every couple of days. You’ll find sprouter lids, sprouter lid kits and tier kits on sale now in the Garden Help Garden Store Edible Gardening section now.

Since I use a two-tier system, I start one tier on day one and tier two on day two or three. This staggers my harvest. Depending on the size and type of seed you are sprouting, your harvest times may vary. In my window garden, broccoli seed sprouts are ready within about 3-7 days. Mung beans I prefer to sprout in a dark spot as I find they become somewhat bitter if they meet with sunlight. These are also usually ready within about 3-5 days. If you have a rotation crop going, I find that the second crop comes on faster than the first. This may have to do with growth hormones that the sprouting seeds emit, but I’m not certain. (Anyone out there know?)

**It is important to never eat anything that may have turned. If you have any question about whether your sprouts have gone bad, toss them out! If the roots or leaves are browning, toss them. Just don’t risk it!**

Now that you have a sprouting system and some seeds, your next step is to sprinkle a layer of seed in your jar or on your tray(s). Moisten with a gentle stream of water and let the water drain out. Repeat moistening 2x/daily until the seeds have opened, roots have begun to form and small dicot leaves appear.

Following is a photo journal of a recent 7 day sprout garden from seeding to harvest!

Day One: Dry Broccoli Seed Added to First Tray

Day One: Dry Broccoli Seed Added to First Tray

Day Two: As First Tray Germinates, I Add Seed to the Second Tray

Day Two: As First Tray Germinates, I Add Seed to the Second Tray

Day Three: Germination Continues

Day Three: Germination Continues

Day Four: Germination Continues. Sproutlings Starting to Show

Day Four: Germination Continues. Sproutlings Starting to Show

Day Five: Sprouts Beginning to Look Tasty!

Day Five: Sprouts Beginning to Look Tasty!

Day Six: A Handful of Sprouts That I Could Eat, but...

Day Six: A Handful of Sprouts That I Could Eat, but...

Day Seven: The Bottom Tray is Ready; The Top is Nearly There Too!

Day Seven: The Bottom Tray is Ready; The Top is Nearly There Too!

Local St. Jude's Tuna with local Parker's Pickles & Broccoli Sprouts on locally-made sprouted grain toast.

Local St. Jude's Tuna with local Parker's Pickles & Broccoli Sprouts on locally-made sprouted grain toast.

There are lots of ways to enjoy fresh sprouts. Pop them in your mouth as is, toss them in a salad, add them to a stir fry, stir them in a soup or add them to a sandwich for a bit of green crunch. It’s not hard to start sprouts and they take such little effort and provide so much reward! If you have questions about sprouts, please get in touch. If you have recipes that include sprouts or if you would like to share your favorite sprouts, please get in touch! After writing this, I think I may just need to go make another St. Jude’s tuna sandwich with my next batch of fresh broccoli sprouts!

For additional reading:

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Posted in Edible Gardens, Food, Localvore, vegetable gardening, vegetable starts | 8 Comments »