The Reclaiming Dinner Project

Kale at 10 days

2011-05-05T17:46:00.001-04:00

You have to love kale. 10 days after planting I have lovely healthy sprouts popping up.
The best way to thin kale is to pinch off the smaller plants and eat them.
Trust me. Eat the sprouts.
You can do this for radishes, too... in fact all your greens will be yummy as sprouts.

Dirty Hands

2011-05-03T13:44:00.003-04:00

This seems to be the year of the kids at The Reclaiming Dinner Project. Many of the recipients of my tomato plants have kids, which was why I grew cherry tomatoes in a variety of colours. I also have been handing out kid-friendly seeds to friends / co-workers / strangers who have kids in the hopes that they might get the next generation excited about growing food. White, purple and Nantes ("real" baby) carrots (again for the colour palate), mild radishes and different greens (for the gratification of quick sprouting), sunflowers and marigolds... seeds as nature's toy box.

I will admit that I am chatty, enthusiastic and eager to involve as many people in my project as possible. And so early one spring morning I was talking with a fellow dog-walker at my conservation area (whose dogs are tolerant of my over-sized Great Dane, and who walks his dogs as early in the AM as I do mine) about spring. Scott is a teacher, and seems like the kind you would hope your kids would get - dedicated, energetic and curious. He mentioned an idea for a class project - to get the students to find examples of spring's arrival. Of course I launch into seeds which leads into a Sunday AM meeting where I hand over jiffy pellets, trays, lids and seeds.

This morning I ran into him again, and he updated me: most of the seeds have sprouted and the kids are totally into it. We discuss the curiosity of kids, especially at 11 years old; how the act of passing on the knowledge of where food comes from and the sharing of the means to feed ourselves is a completely worthwhile exercise.

It turns out that the kids have their own blog. I've invited Scott and his kids to contribute to this blog so that we can share first-hand their enthusiasm and wonder. I have the hope that they learn to love their dirty hands and watching their seeds grow into small plants, that they will take their lessons home and share them with their parents. That maybe a few more gardens will be planted, and that more dinners might be created at home.

The logistics of hardening off during a rainy spring

2011-05-01T09:58:00.011-04:00

It has rained pretty much the entire month of April. It has also been cold and dreary and the version of spring that no one really likes... Spring showers sound so charming and so "I'm singing in the rain", but spring rain is just cold and wet. The Farmer's Almanac warned of a colder, wetter April (and part of May, too... ugh) and so it has been. But perhaps it has also been like a genuine spring as opposed to the hot, dry springs of the last couple of years that have really felt like summer (as in "we skipped from winter to summer and missed spring entirely"). So as a result our property is soaking wet, our rain barrels are already 1/2 full, and I'm sure the well is comfortably replenished. It has also meant my peas took 28 days before they broke ground, I haven't had to worry about the carrots and parsnips germinating, and yesterday was the first day I could hang laundry out on the line.

So comes the difficulty of hardening off the 93 tomato plants that I've got thriving in the basement (safe and warm under lights, and destined to be given away). We have a covered front porch which gets very little sun until late afternoon, and which is perfect for the first day or so (no matter if it rains). But eventually sun will have to come into the equation, so the south-facing back deck is the next stop in the process. However there is no protection from the rain or wind back there, which means I have to be extremely diligent in keeping an eye on them (not to mention managing my time). But how to harden the plants off if it doesn't stop raining?? And how to harden off 93 tomato plants alone (plus all the peppers, basil, onions and brussle sprouts) while also working full time? While I love my tomato seedlings, I had dreaded hardening them off. Here is where the cold frame comes in (unless you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse)...

A cold frame is basically a slanted box, with some kind of transparent material as a lid (old window panes are commonly used, but I have heard of people using plexiglass or other clear plastics). They are traditionally put right onto the ground, and you can put some cold-tolerant plants into them even weeks before the last average frost date.

You put your seedlings into them, and the seedlings gradually get exposed to the sun and wind, and are gently hardened off. This is all according to what I've read - I am only today the proud possessor of 2 cold frames.

Thankfully yesterday was glorious and sunny and a balmy 15 and so my guy got to building me 2 cold frames. He built them with used window panes (which can be propped up), the sides are made out of recycled coreplast (a baffled plastic material) that we had lying around, with slits in the sides so that the C02 from the plants can vent. He also built them with high sides; I wanted to be sure my tomato plants wouldn't outgrow the box before the weather warmed up enough to plant them out. I put the frames on the deck since our backyard is so wet. The only worry I have is that the spaces between the deck boards lets cold air into the cold frame, and the nights are still cold (although above 0), so I will have to do something to ensure the cold air doesn't damage the plants on cold nights. But yesterday and today I've moved most of the tomatoes, all the basil and of course the onions and brussel sprouts into them.

Yet while I have dreamt of cold frames for years, and have read about them in every "how to grow a garden" book, I realize I don't really know how to use them, or at least not with any degree of confidence. Does one just put the plants in there and walk away (well, keeping an eye on the temperature inside) and then 2 weeks later the plants can be planted out straight from the cold frame? Can they just tolerate being put in the box, exposed to sun without being shaded at first? Will they get enough exposure to wind within the box, only to suffer when they finally leave it? Do they have to be further hardened off once they leave the confines of the box? I haven't found detailed instructions about their use, so I'm winging it based on what little I've read.

I put some of the strongest plants into the cold frames, and for now treat it a bit like a greenhouse - I plan on keeping the panes closed during inclement weather, but will open them up on hot days. I'll also open them up a bit on windy days, to allow the tomatoes to practice a bit of yoga. I have 22 days until the long weekend (the traditional time for planting out tomatoes unless one has a series of cloches or some other type of protection against late spring frost) and so hope that is enough time to iron out any bugs in my novice efforts. By the end of the week I will have moved all the seedlings into the frames, I think.

Without the cold frames, I was facing the prospect of carting that many plants outside and bringing them inside each day for the 7 -10 days it takes to harden them off. Now that they are nestled comfortably in their little house I can focus on hardening them off easily, rather than risk sun- or wind-burning them.

It is raining again today, which might be in my favour. There won't be high hot sun beating through the glass while the tomatoes are acclimatizing to the temperature shift, and they'll hopefully be ready for wind and sun by the time the rains end. It seems unfair that I am far more concerned with how the tomato plants cope than I am about the brussel sprouts, the basil or onion, but that is just my way. I really LOVE growing tomato seedlings.

By the way, I did start to harden many of the tomatoes off yesterday (mostly the exciting cherry varieties), and I was once again shocked and amazed to see how thick the stems got in only a few hours of gentle breeze. Like peas growing, it seems that you could see the tomatoes strengthen if you paid close enough attention.

The Past Week

2011-04-30T14:59:00.004-04:00

After working my butt off last weekend to get the yard in acceptable shape and clear out as much of the veggie patch as possible, it rained. It rained all week. Kind of every day all day rain. I was extremely happy that I had taken the time to get as much accomplished as I did, including getting all the leaf bags into the garage so they wouldn't get soaked.

A week later, the grass is green and all sorts of violets and trilliums are blooming. The seeds I planted with the kids last Monday are sprouting. We've propped the dome covers off and will move them to the window when the pellets have all seeded. Now that they are sprouting the kids are way more excited about them.

Today I hired the teenager next door and his cousin to help me move a wood pile that was taking up part of the veggie patch. My hubby had stacked it there over the winter, not realizing he had put it over not only a fair portion of the border of my garden but also over day lilies. Now the wood pile is tucked away near our back shed, out of sight (hideous blue tarps to keep the rain off included).

The lettuce I planted last weekend hasn't sprouted yet. On the suggestion of my sister, I put straws into the pots to label what I had planted there. I actually put the seed packet in a snack size zip baggie and stapled it to the straw, then inserted the straw in the pot. When I went to look at them last Tuesday (hoping even though we had planted them the day before that I would see some sprouts) the straws were gone! I think some crafty birds took them for their nests, seed packet labels and all.

Today the kids have wanted to be in the front yard all day no matter what I do to try to lure them to the back. Still, I have managed to prune back a dogwood bush and an exotic something-or-other shrub that grows beside our back porch and provides us with gorgeous purple Hibiscus-looking flowers in the summer. I raked out the portion of the garden that the wood had been stacked on.

There is still so much to do to prep the garden patch but today I am going to weed and turn the soil on the 4 x 4 portion I got done last weekend and then we going to put in carrots and more lettuce.

The camera battery is charging but once it's charged, I will take and post some pictures of my accomplishments and include a shot of the amazing table my husband crafted out of old spruce boards last weekend for our deck. It's phenomenal and at 6 feet x 2.5 feet, it's going to be the perfect place to host family and friend gatherings over the summer. I just hope I will be able to have salad bowl full and greens and veggies from my garden to put on it!

Photo by Scott Robinson

Gardening with Kids is Fun . . . But Not So Easy

2011-04-25T13:44:00.002-04:00

Last year Melinda gave us two miniature growing greenhouses with Jiffy pellets to plant seeds with the kids. We didn't get to it last summer and the sight of them at the front door for the past year finally guilted me into planting something with the kids.

Today I rounded up my two and the two little boys next door to bestow upon them the lesson of the importance of growing our own food. I had visions of them surrounding me, overcome with awe as they planted their little seeds in the peat, talking nature and the beauty of life.

Here's what happened instead.

I couldn't get their attention, no matter what tactics I used. My daughter was interested until she put her finger into the wet peat and then she didn't want to do it anymore. My son only made references to how the expanding Jiffy pellets looked like poo. The youngest of the two boys next door didn't come near us the whole time. To my surprise, the oldest, who usually can't hold his attention on anything for more than one minute, was helpful in loosening the screening and fluffing the peat. He also diligently planted the seeds, replaced the dome on the greenhouse and took it into the kitchen. He did this while my son and the other boy next door ran around shooting each other with their pretend guns. My daughter wanted a snack.

I couldn't get a word in edgewise, between the poo comments and the running around and the shooting noises. I tried to stay Zen, sip my coffee and lightly cover over the seeds with the peat. Before I could even finish the second greenhouse, they were all off, running out to the front to play hockey.

I'm pretty sure that once the seeds germinate and poke out of the peat, that their interest will improve. They are all under the age of 7, afterall, and all about the instant gratification. I had Martha Stewart visions of what a bonding and communal experience planting with them would be, but in the end, kids are kids and they bounce around from activity to activity like superballs on sugar.

Since the kids aren't interested, I will post it here that we planted Black Eyed Susan and Calendula seeds. At least someone cares!

Tomato Yoga

2011-04-23T21:57:00.004-04:00

If you read Melinda's most recent post, I'm sure you will delight in the idea of "tomato yoga" as much as I did. The idea of a tomato plant stretching to strengthen and limber its core is beautiful and I can attest that I have in just the past 24 hours seen for myself that this is the case. Yesterday Melinda gifted me with two cherry tomato seedlings. We made a hasty transfer from her car to mine in the cold and windy parking lot of Milestones. She had the pots lovingly wrapped in wet newspaper to give them moisture, and then tin foil to keep them warm. They were nestled in amongst more newspapers in an old hiking shoe box. They are hardy and robust already, even though they are so young.

I brought them home and unwrapped them from all of their dressings. I set up a table in our family room which has a large south-facing patio door and two heat registers. It's a sunroom without the skylights. The kids and I talked about how to be careful around them, especially when opening and closing the patio door. I grimaced as I remembered that our patio door screen often falls and because of some horrible installation prior to us moving here, the screen door was installed on the inside of the door. It often falls off its track and lands on the floor. I moved the plants far enough to the side that they would still get the light, but be out of the way of the dreaded falling screen.

What does this have to do with Tomato Yoga? I'm getting there! We went on with our day. This morning we were up early and getting on with our day but it wasn't until mid-morning when I came into the family room. By then the tomato plants had about 4 hours of full sunlight shining on them. I wanted to check them to see if they needed water or if they were cold and needed to be moved. And there they were: two beauties, green, lush even in their youth, stretching themselves toward the patio door, toward the sunlight. Kind of like downward dog for tomatoes! I turned the pots so they were stretching in the opposite direction and by mid-afternoon, they had stretched back to the patio door.

The miraculousness of this achievement could keep one's mind completely occupied for days, kind of like getting anything done around the house or garden with small children can. I can't wait to see the plants tomorrow, to see them stretching out toward the sun.

It's late evening now and the sky is dark and the blind is closed. The plants are perfectly upright; I imagine it is Mountain Pose and they will hold it until the sun coaxes them into a different stretch in the morning.

Tomato Love

2011-04-18T10:13:00.005-04:00

I have just read that it's healthy for tomato seedlings to have their leaves / stems moved gently while they are still living indoors. The book recounted how a grandchild liked to touch the tomato plants, and how those seedlings had stronger stems for it. The author recommends taking a pencil and brushing it over the plants a couple of times a day. It sounds a bit like tomato yoga - stretching resulting in a strong, limber core.

That theory might explain why my tomato plants have generally been stronger than what every other expert would suggest I have reason to expect. I am not a gentle tomato grower. I transplant some too early, I move them around so they can share the light equally (and banging the pots around in the process). I jolt them, jostle them, and often accidentally push them over with water. But they seem no worse for wear, and in past years have reached the hardening off stage with a bit of sturdiness already. Perhaps, then, my innate clumsiness has some benefits.

People used to say the same thing about roses and African violets. Treat them gently! They're fussy and fragile and moody! They're challenging! I have to disagree - I have found that as long as I water them enough, and (in the cases of roses) prune somewhat, they flower and thrive and seem to enjoy themselves.

But back to the seedlings. I wonder why the prevailing mythology is that growing from seed is difficult / time consuming / space stealing. I wonder how it is that we've become so afraid of starting our own transplants. Despite the number of "self-help" books on the subjects, the "experts" have only reinforced the mystery around seed starting. And the problem with mystifying the process of growing plants from seeds is that it only benefits the nurseries.

This year my process was as basic as could be: soilless mix in a container, seeds into mix, cover, water, wait. Water, wait. Transplant, water, wait. I didn't take a course or apprentice with a gardening master. I read some books and went for it. And despite my lack of education and my haphazard methods, I've had success each year. Tremendous success because not only did my plants start, grow, flower and fruit, but I've been able to share the seedlings with my friends and co-workers and so have spread the joy homegrown food.

I guess my mantra will be "give it a go!" Throw a seed in some dirt and add water. Put it in a sunny window and watch it grow, just like you did in grade 2. It's not a lot harder than that, and just as fun as when you grew sunflowers in styrofoam cups in Ms. Duenechs' class.

Brussel Sprouts

2011-04-14T10:18:00.002-04:00

I don't believe I've ever had a fresh-off-the-stalk brussel sprout. I don't know that I've even had one that was grown anywhere close to my kitchen. And since I do love Brussel Sprouts I've decided to give them a try.

I'm late planting the seeds, of course. By something like 10 weeks, considering my last frost date is Apr. 29. But since they taste best after a frost, and since apparently you can keep the plant alive in the root cellar (toed into sand) for the better part of the winter, I decided that better late than never. I planted 18 cells... I really love brussel sprouts.

It seems that tomatoes seedlings are hardier than I'd given them credit for. The seedlings that had had the mold near them are developing their 2nd set of true leaves, and I found some seedlings in some spilled soil at the bottom of a container I'd abandoned. I transplanted them last night, so it will be interesting to see if they survived.

I really appreciate that tomatoes can withstand my kind of love.

Spring Planting

2011-04-13T10:19:00.005-04:00

Mar. 21

I planted my tomato and red pepper seeds in soilless mix that I had bought in January (back to my super-keen, anxious-for-spring mindset). I used recycled juice /cream / milk containers that I had cut out into flats. I planted them a bit later this year than in previous years, because the Farmer's Almanac says this spring will be wetter and colder than average... I didn't want to have 2' plants in my living room window, waiting to be able to be put in the ground. Within 5 days the cherry tomatoes for the most part had sprouted up (except for the white varieties: the white currant and the white cherry). It was pretty exciting to see them pop up so early, by tomato standards. By day 7 most were fully sprouted. But the standards and peppers weren't showing much action...

Mar. 24

I noticed that mold had developed along the cardboard dividers I had placed in the containers to mark out the different varieties. I pricked out the plants, carefully avoiding the mold, and transplanted the seedlings (which still hadn't achieved their first true set of leaves) into bigger plastic containers (reused from last year), and used new soilless mix.

Mar. 26

Set down another batch of white cherry seeds, most of the standards again, and some different varieties of peppers. I also put down a huge batch of basil. This time By day 10 the standards and basil had started to sprout, but the peppers were still being stubborn. I also realized why I hate using starting mix with peat - the containers dry out so easily and then I find the little plants get drowned while the water pools on top, waiting to be absorbed. I was pleased to discover that the seedlings I'd transplanted prematurely to deal with the mold showed no sign of distress.

Apr. 1

Planted bunching and red onion seeds. I realized how late

Apr. 5

I gave in and bought 2 heating mats. After putting them under the flats I had sprouting peppers within 2 days. I had thought that putting them near my south facing wall would offset the cool 64 degrees we keep the house at... but clearly the mats were the trick. I bought the mats at my favourite seed / supply store (Tregunno seeds in Hamilton) and talked with John (my go-to guy for everything gardening - he lives close enough to me to be "local knowledge" and has years of experience to pass along) about the struggles with peppers. He said he had some pepper seeds that hadn't sprouted after 20 days. It was a relief to find out that they can wait it out so long in the moist soil without sprouting, and yet without dying or getting moldy.

Apr. 10

I planted out peas in one of the raised beds. I'm trying Gold and blue peas, as well as shelling peas. I am a pea lover, and can't even imagine a blue pea...

