Broccoli

With the spring broccoli crop on its last leg, now is the time to think about a fall crop of broccoli.  If you have a good source for seedlings, you can wait until early August to plant them in your garden.  However, these seedlings can be hard to find in the late summer, so verify availability with your local nursery before going this route.  The better option in our opinion is to grow your own from seed.  It is a much cheaper and more reliable way to go.  Unlike the spring crop, which must be started indoors, the fall crop can be seeded directly into your garden.  This is a HUGE savings in time and effort.

     Side floret emerging

Tips and Tricks:

• If your garden soil contains heavy clay, plant the seeds in a pocket of a 50/50 peat and sand mixture.  This will help hold moisture around the seed and give the young seedling a light medium to push through.
• Starting these in the middle of summer requires special attention be paid to soil moisture.  Do not let germinating seeds or young seedlings dry out.
• Broccoli is quite disease and pest resistant, but it does have a few things to keep an eye out for.  We discussed downy mildew in this post.  Neem oil has worked really well for us in controlling this disease.  The imported cabbageworm can defoliate a small plant in a day, so keep an eye out for them.  We've previously discussed them here. Hand picking will keep them at bay and Bacillus thuringiensis will finish them off.
• Cut the heads off with a sharp knife at 45 degrees when the largest bud in the head is the size of a match head.  Wait much longer and you will lose some to flowering.
• After the main head has been cut, small florets will continue to grow along the main stalk as seen in the picture above.

Putting Up the Harvest:

• Freeze - wash and soak in salt water for 10 minutes to get rid of any bugs hiding in the recesses, rinse, steam blanch for 5 minutes, then freeze in an airtight container.  It will keep until your plants are producing again next year.
• Dehydrate - cut into 1/2" pieces, prepare as above including steam blanching, then dehydrate at 125 degrees for 8 hours.  Store in an airtight container out of direct sunlight.  It will store for years.

Weekly Gardening Outlook

This will be a continuing series. Each Monday we will look ahead at the coming week in gardening for the Northwest Arkansas area.

Sorry for the intermittent posting. We just returned last night from vacation and wifi was, shall we say... spotty.

What a difference a week makes! We returned to full grown cucumbers, 10 foot long and flowering pole bean vines, baby watermelons, spaghetti squash running wild, tomato plants twice as tall, and Bermuda grass... ahh the Bermuda grass. It is a truly obnoxious weed. The only problem that we really had with the garden while we were gone is that most of the broccoli (pictured above) flowered. We got a little bit, but it was a shame most of it went for naught.

young spaghetti squash  

young watermelon

Things to be on the lookout for:

Japanese beetles have arrived. They are on our apple trees, but have not eaten any plants in our beds. It seems the onions are doing their job.

The Japanese beetle's defense mechanism when disturbed is to let go of the plant and fall into the grass. We use that to our advantage by keeping a jar of soapy water in the garden and when we see the beetles, we hold the jar under them. Then we brush a hand over them and they fall right in and die. They tend to cluster up, so it doesn't take much time and if done every day will keep them from causing serious damage.

We advise not putting those pheromone traps (the kind with the bag) in your garden because they will actually attract beetles to your garden. If you have a large piece of property, place these traps in remote areas away from your garden.

Weather outlook:
-Warm, lower 90's
-Chance of rain Wednesday; dry later in the week
-Ten day forecast

What's being harvested:

-Cucumbers

-Kohlrabi
-Broccoli
-Squash and zucchini
-Squash blossoms
-Celeriac leaves
-Basil, mint, and other herbs
-Radishes
-Strawberries

What's coming soon:
-Green tomatoes
-Peppers

Organic Pest Control (Remediation)

So you did everything right (or didn't) and you have an infestation?  Here are some organic methods to try:

