Tips for Tomatoes

Although last year was a banner year for snow peas and cucumbers and other summer garden delights, the tomatoes here were a bust. And even the usually reliable yellow tomatoes didn’t perform well.  The cool summer was lovely, but not ideal for our beloved Solanum lycopersicums. While we can’t control the weather, there are some things we can do to tilt the scales towards happy, healthy and productive plants. Here are a few tips to get the tomatoes off and running this year:

1. Build good soil – work compost into the soil (homegrown is the best – you know where it came from) before planting, use more of this good compost as a mulch
2. Buy tomatoes from reputable nurseries  if you didn’t start from seed this year
3. Balance hybrids with heirlooms – hybrids are bred to be resistant to wilts and blights and other diseases while heirlooms, grown for their superior taste, are less resistant
4. Try grafted tomatoes – hardy root stock and heirloom top
   ~ Grafted tomatoes are starting to show up in some nurseries, or you can experiment with grafting (more on that topic later)
5. Wait to plant until the soil has  thoroughly warmed before planting as there is no real benefit to getting the plants in the ground when it’s still cool
6. Good drainage, good spacing between plants (2-3 feet), good support (here’s how to build a better tomato cage )
7. Limit your use of fertilizer – excess fertilizer can lead to vegetative growth but not so much fruit production
8. Rotating planting for all members of the nightshade family – not planting tomatoes, peppers, eggplants or potatoes in the same spot where a tomato, pepper, eggplant or potato was planted the previous year (hard to do in small urban garden!)

Other tips for growing good tomatoes?

Here’s hoping that Mother Nature cooperates and helps make this a banner year for tomatoes (and all the other good summer garden veggies). Because there’s nothing in the world like home grown tomatoes!

 

Gardening from the Grocery Store

A bitter winter, a long and cold spring and still a ways to go before the soil is warm enough to plant the summer garden mainstays (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and melons). Garden stores have some plants for sale but the stock is still limited because of the cold. But getting a jump start on gardening is still possible through an unexpected (and inexpensive) source for gardens — the nearby grocery store. Below are just a few examples of grocery store produce that will produce in your garden.

Herbs:
The nearby grocery store sells potted herbs – basil, cilantro, parsley and mint. As an aside, basil and cilantro are easy to grow from seed, parsley and mint not so easy. The basil pot I bought  has 12 plants,the parsley pot has 6 plants – both on sale for $2.49/pot – twice the plants and half the cost($4.98) for an herb pot from the big box store.  Taking the herbs from a sheltered indoor environment to the outdoors requires a few days of hardening-off, but then into the ground they go and, based on previous years experience, up they’ll grow.

Lemongrass:
If you enjoy Southeast Asian cooking,  you’re probably familiar with dishes flavored with lemon grass (Cymbopogon citrates). Buy a stalk of lemon grass (choose one with the root end intact) from the grocery store, cut the foliage down to a few inches then place the stalk in a glass of water. In a few days, roots will emerge (as well as offshoots). Plant out when the weather has warmed, and the stalk will quickly turn into multiple stalks. Lemon grass is a grass, after all.  Tips on using lemongrass in cooking here and here.

Garlic:
Ever have a clove of garlic sprout? While the sprouted clove may be past prime for cooking, it is primed for planting. Plant with the tip pointed up; chances are it will sprout. And if it doesn’t, you haven’t lost anything but a few moments of time to plant the clove. More on growing garlic here.

Taro (and other roots):
Elephant ears are a tuber with dramatic heart shaped foliage, pricy at upwards of $10/tuber at gardening places.  Elephant ears is the descriptive name for the ornamental plant; they are  in the same family (colocasia) as taro or poi – important food crops in many parts of the world. While elephant ear tubers are not edible, you can buy taro roots (similar foliage as the ornamental elephant ear) for a fraction of the cost at the grocery store. Plant out after the danger of frost has passed, root side down. If it isn’t clear which is the top and which is the bottom, plant sideways and let Mother Nature figure it out!  Other grocery store roots to try are horseradish and ginger – both have grown successfully in my backyard garden.

