VEGGIE GARDEN TIPS TRICKS · Whether you’re growing basil for the best flavor possible or looking to add a little pow to the beauty of the veggie patch, there’s a variety that’s

VEGGIE GARDEN

TIPS & TRICKS

Ideas to help you have your most successful harvest ever!

FROM THE EDITORS OF

finefinefineGardening

Your thank-you

gift!Welcome to the world of vegetable gardening! Chances are if you’ve down-loaded this reference guide, you’re already well on your way to having an incredible edible space this year. Perhaps you’ve started a plethora of seeds, figured out where they’re going to live outside, and maybe you’ve even given some thought to the dishes you’ll make once harvest time comes. But there are a lot of steps between when a seed sprouts and a tomato gets picked. This time period is what can make or break your garden.

The following is a comprehensive collec tion of articles to help you have the garden of your dreams this season—one that is as productive as it is beautiful. We provide you with expert tips and tricks for planting, growing, and troubleshooting your veg-gies. And when it’s time to start reaping the rewards of your efforts, we provide you with some simple yet delicious recipes for your bountiful harvest. This advice comes from authors who have had decades of experience growing tomatoes, beans, and myriad of other veggies and herbs. There are a lot of benefits to growing your own food, so let Fine Gardening ensure that your efforts this year are super successful.

Danielle SherrySenior editor, Fine Gardening

4 Basil basics and beyond Learn the tricks to reduce disease and increase your harvest

12 Easy-to-grow sweet peppers Follow an expert’s tips for a colorful and bountiful crop

18 Cherry tomatoes The right variety and care will give you larger harvests and better flavor than the big boys

26 Which tomato stakes are right for you? Learn the pros and cons of six different types

32 The lazy gardener’s guide to pruning tomatoes Following these simple steps will have you vegging out instead of stressing out

36 Potatoes in a tower? This unique method allows you to grow 20 pounds of spuds in an area less than 4 square feet

42 Growing your own green beans Regular watering and frequent picking yield a bountiful harvest

50 A better way to water Doing it right is the difference between having a good garden and a great garden

54 Secrets to summer squash A few simple strategies keep them going strong all season long

62 Summer melons Use these simple strategies for a quicker harvest and the best flavor

70 Pumpkins Follow these easy steps to grow the king of vegetables

78 Extending the growing season Proper plant protection means that gardeners anywhere can harvest during fall and winter

Gardeningfine

CONTENTS

All recipe photos by Taunton staff.

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Learn the tricks to reduce disease and increase your harvest BY LISA HILGENBERG

BASIL BASICS AND BEYONDThere’s a reason that even those who don’t

have a vegetable garden still try to grow basil: because it’s delicious and almost as ver-

satile in the landscape as it is in the kitchen. Garden-ers have long been enamored with basil, appreciating its many attributes, including its ability to enhance flower beds, attract pollinators, and provide ubiquitous aromatherapy in pots on the terrace. A luscious herb that’s irreplaceable to the cook, basil is the thing food-ies say no tomato should be eaten without. This tricky herb does require certain conditions to thrive, how-ever. It also needs some specific attention through the season to prevent disease and to keep the plants from flowering too soon and becoming unproductive. Basil doesn’t have to be a gamble, though, if you thought-fully select the best type to fit your needs and give it the right care.

Select varieties for looks and flavor

Basil comes in an array of flavors, colors, shapes, and sizes. In order to cultivate a productive harvest or ornamental companion, pay close attention to the variety you are planting and the care that variety needs to ensure success. There are four basic types

of basil: sweet basils, small-leaved/dwarf basils, purple-leaved basil, and basils with specially scented leaves.

Sweet basils are the tender large-leaved varieties such as ‘Genovese’ and ‘Napoletano’. Staples in Ital-ian cooking, they are the aromatic and flavor-packed pesto makers. They are slower to bolt than other types of basil and range in size from 16 to 24 inches tall and wide. Small-leaved basils, on the other hand, are well-behaved dwarf plants that generally stay under a foot tall and wide. While they are the quickest to flower, their neat, compact habit looks as good form-ing an edge around the tomato bed as it does softening the rim of a container planting. Small-leaved basils are spicy with notes of anise and clove, and you can har-vest entire branches of the plants and strip off the tiny leaves to sprinkle on hors d’oeuvres and salads.

Purple basils are generally thought to be less culinary than sweet basil, but they provide a long season of beauty. They are usually in the same size range as sweet basils. Fragrant, scented-leaved basils entice us with an extra flavor dimension of lemon, lime, or cinnamon. And trust me, we all scream for lime-basil ice cream in my family. You can sow the seeds of these basils as thickly as you would microgreens. Then simply thin

Basils are more diverse than you might think. You may know ‘Genovese’ basil (far left), but dwarf basils (far middle left), purple-leaf basils (near middle left), and ‘Lettuce Leaf’ basil (right) all offer bold flavors too.

‘Siam Queen’ ‘Lime’ ‘Minette’ ‘Cardinal’ ‘Genovese’ ‘Lemon’ ‘Lettuce Leaf’

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and eat the pluckings, making space for the 20-inch-tall-and-wide plants.

Give plants warm temperatures and rich soil

Basil hails from warm climates, so timing is everything. One brush with temperatures below 50°F (plants actu-ally prefer above 60°F and take off at 80°F) will stunt plant growth, if not completely end their growing sea-son. Once weakened, plants become more susceptible to pests and disease, struggling all season long. Starting basil seeds indoors under lights or in a greenhouse pro-vides the optimum conditions for sprouting. Germina-tion in a soilless mix of peat, vermiculite, and perlite is quick—just six days for most varieties. Aim for 64°F to 75°F soil (use a heat mat if you need to).

Transplant your strongly rooted 7-to-8-week-old plants into the garden after the last frost date. I like to pinch the central growth tip of the young plants (which should be about 5 inches tall) down to two sets of leaves after planting. This promotes a bushier, stronger plant. There’s no rush moving plants outdoors. I wait until the second week in June in my Zone 5b/6 garden to avoid the cool, wet spring weather.

Basil needs fertile, well-drained soil in a warm, pro-tected spot. It’s not drought tolerant and can be dam-aged by heat stress. If you plant basil in a windy spot that dries out quickly, it will do best with a bit of shade in the afternoon. Keep soil moisture consistent. Flag-ging from drought and then being deluged with water stresses plants, which can lead to disease. Mulch helps

Air circulation is essential. Proper spacing allows air to flow between plants, which in turn helps prevent fungal diseases that tend to plague this crop.

A postplanting pinch is a good idea. Prune back new transplants to two sets of leaves to help the plants bush out faster.

An array of basils that can’t be beatWhether you’re growing basil for the best flavor possible or looking to add a little pow

to the beauty of the veggie patch, there’s a variety that’s just right for you.

‘CARDINAL’

This variety may be too gor-geous to eat, with its succulent green leaves on purple stems, plumes of plum flowers, and a spicy cinnamon scent. We’ll just call ‘Cardinal’ the ultimate ornamental edible—although it is great in stir-fry.

‘LIME’

A citrus-scented basil in a petite-statured plant, ‘Lime’ basil tops out at 20 inches tall and 12 inches wide. The leaves are smaller and cup upward as if to preserve their oils for brightening Thai dishes. ‘Lime’ basil has a straightforward flavor that enhances salsas, salad dressings, vegetable curries, and herbal teas and contributes a fresh twist to marinades for fish or chicken.

‘DARK OPAL’

Most purple basils eventually revert to one of their parents and end up with mottled pur-ple-and-green leaves by mid-season. ‘Dark Opal’ is the only cultivar with pure purple foliage that lasts. Fragrant and attractive, its spiciness is best used fresh.

‘MINETTE’ DWARF BASIL

Dwarf basils are the definition of well-behaved landscape plants. ‘Minette’ is reminiscent of a clipped boxwood topi-ary and can form low uniform borders around beds. The compact 1-foot-tall and 8-inch-wide plants are also charming in pots. Though the leaves are tiny, they pack a spicier punch than larger-leaved sweet basil variet-ies. This plant blooms early, so snip off entire branches instead of harvesting individual leaves just before flowering begins in early summer.

‘LETTUCE LEAF’

As the name suggests, ‘Let-tuce Leaf’ basil sports large, 6-inch-long leaves on robust plants. Given room, it grows to a height of 2 to 3 feet with a similar width—enough for a summer bounty of pesto. ‘Lettuce Leaf’ is a type of sweet basil that is slow to bolt, so you’ll be continually picking leaves before the white flowers appear.

‘PESTO PERPETUO’

This is a beautiful, newer, nonflowering hybrid with var-iegated light green and fresh cream foliage and a shaggy columnar habit. Since it never bolts and keeps producing leaves all season long, you may end up with more pesto than you have an appetite for.

‘SIAM QUEEN’ THAI BASIL

‘Siam Queen’ is an All-America Selections winner with narrow, shiny green leaves, purple stems, and fragrant plum flow-ers that make long-lasting additions to cut floral arrange-ments. The 12-to-16-inch-tall-and-wide plants have a balanced proportion of flowers to foliage. Like all Thai basils, ‘Siam Queen’ has a pungent, sweet, slightly spicy flavor reminiscent of anise, licorice, and clove. Add a few bruised leaves to your next gin and tonic, and enjoy.

