Another day, another update 23 May 2009

I’m trying to be better about updating, so I’m trying to update at least every couple of days.  In that spirit, here is what’s going on in the garden today:

*After two days of heat (mid-90s F two days ago, around 90 F yesterday) and sunshine, the weather has drastically changed, and the temperature is cooler now, at midday, than it was when I went to bed last night (when it was in the mid-70s F).  It’s in the 50s F with a cool ocean breeze and it is thickly grey.  We have had a very dry May after a cool, wet early spring, and it was quite nice to feel a medium rain as I was walking home from the nursery, umbrella-less, this morning.  The rain didn’t last very long (maybe 10-15 minutes), but it continues to look as if it could start again at any moment.  I hope it does.  I continue to believe that no matter what watering devices and watering sources we humans come up with, there’s no substitute for actual real rain for plants.

*Speaking of the nursery:  While there today I got some more annuals –  flowers and coleus (I’ve been disappointed that their selection of herbs has remained pretty static in recent weeks, and am looking forward to the farmers’ market starting this coming week, when I will have new herb plants to choose from!) – and three crop plants, two of them heirloom tomatoes – one each of ‘Sioux’ and an Italian one – and a Japanese cucumber plant, which I think has ‘Kyoto’ in the name.  The potted cucumber actually has two seedlings growing in it instead of one.  We’ll see if they both survive.  ‘Sioux’ is supposed to do better in heat than most tomatoes (which I actually didn’t realize till I brought it home; I just liked the description when I was at the nursery), so I’m thinking of planting it in the front garden instead of in a pot.

*The ‘fruit days’ period (in biodynamic parlance) ends shortly today, so I went out after I got home and sowed a runner bean I was given yesterday, ‘Aztec Half Runner,’ which is supposed to be quite dwarf, about seven inches tall, as well as my edamame (as I discussed possibly doing in my last post) – soy beans ‘Lucky Lion,’ ‘Moon Cake,’ ‘Kouri,’ and ‘Tankuro’ – and the melons (‘Chanterais,’ ‘Hale’s Best Jumbo,’ and the rather dully named ‘Old Original’) and other cucumber, also a Japanese one (‘Soyu’).  I am, in fact, somewhat sensitive to cucumbers, and so I thought I would try growing the ones that we English speakers call ‘Japanese,’ which are supposed to have both a different chemical composition and a different taste than European cucumbers.  ‘Moon Cake’ is a bit of a mystery to me – it seems to barely be offered by any companies (if even that), and even the one that I ordered it from over the winter no longer lists it on their website!  It was just introduced earlier this decade, according to what I read this morning, and is supposed to be much taller than most edamames, averaging 5-6 feet.  My other three are all from Kitazawa Seed Co., one green seeded, one brown seeded, and one black seeded.  (See their descriptions pasted below.)  Green seeded soybeans are by far the most common ones in the US, perhaps because many catalogs erroneously list other seed colors as being only for dry beans (in reality, whether the beans can be eaten fresh has nothing to do with the color of the planted seed).

*The purple-podded beans have started to sprout, joining earliest bean ‘Arikara Yellow.’  So far, ‘Blue Coco,’ ‘Trionfo Violetto,’ and ‘Purple Podded’ are coming up.  (See descriptions pasted below.)  The runner beans have yet to show sprouts.

*I noticed while I was out sowing that the blueberries seem to have doubled in leaf numbers just since I mulched them with compost two days ago.

*The fava/broad beans are doing even better now that it’s cooled off.  They’ve increased their bloom count.  The ants are obsessed with wandering back and forth on them, like they always do.  I’ve never figured out why.  (There are certain other plants in the garden that they are also obsessed with – especially my autumn-blooming colchicums, but only when they’re in bloom.)

*Continuing my disappointment with Cook’s Garden (sure do wish I’d remembered Burpee’s had bought them out before I ordered), they just notified me yesterday that they were finally shipping my shallots.  It had been so long that I had actually forgotten I’d ordered shallots from them!  The notice piously said that they were shipping at the right time for me to plant them in my area, but it is well past the best time to plant shallots here.  Johnny’s Select Seed sent me their shallots a couple of months ago, and Moose Tubers (the root slips division of Fedco Co-Op) sent theirs a few weeks later.  (Both those are in Maine.  Cook’s Garden is farther away, in Pennsylvania.)  Well, hopefully they will be OK planted this coming week (they have yet to arrive), even though they should have been sent earlier.   My already-planted shallots appear to be doing well.

