Behold! The Power of Compost!

I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but when we first bought our house, I almost threw away a 4-foot-tall tree peony.  It was April and either it didn't bloom or we missed the blooms because all I saw as a wanna-be gardener was ugly black sticks coming out of the ground a some unremarkable leaves.  It was planted--or should I say wedged-- in the corner created by a fence and the house.  Even *I* in my extreme naiveness knew it was miserable in that location.

Lucky for me and the peony, I decided to give it another year.  During that year, I read extensively and visited more and more gardens.  I taught myself a lot about plants: growing them and keeping them alive. And, importantly, I didn't miss the bloom.  That's right:  Bloom.  Singular.  However, all it took was that one luscious bloom to make me realize I had something special.

That year also allowed me to really discover all the idiosyncrasies of my space.  When you've got a small lot surrounded by trees and 2 story homes, you've got to really observe to find the little pockets of full sun.  And, did I find a pocket!  Half a foot in either direction, you've got dense shade from a fence and the neighbor's house. As an added bonus, I can view it from my kitchen window.  Washing dishes is far more pleasant when you're staring at a peony.

Last year, we had 2 blooms.  I decided to dump a generous portion of compost around the base of the plant. This year I've got at least 14 buds in various states of undress.


These blooms were brought to you by cow shit, y'all!

All About Onions

With my summer garden winding down, I turn to thinking about next year. I'm very comfortable starting from seed and growing nightshade vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant by this point.  This year I added cucumbers, summer squash, greens, garlic and carrots to my garden. Next year, I want to try a few more new vegetables. And, I'm thinking about growing onions in the 2011 garden.  For some reason I feel like onions are kind of confusing: long day v short day v intermediate, bunching v green, sets v transplants v seeds, etc. Thus, I've turned to books and the internet to try to sort this all out.  This is what I've learned:


What's the difference?
As far as I can tell there are 3 "types" of onions: Bulb, bunching and multiplier/perennial onions. The bulb type are what we generally buy in the grocery store (they're are the option to choose if you want storage onions) and one seed/set/transplant will give you one onion.  Bunching onions are basically "green onions" as they don't form large bulbs. And, finally, multiplier (or perennial) onions are like the bulb onions but they--as their name implies--multiply and create their own sets. Shallots and potato onions do this by creating clusters that you separate & divide, while top-setting onions, like the Egyptian walking onion, create bulbets that form on the top of the stem which take roots


Sets, Transplants or Seeds?
Sets are tiny bulbs, about the size of a marble without any sprouting, that were started from seed the year before. These are the easiest way to plant onions, but transplants actually offer better success and store better. Sets can be planted before the last frost, but the soil needs to be rather dry and a bit warm otherwise they can rot.

Transplants are just like any other seedling/plantlet...they are baby plants. You can buy these (although I don't think I've ever seen these in the nurseries around here) or start your own from seeds.  These tend to result in bigger onions than sets and have few pest issues. When the danger of frost has passed, plant harden offed transplants in the ground, but don't bury too deep.

Seeds often allow the greatest variety of cultivars.  Start them indoors 8-12 weeks before transplant date, but if you're blessed with a long growing season, you can direct sow outside.

Daylength?
If you're doing bulb onions (by seed, transplant or set) you'll need to match to your summer daylight. If you're north of a line from North Carolina to San Francisco, plant long-day cultivars.  If you're south of it, plant short-day cultivars.

Growing Conditions
No matter what type of onion you choose, they all seem to need well-drained soil with at least half a day of direct sun.

My Verdict
I think, should I plant onions next year, I'm going to go with seeds of bulb-type, long-day cultivars  that I'll start indoors. The idea of perennial onions is tempting (I love stuff that you just plant once!) but I'm not sure where I would put them.

All About: Garlic

I bought garlic from Southern Exposure Seeds' mix that includes artichoke-type softneck, silverskin-type softneck, rocambole-type hardneck and purple-striped hardneck garlic varieties. The hardneck types will provide scapes (flower stalk) in the spring and the softneck types are best for braiding.

