5 Tips for fresh sweet corn in mid-October
Posted on | October 16, 2009 | No Comments
It’s mid-October and, believe it or not, I’ve still got sweet corn growing in the veggie garden. Eggplant, chili peppers, tomatillos and tomatoes too. In fact, we’ll probably be harvesting fresh “summer” produce well into mid-autumn.
Sweet corn still growing in mid-October
It would be easy to dismiss the long harvest as a benefit of living in San Diego, but it’s not as easy as you might think. We get zero rain, temperatures swing 40° or more between day and night, and days can shift from super-dry and 90° to damp and cloudy in the 50’s two or three times a week as our weather influence switches from the southern deserts to the Alaskan-Pacific flow.
The is kind of weather wreaks havoc on all kinds of plants, especially annuals and vegetables. My brother, who lives 300 miles north on California’s central coast, actually has better growing conditions. Still, I’ve managed to master a few techniques that let my summer veggie garden grow for six to eight weeks beyond the end of the season. Here they are:
- Focus on plants that thrive in heat but mature well in cooler soil temps. That means things like corn, tomatoes, eggplant, beans, etc. The real problem for plants in the transition from summer to fall is the lengthening nights give the soil a chance to cool more. For shallow rooted summer crops like squash, melons, and the like that cooling soil is the end of the line. They put their last efforts into ripening the fruit on the vine and die off. For deeper rooted plants like solanums (tomatoes, eggplant, etc.), corn and beans it’s more about the sunlight, so they’ll continue to grow a fruit much later.
- Look for faster growing varieties. If you’re planting from seed, look for varieties that are ready for harvest in 60 to 65 days instead of the usual 75 to 80. That means cherry and pear tomatoes, aubergines, and bush beans. I also happen to like a sweet corn called Incredible (from Pinetree Garden seeds) that produces smaller, but absolutely delicious ears.
- Make sure your beds are well fertilized prior to planting. Till in a healthy dose of compost or manure — about twice as much as you normally would — several days prior to planting. Having lots of food available in the soil encourages the plants to establish strong root systems and grow quickly, so the plants will be well along by the time the sunlight and soil temps have diminished in the autumn.
- Sow directly into the beds a week or two before Labor Day (first week of September). The natural impulse is to plant in early August (60 days out being early October), but you’ll actually have better results if you wait a few more weeks. In early August the soil has been baking for nearly three months, making it far warmer than optimal germination temperatures. This, in turn, will reduce the number of seeds that sprout and you’ll probably just end up doing a second planting a few weeks later anyway. Save yourself the effort and wait.
- Near the end of the growing cycle put down mulch or ground cover. This will help to keep moisture in the soil and keep it warmer longer. Around the first week of October I put down a nice layer of old newspaper. Not only does it make for a nice soil blanket, but it also reflects light back up onto the plant’s leaves providing a little extra “oomph ” at the end of the cycle. Best of all, after harvest, the newspaper breaks down in the soil providing additional mulch for next year’s plantings.
Yeah, I know these tips are a little late now, but file them away for next year. If you do, you might be eating corn on the cob from your own garden next Thanksgiving just like we will be this year.
The Curious Case of the Tomatoes in the Tomato
Posted on | October 8, 2009 | No Comments
Here’s a weird one.
Yesterday I went down into what remains of the vegetable garden to see what was usable for dinner. I found a couple of nice eggplants, plenty of basil and half a dozen ripe–heading towards over-ripe–tomatoes, so I decided to make Eggplant Parmesan. I picked the fruit and headed back to the kitchen.
I like fresh stewed tomatoes in my sauce, so I boiled some water and dropped the tomatoes in to blanch them and remove the skin.
As I pulled the last tomato from the ice water I noticed a number of dark spots under it’s skin. No big deal, I thought. I can cut the spots out. But when I removed the skin, I found that they weren’t dark spots at all, but long green strings coiled in the fruit.
Did I just blanch worms in a tomato?
Nope. A little digging revealed that the long green strings were, in fact, tomato seedlings that had sprouted inside the fruit!