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Soybean ‘Kouri’ Brown-seeded soybeans are uncommon in the United States. They are highly prized in Japan for their sweeter and nuttier flavor compared to the traditional green/tan seeded soybeans. Even though the seed for planting is brown, you will find the color of the bean dark green at harvest and it retains this color when cooked. The pod’s pubescence is light brown. The plant habit is semi-upright growing about 2 feet tall. Warm day temperatures and cool night temperatures are important for good results. This is an early maturing variety and seeds are sown from early May after danger of all frost to late June and harvested from late July to early September. Boil in salted water and bite or squeeze the beans from the pods directly into your mouth. Maturity: Approx. 85 days  (Kitazawa Seed Co.)

Soybean ‘Tankuro’ In Japan, the black-seeded soybeans are noted as having a richer and sweeter flavor compared to the traditional green/tan seeded soybeans. Even though the seed for planting is black, you will find the color of the bean dark green at harvest and it retains this color when cooked. The pod’s pubescence is light brown. The plant habit is semi-upright growing up to 2½ feet tall. Warm day temperatures and cool night temperatures are important for good results. This is an early maturing variety and seeds are sown from late April after danger of all frost to early June and harvested from mid July to late August. Boil pods in salted water and bite or squeeze the beans from the pods directly into your mouth. Enjoy! Maturity: Approx. 85 days  (Kitazawa Seed Co.)

Soybean ‘Lucky Lion’ This variety of soybean is prized for its high yield and excellent nutty flavor. There are typically 3 beans per each bright green pod. This is a mid-early maturing type variety, indeterminate type and grows about 2 feet tall. Warm day temperatures and cool night temperatures are important for good results. Prepare as an appetizer by boiling pods in salted water and serve cooked beans or “edamame.” Maturity: Approx. 75 days (Kitazawa Seed Co.)

Pole Bean ‘Trionfo Violetto’ Purple climbing French type bean. 75 days. Beautiful bean, long, slim and very crisp. Makes a stunning fresh bean salad when mixed with one of our green and yellow french beans. Turns green when cooked. Like most French type beans, should be picked when no thicker than a pencil for greatest tenderness and best flavor.  (imported from an Italian seed company)

Pole Bean ‘Blue Coco’ 59 days. Distinctive flavor and color. [Pre-1775 French heirloom.] The name ‘Blue Coco’ refers to the bluish-purple color of the pods and the chocolate (coco) color of the seeds. Leaves are green, tinged with purple. The fleshy, slightly curved flattened pods range from 6 to 7-1/2 in. long, and have a nice meaty flavor. Outstanding characteristics of this variety are color and ability to produce under hot, dry conditions. (Southern Exposure Seed Exchange)  I love ‘Blue Coco’ so much that here is a second description about it to entice you: Blue Coco (pre-1775) – Also known as Purple Pod and Blue Podded Pole. One of the oldest of the purple podded pole varieties, this rare variety was known in France as early as 1775. The young pods are delicious harvested young as snap beans and the beige to “coco” colored seeds have a meaty texture when used as a dry bean. The coloration of the dry seed varies with soil and climate. It is very durable and excellent for short season climates because it is quite early for a pole bean and is also very tolerant of adverse conditions. (60 days for snaps) Pole. EXTREMELY RARE. (pasted from Heritage Harvest Seeds in the UK)

Pole Bean ‘Purple Podded Pole’ This is a heavenly, almost fluorescent purple pole bean, hailing from the Ozark mountains. This lovely heirloom beauty was found growing in a garden the 1930’s by the old Henry Fields Seed Company. It is most likely of European origin and probably dating much earlier than that . Very vigorous grower of vines reaching easily over 6 -8 feet , but not out of control like some pole types I have grown. […] These gorgeous snap beans are stringless, nice and meaty . They are less than 1/2 inch across by about 5-7 inches long. The entire bean plant just glows and is quite ornamental with purple vines and veins in the leaves, and as you can see in the photo lovely bi-colored purple flowers as well. Fairly early for a pole sort. Seed is a buff brown color, with a hint of lavender.  (Amishland Seeds)

Two beautiful mild spring days / More root crops / Lentils / Perennials 12 April 2009

[Started on the 10th] The past two days have been beautiful, mild, windy, mostly sunny spring days – perfect for spring gardening.  Yesterday I planted several of the things from the photo in my last post of what had needed to be planted as of the 4th – two each of parsley (it is called ‘Sal’s Choice’ on the front of the tag, though I believe it has a different cultivar name on the back; from Gilbertie’s Herbs [Sal is Gilbertie’s head], it is the same parsley that performed so spectacularly for me last year), borage, and dill (‘Fernleaf’), as well as the potted shallots (a brown-skinned one from Gilbertie’s; no cultivar name on the tag) and two hen-and-chicks (Semperviven) that I got at the nursery yesterday.   I also weeded out the latest maple seedlings to sprout.  These cool, wet springs of recent years have been perfect for them to have a very high rate of germination.   Then today I planted shallots from Johnny’s Selected Seeds and sowed a bunch of root crop seeds.   The shallots are ‘Pikant,’ but Johnny’s own description isn’t particularly informative, so here’s a compilation of descriptions from two other websites:

Pikant has a wonderfully robust flavour and produces smaller bulbs that crop very heavily. One of the earliest red shallots. Probably the earliest of all shallots, this Dutch red variety produces a heavy crop of smaller bulbs that have an intense flavour.  It is not unusual for this variety to be ready for harvesting in July – yet often it will keep firm and well until the following May.  Couple this with an excellent resistance to bolting and it is easy to understand why it is so popular.

