Josh Kilmer-Purcell's Blog, page 125

Zone 10: Selecting the Trellises and Planting your Seedlings

Deputy Gardener Dianne Reed shares details and photos of her newly installed garden beds.

Good morning Beekman 1802 gardeners !  I hope this email finds you all with dirty knees and happy hearts.  My garden bed is finally finished.  It took over 60 wheelbarrow runs to fill in the bed but I am very happy with the outcome.  I am also pleased to report that I am still happily married to the most wonderful husband in the world.  His patience, strength and construction knowledge really paid off in building the raised garden bed.  Needless to say, we had totally different ideas on how to approach this project but it was a great success !  The bed is just about 120 square feet and should support most, if not all, of the vegetable seedlings which have grown, and grown and grown.  The fabled Jack's beanstalk cannot compare to the Beekman 1802 Heirloom Beans !  They are pictured below on the far right.

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I have done some web research regarding the many different ways to trellis beans and cucumbers.  I love the idea the Beekman Boys came up with using livestock panels.  Of course living in Palm Beach County, Florida, finding a farm supply store may be yet another challenge, but I am up for the task.  For more information on these great trellises, see the Beekman Boys' great article on the garden website.  Here are a couple of pictures of my raised bed.

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Now comes the exciting part, planting.  For best results, refer to your garden checklist.  I planted most of the seedlings a couple of inches below the soil.  After a couple of days, once the seedlings have adjusted to their new home, I will fertilize the plants.  I am keeping a garden journal documenting everything from date planted, depth and width apart, air temperature and wind direction, and fertilization.  That way, next year, we will know what worked and what did not.

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You probably noticed that I had to cut back part of the vine on the fence.  With the assistance of my wonderful husband, we installed an automatic sprinkler head in the middle which adjusts to various heights.  As the vegetables grow, we can adjust the height and direction of the spray.  Also, should we need to get away for a long weekend, the garden will be watered automatically.  Again, an idea borrowed from the Beekman Boys.  I have learned so much from everyone involved in this community garden project and chatted with some really great people along the way.  Thank you Brent and Josh for inspiring us and bringing us all together !  Until the next post, keep happy thoughts and keep those gardening questions coming.

Sorting My Seeds

Planning a vegetable garden takes a lot of things into consideration, many of which there just isn't room to talk about here today so I'm going to confine my comments to getting some seeds into the ground.

[image error]This is the first week of March and in San Diego County that means the tail end of one vegetable season and the start of another. Most vegetables fall into one of two groups: cool season or warm season. Typical of cool season vegetables are peas, lettuces, carrots, radishes, and the brassica vegetables (broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips). Warm season vegetables thrive in and even need the long summer days: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, beans and squash.

In our garden, cool season vegetables need to be harvested by the time May comes around and the average temperatures are in the mid-70s. However, cool season vegetables can go into the vegetable garden in the fall for harvests all winter. Many vegetables actually improve with falling temperatures. They say that brussel sprouts are sweeter after a frost. Well, that's doesn't happen here much but it is nice to think about.

This year, particularly, affords me the opportunity to be a Johnny-come-lately to the cool season veggies. We are experiencing a La Nina weather pattern, meaning we are having below normal temps. I'm going to put in carrots, radishes, and spinach because if the weather gets too warm in April, I can still harvest the immature vegetables. Baby carrots, right? Spinach has just 55 "Days to Maturity" and there are only 25 days for radishes. I'll reserve some of my seeds to do this again in October. I have been told that here in San Diego's inland valleys we can plant cool season vegetables in September but the average temperature is still in the high 80s and sometimes much more.

[image error]The last thing to do before putting these seeds in the vegetable bed is to add some more compost to the soil. If you look at the picture on the right, you will see that this weekend I sifted compost from one of our bins and dumped it in the bed before digging it in. I'm also going to add a little fertilizer – just an all-purpose organic product. A local celebrity gardener recommends Milorganite(tm). Organic fertilizers are preferable because inorganic fertilizers are salts and I have a problem with salts in my soil. The point of the fertilizer, even though I am adding plentiful amounts of compost and all its nutrients, is that California soils are generally low in nitrogen, the nutrient essential for the plants to form healthy and strong leafy parts. I'll also check the pH of the soil and correct if it is too acidic.

I really should say something about my warm season vegetables. In our heirloom seed packs, that would include beans, cucumbers, peppers, pumpkin, winter squash and tomatoes. In my zone, this is the best time to start peppers and tomatoes inside so that I can set them in the ground next month. The ground is still too cold for good germination. I actually did take the temperature of the ground last week and it was only 65° on a relatively sunny day. That can slow the germination down considerably. What might take a week or two inside could take a month or more outside. But of more concern to me is the nighttime temps, which are still dipping pretty low and could really damage the seedlings. The average for this time of year is the mid-40s but with La Nina hanging around, it could be lower.