Tomatoes growing in a tomato (click for large image)
Now I’ve seen thing in tomatoes that have fallen off the vine (heck, my garden is full of “volunteers” sprouting from old fruit I failed to pick up), but never in one still firmly attached to a still-producing plant.
My best guess is the sudden change in weather (two weeks ago it hadn’t been below 80° in three months; but we’ve been in the mid 60s ever since) and declining hours of sun caused the tomato plant to stop maturing the fruit on the older, lower branches, sending a signal to the seeds in the tomato that the fruit had dropped to the ground. Since it’s still warm enough for tomato seeds to sprout and the fruit was plenty moist, they did just that.
Weird, huh? I kind of wish that I had discovered the tomato a few days later when the seedlings might have erupted. Now that would have been a sight.
Anyone else ever seen anything like this?
The Lazy Gardener’s Plant Pick: Feijoa (Pineapple Guava)
Posted on | October 5, 2009 | No Comments
Autumn’s in full swing here at the ranch which also means it’s harvest time. Around here that means seasonal crops and a number of fruit trees – apples, persimmons, pomegranates and others grown from Maine to California.
Feijoa - Pineapple Guava Fruit
It’s also harvest time for one prolific fruit tree that you don’t see very much outside of the USDA’s zones 9 and 10 even though it’s hardy down to zone 7 – the Pineapple Guava or Feijoa, (Feijoa sellowiana).
This tall shrub / small tree is native to the mountains of Brazil and Northern Venezuela, so it’s hardy down to 15°F / 10°C (lower if protected), which is considerably better than it’s tropical cousins. It also prefers cooler temps in the summer and some protection from the sun when it gets over 100°F / 38° C in high-summer.
Feijoa in bloom
An attractive soft-wooded plant with silvery green leaves, it’s natural form is a sort of tall, shaggy shrub, but it can also be pruned to a single trunk tree shape. It can be pruned any time of the year, but I’ve found that late autumn / early winter is best if you want a good bloom in the spring.
A handsome plant just for its foliage, in early spring the Feijoa produces an abundance of exotic red and white flowers that make a stunning display against the plants green leaves. The flowers are edible and a favorite snack of mockingbirds, jays and assorted other noisy, but fun to watch birds.
The dusty gray-green fruit grows in clusters of three, ripening into a football shaped fruit about the size of a golf ball late in September. All of the books I’ve read recommend picking the fruit from the tree before it drops, but I’ve found that dropped fruit to be a good indicator or ripeness. (The slightly tough skin prevents them from bruising like other fruits.)
Ripe Feijoa on the tree
Flavor-wise, the Feijoa has a pineapple flavor with a hint of spearmint (thus the moniker “pineapple guava”). The fruit can be eaten whole, but if you don’t like the bitterness of the skin you can simply cut the fruit in half and scoop out the soft center. The seeds are small, soft and eaten along with the fruit.
As guava goes, I think the standard tropic guavas (lemon, strawberry, etc.) are better for juice as the fruits are larger and easier to squeeze. But when it comes to other uses such as jamming, cooking, or drying, the Feijoa is definitely superior.
A fresh Feijoa up close
My Feijoa is about 15 feet tall and lives in a shady area on the west side of the house where it thrives despite receiving only a modest amount of water. The plant is over 20 years old, never has pests and produces at least 60 pounds of fruit every year with little or no special care.
If you live in an area where it rarely drops below 10° F – 15° F in winter and you’d like a low care plant that’s low care, versatile, attractive and produces tasty, unusual fruit, I definitely recommend the Feijoa.
Feijoa Facts:
Latin Name: Feijoa sellowiana O. (also Acca sellowiana)
Common Names: Feijoa, Pineapple Guava, Guavasteen
Hardy to: 15°F / 10°C (lower if protected)
Growth habit: Up to 15 feet (4.6 meters) tall and equally wide
Planting location: Plant and fruit are both susceptible to sunburn, so a site away from hot or reflected hot sun is recommended. The plant will tolerate modest shade and isn’t picky about soils other than it be well-drained. Regular watering helps fruit production, but the plants do just fine with only occasional watering as well.
