Gardener to Farmer

Composting Fall Leaves

2009-10-26T11:11:11-07:00

Fall is the perfect time to build up your soil with rich, organic matter. It also happens to be the best time of year to collect one of my favorite organic soil amendments

, leaf mold. While leaf mold sounds a bit iffy, it is one of the easiest and most effective composted materials to add to beds. In addition to improving moisture retention, as well as soil drainage, it also helps support the microcosm of your garden.

Not to get all Carl Sagan on you, but your garden is an interconnected web...each part must be functioning well in order to produce a healthy yield and reduce the opportunity for harming the environment. The underpinnings of this net are the thousands of bacteria, microbes, fungi and funky little crawly things that make the soil inhabitable. We don't usually see these little buggers, but it is obvious when they are out of balance. Have you ever had a part of your yard where things just didn't grow? A botanical version of The Day After, sort of a nuclear winter for soil. That's because the soil itself is sick in some way and can't sustain the basic building blocks of life. (I know, get out your kleenex.)

Decomposing leaf matter is a fantastic element to introduce whether or not you have problems. There are a couple of ways to do this, both of which are ridiculously easy.

1) Gather all of your leaves and place in one location. Let winter happen. Presto, decomposed leaves in spring!

2) Use your lawn mower to collect and chop the fall leaves. Sprinkle them on your flower beds...if you like, you can till it in...otherwise, let winter happen. Presto, decomposed leaves in spring!

It is also possible just to add them to your compost pile. But, they are such a great, easy to decompose kind of amendment that I prefer to add them right to the beds.

Really, in terms of cost (zero) and energy (almost zero) this is one of the highest return on investment activities a gardener can do. Take a few minutes to gather up the leaves around your place and feed your beds. By spring, you will be so glad you did...

By the way, I just posted my Top Ten List of Organic Garden Blogs, if you would like to see it. There are some awesome places to check out...lots to learn from great gardeners and writers! And...go see me live on the current episode of Garden World Report. I talk about how to find other gardeners on Facebook.

Harvesting Grapes

2009-10-02T09:16:57-07:00

Last year, we had two primary problems with our grapes. First of all, there were just too many. You think zucchini is bad? We had pound after pound of grapes. Second, the flavor was weak, not the beautiful, robust flavor of a terrific grape. (We did have an awfully fun time stomping grapes, though!)

With that in mind, I decided to make some major changes in how I handled the vines this year. In late winter, I enlisted the support of my neighbor and whacked back the vines to a more manageable configuration. I have four old growth grape vines that are grown along a trellising system. Here's what it looks like in February.

I know, it looks barren...and believe me, after we pruned it, it looked very sad, indeed. Keep in mind that different types of grapes are pruned in different ways. I just whacked mine back, but if you want to know how to do it in a way that preserves next year's harvest, I have a whole chapter on grapes in Grocery Gardening (out in January).

Green Grapes Ready for Harvest

Pruning did a couple of things...it kept these largely unruly vines under control...ok, partially under control. It also resulted in fewer grapes. And before you say that fewer grapes is not a good thing, let me say it most certainly is. I simply don't need that many of them...and by pruning the vines and even thinning the grape bunches...the vines direct their fabulous flavor making abilities into what remains. Believe me, the taste difference is significant! There are many fruits that are thinned in order to encourage larger growth and better flavor.

I also decided to wait a full 2-3 weeks later before harvesting. Actually, I am going to harvest this weekend. Grapes are harvested any time between August and October. Last year, in my eagerness, I think I harvested just a tad too soon...which did not allow them to fully mature in flavor and sugar. This year, I was patient...I waited...and waited...and tasted...and tasted. Yesterday, I plucked one of the purple-y black varieties and popped it in my mouth. WOW! My tongue did a little dance...tart, sweet, complex. I could feel the tannins in my mouth. You know, that slightly astringent, dry feeling that is a partner to red wine?

So, I will be out harvesting grapes this weekend. I wish I knew what type I had (beyond purple and green). I suspect Concords, but they could be wine grapes. I am fortunate to have inherited these when we got the house, so I didn't have to do any of the trellising construction. Though I have reduced the number, there will still be plenty to pick...the question is always what to do with them?

Grapes don't store well when fresh. I fully intend to use my dehydrator on some of them...maybe make jams and jellies. Or maybe skin, remove the seeds, cook and freeze for later use. I have several grape recipes I would like to try, including an old fashioned grape pie...maybe I test that out this weekend. If you have any good suggestions for storage or recipes, I would love to hear it!

