Farmers Markets

Locavores have no fear - Farmers Markets are back!!

• April 4 - Boulders Farmers Market opens this Saturday
• May 2 - Cherry Creek Farmers Market - my favorite Denver market, but always looking to try a new one if you have a suggestion . . .

Last Frost Date

Always on my mind - when do I get to plant things? For Denver, looks like with an 80% confidence the last frost date is May 12 and with 90% confidence, it's May 18. Not being a gambler, I think I'll stick to the latter date. I have now calculated the weeks back and find that today I get to sprout my tomatoes!! And then I realize I'm leaving town for a week in April, and can seedlings really live for one week waterless? What to do?? As I agonize over my Excel chart of planting dates, I'm thinking the only solution is to wait and, once sprouted, stick them under a grow light and hope for the best. . .

The Perfect Loaf

Holidays and cold weather make the perfect time to work on my baking skills. And with the clay bread oven I got for Christmas, called La Cloche, its an easy task!

I used a french bread recipe provided in the instructions, but will try out all my favorite recipes. After the bread had risen, I placed it in this bell-shaped baking stone and baked it at 450 degrees for about 1/2 hour.

The bread that emerged was the most amazing I've ever achieved at home. A crispy crust and moist, fluffy inside -- this was really as good as any bakery.

Thanks mom and dad!

Broccoli Pest

What was on those broccoli leaves I so naively chopped up and spread throughout my garden as winter nutrients? (See Winterizing.) I'm thinking it was aphids. This isn't a perfect fit, but it seems most likely based on what I'm reading.

If I don't want to go dig up every piece of leaf now, looks like lady bugs might do the trick this spring. They are aphid-eating machines. They are touted as the gardener's best friend and don't appear to have any negatives (like eating my plants!) See here for details on making your garden a ladybug friendly place.

Winterizing

While lucky friends of mine in San Diego, CA and Richmond, VA don't need to shut their gardens down in the winter, those of us in less temperate climes need to put our gardens to bed in the winter.

I'm sure there are a million ways to do this, and everyone has an opinion on the best one. Here's how I did it - I'll let you know in the spring my thoughts on it!

I removed all of the plants from the soil except the still growing massive Romanesco Broccoli - this was necessary so that no bugs can overwinter in the leaves and roots. I left the soil exposed for a couple weeks to allow it to freeze thoroughly and kills any pests. (Here I was torn - I wanted to leave all the plants I have removed on the soil to decompose and add their nutrients back, but without allowing the soil to really freeze through, you run the risk of increased pests next year. Ideally, if i'd been able to make a little pile somewhere, I would have thrown the plants back on the following month after everything was frozen.)

Nate and I then went out and broke up the soil a bit with a hoe. We removed one of the broccoli plants at this time and i chopped up and threw down the massive leaves - i know they decompose quickly and will add nutrients back to the soil.

We added then added a one inch layer of manure, a two inch layer of organic compost (both from Home Depot), and a thick layer of straw (about 2 inches). I have no idea how quickly things will decompose this winter, particularly since I cannot get out and water it. Hopefully the snow will be enough moisture to speed decomposition. This is why I didn't add leaves, etc (other than not having an easy source for them). This way, I can plant seeds directly in this rich soil under any non-decomposed straw and not have any issues.

Pest Warning: Although I checked the broccoli leaves for signs of pests, I later realized that one of the plants I chopped up might have had mites living on portions of the leaves. The thought of encouraging these mites and giving them a warm winter home now keeps me up at night!! I'm hoping the subfreezing temps were enough to kill them, but I will research if I might need to go dig these leaves up and remove them.

Winter Tomatoes

While I didn't write about it at the time, I wanted to share my success with extending my tomato crop this fall- we ate our last homegrown tomato December 15!!

In late September when DUG shut off the garden water and the threat of frost was in the air every night, my tomatoes had just gotten going. Most of them were full with big green fruits and I couldn't bear to lose them, especially after not having a huge crop during the summer. I just needed one more month!

I didn't have one more month, so from the smaller plants, I plucked off the really good tomatoes and threw these in a cardboard box (after washing). I didn't put them in a dark place or rinse them with a weak bleach solution like recommended - only because they started ripening before I had time to!

The large plants with a ton of fruit, I dug out of the ground and hung upside down in my garage. These ripened massive delicious tomatoes over the next two months - every time i drove into my garage, there was another delicious German Red Strawberry or Rose tomato waiting on the vine to be plucked and eaten.

The majority of these green tomatoes ripened and were almost as delicious as they had been in the summer (and certainly 10x better than anything available in the store).

When I brought in those last plants, I had a more ripe tomatoes than I could eat in a week available right then. I froze about 2 gallon size bags and, after I ran out of ripening green tomatoes in December, have been making stirfries and stews with the frozen ones. They add such a rich flavor -- so uniquely heirloom its ridiculous! We made tikka masala loaded with spices and the most distinct flavor was the tomatoes.