I'll tell you the "inside story" next week.

Laurie Gore is the Deputy Heirloom Gardener for Zone 9. She and her husband Frank live in Bonita, California, just a few miles north of the US/Mexico border. Laurie and Frank are celebrating their 28th anniversary this month.

Mad (Soil) Science

Getting the Low Down on Dirt….

The truth is you don't have to be a biologist, a geologist, or a chemist to be a good gardener but you should pay some attention to a few things early on to assure all your hard work turns into a good harvest later.

One of the simplest things you can do is test the pH of your soil. For just a couple of dollars, you can buy a test kit at most garden centers and in a very few minutes you'll know if your soil is acidic or alkaline.

[image error]I picked up two versions of one manufacturer's pH test. In my photo, the vial in the center and the hangcard on the right are a one-time pH test kit. The container on the left comes from a kit that includes enough material to run the pH test ten times. Both were inexpensive and this is not the only brand out there. I bought this because my favorite garden center had these on display when I was looking to buy. The kits are similar to the chemical tests you might use for pools and spas.

It's so easy. Take a soil sample, mix it with a little distilled water and an additive the kit provides, shake until the additive is completely dissolved, and leave it to "develop" for five or ten minutes.

[image error]I tested two samples: the soil in my vegetable bed and my finished compost. I'm not sure if my photo shows the results well but the soil had a pH of 6.0 and the compost was 6.5. Why test my compost separately? Vanity. I'm new to composting and I'm excessively proud of my efforts. I wanted to prove to myself that my compost was relatively neutral – as it should be. Well-composted materials will always be close to a 7.0 neutral reading and will help the soil approach the same. For that reason, I wanted to test my pre-amended soil to make sure it was also within an acceptable range.

Most vegetables do just fine between 6.0 and 7.0. A notable exception is potatoes. They like the soil a little more acidic and, though they will grow in soil with a higher pH, they will be more susceptible to certain diseases like scab.

Why is pH important? Having properly balanced soil allows the plant to absorb the nutrients it needs. I was reading about how this happens on a molecular level and, honestly, it is so complex that my head hurts.

I'm lucky that I can rest on my laurels and do nothing about my pH but what about you? It totally depends on the results you get. This is when knowing the staff at your local garden center pays off. The pH reading you get is probably typical of your region and they will help you pick a soil amendment to correct your specific problem.

Next comes Geology. Soil ideal for plant growth has mineral matter, organic matter, water and air. The mineral content is divided into three categories – sand, silt, and clay – identified by the size of the mineral particles.

On our property, we have a lot of clay: the soil particles are very, very small – microscopic, in fact. Sandy soil has much larger particles, visible to the naked eye. Silt is somewhere in between. Another term you will hear is "loam," a combination of the three. The type of soil you have will give you information about its texture and (my topic for today) is predictive of drainage.

You can test your soil drainage very easily: dig a hole about a foot deep and a foot wide and fill with water. After it has drained away, fill the hole again. Time how quickly it drains. It should take three or four hours. Faster than that, you could have a lot of sand and will have to amend with something to help hold the moisture. Slower, you may have clay and you need to incorporate amendments to allow water to pass through more quickly.

[image error]How bad is my clay soil? I picked a spot I knew was most undisturbed clay. The second filling was only half gone after twelve hours. For several years now, we have been mulching the soil in our backyard with wood chips. The obvious reason is to keep down the weeds but as the chips decompose, they add organic matter to the soil, improving its structure. When we put in a cactus and succulent garden a few months ago, to make sure those plants had more favorable conditions, we created a raised bed and added lots and lots of sand to improve drainage. I've included a photo to show how granulated the amended soil is.

Why is drainage important? "Vegetables don't like to stand in water." That's what people will say about plants that are sensitive to slow drainage. In reality, waterlogged soils have no room for air – the plants are drowning. Alternatively, if your soil drains too quickly, plants won't have a chance to absorb enough water and nutrients. Either example of poor drainage can also increase susceptibility to disease.

[image error]While you have that cubic foot of soil dug out, you can do another little test: check your earthworm population. In a cubic foot of soil, you should have 15 or 20 worms (even counting little babies). Earthworms will help your soil structure and will increase the available nutrients. Even as they are adding castings to the soil, their little tunnels help drainage. Earthworms cause no damage to a growing plant – they only consume decaying organic material. If you have just a few worms, the population will grow if you have a healthy, active garden.