‘CINNAMON’ Pretty enough to grow with ornamentals, ‘Cinnamon’ basil has dark purple bracts and stems, shiny green leaves, and deep pink flowers. The succu-lent, cinnamon-flavored leaves have a particularly strong flavor and are occasionally used in stir-fries and in vinegars. Although it may not be used a lot in culinary pursuits, ‘Cin-namon’ basil is a standout as a mosquito repellent. At the Chicago Botanic Garden, we find it has poorer germination, which can be improved by keeping seed trays moist but not too wet.

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to maintain even moisture, but wait until the soil has warmed to 70°F before laying it to avoid accidentally encouraging fungal issues.

Good circulation and proper pinching keeps them healthy

Location and spacing are equally as important as tim-ing. Individual basil plants should be allowed at least a square foot of bed space, which allows air to circulate freely around all sides. High humidity and overwatering are the enemies of basil. Avoiding overhead watering (which promotes fungal disease) and rotating your basil crop each year (rather than repeatedly planting it in the same spot and reintroducing soil-borne disease) will increase your growing success. Given a bit of thoughtful care, basil rewards you with vigorous plants all summer.

Keep basil productive by removing the flowers at the bud stage. Blossoms deplete the plant’s energy, which reduces leaf production. Since the leaves are what you’re most interested in, removing buds is critical. Har-vest individual stems of basil by counting two to three leaf nodes down the stem and pinching the center stalk right above a set of leaves. This encourages the plant to regrow, which basil does quickly. Using a pair of snips allows for easy harvesting; basils are a true cut-and-come-again herb. Stand stems at room temperature in a glass of water until you’re ready to use them.

There’s no reason to shy away from basil once you’re familiar with the ins and outs of this interesting crop. In fact, after mastering its quirks, you might find you have more basil than you ever dreamed possible.

Lisa Hilgenberg is the horticulturist for the Regenstein Fruit & Veg-

etable Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois.

▸ Downy mildew is the most current threat

Downy mildew on basil is rec-ognizable by yellowing on the tops of leaves with pathogen growth and gray spores on the undersides of leaves. Plant breeders are busy developing new, resistant sweet basil varieties. There are very few prod-ucts to combat this disease, which increases the impor-tance of cultural management techniques. There may be some resistance to downy mildew in some varieties: ‘Red Leaf’, ‘Red Rubin’, Thai basil, ‘Lemon’, ‘Lime’, and ‘Cinnamon’. Once infected, the plants should be removed and thrown away. Try to source your seeds from a reliable nursery close to home. Buying local transplants helps shut down the disease cycle because the pathogen can be passed by importing plants and seeds from the South, where winters aren’t cold enough to kill it.

▸ Fusarium wilt is a soil-borne pathogen

This disease causes yellowing of the leaves; discolored, twisted stems; and stunted growth. Sometimes the first thing you’ll notice is that the leaves suddenly drop off the plant. Sweet basil varieties tend to be the most susceptible. Thankfully, work to develop basil cultivars relatively resistant to fusarium wilt has been done. The disease is passed along through contaminated seed, so look closely at seed packaging and buy only seeds that have been tested and certified as disease-free. Fusarium wilt overwinters in contaminated garden soil, making crop rotation your best defense and avoiding excessive watering a close second.

How to deal with diseases There are two fairly common diseases to which basils are susceptible. Each has its own set of challenges when it comes to prevention.

Get rid of the flowers. Once a basil plant starts flowering, it stops producing leaves—which is what you want more of. So be sure to cut off the blooms as soon as you see them.

BASICS

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You can get a lot of basil from a small bed. This 4-foot-wide by 8-foot-long bed is filled with ‘Fino Verde’ (front), ‘Genovese’ (middle), and ‘Opal’ and ‘Purple Ruffles’ (far corner).

▾BASICS


MARINATED TOMATOES WITH BASILby Ellen Ogden

SERVES FIVE.

4 large ripe tomatoes

¼ cup basil leaves, torn into small pieces

3 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. sugar

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Slice the tomatoes ½ inch thick. Arrange them on a platter in a single layer. Sprinkle the basil over the tomatoes.

In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the tomatoes, and let the dish stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

FRESH TOMATO & BASIL SAUCE by Domenica Marchetti

SERVES FOUR TO FIVE.

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

3 large cloves garlic, sliced as thinly as possible

2 lb. cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved

1 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves (from about 1 small bunch), very thinly sliced

In a 10- or 11-inch sauté pan, heat the oil and garlic over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss gently to coat and then raise the heat to medium. Simmer, stirring

occasionally and adjusting the heat to maintain a lively but not-too-vigorous simmer, until the tomatoes have been reduced to a thick, pulpy sauce, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle on the basil, and stir to combine thoroughly.Suggested pasta:

1 lb. dried farfalleBeyond pasta:

Spoon over grilled shrimp, scallops, or whitefish; spread on thick slices of grilled bread.Cheese option:

5 oz. ricotta salata, cut into ¼-inch dice (to yield about 1 cup)

R EC I P E S

¼ cup basil leaves, torn



Slice the tomatoes ½ inch thick. Arrange them on a platter in a single layer. Sprinkle the basil over the tomatoes.

mix together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the tomatoes, and let the dish stand at room temperature for

BASIL PESTOby Tony Rosenfeld

YIELDS ABOUT 2⁄3 CUP.

4 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves (from about 1 large bunch)1⁄3 cup toasted pine nuts

¼ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 small clove garlic

Kosher salt


¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Put the basil, pine nuts, parsley, garlic, ½ tsp. salt, and 1⁄8 tsp. pepper in a food processor. With the machine on, slowly pour the olive oil into the feed tube and process, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed, until the mixture is very finely chopped and pasty. Season to taste with salt, if you like.

FINEGARDENING.COM 13

shishitos, which are great for tempura. ‘Corno di Toro’ types, perhaps the most delicious of all sweet peppers, are suitable for salads, roasting, or sautéing.

Although peppers have a reputation for being tricky to grow, their cultural requirements are straightforward and similar to those of tomatoes. If you’re ready for pepper success, read on.

Wake seeds up with warm soil

Peppers should be started indoors; their seeds are small and need sufficient heat to germinate. Pepper seeds ger-minate and grow slowly, so plan on starting them at least eight weeks before the weather is settled and the danger of frost has passed in your area.

Sow seeds around ¼ inch apart and ¼ inch deep in shallow flats of seed-starting mix. Keep the mix moist but not wet. Peppers germinate best in warm soil, so use a seedling heat mat to keep the soil temperature between 80°F and 90°F until the seeds sprout. Once your seedlings are up and growing, the temperature can be dropped to 70°F.

Starting peppers close together in shallow flats makes efficient use of precious heat-mat space, but once your peppers get their first true leaves, they’ll need more room to grow. Transplanting to 4-inch pots or 50-cell flats will allow enough room for healthy roots to develop. A compost-based starting mix should provide enough fertil-ity to last four to six weeks. If using a medium with no compost, plan on fertilizing after the first week. Use an organic fish-based fertilizer with moderate nitrogen levels to prevent plants from being overfertilized, or “burned.”

Give plants a gentle landing in the garden

Watch the weather when it’s time to start hardening off your seedlings. Before transplanting, make sure that there’s absolutely no chance of frost and that nighttime temperatures are reasonably warm and stable. Bring flats outside during the day and back inside at night for at least the first few days. After three to four days, you can leave the plants out overnight as long as the temperature is not expected to fall below 40°F.

Ideally, the plants will have a few unopened buds when you set them out. If there are open flowers or small fruits, remove them before transplanting. The goal is for the plants to use their energy to grow big and produce a good crop. Seedlings transplanted with fruits may put too much energy into the early fruits at the expense of overall yield.

Heat helps peppers germinate. Use a seedling heat mat to keep the soil at around 80°F until the seeds sprout.

Peppers grow best in warm, stable weather. Wait for all danger of frost to pass before setting your plants out in the garden. Drip irrigation is a great way to provide the consistently moist soil that pepper plants need.

Follow an expert’s tips for a colorful and bountiful crop

BY STEVE BELLAVIA

Easy-to-growsweet peppers

Stake it up, baby! If a plant lies down on the job, tie it up promptly to help prevent sunscald and fruit decay.

G rowing sweet peppers at home is easy, fun, and reward-ing. Besides the ever-popular bell peppers that ripen from green to red, there are bells of different sizes and

colors and many specialty types to choose from. If you already enjoy growing bell peppers, consider making room in your gar-den for a specialty variety next season. For example, you could try the sweet little snack peppers that kids love or Japanese


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1. ‘Ace’Days to maturity: 50 days green, 70 days red

‘Ace’ deserves special attention; this stalwart has been producing good crops of extra-early red bells for home gardeners for more than three decades. The small fruits are not as blocky as main-season bells, but ‘Ace’ is a very reliable producer, espe-cially in cool climates where peppers are harder to grow.

2. ‘Olympus’Days to maturity: 65 days green, 85 days red

‘Olympus’ produces large green to red main-season bells like those seen at the supermarket. It performs well in most parts of the country except the far north and has resistance to three types of bacterial leaf spot.

3. ‘Flavorburst’Days to maturity: 67 days green, 87 days ripe yellow

The fruits of ‘Flavorburst’ are slightly elongated, ripening from lime green to a beautiful golden yel-low. These peppers have a wonderful, sweet flavor that is superior to that of most bells.