Fall Fruit Harvesting and Preserving

2009-09-15T08:40:32-07:00

Well, I spent the better part of Saturday harvesting fruit from the garden. Sadly, the apple maggots had eaten most of my apples. Next year, I will have to explore organic controls...it is quite a bit of work since it is a large tree. Pears were attacked by scab, but only on one tree, so I will have to address that, too. I think a sulfur oil will work there. I also harvested the Italian plums, but I waited too long and many had already fallen off the tree. Dang it, writing a book in the middle of summer really puts a crimp in my gardening style. And surprisingly, I had a ton of San Marzano tomatoes to harvest. We had cool weather and I thought for sure that fall was here, but we are back up to the 80's and 90's. I may even have another harvest!

All of this harvesting ultimately results in a bunch of preserving. I thought I would share with you some of my methods, in the event you find yourself in a similar predicament.

Apples and Pears: These are great for storage. It just so happens that the varieties I have are low sugar and water content, which makes them awesome for storage as is. I could store them in a cool (40 degree) space with limited humidity and they would be fine for several months. Important to remember that apples give off a gas that causes other fruit to ripen...so wrap them in newspaper first.

However, I decided to make apple/pear sauce, then freeze for fresh eating and baking. It is super simple, just quarter the fruit and remove the seeds and stems. Saute with butter and a bit of apple juice until soft. Whir in a food processor and you have a great storage method. For mine, I like to add brown sugar, molasses, salt, allspice and cinnamon. It makes a great side at dinner.

To freeze this mixture, I spread it out on a tray, add a layer of plastic wrap to the top and freeze. Then, I break or cut it into portions and vacuum seal. Pop it back into the freezer and it will be fresh for up to a year.

I also dried some of the pears in the dehydrator. I suggest removing the skins, cutting into 1/4 inch thick pieces and sprinkling with fruit fresh. Then set the dehydrator and let it go to town!

Tomatoes: Last year, I harvested, made sauce and canned my tomatoes in a water bath. This year, I did not have the time or energy to do that. So, these are being stored in one of three ways. The first, and easiest, is dehydrating. I just quarter the tomatoes and spread it out on the drying trays. Plug in the machine and presto, dried tomatoes! Then I vacuum seal and store in a dark, cool location.

I also roasted some tomatoes in the oven. I cut them in half, sprinkled with salt, pepper and olive oil and roasted at 400 degrees for about an hour. This really concentrates the flavors of the tomatoes and makes them fantastic to add in pasta dishes. When removed from the oven, allow to cool, then store in vacuum sealed bags and freeze.

Finally, I am making tons of tomato paste. The thing about tomato paste is that it is super easy and can be added to any dish, including store bought canned sauce or tomatoes, to boost the flavor. I clean the tomatoes, cut in half and drop into a large stock pot. It is important to bring this mixture to a boil over medium heat. Add a bit of water to the bottom to get it started, if needed. Then reduce the heat just a bit and let simmer until the mixture is reduced by 2/3. Grab a food mill and use it to screen out the seeds and skins. Pour onto a sheet pan and let cool. Cover with a bit of plastic wrap and freeze. Then break into portions, vacuum seal and store in the freezer.

It ended up that there were so few plums that I just halved them and dehydrated them. I stopped the process before they were completely dehydrated because sometimes that makes fruit to tough for my tastes. But, because I did that, they will have to be frozen. So, as usual, I vacuum sealed and popped it into the freezer.

And in case you were wondering...I have a 7 cu ft chest freezer...which comes in handy! It is already full of berries...which will make fantastic crumbles and cobblers over the long, wet winter.

It is easier to preserve the harvest than you might think. Give it a try and let me know how it goes...

Grocery Gardening

2009-08-11T08:13:53-07:00

It seems as if it has been a very long time since I have blogged...and though I am normally a summer slacker, particularly as the harvest really starts coming in, I have been absent for a very different reason. This summer, I am co-authoring and editing a new book: Grocery Gardening, published by Cool Springs Press. And in fact, it is already available for pre-sale on Amazon. Click on the above link and it will take you there.

Now, you know I am not one to write a standard gardening book. So while this covers some familiar topics, it does so in a very different way. First, we started by writing the book in a true collaborative process. I corralled 3 of my favorite garden writers and convinced them to try this new style of writing. The fearless gardeners are Robin Riley of Bumble Bee Blog, Amanda Thomsen of Horticulture Magazine and Kiss My Aster fame and Teresa O'Connor of Seasonal Wisdom.

We started with a 60 day deadline...yes, 60 days...which ends on September 1st, 2009. After roughing out the book layout and dividing the work, we started madly writing away. We used an online collaboration tool called Wiggio, which while it wasn't perfect, was helpful in scheduling, file sharing and communicating. I wrote a post about it on Edgy Entrepreneur, if you are interested in learning more.

