August in the Garden

Note, this was written in 2008 in Hoopa CA, while we were experiencing a large forest fire. The effect was cooler temperatures. If your temps are cool enough your tomatoes aren't ripening, you will find useful tips. You will also find recipes for summer squash and starting the fall garden, as well as a quick review on a great little herb book.

Digging the Dirt / August in the Garden

Published in the Two Rivers Tribune 8.08
Copyright 2008, Harvest McCampbell

Gardening in smoke leaves much to be desired. Some plants, however, seem to be making good use of all the carbon in the air. My tomato plants are nearly as tall as I am. On the down side, the smoke has been keeping things too cool for them to ripen up properly. Green tomatoes are not as yummy as their fully ripe counter parts, but they do make good eating. I have been searching for green tomato recipes, just in case. Here are a couple of fun books from the Humboldt County Library that will help you use up any green tomatoes you may have on hand at season’s end.

Preserving Summer’s Bounty, by Rodale Press, has recipes for Green Tomato Chutney and Green Tomato Pickles, as well as lots of recipes for those other summer favorites—squash and Zucchini. In fact, no matter what your garden is producing, you will find recipes and information on preserving it for winter use. The Joy of Pickling, by Linda Ziedrich adds curried and limed green tomato pickles to the possibilities, as well as pickled green cherry tomatoes. Ziedrich has recipes for just about anything you grow, including Jerusalem artichokes and turnips! You can request these books from your favorite library or bookstore. They will definitely get your kitchen creativity stirring.

More Produce in the Kitchen

Squash seems to produce bumper crops no matter what the weather, and this year is no different. Folks will soon be ducking and running when they see their gardening friends hoisting bulging bags. Whether you are growing your own or trying to use the squash that has been foisted on you, here a few ideas from my kitchen. The first uses fresh squash in a sandwich with tuna, and the second makes a refreshing salad.

Summer Tuna Sandwiches or Wraps: Combine grated summer squash, a bit of diced onion and pickle, with a can of tuna, and a tad of mayo. Mix well and then spread on bread or a tortilla, add fresh lettuce or other greens, and serve it up. The pickles I have been using are made with zucchini and summer squash wedges substituted for the cucumbers. I use the dill pickle recipe from the book, Joy of Cooking, (the library has this one too). This sandwich gets rave reviews.

Sunny Summer Salad: Dice up a mix of fresh tender zucchini and summer squash, in different colors if possible. Add a few tender young snap beans and the youngest leaves from kale, mustard, beets, or turnips. Diced peppers, cucumbers, or tomatoes can also be added. For a quick, fresh dressing combine olive oil with a dash of vinegar, and some fresh diced basil, parsley, rosemary, or other garden fresh herbs, shake well and taste. You can add more vinegar or herbs or even some salt and pepper. Pour a little over your fresh veggies and toss to coat. Give it a taste and add more of your dressing if needed. Refrigerate to chill, and then serve on a bed of lettuce. (Add some shredded chicken or browned sausage or tofu and call it dinner.) This easy salad taste even better the second day!

Fall Gardens Start Now

You can have fresh carrots, parsnips, and peas for Thanksgiving if you start soon! You can also grow many greens, root crops, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Your favorite lettuce, radishes, or beets do great when the weather is cool. Just about the time your summer garden will give out, the fall crops will kick in, keeping you in fresh produce—if you plan it right, not just through the fall, but straight through until spring is here again.

If you have room to put in some new garden beds, you can start fall crops right in the ground this month. Cover seeds with a fine sprinkling of sifted compost or store bought soil conditioner, and keep an eye on your beds. Some people like to lay a board over their rows, to help keep the soil moist. If you give this a try, you will need to lift the board morning and night, to check for germination. As soon as you see seedlings bursting from their seed coats, it is time to remove the board. Seedlings must be kept evenly moist for at least the first week, so check them every morning and evening.

Those already using every inch of space available can start most of their fall garden in six packs. Move the plants to larger containers as necessary, and then tuck them into the garden as soon as a spot is cleared. (Be sure to dig in some compost and top dress with mulch.) The only fall crops this won’t work well for are those we grow for their roots. Carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, radishes, and rutabagas, to name some of the more popular root crops, do much better when planted where they are to grow. Starting them in shallow containers and then transplanting tends to ruin their comely figures. They are happy growing in half barrels or large containers, and they are safe from gophers if you take that route.