Today

Most of the flats are under lights and seem to be coming right along. The plastic plug and 2" square flat containers seem to work a lot better than the cardboard containers, and the toilet paper rolls that I had experimented with. I wouldn't try sprouting in the toilet paper rolls again - the roots of the seedlings had already gotten embedded in the rolls by the time I transplanted them and the rolls also seemed prone to the mold. I think that washing and reusing the plastic containers will be next year's choice. I am experimenting with 1 flat of basil in my south-facing, unobstructed window, to see how they fare compared to their relatives that were planted at the same time but which have lived under grow lights. The basil is also being grown as 'multi-transplant'... to date I haven't thinned them at all. I might try to leave a couple as multi's, just to see if, like onions, they will thrive in a bunch.

This week it'll be time to focus on kale, carrots, and getting the beds ready for the rest of the bunch...

Why I love Canada Post

2011-02-13T13:12:00.005-05:00

Every day for the past couple of weeks I've eagerly checked the mailbox for the bubble mailers of seeds I've been expecting. I'm fortunate that most have been delivered - only once did I have to head into town to pick up a box that was too big for the mailbox.
So here they are. Dozens of small envelopes housing my dreams of delicious green goodness. The photo is blown out behind the box because of all the snow that still covers the backyard and garden.

Yes, there are far too many packages for me to use on my own. I did go a bit crazy with the ordering, but it's impossible not to on a cold January day when one dreams of fresh peas. In my defence, I have been dividing them up to give away to family and friends who might not otherwise have planted heirloom (and sometimes rare) seeds.

Who wouldn't want to plant dry beans with names like Wild Goose and Ireland Creek Annie? Or Snap beans like Lazy Housewife, Tiger's Eye (can also be eaten dry) or Garden of Eden? Then there were new peas to try (in the past I've grown Laxton's Progress and Sugar Snap) such as Golden Sweet, Blue Capuchijners Soup, and Lincoln Shelling.

The carrots sound exciting - Atomic Red, Dragon, Cosmic Purple, and Lunar White. I sent my niece and nephew a pack of Little Fingers so they could grow their own mini carrots.

I'm giving Harris Model parsnips one last try - I've had limited success with them for the past 2 years but this is a new seed pack so maybe I'll have better luck with germination this time around. I only recently read that seed viability for parsnips dramatically reduces with "old" seeds, so I hope that this new pack contains fresh seeds.

Spending time going through seed catalogues is a really good time, and for me it doesn't matter if I'm doing it on-line or with a hard copy. The names are descriptive and often charming, and reading about the heritage of the variety is always interesting. It's more entertaining than I would ever have imagined, in my BG (before gardening) days.

And then the mailers arrive, all via Canada Post and all for a reasonable cost. It's much like Christmas, opening the envelopes and seeing the seed packages spill out. They are so unassuming, and yet hold such promise.

Another unexpected benefit of the seeds being mailed was the opportunity to talk with my post office lady about what seeds we were ordering and planting. This lead to shared tips on successes and failures in seasons past, which then lead into promises of seed exchanging. This is someone whose name I don't know, but who will be giving me some sun cherry seeds in exchange for Matt's Wild Cherry tomato seeds.

I've passed the Canada Post excitement forward - once a week I mail my sister, niece, nephew and some friends an envelope with some seeds. They in turn get the thrill of grabbing their mail and finding not only bills and junk mail, but dreams of the summer to come.

The garden is snoring

2011-01-27T20:28:00.002-05:00

Every time I take the dog out to the back 40 for a pee and a sniff, I almost believe I can hear the garden snoring. The snow is piled up over the raised beds and the stakes stand so lonely and cold looking.

This year I WILL put in some beds out in the back 40. This fall I WILL prep more beds for next spring. Ahhh... good intentions.

I've ordered my seeds and they are starting to come in. Fanciful things like "Magenta Mountain Orach" and Jaltomato and golden purslane. A whole range of cherry tomatoes (which I'm going to dry and roast for sauces and soups in the winter.... yummy) and new varieties I haven't grown before. I'm also going to try to grow Brussel Sprouts because I love to eat them and I hope they are even more delicious fresh.

Beans again, of course. But this year I'm trying the "Blue Pod Capuchijners Soup" pea. Apparently the flowers are beautiful and bi-coloured, and the pods start out a deep maroon and mature into a blue. How fun will that be.

To be honest, I am addicted to seed porn. I go onto the "Terra Edibles" and "Urban Harvest" websites and can spend hours browsing through each description. This year I also ordered from "Clover Road Seeds", "The Cottage Gardener" (who shipped almost as quickly as Terra Edibles but who have GREAT packaging... their envelopes contain not only planting instructions but also a thorough description of the vegetable or herb - helpful when you're trying something new) and "Greta's Organic Garden".

The Siloam Orchards website is pretty rough to get through, but it's a pretty fascinating read - who knew there were still so many apple varieties available to grow? I had hoped to plant apple trees this spring, but have decided I should go to the Farmer's Market where Siloam sells their apples and taste samples. What does a Bleinheim Orange taste like? or a Shiawassee, a Primate, a Sweet Bough? And what about the Rome Beauty or the Roxbury Russet? While the descriptions help you narrow down your choices, it's big commitment to make untasted. Same goes for the pears.

But I think I'll get a mulberry tree in this spring (and spend the rest of my life fighting the birds for the harvest) and hopefully more raspberries and some blueberries.

All of this depends on work, of course, and the weather. Again, great ambition but check in with me next fall.

I've once again started to gather up my tomato growing friends. Last summer I had some repeat customers from the first year of the project (although they don't blog, but neither do I it seems) and am hoping to branch out this summer. Last year's harvest was great, and I think if the weather holds then this summer I should be able to do even better. My biggest battle was with the spiders, who I think also ate the tomatoes (or at least didn't battle the slugs when they dined on my Cherokee Purples).

So once again it's exciting to be warm inside, dreaming of spring and the garden waking up.

The Long Absence

2010-04-14T13:44:00.003-04:00

Well, despite my good intentions last summer, I completely failed at keeping up with the blog. Work took over, and with the boyfriend working out of the province I was doubly busy. My life has been pretty much taken up with work, laundry and sleeping since then. But with the sun shining and the weather warming, I'm trying to get back on track.

Last summer's garden was a mixed bag of success and disappointment. Most of the tomato plants were wiped out by some kind of blight (the result of too much rain and too little warm hampering my intensive gardening style). But the peas were glorious, the beets delicious and the carrots were fantastic. I didn't get any parsnips - they didn't want to germinate, even. I had a problem with some devilish burrowing rodent (mice? moles?) and so had to struggle to keep my basil upright and my onions whole. The red peppers didn't like the weather, either, and so bore little fruit. But, the Cossack Pineapple Ground Cherry plant was AMAZING and I froze so many of the little guys - they've been an amazing addition to smoothies this winter. I had great success with beans - although I didn't realize how many bean plants you need in order to get enough to live off of. The biggest thing I learned was that I'm lucky not to have to completely depend on my garden for my nourishment.

I felt a lot of disappointment about my lack of time for gardening - I just couldn't keep up. Part of that is my work reality, and part of it was the weather (it rained every day in our area) but I think there is also some truth to that suggestion that beginners start small - it's more work than one would expect.

But I'm eager to start again - with a little more experience to guide me.

So, I've started my tomato, pepper and basil plants. The tomatoes are doing well at 3 weeks old, and the peppers are coming along. If the weather holds this weekend, I'm going to turn over the raised beds, through in some compost, and put in a few peas. Some of last year's onions are popping up, so I'll be interested in seeing what happened to them after being underground for so long.... I think that this is my year to learn about onions.

Quite a few of the RDP'ers from last year sent me some photos of their adventures, so I'll post them here in the near future.

Happy spring. Hope you're planning on growing.

Let there be life

2009-07-23T14:30:00.004-04:00

Hey Guys,

Sorry I have been absent lately... not because of lack of interest but because I have been making life happen on the plants!

I just ate my first Tomato that grew entirely inside (gotta love being the manual Bee). I have approx a dozen so far. I have put a few plants out on the fire escape although they aren't having as much luck as my self groomed Tomatoes. Bring on the paint brush technique.

I also have been having success with the lovely Cayenne peppers as you can see from the photos...

I hope everyone is having just as much success... oh and the last photo is just for fun... a small batch of my ever growing parsley drying.

Cheers

tara

Flowering Herbs? Make pesto

2009-07-07T06:43:00.005-04:00

So your herbs might have started to flower (especially the perennials) and you will want to try and pick off the flowers before they bloom. In general, you should try to pinch back your herbs fairly often, to encourage new, bushy growth.
If you're not using enough herbs in your meals to keep up, try making some pesto and freezing it for the winter. You can freeze pesto in ice cube trays (the chunks are so handy to use! Just freeze in the trays and then when frozen, transfer to a plastic freezer bag) or in ziploc bags (even frozen, pesto is pretty easily cut up as the oil prevents it from freezing really hard). Use fresh herbs, and try to use a good quality, extra-virgin olive oil that has ideally been cold pressed.

FRESH BASIL PESTO - makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

2 1/2 - 3 cups basil leaves
1/2 cup pine nuts or other raw nuts or seeds (like walnuts, sunflower seeds, almonds or cashews)
2 medium cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup hot filtered water

Methodology:

Wash the basil, remove the stems and put it in a food processor with the nuts/seeds, garlic, salt and pepper. Pulse a few times to break up and combine the ingredients
Add the oil and water, then process until the pesto is a coarse paste

This will store in your fridge for up to a week, or freeze it (most recipes say it will last up to four months, but this week I used up the final servings of last year's batch and it was still delicious).

DILL PESTO (a great dip for fresh veggies) - makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 3/4 chopped parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp chopped organic lemon rind, scrubbed
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice

Methodology:

In the food processor or blender, process the garlic and lemon rind until minced. Add the parsley and dill, then process until finely minced, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container periodically.
With the motor still running, slowly add the oil and blend until a smooth paste is formed. Blend in the lemon juice.
Store in the fridge, or freeze in either 1/4 cup servings or ice cube trays

GREEN PEPPER PESTO (great on pasta) - makes 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients:

2 green peppers, seeded and quartered
1 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (sheep variety)
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic

Methodology:

Blanch the green pepper in boiling water or steam for 5 minutes
Drain, and transfer to the food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients.
Process until smooth.
Store in the fridge, or freeze.

Rosemary Pesto (another great one for pasta, or chicken) makes 1/2 cup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp grated orange rind (only if organic)
1 cup chopped scallions or green onions
1/4 tsp red-pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Methodology:

Put the garlic, oregano, rosemary and orange rind (if using) in the processor and pulse a few times to mix and break down. Scrape down the sides.
With the motor running, add the scallions / green onions and pepper flakes, then the oil and vinegar. Scrape down the sides again, and then continue pulsing until the rosemary is well minced and the mixture has formed a paste.
Store in the fridge or freeze.

If you want to freeze veggies...

2009-07-03T07:36:00.004-04:00

... you need to think about blanching.
Blanching is basically taking the produce and boiling it or steaming it BRIEFLY so that the enzymes in the produce that encourage decomposition are inactivated. As soon as the veggies are picked, these enzymes start to break down the vitamins and sugars in the produce. This process isn't halted by freezing, it's just slowed down. So, you can freeze some perfect green beans and open them up a month later only to discover they are pale, mushy and slightly gross.
To stop this deterioration, you need to blanch the produce. It's a simple process: you get some water boiling and either briefly boil or steam SMALL, manageable portions of the veggies for a very short time (each vegetable has a suggested time limit - more on that in a minute). Then you take that batch and transfer it to a bowl or pot of ICY COLD water (which stops the cooking process). Drain the veggies, pat dry and when they're pretty much dry you put them into your freezer bags for freezing.
Blanching definitely improves the taste, texture and smell of frozen products. It also makes frozen veggies last a lot longer in your freezer. They retain their 'just-picked' colour, and more importantly they retain more of their nutritional value. Blanched veggies retain their Vitamin A (lost when frozen without blanching) and also minimizes the loss of the B Vitamins and Vitamin C.
Any vegetable that is cooked or preserved (as opposed to eaten fresh) will lose some of its nutritional value in the cooking. But blanching your veggies before freezing makes sure that you aren't losing any nutrients in the PRESERVATION. So, you might lose some vitamin content when blanching, and perhaps a bit more when cooking them later in the winter (unless they are cooked as part of something else such as frozen corn in chili or beans in soup where the vitamins get absorbed into the cooked meal) but this loss is not much different than the losses experienced in cooking fresh produce. The point is that at least the veggies aren't losing nutrients while sitting in your freezer.
I prefer to steam blanch my vegetables (I only steam veggies for cooking, too, as I feel that they lose less of the nutrients than they do in boiling water). I have a stainless steel steamer that sits in my pots over an inch or two of water. I don't find steam blanching to take any more time than boiling, and I think that the veggies retain better colour when they're steamed.
In either process, you will need some kind of strainer to get the veggies out of the hot water / steam and then transfer them to the ice bath (which is basically a pot of cold water with ice cubes in it, although there are more complicated ways to make one). If you're doing a few batches, you need to check the temperature of the ice bath and add more cold water when the water gets too warm (the point of the ice bath is to halt the cooking process so you want to drop the temperature of the veggies quickly).
You can freeze veggies in plastic container (washed yogurt containers, for example) or in freezer bags. I prefer freezer bags because I can press most of the air out, so I find that I get fewer ice crystals on my produce once they're frozen. Once the contents are thawed and dumped out, I wash the bags in the laundry machine and reuse them, so they're less wasteful than they might otherwise be. Lable the stuff... it's surprising how similar frozen green things can look in the freezer.
When it comes time to use your frozen veggies, remember that since they've been blanched, they are already partially cooked. You will need a lot less time to cook them after they're thawed than you would fresh veggies.

Blanching times for easy-to-freeze vegetables:

Beans (green and yellow): Steam blanch for 3-4 minutes or boil for 2-3
Carrots (cut into 1/4" cubes or slices): Steam for 4 minutes or boil for 2
Carrots (larger chunks): Steam for 5 min or boil for 3
Corn (whole cobs): Blanch 3 at a time. Steam or boil for 7 - 11 minutes, depending on size
Corn (kernals): Blanch on the cob, 3 at a time. Steam for 6 minutes or boil for 4. Cool cobs, then cut kernals off the cob.
Peas (green): Steam for 2 minutes or boil for 1 1/2 minutes.
Peas (snap or snow): Steam for 3 minutes or boil for 2
Peppers (hot or sweet): Steam or boil for 2 minutes (although this is one vegetable that doesn't have to be blanched)
Squash or pumpkin (cut up) Steam or bake until completely cooked
Tomatoes: can be frozen like fruit

A lot of other vegetables can be frozen, but these are the most common (and suitable) vegetables for freezing.

Plan on freezing your veggies as soon as possible after you buy them (and ideally as soon as possible after they are picked). You will find that, generally speaking, the produce that you buy at a Farmer's Market (or farm gate itself) will be a lot fresher than anything you'd buy in the supermarket. So if you're planning on putting some veggies down, go to the Farmer's Market early, grab whatever you like that looks fresh and tasty, bring it home and freeze it right then (but make sure you leave yourself some for dinner).

Fresh vegetables (with the exception of root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, potatoes, and to some extent beets) are obviously out of season during our long Canadian winters. If you are in the mood to eat beans in January, therefore, you are looking at either buying fresh beans (grown in California or Mexico or Chili or China, under who-knows-what conditions) that are very expensive, or frozen vegetables (which, if you buy them at your supermarket, may have been grown in China or California or New Zealand). Vegetables that are frozen when they are fresh are a VERY healthy choice, especially when compared to veggies that were picked unripe, transported in ripening gas, and left to sit on a display stand for days. By freezing your own (or at least part of) your winter needs in terms of vegetables, you will know where your food came from (and who handled it) and you will be able to have delicious veggies during the dark, cold months. Plus, you'll have the satisfaction of independence and self-reliance.

Not so bad!

2009-07-01T15:17:00.003-04:00

Hi again! I'm very happy to report that most of my little crop is salvageable! I just hope we get a chance to cage the little darlings in before anything else happens to them. As I was returning from an outing today, I saw the little Bambi who probably is the culprit. Onward and upward!
Cheers, Momma xoxo

Anti-critter cages

2009-07-01T13:50:00.004-04:00

Reading Northern Momma's posting about her future meals being turned into critter food reminded me about Mel Bartholomew's ("Square Foot Gardening") suggestion that we build cages for our plants (in his mind he's thinking about rabbits, squirrels and birds). I thought I'd comment about cages, and offer up a deluxe version to protect against deer.

CAGES
Chicken wire is an easy material to use for the making of cages. It is easily cut (wear gloves, and use either wire cutters or metal cutters) and then formed into a cage (or collar) shape. You can fashion chicken wire into any shape, and by bending it, maintain that shape. The raw edges can be twisted around any other part of the cage so that it remains fastened. You can't get your hand through chicken wire, so you would need to remove it when you want to weed or harvest from your plant. But it's readily available (Home Depot carries it) and so easy (but scratchy) to work with that it's worth the effort once it's around your plant. Just make sure that you make it big enough to be free of the plant... you don't want your plant to grow in through the holes so that you can't lift the cage off. Because chicken wire comes in rolls, you could easily build a cage big enough to encompass both the plant and it's container, if you're container gardening. It would be simple enough to build a cone, collar or box shape - just make sure you add a lid.
If raccoons or deer are your pest, you want to make the cage big enough that neither the deer's nose nor the raccoon's clever hands can reach through to the plant.

You could also use other kinds of fencing ( some have big enough links to allow your hand through, but that might allow a raccoon's paw or more deer nose access), but chicken wire is cheap, easy and reusable. (Chicken wire also makes a serviceable structure to use for compost).