The last bit of science I want to talk about relates to seeds I'm starting indoors. Because we are experiencing a La Nina weather pattern this winter, summer will come early but I still don't have confidence that nighttime lows won't cause damage. Also, starting them indoors allows me to lavish attention on the seedlings and protect them from pests. When starting seeds, some people use garden soil and/or compost but I prefer a seed starting mix. There are several brands and I don't have a preference except I am looking for a sterile, soilless mix.

Soilless? This is when the biology comes in. There are living things in the soil. Totally necessary to healthy plant life are good fungi, bacteria and nematodes. But then there are the bad fungi, bacteria, nematodes, plus viruses, protozoa, and more – these are called pathogens. There are pathogens in all soils. But a seedling that has been given a chance to grow and develop a little before set out into the garden is stronger and more resistant to disease.

I can't tell you how many times I've lost a seedling to "damping off," a deadly infection by a fungus. Now this is interesting because before I figured out the clay soil issue, poor drainage provided the ideal conditions for fungi to infect my young plants. These are not all separate topics but factors that interact closely in a garden.

As I am starting this year's vegetable garden, these were the things that I found myself thinking about that came from book learning and from more experienced gardeners.

Laurie Gore is the Deputy Heirloom Gardener for Zone 9. She has taken a pH Test and is neutral. She and her husband Frank live in Bonita, California.

More Fabulous Than Ever

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Sometimes life is like running a marathon, but this Sunday, sit back and let Planet Green and The Fabulous Beekman Boys run the marathon for you!

It's a marathon of Season 1 made more fab with pop-ups of behind the scenes info just like this:

Kicky Chipotle Catsup

 

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Some summers we're blessed with so many tomatoes, we struggle with how to use them all.  We've never been a fan of catsup.  Sugar and tomatoes seemed like a totally unnecessary combination, but met one summer with some free time and a bountiful harvest we worked up this recipe.

It makes a perfect dipping sauce if you decide to use our Potatoes Newman recipe to create some tasty hors d'oeuvres.  Salty and sweet can't be beat.

 

Kicky Chipotle Catsup

(Will make about a pint)

Ingredients

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon of Vietnamese cinnamon

1 teaspoons whole cloves

1 teaspoon celery seed

8 pounds tomatoes

1 medium onion, chop

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons salt

 

Instructions

1 In a small sauce pan combine the vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, and celery seed. Bring to boiling. Remove from heat; cover and let stand.

2 Wash, core, and quarter tomatoes; drain in colander, discarding liquid.

3 Place tomatoes in a large pot or kettle. Stir in onion and chipotle. Bring to boiling. Cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4  Put tomato mixture through food mill or coarse sieve. Discard seeds and skins.

5 Stir sugar into tomato mixture. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer briskly, uncovered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until mixture is reduced to half

6 Strain vinegar mixture into tomato mixture; discard spices. Stir in lemon juice and salt.

7 Simmer about 30 minutes or until desired consistency, stirring often. If you want a smoother consistency, you can use a hand-held mixer to blend.

(Heat seal in smaller jars for later use)

Ba Ba, Black Sheep

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"Goats are like dogs, sheep are like cats," said Farmer John when I told him of our plans to add to the Beekman menagerie

It's true.  As much as you would like the  sheep to give you kisses like the goats do, they are, in fact, a bit… sheepish.

There are very few flocks of Black Welsh Mountain sheep in North America.  There are only about 800 of them on the entire continent, and two of those reside at The Beekman Farm (and two more at Cantitoe Corners, Martha Stewart's farm in Bedford, NY).

Lady and Ba Ba are completely black (yes, they were named after the rhyme 'Ba, Ba Black Sheep' after Lady GaGa because we must have heard her songs over a thousand times during the road trip we took to pick them up.)  Their eyes are black, their fleece, and even their gums and tongue.   They have no wool on their faces or on the legs below the knee.

Lady was born on March 9, 2010

BaBa was born on April 30, 2010

The soft black wool of the Black Welsh Sheep is often used to produce checked tweeds.  Who knows what new ideas we'll come up with once Lady and Ba Ba receive their first haircut.

Any suggestions?  Leave them in the comment section below.

 

 

Dark Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies with Orange.

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Brent picked out this "perfect" cookie to photograph.

 

I don't know how many people know this, but Toll House is one of my advertising clients. How lucky am I? Yep, I can ask for packages of morsels any time I want. For "research," of course. Purely for research.

But even if they weren't a client of mine, I've got to admit that there really isn't a better chocolate chip cookie recipe than the one on the back of the Toll House package. I mean, let's face it…they've had 81 years to perfect it. (Read the Toll House story here.) Believe me, I've tried to get all fancy with cookie recipes. But I still haven't beat that recipe. Doesn't mean I'll quit trying.