Bottom line:
Twelve basil plants, six parsley plants, two lemon grass stalks (that will both become a large clump of stalks), an ornamental foliage plant (taro) and six garlics growing, all for under $8.  The frugal gardener in me approves.

 

Spring into Gardening

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt” ~Margaret Atwood

Spring blooming bulbs are (finally!) underway and require no attention other than regular admiration but there is plenty to do in the garden during the longer spring days.

• Start out with spring garden cleaning – cut down stalks of dead plants you left up all winter as habitat for overwintering insects, shake any remaining seed pods onto the ground (if you want plant seeds to self-sow) and clear away debris
• Check your tools to see if any any wooden handles are dry (linseed oil is good for this) or need sharpening; check pots left outside to see if any have cracks.
• If you haven’t had your soil tested, now’s a good time to do it. While local cooperative extension services often offer soil testing, UMass Amherst is also a good option.
  *  More useful information on soil testing in a previous post
• Get going (if you haven’t done so already) on indoor seed starting – tomatoes and peppers and other plants that need to wait for warmer soils to be planted outside should be started 4-6 before average last frost date.  Useful instructions on seed starting from a previous post are right here, and instructions for an easy DIY seed starting stand (also from previous post) are right here.
• Give the garden a good raking over to loosen the top soil and break up any clumps of dirt – this in preparation for sowing seeds for cool season planting.

What can be planted this time of year? Lots!

*  Greens: Lettuce, spinach, chard, mustard, kale
*  Root crops:  Carrots, radishes, beets, turnips, kohlrabi
*  Early peas such as snow peas and sugar snap

Here’s a planning calendar for what to plant and when plus an article on preparing your soil.

 

Fermentation Files: Preserved Lemons

Yet another easier than pie fermentation experimentation – preserved lemons.

This requires just two ingredients – lemons and kosher salt. While traditionally Meyer lemons are used, I’ve found the garden variety grocery store lemons (4-5 per pint jar) are more than adequate. Scrub the lemons well, soak for a few minutes in a vinegar/water solution then rinse again. And then:

1. Put a tbsp of kosher salt into the bottom of a sterilized pint sized jar
2. Slice off the ends of each lemon then cut into quarters without cutting all the way through (keep the base intact)
3. Gently open up each lemon and rub a tsp of salt on the pulp
4. Stuff lemons into the jar as you go, leaving 1/2″ of headroom at the top
5. Sprinkle another tbsp of salt on top then seal the jar
6. Let the jar sit at room temperature (out of sunlight) for three days; a few times a day give the jar a shake and rotate it (upside down, then right side up)
   — If the juice doesn’t cover the lemons after the first day, add additional fresh squeezed lemon juice to cover
7. After 3 days, put the lemons in the refrigerate, giving it a shake every so often to distribute juice and salt

The lemons will be ready when the rinds are soft (about 3 weeks). To use, peel off the pulp and wash the rind (to get rid of the surface salt).

Now, how to use these delicious aromatic bursts of concentrated lemon?  Add to soups and stews such as this delicious Moroccan tagine, grain salads like this, salad dressings and more.

And on a sunny Sunday afternoon, what could be be better than a salty collins (made with preserved lemons, of course)!

 

Signs of Spring

“Lone flower, hemmed in with snows and white as they but hardier far” ( Wordsworth, To a Snowdrop)

It’s been a long winter with polar vortexes and sub freezing temperatures, unusual for a typically mild mid-Atlantic clime.  Although spring is still around the corner and down the road a bit there are signs here that winter is winding down.

Snowdrops emerged a few weeks ago, soon to be covered by almost a foot of snow. But these are no shrinking violets – when the snow melted the snowdrops were still in full bloom. Next on stage here at HeliosMonroe are crocuses, yellow first then other varieties. Although a favorite snack of the neighborhood squirrels when freshly planted, it seems that once the crocus become established the squirrels are off to greener pastures (and bulbs).  Daffodils won’t be far behind, and then irises and the rest of the seasonal bulbs.