AN IDEA FOR A PLANT COOP
If you're trying to grow a significant crop (container or in beds) I was thinking of a variation on a chicken coop, to keep your predators away. Basic chicken coops are wooden frames (using 2'x4's) that support... you guessed it... chicken wire. The coops are high enough to allow humans to walk into, and big enough to allow the chickens to get some good foraging in.
In thinking about the demise of Northern Momma's future dinner, I wondered about making a plant coop - a sort of see-though building over either containers or garden bed - which would allow the gardener to get into the structure and tend to their crops, but would prevent any critter from getting close enough.
So here is the thought:
Build a wooden frame (as if building a shet) of any easy dimension: 4(w) x 8(l) x 8(h) or 4(w) x 8(l) x 6(h). The basic dimensions would be high enough to allow you to stand up in the coop (or almost stand up), be wide enough to give you plenty of space around your plants (including the ability to kneel if need be) and long enough to enclose all your plants. If you were container gardening, you would run your containers down the centre of the coop, and if you were building it over a garden bed it would enclose the row down the middle.
Once you have the frame built, you would use chicken wire to enclose it. Don't forget to leave a door! The chicken wire isn't overly expensive, and is easy to mold over any frame.
Make sure you have a way to latch your entrance - raccoons are remarkably crafty.
Building this would definitely take an afternoon, and a bit of money. But it would safeguard your plants! And if you thought it was too ugly, you could decorate it with windchimes and whirlygags, or hang baskets from the 'roof'.
You could build the structure in any dimension, so that it could work anywhere on your property.
Keeping the raccoons and deer away from your food might be worth the effort... or it might just be a worthwhile experiement. Just make sure to take a picture and post it here!

2009-07-01T13:08:00.003-04:00

Sadly, after a month of watching our peas and beans thrive and blossom, we arrived home last night after a 2-day getaway to find them all eaten! It was something I was expecting but hoping wouldn't happen; the deer and the antelope play and that's just the way it is in North Country. So sorry, Mel!

Love, Momma xoxo

Tornados & Peas

2009-07-01T11:51:00.006-04:00

Last week a little tornado touched down about 20 minutes away from our house. The winds that whipped around our place caused chaos on our patio. The tomato plants in the raised beds fared all right (thankfully I had tied them up again earlier in the day) but the peas in the raised bed alongside the deck and the tomatoes in containers got totally beaten up. During the crazy winds (which lasted about a 1/2 hour) those tomatoes were blown over almost horizontally. I checked them out later, and was relieved to find that none of them had broken off. I tied them off to the lattice, hoping to pull them upright again, but only a Bony Best has managed to straighten out. The rest are still bent over horizontally, but now the tips are growing upward so that they are almost "L" shaped. At least none of the flowers were blown off, and the Bony Best even has small tomatoes now. It's amazing how strong and resiliant their stems are!
My peppers aren't doing well at all. I have 2 plants that have flowers, but the rest just seem to be sulking that the weather has been wet and not all that warm. I read that you can encourage fruit by placing a plastic container around the plant - anything big enough to surround the plant but with an open top so that it doesn't overheat or miss out on rain. I've been thinking of trying that with a couple of the plants, to see if that kick starts them into action.

Finally, a note about peas. When I planted my pea plants (24 plants in all) I had visions of overflowing pea pods, waiting to be frozen for winter. Clearly I've never grown peas before. I'm consistantly harvesting a handful of peas (mostly snap or sugar) - almost daily, I guess. And there are lots of flowers still. But what I pull off I either eat right there (so good) or I did freeze about 15 snaps, just to remember one winters night that I once had fresh peas. Otherwise, there is definitely NOT enough for any kind of freezing. Note to self: if you want to freeze peas you need to grow probably 100 plants.
So yesterday I went to "Murphy's Pick Your Own" and bought 18 quarts of pre-picked shelling peas (big surprise it was raining, and so I didn't think I'd enjoy picking my own). I shelled them (while watching Jon & Kate Plus 8 reruns) then blanched and froze them. Out of 18 quarts (which was about $19), I got enough for probably 5 meals for 2 people. Not quite the bonanza that I had hoped for. Granted, I ate a lot as I shelled (and dropped quite a few on the floor as I processed them) but it made me realize I need to grow MUCH MORE next year (see Note to Self, above).
In my effort to stock up for the winter (and thereby be much more self-sufficient, not to mention less reliant on stuff from 'somewhere else') I've been learning about how much produce one needs if future meals are at stake. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers (and their men, too) would have had to invest a significant amount of time growing food, to ensure that their families didn't starve over winter. They would have had to have a significant amount of land devoted to raising that food, and help in processing it. It really makes me appreciate how hard their lives must have been, in the days before refridgeration and supermarkets.
Since my grandmother (96 yrs) and great-aunt (92 yrs) won't ever read this, I called my grandmother today, to tell her how much I admire the fact that she and her sister still 'put down for winter' each year, and how much respect I've gained for how hard THEIR mom & dad must have worked, raising 8 kids on the farm. She laughed at me (it doesn't occur to her to imagine how easy it is for urban folk to get their food, provided they have money) and then told me how well her garden is already doing this year. I wonder if I'll be out weeding my garden when I'm 96. I should certainly know by then how many plants I'll need to get myself through the winter.

Pick Your Own .. Fun

2009-06-26T04:04:00.004-04:00

When I lived in the city, I didn't think about going out to "pick my own". When I lived in the city, it was all about the Farmer's Markets. Now that I live so close to farms that offer the 'pick your own' option for food buying, I'm hooked. So here I am, encouraging you to escape the city for a morning and go grab your own food, literally.
In my area alone (and that is a 1 hr drive from downtown Toronto) there are a number of farms that offer the opportunity for you to come and pick strawberries, raspberries, peas, beets, tomatoes, flowers, peppers, squash and pumpkin. The "Hamilton Eat Local" site even puts out a map which details which farms do. I would imagine that the areas north and east of the city must have just as many farms which open their fields up to their customers.
"Pick your own" means you show up, bringing your own containers, and then head out into the designated rows to harvest as much (or little) as you want. You get to pick the produce that looks exactly like what you would like to eat. It's cheaper than buying it pre-picked (which is remarkable since farm gate sales are far cheaper than supermarket prices) and so much fun. You get all the benefit of 'homegrown' with a fraction of the work, and get to participate in getting your food to your dinner plate.
Most farms are open Monday through Saturday, and some offer pick your own on Sunday, too. They open early, so you can beat the hottest part of the day, and usually close somewhere around dinner time (say, between 6 and 7:30). "Murphy's", where I usually go, even provides port-a-potties and a make-shift canteen with snacks.
It doesn't take long to harvest what you'd reasonably use up, unless you are planning on putting some down - in which case you might need a couple of hours. It's not even a hard job physically - there is some bending and kneeling, but nothing when compared to weeding (which is the farmer's job in a 'pick your own' scenerio). You simply wander out to your row, put your bucket down and start foraging for the ripest specimans you can find. If you're picking strawberries, raspberries, peas or beans, you might even find yourself snacking while you work - a remarkable reward for your time investment since everything tastes AMAZING when you've just pulled it off the vine.
"Pick your own" is also a great adventure for kids - they get to help pick the fruit/ veggies, they get 'free' snacking opportunities, and if they get too bored they can run around the parking area (on a bare section of field) while you pick. Most importantly, they see WHERE FOOD COMES FROM.
Think about exploring your local farms, and give 'pick your own' a try. Come with a hat, sunscreen, a couple of containers, and some change, and then hit the highway for a nice drive. Just plan on picking twice what you need... you might find yourself munching through an entire container on your way home. (Lets just say that today I ate a pint of the seasons first peas, while driving)

To find a 'pick your own' adventure near you, visit:

http://www.pickyourown.org/canadaon.htm

It is such a fun way to spend half a day, and even more fun if you bring the kids or a group of friends. You can always spend the other half day canning or freezing your loot, or just making a delicious meal.

Thinking ahead to smoothies

2009-06-21T14:41:00.004-04:00

So I bought my first batch of fresh strawberries on Sunday. I bought 2 flats (which were $20 each, more proof that buying direct from the farmers is a great deal for everyone), brought them home and immediately froze them ( apart from the 1 pint I gave to the neighbour kids and the pint I saved for us to eat today). The time and effort that I put into freezing them translates into some delicious smoothies in the winter, when we aren't getting a lot of fresh fruit in our diets. It takes a bit of space initially, and a bit of time, but it is so worth it!

wash your berries well to remove as much pesticide residue as possible (unless they are organic)

rinse them and let dry or pat dry with a papertowel (which can be composted, so I suggest that rather than staining your tea towels which you'll struggle to get clean later)

stem them, and cut any huge ones in half.

lay them out on a cookie tray, in a single layer, and without them touching each other. Put them in your freezer. If your freezer is too small (or too full) for a cookie tray, you can do it in smaller batches in a pie tin. If your freezer is unable to store even that, you can bag them without freezing first, but they will mush up and freeze together so you'll have to chip them apart when it comes time to use them

Freeze each batch for a couple of hours, until the strawberries are frozen.

Transfer the frozen strawberries into a ziploc bag (I wash mine in the laundry machine and reuse them so I don't feel guilty using them) or any plastic container.

Label them so that you know what's in there and use it up! Don't forget to include the date and year.

If you plan to keep your options open in terms of perhaps baking with them, you can also measure out a certain amount and package them that way (eg. 1 cup measurements). Make sure you mark the measurement on the container!

I use up the strawberries in baking and smoothies. Even though I put them in the blender frozen and whole, if I add a bit of liquid they blend up without any trouble.

It feels like a total luxury in January to be drinking a fruit smoothie (I preserve as many kinds of fruit as I can this way so I have a variety of options) that tastes great and gives you much needed vitamins and nutrients. It also makes it so easy to get your daily fruit requirement at a time when the fruit is either imported from who-knows-where (grown under who-knows-what conditions) and transported a million miles only to have you pay a fortune for it. It's a very simple and low-tech way to 'eat local' year round, and treat yourself at the same time.

Strawberry Vinegar

2009-06-21T14:26:00.004-04:00

Another way to use up some delicious fresh strawberries while they are in season (in case you're tired of eating them right out of the fridge!) This vinegar is great in salads (when combined with olive oil - try heating it gently and add it to salad with goat cheese!), slaws, or marinades.

STRAWBERRY VINEGAR (makes 3 pints = about 1.5L= approx 6 cups)

EQUIPMENT:

jars for storage: you can use 3 x 500 ml jars (with lids and screw caps

large non-reactive (ie not aluminum) saucepan

coffee filters

INGREDIENTS:

2 pints of strawberries - well washed (they often have pesticide residue on them), stemmed and halved.

1 quart (which is just shy of 1 L or 4 cups or 32 oz) cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

METHODOLOGY:

Sterilize your jars in a large soup pot. Bring enough water to a boil to cover the jars (and fill the insides, too) and bring the water to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes.

In your large saucepan, combine all the strawberries but 1/4 cup (to be used later) with the vinegar. Let sit for 1 hour.

Add the sugar to the saucepan and heat to a slow boil to dissolve the sugar. Stir to help dissolve the sugar completely. Simmer 10 minutes.

Use a coffee filter to strain the mixture into your 3 sterile jars. Press out as much juice from the berries as possible, using a wooden spoon.

Add the reserved strawberries to each bottle.

Put the lid on, tighten the screw bands until they are snug, and label it (including the date).

Store in a dry, cool, and dark place for 3 weeks before using.

YUMMY.

Country Gal Strawberry Jam

2009-06-21T11:52:00.004-04:00

So local strawberries are on the verge of being available... one of our nearby farms is advertising June 22 as the first 'pick-your-own' day, so Ontario strawberries should start to flooding the farmers markets any time (or your local superstore... if that is your only option). In honour of the first fruit of spring, here is a recipe for strawberry jam that DOESN'T REQUIRE PECTIN, and which you can make in your kitchen.
This recipe is started on one day and finished the next.

EQUIPMENT TO START WITH:

1/2 pint jars (you buy them in boxes of 12, but you'll use them up by the time summer is done) and lids with screw bands (available by the box, or they should come in the box of jars)
Saucepan for making the strawberries
"Kettle" sized pot for processing .. if you plan to preserve a lot this summer (salsa, tomato sauce, anything like that) it is worth buying a water-bath sized pot (they are available at Canadian Tire and come with all the accessories) but you can also use a big soup pot.
plastic spatula, wooden spoons, perforated skimmer (or a slotted serving spoon if the slots are small enough, or a small strainer)
Either jar tongs (also at Canadian Tire) or if you don't want to invest in a pair, get one of those silicone oven mitts... you need a way to pull the hot jars out of the hot water.

INGREDIENTS

8 cups (about 2 pounds) of strawberries - buy a bit extra so you can discard any fruit that isn't perfect. You'll need to hull these (take the leafy bit off)
1 lemon
5 cups sugar (I know it seems like a lot, but sugar is part of the pectin / preserving chemistry. You can can without sugar, but you need sophisticated ingredients)

METHODOLOGY for 4 x 1/2 cup jars

Wash the fruit and pat dry. Hull the strawberries and discard any that aren't perfect.
put the fruit in large saucepan and cook gently over very low heat for a few minutes to start the juice running. Take care not to let it burn - stir if necessary.
Remove from the heat, and mash the strawberries.
Let stand overnight.
Put a saucer and 3 teaspoons in the fridge.
The next day, add ALL the juice from the lemon, and the sugar.
Bring to a simmering point over low heat.
Stir well while the sugar is dissolving.
When the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat and boil rapidly for 10 minutes, stirring occassionally to prevent burning.
While the jam is boiling, fill your kettle or large stock pot with water and bring to the boil. You only need to fill the pot up about 1/3 full... you only need 2" of water above the jars for the water bath.
The juice will reduce and the jam will start to thicken.
Take off the heat.
Test for set: take a teaspoon from the fridge, and take 1 teaspoon of the jam and put it on the cold saucer from the fridge. Put the saucer in the fridge or freezer and leave for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, push it with a finger... if it offers resistance or crinkles, it is ready. If it is still liquid, return the jam to the heat and boil for a few more minutes. Then test again. Make sure you take the jam off the heat each time you test so you don't burn or ruin your jam.
When the 'setting point' has been reached, skim the jam with a perforated skimmer. Stir the jam well and let stand for 20 minutes for the fruit to settle.
While it is standing, 'sterilize' your jars (you will need 4 or so for this recipes) by putting them in the boiling water in the kettle or stock pot. Let them boil for about 10 minutes.
Put a small saucepan on the stove with a few inches of water in it. Bring it barely to a simmer and put 4 x lids (not the screw bands) into it. This will soften the seal around the edge.
Take your jars out of the kettle, and ladle the jam into them while they are still hot. Leave about 1/4" of 'headroom'
Press a spatula down the sides of the jars, to release any air bubbles in the mixture.
Carefully wipe down the mouth of the jars with a damp paper towel (you can use your hot water for this) ... you don't want any mixture on the glass as this will prevent the lid from sealing properly. Put a lid on the jar (careful, they will be hot) and place a screw band over it. Don't tighten the band to tightly, just until it's snug.
Do all the jars like this.
If you are using a stock pot, you might want to put a folded dishtowel in the bottom of the pot, to cushion the jars.
Put the jars into the kettle or stock pot. If you are using a stock pot, you should put more towels around the jars to keep them from crashing into one another. Some people recommend putting another towel on top of your jars and weighing them down with a heatproof plate to keep the jars from floating.
You only need to have 2" of water over the jars, so don't have the kettle or stock pot filled to the top. If you don't have enough water, add more to reach the 2" mark.
Bring the water back to the boil slowly.
Once the water reaches a boil, start timing. You need to boil the jam for 5 minutes.
Once the 5 minutes has been reached, remove the pot from the heat and carefully take the jars out of the water. Don't let them turn too much to the side, try to keep them upright. If you don't have jar tongs, you can use a ladle to get as much hot water out of the pot as you can, and then use your silicone mitt to pull out the towels and jars.
Put the jars on a non-marking surface (your stove top would work, away from heat, or an old wooden cutting board. Let the jam cool. You should hear a "pop" sound as each jar cools - this is the sound of the seal being set on the jar.
Once the jam cools (and this takes a while) lable them.
Store them in a dark, cool cupboard or panty.

Any leftovers can be refridgerated and enjoyed immediately!

Flowers

2009-06-21T08:00:00.005-04:00

When Mel approached me and said that she was doing an experiment, I was completely on board and yet skeptical due to my and my BF's living arrangements. He lives in a studio in Chinatown with just a fire escape and I live in a condo with no direct sunlight.

Mel graciously gave me three types of tomatoes. Whipper Snapper, Brookpact and Silver Fir (I think that's how you spell it.) My Whipper Snappers have not only grew to a crazy height (inside my BF's studio apt) we now have flowers. Obviously not having bees to cross pollinate, I have taken it upon myself to do it manually. I have become the bee... I bought a paint brusha and I go from flower to flower, moving the pollin around.

We have also started putting the million Cayenne pepper plants, and herbs on the fire escape and they look amazing out there.

As you can see the basil is coming up well and there are just a few of the cayenne peppers!

T

Salsa Verde

2009-06-20T08:04:00.003-04:00

Since perennial herbs are one of the first things up in the garden, I thought I'd pass on a great recipe for "Salsa Verde" - it's a yummy, tangy variation on pesto.

SALSA VERDE

1 cup (packed) fresh Italian or curly parsley (Italian is a bit more intensely flavoured)
2 Tbsp capers, drained
1 garlic clove, peeled (you can add a 2nd if you love garlic)
1/3 cup pine nuts (toasted if you want a stronger flavour)
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (ideally cold-pressed)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor (a blender would work, too) combine the parsley, capers, garlic, pine nuts, vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth. With the machine running, pour the oil through the feed tube and combine until well mixed and smooth. Adjust the seasonings.

You can use this anywhere you'd use pesto. It's also great on bean dishes. I don't eat meat, but it would probably be great on something like chicken. You could also substitute basil for the parsley, for a slightly more 'pesto' flavour.

I made a huge batch last fall so I could use up the last of the herbs when I knew the killing frost was approaching. I divided it up into ziplock bags (or freezing it in ice cube trays would work, too) and then pulled it out periodically during the winter months for a bright taste of summer. Because of the oil, the sauce doesn't freeze into a hard block, so it's easy to break off a chunk for defrosting and put the rest back into the freezer.