4. ‘Lunchbox’Days to maturity: 55 to 63 days green, 75 to 83 days ripe

‘Lunchbox’ snack peppers are available in yellow, orange, and red, or in a seed mix that includes all three colors. Packed with flavor, these snack-size treats are excellent both raw or lightly cooked. Fruits range from 2 to 3 inches long, produced abundantly by large, upright plants.

5. ‘Glow’, ‘Aura’, and ‘Lipstick’Days to maturity: 53 to 55 days green, 73 to 75 days ripe

Similar in shape to snack peppers but with bigger fruits and thicker walls, this trio of pimiento pep-pers offers early maturity, wide adaptability, and good tolerance to cool weather. Fruits average 4 to 5 inches long. Each of these varieties has a slightly different flavor, but all are excellent.

6. ‘Carmen’ and ‘Escamillo’ Days to maturity: 60 days green, 80 days ripe

These exceptional ‘Corno di Toro’–type peppers really shine where it counts: flavor and fruit quality. The long, pointed fruits are sweet and thick-walled, with better flavor than the best of the bells. They

are great raw in salads, roasted, or sautéed. Both ‘Carmen’ and ‘Escamillo’ are All-America Selec-tions winners.

7. ‘Cornito Rosso’ and ‘Cornito Giallo’Days to maturity: 55 to 60 days green, 75 to 80 days red

These “half-size” ‘Corno di Toro’–type peppers are scaled-down versions of the traditional bull’s horn pepper. The fruits average 5 inches long, are early maturing, sweet, and flavorful. Enjoy them raw or cooked. ‘Cornito Giallo’ is an All-America Selec-tions winner.

8. ‘Mellow Star’Days to maturity: 60 days green, 80 days red

Traditional Japanese shishito peppers are gain-ing popularity in the United States with high-end chefs and home cooks alike. ‘Mellow Star’ is a fine example, with thin-walled fruits suitable for tempura or sautéing. In Japan, shishitos are almost always cooked green, but thinly sliced red fruits are perfect for adding color and a little sweetness to salads and coleslaws.

9. ‘Goddess’Days to maturity: 63 days yellow, 83 days red

For pickled peppers, especially rings, the best choice is ‘Sweet Banana’–type peppers. ‘Goddess’ is a very early-maturing variety that is high-yielding, tolerant of cool weather, and widely adapted. Banana peppers are typically pickled yellow but may also be used red. These very mild-tasting peppers taste great pickled but have very little sweetness when raw.

10. ‘Biscayne’Days to maturity: 60 days pale green, 80 days red

‘Biscayne’ is a ‘Cubanelle’ pepper, a sweet pep-per commonly used in the cuisines of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, where they are usually eaten fried or stuffed. Widely adapted ‘Biscayne’ yields well even in relatively cool condi-tions, producing big, 6-inch-long fruits.

Pick the perfect pepperSweet peppers come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. Here are a few favorites, chosen for their exceptional flavor, productivity, and disease resistance.

▾VARIET IES

Once the danger of frost has passed, transplant your peppers 12 to 18 inches apart in rows 24 to 36 inches apart. Immediately water the seedlings with a high-phosphorous, organically approved, fish-based fertilizer solution to reduce transplant shock and get them off to a good start. I like Neptune’s Harvest, which has an NPK ratio of 2-4-1.

Since peppers are a heat-loving crop, growers in cool climates often plant through agricultural plastic and cover the plants with floating row covers supported by wire hoops. The wire hoops are important; pepper flowers grow on the outer edges of the plants, and if hoops are not used, the flowers can be damaged by the row cover on windy days. Plastic mulch and row covers result in faster growth and earlier crops. Remove the row covers when daytime temperatures reach 85°F to prevent blossom drop.

Fertile, well-irrigated soils are best for peppers, but excessive nitrogen can cause plants to produce lots of leafy growth and very few fruits. While it is not always necessary to stake peppers, be aware that unstaked plants may lodge (lie on the ground), putting fruits in contact with soil or mulch, where they are more

Sunscald occurs when fruit is abruptly exposed to too much sun. Encourage healthy leaf growth and stake your plants to help avoid this problem.

▸S O U R C E SFedco Seeds, Waterville, ME; 207-426-9900; fedcoseeds.com

Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Winslow, ME; 877-564-6697; johnnyseeds.com

Territorial Seed Company, Cottage Grove, OR; 800-626-0866; territorialseed.com

Blossom end rot indicates a defi-ciency. Your soil may be short on calcium, or incon-sistent soil moisture could be to blame.

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susceptible to rot. Fruits on lodged plants also will be exposed to the sun, increasing the likelihood of sun-scald. If a plant falls down, stake it as soon as possible and it should be fine.

Do not let your pepper plants go too long without water, especially while fruits are developing. During dry periods, irrigate weekly to keep soil moisture levels relatively constant. Drip irrigation is an efficient way to supply water, and it keeps leaves dry, reducing the like-lihood of foliar disease.

Put pests and diseases in their place

The diseases and pests that affect pepper plants vary from region to region. Consult your local cooperative extension agent for specific information about pests in your area.

Cutworms can be controlled by placing paper collars around the seedlings or with products containing Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), such as Dipel®. The European corn borer and the corn earworm, which sometimes bore into fruits, can also be controlled with Bt. Aphids, tarnished plant bugs, and flea beetles can be controlled with pyrethrum-based products such as Pyganic®.

Bacterial leaf spot (BLS) can be a problem in regions with high humidity. Infected leaves have small brown spots that enlarge to ¼ inch and sometimes merge together to form larger lesions. Lesions on fruits are raised and corky. In severe cases, the pepper plants defoliate, which causes the loss of the entire crop. Con-trol by practicing crop rotation, using drip irrigation, and purchasing seeds from reputable seed companies, as BLS can be seedborne.

Blossom end rot is caused by an inadequate uptake of calcium when the fruits are actively growing. Prevent this by providing adequate calcium in the soil; get a soil test to confirm that there is a deficiency, and amend the soil accordingly. Regular irrigation can also help, as fluctuating moisture levels increase the likelihood of blossom end rot.

Harvest peppers green or ripe

Now for the fun part. Any type of pepper can be har-vested unripe—usually green, but sometimes other colors. Ripe peppers will be sweeter and have a higher vitamin C content than unripe peppers. Harvesting peppers will encourage the plants to set more fruits.

Enjoy your harvest by eating them out of hand, slicing them into salads, or using them in your favorite recipes.

Steve Bellavia is a vegetable researcher at Johnny’s Selected Seeds

in Winslow, Maine.


CHARRED PEPPERS WITH GARLIC & SHERRY VINEGARby Tasha DeSerio

SERVES SIX.

6 medium red bell peppers


Kosher salt

4 medium cloves garlic, very thinly sliced (about 1 Tbs.)

3 Tbs. sherry vinegar


Prepare a medium-hot gas-grill or charcoal-grill fire. Rub the peppers with 1 Tbs. of the oil, set them on the grill, and char on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes. If the peppers still feel a bit firm, put them in a bowl and cover with plastic—the resid-

ual heat will finish cooking them. Or if the peppers are tender, let them cool at room temperature.

When the peppers are cool enough to handle, skin, core, and seed them. Cut or tear the peppers into strips about ½ inch wide, and put them in a medium-size bowl. Season with ½ tsp. salt.

Put the remaining 2 Tbs. oil and the garlic in a small skillet, and cook over medium heat until the garlic begins to sizzle and turn golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and carefully add the vinegar. Pour the garlic mix-ture over the peppers, and let cool at room tem-perature. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

CHICKEN CUTLETS WITH BELL PEPPER RAGOUTby Allison Ehri Kreitler

SERVES FOUR.

1¼ lb. ripe plum tomatoes (6 to 8), cored, halved lengthwise, and seeded

1 medium red or orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¾-inch-long pieces

1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¾-inch-long pieces

1 small yellow onion, cut into medium dice

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ tsp. piment d’Espelette or 1⁄8 tsp. cayenne

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium clove garlic, mashed to a paste with ½ tsp. kosher salt

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced into cutlets

2 Tbs. nonpareil (small) capers, rinsed and patted dry

Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler ele-ment, and heat the broiler on high.

Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with foil. Put the tomatoes cut side up on one side and the peppers and onions on the other side. Drizzle everything with 3 Tbs. of the olive oil, and sprinkle with the piment d’Espelette, 1 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper. Toss the peppers and onions. Broil until the tomatoes are collapsed, about 7 minutes. Flip the tomatoes, toss the peppers and onions, and broil until the tomato skins have large black spots and the peppers and onions are tender, about 5 minutes more.

Use tongs to pull the skins off the toma-toes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the toma-toes to a cutting board. Put the peppers and onions in a large bowl; add the garlic paste. Chop the tomatoes, and add them to the bowl with the other vegetables. Mix well, season to taste with salt and pepper, and keep warm.

Heat ¼ cup of the olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Put

the flour in a shallow pan. Season the chicken with 1½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp.

pepper; dredge in the flour. Working in two batches, cook the chicken, flip-ping once, until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to serving plates. Wipe out the pan. Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil, and fry the capers over medium-high heat until they pop open and become crisp, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle them over the chicken. Serve with the ragout.