To plant:
Break the cloves off of the garlic head and plant in full-sun in well-drained soil. Plant the hard and softneck types 1-2 inches deep. Then, in the spring, side-dress with compost or blood meal.

To harvest:
When 75% of the leaves are brown, the garlic is ready to pick. Lay plants in airy, dark, dry spot for several weeks to cure. Save the largest, healthiest bulbs to for next year.

Additional Info:
Garlic is said to help repel aphids.

History (via Wikipedia):

Garlic has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years, dating at least as far back as the time that the Giza pyramids were built. Garlic is still grown in Egypt, but the Syrian variety is the kind most esteemed now.

Garlic is mentioned in the Bible and the Talmud. Hippocrates, Galen, Pliny the Elder, and Dioscorides all mention the use of garlic for many conditions, including parasites, respiratory problems, poor digestion, and low energy. Its use in China was first mentioned in A.D. 510.

Garlic was rare in traditional English cuisine (though it is said to have been grown in England before 1548) and has been a much more common ingredient in Mediterranean Europe. Garlic was placed by the ancient Greeks on the piles of stones at crossroads, as a supper for Hecate (Theophrastus, Characters, The Superstitious Man); and according to Pliny, garlic and onions were invoked as deities by the Egyptians at the taking of oaths. (Pliny also states that garlic demagnetizes lodestones, which is not factual.) The inhabitants of Pelusium, in lower Egypt (who worshiped the onion), are said to have had an aversion to both onions and garlic as food.

All About: Ground Cherries

I had been lusting after ground cherries after reading about them in Organic Gardening Magazine. (Note the adorable & awesome-ness of the chocolate dipped ground cherries.) They look like a golden cherry tomato wrapped in a tomatillo husk. Which isn't a *huge* surprise since they are in the tomato family!

Anywho, they apparently have a sweet-tart taste and no pit in the middle. HOLLA! Plus, if keep in a cool, dry place & in its husk, they keep for months.

Despite all this awesomeness, ground cherries were not to be found in my local nurseries or my usual seed ordering catalogs. I figured I'd try again next year. Until....

I found out my CSA gives away seedlings and that this year, ground cherries were up for grabs! Hurray! The husband sacrificed a few hours of his day to go up & get us 2 plantlets of ground cherries (along with 2 more basil plants & 2 epazote).

What do these guys need? Full sun. Well draining soil (seriously well draining...no clay allowed!). Frost-free weather (meaning they'll be an annual for me). A fair amount of space (I'm going to try to trellis mine). Love (who doesn't need that?!?) .

If these guys work out, anticipate ground cherry chutney or ground cherry cobbler recipes posted!

:)

Most Awesome Plant Finder Site of All-Time

Most of the plants I lust after are full-sun. Which would be fine if even a (non-veggie garden) corner of my yard had something even *close* to 6 hours of sun per day. But, I don't.

sigh.

Instead, I'm constantly on the search of part-sun/shade plants that look cool. It's even better if they *sorta* look like sun plants I love. It's hard, though. Many site, you're lucky if you can sort by zone and *maybe* sun tolerance. Then you're left to your own to wade through the shrubs, annuals, perennials, and biennials yourself. The sites that do allow you to search by plant type, zone and light requirements are often nurseries so the selection is limited to what they carry (and for part-sun/shade plants...it can get really limited).

Enter National Garden Association's Plant Finder. Whoa. You can even search by color of flower! Color of foliage! Special features! Bloom time! My search of zone 7, part-sun, perennials yielded FOUR pages of results.

It's like a dream come true...

An Herb for Every Pot

Herbs, in my oh-so-very-humble opinion, are what "makes" a dish. Chicken stock, for me, isn't complete without a bay leaf or two. Ever had salsa without cilantro?!? Not the same. Where would your Thanksgiving turkey be without the classic thyme and sage combo? They instantly make anything taste better without adding fat or calories. In short, they are a wonder seasoning. And for that, you pay the price!