We are now in the second part of our process, crowdsourcing content. We want you the people to share your recipes, photos, planting tips and other garden wisdom with us. If your content is chosen, you will be acknowledged in the book and will receive an ecopy of my book, Growing Food: A Guide for Beginners. I whipped up a Grocery Gardening Ning for just this purpose. After the book is published, we will keep our little community going so you all can interact with the authors and each other. Please do join and share with us...your participation in the book is what will make it special.

On the Ning site, we have all of the herbs, fruits and veggie listed, as well as other topics/chapters. We also have profiles established, so don't hesitate to contact us...

It is highly likely that you won't see much of me until the book is finished in a few weeks...but keep the faith, I will return...

Bees in the Garden

2009-07-17T11:50:56-07:00

I thought it would be fitting to post about bees (one of my favorite beneficial bugs) in the garden in celebration of my new "look". I have a serious love of bees and am fully aware of the intricate and endless work they perform in the garden, keeping the circle of life a-circlin'.

Though I don't have any hives that I manage, I know that the domesticated honey bee has suffered from what is called "colony collapse disorder". Whole hives disappear, impacting pollination of food crops and honey production.

Scientists around the world have been working to determine the cause before the loss of bees drastically declined. In April of this year, the media touted that a cure for bee colony collapse disorder had been discovered. A new parasite was found, and when treated, prevented any further CCD problems. It may be too early to tell if this is the one and only cause, but it is a big step in the right direction.

In the even that you have a difficult time conceptualizing just how important these little guys are, check out this response to the question:

Use this story the next time someone asks you how pervasive honey bees are in food production. Ask them how honey bees produce ice cream. Tell them that approximately 50,000 colonies of honey bees are used to pollinate alfalfa for seed. This seed is planted to grow alfalfa to harvest as hay and pellets. This alfalfa is then fed to dairy cows that produce the milk that makes the ice cream. We are all linked. If the linkage is weak we all suffer.

-Southeast Farm Press, Jerry Hayes, president of the Apiary Inspectors of America.

Honey bees are certainly not the only type of bee, nor type of pollinator, but the are the easiest to load up in a box and move to a crop site. I have all kinds of bees that show up every year...and I have a Mason bee house. These bees are non stinging and low maintenance. I have to say, I have never had a problem with bees stinging me. I go about my business and they go about theirs. We have a mutual understanding that we share the space...more of a symbiotic relationship, really. Wasps, on the other hand, are an entirely different matter...

Of course, you can plant all kinds of flowering plants to attract bees...but honestly, I have had the best success with diversity. They are a natural component to a healthy ecosystem. By building a healthy, no/low pesticide environment, bees can't resist the siren call of gorgeous blooms full of pollen.

Growing Cherries

2009-06-29T11:57:35-07:00

I spent the better part of the weekend harvesting two kinds of cherries (click for gorgeous cherries in springtime pictures), raspberries and the last of the rhubarb. And of the three fruits, the cherries were the most difficult. Sure, it's all fun and games when you can reach them standing flat footed, but if you have a regular sized cherry tree, then you have 15-20 feet to contend with...and I have two of them. So far, my organic pest and disease control methods have been shear avoidance...and I would not have been surprised to see my harvest blighted by a variety of problems. Happily, very few were to be seen.

Now, let me be clear, I did not plant these trees, I inherited them. If I had planted them, I would have chosen the dwarf variety...cute and short, that's how I like them. And though I am nearly 6 feet tall, I am no match for the height and spread of a traditional cherry tree.

I am not exactly certain of the varieties represented, though I think one is Rainier. The other is the sweetest, darkest red cherry...much larger than a bing. Together, they were truly a dynamic duo. I'll bet I ate a half a pound of them while I was cherry picking.

I addition to contorting myself and hopping around like a madwoman, I used a ladder. But, that really had limited use as the cherries were spread far and wide, not in nice little clumps. In a flash of insight, I realized my Groundhog rake would be perfect for snagging the cherries down from the branches. I grabbed it up and started waving it about...and though it took a bit of time to hone my skill, it was a fantastic implement. The long handle paired with the spacing of the tines brought down a whole second level of fruit. The top of the trees, I left for the crows.

Once inside, I washed and dried half of the cherries. Half of the batch went onto trays and into the freezer. The other half were pitted and placed on trays, ready for the dehydrator. Over all, both storage methods seem to be successful. The dried cherries will be great for baking, cereals and snacks. The frozen will be awesome in pies.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I saved some of the cherries for fresh use. Thinking about making cherry ice cream today. Check tomorrow's post on Portland Foodie for the recipe!

Ford Escape Hybrid Experience

2009-06-22T16:36:58-07:00

I had such a fantastic time driving the Ford Hybrid Escape...really an amazing car. And though you may think me biased, it really was one of the best riding experiences I have had in a long time. On Thursday, when I received the car, I drove to a couple of meetings and did a couple of errands. The locations I went to were highly trafficked and parking was at a premium. I found the car to be easy to maneuver and a smooth riding experience.