R EC I P E S


G rowing more than 800 tomatoes each year gives me lots of chances to evaluate the good and bad among varieties. Although my col-

lection includes all different shapes, sizes, and colors, I am particularly fond of cherry tomatoes. My affec-tion for them comes from my struggles as a young gardener when, despite my many attempts, I failed to get any ripe tomatoes—except for a few cherry types. Our season in the mountain valley of Idaho was really short, but despite this challenge, the cherry tomatoes usually provided a few tasty treats just as the first frost appeared. My early success with cherry tomatoes left a lasting impression, and all these years later, I still make sure to leave space in the garden for them.

Growing cherry tomatoes is not much different than growing big tomatoes. It is simply a matter of choosing the right variety for your soil, climate, and taste buds. Many people frown at the small size of cherry toma-toes, saying that they are more trouble than they are worth. But I relish cherry tomatoes for their robust and varied flavors, and I’m always impressed by their ability to hold their good taste well past the end of the season. When the foliage on their large counterparts starts to fail, the fruit might look great but the flavor becomes bland. The small cherry tomatoes, though, still delight the taste buds even as the plants die off. With the right care and varietal choice, you too can enjoy great toma-toes all season long. They just might come in a smaller package than you expected.

CHERRY TOMATOES

The right variety and care will give you larger harvests and better flavor than the big boys

Cherry tomatoes have more variety than you might think. Some interesting types include (from the top, left to right) ‘Galinas’, ‘Amish Salad’, ‘Snow White Cherry’, ‘Hawaiian’, ‘Riesentraube’, and ‘Camp Joy’.

BY GLENN DROWNS


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Don’t rush to get them outside, but do give them

plenty of space

The cherry-tomato season begins in early spring when you start your seeds. I start mine in an unheated green-house, where they might grow slowly at first (a slower-growing plant at the start hardens off faster and is sturdier in the garden when transplanted). Fast growth generally equals weak growth. If a greenhouse is not an option, start them indoors under grow lights for the best germination. I like to wait until my seedlings are about 4 inches tall before hardening them off and trans-planting them into the garden. You shouldn’t try to get all of your plants outside too early in spring. Wait until two weeks after your last spring frost, when the soil is warmer and the cool spells are becoming fewer or no longer occur. Tomatoes planted too early will struggle to grow in the cool soil and weather, and will succumb to blight later on, just when you think you are about to get a big harvest. I set the transplants into soil that

No greenhouse? No problem. Standard grow lights and a protected spot in your house will be just fine for starting cherry-tomato seeds.

Top varieties for taste, vigor, and yield Each year, I like to take a sample basket of a dozen or so varieties of cherry tomatoes to the school where I teach. I let my coworkers sample and evaluate the fruit to determine the best-tasting one. It never ceases to amaze me the ratings one tomato variety can receive. A single kind can get anything from a 1 (for “fantastic”) to a 5 (for “dud”). Everyone seems to have a different idea of what the perfect tomato is. Here are the top vote getters over the years, which, fortunately, are some of my favorite cherry tomatoes, as well.

1. ‘Amish Salad’ – A vigorous grower, this tall indeterminate plant produces an abundance of oval-shaped, pink-skinned fruit. The fruit main-tains a high eating quality for a long period of time on the vine.

2. ‘Camp Joy’ – This is a high-yielding cherry with bright red fruit. You can expect excellent flavor and steady production.

3. ‘Galinas’ – Unique for its potato-leaf foliage, this plant—indeterminate yet controlled in its growth habit—is a beautiful sight, with its masses of bright lemon-yellow fruit.

4. ‘Green Grape’ – Fabulous if for nothing more than its color, the fruit of this variety obtains a golden cast when ripe. The flavor is nothing to complain about either: a sharp, tomatoey burst with a hint of sweetness.

5. ‘Hawaiian’ – Beyond a doubt, this is my and my wife’s favorite tomato; we, along with visitors to our farm, can’t stop at eating just one. This unique little variety, with its fine and dainty foli-age, can grow quite tall, and it produces a mass of pea-size fruit. Without question, it has the sweetest, most refreshing taste of any tomato.

6. ‘Peacevine Cherry’ – A recent addition to my collection, this variety rapidly rose to the top of the favorites list with its huge yields of great-tasting, average-size red cherries. The fruit is produced in long clusters of 16 to 20, which makes for easy picking.

7. ‘Riesentraube’ – Production can be unrealis-tically high, with clusters of oval red toma-toes (with a little nipple on the end) pouring in by the bucketful in summer. This variety also boasts a strong taste.

8. ‘Snow White Cherry’ – This has always been one of my favorites because it does almost as well in a greenhouse in winter as it does in the garden in summer. The fruit has a pale, yellow-ivory color and a superb sweetness and texture. Even the fruit deep in the center of the plant’s foliage (not exposed to sunlight) is tasty.

9. ‘Black Cherry’ – You can expect this large plant to produce an abundance of unique, dark-colored fruit. The flavor is excellent at the peak of ripeness, making it one of the best cherries to eat fresh.

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Black plastic is a grower’s secret. This agricultural covering not only warms the soil for better growth in spring but also keeps disease and weeds at bay.

has been amended with composted poultry manure (which is high in nitrogen and phosphorus) several months prior. Granular synthetic fertilizers don’t work as well at giving plants a needed nutrient boost. I plant the seedlings in holes poked through black agricultural plastic, which works wonders for both weed and dis-ease control (the plastic helps control the splashing of fungal blight spores). Organic mulches don’t limit weeds or splashing as well as the black plastic.

Most cherry tomatoes are indeterminate and need lots of space. To make the prettiest display and pro-duce the greatest yield, plant them along a fence or, better still, metal panels used to reinforce concrete. These panels are 4 feet tall and 8 feet long. I use a metal fence post at each end and plant three to four plants on each panel. The plants can then be tied to the panel or carefully woven through its holes as they grow. Most cherry-tomato varieties get much taller than 4 feet, so you can let the plants droop over the top or prune them back. There are also large tomato cages that work well and provide support all around the plant. I have even seen beautiful plants that are planted about 4 feet apart on 6-to-8-foot-tall stakes. The plants are tied to the stakes and pruned judi-ciously as they grow. This can make a fantastic-looking display for the person who has only a few plants to care for (it’s fairly impractical for someone with many plants). This method also allows for uniform sun expo-sure and more-even ripening of fruit.

All of this organized spacing and support is great in a perfect world, but if you are cramped for space, you still have options. I use simple, standard-size tomato cages and put a plant in each, placing the plants about 18 inches apart. They rapidly grow up through the

▾PLANT P ICKS


cages and then turn into a mound of tomato foliage, eventually producing a heap of tomatoes. It is more difficult to harvest them using this support/spacing method, but the yield is still great and manageable.

Care is minimal until it’s time to harvest

Managing your cherry-tomato plants throughout the rest of the season is pretty simple. Pruning out the extra foliage is really not necessary and actually does some harm to the overall quality of the tomatoes. More healthy foliage means better-tasting fruit because the leaves collect the sunlight to feed the plant, which in turn enhances the sugar content of the fruit. If you have the time, you can carefully remove the bottom leaves as they turn yellow to help prevent disease and to keep the plants in good health.

Fruit cracking occurs more often in some cherry-tomato varieties than in others; in some, I rarely if ever see it except late in the season when temperatures at night fall below 40°F or so. I also see cracking during a dry year when there is a cold rain or when I am irri-gating with cold well water during the heat of the day (when it is above 80°F). If you have problems with cracking, look for varieties that have a thicker skin. ‘Green Grape’ and ‘Amish Salad’ resist cracking more than most options.

The best thing about cherry tomatoes is the yield. In many climates, you can anticipate a bountiful harvest until the first frost and even a few days after. Because the foliage is usually so dense, tomatoes hiding under-neath the leaves miss the first few freezes. For most varieties, it is better to harvest a bit prior to full ripe-ness to obtain the best flavor. Once tomatoes get soft, the flavor declines and is not as sharp and distinct as that of tomatoes picked sooner. When a cherry tomato drops off the plant, it’s past its prime for eating; it will be lacking in taste, and the texture will be mealy. Ideally, you should have a daily picking schedule to get to the fruit at peak quality.

The flavor of cherry tomatoes is just as good as, if not better than, the flavor of big tomatoes. Don’t be afraid to use cherry tomatoes in any dish in which you would use a larger fruited variety; some are even meaty enough to make spectacular sauces. The possibilities are endless when it comes to making use of your harvest, especially because cherry tomatoes provide a yield that just keeps coming and coming.

Glenn Drowns and his wife, Linda, own Sand Hill Preservation

Center, a genetic-preservationist farm-and-seed company in

Calamus, Iowa.

Metal panels are the sturdiest support option. Tomato stems are somewhat pliable and can be carefully woven in and out of the openings. You can also use spe-cial clips or loose ties to train the plants upward.

Cages are like jeans—one size does not fit all. For indeterminate tomato plants, like these cherry variet-ies, you’ll need a big cage to get good results.

Cracking isn’t the end of the world. Fluctuations in temperature and moisture typically cause this malady. In time, the problem usually corrects itself.

There’s a fine line between underripe and overripe. When in doubt, pick the fruit when it’s a bit underripe because it will ripen to perfection when off the vine. When the fruit falls off the plant, it’s overripe—with a mushy texture and spoiled flavor.

Don’t be afraid to use cherry tomatoes in any dish in which you would use a larger fruited variety; some are even meaty

enough to make spectacular sauces.


