MIA...but still growing!

Hello, everyone. I know it's been a very long time since I've updated the gardening information here, but no fear...I'm still growing, and I hope your garden is flourishing, too! In fact, I'm currently getting my keyboard dirty, as I've just come in from a (feeble) attempt to clean up our big kitchen garden so that I can plant this afternoon. I'm heading back out in just a moment. 

But first, I wanted to tell you that I'm incorporating the Delightful Gardening site into my other site, http://growingdays.blogspot.com. We'll soon be redesigning the site so that you can easily find information broken out by categories: gardening, local food, recipes, growing with kids, and more. Please excuse the lack of categories for now...my tech support is at college, and I'm hoping we'll have a new and improved site over the Thanksgiving break! Until then, please join us at Growing Days. There's a very yummy recipe for an apple tart cake, step-by-step directions for growing garlic, and soon I'll be posting pictures of my recently resigned potager. I'd love your feedback and suggestions!

Also, I'd love to hear your suggestions for any heirloom plants you would like Garden Delights to carry for 2011. I'm planning to expand our herbal selections, as well as add a few ornamental heirlooms, like this gorgeous snail flower--which Thomas Jefferson grew in his garden. 

Isn't it gorgeous? It's a perennial, and it had these beautiful blooms the first year. Next year should be spectacular! 

Thanks so much for any input you can share! Hope to chat with you soon at Growing Days!

Happy growing!

Julie

A Mid-Summer's Nightmare.

Whew...sorry to be incommunicado for a bit. What happened to those lovely, lazy summer days when the kids whine of boredom and the moms count down the days until school starts? Around here, it seems that our pace doesn't slow in the summer...there are just more hours in the days to cram in outings, lessons, visits from family and friends, and projects. Lots and lots of projects.

Still...I've been thinking about your gardens and hoping you're gathering bushels full of delicious treats! I'll admit—I've been a little worried about your babies. Are they healthy? Do they get enough to drink? Are any bullies hassling them? By mid-summer, you should have happy plants producing gorgeous fruits and veggies...but sometimes our babies needs a little extra TLC this time of the year, just like we keep our human babies slathered with sunscreen, hydrated, and mosquito-repelled.

If your tomatoes look like this...
 

...go and make bruschetta, for goodness' sake! Don't waste time reading the rest of the article—just enjoy!


But if your plants look like this...


or your fruit looks like this...

...you might want to stick around. We've got some work to do.

IPM.  

You all know I love nature. Really. Well, except for yellow jackets, because I'm allergic. (Nice career move, hmm? A gardener who can't get stung. Obviously, I like to live on the edge.) Anyway, I do admit to getting pretty ticked two seasons ago when the deer ate every single pepper. All of them. They didn't even have the decency to leave one Yellow Bell. Still—it was a bad drought, so I didn't stay angry for long. I love deer, even when they decimate my peppers.
 
However, there's one nasty critter that just really ticks me off:
 

The tomato hornworm.  

OK, so it's pretty. And my daughter loves them and tries every year (unsuccessfully) to watch the metamorphosis in her creature keeper. Which is fine, because this critter will strip a tomato plant of its foliage faster than my 5-year-old strips to do his “naked-boy dance.” And that's pretty fast. 

In the morning, you'll be gazing proudly at your gorgeous, lush, healthy vine—and within hours, you'll find branches completely denuded of leaves. 

That's if you're vigilant about checking your garden. 

If you have a more laid-back approach to gardening, you'll find that creepy crawler will have moved on to neighboring plants...and soon you'll be left with tomato stalks. Trust me. It's a very unhappy sight.  

Tomato hornworms' coloration provides fabulous camouflage, too—those stinkers. Fortunately, if you see bare stems...you can usually find the hornworm with a bit of searching. If you have kids, send them on the quest.
 
So what do you do? Well, if you live ay my house, you get your 9-year-old daughter to pick it off the tomato vine. She'll do one of two things with it: put it in a creature-keeper, to see what it will morph into (it won't...it will die), or she'll take it down to our river to see what kind of fish comes to eat it. (This has been a favorite pastime this summer.)  

