What's Growin' On: 6/22/06

Fried Food--Still In Shock View


Letting Out A Muffled Cry View

Click on photos for close-up Full Blown Sobbing Views.

Realization Of The Day:
Oriole Orange chard, Nero di Toscana cabbage, and basil don't like it when you cover them with a deer deterring plastic tarp for the night and then forget about the tarp until late the next day--especially when it is 90 degrees and very, very sunny outside.

Blogger is not cooperating today, and neither is my dial-up connection. As I mentioned on Monday, I have all kinds of interesting posts lined up, but for now I guess I'd better head back outside. Too bad--blogging usually gives me a great excuse to hide out from the heat in my little office (which is the only air-conditioned room in the house). Hmmm. Looks like I'd have to sign off anyway, as I just spotted wayward Martha and her twins in the hayfield, and some very loud, non-stop thunder has begun. Maybe it will cool down and we'll get some much needed rain.

What's Growin' On 6/20/06: Preparing to Burst Into Color

Echinacea Flower

Realization Of The Day:
I've never really looked into the center of an echinacea flower at this early stage of bloom before. It's absolutely mesmerizing. (Click on the photo for an enlarged view.)

What's Growin' On: 6/19/06

Cary Lunching In The Greenhouse

Realization Of The Day:
The best tasting part of arugula is apparently the flowers. Who knew?

Coming Up
Lots and lots to share, including another gardening tool (along with something else) I absolutely "Can't Live Without," three quick and easy recipes that make delicious use of what's ready to harvest now, what I've been up to in the garden, my Gardening On The Cheap tomato cages, a few new garden stuff discoveries, and more (including that promised article on using grass clippings as mulch). When? Soon! (I hope.)

What's Growin' On: 6/18/06

One Glorious 2005 Beet Plant Gone To Seed

Realization Of The Day:
I should never have to buy beet seeds again.

Garden Journal 6/17/06: Growing and Harvesting Hardneck Garlic

Freshly dug garlic

Realization Of The Day:
2006 is not My Year Of Garlic.



This morning, in the hopes that today's forecasted rain really was going to show up, I dug up the plot of garlic that I planted back in November (click here), using my trusty Korean style hand plow (also called an EZ-Digger) of course.

I'm sure that at some point I must have had a lousier harvest than this, but at the moment I cannot recall it. Well, except for the year I never got around to planting any garlic at all—which was the beginning of my garlic downslide. I honestly cannot remember if that was last year or the year before. This is why I now have a garden blog.

More below. . .

What's Growin' On 6/16/06: Deer Attack

This is not what a gardener wants to wake up to.

Realization Of The Day:
Okay, the Irish Spring soap thing totally does not work. Yes, that little black square right next to where my gorgeous Giant Fordhook chard used to be (click here) is a bar of Irish Spring in an old piece of stocking. I also hung two bars on the fence right next to the plot.

I'd heard about this deer deterrent trick for years but never actually tried it until two days ago. I'm now wondering if this obvious myth has been perpetuated by the makers of Irish Spring soap. I mean, I just bought 10 bars of the stuff.

More below. . .

What's Growin' On: 6/15/06

Wild Gooseberries At The Edge Of The Hayfield



Ripening Gooseberries

Realization Of The Day:
Gooseberries are gorgeous. But I still haven't acquired a taste for them. (Or found a recipe that doesn't call for burying them in a pile of sugar.)

We are obviously in the midst of berry season on the farm. I have a few late strawberries in the garden, wild black rasberries, wild gooseberries, and mulberries in the hayfield. In a few short weeks hopefully the patches of wild blackberries scattered about the farm will be brimming with deep, dark fruit. And yesterday I picked up the five gallons (!) of organic blueberries I pre-ordered last January from a local small grower.

So what did I have for breakfast this morning? A slice of homemade apple pie of course.

What's Growin' On: 6/13/06

Four Month Old Tomato Seedlings Tossed Into The Compost Pile This Morning

Realization Of The Day:
Sometimes admitting defeat feels really, really liberating.

Minding The Moonsigns:
Today, tomorrow, and Saturday are all fertile days in the third quarter. These are excellent days for transplanting--tiny seedlings into individual plugs, larger seedlings into the garden, potted plants into roomier quarters, etc. Also good days to plant things that grow underground such as potatoes and garlic. Click here to learn more about this whole minding the moonsigns business.



The First Spring Onions!

From Garden To Table:
These onions sliced and piled on homegrown, grass-fed, grilled beef burgers. YUM.