It really only takes a minute or two to make it, and it's totally delicious.

Finally Peas!

2009-06-19T13:32:00.003-04:00

I've discovered that I shouldn't blog about my plants when I'm hungry because I feel impatient about getting to the fun of harvesting!
My local newspaper ("The Glanbrook Gazette"!) has already started running ads for the numerous "Strawberry Social" dinners being held in the area, and for the various 'pick your own' farms in the neighbourhood where the peas and strawberries will soon be available for picking. My sister thinks that it was June 25 when she brought the kids down last year for a day of strawberry picking. Clearly 'harvest time' has begun.
But in my garden I only have 2 small peas and maybe 4 more flowers, while my (2) strawberry plants only have 1 flower each. Granted, I planted my strawberries late and this is their first year. But the peas have been in the ground since Apr. 19 and sprouted soon after. They are also between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 feet high. So why the delay in flowering? I know that 'climbing' varieties produce later than dwarf varieties, but my impatience flares up (and maybe a bit of concern that I've done something wrong along the way??) when I see only 2 tiny (but yummy looking) peas.
Yet my tomatoes seem to be thriving, and the beans, too. The pepper plants look healthy enough, but since it's been so cold and wet this spring, they aren't flowering too vigorously. I keep my fingers crossed that July will be nice and hot so the pepper will have time to mature! I've read that you can put plastic containers around your peppers to trap the heat... if the weather stays so cool, I just might give it a try.

Finally, I've been getting "word of mouth" updates...At last count, I gave away 31 tomato plants to people who wanted to grow heirloom varieties, but who might not blog about it. Those plants are growing at various rates, and in a variety of conditions... some haven't even been transplanted out of their 6" pots yet and are flowering anyway.....???
A few people are growing their plants mostly or all indoors. Tara A. is pollinating her indoors tomato plants with a small paint brush. Bruce's Brookpact is 2' tall and flowering, even though it is being grown indoors and at last check was still in it's 6" pot. The rest seem to be residing either in full gardens or in containers, growing full tilt. I can hardly wait for the weather to heat up so the fruit starts setting!

Happy almost first days of summer.....

Ecological Pest Control Part 2

2009-06-11T12:22:00.005-04:00

More on the bug / disease / pest management front... this posting is all from "Mother Earth News" ( Wise Living Series: Guide to Growing Your Own Food, 2009)

APHIDS
* encourage beneficial insects such as ladybugs, lacewings
* diatomaceous earth, dusted on the leaves of your plants (check out www.uharvest.ca for purchase options)
*spray them with a blast of soapy water

SLUGS & SNAILS
*diatomaceous earth, sprinkled around the base of the plants
*crushed up egg shells layed in a ring around the base of the plants
*handpick or trap and kill or release somewhere FAR AWAY
*don't water in the evening as slugs like dark and moist environments

SPIDER MITES
*strong spray of water under leaves to wash them away
*encourage beneficial insects

TOMATO HORNWORM
*start looking for them in early summer, twice weekly. Pick off

TOMATO FRUITWORM
* encourage beneficial insects and wild birds
*handpick them off

THRIPS
*grow flowers to provide pollen and nectar for beneficial insects
*reflective mulches

If you are having trouble identifying your garden visitors (and determining whether friend or foe), Mother recommends buying the book "Garden Insects of North America" or you can go online to vegipm.tamu.edu/index.cfm for photos and descriptions. This is an American resource, but I still found photos of some of my more feared creatures.

It is generally recommended that you keep your soil as healthy as possible, and your plants properly watered, so that they have natural defenses to withstand the odd biter/chewer/sucker. Handpicking and/or spraying can also keep an infestation under control. Encourage beneficial bugs and birds by planting flowering plants and providing a bit of water. Plant trap crops like nasturtium. Plant deterrants like marigolds and onions around your tomatoes.

The most important thing you can do is VISIT YOUR PLANTS DAILY. Don't put them out back and only come out once in a while to water. If you check on your plants each day you will be able to tell when they need a watering, or when you have unwelcome visitors. It's much easier to prevent an infestation than to deal with it once your plant has had serious damage done to it. Remove any infected leaves or branches and destroy them (you can compost them if you have one and it's working). Keep the garden area clean. DON'T SMOKE WHILE YOU HANDLE YOUR TOMATO PLANTS (you can spread the tobacco mosaic virus).

Finally, don't handle your plants when they are wet - it can encourage and spread fungal diseases.

If in doubt, google "organic pest management for gardens" and you'll get LOTS of advice!

To be continued....
Mel

Ecological Pest Control Part 1

2009-06-10T12:15:00.004-04:00

My parents gave me the book "Ecological Gardening" by Marjorie Harris and it is a GREAT resource to have on hand. She gives advice on creating /maintaining healthy soil, on composting, and on good vs bad creatures that might visit your garden. I thought I'd include some advice on pests / diseases here, taken from her book:

DEER (probably only relevant to my mom)
* spray plants with a solution of 6 fresh eggs to 4 litres water. This can also be put around the base of trees, and on grasses or shrubs. Renew after rain.
* Break a whole egg under rose bushes.
* apparently "Lifebuoy" soap, suspended in pantyhose and hung around the perimter repels them
* of course human pee always works....

RABBITS
* a fence might keep them out
* scatter onions, blood meal, cayenne pepper, and/or wood ashes around the plants

CATS
Cats will not only use your garden as a bathroom, they may also take to napping on your plants (mine has)
* try putting sticks or pointed rocks around your plants or where you want to keep the cats from going - it makes your garden a lot less comfy
* my own note about using cayenne pepper - people recommend it, but it really irritates the mucus membranes of animals like cats and squirrels, and there have been reports of squirrels tearing their eyes because they've been scratching at their burning eyes.

RACCOONS
* blood meal around plants will apparently deter them. Renew after rain or watering
*flashing lights and cat pee will keep them out of your garden (maybe let your cat pee in your garden after all??)
*apparently a FLIMSY fence around a vegetable patch will deter them... as they climb the fence it wobbles and they fall off once they get to the top

BUGS & OTHER MOVING PESTS

*In general, try to keep your garden area clean of plant debris and dead leaves. Try not to let water collect (unless it is for the good bugs or birds to drink from) and try not to let wet stuff hang around.
* A strong spray of water will often knock most pests off your plants
* Try a soap solution ( 1 tsp Ivory soap or any pure soap - not detergent which burns - with 1/2 litre water) and spray it on your plants
* asparagus juice sprayed on tomato leaves protects them from bad nematodes
* marigolds planted near tomato plants protects them from the same nematodes
* Garlic spray will kill most pests. To make it, soak 3 to 4 chopped fresh garlic cloves in 2 Tbsp mineral oil for a day. Add 1/2 litre water and stir, then strain it. Use in a ratio of 1:20 garlic to water and spray on your plants.
* If you add a small chopped onion to the above mixture it will make an effective general spray.
* Rose protecting spray: Chop up some tomato leaves, soak in water then strain. You can also boil the leaves in water, let cool then strain. Spraying on your rose plants will destroy black or green flies, caterpillers or aphids. If you plant garlic or parsley near your roses this will also help protect them from things like aphids.
*slugs can be handpicked from your plants in the evening or early morning (look under leaves and mulch for them, too, as they like a moist dark place to spend their days) and stepped on. They will also drown in beer - put a saucer of beer in your garden, with the lip of the saucer level with the soil. They crawl in, drink and drown. Marjorie Harris also says that powdered ginger sprinkled around your plants will deter slugs.

Next post I'll describe some methods for specific pests / diseases / conditions.

Finally sunny days

2009-06-09T18:54:00.000-04:00

Hey all,

Following my planting(s), the days were mostly cold, rainy and/or overcast. But in the last week my garden has been blessed with a few intermittant days of sun (at least) and today the temps got up towards 25. The tomatoes have responded gloriously!

I have a few flowers forming on my Japanese Black Triefel and Purple Calabash. The Amish Paste are shooting upwards, on nicely thickening stems. And the Bonny Best and Striped German also seem to be thriving. After spending their entire lives (so far) giving me nothing but stress (and that would include the plants I grew to give away) the Hillbilly's are finally starting to smarten up.

I have a couple of blossoms on my pepper plants.. but HERE IS SOME ADVICE: peppers do NOT seem to like wind or anything too harsh... I had them on the deck where it is a bit windy and they just bent over like old men. Once I moved them down into the garden, where they were protected from the wind, they seemed to perk up again.

I've included a photo from my gaggle on the deck. I had a couple more balcony-dwellers, but I've been gradually giving them away... I gave one to my Bubbie (Jewish grandmother) and my mother-in-law. They have balconies in 'adult style' apartment buildings, and not only did it seem great to give them access to fresh tomatoes, but I thought it'd be interesting to update the blog on the progress of more 'traditional' apartment dwellers.

My peas are finally showing a bit of progess.. I have one flower, from the "Laxton's Progress" bunch. This is surprising to me, since they were slow to sprout and have been slow to shoot up.

For all of you who haven't transplanted or planted your tomatoes... NOW IS THE TIME.

If you are going to plant them into containers, harden them off and do it ASAP. You want to give them as much time to grow their root system as possible before they try to push out blossoms. Don't forget to plant them in potting soil! Dig a hole, fill it with water and then let it sit for a while so the water sinks in. Water your transplant. If you are using the 'peat pots', make sure the pot gets nice and soaked. Put the plant in - and if you're using those peat pots, make sure the hole is deep enough that the whole pot gets buried. Bury them about 6" (or up to the bottom set of leaves) so they can send out roots from the stem. Fill the hole in and water well. Be sure to put the stake or cage you're using in while you transplant them, so you don't disturb the roots afterwards. The Whippersnappers shouldn't require caging, and the Brookpact should only require a cage at most. It may take them a few days to send out more roots (so they will look 'stalled') but after they get established, they will shoot upwards really quickly. Be sure you've hardened them off before you put them outside full time!

If you're planting them in the garden, harden them off, dig a hole in the garden (if you are not using intensive gardening / square foot gardening, the minimum spacing is 2', up to 3' spacing) and put a good scoop of compost in the hole. Water the hole and let it sit for a while. Water your transplant well, and the same goes for those peat pots... make sure they're saturated and bury them so the lip is under the soil. Put the plant in at least 6" or up to the bottom leaves, and fill in the hole. Water well. Just like the containers, they will 'stall' while they develop a new root system from the stem, but it will be worth it as that new root system will help them withstand wind and drought. Be sure to stake them as you plant them. For the 'sprawlers' (Striped German, Hillbilly, Purple Calabash, Cherokee Purple, etc) you will want to put a stake in that is upwards of 6'.... indeterminant heirlooms grow much taller than dwarf or determinant varieties.

Don't forget to companion plant, where possible... jam some basil, onions, garlic or marigolds around your plants to keep the pests at bay.

My progress?

2009-06-08T20:28:00.000-04:00

Hi all .....well my veggies & herbs are all in and waiting for some decent weather? It has been a bit cool and windy lately. Tomatoes are doing fine ...but some heat would be helpful. We have a hungry rabbit that has been around visiting , and enjoying the lettuce we planted. The rabbit also likes to chew on the rose bush? thorns and all. No sign of beans yet, but I am sure it should be any time. Happy gardening to all......."as is the garden, such is the gardener"
"soil is the substance of transformation" cheers Marj

Progress...

2009-06-04T14:27:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to share a lovely photo of one of my whippersnappers. I have another one that is growing slowly and 2 more that just sprouted on Friday.. how exciting! On another note, my BF and I are excited by the quantity of Cayenne pepper plants we have.

We also have a bit of basil, and Chives. I am still holding hopes for the Olive trees although no sign of life.

That's all from the tiny apartment that is my BF's.

Cheers
T

Mel's Progress @ 1.5 weeks

2009-05-30T20:01:00.000-04:00

So my tomato plants have been in their 'forever spots' for 1 week and 4 days. The first week was disappointing... the tomatoes in the raised beds seemed to do nothing at all, apart from develop discoloured leaves and blow in the wind. I attributed this to root development - I had planted them to at least 6" up the stem.
Sure enough, after the first week I noticed a bit of improvement - especially with the "Amish Paste" variety I'm growing for canning. A little after 1 week I started to stake them, and the Yellow Bells and Japanese Black Triefel also grew tall enough to stake.
Today I put stakes up for all the vining tomatoes, and tied them all off, even the slower ones - I'm working in the city all week and didn't want to come home to snapped stems from an expected growth spurt (poor Tara!).
I did a little experiment and planted 2 x Bonny Best in containers and 1 in the raised bed, and 1 x Marglobe in a container and 2 x Marglobes in the raised beds. The container plants I planted pretty deeply, although probably not as deep as the ones in the raised beds. But the container plants seem to have adapted faster and started shooting upwards a lot quicker than the ones in the raised beds. I wonder if it is the soil temperature, or the fact that the soil is lighter in the containers (even my 'homemade' potting soil was basically my garden soil with lots of vermiculite added in).
The rain this week also has helped a lot - the raised beds got a thorough soaking (something I could not do given my limited water in the rain barrels, so only the plants themselves got a watering when I did it by hand). It's raining now, so they'll get another nice long drink.
Today I made a salad with radishes and onions, all from the garden. I don't really like salads much, but it was exciting to eat one that I had grown. Everything else is starting to progress - the peas are growing a lot quicker, the beans are popping up, and the peppers seem to have survived their transplant. The only losses I've had so far are 2 basil plants which have been eaten by something... 1 plant eaten two nights running. By daylight, the culprit has disappeared.
I hope that everyone else is enjoying their own success.

Tragedy

2009-05-25T14:04:00.000-04:00

Tragedy has struck.

My promising Brookpact Tomato plant (standing about 2 feet high!) snapped in half yesterday. I came home to find it on the floor :( I am hoping that from the root (because its a big one) that it may regrow... does anyone know if this is possible?

On a positive note, I have more Cayenne pepper plants than I know what to do with! my Tiny patch of Herbs are doing well.. so well I think I am going to plant more this week!

I hope everyone else is having a successful time

Cheers

T

Planting out

2009-05-22T14:43:00.000-04:00

Since the weather this week has been so hot where I live, I decided to plant out the tomatoes into their permanent beds. I planted the Brookpact, 1 x Marglobe Supreme, and 1 x Bonny Best into containers on the deck. I planted my 'bushier' varieties into 2' squares ( as per square foot gardening suggestions), so I have a 4' x 8' bed with Striped German, Marglobe, and Bonny Best in them. In the other beds, I planted (in 1' squares, again as per square foot gardening) my Amish Paste, Black Japanese Triefel, Hillbilly, Russian, Purple Russian, Purple Calabash, Opalka, San Marzano, and Yellow Brandywine.
The wind has been hard on them during their 'shock' period, so I put up some burlap around the windward beds, to provide a bit of respite. I've been watering them daily... the raised beds seem to dry out quicker than a normal garden bed (mine are 18" high) and by dinner time the soil around the tomatoes seems dry a couple of inches down (thanks, no doubt, to the wind). So far, they don't seem to be faring too badly - they're a bit shocked, but I've had no casualties yet (knock on wood).
I interplanted some marigolds, onions, and nasturtiums, to boost my chances against pests.
In my remaining squares I've been planting a wide range of beans (mostly bush varieties) and had some space for parsnips, carrots, and beets. I've left room for the peppers and basil, which are hardening off on the deck.
I hope that next year I will feel far more comfortable with my own abilities and the with the resiliance of plants.... so far I feel stressed out about doing things properly enough to give my guys a fighting chance.

Sunburned Seedlings

2009-05-19T13:55:00.000-04:00

Yesterday a couple of the seedlings (from the second batch I started) showed some yellow/white on their leaves, which I thought was from the cold weather on Sunday night (as I posted earlier, I had left them in the unheated mud room overnight). Today there were more leaves and more yellow/white and so I quickly put them in a sheltered, shady spot (under our patio table on the deck) and ran to Google.

Google "sunburned tomato seedlings" and you get a lot of advice. It seems that I've sunburned some of the plants. How, I'm not sure - they've been hardening off for the better part of 2 weeks (although they were inside for 2 days last week when it was too cold and REALLY windy) but from the descriptions on the forums, they're sunburned.

Most of the advice on the forums was to bring them inside for a few days to recover, then start them again.

This batch of seedlings were 'gifts' I'd been growing for my dad (in Barrie) and for my mom (near Huntsville) and since they're in an area where the last frost date is May 31, I've got some time to repair the damage and still (hopefully) give them healthy plants.

There were quite a few people on the forum who grew their plants like Andrea - after they sprouted they were pretty much outside all day, and those people didn't have any sunburned plants at all.

I'm curious about the difference in progress between the 'outdoor' plants and the 'indoor'plants (who then have to harden off and get stressed). Do the outdoor plants thrive from day 1, even when the temperatures are between 5 and 15 degrees?

Because I was growing so many, it was hard to track the individual progress of the plants, so the sunburn got a bit out of control. But it seems that in my first year I'm fortunate to have a variety of struggles, enough to round-out my gardening experience.

Since we have the space, I was thinking that for next year I'll try a modified approach - I'm going to build a quasi-greenhouse space outside (made of glass, not plastic!) and put the plants out there at an early age, to get them accustomed to the UV but to protect them from the incessant wind out here.

At any rate... WARNING to those of you who are only starting to harden your plants off.... be careful the poor little guys don't fry. I did read on one forum that spraying Vit C on the plants might act as a sunscreen, but it sounded a bit much to me.