Notice that no poisons are used in the demise of the hornworm.  

Honestly, there's no point in spraying anything on these guys. They are easy to spot, and if you check regularly—you can pick them off before much damage is done. In some cases, you might even want to leave the hornworm—particularly if you find one with funky white “spikes” on its back. These little spikes are parasitic braconid wasps: Cotesia congregatus. Grossness alert: the larvae that hatch from wasp eggs laid on the hornworm feed on the inside of the hornworm until the wasp is ready to pupate. The cocoons appear as white spikes protruding from the hornworm's body. The wasps will kill the hornworm when they emerge from the cocoons and will look for other hornworms to parasitize. 

This is a case when wasp action is a good thing, even for a coward like me. 

Leave it alone. Let nature do its job, and you won't need to worry about tomato hornworms eating your babies. 

The fancy term is “Integrated Pest Management (IPM).” Impress your friends with your new-found knowledge.
 
Cracking up...and down...or around.

We're all guilty. We leave those poor, defenseless tomato plants in the garden while we play on the beach for a week, then we come home and douse those poor babies with three hours of water. Sounds like that should help them recuperate, right?


But then--disaster. Those gorgeous, shiny globes are suddenly marred with cracks.


What happened?


Watering is an art...or at least it should be. Consistent watering is important for healthy plants and pretty, tasty fruit. When a tomato plant is deprived of water, either through neglect or drought, and then receives a sudden flood--the inside of the fruit expands more rapidly than the exterior skin. The skin bursts as the fleshy interior expands...and there, my friends, is the reason for those ugly cracks. No worries, you can still eat the fruit, cracks and all. But just to drive home the point about consistent watering...


Rotten tomatoes.

It happens to the best of us. We water, we pamper, we care for our babies. Then we reach into the vine to pluck a gorgeous, ripe tomato, with dreams of a beautiful calabrese salad...only to recoil in horror at the vile, black bottom of our precious fruit. It's just...so unappetizing.  

You're not alone. 

Blossom-end rot is a very common problem for gardeners. Gardeners of all ages, experience levels, and obsessiveness. (Where do you think the above photo is from? I hang my head in shame.)
 
Initially, you'll find a small, water-soaked spot on the fruit's bottom, which enlarges and darkens as the fruit develops. The spot might enlarge until it covers as much as one-half of the entire fruit surface, or it may remain small and superficial. The lesions become flattened, black, and leathery. 

And just plain gross.
 
Fortunately, blossom-end rot doesn't spread from plant to plant in the field. Because it's physiological in nature, fungicides and insecticides are useless—plus we don't want to use those anyway, now do we? Blossom-end rot is a product of the environment—consistent supplies of water and calcium help prevent the uglies. The disease takes off when rapidly growing, succulent plants suddenly experience drought conditions. When the roots can't obtain sufficient water and calcium to channel up to the rapidly developing fruits, the fruit rots on the blossom end. 

Blossom-end rot also occurs when soil surrounding the plant is cultivated—it destroys valuable roots, which take up water and minerals.  

So, what to do? First—water consistently. Don't think you can let the plant go for a week and then throw a bunch of water on it to “catch up.” I know we all get tired of watering, but it's the price we pay for our yummy produce. Next—remember to have your soil tested at the beginning of the season. Lime is a good source of calcium, but you want to check your soil first (see the post about soil) before you run out and spread lots of lime in your garden. If you are experiencing blossom-end rot, you can sprinkle some lime or crushed eggshells around the base of the plant—but it takes awhile for it to be absorbed.  

The good news is: sometimes plants produce fruit early in the season with blossom-end rot if they were planted in cold soil. The later fruit are typically free of the rot. 

The other good news is: if it's just a small, superficial spot, you can still eat that tomato. Just cut out the spot and pretend you never saw it. It will still taste delicious diced with basil and made into bruschetta...  

Oh, I'm hungry...
 
Although the next topic makes me lose my appetite:  


Verticillium Wilt.  

You do everything right. You use all organic methods. You pamper and coddle and whisper sweet nothings to your babies. You dream of their futures and the incredible meals you're going to bribe your hubby to cook. And then...

BAM!