With glass jars of rosemary hovering around $4 and a bunch of fresh cilantro over $2 (i.e., highway robbery!), what's a cook to do? Grow the damn things yourself. Herbs work wonderfully in containers for those without a yard and of course are fine in ground for those that do. You can start them from seeds for dirt cheap (a pack of 25+ seeds costs 1/4 of the price of a jar of the dried leaves), propagate from cuttings from a friend (free!!) or buy a plant for less than what you'd pay for a few sprigs at the grocery store. There's an herb for every location...and every container.

The following herbs are almost all available (with multiple varieties) from DeBaggio's, an herb nursery I hope to visit soon!

Herbs for Shade:
And in this context, I'm meaning, dappled light, not a total void of light. Part of this depends on your climate. In extreme tropical climates, basil might do best with a fair amount of shade-- otherwise it'd get burnt by the intense sun. More examples can be found here. Note: Often this means the herbs will tolerate the low light level. You'll get better yields with more light.

Anise hyssop
Parsley
Lemon balm
Sweet Woodruff


Herbs for Part-Sun/Part-Shade:
By this I mean 4-6 hours of sunlight per day. Again, this can depend highly on where you are. I'm talking mostly about north Mid-Atlantic. If you're on the low end of the light requirements, you may be able to grow shade-tolerate herbs in addition to these. If you're on the high end, then maybe some of the full-sun herbs will work out (but they probably won't produce like they would in full sun).

Borage
Mint
Rosemary
Thyme


Herbs for Full Sun:
By this I mean 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. Again, whether or not these herbs will work in full-sun light conditions this can depend highly on where you are. I'm talking mostly about north Mid-Atlantic. In general, most herbs thrive in full sun & just tolerate everything else, so the above part-sun will likely work for you too!

Basil
Chives
Chamomile
Dill
Lavender
Lemon balm
Marjoram
Oregano
Parsley
Sage
Savory

Strawberries Ahoy!

Today we picked up the materials needed to build our raised beds. This year, we are trying out the Square Foot Gardening (SFG) method because it makes sense to me (mostly. I am still skeptical about everything only growing in 6 inches of "soil".) and it seems easier to build raised beds than working our heavy, clay soil into something that can sustain plant life. Grass barely grows! And, it seems like the next logical step from the container gardening we did last year.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will be constructing these beds (to be blogged) and, because I'm an avid planner, I started to map out what can go where. So far, my "to plant in ground" list includes, pending plantlet survival, (some herbs will be in pots so they can be over wintered indoors):

7 basil plants
1 rosemary (to be bought)
2 parsley
9 hot peppers (yes, this is a ridiculous amount. We will not grow this many next year)
4 sweet peppers
1 bergamont
1 lavender
6 tomatoes

And we've got 3 beds: one 3 x 10 ft, one 3 x 20 ft and one 4 x 5.5 ft. Yes, I am aware those 3 ft deep beds are not SFG-regulation. This is my act of rebellion, deal with it. Anywho, as I started mapping out what I have for plantlets in the are (for example, a tomato/pepper plant goes in 1 sqft, 4 basil plants per sqft, etc.) I realized we've got way too much room. Waaaaayy too much. Solution? Lop off 5 ft or so of the 20 ft bed and turn it into a strawberry patch. I am almost more excited at the thought of homegrown tomatoes than homegrown strawberries. ALMOST. And y'all are aware of my feelings towards tomatoes.

So What Do Strawberries Need To Thrive?

First off, there are 3 types of strawberries: june bearing, everbearing, and day neutral.

June Bearing: Produce one large crop per year during a 2-3 week period in the spring. They usually come in early, mid-season and late varieties. This type sends out a lot of runners, but has larger fruit than the other types.

Everbearing: Produce 2-3 crops of fruit during spring, summer and fall. They do not send out many runners.