• Spray the insects off with a strong stream of water 
• Works especially well on small, less mobile pests like aphids 
• Neem Oil 
• We have had a lot of success as a treatment for powdery mildew, downy mildew, and other fungal problems
• Also, works well as an insecticide because it only harms insects that eat plant material
• Spray in the evening and avoid flowers to reduce the likelihood of harming bees
• Bacillus thuringiensis
• Kills caterpillars and gnats by invading their gut with a harmful bacteria
• Does not harm beneficial insects, humans, pets, etc.
• Beneficial Insects
• Beneficial nematoads are microscopic insects that naturally parasitize many pest insects that live in the soil
• Lady beetles and green lacewings eat large numbers of aphids and other pests
• Diatomaceous Earth
• Kills all insects (especially hard bodied insects) by physically cutting them with its sharp edges allowing natural organisms to invade and kill the insect
• WARNING:  This treatment will also kill beneficial insects, so be thoughtful with when and how it is applied.  Also avoid breathing it in during application.
• Insecticidal Soap or Horticultural Oil
• Kills all types of insects by coating them and depriving them of oxygen
• WARNING:  These treatments will also kill beneficial insects, so be thoughtful with when and how they are applied.
• Additives such as garlic juice and cayenne pepper can be added to insecticidal soap for residual pest repelling properties

Weekly Gardening Outlook

This will be a continuing series. Each Monday we will look ahead at the coming week in gardening for the Northwest Arkansas area.

The garden is growing extremely rapidly right now.  We check our plants daily to ensure that they are staying within their cages (tomatoes) or growing up their trellises like we want them to.  It takes just a day for a cucumber or squash vine to lean over and grab onto a neighboring plant or trellis.  If this happens we unwrap the tendril and guide the vine back to where it needs to be.


Watermelons climbing cattle panels

Spaghetti squash climbing cattle panels

Things to be on the lookout for:

The imported cabbageworm is doing its damage in Northwest Arkansas.  You can see the damage done to some of our broccoli below.  A round of Bacillus thuringiensis has the infestation under control.  See our other post about this pest.


Damage done by the imported cabbageworm

Adult stage of the imported cabbageworm known as the Small White

Weather outlook:
-Warm, upper 80's
-Chance of sporadic rain throughout the week
-Ten day forecast


What's being harvested:

-Broccoli
-Squash and zucchini

-Squash blossoms
-Celeriac leaves
-Basil, mint, and other herbs
-Turnips
-Radishes
-Strawberries
-Green onions


What's coming soon:

-Green tomatoes
-Peppers
-Kohlrabi is almost ready

Organic Pest Control (Prevention)

Like most problems, the best time to address pest problems in a garden is before they occur.  Let's look at some things to think about when planning your garden.

• Mix up your plantings instead of planting large blocks of the same plant.  It makes the pest work harder to get to all of your plants and the different smells and appearances can confuse the pest.

• Attract beneficial insects

• Plant native flowers and bushes.
• Plant fennel, mint, or dill and allow them to flower.  Many parasitic insects (the good guys!) will feed on and hang out in these plants while looking for other insects to parasitize
• Quit using non-organic insecticides on your property and be thoughtful of when and how you apply organic pesticides.
• The easiest thing you can do is to allow some area near your garden to go "wild" by not mowing.  This gives beneficial insects a place to shelter.

See the "wild" area behind our garden.  This is also a wet marshy area that attracts frogs and toads.

• Attract toads and frogs
• They love water, so if a pond or wet area isn't near your garden you will need to provide it.  A concrete bird bath top buried level with the ground works perfectly.  Just keep it flushed out to avoid mosquitoes breeding in it.
• Provide shelter.  Terracotta toad houses can be purchased, but a 6" terracotta pot upside down with a 3-4" hole broken into the side works just as well.  Place these around your garden in the most shaded areas.

• Plant things that repel pests
• Japanese beetles can devour a garden, but are repelled by onions and garlic.  Guess what we plant around the edge of our beds?
• Marigolds and nasturtiums repel many beetles, worms, and nematoads.  As a bonus, their flower petals and leaves are great additions to a salad.
• In addition to being great in the kitchen, basil repels flies and mosquitoes.
• Cover the bottom of your raised bed with 1/2" hardware cloth
• This will impede any burrowing pest (voles, gophers, rats, etc.) from dining on your plant's roots

In the next installment we will look at what to do if you did everything right (or didn't), but still are having problems.