(And not in a good Emeril-inspired way.)  
Wilt? What wilt? One day this was a gorgeous, Yellow Pear-laden thing of beauty, and the next day—it was dead.  

Verticillium Wilt is caused by a soil-borne fungus that can—here's the fun part--linger in the soil for many years. Crop rotation is crucial.

Logically, I know this, but my tiny bit of sunny garden space screams that I HAVE to plant there. We live in a forest—it's my only sunny place. So, I gambled--and look what happened.

Total frustration. 

Well, OK—it's two plants out of 115. So far, everything else looks good. Please cross your fingers for me.  

The dreaded symptoms include: wilting during the hottest part of the day and recovering at night; yellowing and eventually browning between the leaf veins, starting with the older, lower leaves. 

Verticillium Wilt inhibits the plant's ability to absorb water and nutrients and, as you can see--it will eventually kill the plant. 

So. Very. Depressing. 

I hope you don't have this happen to your babies. This garden problem has only one solution—pull out the affected plant, do NOT compost it, and don't plant anything in the tomato family in that same spot next year. 

I'm sorry. That's just how it is. Boo.  

Fight the good fight...

Now, I know this was a bit of a bummer...but you are now armed and ready to combat anything nasty that tries to take over your garden.

Be vigilant. Be brave. Be careful out there.  

And enjoy your scrumptious treats after your hard day of battle.

 

Prep Work.

When we think of gardening, we envision gorgeous, lush bouquets filling vases in our home, succulent tomatoes bursting with flavor, perfect peppers adorning our meals. Basically, most of us think about the end product of our gardening efforts. But how often do you think about what goes into those garden delicacies before you even begin sowing seeds?

I'm guilty. I'll admit it.

When I was a new gardener, I thought only about the destination, not the journey. I'd anxiously await bountiful harvests, then wonder what went wrong when my lone eggplant or misshapen tomatoes hung sadly in the garden. I couldn't understand why my efforts weren't better rewarded...I sowed, watered, pulled weeds...

Then I took the Master Gardener course.

If you have the opportunity to take a Master Gardener course, do it. Yes, it's time consuming—I squeezed in studying for exams while my youngest son was at preschool, and I'd often stay up too late reading the manual. Still, I've never learned so much in such a short period of time as I did with the Master Gardener program.

The most important thing I learned from the gardening gurus was this:

If you don't feed the soil, the soil won't produce anything to feed you.

Seems obvious, doesn't it?

Since my early days of gardening, I've come a long way in feeding our soil. We compost. A lot. In SC we have some very nasty red clay, but our compost goes a long way to enriching the soil. Personally, I choose organic gardening over petroleum-based fertilizers and use Integrated Pest Management instead of harsh pesticides. Leaf mold is also a beautiful thing.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The #1 thing I learned in the Master Gardener course was this:

TEST YOUR SOIL.

Sounds complicated, right?

Actually, it's amazingly easy, particularly if you have a cooperative extension near you. We are lucky to have Clemson Extension nearby, which offers soil testing for a mere $6. SIX DOLLARS. For $6, you receive a comprehensive report that tells you the soil's pH, the amount of the major nutrients and elements, such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, found in your soil, and specific recommendations of what you need to add to your soil, depending upon what crops you want to grow.

$6. That's about the cost of a pound of heirloom tomatoes.

So, you ask, how do I score one of those incredibly beneficial reports for my garden?

Dig in.

Yes, gardening friends, the only way you can find out exactly what is in your soil is to get your hands dirty. (I assume, if you're reading this, that you're not afraid of ruining a manicure by getting some soil under your nails.) Of course, you can also wear gloves.

It's time to take a soil sample.