Last summer, I was worried that my choice of 8 heirlooms was not producing enough for the amount of work and space. Now I realize that it was actually just that the plants required a longer season than I have here in Denver (in an urban garden that the water line can't be turned on until June), even with starting seeds in milk jugs on the porch! In 2009, I will rely more heavily on starter plants. I, of course, will Have to get a couple seeds packs, because they are so fun, but without a lamp to get them growing big and healthy early on, plants might be the primary way to go. I love Tomato Fest for heirloom seeds, and they recommend Heirloom Plants for. . . well . . . heirloom plants. (Looks like i need to get my order in by February - just found something very fun to do today!)

Tomato Taste Off

Plucked the following tomatoes last week (probably a day too early-- but oh so yummy). Hubby and I taste tested each, with bread, cheese, and a fresh garden cuc as the perfect pallate cleanser. All were fantastic, but here are our thoughts on each (from left to right in the picture).

*Rose - So much flavor. No tomato wateriness!

*Carbon - sweet and smooth - delish!

*Zogola (small and got tomatoes with black bottoms) - tangy and very tasty

I'll definitely regrow all of these!

Drying Herbs

Now that I've pinched and cut off stalks of basil, I'd like to dry it to use in the winter. Luckily, Denver's arid climate makes drying easy. Tie together stalks of herbs and hang to dry for a couple days (or set out individual leaves on some sort of screen that lets air flow around). I learned on a herb tour at the Denver Botanic Gardens that once they've dried, store herbs in a glass jar. If you store them with stalks and all, you preserve more of the essential oils, which means more flavor and healthful properties.

Trimming Basil

I realized recently that my haphazard method of picking leaves off my basil plants just when I happened to need them wasn't encouraging future basil production. I was told by my urban garden leader to cut the top third of each stem off when the basil starts to go to seed, as is happening to this Thai Basil (bottom picture). Another method, which I personally think is more fun, is from my California gardening guru, Jaime, who advises pinching off leaves at the crook of the stem in areas where tiny new leaves are growing (top left picture). Both methods, particularly the latter, encourage bushier growth, rather than straight up, bolting to seed growth.

More Pics

Progress Photos

This post goes out to my friends and fam wondering on what is growing. Here are some pics from last weekend. (Click on each to enlarge.)

Summer Veggies

August 1 and the summer veggies have started to produce. Not an abundance yet, but enough to be exciting! Check out this photo - I chopped off a head of broccoli (finally! thought they would have been ready sooner), a zucchini, a cucumber, lots of basil, and some tomatoes (perhaps a little early - but oh how exciting!). Some other plots in my urban garden seem to be producing more - I think that may have something to do with the fact that my square foot method is so intensive. Also, most of what other gardeners are growing were started in the free transplant program that DUG has and they are hardy varieties, whereas a lot of mine are heirlooms started from seed. And lets not dismiss the possibility that they may just have a greener thumb!

Swiss Chard and Eggs

July 29 - I picked this beautiful bunch of Swiss and Rainbow Chard on Tuesday. We made the Eggs in a Nest recipe created by Camille Kingsolver. It was interesting and a good use of chard, but the jury is still out on feelings about Swiss Chard in this Denver household. It is one salty vegetable. (I'm not saying its sassy or anything -- it really tastes like its been salted.) Is that due to my soil, or is this a standard flavor? I liked the mix of eggs and greens, but I'm not sold. Though it is nice to get a leafy, spinach-like green that is still growing in 100 degree heat. If anyone has an excellent recipe (meat free please) showcasing Swiss Chard or Rainbow Chard, I'd be glad to try it!

Pot Worms in the Worm Bin

In the last 6 months, I've noticed a curious growth of tiny white creatures in my redworm bin that I, at first, mistakenly took for baby worms. They actually are pot worms and "bloom" in the bin when the soil becomes acidic. Baby redworms (Eisenia fetida) have a red vein running down the length of their bodies within hours after birth, so if you're seeing a bunch of tiny, undulating, white lines, they are probably pot worms. Opinions are mixed as to whether they are bad to have in a bin, but I have seen the amount of food being digested in my bin double since they moved in, so I don't mind them at all! In fact, Happy D Ranch says Pot Worms are good for my compost system, which I can believe. I did question how they would impact my garden when I work in the vermicompost (there is no chance you could separate these guys out of the castings/compost). According to All About Worms, "pot worms won’t harm other living worm species, they do no damage to living plants either. Their diet is strictly bacteria and fungus." However, the pot worms plus the mites are indicating that my bin is probably getting too acidic. That means no more coffee grounds and more eggshells.

Worm Bin Friends (or Foe?)

I'm harvesting the vermicompost out of my worm bin today to give my garden and indoor plants an extra boost. Every time I dig deep into that bin I see things I never wished to see in my house. At least they stay in the bin. This time it was a million little red mites. Mites are common in worm bins, but are these particular ones benign or bad news? My worm flier from Happy D Ranch (my pets' birthplace) says the red ones could be parasitic to the worms, but the other sources I've found say they don't cause problems. I do know why their population exploded recently- the bedding is too wet. I added dry shredded paper today and took out the tasty treat for the mites (pineapple chunks), and removed a lot that were sitting on the pineapple. Too bad, because worms like those fleshy fruites too. Guess i'll have to stick to less fleshy, drier vegies in the bin for a while.