It is time to get out your seed box, seed catalogs, or visit seed counters and see what yummy veggies this fall will bring. If you want to try something new, Wild Garden Seed offers a number of tasty and colorful additions for the fall garden. I am going to try their broccoli, which is named Purple Peacock. This pretty loose headed broccoli has purple stems and leaf veins. All parts are tender and edible, including leaves and stalks. It was rated very highly by Organic Gardening Magazine, for taste, appearance, and winter hardiness.

They also carry Bulls Blood beets, with their electric purplish red leaves. I have some of these started already, but I am going to tuck some seeds into the pots by my front walk, they are that eye catching. I can hardly wait until they get big enough to eat!

Kale is another tasty and nutritious fall crop. Wild Garden Seed offers a number of different types. They also have 53 different types of lettuce, and three different seasonal salad mixes. You can shop on-line: http://www.wildgardenseeds.com or call them to request a catalog: (541) 929-4068

Ancient Herbs

The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angles has published a slim but elegant volume for all those passionate about ancient Greece, Rome, and the wonderful world of herbs. Ancient Herbs is a work of art, lavishly illustrated with historic botanical drawings from the late 1700 and early 1800’s. The text provides copious hints on the changing place of herbs throughout human history, as foods, medicines, and flavorings. While you won’t find exact instructions for growing or using herbs, you will find plenty to stir your curiosity and whet your appetite to learn more. This would make a great gift for herb lovers, cooks, and gardeners. The cover is lovely enough to make the book a welcome addition to the kitchen bookshelf and displays of botanical or herbal related art. Ancient Herbs, by Marina Heilmeyer, Published by The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2007, no ISBN

Digging the Dirt / July in the Garden

Published in the Hoopa People Paper 2008, Copyright Harvest McCampbell

(The following information on flooding is from 2008, but the issues are not much different today . . .)

Millions of acres of agricultural land have been inundated during recent Midwest flooding, and it may not be over yet. Very little of this land will produce food crops this year, and much of it will never be the same. Flood waters, as devastating as they have been, are actually the least of most farmers’ worries. Those flood waters carry a burden of sewage; slurry from large hog farm manure lagoons; agricultural chemicals including pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers; numerous chemicals from homes, hardware stores, and other outlets; and petroleum products from service stations and oil recycling locations. As the flood waters recede, farmland, wells, and homes are left with a layer of toxic sludge.

This devastation will affect food prices and availability in the short run--through this winter and on into the summer months of 2009. It may affect food quality for many years to come. Fortunately, here in the Klamath-Trinity region, we have been blessed with mild weather. It is not too late to get out in the yard and create your own little Garden of Eden!

The Calorie Connection

We normally depend on our garden produce to be low in calories; however, with all the Midwest agricultural flooding, we ought to think about increasing the calories grown in our gardens. Most of the calories in our diets come directly or indirectly from the Midwest: high fructose corn syrup, flour, bread, tortillas, pasta, cookies and crackers, as well as pork. Much of the feed used in poultry operations for both chickens and eggs, and the feed used to fatten beef, is also grown in the Midwest. Prices on all these foods, feeds, and related products have already been rising; they are now headed even higher.

Most of us could stand to lose a little weight; so perhaps the news isn’t all bad. Calories, however, are our bodies’ only source of energy. It might not be a bad idea to grow your own, especially if you are on a budget. July is a good time to think about planting some carbohydrate and calorie rich root crops. Beets, turnips, rutabagas, carrots, and parsnips all do well when planted in the summer or early fall. Plant them now, in a shady spot, for delectable roots this fall through early winter. (Add a little nitrogen rich soil amendment before planting; perhaps some composted manure or bat guano. Increasing the nitrogen will help prevent your summer crop from bolting.) Plant another batch in late summer or early fall, in full sun, for fresh produce this winter straight through to early spring.

Root crops do best when seeded into the spots where they will grow. Transplanting can cause damage to their developing roots. They can be grown in deep containers or raised beds if gophers are a problem. Be sure to keep the seeds and seedlings evenly moist until the young plants are established. Then check them every day, and only water as needed. A few young leaves can occasionally be pinched from each plant to add to salads. After the first month or so, the largest roots can be pulled for salads or side dishes to make room for the others to grow. You might want to try a number of different varieties. When you find some you really like, and that do well for you, you can plant a row or bed every few weeks for a continuous crop.