Day Neutral: Produce crops throughout the growing season. They do not send out many runners.

Strawberries like to have water, but not too much. And they like (full) sun, but will tolerate a bit of part-shadeness. Lucky me...the part of my bed that is becoming the strawberry patch gets closer to 6 hours of sun now (I imagine it'll be more like 8 in the summer), which is the shadiest part of the garden. And, even awesomer? They are perennial in Zone 7 (at least some varieties are). Meaning, plant once & harvest for years to come. I've read that they only last for 5 years or so, but that's totally fine for me. Who knows, my untreated pine beds may be rotted out by then!

Warning: Strawberries are basically a fruit-bearing weed. They can take over. Hence having a bed (meaning there will be wood between the strawberries & the rest of the bed) for them & them alone. Essentially, the mother plant sends out runners (think plant arms) that are called daughters. If you snip off these daughters, you don't have them taking over quite so badly. And some say that snipping off the daughters makes the plant concentrate more on fruit production and thus making a tastier berry. We shall see.

I'm also going to build a little cage over my berries to protect them from the poaching of unscrupulous robins. We've got some feisty, fear-nothing robins that I'm sure would eat our berries just to spite us...Hateful birds.

I am going to plant a mix of june bearing, everbearing and day neutral to see what works best for my site. Anyone have any tips/tricks for strawberry growing?

All About Peppers!

Last year I planted tomatoes, hot peppers & herbs. My hot peppers did OK, but not spectacular. I think this issue was using yard dirt for the container. Perhaps if your yard isn't composed primarily of clay, like you have good fertile soil, this won't be an issue for you. I also didn't really fertilize at all. So, between the poor drainage and the lack of food, I'm pretty surprised we got any peppers.

But, seriously, we got like 10 peppers each from our jalapeno & cherry pepper plant. And those plants were like $5 each. And, I guarantee you I could have gotten more hot peppers at the grocery store for $10! So, this year, I'm doing my research. And starting from seed. Because I'm wild & crazy like that. (Just kidding. It's mostly because I'm cheap! Ha!) Here's what I've found:

Growing Requirements:

For starters, peppers--whether hot or sweet--need full sun. And, full sun, as I'm sure you know, means 6-8 hours of direct light per day. Now if you're in the South or anywhere where your summers get brutal (I like NoVA meets this description in July & August), high temperatures plus hot summer sun can cause sunscald on your peppers. (pssttt...You know your peppers have sunscald when they have black, velvety appearance or bleached, sunken appearance. A fungus does this but it's caused by exposure to hot, hot sun. Yeah, I didn't know that either.) So, growing peppers in containers is actually a really good idea because you can have them in bright light in May & June & then move them over to a place with afternoon shade in July & August. If you plant them in-ground, just make sure they get afternoon shade by either planting something tall (like corn) that will grow to shade them or by selecting a spot that naturally gets some shade.

Soil? Well draining is key. pH should be 5.5-6.9, if you care to know. Most counties, state agriculture departments or universities with a school of agriculture will do soil testing for free or cheap. Otherwise, you can buy a kit online or at your local garden center. For Virginia, here is info on how to submit soil samples. Merrifield Garden Centers and Meadowlark Botanical Gardens definitely have the packet of forms you need.

Planting? You should plant 2-3 weeks after your last frost. Rodale's recommends planting 2-3 plants per person. We're going to do 5 plants of sweet peppers and 6 hot plants (2 each of 3 varieties). At least, that's the plan right now. It needs to be formalized. Rodale's also recommends putting a cup each of bonemeal & kelp meal into each planting hole. This is something I'm going to try this year to try to increase my yield. Look at the planting guidelines (meaning how far to space apart) on your packet or plant tag of the variety you get. Sweet peppers generally require more room than hot. Also, you might want to stake your pepper plants so that the stem doesn't flop over with heavy (fingers crossed!!!) veg.