To make a bed for them, I had to dig up some more grass.  I ended up with a few extra bulbs because even though I might have had enough space to plant them all, I’m also getting shallots from Moose Tubers and Cook’s Garden (the latter of which I unfortunately forgot had been bought by Burpee’s till after I ordered), so I’ll need that space for the others.  It’s too bad my first box of ‘Pikant’ was stolen, as the (opened, empty [even of the receipt!]) box arrived in time that I could have taken the extra ones to the garden club meeting to see who wanted them.  Ah, well.   I’ll also need to dig up grass to make room for the blueberry bushes (still living in my kitchen at the moment; I’m waiting to plant them till the local shrubs have leafed out, since they are already leafed out) and probably also for the sunchokes from Moose Tubers.

Anyhow, I also sowed some more root crops, as it is (as you may have already guessed) a ‘root day’ in biodynamic growing parlance:

Radish ‘Red Meat’ This is a Chinese radish with a round shape and a red-colored flesh and green shoulder and is also called watermelon radish. It is juicy and sweet tasting. Harvest when roots reach 3″ in diameter. Use for pickling or cooking. Called “beauty heart” in Chinese, it looks lovely in a salad. In Northern China, this radish is carved into various flower shapes for use as a festive garnish. Maturity: Approx. 60 days  (Kitazawa Seed)

Radish ‘Green Meat’ This Chinese radish has an oblong shape and dark green colored neck and green flesh. The root grow approximately 10″ long and 3″ diamerter. It is juicy and sweet. Harvest when roots reach 6″ long. Use for pickling, cooking and salad. This radish keeps exceptionally well and is highly prized in Asia for its sweetness and juiciness. Maturity: Approx. 60 days  (Kitazawa Seed)

Radish ‘Japanese Long Scarlet’ This specialty radish is particularly popular in Japan’s home gardens. Scarlet on the outside, the flesh of this slender 6″ radish is white. Great for pickling, this radish is also quite at home in a fresh salad. Maturity: Approx. 25 days  (Kitazawa)

Daikon Radish ‘Iwai Daikon’ Unique for its small size, this traditional radish has long been a favorite in Japan for special celebrations, such as the New Year. The white root grows to a slender 1” diameter at the base of a clump of lovely green leaves. This variety of radish carries the designation Yamato yasai, which means it has been selected as a Nara traditional vegetable. The Iwai Daikon is perfect for a number of traditional Japanese New Year’s recipes, such as namasu (radish pickles) or ozoni, a shrimp and vegetable soup. Maturity: Approx. 50 days  (Kitazawa)

Radish ‘White Icicle’ Highly tolerant of heat, White Icicle is a 5″ white radish very popular in Japan’s home gardens. The beautiful root is crispy, mild and juicy when harvested young. Grate this crunchy radish in a fresh salad. This variety stores well and is perfect for pickling. Maturity: Approx. 29 days  (Kitazawa)

Bunching Onion (Splitting Type) ‘Evergreen White Nebuka’ This is a splitting type onion with long, slender white stalks in tight clusters. Hardy and cold resistant. Use fresh or cooked. Essential to Japanese and Chinese cooking, green onions are used as a garnish for baked fish, in soups, noodle dishes, or in stir-fries.  (Kitazawa)

Onion ‘Red Marble Cipollini’ A beautiful miniature, flattened Italian onion with a hearty, pungent flavor. A versatile onion, it can be planted at normal density (about 2 inches apart) for a nice cipollini size and shape, or planted at an extra high density for smaller red pearl onions. Stores well, holding its excellent red color throughout the skin.  (Cook’s Garden)

Onion ‘Barletta’ Small white onion. Early.  Great with peas in the spring. No more than 3/4 inch across. Pickle, use on skewers, whole in soups, etc. Direct seed and use thinnings in salads or use transplants.  (Seeds from Italy)

Radish Mix Formula mix of round radish of different colors. Includes red, white, yellow and purple. Taste & color for the salad. (Seeds from Italy)

The Chinese immigrant I know here says that daikons and long green radishes (like the above-mentioned ‘Green Meat’) are the two most common types in China, at least in their region (they are from the Beijing area).  I got the impression that they had not encountered the small, round radishes so typical of American markets until they moved to the States.  In Spanish there is a specific word for those radishes, rabanitos, and in my books from Europe they also are mentioned as one of many types of radishes.  It seems it is only here in the States that they are the standard kind rather than either one of many kinds or quite uncommon.