Suggested Reading:

The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control: A Complete Guide to Maintaining a Healthy Garden and Yard the Earth-Friendly Way

Great Garden Companions: A Companion-Planting System for a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden

Swiss Chard: A Spinach Replacement

If you like spinach (fresh or cooked), we suggest never growing it again.  


Huh?  


Instead, try Swiss chard.  They are very similar to each other when eaten fresh or cooked.  There are some key differences.  Spinach bolts and becomes inedible when summer temperatures arrive, where chard continues to thrive.  The leaf shape of spinach traps dirt and is difficult to clean, while chard rinses easily and grows in a more upright fashion that keeps its leaves cleaner to begin with.  Spinach is dull green, where chard adds beautiful colors to your table.  Spinach only gives a leafy product, where as chard stalks are colorful celery-like treats in addition to the leafy goodness.

Yeah, we really like Swiss chard.


Swiss chard comes in several varieties, distinguished by the stalk color (white, red, yellow, and orange).  We prefer a rainbow seed mixture just for pure aesthetics.  Some claim texture and taste difference between varieties, but we haven't experienced this.








Tips and Tricks:

• Plant seed directly into the ground 2-3 weeks before the last frost.  This would mean seeding about April 1st in northwestern Arkansas.  It's not too late to seed some now though.  Go ahead and get it going!
• Pick smaller, glossy leaves for fresh eating in salads.  Use the larger leaves for cooked greens.
• The crunchy central stalk can easily be removed by folding the leaf lengthwise and running a sharp knife between the leaf and stalk.
• Remove and discard old leaves to encourage growth.  Chard grows from the inside out, so leave the smallest inner leaves for future harvest.

Putting Up the Harvest:

• Swiss chard is so hardy that it grows almost year-round reducing the need for storage.
• Freezing
• Blanch for 2 minutes. 
• Plunge into ice water for 2 minutes to stop the blanching process. 
• Pat dry and freeze in an airtight container.
• Dehydrating (good for adding greens to soup!)
• Blanch and chill as above.
• Place in a dehydrator on its coolest setting until the leaves are brittle.
• Store in an airtight container.

Sweet Basil

Sweet basil should be found in every garden.  Just brush up against it and the surrounding area is filled with its sweet scent.  It adds flavor to a fresh salad, Italian dish, freshly made pesto, or oil and vinegar salad dressings.


Commonly Used Cultivars:


Sweet basil (aka bush basil) - Seen in the picture above, this is the traditional basil that you will likely find seedlings for at your local big box store.  It is the most common type and one of two that we are growing this year.  It has a wonderful flavor and grows about 18" tall.


Genovese basil - The second type that we are growing this year.  Used in pesto and is fast growing.  Grows about 18" tall.


Lemon basil - Has a very lemony flavor.  Good in chicken dishes or tea.   Grows about 2' tall.


Thai basil (aka holy basil) - Used in Thai and Vietnamese dishes.  Grows about 18" tall.


Tips and Tricks:

• Pinch off any flower stalks as soon as they appear
• Harvest small bits often to encourage the plant to bush out instead of growing tall and lanky
• They love full sun as long as the soil is kept moist (not wet)
• They do very well in pots or the 4" x 5" x 8" openings in the upturned cinder blocks that make up our beds
• In many big box store offerings, the plants can be subdivided with a sharp knife to give more plants per dollar spent
• They do not tolerate frost or even cool weather well, so wait until the nights are in the 50's before planting

Putting Up the Harvest:

• Drying 
• Basil can be dried by cutting off the stem and hanging in a warm room for a week.  To maintain flavor, pick off the leaves and keep them in an airtight container after drying.
• Freezing
• For a pesto base, process the leaves with a small amount of olive oil in your food procesor; then freeze in whatever airtight container you wish.  
• For whole leaves, place in an ice tray with enough water to cover the leaves and freeze.