The Power of One Turnip Seed

One turnip seed, planted in rich soil, in a five gallon container, can grow to feed a family; if it is carefully nurtured. First, that little seed will send out tiny leaves. Those leaves will eventually grow large and plentiful enough that you won’t mind pinching a few to add to salads and soups. As summer fades into the cool part of the year, the plant will produce many leaves. Each leaf only lives a month or so. By watching them carefully and experimenting, you gradually learn when they are best for adding to salads (young and tender) and how long you can wait to use them as cooked greens. Your turnip plant will continue to produce leaves straight through winter and on into earliest parts of spring.

Once the days begin to grow longer, you will notice your turnip plant begin reaching upwards. Tender and delicious buds will form, which can be snipped with a few tender leaves, and added to salads, stir fries, and soups. The more buds you snip, the more the plant will produce, so go ahead and snip as often as you like. When you tire of the buds, the plant will begin producing flowers, which are also edible. The flowers can be used to garnish bowls of soup or salad.

The flowers will be followed by tender turnip “beans.” The young edible seed pods are tasty, cooked or raw. They can even be pickled if you are feeling industrious. But be sure to let some of the seed pods mature. Because the seeds that will follow have even more promise, even more to give.

Mature seed pods are the color of straw, and the pop when squeezed, revealing a number of amber to nearly black, small, round seeds. Collect the stems with mature pods into a brown shopping bag and allow them to dry completely, away from irrigation and other moisture. Once dry, use your hands to crunch up the stems and pop the pods. Slowly remove each stem, popping any intact pods as you do. Then shake the bag to encourage the seeds to settle at the bottom. You will have a mix of chaff from the seed pods and seeds in the bag. Reach into the bag with both hands, grab a handful of the chaff, and toss it back and forth to further encourage the seeds to fall. (The chaff and the stems make great additions to the compost pile or your garden’s layers of mulch.)

When you get to the bottom of the bag you should have more turnip seeds than you really want to grow. Plant out a row or two, and save the rest of the seeds. You can pinch the young greens as you did with your single turnip, and you can also begin pulling tender young turnips in six to eight weeks. Turnips are excellent raw, roasted, mashed, fried, steamed, or boiled. Extra seeds can be shared with friends and family. They can also be grown and used just like alfalfa sprouts; and the dry seeds can be ground or used whole as a tangy mustard seed substitute.

Turnips have been utilized as survival foods and as staples in many parts of the world when grain crops, trade, or transportation have been problematic. For fun, for variety, and for food security, consider planting a row of turnips in your garden this month. Don’t forget to save a seed to plant in a five gallon container, so you can demonstrate the power of one turnip seed.

Cooking from the Garden--for Diabetics

If you are having trouble finding creative recipes for your garden produce that you can confidently serve diabetic loved ones, I have a solution for you! 501 Delicious Diabetic Recipes is your complete source; step-by step instructions, nutritional information, the number of servings per recipe, and the exchanges per serving are all included. The exchanges used in the book are the ones developed in collaboration by the American Diabetes and the American Dietetic Associations. Ask the folks you are cooking for how many of each of the exchanges they can have for each meal, and you are on your way to planning a fabulous menu. Many recipes contain vegetables, but gardeners will find the sections on “Starch Side Dishes” and “Vegetable & Fruit Side Dishes” particularly useful. You will find a great selection of recipes that will enhance all “gardening cooks” home-made meals. Roasted Green Beans, Orange-Glazed Beets, Szechuan Broccoli, Curried Cauliflower, and Dilled Spinach with Feta are just a few I plan on trying. 501 Delicious Diabetic Recipes, Oxmoor House, 2004, ISBN 0-8487-3052-6. Available by request on-line, from bookstores, or your local library.

Say Goodbye to Wormy Apples

Wouldn’t it be nice to go out to grandma’s apple tree and bite into a nice crisp juicy apple and not have to worry about worms? Just think of the work it would save when making apple sauce, cider, or pie. Say goodbye to wormy apples! It is a bit of work; it takes planning and careful timing. However, we can achieve worm free apples--without using pesticides-- if we know when to begin.

The nasty worms that inhabit and foul our apples all have a similar life cycle. The stage that bothers us the most, when they chew through our fruit, is their larval stage, the first stage after hatching from eggs. These eggs are laid right after our trees blossom in the spring. The larva that will soon be looking for a spot to spend the winter and turn into flies and moths come autumn. After the apples fall to the ground, depending on exactly which species of pest we are talking about, they spin cocoons or turn into pupas to wait out the winter months. Once spring is upon us, they burst from their hibernation and take to the air, ready to mate and lay eggs on our apple blooms.