I had so many adventures and media experiences to share that I decided to dedicate a whole page to it. Check out the Ford Hybrid Escape page for all of the details!

Blackberry Brambles and the GWA

2009-06-16T06:13:25-07:00

I am so excited to announce that I will be offering a full day social media training at this year's Garden Writer's Association Symposium! Really, it is a thrill to have been asked...and thanks again to my mentor, Debra Prinzing. She really championed my cause and has amazing insight about the benefits of social media and garden writing. If you are going to this year's conference, please leave me a comment here and join the #GWA Twitter Group so we can all be in contact.

The GWA Symposium is a fantastic event. There are tons of amazing sessions on all kinds of garden related topics, fun dinners and tours of the most gorgeous gardens the region has to offer. It is a great time to meet up with friends, make connections and preview new books and garden related products. This year's symposium is in Raleigh, NC, September 23-27. My all day training is Sunday the 27th...so I hope to see you there! You don't have to be a member of the GWA to attend, but I highly recommend joining. It is really affordable and your access to garden writing resources is unparalleled.

Now, on to the blackberries...this weekend, I attacked a huge clump of Himalayan blackberries that were overtaking a part of my front yard. To say that this plant is invasive is like saying a tornado is a gust of wind. I have written about my battles with this blackberry evildoer, lamenting its existence.

Because I am an organic gardener, my best bet is to keep cutting it back and digging it up, eventually starving it to death. If I weren't organic, I would likely use some type of chemical shrub killer. And believe me, after about the 80'th cut on my already bleeding arms, I was sorely tempted to do just that. I guess somewhere in the back of my mind, I am still reserving that option if all else fails.

Their location was hidden from view, so I didn't realize just how big they had become until I stood face to face with the giant tower that was the bramble. It was a terrible battle, and though I made headway, I certainly can't say that I have won...yet...

About midway through, I was so disgusted with the whole thing that I decided to take a quick video to document my suffering. Here's how it went down...

Want a Copy of Joe Lamp'ls Green Gardener's Guide for $2.95?

2009-06-11T12:04:24-07:00

We had such a great response from you all about the Garden Bookstore website, that Roger (President of Cool Springs Press) and I wanted to give you all another opportunity to cash in...We are now giving people who complete our 5 minute survey on small space gardening the chance to buy Joe Lamp'ls Green Gardener's Guide for $2.95! Which is essentially an 83% discount...dude, that's a good deal! Here's how it works...head over to our website and take our survey. This one is about a book called "Small Space Gardening". At the end, you will be directed to a page that will give you the special price.

Alright, this survey will end at 10 pm PT on Sunday, June 14th...so scoot on over there and get a copy of your book!

*Thanks to those of you who responded early and snapped up your FREE copies of the Green Gardener's Guide! Hope you enjoy your read...

Growing Perennials: The Geum that Ate Manhattan

2009-06-09T13:01:26-07:00

Portland's climate makes it ideal for growing perennials. Really, they take off like nobody's business...next thing you know, you are throwing them steak and running for cover. In nearby Canby, there are like 500 nurseries that sell to the trade... Terranova, one of the nation's best heuchera hybridizers and growers and Swan Island Dahlias, the absolute best for dahlias of all kinds are both located there.

I think it is the combination of extremely mild weather, lots of moisture and 16 hours a day of sun in the summer that leads to the overachievement of my fine petaled friends. In fact, when buying plants, the growing guidelines for size are almost never accurate for the Pacific Northwest.

Yet somehow, I refuse to accept that. I don't know if I am in denial or simply unobservant, but I continue to read those tags as if they are a good guide for spacing and locating my plants. Which is how I ended up with a geum the size of Manhattan at the front of my flower border.

Mrs. Bradshaw is a very popular Geum. Chances are good that you have seen it before. And, when growing it in other parts of the country, the upper range for this lovely is 24 inches. That would have been perfect, had it been true, for the front of my bed. Because really, it is the long flower stems that reach the tallest heights, making it somewhat transparent in the upper 2/3rds of the plant.

But Mrs. Bradshaw was so happy in her new home here that she shot up an extra half a foot, at least. Not to mention the spread around her circumfrence (and no jokes about the spread of my circumfrence, please). So I have ended up with this monsterous Geum exactly where it shouldn't be...with another one just like it sitting right next to it.

I suppose I should be pleased with the performance and the prospect of dividing these beauties and transplanting for more Geum joy...yet, I remain slightly disgruntled at the thought of having to move them due to my blind acceptance of planting information as solid fact. Maybe I next time, I will think better of my perennials and remember their tendency to overtake all that surrounds them...