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By the time I am wrapping up this post, it is two days after I began it (now the 12th).  It’s not beautifully mild any more; in fact, it’s frigid and gusty despite the sunshine.  Yesterday and the night before, it rained and rained (with flurries in some nearby towns), and last night was very cold for mid-April.  Tonight it is supposed to be colder yet. So goes New England weather.  The dill and borage I planted earlier this week are sort of flattened by the wind, though they seem to be holding their own.  You can almost always tell which end of my garden is the leeward side.

I haven’t talked here yet about how I am planning to do a trial of growing lentils.  It is something I have never done before, and I am curious to see what it is like.  I bought a couple packets of them on impulse (which seems to often be how my trials begin!), before even knowing how to grow them.  I tried to look it up online, but didn’t really find much information in English.  I then looked through my books, but only found two that even mentioned growing lentils.  Both were in books I picked up in used books stores this spring.  The first, The Art of French Vegetable Gardening, simply mentions in passing that one of the major display partierres in France plants lentils at the same time as peas and fava/broad beans.  That at least gave me an idea of when to plant them (in other words: as soon as possible).  But I was also curious about their needs, their preferences, and such.  I looked in How to Grow Vegetables and Fruits by the Organic Method, an old, old spine-cracked, cloth-bound copy of the book written by J.I. Rodale himself (founder of Rodale Press, which was one of the major organic presses in the early days of a codified movement to re-emphasize growing organically, though these days [in my opinion] the press seems to generally emphasize style more than substance).  It goes into some detail about their cultivation, but notes at the end that they aren’t nearly as productive per plant as many other crops, and recommends they only be grown by homesteaders with a lot of space (I think his exact phrase might be “unlimited space,” but really, who anywhere has truly unlimited space?).  Well, that’s all right; soy beans aren’t really overly productive either, as I’ve mentioned here before, but I still enjoy growing them and they are an excellent cover crop that helps the soil regardless of the lesser productivity.  I love how you can just bury legumes in the soil after they’re done producing and they’ll break down lickety-split, so fast that many people recommend not even taking the step of throwing them in the compost pile.

After reading about lentils, I thumbed through the book a bit more, having still not had the chance to read through the entire thing.  I happened upon the section on rutabagas (AKA Swedes).  I love rutabagas (as I love most root crops) and they are difficult to find here, aside from ocassionally being able to find what I believe is ‘Purple Top,’ so I had been planning to grow them in a couple of half-barrel pots this year with the long carrots, long daikons, parsnips, salsify, scorzonera, and an experiment involving trying burdock (OK, so I always have bigger plans than my space will probably allow).  However, the book mentions something I’d never read/heard before – that rutabagas have an extremely extensive root system, quickly (I mean seriously rapidly) going down three feet, and implying they keep going.  According to the book, this actually makes them much more drought tolerant than many other crops, which certainly makes sense if the root system thing is accurate. Anyway, the point is that I am now considering edging my crop patch with them this summer.  I’m somewhat concerned about the rocky nature of the soil, since rutabagas are so large, but it certainly doesn’t seem like pots would be appropriate for them, and I’m also now very curious to see how well the plants would stand up to truly hot, sere conditions like my windy, sunny front garden’s summertime ones.

I stopped by the nursery this morning, wanting some annual besides pansies and violas (no offense to their lovely cheer), hoping they’d have sweet alyssum in, as the seedlings are but wee things in the garden and I always like starting out with some plants and letting the seedlings take over in the course of the growing season.  However, they don’t have any in yet; the only other annual they had added was African daisies.  I got a few of them.  Last year they did best during spring and autumn, not doing much in the way of blooming during the searing heat of summertime, so I want to plant them soon so they’ll put on a good show before hot weather arrives.  They’ve gotten a lot of shipments of perennials in since the last time I looked at more than the herbs and the annuals, and I ended up getting some of those as well:  two more of the unsung hero Mt. Atlas daisy (my current one was shaded out pretty badly last growing season and I’m not sure it survived); another yarrow ‘Coronation Gold’; another perennial candytuft and another basket-of-gold (different cultivars than the one of each already in my garden – they both did so well last spring); and a pot of blue-flowering ornamental onions.  I was stunned to  be far from the only customer at the nursery on a frigid, gusty Easter morning.