Questions From Readers: Garden Pests!
Tabitha is having a big problem (in her gorgeous spring garden) with aphids returning to her tomato plants (despite using various organic methods on them), and super gardener Jeph has kindly offered to seek out solutions for a groundhog-infested co-worker.
Can we help them?

Beyond The Garden Gate:
I'm still in Haying Recovery Mode, so it'll probably be another day or two before I can properly respond to your comments and put up meatier (veggier?) posts. I have lots of photos and info to share, just need more time. (Don't we all?) Thanks for your patience, kind words, enthusiasm for this blog, helpful advice, and support.

What's Growin' On: 6/12/06

This Is The Raised Bed In Yesterday's Photo

Realization Of The Day:
There's venison in the freezer, and I think it's about time to fry some up. If you can't beat 'em, eat 'em.

What's Growin' On: 6/11/06

Straight 'N' Narrow Beans, Giant Fordhook Chard, & Way Too Much Bare Dirt

Realization Of The Day:
I forgot to make a note of what kind of beans I re-planted here and when I planted them. But it doesn't seem to matter, as they appear to be doing a no-show like the three out of four rows from the first planting.

This has not been a good year for beans in my garden. And last year was pretty pitiful, too. Surprising since this is one of the few crops I've been able to totally depend on doing well year after year--no matter what variety I plant and even when I plant them. They are easy to grow, not fussy at all, can withstand our hot and humid summers without complaining, and require practically no attention other than watering. Usually by this time I am already happily tossing bags of blanched and sealed beans (I love my FoodSaver) into the freezer to be enjoyed all winter long.

I think there are several reasons for the bummer bean crop so far. The soil can't be one of them, though, as I did get that single row of Straight 'N' Narrows to come up. And I've successfully grown beans in nearly all of my raised beds at one time or another (rotate! rotate! rotate!) even though I think the soil is a little different in each of them.

First of all, some of the beans I planted were a few years old, though this has never been a problem before. (Where oh where are all the 2006 packets of beans I'm pretty sure I bought?)

Secondly, we have about a zillion moles living on the farm with us, and I think I spotted mole tunnels going right along my rows of planted beans the other day. I know that moles can paddle their way through 160 feet of dirt in one night, but I have no idea what they eat. My dried and buried beans?

Above ground, this poor plot has also been visited more than once by at least one bean munching thief, though the plants have come back nicely. It was most likely a deer or rabbit (I've seen both near the garden), and I have also found some sort of hoof/paw prints running across the bed on more than one morning. Then there is the big scratched out area you can see in the photo. I'm blaming one of the cats on that.

Who knows, though. A lot of stuff goes on in the garden when I am not looking. At least I have the one row of Straight 'N' Narrow, and I noticed flowers on it just a little while ago. I love these thin, sweet filet beans, and on my way from the garden to the computer, I happened upon the rest of the 2006 packet of them (for some reason I have little bundles of seed packets in about 16 places around the house this year). Why I didn't plant them when I planted the other row back in April I have no idea. Maybe I wanted to use up the old ones first. Even I can't figure out how my mind works half the time. Must be all the fresh air.

What's Growin' On: 6/10/06

Flowering Red Potato Plants

Realization Of The Day:
Judging by the size of the plants and the flowers above, the experimental bed of red potatoes I planted on April 25th appears to be a success.

I have been meaning to put up the step-by-step photos showing how I turned a grassy place into garden space in under an hour without tilling, digging, or mowing, but now I'm thinking I should wait to see how the harvest turns out. That way you'll know what to expect if you decide to try it yourself (though unfortunately you'll probably have to wait until next year).

Miscellaneous:
Speaking of garden experiments, if you're interested in an inexpensive, ingenious way to support your tomato plants (and while you're waiting for me to show you my Gardening On The Cheap tomato cages), click here to see what Steven is trying over at Dirt Sun Rain. I recently decided that ultimately the best way to grow all of my tomato plants would be in single file rows, rather than crammed into my 4'x8' raised beds. If I ever get around to creating some long and skinny beds, I may try his method. Of course I'll wait to see how he likes it first. Oh the joy of having fellow gardening pals to try things out for you!

One little warning, though: If your garden this year has been short on attention and long on weeds (boy can I grow some dandies--and huge, too!), you may feel the green begin to tint your skin once you catch sight of Steven's garden. It's fabulous.

From Garden To Table:
--Wonderful salads of baby chard and Nero di Toscana cabbage (although the race against the worms for the cabbage has already begun--I'll let you know if the diatomaceous earth works this time).