Taking a soil sample can be done anytime throughout the year, but ideally you'll want to take your sample in fall or early spring, when you're preparing for the next season's garden. If you need to add amendments like lime, the soil will have time to absorb the necessary nutrients. So, are you ready? Here's what to do:

1. Use a clean shovel or trowel.
2. Make a “V”-shaped hole, six to eight inches deep, in the areas where you want to plant.
3. Take a thin slice of of soil from the side of the “V” shape. If you're testing soil for the lawn, you can take cores of only three to six inches.
4. Place the sample in a clean bucket. Think you're done? Not yet...
5. Rinse and repeat. You need to collect at least 12 samples and combine them into one composite sample. Add each sample to the bucket and mix thoroughly. Now you have a good representation of the existing soil in your garden.
6. Take at least two cups of soil per sample to your county extension office. When you drop off your sample, you'll receive some paperwork, asking what you wish to plant,etc. The more information you provide, the better analysis and recommendations you'll receive.
7. Read your report carefully and make the recommended amendments to help your garden thrive.

Now, I know it seems like a hassle...but truly, if you're going to invest a lot of time in growing a garden, an hour spent taking soil samples and submitting them to a lab is really worth the effort. After all, when you're waiting for those juicy, succulent heirloom tomatoes to ripen, you're going to really wish you had added lime to the soil if you end up with ugly blossom end rot...and nasty tomatoes. (Calcium helps prevent blossom end rot, as well as consistent watering, which you can also control.)

So—get out there! Clean your trowel and scoop up some soil! Find your nearest extension office, and get your samples turned in. Your garden will thank you with a lush harvest...

Happy digging!

Julie

Lingo, defined.

Something odd is happening in the gardening world. When I was a child, we stuck a seed in a paper Dixie cup filled with some dirt, doused it with water, and put it on a windowsill.

It grew.

I'm not sure how it's possible that we grew anything back then, because it seems that today's gardeners need Ph.Ds to understand the terms thrown around catalogs and websites. I embarrassingly found myself preaching at a friend who planned to start some seeds, rattling off too much information about soilless seed starting mediums, light exposure for seedlings, and peat versus plastic pots. My Master Gardener alter-ego took over, spewing forth statistics and lingo like the obnoxious know-it-all from 8th grade science class. Yeesh. I hope I didn't kill her enthusiasm.

The reality is—gardening is a lot of trial and error, which is half the fun. Yes, there are some things you can do to make your success rate a little higher, especially if you're starting your plants from seeds. But the truth is—it's not rocket science, as so many vendors and websites would lead to to believe.

There is a very simple formula for success:

soil + seed + water + sun = plant

OK, maybe it's not always that simple. But with the amount of books and merchandise targeting the home gardener, it's amazing that our forefathers were able to survive through farming.

Now, it is important to know some terms and some basic information about where you grow. And for the newer gardeners, it's also helpful to know the “lingo” when browsing catalogs and websites. So, I thought I'd share a bit of info on this chilly February day to help you “talk the talk” when you're getting ready to plan your garden. (For those of you that are Master Gardeners, with or without the official certification, please feel free to leave suggestions or comments below for new-to-gardening friends!) I'm just touching on a few terms here—please let me know if you come across other lingo you'd like defined!

Where does your garden grow?
Are you in the Windy City? Chilly Maine? Hot and humid California? Many gardening catalogs and books refer to your gardening zone, a map developed by the USDA. Knowing your zone is the first place to start—once you know in which zone you are gardening, you can determine when to plant, when your freeze dates are, and what varieties of plants will grow well for your area.

Additionally, when looking for perennials, you can determine which will survive the winter in your area. You can also determine which plants are best suited for your growing conditions. For instance, some varieties of tomatoes do not grow well in humid climates. Some tomatoes can produce well in a short northern season. By knowing your zone, you can select the appropriate tomato for your region based on the catalog description. To find your zone, check out the map below:


Where I garden, Spartanburg, SC is zone 7b. That means that on average, our lowest temps are between 5 to 10 degrees. I also know that when looking at perennials, I can plant pretty much anything that is winter hardy to zone 7b. In catalog information for perennials, you'll almost always find a “hardiness zone” indicator.

Planting Season:
When you're getting ready to plant your garden in the spring, one of the most important items you'll need to know is your last frost date for your zone. There is nothing more discouraging than planting your seedlings, dreaming of fresh veggies...and then losing them to a killing frost.

Trust me. I've learned the hard way.