More hardening off struggles

2009-05-19T08:58:00.000-04:00

I've taken my time hardening off my plants, because it is SO windy where I live. There is not a moment when there is not some kind of wind, and usually by mid-day the wind is powerful. I've been trying to get my plants acclimatized to the wind, after all they will have to live in it day in and day out. As a result, quite a few of the plants have 'injured' leaves, and few of them stand up very straight. I think that this will all be fine once I plant them in the ground, up to their first set of leaves so that they can develop strong (and deep) roots for anchoring.
I did a little experiment on Sunday. I knew that we were expecting frost that night, and so I planted 2 tomato plants that were not doing well at all (had not, in fact, thrived since day 1). I wanted to see if I could keep them alive through a frost. I used plastic ice cream containers over top of them, and put the containers on early enough in the evening that the air wasn't cool yet. When we took the containers off the next morning (the sun was coming up but the air was still cool) they looked as if they had survived, but after an hour it was obvious that they had frozen, despite the containers. I wondered if I had used cardboard or fabric (something with a bit more insulating power) would they have made it? I am not fretting about it - they were, after all, my 'sacrificial' experiment plants.
But what was also interesting was the marigolds. I had been leaving the marigolds out all night for weeks, and had planted them in the ground on Sunday (it was pretty warm, despite the wind). I was worried about them in the frost, so I covered them with plastic water bottles (bottoms cut off). I ran out of water bottles (I've been collecting them to use as container self-waters) and so used yogurt containers, juice containers (the cardboard type) and one cardboard box. When I took the 'frost protectors' off the next morning, they all seemed to be fine. But just as with the tomatoes, after 1 hour all but 1 of the marigolds was dead - obviously frost bitten. The one that survived had been in a plastic container (there goes my theory about plastic not insulating). But what was strange was that they had started off alive and well and only died after being exposed to the sun. So, I wondered if it is a combination of the cold ground and weak early morning sun which did them in.
I had over-nighted my tomato plants in the mud room, which is uninsulated - to expose them to cold nights but without the possibility of frost. A few of the plants have developed white blotches on their leaves, which I'm guessing is from the cold.
But yesterday we had to go to Home Depot so I went to the Gardening Centre and looked at their plants - I saw some evidence of the white blotches on a couple of plants (although not nearly as many as with mine, but their growing conditions are a lot better, being protected in the greenhouse) but not as much evidence of wind exposure (again, happy greenhouse). I did notice that their tomato plants are a lot fuller than mine -but I'm growing mine without benefit of chemical nitrogen (or any other artificial fertilizer) and I'm certainly not growing hybrid varities conditioned to all look but no substance. I'm looking forward to seeing the end result (ie the yummy tomatoes) to see how they stack up to their big box cousins.
Anyway, the weather is supposed to turn today so I'll be putting the tomatoes in the ground likely by Thurs or Fri. I expect they'll love being able to stretch their roots.

My Mother in Laws Plants

2009-05-15T11:38:00.000-04:00

My Mother In Law Peggy lives In Barrie....

She has planted her plants inside/ outside in pots that she can bring in at night, and her Bean, Kale, Peas and tomatoes are all growing well and strong... She has had no such luck with either of her peppers (lipstick and Fish) Barrie temperture is definetly a bit colder then in the GTA so she has been only bringing her plants outside when there is a full sun.

I will up load her pictures when I head back to the city after the long weekend.

(and I am going to try and get her started on this blog with her own account, she is just a bit timid)

I will keep you updated regardless..

Andrea

Free is great

2009-05-14T16:41:00.000-04:00

Free plants are WONDERFUL plants. Of course the kind that provides food are even more fabulous, but a few free hostas and bleedinghearts and irises are exciting.
Free SOIL is PERFECT SOIL and so perhaps think about composting in your backyard (or under your sink with worms, if you're a keener). You can buy a composter at the municipality offices (or go to your local Earth Day hosted by your MPP) or buy one at Lee Valley. OR you can build one (fancy or plain, they both work). Then you can divert all your non-meat products (including dairy, milk and grease)out of the greenbox, include a lot of your paperstuff (paper towels, toilet paper rolls etc) and toss it into the composter with the leaves you rake up, the grass you clip (or mow if you have that much lawn?) and any other yard waste. Water it if it gets dried out, turn it once in a while (if you feel like it) and by next summer you will have gorgeous FREE soil to put next year's tomato crops into.
If you are lucky to be friends with a farmer (or a farmer's kid) you could probably get free manure....

Worms

2009-05-12T13:25:00.000-04:00

When people (or books or magazines) talk about digging new beds, they don't talk about the worms. Or the killing / maiming / dismembering of worms to be precise.
The soil where we live is mostly clay. This means that while plants hate it (because it is too hard / gummy / thick to bury roots into), worms love it. I am not kidding when I say that there must be about 100 worms per square foot of our property. So, to build a bed (which involves cutting through sod, then digging up clay to amend it with things that plants will like) I have to dig up or hurt dozens of worms per shovelful.
My friend Lucinda is giving me a truckload of plants that she is dividing out of her garden. This means a new bed for them. I decided to dig into the sod and make a more traditional bed (ie not 18" on top of the ground, which is what I did for the veggies) to house them. I have some peat moss and vermiculite already, so I picked up a couple of bags of compost and topsoil, and got to work digging out the lawn.
I am having a really hard time about the worms. I know it sounds crazy, but I don't really want to hurt them, especially when I know how beneficial they are to the garden. I'm not sure how to go about digging the next level up, without doing more damage. I'm almost inclined to just rip out the sod and lay in the other stuff on top without digging it in, hoping the worms that I've kept alive will do their job and work it all in as a thank you.

More about hardening off

2009-05-12T06:55:00.000-04:00

I've been nurturing my tomato and pepper plants for about 8 weeks now, and when I say nurturing I mean that they have been influencing my lifestyle for almost 2 months. As an example, since I've been using the flourescent lights I've had to make sure I'm home to turn the lights off approximately 16 hours after I turn them on. This means that I haven't been able to spend nights away from home without relying on Max to flick the switch or add water. So I've been looking forward to hardening them off.
I moved the 1st batch out into the living room & dining room in front of south-facing windows about 3 weeks ago when the 2nd batch of seedlings needed the space under the flouros. I thought that this would also be a good introduction to the transition to outside - no more consistant, reliable light. One lesson I've learned though - DON'T LET YOUR PLANTS BECOME CROWDED. Since my space was limited, the plants were bunched together and so have grown a bit taller than I think they ideally should have.
Last week I started to introduce the 1st batch to the outdoors. I started in about 1 1 /2 hour increments, and tried to start them in a shady spot. Since I've started to harden them off, though, I've noticed that the taller plants have suffered more - some of them seem to be prone to wilting. I fed them some worm poo in an effort to boost their strength, and Max suggested I try to spray them with mist to help keep their moisture up. I transplanted some of the larger plants from the 4" pots to bigger 6" pots, in case they were too root bound to transition well. But they still seem to have been struggling.
Yesterday it was overcast and not overly windy, just a bit cool. I put them all outside, sheltered from the sun (when it managed to cut the cloud cover) and from the prevailing wind. I left them outside for about 2 hours. When I brought them in, some of the plants had leaves which seemed slightly crisp along the outer edge. This was generally confined to the bigger leaves - the newer leaves seemed to be alright. I misted them when I brought them back in, to replenish the moisture they might have lost in the cool wind.This morning they are still upright and dark green, but I can see that a few are going to lose some of the bigger leaves. The smaller plants seem to have dealt with the conditions better.
I'm not sure what is causing the distress (which seems a bit more obvious than I had expected) - perhaps I've been too diligent about watering them, not diligent enough about watering them, perhaps their pots are too small, or maybe this is just normal. I've been reading up on 'hardening off' and nowhere does anyone describe the process the plants go through while you're hardening off. They describe how to do it insofar as "put them in a sheltered spot and gradually introduce them to the sun", and they vary on how quickly or harshly to do it. But they don't mention water before or after their exposure, or what will happen to the plants as they acclimatize or what to do if they seem to be suffering.
Perhaps I'm just being an overprotective nurturer, after all these weeks of basking in the glow of my great plant growth. Likely I don't know enough. Most certainly I don't know enough. And I know that they are not dying and that I'm being far too dramatic about a few plants showing signs of struggle - even if a couple of them fail, there are plenty to take their place.
But I think that I should have started hardening off the bigger plants earlier. I will start to harden off batch 2 MUCH sooner. I also have noticed that of all the varieties that I've started, there are 3 that are now causing a bit of grief:
AMISH PASTE (of which I grew quite a few so we will be able to can lots) grew aggressively tall quickly, and now they are too tall for their pots and having a hard time with hardening off
OLPAKA - which I've struggled to even grow into healthy plants as it is and now they don't have the strength to harden off successfully
HILLBILLY - the plants that I kept in smaller pots seem to be doing alright, but the plants that I upgraded to yogurt containers (which grew faster than their counterparts) now have the same issue as the Amish Paste - while they are bigger they seem to be shocked more easily.

Perhaps that is the trick to hardening off (assuming you are raising your plants indoors full time) - don't let the plants get too big or tall (this would begin with not letting your plants get overcroweded to begin with or letting them get leggy from stretching to a window). I would have thought that a bigger plant would be stronger and therefore able to withstand the challenges of hardening off, but it almost seems they are bigger sucky babies.

I would be really interested (and comforted) in knowing if anyone else notices physical changes in their plants as they harden off, apart from the strengthening of the stem etc. Or advice! If anyone has some tips, or reassurances about the process, I'm eager to hear them!

How much food can you grow?

2009-05-11T13:57:00.000-04:00

I wouldn't say that I go out and buy radishes on a regular basis. But I grew some radish sprouts and I can't even describe how TASTY they were - slightly spicy and so 'fresh' tasting. So when I decided to indescriminantly broadcast some radish seeds in a window box, I thought I'd see how microsprouts taste. As they've been growing, I snip off the top of one or the other to thin them, and then I eat those little leaves. They are YUMMY! I think I'm going to devote 2 pots on my deck just to radish sprouts - growing them only for the leaves. And I also bought a package of broccoli seeds for the same thing. I don't have the space (or the inclination) to grow my own broccoli this year, but I think that broccoli sprouts must taste great. So another 2 pots will go to sprouting broccoli.
You might give microsprouting a try - I just used those green plastic rectangular window boxes that you can pick up anywhere. Just plant the seeds, cover thinly with soil and water. Once they have grown to an inch or two high, snip some leaves off to the soil and try them. Add them to sandwiches or salads ( I haven't tried cooking them) or anywhere else you'd like a burst of flavour.
In the interest of companion planting, I'm going to grow some nasturtiums with my tomatoes. Nasturtium flowers are edible - peppery and interesting. Nasturtiums are also great to grow with tomatoes as companion plants.
If you've become confident with your tomato growing prowess, think about planting beans! Beans get planted around the same time as you put your tomatoes out, and they are direct seeded (which means that you can decide to do this now!). You can easily grow them in pots on your balcony or in your backyard, or you can grow them in the ground. There are some really interesting heirloom varieties available - as wax, pod or for drying. And most beans will keep producing until the frost if you keep harvesting them. With pole beans they grow UP as opposed to OUT, so you can save on space and still add some homegrown fresh vegetables to your dinner (or for snacking on when you are outside).
You might be able to successfully harvest more food from your available space than you thought was possible.

herbs

2009-05-10T22:10:00.000-04:00

I also decided to get some seeds from Can Tire... I wanted to do some Basil, Oregano, Sage, and Rosemary, they are Mackenzie seeds and could be horribly wrong and full of crap but I didn't see anything bad on- line, so I decided to do some planting... i planted the whole lot in different big square pots outside, (a week and two days ago) I brought them in for the first time tonight because of the cold..

The basil is already growing strong.. the rest hasn't happened yet...

my guess..

2009-05-10T21:56:00.001-04:00

I think because I grew up thinking plants will survive if you give them the basics, I still have that idea stuck in my head... I love how nurturing others have been with their plants..

I grew up on a farm so all these other blog ideas are great for my learning curve!!!!

Jiffy pots

2009-05-10T21:38:00.000-04:00

my jiffy pots did little.. although I have never used them before, so I think I might have been too harsh with them, I have always just grown most things from seed in pots or germinated them wet in paper towel and transported them to pots when sprouted... so I probably didn't follow directions very carefully on the jiffy pots.. I wouldn't use them again personally....

Also, I have all my seedlings outside since the beginning of april, I think its very important to introduce them early to wind, rain and sun.. so they can become strong and healthy..

so far everything has been adjusting fine and getting big like weeds... (except my lipstick plants that never happened for me)

Can't wait to plant them in their forever homes!!!!

Its very well spring!!

2009-05-10T21:26:00.000-04:00

Hi all!!!!

Since the middle of April I have had all my enviro-pots outside most days/nights as long as the temperature has been above 10 degrees.. my Red Kale is growing out of the pots and is itching to be planted, but tonight is going down to 2 degrees, so I am going to bring them in one last time...

and plant them this week permanently outside in my beds...

I have all my plants growing except the lipstick pepper, I just cannot seem to get it to grow..

has anyone had luck with the lipstick pepper????

Transplanting Cheat Sheet

2009-05-07T10:50:00.000-04:00

For those of us who started our seeds in early April, it's getting close to the magical day of transplanting outside. The general rule of thumb for the 'safe' time to plant (ie all danger of frost has passed) is the May 2-4 weekend. With 2+ weeks to go, here are some last to-do's:
1) if your plant is in a small pot still, "From Seed to Table" recommends transplanting up to a 6" pot. To do this, water the seedling well and then tranplant it into a larger pot (it can have container soil in it, if you don't have any soilless mix left). Water well again, although don't drown them.
2) Prepare your final spot for your plants. If this is going to be a container, get it now. If you are using an unorthodox container (such as 5 gal bucket like a Home Depot bucket) instead of a purchased container, make sure that you drill plenty of drainage holes in the bottom so that the roots won't drown after a heavy rain or watering. Make sure your container is as big as you can find - the more soil the slower it dries out, and the stronger the root system is. Make sure the soil you use is designed for containers - regular garden soil is too compact and won't drain properly (plus it makes the roots work harder). You can get container soil anywhere. NOTE: I have read that it is ideal to have soilless container mix for vegetables because it keeps the soil light and well-drained. If you are planting in a garden bed, make sure you prepare the soil - dig in lots of compost (you can buy this by the bag) and add in some manure (horse, sheep or cow as long as the bag is listed 'weedless'... I used manure from a friend's farm and have lots of little weeds cropping up). If you have a composter, you can use any compost that is ready. You can also consider warming up your garden bed by covering the spot with some clear plastic or a cold frame to get the soil warmer quicker.
3) Get ready to support the vines. Except for those people growing "Brookpact" and "Whippersnapper", you should expect your plant to grow tall enought to need some support. The support keeps the tomatoes off the ground and easier to pick. I wouldn't rely on those metal cones that you can buy as some tomatoes do grow up to 6' (don't panic if you don't have that height, you can trim them down but that will be a future post). You can buy bamboo stakes at 6' tall for a couple of dollars, or use any kind of sturdy pipe or wood you have lying around. Make sure that the stake isn't going to fall over in a high wind, though. There are lots of pretty 'tomatoe stake' options in gardening centres if you are inclined to spend the money.
4) Start to harden them off. If you haven't been exposing your plants to the elements, you will want to start now. Take them outside when the weather is nice, but gradually expose them! So, start on Day 1 (warm and sunny day with little wind) in a lightly shaded area for a couple of hours. Then gradually move them out into the sun for longer periods of time. If you are working and can't accomplish it during the day, you might try to get them acclimatized on the weekends and perhaps put them out after work if it is still warm and sunny. DON'T LEAVE THEM OUT WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPS. They are still pretty fragile. I have been nervous even to let mine out on a sunny day when it is still cool... but I might be overprotective. Gradually you will be able to leave them out all day (bringing them in at night) but work up to this. You don't want to have worked this hard at nurturing your plants only to have them die from exposure. Tomatoes are heat lovers!

Next post will be all about feeding.

Hardening Off Part 1

2009-05-06T10:39:00.000-04:00

Yesterday it was sunny and not too windy (which is unusual for our neck of the woods) so I put my first batch of tomatoes and peppers out for a little hardening off. I watered them first and then put them into a bit of shade alongside the deck lattice where they would be slightly protected. They seemed to tolerate the conditions well (I left them out for 1 1/2 hours) so today I'm going to put them out again for a longer period. I know it's a pretty bad picture ( I took it on my phone's camera) so apologies.

Since I've tried to incorporate a few 'methods' in my experiment, I have started to see some interesting results:
1) all my tomato seeds were started in Jiffy pellets, and sprouted using a heat mat. I had about 90% germination.
2) in the 1st batch (what I'm growing for our garden) I transplanted the seedlings after the 1st true set of leaves into small 2" jiffy pots. Then once they seemed to outgrow those pots I transplanted them upwards again. Some I planted into medium sized 4" plastic pots (recommended by my guy at Tregguna seeds - I posted about this a while ago) and some I planted into used plastic tubs (recycled rice pudding containers!!). The transplants into the tubs seem to be, overall, sturdier than the ones in the shorter, smaller pots. The idea behind the 4" pots was to keep the plants slightly rootbound so they wouldn't stretch too high (and therefore outgrow the light shelf) but it seems that they have grown taller anyway and yet don't have the root base to keep their stems strong. I could be wrong about it, but the plants in the yogurt /margarine tubs seem sturdier some how.
3) for my 2nd batch of tomatoes (one's I've grown to give away) I transplanted them right from the Jiffy pellet into 5" plastic pots that I salvaged from our local nursery (and when I say salvage I mean I took them from the garbage). I transplanted them right into 'container soil' that had sea compost as part of it. Those plants seem to be doing really well, also. They are only 2" high right now (so it will be interesting to see how their stems fare) but I wanted to bypass the intermediate transplant by putting them into their final containers right away. They started off looking pretty small in the big pots, but they've been growing quite rapidly.
I think that next year I will forget about the 4" pots and just plant them into 5" or 6" pots anyway. I ended up not having enough space under the lights anyway and so once the seedlings were about 3" tall they were moved and have been living in a south-facing window, hence keeping them root bound wasn't an issue after all. The only good thing about the stretching that the plants in the 4" pots have done is that there is a lot of stem to bury when I eventually do plant them out. Apparently if you plant the tomato plant deeply, burying the stem up to the 1st set of leaves, the part of the stem that is under ground will sprout roots and make the plant stronger for it.