The first step to ensuring worm free apples next year, is to get those wormy apples off the ground right now. If necessary, trees can be pruned, just enough so that you can get under them to clean up all the plant litter. Pruning back all branches that touch the ground is a good job for when the tree is completely dormant. Besides easing the job of cleaning up under the tree, it reduces the path ways that pests and disease follow to infect your fruit.

Once you can get under the tree to work, the leaf, fruit, and twig litter should be completely raked up. It can be fed to poultry or other animals, burned, or buried under at least three feet of dirt. Simply composting infested apples and other tree litter allows the worms to complete their life cycle and attack your fruit for another season.

Cleaning up under your apple trees before our rains set in has other benefits. It also helps prevent the tree from developing dry rot and fungus infections. These disease organisms often get their start in the duff and litter beneath trees. Once our weather begins to dry out in the spring, you will want to add a layer of compost or manure and some mulch beneath the trees drip line. This will help with water conservation, it reduces competition from weeds, and it supports the health of our all important soil organisms. Be sure to keep the organic matter at least a few inches away from the trunk to prevent disease organisms from gaining access to the bark and wood. The organic matter will provide nutrition for your trees as it breaks down. Just don’t forget to rake it up and move whatever is left next fall.

If you still have apples on your trees right now, you may want to take another step, after cleaning up the litter. Consider placing tarps under the trees, at least until all the apples fall. Some apple fruit pests burrow into the soil soon after the infected apples hit the ground. If you can block them from burrowing you will be ahead of the game next spring. (Remove the tarp after all the leaves and fruit fall, so the soil and roots can breathe.) Other apple worms climb up onto the trees trunk and hide in the bark. We can take care of these pests with Neem. Neem is natural oil from a tropical tree that is used by many organic gardeners for pest control. It is harmful to many insects, including those that are our friends, so it should be used carefully and in moderation. Certified organic farmers should contact their certifying organization to see if Neem is allowed. If not the organizations can make recommendations on other oils to use. Many horticultural oils, even those allowed by organic standards, can cause a build-up of heavy metals and other toxins in our soils and plants. Neem seems to be the safest, but it is not always allowed.

Neem oil is available from many nurseries, garden catalogs, organic farm suppliers, and natural food stores. Read the label carefully and ask any knowledgeable staff person for help if the label isn’t clear. The packaging should give directions, including dilution rates. (If you have more than one tree, or if your tree is very large, you may need something more than just a spray bottle to do the job.) Once you are ready to go, a dry still day when the bees are not busy is ideal. Consider spraying up to three times. First, after all your fruit is picked and before the rain has started; a second time in December or January, after the tree is fully dormant; and lastly, after the petals have all fallen from the tree and the bees are busy elsewhere. Thoroughly spray the bark and branches, and lightly spray the ground under the tree. Neem will not burn your plants leaves in spring, so go ahead and spray the young leaves too. Neem not only controls insect infestation it also reduces fungal infections, which is a great benefit in very wet winters. If you happen to live far away from anyone else who has apple worms treating your trees one year might be enough. However, the adult insects can fly in from several miles around, so most of us will need to spray every few years at least

If your apple trees are too big, too over grown, and too productive to undertake all this work, ask yourself if you really need trees that big. There are many very good varieties of dwarf apples available. If you are not overly attached to your old trees, you ought to consider replanting. You can keep the old trees for a few years, until the new ones get established. If you time it right, you can take out the old trees before the new ones bloom, so they just don’t hand their pest problems over to their replacements. However, the main advantage to planting new dwarfs is that their smaller size makes them easier to care for. They are just as susceptible to infestation as their larger relatives. If you do take out old trees, don’t let the apple wood go to waste. Let it age a few years and put it to good work on your BBQ or in your smokehouse. Apple wood gives food a nice, sweet, smoky flavor.

A great source of information on pruning and natural pest control can be found in the book Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally by Robert Kourik. It is available by request from many libraries and used book stores.

Sources: If you are unable to find dwarf apple trees in the varieties you would like check out Burgess at http://www.eBurgess.com or call (309) 662-7761 to request a free catalog. Last but not least, if you can’t find Neem oil locally or through your favorite catalog, Territorial seed company has it listed in their winter 2007 catalog along with some spray equipment, garden tools including a pruner for branches up to ¾ inch, and a sharpener for your pruning equipment. http://www.TerritorialSeed.com (800) 626-0866.

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Published in the Hoopa People Paper, October 2007, Copyright Harvest McCampbell, all rights reserved.  Republishing by permission only.

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Added a photo on 11.4.16. Text and photos copyright Harvest McCampbell.  Please feel free to share using the buttons below.  All other rights reserved.