CHERRY TOMATOES STUFFED WITH MOZZARELLA & BASILRecipe by Jessica Bard

YIELDS ABOUT 3 DOZEN HORS D’OEUVRES; SERVES TEN TO TWELVE AS AN APPETIZER.

½ lb. fresh mozzarella, cut into tiny dice (to yield about 1¼ cup)

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil1⁄3 cup coarsely chopped fresh

basil leaves

½ tsp. freshly grated lemon zest (from about a quarter of a lemon)

Kosher salt


1 pint (about 18) cherry tomatoes, rinsed and stems removed

GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH CORN, CHERRY TOMATOES & BASILRecipe by Tasha DeSerio

SERVES SIX TO EIGHT.

3 cups fresh corn kernels (3 to 4 ears)

Kosher salt

1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half diagonally

1 small red onion, cut in half through the root end, root trimmed, and cut length-wise into very thin slices

1 garlic clove

¼ cup red-wine vinegar; more to taste1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil


R EC I P E S

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the corn ker-nels, and blanch for 1 minute. Scoop out the corn with a strainer; set aside. Season the water with a generous amount of salt, let it return to a boil, add the beans, and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the beans, and spread them on a baking sheet to cool.

Meanwhile, put the onion in a small bowl filled with ice water, which will crisp it and mellow its flavor. Using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef’s knife, mash the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt. Put the paste in a small bowl (or keep it in the mortar), and whisk in the vinegar. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then whisk in the olive oil.

Just before serving, drain the onions. Put the beans, corn, onions, cherry tomatoes, and basil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss with the vinaigrette. Taste again, and add more salt, pepper, or vinegar if needed. Serve right away.

In a medium bowl, stir the cheese, oil, basil, zest, ½ tsp. kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours before assembling.

When ready to assemble, slice each tomato in half (either direction is all right) and scoop out the insides with the small end of a melon baller or a teaspoon. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Invert onto a paper towel, and let the tomatoes drain for 15 minutes.

Fill each tomato half with a scant teaspoon of the cheese mixture, and arrange on a serving tray. Serve imme-diately as an hors d’oeuvre, or wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.


Learn the pros and cons of six different types

BY JOE QUEIROLO

S ometimes I think there must be tomato sauce flowing through my veins. My earliest memories are of watching my parents water

the tomato vines in the backyard and of my Italian grandfather, who boasted about the big, heavy, deli-cious tomatoes he had grown in rocky soil enriched with countless wheelbarrows full of horse manure. As a kid, I even spent summers at my aunt and uncle’s ranch, where they grew nearly a hundred acres of pro cessing tomatoes.

These days, tomatoes are still a large part of my life, and summer would simply not be summer without them. To keep my tomato plants happy and productive, I give them the necessities of life: food, water, and light. But for the greatest yields, they also require some means of support or trellising. Lifting and supporting the plants keeps the fruit clean and away from pests, provides better air circulation to

Which tomato stakesare right for you?

help prevent disease, and makes it easier to see and harvest the fruit. I can also fit more plants into a smaller area by trellising them. During my many summers of tomato fixation, I’ve observed and tried many types of tomato supports and have found several tried-and-true structures that are readily available, dependable, and sure to keep the garden looking attractive and orderly.

Tomato cages are easy to find

Tomato cages, structures that entirely encircle a plant, are the easiest supports to use. There are sev-eral variations of cages available, but if you’re going to be growing just a few plants, the easiest cage to find is the ubiquitous, inexpensive, cone-shaped, heavy-gauge wire tomato basket. Each cage costs just a couple of dollars, and in spring, I see them for sale everywhere, from nurseries to drug stores.

Cage

Florida weave

Tripod


You simply push the legs into the soil around a young plant, then let nature take its course. As the plant grows and fills the basket, tuck wayward stems behind the encircling wire. But be careful: These 3-foot-tall cones are not particularly stable. Indeter-minate tomato vines can quickly grow beyond the top ring of the basket and topple the whole plant. It is best to use determinate tomato varieties with these cages or be prepared to brace them with stakes when the vines get larger.

To support indeterminate varieties, I prefer to make my own cages out of 5-foot-tall concrete-reinforcing mesh that I buy at a home-supply store. Make sure the mesh is large enough to get your hand through while clutching a ripe tomato; a 6-inch-square mesh works for me and is readily available in stores. To make the cage, cut a 4½-to 6-foot-long piece, roll it together so that the ends meet, then secure the ends with wire to make a cyl-inder with a diameter of 1½ to 2 feet. If you garden in a windy area, consider anchoring the cage to the ground with ground staples or stakes.

One drawback to using tomato cages is that they take up a lot of storage space in the off-season. With my homemade version, I can untie, unroll, and stack the wire, but that is somewhat inconvenient. If your storage space is limited, you might want to consider using circular or rectangular collapsible tomato cages, which fold for easy storage.

Stakes allow for easy pruning

If you’re looking for earlier and bigger tomatoes and you don’t mind the extra work of pinching and tying up indeterminate varieties, you can stake them. Just drive a 6-foot-long redwood or cedar 2x2, a length of sturdy bamboo, or a metal T-post about a foot into the ground, and plant your tomato about 6 inches away from the stake. As the vine grows, train it to a single stem by gently breaking off any side shoots that emerge from the main stem. Tie the stem loosely to the stake with strips of soft cloth or nylon. Loop the material entirely around the stake before tying it around the stem. This will cinch the tie and hold it in place as the plant gets heavier. If the ties start slipping down the stake as your tomatoes grow, you can notch the stake or drive a small nail in the stake to hold the ties up.

A tomato spiral, an elegant alternative to a rustic-looking stake, is a 5-foot-tall metal corkscrew-like device that you wind your plant around as it grows. You may not need to tie the plant up, but you will still want to pinch out any side shoots. Another

Choose your staking weapon wisely

STANDARD TOMATO CAGES

These tornado-shaped cages are the easiest

supports to find.

APPROXIMATE COST: $1 to $3 each

HOMEMADE CAGESWire-mesh fencing

with large holes can be used to fashion your

own cages.

APPROXIMATE COST: 33¢ per foot

STAKESA tomato plant can

be trained on a single wooden stake, or several stakes can

be made into a tuteur or tripod.

APPROXIMATE COST: $1 to $3 each

LADDERSThese sturdy, plastic-coated metal supports are similar to cages but

have one open side.

APPROXIMATE COST: $60 for a set of five

COLLAPSIBLE CAGESThese work the same

way standard cages do but collapse for easier

off-season storage.

APPROXIMATE COST: $10 each

SPIRALSThese 5-to-

6-foot-tall metal stakes resemble

corkscrews.

APPROXIMATE COST: $6 each


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CAGE When a tomato plant grows up through the cage, tuck the wayward stems behind the encir-cling wires. Best for determinate tomatoes.

SPIRAL As the vine grows, wind it around this ele gant stake, tying it up if needed. Best for indeterminate tomatoes.

FLORIDA WEAVE This staking option works well when growing many tomato plants. Twine is woven around wooden stakes to support unpruned plants as they grow. Steel T-posts at the ends of the row hold the temporary structure in place. A good system for either determinate or indeterminate tomatoes.

TRIPOD Use this structure to support either a plant at the base of each leg (as pictured) or a single vine planted in the middle. Best for indeterminate tomatoes.

LADDER As a plant grows, wind the stems through the rungs of the ladder, attaching the stems with a tie if needed. Best for indeter minate tomatoes.

PLASTIC-COATED STEEL WIRE

TWINE

HOOK-AND-LOOP FASTENER

Pick a tie Many different products can be used to attach tomato vines to their supports. It’s best to experiment with a few kinds to test their indi-vidual strengths and weaknesses.

Options for trellising your tomatoes

The type of support structure you choose depends on the growth habit of your tomato plants and how much space you have.

NYLON TIE

PAPER-COATED TWIST TIE

PLASTIC-COATED TWIST TIE

STRETCH TIE

▾BASICS

attractive type of stake is the tomato ladder, a half cage that looks like a small ladder with V-shaped rungs. Plants grown on these ladders don’t need to be pinched into a single stem; as the plant grows, just tie the side shoots to the rungs.

You can also build or buy a tripod or tuteur to provide upscale housing for your plants. Either you can place a single plant in the middle of the tripod and train it to three or four main stems by keeping the lowest side shoots and pinching out the rest, or you can place a plant at the base of each leg of the tripod and train each plant to a single stem, which you would tie to that leg.

Try the florida weave if you have lots of plants

Because I usually grow a couple hundred tomato plants, I need to support them all quickly, easily, and inexpensively. To do this, I use a staking method called the Florida weave for both my determinate and indeterminate varieties. I plant the tomatoes in rows, and at the ends of each row, I drive steel T-posts into the ground at an oblique angle. Between the plants, I push 8-foot-tall 1x1 redwood or bam-boo stakes as far into the ground as I can, then push them in even farther right after watering, when the soil is soft.

As soon as the plants begin to lean over, I make the first layer of the weave by tying untreated twine around one T-post, passing it along one side of the first plant, wrapping it around the stake, then past the next plant, around the next stake, and so on. When I reach the T-post at the end of the row, I bring the twine back along the other side of the plants, repeating the process to hem them in so that they are sandwiched between the lengths of twine; I just need to keep weaving and binding the stems with twine. I do this each time the plants grow a foot or so, which works out to about four times a season for indeterminate varieties and maybe twice for determinate ones. If the plants get too heavy with fruit and the whole row threatens to fall over, I stretch a strong wire between the T-posts and fasten the stakes to it. At the end of the season, I simply cut the twine, remove the stakes, and compost the remaining heap.