To the left are the bigger tubs and to the right are the medium sized 4" plastic pots that are convenient but which I don't think support the plant stem as much.

Early Garden Progress

2009-05-04T10:58:00.000-04:00

I spent the week away from home, working in the city. Before I left, my 'early' garden was still dark and free of any cheerful spots of green. I'm pretty sure that Max must have gotten tired of me asking about first about the tomato plants and then about the peas. I had planted the peas, beets, radishes,onions and salad on April 19, and had been expecting shoots at any moment.

By Wed the 29th (so 10 days later), the radishes and salad had sprouted. By Thurs the 30th the peas had barely started to poke through and as of yesterday the peas were looking promising. I haven't had 100% germination of the peas yet (I started with 32 seeds, following the 'Square Foot Gardening' spacing and so far have 22 sprouts) I'm hoping that some of the duds might be just 'slow starters'.

Inside the house, my 1st batch of peppers and tomatoes are almost big enough to go outside, but I'm still uncertain as to the weather. I'm going to start hardening them off, and then perhaps plant them next weekend (May 9, which might seem early to Toronto, but out here our last frost date is earlier). The Square Foot Gardening book has some suggestions for protection, should they be in the ground and a frost expected.

I don't know if I mentioned that last weekend we went to a friend's farm and got about 1 1/2 yards of horse manure (we transported it all in IKEA bags, which goes to show how useful those big blue bags can be) and yesterday we bought 3 yards of garden soil to finish the raised beds. That might seem like a lot of soil, but we are building 5 beds at 4'x8', and 2 beds at 2' x 16'. A lot of soil is required. We picked it up on the trailer in these pre-filled

bags - each bag is 1 yard. You might wonder how the soil gets

from the bag on the trailer to the raised bed? IKEA BAGS! We don't have a bobcat or anything so useful as that, and the wheel barrow is too short for just dumping the load into the bed, so I resorted to filling up the 'manure' bags and carting it over to the bed. I'm not sure that the 3 yards will be enough, but it is certainly an ambitious start. If you are planning a bed of any considerable size, I would highly recommend the bulk option. Each yard (which fills 100 sq ft at 1") cost us $49.99. If we had bought it loose (which requires a pickup truck or enclosed trailer) it would have been about $30. Still, 15L ( or one little bag) of the same soil can be between $2 and $5 (depending on whether you buy organic or not). Once I calculated in the cost of my beds, I've really only spent $250 for it all... I had to spend about $100 to build my 'early garden bed' because I hadn't gotten to our friends farm and the bulk soil wasn't available yet so commercial bags it was. But the final 3 yards came to $150, and if I don't include the gas we used up getting to Lindsay, that was all we have had to buy so far. Once we build our compost boxes, we shouldn't have to buy soil ever again.

Final note - the garden soil came with peat moss in it, and I have yet to find any commercial soil that is peat moss free. Has anyone come across any mixes that don't have it?

Have fun getting your containers and beds read for planting!

My little Sprouts

2009-04-25T10:56:00.000-04:00

Hey

I thought I would touch base and attach some photos. I feel like a mother nurturing all of these seeds. I have three tomato plants currently (1 Brookpact and 2 Whippersnappers) and I am anxiously waiting for the other whippersnappers and Silver fir to sprout (I may have to replant).. My boyfriend who was originally reluctant is now coming home with more seeds daily! So we have now planted, Chives, Parsley, Basil, Cayenne Peppers and Olive Trees. (yes olive trees!).. I have been experimenting with my sprouting techniques.. I have some on top of the fridge, covered in a paper bag and I have a some by the window covered in aluminum foil (I am hoping it will draw the heat from the sun)..

Happy Sprouting Fellow Bloggers

T

Signs of Life

2009-04-24T20:08:00.000-04:00

My girl is in bed and my little guy and I are enjoying some time together. From our patio doors, I can see that there are signs of life in our perennial gardens. I'm seeing these beds in a whole new way this year, for many reasons. I'm more grateful than ever that I am blessed with a huge backyard that was loving planted and tended to for 35 years by the couple who built this house. Here is a photo of our rhubarb.

The perennial chives are also growing abundantly. Despite my complete lack of attention and total neglect, these have grown strong and vibrant every year. And here it is, just the end of April and already they are ready to pick and use in spring salads! We also have perennial sage, sorrel and basil but they have yet to show sprouts.

I feel so excited about the seedlings growing on our cart indoors but am equally amazed and excited about the seedlings growing outdoors.

Gardening Freestyle

2009-04-24T06:17:00.000-04:00

It's not just my lack of gardening experience which sends me to books and Mother Earth News. I am of 'The Oprah Generation' - the ones who were coming of age when Oprah FIRST started (when she was more like Jerry Springer), and so were raised on self-help books and expert advise. It is natural for my generation to seek information and guidance from outside ourselves, from 'the experts' and 'authorities'. Of course this was all long before people had computers in their homes, much less knew about the internet, so our searches led us to bookstores and the library. Mine still do, mostly - hence why my 'recommended reading' lists are always longer than my blogrolls.
However nothing can replace hands-on, passed-down, trial-and-error knowledge. The 'experts' may say one thing, but the advice that one's grandfather or mother passes on trumps the books every time. It is why every book or magazine article mentions the concept of 'local knowledge' - relying on the experiences and observations of the people who are DOING it (as opposed to just writing about it). I think that it also refers to the successes you have in your own methodologies, regardless of how different it might be from the usual way of doing things.
Yesterday I was at a woman's house for a tech survey. She had a typical black tray / plastic top 'greenhouse' laid out on her deck, with her tiny seeds soaking up the sun - warm and toasty under the plastic lid. Her cold frame was already out of the garage, and while her entire back yard (which was about 6' x 10') had been turned into a patio with stone, she said that in the summer every inch of it was covered in containers filled with tomatoes. She saved her own seeds - taken from tomatoes she had eaten and particularly enjoyed. Like Andrea, her tomatoes are pretty much outdoors from Day 1, only being brought in at night or on really cold days. Pretty much how her great-grandmother would have done it in the years before flourescent lights.
So then, how much to believe of what The Books say? I suppose that nurturing your seedlings in a warm sun with artificial light may only give them a boost up, and the opportunity to be a bit ahead of when Mother Nature planned for them to grow. However, the success that Andrea and this woman have in raising their young seedlings mostly outdoors seems to prove that local knowledge and personal experience count for almost everything. Every method counts, so long as they bring about the desired results for the grower - that being food to eat.
I've been keeping a bit of a gardening journal (on top of our blog) so that next year I remember what I did and what worked. But I think that it will also be helpful to refer back to this next season. and see how the paths taken by the different growers might have been far better than the paths chosen by me. We are all, therefore, contributing to the 'local knowledge' of our group - and hopefully making it available to anyone that wants to grow some dinner.

The birds are nesting (stay away from my seeds)

2009-04-21T07:20:00.000-04:00

After the rain yesterday, my area of the world definitely looks revitalized and 'spring-like'. I can also see the starlings building nests, and most of the birds have started to forage on the lawn in earnest (so only the starlings have remained co-dependant on our feeders, of course). I suppose any moment now will become the 'me vs them' struggle.
On Sunday I direct sowed my peas, radishes, green onions and some beets. All of this went into a new raised bed (if you care about my country living struggles, feel free to read about them at www.anurbancountrygirl.blogspot.com) so the soil was pretty warm (it should have been - it was freshly purchased!). I only planted half of the bed, but have laid in 32 peas, 16 radishes, 8 beets (so far), 16 green onions, and 4 leeks. I also planted some shallots in an herb bed I already had (and let me tell you that the chives popped up as soon as the snow melted, in case you were wondering whether chives were a good bet for your own gardening space).
Almost everyone has told me that it's too early for direct sowing, but all of the books that I'm using as reference for my own experiments say that peas, salads, radishes, and green onions can take a bit of frost and that they thrive in cooler temperatures. I've got some old windows nearby, in case I need to lay them over the bed should snow come again. But even with the rain yesterday it didn't fall below 4 degrees.
I mention the peas because they CAN be grown in containers as well as in beds. They need to be trellised (the pole varieties can get up to 6-7'), but they are gorgeous as well as prolific. You could have enough peas to even freeze some. The great thing about peas, also, is that they are EARLY. They don't like hot weather, so unlike beans which need to be planted after the last frost date, peas can be planted a few weeks before it. The peas that I planted mature on average 45 days after germination. So, in less than 2 months I will be eating fresh peas! And as long as they are regularly picked, they will produce well into the summer.
(You can also plant a late crop at the end of the summer if you are adventuresome)
You can buy the seeds for the various types of peas: snap, sugar, pod. You will also want to decide whether you want pole or bush varieties, depending on your space. But the poling variety only needs HEIGHT, they don't require much square footage. So you could easily have a couple of lovely plants offering early summer beauty and nourishment with a minimum of space and effort.
Final note: if you haven't ever eaten fresh peas, you will not believe how yummy they are. Do NOT choose to skip over peas just because you think they will taste like those frozen ones you buy, or like those limp things in the produce section of your store. Garden-fresh peas are crisp and juicy and they taste like spring.

Friends With Benefits

2009-04-20T19:49:00.000-04:00

I just found out my next-door-over neighbour is the head Gardener at Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons, a large provincial park near Midland. Chatting with her the other evening, I found out that she is specifically spear-heading a huge vegetable garden project this summer. I feel like I just won the lottery! I told her about Reclaiming Dinner and asked if she would be our Trusted Advisor. Since she's a garden enthusiast and passionate about community projects, she mild manneredly agreed. I don't know if she realizes what she's gotten herself into as I think I'm the most co-dependent one of our group . . . but she has offered me her tiller so that I can turn the soil on our kitchen garden, which hasn't been touched since we moved here in late 2004. As the picture pretty much shows, it's a sad and neglected area.

In my next post, I will be describing two innovative and super cool planting ideas that she gave me, including Upside Down Tomato Plants and PVC Strawberries.

Our seedlings are growing. Just planted the tomatoes today since our last frost is the end of May. But as the pictures show, the basil and peppers are growing strong. We had a nice strong showing of poppies, too, but they haven't transitioned to the window very well. I'm trying to revive the few that are remaining but may just direct sow them after the last frost.

Here's an aerial view of the peppers. I'm not much of a photographer, as you can all tell, but don't they look vibrant and green?

They seem to love the cart I have them on and they receive full sun all morning as they are in a southeast facing window.

I will be installing a flourescent light on the shelf below, where the tomato seedlings will go.

Watch for damping off

2009-04-19T09:42:00.000-04:00

Now that your seedlings are growing, you will want to watch out for 'damping off'. This happens when a fungus spreads over the soil surface, and it will eat through the stem of your plant at ground level.
A good start in avoiding this problem is to use seed-starting soilless mix (or the jiffy pellets) - this gives you the assurance that the potting medium doesn't harbour the fungus. If you've chosen to use your own garden soil, make sure it is sterilized beforehand (you can bake it in the oven).
As your seedlings grow, make sure they get adequate ventilation, and that the place that you are growing them isn't overly damp. Let the surface of the soil dry out before you water again (I suppose it is a fine balance between letting the surface dry out and starving the plant for water, which is why I've been checking my plants morning and night).
"The Tomato Bulletin", a pamphlet put out by Terra Edibles (where a lot of these seeds have come from), says that if you add vermiculite or perlite (available at Home Depot or gardening centres) to the potting mix when you transplant can also help avoid this problem. Plus, they suggest that you regularly spray the new seedlings and the surface of the soil with a diluted solution of chamomile tea. Apparently the chamomile is very effective at killing off or preventing the fungus. Giving them adequate light also decreases your chances of having the fungus get out of control.
I've noticed that because I've been keeping my plants within 3" of the flourescent lights, the surface of the soil dries out very quickly. Of all the seedlings I've started, I've only had one show any signs of mold or fungus (and I threw it out right away, rather than try to medicate and fix it). The bookshelf that they are growing on is an old Ikea "Sten" shelf which is open on all sides, so there is plenty of ventilation and ambient light from the room which hits the plants even where the flourescent lights don't.
Is anyone transplanting yet?
As I mentioned, I've transplanted some plants into plastic (flimsy) divided trays (bought for $1 at my seed store), margarine-sized plastic tubs (with holes added), and those coir pots (which I'm nervous about but which you plant along with the plant). In terms of growth, they are all doing equally well, although I do think that the stems on the plants in the coir pots are stronger as I was able to plant them deeper. The gentleman at the seed store assures me that the plants which get a bit root-bound in the smaller tray compartments will thrive once they are in the soil.
Here are is what my tomatoes look like at Week 4:

I haven't noticed any real difference in growing rates between the different varieties. I haven't been growing the dwarf varieties (Brookpact and Whippernapper) either, so perhaps those plants don't grow so tall as they are not meant to get very high ever.
I'm also growing some pepper plants, and while they aren't as tall as the tomatoes, they have beautiful shiny leaves and are starting to fill out. I still find it exciting every day to check on them all.

Alternative to Peat Moss

2009-04-18T23:50:00.000-04:00

I am trying not to use Peat Moss because its not considered a sustainable renewable resource...

The peat moss is commercially harvested (or “mined” – depending on which side of the debate you’re on) from these bogs. The process involves digging a network of drainage ditches and settling basins so that the water drains away from the wetland and the bog begins to dry out and die. Once that happens, all surface vegetation is removed and the deposit is ready for peat production. The surface peat layer is dried by the sun and wind. The topmost layer is typically harrowed to enhance the drying process. After a few days, the dry peat layer is collected using a large vacuum harvester or other equipment, then transported to a processing facility for screening and packaging.

Peat bogs are seen by some scientists to be as important and fragile as rainforests, and that’s where the concern lies about the use of peat moss by gardeners. Peat companies are destroying these fragile, unique and valuable bog ecosystems by removing the peat.

Wetland loss due to agriculture and development is a major biodiversity problem worldwide, threatening wildlife habitat. But peat bogs have their own special ecosystem issues and threats. They are home to rare wildlife, including untold numbers of highly specialized native plants, many of which may be endangered and found only in the peat bog.

Peat bogs are also a rich source of social and environmental information. The highly acidic conditions in peat bogs result in very slow decay. That means they provide a unique and irreplaceable record of climate, vegetation and human activity dating back 10,000 years. There have been some remarkable finds in peat bogs, including people buried thousands of years ago and wooden artifacts that have not survived elsewhere.

Peat bogs, like other wetlands, are Nature’s water purifiers. They contribute to healthy watersheds and, in some areas, to safe drinking water for nearby populations, filtering an estimated 10 percent of global freshwater resources. They also provide effective flood prevention. Destroying a bog destroys these benefits. In addition, the ditches required to extract the peat lower the water table and often negatively impact local waterways.

Perhaps the biggest contribution of peat bogs to a healthy environment is as “global coolers,” helping to fight climate change. As the mosses grow, they absorb carbon dioxide, which is locked up within the plant structure as the plants turn to peat. Scientists think these bogs contain more carbon than all the world’s tropical rainforests. But when the bogs are drained for peat extraction or otherwise disturbed, the peat starts to decompose and the carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere, where it acts as a potent greenhouse gas.

I was able to buy bio-degradable pots for my seeds to grow in, that do NOT contain Peat Moss, but the soil I used was left over from my step mother's planting, and it was a general organic soil.. I didn't look to see what the mix was, I will see if I can find it out, as most of my seeds have started to sprout, so I believe it is probably a good mix, but I am not sure if its actually free of Peat Moss...

I have heard Coconut fiber is a good alternative when doing hydroponics.. and that you don't actually always need to have peat moss included in the soil mix.. you can buy a commercial soil without PM and add perlite and vermiculite if the plants don't do well or stop growing.

I haven't tried the above personally, because I have always grown my tomatoes and peppers right out of the ground, and have never had to add anything to the soil...

I will keep my eyes open for a good soil without PM..

and keep you posted!

Andrea

If you're going to have tomatoes, you might as well make salad

2009-04-18T18:45:00.000-04:00

I'll admit that I'm not big on salad. This despite, or perhaps because of, being a vegetarian - too often salad is offered up as the 'veg choice' for a meal. But EVERYTHING I read that is in any way related to gardening talks about growing lettuce / salad mixes. How lettuces (not just iceberg, of course) grow so quickly, how you can harvest bits a time and they'll keep growing back, how they are one of the crops that ushers in spring. I have started to question my perception of lettuce as bland and boring. And really, what would I have to lose if I planted a few seeds?

Salad can be grown in a box - a minimum of 8" wide and 6" deep (the bigger the box, though, the slower it dries out). This means salad can be grown on a patio, a deck, a balcony, a windowsill.

Some salad varities are cut-and-come-again, which means you harvest the leaves when the plants are 2-4" high and then the leaves shoot up again, so you can actually get four helpings from one planting. Otherwise, try leaf lettuce - you can harvest mature outer leaves from the plants each week.

Lettuce can be sown outdoors in late April. If you have the room or the inclination, you can plant more seeds weekly so that you stagger your crop (especially if you are a salad lover). Lettuce likes full sun and good soil. If you aren't trying the 'square foot gardening' method, you will want to sow approximately 1 seed per centimeter, then thin them out as they mature to a spacing of about 20 - 30 cm of space (eat the seedlings you pull out!). Lettuce doesn't appreciate a lack of water.

Even if you decide to only plant a couple of seeds now and then, you'll grow enough lettuce to put on your tomato sandwiches. But if you plant a bit more, you'll be able to showcase your beautiful early tomatoes on a bed of homegrown lettuce, with a nice balsamic dressing to top it off!

Since lettuce requires so little room, I'm thinking that there is no excuse NOT to grow a salad.