--Lettuce (still!) I can't say enough good things about the Petite Rouge lettuce from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds I direct seeded in my raised lettuce bed this year. Even after I harvested the entire bed a few weeks ago (I have pictures of that experiment, too, that I'll hopefully post someday), it grew back with a happy vengeance. And despite recent temps in the upper 80sF and high humidity (and that I unshaded it--click here to read about shading lettuce), it is as delicious as ever. Today is supposed to be up in the 90s, though, so I harvested all of it. Baker Creek says this about Petite Rouge lettuce: "An exciting true baby red romaine! This cute specialty lettuce is hardy and easy to grow in many climates. A hard-to-find variety." Packets are $1.50 for 700 seeds. I highly recommend them, especially if you are in a warm climate or if your springs go from 24F to 90F in the blink of an eye like ours do here in Missouri.

What's Growin' On: 6/9/06

Wild Black Raspberries

Realization Of The Day (well, yesterday really):
There was definitely a sweet side to yesterday's hot, sweaty, and exhausting Hay Pick Up Day #1. The black raspberries along the edge of the hayfield have begun to ripen, and it looks like there will be enough this year for several handfuls of the sweet and dainty fruits. The majority weren't ripe yet, but I did manage to find a few perfect ones to pop into my mouth.

I'll be back out picking up bales again tomorrow and will definitely be checking on their progress. I'd never even heard of black raspberries until I moved to Missouri. Then it was so many years before I actually saw some that I was beginning to doubt their existence. Boy was I missing out. Since we don't tend the bushes at all, our harvest is always small. Just enough to really, really enjoy these once-a-year, exquisite little treats.

Out Of My Inbox:
Bird Netting Question From A Reader
Melissa at Flatlander (who did the opposite of what I did--moved from the Midwest to California) sent me a gardening question that I am ill-equipped to answer--thank goodness! Birds are (knock on wood) one of the few pests that don't manage to help themselves to an ample portion of my precious garden bounty each year (though I think they do dine on the black raspberries). But she has a problem with them and is desperately trying to find a rational solution. I told her I couldn't help, but that I bet some of you would be able to (especially after receiving so many suggestions on what to do with my lemon thyme--thank you!). And perhaps those of us who haven't been attacked by The Birds yet will be able to store this knowledge away for when the inevitable happens. I'll let her explain the situation:

I have a gardening question for you. Last year, I had problems with the birds eating my tomatoes. I don't want to use any "scare" techniques because I'm happy to have birds in my yard (just not in the tomatoes), so I've purchased some bird netting to defend my garden. I've been scouring books and the internet, but I have yet to find informative instructions or advice on the best way to install the netting. I'm sure there must be a good way to set it up so that I can still access the plants.

Here's what I'm thinking so far: I could make a frame for the netting, cover the garden, and install some type of door or flap on one or two sides (which I could open and close) so I could get inside the netting & access the beds. The beds (there are 3 side by side) are about 6' x 16' (total size). And I think staked tomatoes (I have indeterminates and determinates) get pretty tall, at least 5' right? But my concern is that the frame would be ridiculously large, but maybe it wouldn't be. I think I'd have to do some sewing with fishing line, and maybe attach the netting to the frame with zip-ties? I'm not really sure what would work best, but I am sure that I don't want giant holes being ripped through the netting. I'm also wondering the best way to anchor the netting to the ground. Anyway, those are the possible problems I'm imagining.

Do you have any advice or suggestions or pictures of what's worked for you? ANY information would be well received!

I think her frame idea sounds good but awfully complicated (and possibly expensive), though I have seen photos of a fairly large blueberry patch that had a wire cage built around the entire thing. (The blueberries were a cash crop, so all precautions were worth the trouble and expense.)

Your ideas? Suggestions?

I Can't Live Without. . . My Oriental Garden Tool!

Ho-Mi, E-Z Digger, Korean Hand Cultivator: It's Wonderful Whatever You Call It

I often mention Pinetree Garden Seeds in Maine, as I have been happily buying from them for over 10 years. The quality of their seeds is excellent, and their prices are very reasonable. They specialize in vegetable seeds for the home gardener, and most seed packets cost less than a dollar. In their catalog they state, "Since we deal only with home gardeners, we don't worry about shipping or machine harvesting characteristics. What we do worry about is flavor, space, efficiency, beauty, and uniqueness." Sounds good to me.

While I have purchased everything from cutting celery seeds to strawberry plants from their informative print catalog (they also have an online catalog), by far the best items I have ordered were in the Garden and Kitchen Products sections. These things actually changed my life.