Fertilize? Rodale's recommends giving each pepper plant of fish emulsion once a week until they start growing well. You could use compost tea as well, but I'm always wary of doing that. You just don't know the concentration. I'm probably mix the fish emulsion with water...I'm afraid of scorching the plant with fertilizer.

Hints & Tips:

1. Um, yeah. Don't use yard dirt if it's clay. If you're doing a container garden, use potting soil. If you're planting in the ground, just make sure your soil is well-draining.
2. Not fertilizing wasn't a good idea. Feed your peppers, so they can feed you.
3. You'll need to water containers in the peak of summer constantly. Going on a vacation in July? Start sucking up to your neighbors now so they'll come over & water your peppers while you're away. Or promise them some of the bounty!
4. Cherry peppers aren't that hot. But they are pretty good.

All About Tomatoes!

Ahhhh....tomatoes. The taste of summer. And homegrown tomatoes or those from the farmer's market TASTE like tomatoes. They SMELL like tomatoes. Those from the grocery store rarely do. Thus, I am a strong proponent of everyone who values all that is juicy, red and delicious in this world devote a corner of their balcony, yard or deck to the honorable tomato! Honestly, it's the thing I look forward to the most out of the garden.

Now, there are 2 basic types of tomatoes: determinate and indeterminate. The determinate varieties are busy & compact. They set fruit within a 2 week period and then start their decline. Here is a selection of determinate seeds. Indeterminate tomatoes are probably what you think of when you envision a tomato plant. This type grows tall and must be supported by a stake, tomato cage or tepee of twigs. Here is a selection of indeterminate seeds.

Growing Requirements
What do tomatoes need to thrive and grow? A good amount of sun, for one thing. Like 6-8 hours of direct light (aka full sun). However, if you're in a hot climate like Florida, you'll need to have partial shade in summer afternoons otherwise your darling tomatoes will get scorched dead. You also need a neutral soil pH (5.5 to 6.8). Most counties, state agriculture departments or universities with a school of agriculture will do soil testing for free or cheap. Otherwise, you can buy a kit online or at your local garden center. For Virginia, here is info on how to submit soil samples. Merrifield Garden Centers and Meadowlark Botanical Gardens definitely have the packet of forms you need.

Plant tomatoes one week after your last expected frost. If you live in a cooler climate you can speed up the warming of the soil by covering the planting site with plastic bags weeks ahead of plant date. If you're starting from seed, sow indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date. The packaging of your seeds should say exactly how many days your variety will mature. Rodale (my garden bible) recommends planting 2-4 plants per person.

Hints & Tips

1. I learned last year tomatoes need a consistent level of moisture. If they go from dry to soaked often they will have poor calcium intake and develop blossom-end rot (a brown mushy part at the bottom of the tomato). To prevent this, mulch & make sure plants are constantly watered and soil has sufficient calcium levels. Adding egg shells will help up calcium content.
2. Tomatoes in pots require almost daily watering. This is related to #1, but worth calling out on its own. And, if you're wanting to grow your tomatoes in containers, you can use a 5 gallon bucket with a hole drilled in the bottom for drainage or a really big pot.
3. Birds like red. Or maybe it was a squirrel. But a few lovely, bright red tomatoes had a bite taken out of them/hole poked in. I ended up covering my tomato cages with netting and harvesting fruit just before it was fully vine ripen. I just placed it on my kitchen window (which gets part shade) and it finished ripening in a few days. Less than ideal but you gotta do what you gotta do!
4. Plant tomatoes deep. If you're buying a tomato plant, strip off bottom leaves and plant it so that it's only ultimately like 4 in. tall. Where the leaves were roots will grow giving you a sturdier plant. You can do this by digging a trench if you're planting in a yard.
5. Make fried green tomatoes at the end of the season. Here in Arlington it can get cold before the tomatoes are still green. When life gives you green tomatoes, fry them up! I'll share my recipe with y'all when the time comes.