Tomatoes Need Friends

2009-04-18T09:48:00.000-04:00

With the tiny sprouts growing into young seedlings, it is easier to imagine your future plants - strapping specimans laden with juicy tomatoes. And now that you've realized that growing seedlings from seed is pretty easy, it's time to start imagining some possible friends for your tomatoes.
Tomatoes thrive when they have chives, onion, parsley, or garlic planted near by. So if your pot is big enough, plan to drop a green onion seed or two in the pot. If you invest the $2 or so for the package of seeds (which contains hundreds of seeds) you might even get yourself a couple of designated 'green onion pots' and grow them in a sunny window all year round. You can also buy garlic that is meant to be planted - although garlic is best planted in the fall. You might consider starting some parsley from seed, but it'll be just as easy to grab a small plant from your corner store and drop it into it's own pot, which you can then house beside the tomatoes. Chives are a great herb to grow in a container - they are a 'cut and come again' kind of plant - meaning that as you harvest bits of the stems it is encouraged to grow even more. Chives also self-sow when it starts to flower, so you'll get chives with little effort.
The great thing about planting perennials like parsley and chives in containers - you can bring them indoors for the winter and have yummy fresh herbs while it's snowing outside. The list for 'bring inside herbs' would also include oregano, thyme or rosemary. Basil is an annual, so it might be harder to nurse it through a whole winter. I know that it is not a new suggestion to have herbs in your home over the winter (even Metro sells those kits), but since you've got the tomatoes going, you might as well have herbs to compliment the salad or salsa or sauce.
Other edible plants that help tomatoes are carrots, marigolds and nasturium. Carrots are another crop that you can grow indoors over the winter (although don't expect to grow enough to satisfy your needs) but you could definitely grow a few in containers alongside your tomatoes. Nasturtiums are edible, and lovely to look at so while your tomatoes are being protected from certain pests and are growing more hardy, you can contemplate your pretty flowers and then pick them for a snack (they are quite peppery). Marigolds are another attractive plant that discourages pests like nematodes while looking like a mere ornamental.
It is easy to companion plant in small spaces, it doesn't have to be expensive and the rewards (better tasting tomatoes and fewer pests) make it totally worth the effort.

Container Gardening Cheat Sheets

2009-04-15T09:26:00.000-04:00

I've been reading "Guide to Canadian Vegetable Gardening" by Douglas Green and for those of you who are planning on planting your tomatoes in containers, I thought you might find the following tips helpful:

TYPES OF CONTAINERS
Bigger containers are better because they hold more soil which means that the soile (and therefore the roots of the plants) won't dry out as quickly. Try to keep the pots cool - if the pot gets hot the soil gets hot, and when the soil gets hot the plant stops growing. DON'T use black pots - the soil in black pots can reach over 30 degrees on a hot summer day, which shuts the plant down. This guy recommends clay pots as they stay cooler (because they don't absorb as much sunlight and stay cooler as they evaporate water through the walls of the pot), but make sure they aren't GLAZED (also, the glaze can apparently leach). Make sure that whatever pot you use has drainage holes in the bottom! If you are reusing old pots, make sure to wash them thoroughly before planting this year, so that you clean away remnants of diseases.

THE RIGHT KIND OF SOIL FOR CONTAINERS
This guy recommends soilless mix which would include peat moss. He feels that in container gardening, any soil in the mix can easily become compacted which suffocates your plants. The peat moss absorbs and holds moisture. He also says that putting rocks or ceramic shards in the bottom of the container is an old wives tale. Mel Bartholemew in "Square Foot Gardening" also advocates soilless mix for containers: his recipe is 1/3 course vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss and 1/3 compost.

** A note on peat moss - it is being suggested more and more that we try to avoid peat moss as the ancient bogs are being drained and harvested for the peat moss, thereby having a huge environmental impact. Has anyone heard of any replacements for peat moss?? **

WATERING YOUR CONTAINERS
You must check and water your containers daily, and even twice a day during hot spells. This is because containers dry out much more quickly than in-ground gardens. If you let your container dry out, the calcium in the soil stops moving up the plant towards the tomato and then you'll develop things like blossom end rot (that black rotting bit on the bottom of your tomato). You may need to water daily, and water well - soak the plants so that water runs out of the bottom of your container. Water from BELOW the plant's foliage (ie don't use a sprinkler system - use either a watering can or a drip hose at the roots). Now, Mel Bartholomew writes that his mix requires only 2 x per week watering - I would say that it would be better to check your plants daily, though, to make sure.

FEEDING YOUR PLANTS
Because you are watering your plants so often, some of the nutrients will wash away with the water. And since your roots are confined to only the soil you've provided (ie those nutrients can't be replaced without your help) you'll need to feed the plants. Douglas Green recommends at least once per week, and Mel B's method requires every second week. Use an organic fertilizer (you can make your own, see below).

MULCH YOUR CONTAINERS
Don't forget to mulch!! It will save you a lot of water, keep your soil cooler, and keep the weeds down. You can use straw, cocoa shells, or even pieces of cardboard. Mel B even says to use an old piece of carpet! You can use wood chips, too, but apparently they don't encourage the kind of bacteria you want for vegetables, so you don't want to mix them into your soil too much.

In my next post, I'll try to gather some information on PEST PREVENTION AND REMEDIES.

In the meantime, here is Mel Bartholomew's "Square Foot Gardening Basic, All-Purpose Fertilizer" (or you can buy some at a gardening centre)

1 part bloodmeal (available at gardening centres or Home Depot) *
2 part bonemeal (same as above) *
3 parts greensand (I know that Urban Harvest sells this: http://www.uharvest.ca/)
4 parts composted leaf mold (I haven't seen this for sale, but perhaps at a garden centre?)

* I've found that bonemeal and bloodmeal help deter squirrels and racoons from your plants - I don't think they like the smell of 'death'.

Another option, if you only have a couple of containers, is to get TerraCycle plant food, which is worm poop and plants seems to love it. It can be a bit more expensive, but you don't have to feed your plants as often as the container suggests.

ONE LAST NOTE: Depending on your variety, you might have to provide some vertical support for your tomatoes, too - it doesn't have to be a cage, any kind of upright structure (teepee shape or u-shape) will do. You can also support the plant on a railing, eavestrophe downspout, or whatever you have handy.

It's Not Just About Taste

2009-04-13T07:41:00.000-04:00

Besides the pleasure of growing your own veggies, and the delicious flavour of a freshly picked tomato, here are some other reasons you might be glad to growing your own heirloom tomatoes:

In "The End of Food", Thomas Pawlick compares the nutritional data on common fruits and veggies between 1963 (one of the first years that the US Department of Agriculture calculated the vitamin and mineral contents of food in a standardized way) and 2002. He used the tables provided by the USDA, which are used to calculate the values you see in the charts on the food you buy. He found that between 1963 and 2002, the conventional tomato that you buy at the store has:
- 30.7% less Vitamin A
- 16.9 % less Vitamin C
- 61.5 % less calcium
- 11.1 % less phosphorus
- 10 % less iron
- 1% less thiamin

BUT also has

- 65% MORE fat
- 200% MORE sodium

I think that this is one of the more important issues in growing heirloom / old varieties - the fact that you are also growing something that is GOOD FOR YOU, something that contains the vitamins and minerals that you expect it to, without the salt and fat that you don't want or expect.
This is a fundamental part of reclaiming dinner - the ability to eat nutritious food.

Kale and Pepper

2009-04-12T10:17:00.000-04:00

Hey All,

I have 5 kale sprouts... ( Red Russian Kale)

2 Purple Russian spouts(tomato), and 1 Believe it or not sprout.. (tomato)

These are pictures of the kale sprouts, the tomato sprouts are too small to see

on camera.

We are going to Barrie for a few days, so I have put all my enviro-planters on a baking sheet, in the sun, and we are going to put water in the bottom of the baking sheet, so they plants can feed themselves from the bottom of the planter and stay moist, we will be gone for 3 days..

Happy Long Weekend!!!

Andrea

Hey Growers,

2009-04-10T20:58:00.001-04:00

I have Kale growing!!!!

They are growing out of the enviro planters I bought.

No tomatoes or peppers yet, but if I remember from previous years, they take a little longer then the leafy veggies..

The rest of the seeds I have, I have planted in the jiffy pelts that Mel gave me

which I have never used before, but it looks like they are working well for all of you.

Happy long weekend Everyone, keep growing!

Andrea

3 Weeks in

2009-04-09T15:11:00.000-04:00

It's been a few weeks since I planted my pepper seeds and about 2 1/2 since I planted the tomatoes. So here's the update -

The peppers are coming along well. I planted them in 2 batches - the 1st batch I blogged about, and then a few more seeds just before I did the tomatoes. Already I've transplanted quite a few of them into bigger peat pots (6") even though I know that peat pots are terrible for the environment. The other ones I've left in my recycled small-ish yogurt containers. They seem to be growing up pretty straight and for the most part have a few sets of leaves.

The tomatoes quickly outgrew their jiffy pellets and so I went to Tregguna Seeds (in Hamilton) in search of more pots. But the REALLY HELPFUL staff there (and let me mention here that nothing beats a seed store or a gardening store for helpful advice - the staff usually knows how to grow things, unlike the staff at Home Depot that seem better equipped to point you to the lawn mowers or something) gave me some GREAT tips:

1) DON'T plant your tomatoes and peppers into big 6" pots too early when you are growing them indoors, or by the 6th week they are tall and huge and outgrowing your light source (in my case my bookshelf/flourescent light setup). You can keep them in smaller pots where they will still grow but a bit more slowly as they'll almost be root bound... but he assures me that they will be strong when they go outside.

2) DON'T therefore spend a lot of money on big pots, he is completely of the mind that recycled margarine containers (with holes drilled in the bottom) are perfect

3) When you transplant the peat pots, make sure the WHOLE pot is in the ground. If the lip of the pot extends above the ground, it wicks the water away and then doesn't break down properly. He also suggests you can gently cut the peat pot (very carefully in case the roots have started to grow into the pot) in order to ensure it will decompose. Finally, if you can spray the peat pot with water prior to planting the whole thing, the roots will have an easier time growing through.

Too bad I already planted my peppers in 6" peat pots... I hope they don't take over their shelf!

Finally, something I've noticed about my tomato seedlings... they've started to lean over - I think the flourescent bulbs they are under are maybe too cool or something and they're not getting enough lights. I've been rotating them to try and compensate, but this weekend I have to find a solution because they are definitely looking wobbly!

Final note about my tomatoes - I had about a 90% germination rate, which seemed great to me. But because I planted so many plants, I noticed that some varieties germinated almost at 100% and then some germinated at 10%. I've tried twice now to get a "Pineapple Ground Cossack" to germinate and still no luck. I'm going to try again this weekend.

By the way, it's really exciting to hear about everyone else's progress.

And it starts...

2009-04-05T15:57:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone,

I have finally started my seeds. I decided to get Planters Pride Plantable Pots, they are fibre enviro-containers that are biodegradable.

I bought six containers and planted 2 of each: Fish Peppers, Big Rainbows, Red Russian Kale, Believe it or Not, Purple Russian, and Lipstick Peppers...

I left them outside in full sun all day and I am going to bring them in to place them on the window sill (South facing) at night and when its colder temp's. My house is also pretty warm, we keep it at about 22 degrees. I have never used Jiffy Pellets, I have always just planted my seeds shallow in good indoor planting soil, and kept them moist and warm..

I will try the Jiffy Pellets (that Mel provided) with a few of my seeds but I haven't started that yet, I figure I will do that later tonight indoors..

Last year I grew tomatoes and peppers from seed and had no problems.. Although we have moved from downtown Toronto to West Toronto, so the soil conditions will be different.

I am going to try to grow some of my plants in planter pots, and some in the ground.

I also have beans that I will be directly sowing when the temperature and soil in the ground is a warm constant.

My mother in law and grandmother in law will be taking some of my seeds as well to try in Barrie and New Lowell, both north of Toronto.

Anyhow, I will keep you posted. Very Excited to get started!!!

I have officially sprouted.. and I think I like it

2009-04-05T11:27:00.000-04:00

Hey fellow growers!

I only planted one of my three packages until today and I just had a sprout. It took two weeks (I think slow and steady is just fine!).. I have one little sprout but it looks healthy and happy. I have it in the window now sitting pretty.. There is a heating register under the window to keep it warm and the window gets lots of sun so fingers crossed.

As for the other seeds.. I planted them today in my jiffy packs and placed them all on a plate, with an inch of water and covered them and put them on top of the fridge.. still some sun but also alot more heat and hopefully, I will have more sprouts coming soon!

I will add photos shortly ..

Anyways.. just wanted to share in my excitement!

Cheers

T

2nd atempt

2009-04-01T11:31:00.000-04:00

So tonight is the bginning of my 2nd journey to veggie town. I had a bit of a bumpy ride the first time around so I am now attempting to go at it again.

With the advice of our almighty leader I have bought a heating blanket and I am ready to go.

Looking ahead I have been doing some reading about where I am eventually going to transplant my little garden. I mentioned last weeks issue of NOW and how great the feature articel Home Grown and it was that article that inspired me to build my own little 'square foot gardening' planters. There are great ones you can buy for the price of your first born child at the Square Foot Gardening website. I really like the 2'x4' boxes but they are super easy to make yourself as well.

Also for all of us patio planters water is a HUGE issue so I read that our gardening guru Mel Bartholomew says to fill your box with 6 inches (15 centimetres) of “Mel’s mix” (one-third compost, one-third vermiculite and one-third peat moss). NOW's 'Home Grown' articel talks more about this mixture and acutally gives a few more eco-friendly substitions to "Mel's mix"

SEED STARTING CHEAT SHEET - PT 2 (transplanting)

2009-03-29T07:21:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I tried my first transplanting. 3 of my first batch of peppers (so started almost 4 weeks ago) had developed a 2nd set of leaves (or what the books call the 'true' set of leaves) and I noticed that some roots were beginning to poke out of the netting around the Jiffy pellet. I filled a 6" pot 1/2 full with some POTTING SOIL (as opposed to the soilless seed starter) and moistened it a bit. I also watered the Jiffy pellet itself so that the roots would hopefully not go into shock. Then I filled up the container with more potting soil and watered a bit more (but not so much as to drench them.

These 3 transplants now get a place of honour under the lamp - but they do take up a lot of room. I don't know where I will put all the little plants once they start living in pots. I've been thinking of putting the onions and leeks into flower pots and moving them to the living room window, so they can be moved outside any time.

PLANTING SCHEDULE

In order to put your tomatoes out in early June, you will want to start your seeds about now. They take about 1 week to germinate (quicker in my case, and I think it was because of how warm the soil was from the heating pad) and then you want them to grow for another 5 to 7 weeks. If your frost date is the end of May, though (hi, Barrie folks!) you will want to plant early to mid-June ("once all danger of frost is past") so you could start between now and the middle of April.

If you're growing peppers from seeds, definitely start now - they need more time than tomatoes.

Basil can be started now, too.

Remember that if you are growing peas you can be direct sowing them into your containers up to 5 weeks before the last frost date.

Finally, if you are planting beans, you will be direct sowing them AFTER the danger of frost has passed.

Just a final note, if you are inclined to want to read about gardening (especially for the beginners amongst us), the books listed to the right are ones that I've found helpful over the winter months. "From Seed to Table" is a particularly great one - the writer is based in Ontario so all her information is relevant to our climate, and she includes some interesting facts and discussions on a wide range of topics about food. This month Mother Earth News has put out is "Guide to Growing Your Own Food" issue - it has some great articles about gardening and food preservation (plus advice on raising chickens and guinea fowl). In general, I've always found Mother Earth News interesting and informative, and you don't have to subscribe to their on-line edition in order to access articles (http://www.motherearthnews.com/ )

Starting Tomatoes

2009-03-28T09:40:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday night (after having had a few drinks), my friend Sara and I planted tomato seeds. My rather ambitious plan called for 60 seeds to start, and of course not 60 of the same variety. Labelling the seeds was my biggest hurdle - those handy Jiffy pellets don't allow for any easy marking of what exactly you are growing. So, you will notice my crazy method - pieces of colourful straw, marked with a number which corresponds to My Master List. I will admit that we had quite the giggle while we planted and then stuck the straws into the netting.

As I've mentioned, I had to resort to buying a heating mat for my seedlings as our house is too cold for the seeds, and I couldn't find anywhere reliably warm enough to ensure that the heat loving peppers and tomatoes would germinate. It has been the best $35 I've spent - the soil stays warm and moist and I've been really lucky with germination. This picture is how the seeds looked Tuesday night. I've been checking them twice a day since then, and on Friday morning saw no evidence of sprouting. But when I got home last night and checked them again, I had about 8 that had sprouted. This morning there were another 4.

Firstly, I still find it incredible how fast they sprout and then grow. But secondly, it is amazing that when they poke through the top of the soil they are pale (almost white) from being deprived of light, but after a few hours being under the lights (or in the sun) they green up so well.

The straw labels are working so far - the sprouted seeds weren't always from the same variety, so my layout in the original tray has of course shifted. I'm not sure if I will have to change the system - the earlier planted seeds (peppers and onions) have started to root through the netting of the Jiffy pellets and I wonder if the straws will impede the roots of the tomato plants. But for now it keeps my slightly organized.

I have noticed that some seedlings emerge with the seed still attached, and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to gently pull it off or leave it.... I guess I'll wait a few days to see if it falls off naturally.

I've been collecting toilet paper rolls because a lot of the reading material says that cutworms are a problem once you transplant into the garden - they apparently shear through the stem of the young plant. I've read that cardboard tubes around the stems can protect the plants from the cutworm. But container planters rejoice - apparently it is far less common in containers.

Later today I'm going to transplant the 1st batch of peppers - they have grown their second set of leaves and I can see their roots starting to poke through the jiffy pellet. It's going to be a fun way to spend a Saturday night!.