Uses: The plant itself makes a great foundation plant that can be pruned as a tree, informal hedge or privacy barrier. Both the flowers and the fruit are edible.
More information on Feijoas:
» Feijoa, Pineapple Guava, Guavasteen(via: California Reare Fruits Growers Association)
» Feijoa (via Wikipedia)
Where to buy:
» Logee’s Tropical Plants
» Pineapple Guavas on eBay
How to make organic insecticidal soap
Posted on | September 29, 2009 | No Comments
I use this recipe around the ranch all the time and it works great — as good as just about any insecticide, but without all the nasty chemical side effects — If you haven’t tried it, you should. It’s a great and inexpensive way to control pests.
Get Rid of garden pests naturally with this recipe for environmentally-friendly insecticidal soap
Here’s a quick, easy and non-toxic way to put an end to nasty pests like aphids, white flies, mealy bugs, and other soft-bodied insects that infest your plants year-round. Using a little soap, vegetable oil and water, you can make and organic soap spray that controls pests on all types of indoor and outdoor plants without harsh or toxic chemicals.
To prepare this soap spray you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Pure, white soap
Use Original Oatmeal Soap or a store brand like Ivory. Make sure the soap has no dyes or fragrances since they can damage plant foliage. Also DO NOT use detergents such as liquid dish soap. Unlike soap which is organic, detergents are chemical cleaners and are toxic to most plants. - Light Vegetable Oil
Canola, corn, and safflower are all good examples of a light vegetable oil. It’s important to make sure that it’s a light vegetable oil, and not a heavy one such as peanut to ensure that the oil evaporates from the plant’s leaves before they’re smothered. - Water
Plain old tap water will do just fine. - Spray Bottle or Garden Sprayer
To apply the soap spray.
Making the soap spray
Drop the bar of white soap into a container such as a small bowl and add two cups of water. Allow the soap to sit in the water overnight or until enough of the soap has dissolved to make the water white and cloudy.
Once enough soap has dissolved, remove the soap bar from the water and pour the soap solution into your spray bottle or garden sprayer. Add 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, seal the sprayer and shake well.
Application
You can use the soap spray on all types of indoor or outdoor plants, including vegetables. Spray the infested plant well enough to thoroughly wet the leaf, making sure to get both the top and the bottom.
For light infestations a single application should be enough. For heavier infestations (especially on outdoor plants and trees), apply the soap spray every day for three days. Then once a week to control re-infestations.
How does the soap spray work?
Soft-bodied insects such as aphids breath through openings in the sides of their body. Pure white soap contains large molecules of fatty acids and glycerin that will clog those openings and essentially suffocate the pest. The vegetable oil is used as a sticking agent that allows more of the spray to stay on the leaf without dripping off. The soap spray that does drip off decomposes in the soil without affecting the plant. The spray that remains on the leaf evaporates after a day or two.
Super strength spray
For tougher insects such as cucumber beetles, Colorado beetles, various caterpillars, and similar pests, you can make a super-strength version of this spray by adding ground hot chili peppers. The heat of the peppers repels most chewing insects. (Note, however, that this spray can burn the leaves of some tender plants. Make sure to test it on a small area before dousing the entire plant.)
So ends the summer of 2009
Posted on | September 22, 2009 | No Comments
It’s been a little slow here at the ranch as of late. Late summer’s heat and dryness really don’t make for a good gardening atmosphere, so I’ve been laying low waiting for the seasons to change and the heat to go.
Last night was the last sunset of the summer of 2009 and autumn begins today at 2:18pm Pacific Time. (click here to see when autumn arrives in your area.)
Here’s a shot from my back deck looking west last night:
Last sunset of the summer of 2009
A pretty spectacular end in my opinion.
And here’s the last morning of the summer of 2009:
Last sunrise of the summer of 2009
Kind of portends the season to come, don’t you think?
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