One of these things is my Oriental Garden Tool. Since buying mine a dozen years ago, I have seen them for sale in various places with various names, but Pinetree still simply calls it an Oriental Garden Tool (catalog item # H151) and their price of $13.95 can't be beat. (For purchases up to $19.99, shipping is only $3.75.)

This centuries-old ingenious device does it all: weeding, opening and closing furrows, digging holes for seedlings. It is pretty much the only hand tool I use in the garden. One year I planted, hilled up, and harvested 150 feet of potatoes with it. It conforms to your hand and range of motion so easily that other trowels suddenly feel clumsy. I misplaced mine once, and I felt so helpless without it that I nearly had a replacement shipped to me by overnight delivery. It is that wonderful.



Pinetree say it's "an all time favorite tool of ours. The blade is 7 inches long and convex, like that of a plow with a sharp point broadening to a width of 3 inches. Terrific for digging because the sharp point cuts deep, but the smooth surface of the blade gently pushes the soil to the surface to trench rows. Great for digging holes for plants and bulbs. Hand-forged and designed for right-handed people."

It does many of the same jobs that a hoe does, but you can do them while kneeling. So if back or sciatic problems prevent you from bending over and using a hoe, this is most definitely the tool for you.

Words really don't do justice to my Oriental Garden Tool. On top of everything else, it is exactly one foot long, so you can also use it to do all your measuring while you're planting. I highly recommend one for any type of gardener. It would also make a great gift for all your gardening friends and family members.

Click here and here and here for a few other things I can't live without.

© Copyright FarmgirlFare.com, the foodie farm blog where Farmgirl Susan shares recipes, stories, and photos from her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres—and sometimes it's the littlest things, like a simple tool, that can make the biggest difference in the garden.

What's Growin' On: 6/6/06

Lemon Thyme

Realization Of The Day:
Some of the culinary herbs in my garden never actually make it into the kitchen--and it isn't because they die on me (okay, sometimes it is). But take this lemon thyme, for example. It's flourishing--and I have no idea what to do with it.

Any suggestions?

Minding The Moonsigns:
Today through Friday are fertile days in the second quarter. Don't know what this means? Click here to read my review of Louise Riotte's fascinating book, Astrological Gardening: The Ancient Wisdom of Successful Planting & Harvesting by the Stars.

Miscellaneous:
--Several weeks ago Fancy Free asked whether grass clippings used as mulch should be allowed to dry out first. This led to a little research on my end, and an informative article that is about 2/3 completed. I realize that she is probably still wondering about the answer to her simple question though, so until I get the article posted, here's what I learned:

Although I've used grass clippings in every stage from freshly cut to dried for several days, the popular opinion seems to be that you should let them dry out before applying them as mulch in the garden. Why? I'll explain that in the article. Thanks for your patience, Fancy Free.

--People often ask me how I find enough time to tend to the farm, garden, three blogs, and life in general. When things get really busy around the farm, I don't. And, for obvious reasons, the blogs get nudged toward the bottom of the priority list. This is one of those times. Bear with me, I should be back to more blogging soon.

What's Growin' On: 6/4/06

Realization Of The Day:
This is the downside to direct seeding.

Yes, there really are Oriole Orange Chard and Nero di Toscana (also called Black Palm Tree) Cabbage seedlings somewhere in there among the weeds. (The beautiful baby Nero di Toscana leaves are wonderful in salads, as are the baby chard leaves, of course.) I realize that this is partly my own fault, as that thick and extremely healthy looking lawn coming up in my raised bed is no doubt due to my amending the soil with lots of sheep manure and bedding hay from the barn. But still.



That grass grows so fast, I was afraid to let the seedlings get any taller before trying to do any weeding. But I don't have the patience for this kind of work, and by the time I was maybe halfway done, I was gnashing my teeth and pulling up way too many of the cabbage seedlings along with the grass.


Fortunately I had a little tranquilizer to help keep me calm.

And there was also an upside to this sad scenario. . .



Realization #2:
Volunteer basil seedlings were hiding in the weeds!

This is fabulous news because the basil I finally got around to starting in containers a few weeks ago isn't even this big yet. And I simply cannot have a garden without basil!

What's Growin' On: 6/1/06

Realization Of The Day:
I definitely missed my chance. This is not going to be the year I tame the raspberry jungle on the south side of the greenhouse.

But there are baby berries on the canes, and I can hardly wait for them to ripen (even if I'm not sure how on earth I'm going to reach most of them). To me, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that compares to the first crop of freshly picked raspberries. Click here for my favorite way to celebrate the harvest--especially if it's just a tiny one.