Mel's Thesis Part 2

2009-03-27T09:10:00.000-04:00

Grandma is 96. She still lives in the house that she raised her 4 children in, along with numerous fosterlings along the way. She still gardens, and still produces enough to put away for the winter. When I went up to visit her in February, she was still eating her own carrots, potatoes and beans.
I asked her what her last frost date was, given that her house is north and east of Ottawa ( I was imagining a short growing season). The conversation went like this:
"Grandma, when is your last frost date?"
"I don't know"
"When do you plant your garden, then?"
"When the ground is ready to be worked" (a look at me here, suggesting I was a bit dense for asking)
"How do you know when it's ready?" (here I was hoping for some practical advice for my own efforts)
"I just know" (again, the look that I was asking very stupid questions)

She just knows. After a lifetime of growing her own food (a necessity, not a hobby or a fad or an experiment) she just knows. She composts as a common-sense understanding of what her garden needs, as well as a habit of necessity - once they took their garbage to the dump and were charged based on weight. Her garden is rototilled in the spring (now that my grandfather is gone, my cousin does it faithfully for her) so that the ends of last years crops get tilled under. She doesn't exactly rotate her crops, but nothing is really set in stone, so nothing necessarily gets planted in the same place as last year. She doesn't use chemicals - they are an unnecessary expense so why would she? She thinks her garden might be a bit tired these days, so she gets my cousin to add some manure from a local farmer each spring now.
She grows what she eats because that is what she has always done (as did her parents before her) and because why should she not? Why would she buy tomatoes from somewhere else when she could grow her own and then can them?
Granted, at 96 she is slowing down and so I've noticed that she is buying more of her food lately. There was a time when she would not buy things out of season, based on cost alone. But she also doesn't understand why on earth we would bring in vegetables and fruits from 'far-off countries', why we should expect to eat strawberries in December. It makes no sense to her at all. And while she was brought up on a farm, she has lived in town now for 80 years, so I am talking about a woman who has gardened in her back yard and whose beliefs have been formed by real life (and real economics) as well as practical experience.
But of course my (our) generation has been raised on strawberries in December and whole tomatoes in February and asparagus in November. Meat eaters eat fresh beef in spring and fresh poultry in winter, no matter when Nature intended for them to be fattened up. And regardless of how far we live from the sea, fish eaters want to be able to enjoy lobster and shrimp year round. My (our) generation associates food with stores - clean, displayed, packaged, predictable, year-round.
I am not advocating that you give up lobster or that you can only eat your steak during the late fall. I am not suggesting that maritime processing plants should close down during the off-seasons, that farmers should only earn income for half the year, or that hot house / greenhouse gardening is 'unnatural'. I definitely am not saying that you should feel guilty about enjoying what you eat.
I just think that we should think about it a bit.
We import a great deal of food from countries which have lax environmental laws (and so do you really know what is being sprayed on your conventionally grown food?), and as consumers we don't really know what happens to that produce between field and table. Even organically grown food has a cost - it must be transported, it must be harvested (usually by large tractors using oil in some state), it must be tended to by workers (often migrant workers with few benefits or rights), it must somehow make it to the store (organic gases to preserve it, perhaps?).
For most of us, there is little option but to buy our produce from Loblaws or Metro or Sobeys during the winter months. A one-bedroom apartment in the city is unlikely to provide enough space for a significant amount of food preservation or storage - even the freezers in apartment fridges are small. Those farmers markets that are open year-round don't often provide a lot in the way of fresh veggies. City dwellers that don't own cars also don't have the luxury to travel out into the country to buy seasonal products from farmers. We have evolved into a culture that depends on the fresh-produce section of our local 'supercentres'.
But I really believe that the produce that we get there isn't what we would ideally be eating or feeding our children. I also don't think that I am alone in feeling that most of what you buy at the store tastes terrible to boot. I also believe that, during the summer at least, we have a choice.
It takes little space and time to grow a seed into a tomato plant on a balcony. It may take a bit of reading and attention to grow a tomato, but one tomato often leads to many tomatoes and so suddenly you have fresh, delicious tomatoes for a few months. You may have enough to give your friends a bunch, and if you are lucky to have the inclination /time/ space, you can can/freeze / dry your tomatoes and enjoy them in January. It is not a big stretch for us to grow a bit of food. You will also likely enjoy your time with your plants - you might enjoy watching your tomatoes grow (cocktail or a coffee in hand), you will likely enjoy showing off your plants to your friends, your family will be impressed. Perhaps you will want to learn how to do some preserving. Perhaps you'll try out some new recipes.
Most importantly, you/we will be rediscovering a fundamental skill - how to feed ourselves. We will learn how to tell when the ground is ready, what bugs are good bugs (and which should be drowned in beer), what 'last frost date' really means. We will reconnect with our food and where it really comes from.
Imagine that in a few months from now, you will go to your balcony/deck / backyard and pick a tomato any time you want.

My First Post

2009-03-24T11:05:00.000-04:00

Hello fellow growers....thanks for the invite into this little collective. I am very excited to be able to celebrate my triumphs and bitch about my failures with other like minded urban 'farmers'.

I just wanted to mention this weeks issue of NOW which is only going to be on stands for 2 more days. It is all about urban farming and how to make the most out of your smalls plots of land.

There were 2 really great websites mentioned in the article. The first website mentioned was all about rooftop and patio gardens and how to create the perfect soil blend to keep your small veggie gardens moist. The second website mentioned was all about SPIN farming S-mall P-lot IN-tensive Farming, not necessarily applicable to what we are doing but interesting none-the -less.

My first batch of seedlings were doing great last week but when I transplanted them to bigger pots this past weekend they seemed to go into shock. So much for $200 worth of gardening supplies. I am going to keep my fingers crossed that my first batch of seedlings spring back to life in the next few days but if not I guess I will be starting all over again this weekend.

SEED STARTING CHEAT SHEET PT 1

2009-03-24T09:02:00.000-04:00

Here's a little information to help you get started growing your seeds - information which I've culled from books and magazines and have only just started trying myself (so I am clearly no expert and if you have your own tried-and-true method, feel free to jump in and offer sound advice!)

JIFFY PELLETS
I gave most of you jiffy pellets along with your seeds. You will need to 'grow' these to their full height in order to create your magical self-contained pot. Put a pellet in a container (a yogurt container without holes will do) and add about 1/4 cup of WARM water. The warm water not only starts the pellet a bit quicker, it also prevents your seeds from nestling into cold wet soil.
Once the pellet has expanded (it takes a while, but is pretty fun to watch), open up the netting across the top (you will know the top of the pellet because the netting will be pulling back, revealing soil). Take a toothpick or something and gently 'fluff' the top of the soil.
Drain out any remainding water from your container.
At this point, you can keep the pellet in the container, or you can take it out. I've been finding that the containers have been pretty handy because you can water from the bottom. This, of course, means that you are placing the pellet into a container with NO HOLES (not the containers I gave you, which is for 2nd transplant). Either way, put the container w/ pellets, or the pellets alone, onto some type of tray - it makes it a lot easier and less messy. I bought some plastic trays at a gardening place for maybe $2 each, plus clear lids for about $1.50 each. Let the pellet drain a bit, so that it is not totally water-logged. I've also taken to putting the pellets over something warm (a vent or on top of the fridge) to let the wet pellets warm up a bit (usually over night).
Plant one seed per pellet. For the tomato plants, you want to only push the seed about 1/4" into the soil, and gently cover with soil. If the top of the soil is thoroughly dry, you will want to give it a light misting.
The germination rates for the seeds I handed out range from 85-97% (supposedly). So, it's up to you if you want to grow a few extra seeds to allow for any that didn't germinate. I found that my peppers only germinated in the 50% range (due to my technique, no doubt, not the seeds themselves) so I'm glad that I planted extra.
Once the pellets have seeds in them (and lable them some how - I've been trying a toothpick with a piece of masking tape on it as a lable, in the pellet itself) put the pellets and/or containers onto the tray. At this point you want to create a nice greenhouse effect to conserve moisture and heat. If you've bought one of those clear lids, you can put it on. Or, you can stretch plastic wrap or any clear plastic over the whole thing. If you've elected not to use a tray, just put plastic over each container. Put the tray with your seeds somewhere warm - on the fridge, over a vent, etc. The seeds at this point don't need light, so it doesn't have to be a window (especially since they can be drafty).
You will need to check them every day ( I do it morning and night). You will want to watch for drying out (water from the bottom, which is why the yogurt containers are so handy) and only mist on top (from a clean spray bottle). I would also use room-temperature water. Replace the plastic each time.
You will also want to watch out for sprouting. As soon as you see a sprout, you will be taking the plastic off the top and moving the seedling to a sunny position. This can either be a sunny south-facing window, or on a table with a flourescent light. I elected to go with the flourescent light arrangement because a) our south-facing window is drafty and tomatoes like warmth it seems and b) I could give them 12- 16 hours of light, which most of the articles suggest.
My own growing setup is in an unused area of a room - I just put an Ikea shelf in there and tied a flourescent light fixture to the bottom of one shelf so it hung over another. It's not the warmest room ever, but the seedlings so far seem to be doing OK.
If you go with the flourescent light arrangement, you want to hang the lights so they are 2"-4" only above the seedlings - this encourages them to grow compactly and not 'stretch' to the light. The stretching is the only real down-side of growing the seedlings in a south facing window. The "Square Foot Gardening" guru Mel Bartholemew says you can avoid this somewhat by regularly rotating the container so the seedling stays pretty upright. You also might be able to supplement the south-facing window arrangement with a small light. I think, however, that people have been growing from seed since humans started growing their own food, so I'm sure that flourescent lights aren't the only way to do it.
The next installment will be the '2nd Transplant' phase.
In closing, I'd say check on your seedlings often (especially if you have kids) as you can almost literally watch them grow - it's amazing how quick they sprout up!

Mel's Seedlings Week 2

2009-03-23T20:04:00.000-04:00

Week 2 for the first batch of seedlings (onions, leeks and red peppers) and Week 1 for the jalapenos, lettuce, oregano and some more onions.
Here is how they are starting to look - you can see the red peppers in the second row and the crazy, reaching lettuce in front - that is what I get for leaving the second batch with inadequate light for a couple of days while I was working and not paying attention.

For the second batch, I tried to use the Jiffy pots (bought at Home Depot) and some yogurt and rice pudding containers I'd been saving - filled with soilless seed planting medium. The second batch spent the week all warm on the heating pad while the first batch got upgraded to a tray under some old flourescent lights we had lying around. The first seedling I planted with my nephew Hayden eventually joined its cousins under the lights (I had been keeping that guy in the south-facing living room window as a test to see how it compared) because a) while I was working Max forgot to water it and b) I worried that it might get lonely (I know that sounds crazy, but African Violets do a lot better when they are sitting near to each other, as if they like the company).
Today I 'grew' some more Jiffy pellets and I'm going to plant the tomato seeds - our last frost date is about 6 weeks from now.
I'm not sure what to do about those lettuce seedlings... but the others seem to be getting close to '2nd transplant' size.
The great thing about the Jiffy pots and the yogurt containers is that you can write on them exactly what is inside them. The pellets, while terrific for watering from the bottom, are more challenging to lable. I've held off planting the tomatoes until I figure out a way to identify the seedlings, since I'm going to plant a whole variety of types of tomatoes. I have been finding that the Jiffy pots dry out quicker, though - too much peat, maybe?
I'm so excited that the other members of this little experiment are starting to post here - I think seeing how everyone fairs should make for some great reading.
And it seems that everywhere I look there are articles in magazines and books about backyard (specifically urban) gardening - I don't know if I just never noticed the buzz before, or if we're just part of a resurgence in home food production. I feel very excited about our little community of friendly food growers, and of what might emerge from our project.

Preparation

2009-03-23T11:35:00.000-04:00

Getting ready to start planting to begin the process of initializing a garden . . . well, it's a bit tricky with the two small people in my life who require a lot of attention. My four year old son, Hayden, is really excited about the idea of a garden but when I suggested to him that he move a toy depot from in front of the sliding doors (where we will station our seedlings in hopes that they like the southwestern exposure and the two heating vents nearby) somewhere else so we could have space to put up the shelves, he balked.

He seems to really like his toys in front of the doors.

Thus began a series of negotiations that would make CIA hostage negotiators proud. Over the weekend, the toys got moved, the starter box provided by Melinda was brought out, and we laid everything out to look at it and figure out what Step One will be. Well, I figured it out while Hayden played garbage truck and Adeleine (15 months) rooted through my wallet.

Tonight we are doing the Jiffy pellets and starting some planting. We also have some egg shells and yogurt containers to plant in. I hope to take a picture to post because I think along with the excitement and anticipation of what we are creating, we will probably have some pretty hilarious moments, too. My kids may have dirt under their fingernails for the next six months, but I can't wait and I don't care. The thought of them digging and planting (and weeding . . . ) and seeing the results of the work and love that will go into the growing thrills me. I am so excited about this journey.

First Attempt

2009-03-21T21:14:00.000-04:00

Hello Fabulous fellow bloggers

I just officially planted my first batch o' Tomatoes... The package said early.. so I went with it.. I must say I was a lil' disappointed with the jiffy packs only because I had hoped it would expand like one of those sponges in a capsule but instead took its time.. but well worth it.. For now I have only planted the Brookpact.. Fingers crossed I can make more than just one salad...

Stay tuned for more funness

Loving getting my hands dirty!

Cheers

T

First Batch

2009-03-15T21:39:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday I planted the first batch of seedlings - 12 red peppers, 12 leeks, 12 onions. Sifting through techniques described in one book or another magazine ( I am a beginner, remember), I decided on Jiffy Pellets.

I am, if nothing else, diligent. I was prepared with my tray, my greenhouse lid, my pellets. I soaked the pellets (enthralled at how they just grow before your eyes as they soak up water!), I planted my seeds to the correct depth (hopefully), put the lid on. I decided on our unused pink bathtub as their home, with the exception of the 1 pellet I planted with my nephew, Hayden, the day before. That little guy (hopefully soon a healthy onion) got a place of honour in our sunny southern-facing window, covered in saran wrap.

1 week later, about 1/3 have sprouted. The 'test' plant that Hayden and I did sprouted right away, but the others lagged - soggy and dark. After a day or two it occurred to me that our house was too cold (we keep the temperature at 63F), so I went out and bought a seedling heating mat. That seemed to make a huge difference, the onions responded right away. As each pellet offered up a bland sprout, I moved it to a tray under a short flourescent light. So, one week later I have 3 leeks, 6 onions and 6 peppers sprouted, huddled under the light.

I've been giving them 16 hours of 'sunlight' per day, and like any unsure parent, check on them almost hourly. I am not exaggerating when I say that you can almost see them grow.

I've moved the 'unproductive' (ie the still-damp, folorn) pellets into the south-facing window - I'm pretty sure that nothing will happen in them, but don't want to condemn them to the compost heap yet. The unsprouted pellets never seemed to dry out, so I wonder if the seeds perhaps drowned.

Interestingly, the pellet containing the 'Hayden & his Aunt' test seeds has been holding its own quite nicely. At night it sits on the furnace register for warmth, and then in the morning when I open the curtains I move it up into the light. It is slightly shorter than its cohorts, but equally as green and thirsty for water. We also planted a few seeds in that pellet ( I tried hard to limit my other pellets to one seed per), and there are a few shoots emerging. I'm curious to see if the bright southern sunshine will nurture it almost as well as the low-hanging flourescent light.

This photo is pretty blown out, but the pellet is encased in a single-serving rice pudding tube, which not only holds the water, but seems to insulate the pellet.

So, one week in and now I've just planted batch #2 - hot peppers, more sweet peppers (to compensate for my rather sad germination rate), oregano, lettuce and red broom (which is not edible but the birds will like it). For this batch, I decided to try a more traditional route - yogurt containers (with holes drilled in the bottom) filled with seeding soilless mix for one half, and jiffy pots with the same mix for the other half. All the containers are in a tray, covered with a clear plastic lid and resting comfortably on the heating mat (in the pink bathtub, of course).

There is so much information available that is supposed to be geared to the 'inexperienced gardener', but I find little of it helpful because I find little of it specific. I suppose at the end of the summer I will have far more knowledge (born of my experience) and so won't sound so inept. I hope, however, that I'll be eating tomatoes and beets while I reflect on it.

The Thesis (part 1)

2009-03-12T23:21:00.000-04:00

I decided to plant a garden.

My reasons leaned towards the political - I wanted to grow my own food, to know that it was nutritious and tasty and personal. I had read books that had supported my dream of growing lush plants, an abundance of produce. And so I ordered seeds - heirloom, rare, interesting, ones I had never heard of.

I ordered too many. FAR too many. So I decided that some of my friends might be interested in growing some rare heirloom tomatoes or peppers or beans. I explained my reasoning for growing food, why it seemed to me an important statement - to reclaim our food, to guarantee ourselves a nourishing supply of veggies, to be an Extreme Locavore, to know the satisfaction of shopping in our own back yard. I signed them up.

So this is "The Reclaiming Dinner Project".

Each of the participants have agreed to try and grow some heirloom seeds, to nuture them into producing what is bound to be some yummy produce. They come from a wide range of lifestyles and abilities... from the experienced gardeners with a backyard plot, to the completely inexperienced growing tomatoes in Home Depot 5-gallon buckets. Their enthusiam ranges as well - some are pretty excited about the possibilities that might emerge as a result of their efforts and some, I think, are doing this just to humour me.

I've packaged up seeds for them, based on their interests, committment and needs. I've asked them to blog about their experiences, to record their successes, failures, gourmet results, taste sensations. I am hoping that whatever we post here might encourage other 'urban gardeners' to try their hand at growing their own dinner. I am hoping that we all fall in love with our plants and the food that we grow. I have great expectations.

As I said, I've never started a garden from scratch, and so I count myself in the 'inexperienced' crowd - infinite hopes offset by a complete lack of knowledge. I'm pretty sure that I am not alone in this. I think that my generation is one of the first to rely almost soley on the 'supermarket', to lose the knowledge of growing our own food. For myself, I'd like to reverse those unlessons, to become more self-reliant and more empowered. I'd also like to see if I can do it - to know that I can feed myself to some degree.

And so it begins, my experiment in reclaiming dinner.