“Spring is the time of plans and projects” (Tolstoy, Anna Karenina) but for now I’m going to pause and admire the flowers ~

 

The Fermentation Files: Sauerkraut and Kimchi

My recent experimentation with fermentation was a great success which lead to new forays into this new (but ancient) world of preserving the harvest. Sauerkraut is easier than pie – cabbage, salt, and optional caraway seeds. Mixing red and green cabbage, adding grated carrots, red or daikon radish or just about any other vegetable you fancy are optional enhancements. Easy recipe for making sauerkraut in a mason jar here.

There are thousands of ways to make kimchi, but the basics typically have Napa cabbage, scallions, daikon radish and a mix of spices including ginger, garlic, fish sauce and gochugaru (Korean red pepper). I was fortunate in finding the gochugaru at one of my local markets, with the help of the Korean manager (who also gave me good advice on making my first batch of kimchi).  The recipe I used as a basis for making kimchi is right here. Once you get your kimchi going, try using it in this quinoa, kale and kim chi recipe, or check out these recipes.

Interested in more fermentation?  I recommend Sandor Ellix Katz’s Wild Fermentation as well as these two books he wrote:   The Art of Fermentation and (somewhat more  practical) Wild Fermentation.

 

New Weather Underground Station

There’s no need to empty a rain gauge or wonder if it’s too windy for spraying.  A new weather station was installed on December 25th at the farm and it has this information, and lots more. Outside of the typical temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity and barometric pressure, etc there are a number of other useful measures including:

• Phase of the moon– important to know whether the moon is waxing (time to plant above ground crops) or waning (plant root crops)
• UV index – check before heading out to the garden for the right level of sunscreen
• Solar radiation– useful to track when we go solar
• Length of days – tomorrow will be 1 min 37 seconds longer than today, a hopeful spring-is-(almost)-around-the corner kind of sign

Great to know what’s happening at the farm however it doesn’t much help here at HeliosMonroe.   There is an Weather Underground station in nearby Columbia Heights, but it  might be a very different micro-climate.  There’s really only one thing to do — buy my own station.

 

The Many Colors (and Ways) of Preservation

As happens every year, winter finally arrived which meant the real absolute final end of the growing season for warm weather vegetables and herbs. Arugula, chard and kale – you guys keep growing while we focus on preserving your less hardy brethren.

This photo shows some of my favorite ways to preserve the harvest which include drying, brining, canning, fermenting, and freezing:

• Lacto-fermentation (red and green cabbage sauerkraut, Kim-Chi)
• Brined cucumbers (aka pickles)
• Hot packed tomatoes (and a bowl of soon-to-be frozen yellow tomato sauce)
• Dried peppers, oven roasted/dehydrated cherry tomatoes
• Herbed vinegar
• Drying purple basil, lemon verbena, bowl of thyme/oregano/Mexican tarragon
• Not sure whether it is rooting or pre-drying – green pepper basil

Take your pick of processes and produce – these are all quick and simple ways to enjoy summer’s bounty during cold winter months.

 

Garden Harvest – Late Posting of the Late September Edition

Even though the calendar says summer is winding has wound down, it seems like my garden is was kicking into high gear in the fall.

  Just look what I picked not long ago!  This harvest includes lots of varieties: 7 kinds of tomato, 5 types of cucumber, 3 different peppers, two types of kale, an assortment of beans, bouquet of basil and some bonus sunflowers.

The tomatoes deserved special mention – these are Pink Brandywines. They are large, hefty, juicy and just plain delicious. Everything a tomato should be.

 

 

 

 

Shiitake Mushroom Log Carrier

What is the point of having a bike if not to carry your Shiitake mushroom spore-ed and waxed log home from a mushroom cultivation workshop? This was just one of the many great workshops offered at a nearby rec center through DC Parks and Recreation.

Turns out it’s easy –

*  Got a (fresh cut hardwood) log?
*  Got a drill to make the right sized holes in the log?
*  Got mushroom spawn (medium that holds the spores)?
*  Got a wax to seal the spore in the holes?

If the answer to these is yes, then you’re well on your way (in just a few months) to enjoying homegrown shiitake mushrooms.

Why mushrooms? They’re nutrient rich (Vitamin B, D, iron), low in calories, high in fiber – and isn’t it fun to eat fungi?

You can also check out this TED talk on 6 ways mushrooms can save the world.