When is comes to supporting tomatoes, keeping the fruit off the ground is my main goal, and trellising helps me find my holy grail of summer gardening: a basketful of perfect—and perfectly ripe—tomatoes.

Joe Queirolo gardens in San Ramon, California.


BEFORE

AFTER

Following these simple steps will have you vegging out instead of stressing out

BY DANIELLE SHERRY

I hate pruning my toma-toes. Like a lot of folks, I don’t have the time (or

patience) to prune tomatoes the way they are supposed to be pruned. Cutting out all the suckers on one indeterminate tomato could literally take hours—and forget about it if you have more than one plant. Like most things in life, what I really want to know is how lit-tle effort I can put in and still get great results. If you’re like me, you’d much rather spend your precious time lounging outside in the hammock—or vegging out on the couch watching your favorite TV show (or, in my case, baseball).

To give myself more free time, I developed a plan where I divided the tomato grow-ing season into four critical periods when I need to prune. Amazingly, doing these quick fixes every year has led to big-ger harvests and more time to sit on the couch watching the Boston Red Sox. These quick-and-easy steps are all you need as far as tomato pruning this year. I wish improving my team’s record were only as simple.

The lazy gardener’s guide toPRUNING TOMATOES

▾

1. MID TO LATE SPRING

Get the foliage off the groundA week or two after transplanting, trim off all the leaves or stems that touch the ground. This should include those tricky stems that are about to touch the ground. This helps keep diseases at bay that can transfer to plants from soil splashing onto the foliage. Keep an eye out in the following weeks to hack off any rogue plant parts that start reaching for the ground as well.

• TOMATO TYPE: Determinate and indeterminate

▾

2. LATE SPRING TO EARLY SUMMER

Cut off all the squidlike armsBy early summer, your plants have usually hit their teenage growth spurt, with the plants tripling in size seemingly overnight. Prune off stems that reach far outside the cage or sup-port device you’ve set in place. This helps keep plants to a manageable size and the gar-den from becoming an out-of-control jungle.

• TOMATO TYPE: Mostly indeterminate or unruly determinate

▾

3. EARLY TO MIDSUMMER

Thin out the centerCut or pinch out (photo) a third of the center of the plant’s foliage to allow bet-ter airflow and more sun to reach and ripen fruit. For areas in the Deep South where sunscald might be an issue, you may want to be more judicious and remove only a quarter of the plant’s density.

• TOMATO TYPE: Determinate and indeterminate

BEFORE AFTER

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Danielle Sherry is a senior editor who sometimes lets the deer help her prune the tomatoes in her East Haddam, Connecticut, garden.

‘GREEN SAUSAGE’ Type: Determinate Days to maturity: 75

I resisted growing this tomato for years because, well, it just looked so weird. The 4-to- 5-inch fruit is striped green and light yellow when ripe. Each tomato has a tapered end and a slightly plumper middle, giving it the appearance of an Italian sausage from another planet. The taste is tangy, which makes it an unex-pected addition to sauces.

‘GRUSHOVKA’ Type: Determinate Days to maturity: 65

For those gardening in a short-season area of the country, this is an excellent choice. Originating in Siberia, these plants provide a plethora of meaty paste tomatoes. Be sure to harvest the egg-shaped fruits when they get to be a dark pink color.

‘POWERS HEIRLOOM’Type: Indeterminate Days to maturity: 80 to 90

The yellow color of this baby indicates a lower acidity, making it ideal for someone with a sensitive stom-ach. Heavy yields start rolling in around mid to late summer. These plants hold up exceptionally well in prolonged heat, so for Southern locales, this is a must-grow variety. The fruit is sweet with a little bit of

fruitiness. ‘HUNGARIAN HEART’Type: IndeterminateDays to maturity: 85

Huge pink oxheart-type fruits cover these plants in midsummer. In fact, one fruit can weigh more than a pound and has very few seeds. Despite changes in moisture, this variety is known for being crack resistant. ‘Hungarian Heart’ has been voted a favorite for fresh eat-ing, canning, and roasting by Seed Savers Exchange members mul-tiple times.

‘PURPLE BUMBLE BEE’Type: Indeterminate Days to maturity: 70

A relative new kid to the tomato world, the Bumble Bee series of cherry tomatoes is touted for its unique, striped skin. ‘Purple Bumble Bee’ is particularly meaty and produces scores of fruits from early summer up until first frost. These plants also have some resis-tance to late blight.

‘RED LIGHTNING’Type: Indeterminate Days to maturity: 80

Although these plants are indeterminate, they rarely get taller than 5 feet. This makes harvesting the red-and-yellow mottled fruits a bit more manageable. ‘Red Lightning’ is a fairly large fruiting cherry tomato, with each small globe averaging 3 inches in diameter. It’s perfect for adding pizzazz to any salad.

▾

4. MID TO LATE SUMMER

Practice the late-season chop To do this step correctly, first you need to envision the United States and bisect the country from west to east. If you live south of that line, you will do the chop around the 4th of July. If you live north of that line, you will do the chop around Labor Day. The chop sim-ply means hacking off the tops of your tomato plants so they are only 5 to 6 feet tall. This forces the plant to spend what’s left of its energy in ripening the green fruit below the cuts, as opposed to setting more immature fruit at the top of the plant (which will never ripen before the season ends).

• TOMATO TYPE: Indeterminate

Tomatoes you may not have tried The following are some varieties that have stayed under the radar. They may be new or just underappreciated, but they all deserve a spot in your beds—regardless of how lazy a gardener you truly are.

▾VARIET IES

Chop on Labor Day

Chop on 4th of July


COOKED FRESH TOMATO SAUCEby Giuliano Hazan

YIELDS 2 TO 3 CUPS.

3 lb. ripe tomatoes, cored


1½ Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tsp. finely chopped garlic (2 medium cloves)

Fine sea salt

Peel the tomatoes, and coarsely chop them.Put 4 Tbs. of the olive oil, the parsley, and the garlic in a 3-quart saucepan

over medium-high heat. When the garlic and parsley begin to sizzle, add the tomatoes and 1¾ tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down and are thick and saucy, 35 to 70 minutes, depending on how much liquid the toma-toes release. Toss with your choice of cooked pasta and the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil, and serve.

The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for two to three days or frozen for up to three months. When you’re ready to use it, reheat and toss with your choice of cooked pasta and the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil.

R EC I P E S

OLIVE OIL–POACHED SHRIMP WITH GINGER-TOMATO SAUCE by Molly Stevens

SERVES FOUR.

For the shrimp: 1½ lb. jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per

lb.), peeled and deveined

½ tsp. finely grated orange zest

½ tsp. freshly grated ginger

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

4 to 6 cups extra-virgin olive oil

For the sauce: 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)

Kosher salt

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs. freshly grated ginger

½ tsp. finely grated orange zest

1 pint canned tomatoes

1 Tbs. fresh orange juice

½ tsp. granulated sugar

To poach the shrimp, toss the shrimp in a mixing bowl with the orange zest, ginger, red pepper flakes, and ¾ tsp. salt. Let sit at room temperature for about an hour. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 225°F. Pour 1 inch of oil into

a medium-size (10-inch) straight-sided sauté pan. Heat over low heat until the oil reaches 120°F, 2 to 3 minutes. Slide the shrimp into the oil, and immediately transfer the pan to the oven. Poach until the shrimp are opaque throughout (cut into one to check), about 25 min-utes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a wire rack, and blot on both sides with paper towels to remove excess oil.

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translu-cent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and orange zest, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes and their juices, orange juice, and sugar, and simmer for 5 minutes to meld the flavors. Purée the sauce in a food processor. Return to the pan, season to taste with salt, and keep warm over low heat until the shrimp are ready. Distribute the tomato sauce among four serving plates, arrange the shrimp on top of the sauce, and serve.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO NAPOLEON WITH PARMESAN CRISPS & HERB SALADby Eric Rupert

SERVES FOUR.

For the Parmesan crisps:2½ cups grated parmigiano reggiano

For the vinaigrette:1 small shallot, minced (about 1½ Tbs.)

4 tsp. Champagne vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Kosher or sea salt



2 Tbs. grapeseed oil or canola oil

For the salad:1 cup baby arugula leaves

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into bite-size pieces if large

½ cup fresh tarragon leaves

½ cup 1-inch fresh chive pieces

20 small nasturtium leaves (optional)

Kosher or sea salt


Sixteen 1⁄3-inch-thick heirloom tomato slices, preferably of different colors, sizes, and shapes (2 to 3 lb.)

About 20 various heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

Make the Parmesan crisps: Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a nonstick baking liner or parchment. Spread the grated cheese over the entire surface of the liner. Bake until the cheese is amber brown, about 18 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool. Break into irregular pieces (each about 3 inches across). You’ll need 12 pieces for the napoleons, but this batch makes extra to cover the inevitable breaking (and snacking).