Local vs Organic

I've recently had a difficult decision to make regarding my dairy products: is local better than nationally certified organic? Royal Crest Dairy is a Colorado company that will deliver to my house weekly for a cheaper price than store bought organic. I was told that while not certified organic, they are rBGH- and antibiotic-free and raised to organic standards. They are also pasturized, versus ultra-pasturized, which helps with my mozarrella making! My big question was animal treatment, and I was told that they can't let the dairy cows graze all day because they will get stomach aches from weeds, but the woman in charge "takes them out and pets them three times a day". Haha! So i know from the Cornicopia study that Organic Valley milk I currently buy is pretty good in regards to animal treatment and is purchasing milk from local farmers, but there is no such study done on small, local farms (that I know of). Maybe I need to take a field trip up to the farms, but I think seeing milk production in action, organic or not, might be disturbing. For now, I will give Royal Crest a try and hope that they are as good as Organic Valley. If nothing else, they reuse their bottles and now I have a milk man!

Earwigs

Yuck! Can't think of a bug that creeps me out more than an earwig. My lettuce is finally bolting, and as I pulled it all out of the ground yesterday (was able to get one last, gigantic bowl full!), I found tons of earwigs running around their roots. While earwigs have been known to eat things in the garden I want to eat, it sounds like they might be doing more good than harm. "They eat weeds and weed seeds. They eat the eggs and larvae of root maggots, cutworms, aphids and hundreds of other insect pests—indeed, they bolt down any critter they can physically overwhelm. They even convert your decaying plant material to the organic matter your Western soil so dearly needs." Guess i can put up with them for that! Also, they are one of the few known insects to actually demonstrate maternal care for the young. Awww, how sweet.

Cherokee Chocolate

Oh boy, the Cherokee Chocolate tomato plant might be in trouble. Tonight, its leaves were all curled up like the plant needed water. The leaves were crispy looking and paler in color than their neighbors. But the soil was moist and the tomatoes surrounding it are fine, which would suggest its not a water problem. I'm afraid that this baby might have the Curly Top Virus, apparently common in western Colorado and with no remedy. I watered tonight and will see if the plant is better in the morning. If not, I will probably have to remove it from the garden so the crazy beet leafhoppers don't spread it to other tomatoes and peppers.

In other tomato related news, I broke down and bought yet another tomato plant at the nursery yesterday! Tried so hard to grow Brandywine seeds, then later to track down Brandywine plants at the farmers market - so couldn't pass up my luck to find one 30% off at the local nursery :) Now just need to find a good spot. . .

Oregon Sugar Pod Peas

Our Oregon Sugar Pod Peas have suddenly burst into production. The night we left town, I walked out and found a dozen 2 inch pods dangling off the vine where, earlier that morning, I swear there had been none. Returning a week later, there were dozens more and they are now 3 -4 inches long and bulging with peas! I've heard they taste just as delicious skinny with barely visible pods, or fat with plump peas, but I need to pick them soon, as the U of Illinois Extension Service says "Sugar snaps left on the vine too long begin to develop tough fiber in the pod walls." If anyone knows the best way to harvest these, please let me know. (How much of the stem, if any, do you pull off with the pea?) I don't know that we will have these with us for too much longer, given that they don't like summer heat, so we've got to enjoy them now! And I am definitely planning to try a fall crop.

PS - did anyone know that peas have been around since almost 10,000 BC?!! Check out the history of the pea.

Spring Crops

Today I officially ended my spinach harvest. Pulled out the whole plants (Bloomsdale and Maropa) and cut off the remaining leaves, most of which were little tiny pointy guys from the bolting process. Also pulled out the whole cilantro plants - going to seed as well and i'm not trying to harvest coriander. Overall, didn't get a big crop from either - think they just need to be put in the garden earlier than my community garden can turn on the water. But will definitely try to grow Bloomsdale next year (pot on porch?) since the it has such a rich, delicious flavor.

The cilantro is in a vase of water by the window - hopefully that will keep it fresh until we use it all. We made a Tasty breakfast of huevos rancheros this morning with the spinach and a bit of the cilantro.

Somehow, miraculously, the lettuce in the garden is still growing like gangbusters! It is in the 90s outside, and we are still harvesting. Most of it is under the romanesco brocolli, whose leaves have reached a 3 foot radius (no, I'm not exaggerating). Even the lettuce in the sun though is still going. Looking at the package, the variety in full sun is Grand Rapids which is described as "slower to bolt than other loose-leaf varieties". Nate likes this varierty, but i'm not so crazy about its taste - kind of tastes like dirt to me! Not sure I'll grow it again, but fun to be harvesting lettuce well into July.