So, in keeping with our “lingo” theme, here are a few more definitions for you:

Frost: Light Freeze. Damage depends upon length of frost duration.
Light Freeze: -2C/-0C OR 29F/32F - tender plants killed with little destructive effect on other vegetation.
Moderate Freeze:-8C/-2C OR 25F/28F - wide destruction on most vegetation with heavy damage to fruit blossoms and tender semi-hardy plants.
Severe Freeze:-9C OR 24F and colder, heavy damage to most plants

Some plants, such a cabbage, can handle frost. Others, like basil or tomatoes, will punish you for planting them too early. So, to help you plan your planting dates, here's some more information:

Average Zone Frost Dates
Zone 1
Average dates Last Frost = 1 Jun / 30 Jun
Average dates First Frost = 1 Jul / 31 Jul Note: vulnerable to frost 365 days per year

Zone 2
Average dates Last Frost = 1 May / 31 May
Average dates First Frost = 1 Aug / 31 Aug

Zone 3
Average dates Last Frost = 1 May / 31 May
Average dates First Frost = 1 Sep / 30 Sep

Zone 4
Average dates Last Frost = 1 May / 30 May
Average dates First Frost = 1 Sep / 30 Sep

Zone 5
Average dates Last Frost = 30 Mar / 30 Apr
Average dates First Frost = 30 Sep / 30 Oct

Zone 6
Average dates Last Frost = 30 Mar / 30 Apr
Average dates First Frost = 30 Sep / 30 Oct

Zone 7
Average dates Last Frost = 30 Mar / 30 Apr
Average dates First Frost = 30 Sep / 30 Oct

Zone 8
Average dates Last Frost = 28 Feb / 30 Mar
Average dates First Frost = 30 Oct / 30 Nov

Zone 9
Average dates Last Frost = 30 Jan / 28 Feb
Average dates First Frost = 30 Nov / 30 Dec

Zone 10
Average dates Last Frost = 30 Jan or before
Average dates First Frost = 30 Nov / 30 Dec

Zone 11
Free of Frost throughout the year.

Days to what?
When you're looking at plants or seeds, you'll typically see some cryptic information—such as "number of days" in parentheses, and “I” or “D” for tomatoes, “A” and “P” for plants, among other information. What the heck is that?

First, let's cover the easy one:
“A”--Annual. Plants that complete their life cycle in one year. They grow, flower, produce seeds, and die.
“P”-- Perennial. Plants that live for many years. After reaching maturity, they typically produce flowers and seeds each year.

Now, because I'm tomato obsessed, you'll need to know about the two types of tomatoes: Determinate and Indeterminate.

Determinate: These are varieties that set their fruit at one time for one big harvest. Determinate varieties are great if you're planning to make lots of sauce or to preserve tomatoes—the plants will produce most of their fruit within a short window, and you'll be set to process your tomatoes. These generally are smaller plants, more of a “bush” variety.

Indeterminate: These varieties produce fruit throughout the season, ensuring that you always have a steady supply of fresh tomatoes until frost. Indeterminate varieties of tomatoes are also called "vining" tomatoes. They will grow and produce fruit until killed by frost and can reach heights of up to 10 feet. They will bloom, set new fruit and ripen fruit all at the same time throughout the growing season. The majority of heirloom tomatoes are indeterminate.

Now, let's talk about dates: If you're looking at a seed catalog, you might find information stating “Days to Germinate” and “Days to Harvest.”

The first, Days to Germinate, means the approximate number of days it will take your seed to sprout. Remember—these are approximate dates.

“Days to Harvest” is debated, but most gardeners believe that this is the number of days from the time you transplant your seedling into the garden until it produces its first fruit. Again, the number of days is an approximation and varies depending upon zone and growing conditions.

So, for instance, I have a pack of tomato seeds. The days to germinate reads “3-10 days.” The days to harvest reads “75 days.” The information on the back of the packet tells me to sow seeds inside 6-8 weeks before the last spring frost date. In zone 7b, my last frost date is from March 30-April 30, so I'm going to be optimistic and hope the frost is gone by April 15. I want nice, big transplants to set out in the garden, so I'll start my seeds right after Valentine's Day and expect them to begin sprouting within a week. I'll let them grow inside, under lights until the weather warms up in April, and then I'll slowly start introducing them to the great outdoors—first in dappled sunlight, then each day giving them a little more sun for about 10 days. This is the “hardening off” process. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP! If you take your sheltered plants and immediately put them in the scorching sun for 8 hours—all of your work will be lost. Your plants will be shocked and die, and you'll be a very unhappy gardener.