Make the vinaigrette: Put the shallot, vinegar, mustard, and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a small bowl or dressing cruet. Allow the shallots to sit in the vine gar for at least 20 min-utes and up to 1 hour. Whisk or shake in both oils. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

To serve: In a large bowl, mix the arugula, parsley, basil, tar-ragon, chives, and nasturtium leaves (if using). Lightly dress with some of the vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the salad evenly among four salad plates. Arrange a large tomato slice on each salad, sprinkle lightly with salt, and top with a piece of Parmesan crisp. Continue to alternate the lightly salted tomatoes and cheese pieces until you have used three pieces of the Parmesan crisp in each napoleon. Finish off the top of each napoleon with an unsalted tomato slice. Arrange the cherry tomatoes around the napoleons, and drizzle any remaining vinaigrette around the plates. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.


BY DANIELLE SHERRY

P otatoes are versatile, delicious, and rich in vitamins. And if you’re able to grow them suc-cessfully, the harvest can keep for the entire

winter (something not even tasty tomatoes can do). Despite these positive traits, potatoes have always scared me. Not because they have creepy-looking “eyes” or because my grandma used to say they were poisonous if you ate them raw. Potatoes frighten me because they can be needy when it comes to their growing conditions, they take up a lot of room, and they can introduce a plethora of diseases into your

garden without warning; in addition, they’re a favor-ite delicacy of voles.

For those seeking to grow their own spuds in a small space or in a vole-prone area, or for those wanting to keep their crop somewhat contained in case disease strikes, a potato tower is an excellent solution. Rang-ing from 2 to 4 feet tall, this simple vertical column is comprised of wire fencing lined with straw and filled with compost, saving you from having to till deeply and to amend your bed excessively. Simple to build, it also produces a high yield. Here’s how it’s done.

This unique method allows you to grow 20 pounds of spuds in an area less than 4 square feet

You’ll need a little straw and a long reach. After building what looks like a mini silo out of fencing, use a layering method to fill the columns with straw, compost, and seed potatoes.

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Continue building the tower.Create additional layers comprised of a straw nest, compost, and potatoes until you reach 4 inches from the top of the bin. Each layer should be about a foot deep. Finish off the tower with a layer of potatoes spaced evenly across the top. Pour a 5-inch-deep layer of compost over the potatoes, and cover with a few handfuls of straw. These uppermost potatoes will sprout out of the top of the bin.

Don’t ever use grocery-store spudsIf you’ve ever forgotten that you had some potatoes in your pantry, you’re familiar with how eas-ily this produce item will sprout. Fight the temptation to plant these happy acci dents in your gar-den. Potatoes can serve as ideal hosts for several nasty diseases, including late blight (which caused the 19th-century Irish Potato Famine). Once introduced into your beds, these diseases can wreak havoc. Instead, buy and plant certified disease-free seed potatoes from a reputable source. Three of my favorite hearty varieties are ‘Katahdin’, a waxy white spud; ‘Red Norland’, a great option for long storage; and ‘All Blue’, with its otherworldly color.

Danielle Sherry, a senior editor at Fine Gardening, grows vegetables—no thanks to herds of deer and slugs—in East Haddam, Connecticut.

Step 1

Create a sturdy frame.Use wire cutters to snip out a section of wire fencing to create a cylindrical bin, about 1½ to 2 feet in diam eter. I prefer to use fencing that is 4 feet tall because I can still reach into the tower to plant it even though I’m only 5 feet 3 inches tall. Use rebar wire to tie the fence ends together (photo above).

To give the bin some extra stability, attach it to a rebar post. Pound the post flush with the back of the inside of the bin, and wire the bin to the post (photo right). If you have trouble with voles, add a piece of fencing with small holes at the bottom of the container to prevent the critters from bur-rowing into it.

Step 2

Build a straw “nest.”In midspring, lay down a 2-to-3-inch-deep layer of straw in the bottom of the bin, creating a “bird’s nest” inside it. The straw supports itself up the container’s sides as you spread it, leav-ing a large central area for the compost. The straw helps keep the compost in and reduces water loss due to evaporation. Shovel in some compost. The goal is to have the first layer of seed potatoes about 1 foot above the ground, which will allow plenty of room for the bottom layer of potatoes to form.

Step 3

Add a layer of potatoes, and water thoroughly.Place the potatoes about every 5 to 6 inches along the outside edge of the tower, add a thin layer of compost, and water them in; they should be next to the straw, with their eyes pointed out. Potatoes need only one or two eyes per piece to grow, so feel free to cut up large seed potatoes into two or more chunks, making sure each piece is at least as big as a golf ball. The smaller potatoes can simply be planted whole. Aim for cutting the potatoes 24 hours prior to planting, which will allow time for a scab to grow over the cut, reducing disease and rot issues.

Step 5

Watch it grow, tip it over, and harvest the spuds.Keep the tower well watered throughout the season (this is critical for good spud formation). When the plants have sig-nificantly died back in late summer, tip the tower over and sift through the compost to find the spuds. If you had no incidence of disease, you can use the leftover straw and compost to amend vegetable or ornamental beds.

• Wire cutters

• 3-to-4-foot-tall 14-gauge wire fencing (or one with a sufficient gauge to retain its form and be used for a few years)

• Rebar wire

• One piece of 5-foot-tall rebar

• Straw

• Shovel

• Compost

• Seed potatoes (use a mix of varieties for an attractive effect), 5 pounds for each tower

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

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Compost on the inside


CHICKEN WITH POTATOES, PEAS & COCONUT-CURRY SAUCEby Jennifer Armentrout

SERVES TWO TO THREE.

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 Tbs. vegetable oil; more as needed

½ medium onion, finely diced (to yield about ½ cup)

1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger

2 tsp. seeded, minced fresh jalapeño

1 Tbs. sweet curry powder (not Madras or hot)

1 cup homemade or low-salt chicken broth

1 medium (6-oz.) red or yellow potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (to yield about 1 cup)

5½ oz. can coconut milk, well shaken

½ cup frozen peas

2 Tbs. roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Trim the chicken, removing the tenders, and slice on an angle into ¾-inch pieces. Season generously with salt and pepper.

In a 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it’s hot enough to shimmer. Add half of the

chicken, and cook, flipping once, until lightly browned and just barely cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Cover with foil to keep warm.

Return the pan to medium heat, and if it looks dry, add another 1 Tbs. oil. Add the onion, ginger, and jalapeño, and sauté, stirring almost constantly with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables soften, about 2 minutes. Add the curry powder, and sauté for 30 seconds.

Pour in the chicken broth, and scrape the pan with a spoon to loosen any browned bits.

Add the potato and ½ tsp. salt. Bring to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, until the potato is barely tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the coconut milk and peas; simmer uncovered until the peas are thawed, the potato is fully tender, and the sauce is somewhat thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Taste the sauce; add salt and pepper as needed. Add the chicken along with any accumulated juices to the sauce, and turn to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the cilantro.

CRISPY SMASHED ROASTED POTATOESby Susie Middleton

SERVES FOUR.

12 to 15 baby red or yellow potatoes (about 1½ oz. each; 1½ to 2 inches in diameter)

2¾ tsp. kosher salt


To cook the potatoes, put the potatoes in a large sauce-pan (preferably in one layer) and cover with at least 1 inch of water. Add 2 tsp. kosher salt to the water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook the potatoes until they are completely tender and can be easily pierced with a metal or wood skewer. Make sure they are cooked through, but don’t overcook. The total cooking time will be 30 to 35 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, set up a double layer of clean dish towels on your countertop. As the potatoes finish cooking, remove them individually from the water, and let them drain and sit for 1 to 2 minutes on the dish towels.

To flatten the potatoes, fold another dish towel into quarters, and using it as a cover, gently press down on one potato with the palm of your hand to flatten it to a thickness of about ½ inch. Repeat with all the potatoes. Don’t be concerned if some break apart a bit; you can still use them.

Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; put a sheet of parchment on top of the foil. Transfer the flattened potatoes carefully to the baking sheet, and let them cool completely at room temperature.

To roast the potatoes, heat the oven to 450°F; alternatively, if you have a convection function, turn it on and set the temperature at 400°F. Sprinkle the potatoes with about ¾ tsp. salt, and pour the olive oil over them. Lift the potatoes gently to make sure that some of the oil goes underneath them and that they are well coated on both sides. Roast the potatoes until they’re crispy and deep brown around the edges—about 30 minutes if using a convection oven, 30 to 40 minutes if roasting conventionally—turning them over once gently with a spatula or tongs halfway through cooking. Serve hot.

SMASHED RED POTATOES WITH BASIL & PARMESANby Eva Katz

SERVES FOUR.

2 lb. red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into large chunks, 1½ to 2 inches

Kosher salt

¼ cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano


Put the potatoes and 1 tsp. salt in a large saucepan or pot, and fill with enough cold water to cover the potatoes by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to maintain a steady sim-mer, cover the pot partially, and cook until

the potatoes are quite tender when tested with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve some of the cooking water, then drain the potatoes. Dump them back in the pot, and set over medium heat. Dry the potatoes by shaking the pan and stirring until most of the moisture has steamed off, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Using the side of a large metal spoon, cut through the skins and flesh of the potatoes, reducing the chunks to a very coarse mash. Stir in the olive oil and garlic. Add up to 2 Tbs. of the cooking water to loosen the mash if necessary. Stir in the basil and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

R EC I P E S


One day at the farmers’ market, a customer looked at my beans and inquired whether I had grown the ones she had eaten the previous night at a local restaurant. I

had. She proceeded to rave about how incredible they had been. To her, they were the most memorable part of the meal. Fancy that—green beans being the best part of a delicious meal at a fine restaurant. She bought a pound of beans and went home happy.