Here's one variation of their recipe that I made recently that I felt actually added to the original recipe rather than subtracted from it. It combines three of my favorite dessert ingredients: dark chocolate, hazelnuts and orange zest. The only downside? There aren't dark chocolate Toll House morsels on the market. Yet. I'm working on it. Gotta make that one happen. It will probably take lots of "research." Wink.

To make these cookies follow the original Toll House recipe (found here) with these added directions:

Take two cups of whole, shelled hazelnuts, spread them on a cookie sheet, and roast in 375 degree oven. If your hazelnuts have skins, roast until skins blister and turn a deeper brown. (Begin checking for done-ness at five minutes. Check every minute afterward to prevent nuts from burning.) If your nuts don't have skins, roast until surface is a slightly deeper brown and the oven is filled with scent. Once fully roasted, remove nuts from oven. If the nuts have skins, pour into a clean dishtowel. Gather the towel of nuts into a satchel and roll around on counter, pressing down with hands. As the nuts rub against the towel, their skins will be removed.

Roughly chop cooled nuts in food processor or coffee grinder. You should wind up with just over a cup of chopped nuts.

Replace the Toll House morsels in the recipe with an equal weight of dark chocolate bar, chopped into morsel-sized pieces. (Until, of course, I get my way and dark chocolate morsels are on the shelves.)

Combine ingredients as per the Toll House recipe. After adding the broken dark chocolate and nut pieces, stir in the zest from two oranges (One, if you don't want the citrus flavor to be too strong.) Bake according to directions.

Maybe it's not better than the original recipe. But give me time. I've got till I'm 82-years-old to top it.

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Lazy Wife Beans

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When faced with the huge variety of seeds available, it can be a challenge to choose only one of each vegetable for your garden. After all, you only need one, right? Well, not so fast!

There are actually a few good reasons to plant a variety of varieties in your garden, especially when you are getting started. There are so many different varieties, because they all thrive under various conditions. Some do better in the hot, humid summers of the Gulf Coast, while others grow better in the moderate temperatures of Oregon. Some are more or less resistant to bugs, which may or may not live in your area. And some do better in clay or sandy soils.

A couple years ago, I decided to plant three different types of pole beans because I wanted to harvest the seeds for cooking a variety of dishes after the green beans were too mature to be picked and eaten as string beans. I chose the Cherokee bean because it had a black seed, the rattlesnake bean because its seed looked a lot like a pinto, and the lazy wife bean because its seed was white. But I received an added bonus.

In the middle of summer when the Japanese beetles arrived for their annual buffet on our Illinois garden, they congregated on [image error]the lazy wife beans, almost completely ignoring the Cherokee and rattlesnake beans. My normal modus operandi for killing the beetles is to go outside near sundown with a bucket of soapy water and knock the beetles into the suds. Their infatuation with the lazy wife beans made my job much easier because I knew where to find all of them. The ultimate harvest from the lazy wife was quite a bit smaller than the other beans, but the green beans from the other plants were pristine, because the beetles had ignored them.

At first, I thought that we would not plant the lazy wife again, because they were obviously not at all resistant to the Japanese beetles, but after doing a bit of research, I learned that the idea of planting a sacrificial crop is not a new one. So, last year, we planted the same three types of beans, as well as two new varieties, and the beetles once again lunched on the lazy wife beans and ignored the rest.

Although the lazy wife beans might not be the answer to your gardening problems, if you plant a variety of varieties, you will figure out which ones grow best in your area.

Well-observed

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On a recent winter drive with a friend, I was marveling at the beauty of the icicles—the long fingers of winter gripping the buildings of Sharon Springs.

My travel companion, the ever-practical Megan Holken, pointed out that icicles forming on the eaves indicate where heat is escaping from the structure.

This knowledge immediately made me start to see things differently. It reminded me that there's a difference between looking at the world and observing it.

To observe is to try to understand and make sense of the things you see.

The single most common question I get asked is if I have any regrets about leaving the practice of medicine.

The spontaneous response is 'no'.

But that definitive answer doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the process and the experience.

One of the most powerful aspects of medical training is developing the skill of observation.

 

A vertical crease in the ear lobe might indicate heart disease

Dry and brittle hair could be a thyroid condition.

And I could tell some things about the conditions of your lungs by looking at your fingernails.

But just because you have a skill, doesn't mean you always use it.

Now that the winter is starting to loosen its grip, allowing spring to surface, there's no better opportunity to brush off those skills.

See how one of the first rituals of spring at Beekman Farm has changed us.  Click here

Share with us your observations of the season in the comments section below.

Fashion Icons?

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Bloomingdales NYC

Bloomingdales devoted their window display to the Beekman Boys.  No doubt that before long everyone will be walking down the street in muck boots.

Brent knows he's pretty stiff, but who do you think makes the better mannequin?