After the 7-10 days of hardening off, you're ready to plant your babies into the garden. I'll start expecting to see tomatoes around July 1.

Of course, you can skip the above steps and let Garden Delights grow your plants for you! :-)

Wow—I just realized how long this little tutorial is! In the interest of keeping you from falling asleep, I'll stop now. Is there some specific gardening advice you want to know? Something perplexing you've found online or in a catalog that's difficult to understand? Please feel free to post questions or comments here, and I'll do my best to find the answers!

Until next time ~

Keep dreaming of Spring!

Julie

What's Growing?

It's January...so for most of the country, gardening seems like a distant dream. Even here in South Carolina, I've been stuck inside during our recent cold snap. Trust me, I'm usually outside digging something in January...planting leftover pansies or bulbs, drawing and digging new garden beds, cleaning up leaves or perennials. With the temperatures in the teens and 20s the past few weeks, I'm getting cabin fever! (Of course, it's not like I'm not gardening...how many thousands of seeds are germinating as I write?!)

So, what's a cooped-up gardener to do in January? Here are a few thoughts to help you survive the chilly month:

Plan.
Think about your garden beds, both ornamental and edible. Is there anything you can do to add winter interest to your garden for next year? Are there gaps that could be filled with evergreens or perennials whose seed heads would feed wildlife? Do you like the location, design, and overall presentation of the beds? If not, now's your chance to rethink and redesign your garden. Remember—planning is so much more cost-effective than random plantings. Plus—you'll want to move any perennials before they break dormancy. While the soil is most likely too hard in many zones to do much digging yet, it's a great time to make a cup of hot chocolate, gather some graph paper, and start outlining new and/or improved beds while the weather outside is frightful.

Daydream.
You know you have a pile of seed catalogs just calling your name. While many of my friends don't want to worry about starting their plants from seeds or don't have the space required, seed catalogs are a veritable treasure trove, both for the joy of looking at gorgeous plants, as well as the great information most catalogs provide. Keep that paper and pen handy to make lists of new plants you want to add this year. You'll also find fabulous online sites to drool over as well.

Create.
Why not mix up your landscaping by adding edibles in your ornamental beds? Perhaps you've wanted to add a raised bed. Maybe you've always desired a potager close to the kitchen. Now is the time to design it, price it, order parts, and build it.

Play.
Involve the kids or grandchildren. Each January, I find some extra seeds, and my children and I start something inside. This year, they are inheriting one of my raised beds for their own garden. We're looking through catalogs, picking out seeds, and drawing up ideas of what they might grow that they will actually EAT. I know, I know...I grow heirloom veggies for a living, but our kids are still kids. Picky.

Test.
Does your local university have an co-op extension service? You'll find a wealth of information there. Ours offers soil testing for a very nominal charge--$6. I can't recommend soil testing enough. Our extension office provides a detailed analysis of the soil sample, as well as what you might need to add to the soil, depending on what you want to grow. It's a wonderful service—and it's a great time to check your soil so that you can add nutrients prior to the planting season.

Research.
Have you always wanted to practice organic gardening but keep using Miracle Grow instead? Want to grow bigger tomatoes? Need to identify that pesky bug that keeps eating your roses? The winter is a great time to hunker down with terrific books to learn new gardening skills. There are also some fantastic memoirs out there for winter reading—look for It's a Long Road to a Tomato: Tales of an Organic Farmer Who Quit the Big City for the (Not So) Simple Life by Keith Stewart; Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver; The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden by William Alexander; and Heirloom: Notes from an Accidental Tomato Farmer by Tim Stark.

Rest.
Soon enough, there will be plenty of garden chores to occupy your days!

What keeps you sane when you can't play in the garden? I'd love to know! Please share your thoughts, ideas, and favorite books here!