What is the allure of green beans? To me, it’s their tender, fresh sweetness, that essential flavor condensed into one small package—green-bean perfection. The chefs we sell to love them because these beans really add elegance to a dinner plate. And they are my favorite crop to grow.

We live and farm four miles north of Taos, New Mexico, at an elevation of 7,600 feet. Our average yearly rainfall is 12 inches. We have a four-month growing season and heavy winds in May and June. How can I grow good beans in such an extreme cli-mate? The secret of my success lies in our choice of varieties.

Fertile soil and regular moisture are critical

We have trialed numerous varieties and settled on growing those that are considered filet beans. This type of green bean is thinner than other beans. The varieties ‘Tavera’ and ‘Nickel’ both bear big crops. These varieties are small seeded—and the smaller the seed, the more tender the bean.

There is another type or class of green bean that has large seeds. I have trialed a number of these: ‘Vernandon’; ‘Fin des Bagnols’; ‘Triomphe de Farcy’; and ‘Emerite’, a pole-bean type that requires trellising or some kind of support. In our garden, they produce relatively few beans, which are usually large and tough, even when picked daily. I can’t recommend them, although I have wondered occasionally if these varieties would do better in a different climate.

For the home gardener, some well-cared-for soil with a light treatment of compost should provide green beans with nearly all the nutrients they need. We water all our crops with drip irrigation, which we lay right beside each row of beans. During the growing season, we run daily cycles of water. The beans get 30 to 45 minutes per day, either in the evening or early morning. This keeps the soil moist but not soggy. You will need to adjust watering to suit your climate conditions.

I wait for the weather to settle before planting green beans. When the soil is warm enough to plant corn (60°F), it’s also safe for beans. In cooler soils, beans germinate erratically and the plantings lack vigor. They end up bearing about the same time as later plantings. But you don’t need a soil thermometer to know when to plant; when it feels safe to set out tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, you can plant beans too. I can usually sow a first crop by early June. It will begin to yield about 50 days later. I do a series of succession plantings, allowing 10 days

Regular watering and frequent picking yield a bountiful harvest

package—green-bean perfection. The chefs we sell to love them

FINEGARDENING.COM

For the home gardener, some well-cared-for soil with a light treatment of compost should provide green beans with nearly

We water all our crops with drip irrigation, which we lay right beside each row of beans. During

GREEN BEANS

Growing your own‘Nickel’

‘Triomphe de Farcy’

‘Tavera’

BY MELINDA BATEMAN


Thinning is about timing. Once seedlings have their first set of true leaves, they’re ready to be thinned so that each plant is 4 inches apart.

Fertile soil goes a long way. Other than adequate space, beans need rich soil to bush out and produce to their fullest potential.

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Planting the three sistersThere is so much to learn from Native American agricultural practices. The Iroquois’ staple crops were the three sis-ters: corn, beans, and squash. They planted them together because these crops were thought to be the sustainers of life. To this day, one of the most successful ways to grow beans is by using the three-sisters concept.

1. PLANT THE CORN after the last day of frost. Build a mound about 1 foot high and between 1½ and 3 feet in diameter. Sow four corn seeds 6 inches apart in the center.

2. PLANT THE BEANS once the corn is 4 inches tall. Sow four bean seeds 3 inches away from the corn plants.

3. PLANT THE SQUASH. Sow four seeds, about a foot away from the beans, eventually thinning them down to one. If you are planting a large area, you can also sow the squash in separate mounds (1 foot in diameter) between every few corn and bean mounds.

The corn serves as a pole for your beans to climb. Beans, like other legumes, have bacteria living on their roots that help them absorb nitrogen from the air and convert it to a form that plants can use. Corn, which requires a lot of nitrogen to grow, benefits the most. The bean vines also provide extra rigidity, preventing the corn stalk from falling down during windy or rainy days. The squash provides a layer of shade at soil level, keeping the weeds down and the moisture up.

—Patti Moreno

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last frost-free date. If you live where summers get very hot, consider planting green beans in spring or fall because they lose tenderness in hot weather.

How many beans should you plant at a time? One plant will yield about ½ pound of beans. If I were planting just for our family of four, I would plan on five to 10 plants per planting. When they’re in season, we eat green beans daily, so adjust your planting accordingly.

Pests and diseases are few and far between

We have had no real pest problems with beans. One year, I found a few Mexican bean beetle larvae. Oddly enough, they were only on the ‘Emerite’ beans I was trialing that season. I handpicked the larvae and crushed them.

Limit the handling or harvesting of plants in rainy weather because this can knock off blossoms and decrease your yield. In humid climates, where rust might be a problem, handling wet plants can also transmit rust disease. We began feeding the plants just at blossom set with a foliar spray of kelp, hoping this would encourage the plants to set fruit longer, but we don’t yet have any proof of positive results.

We harvest every other day, picking pods when they are 4 to 5 inches long. Green beans do not keep well, so you should eat them within four days of picking. If you need to store your har-vest for a few days, soak the beans in cold water to remove any field heat, then drain them and refrigerate in a plastic bag. But if you love these elegant, tender beans as much as we do, you won’t be storing them long.

Melinda Bateman farms in Arroyo Seco, New Mexico.

inoculate. All you need is a clean tin can holding all the beans you plan to plant in the next half hour, a sprinkle of inoculant, and a splash of water to make the inoculant stick to the beans. Give the can a shake, and you’re ready to plant. If you don’t sow all the seeds you inoculate, let them dry out and store them for another planting.

I plant beans in shallow furrows cut open with the edge of a hoe. I space the seed 2 inches apart, then rake soil over the seeds, burying them under ½ inch of soil. The rows of beans are spaced 18 inches apart. The last step is to turn on the drip system and soak the soil thoroughly.

When the beans are showing their first true leaves, I thin out half the plants and weed the rows. Several weeks later, as the plants bush out, I thin the rows to create an 8-inch spacing be-tween plants, and I weed a final time. Once the plants fill out, they shade out most weeds.

Green beans don’t tolerate frost and tend to brown like basil at about 38°F. Keep this in mind when choosing dates for suc-cession plantings. Make your last planting 80 days before your

Inoculate bean seed with nitrogen powder. This enables the plant to convert nitrogen in the air to a form usa ble by plants.

to two weeks between plantings. Yields vary with weather conditions, but typically the first week of harvest is scanty, the second week is heavy, and the yield tapers off again the third week. After that, we tear out the beans.

Inoculate and space the seed for a better crop

Prior to planting, we inoculate bean seeds with nitrogen-fixing bacteria powder. This step allows the beans to produce nitrogen, which leads to a hardier plant, so I think it’s worth the time to

▾TECHNIQUE


◀ VININGHome gardeners often prefer indeterminate vining beans grown on a trellis so that they can harvest a few beans at a time each evening for dinner without having to bend over.

Not all their habits are the sameJust like tomatoes, beans can have an indeterminate (vining) or determinate (bush) growth habit.

▲ BUSHBush beans provide a more concentrated fruit set and allow for mechanical harvesting. This dramatically reduces production costs to farmers and processors and, theoretically, leads to reduced costs and greater abundance to consumers. For home gardeners with a lack of space, bush types might also be a good choice.

PURPLE BEANSMany heirloom varieties of snap beans come in an array of purples and reds. The purple and red pig-ments are due to anthocyanins, which are water soluble; upon cooking, the colors dissipate to a dull gray-green reminiscent of Soviet-era architec-ture. The beans, however, have a similar flavor to their all-green siblings, but they can be a bit tough.

FRENCH BEANSThe pods of French beans tend to be thinner than those of traditional snap beans and are extremely tender. Some say that their taste is “grassy” or “earthy,” similar to that of asparagus.

Beans at a glanceThe “snap” in snap beans is due not only to the removal of the suture string that used to hold the bean pod together but also to a reduction in the fiber in the pod tissue. This culinary development has, ironically, come at a cost, as the suture string and fiber are what caused the bean to forcibly eject and disperse its seeds as the pods dry. The cost to gardeners is that the reduction in fiber means that it is more difficult for seed companies to cleanly and easily extract seeds from the drying pods, resulting in higher seed prices. Here are other tidbits to consider before buying these pricey seeds this season.

WAX BEANSThe yellow of wax beans is a recessive muta-tion that results in degradation of chlorophyll in the pods, similar to the change some leaves make in fall. The color is heat stable and not soluble in water, so the beans will retain their sunny color upon cooking. The flavor is sweeter than that of many green varieties.

Color and shape often determine the tasteNot all snap beans are built the same when it comes to flavor. Here’s what you can expect from some of the most popular options.

HAVING TROUBLE WITH YOUR BEANS?We’ve got the answers to solve your problems today and avoid issues tomorrow

BY JAMES NIENHUIS

SOLUTION

Use collars, or accept some minimal losses.This tragedy is usually due to cut-worms (top photo). There is no genetic defense against the various species of cutworms (meaning you can’t buy resistant bean varie ties) because these critters will hide in plant residue, not just in the soil. Tilling can expose the worms to their own set of hungry predators, but tilling can ruin the soil structure. Sinking collars just below the soil surface around week-old seedlings (bottom photo) is beyond my level of gardening patience. I take a more laid-back approach to cutworms: I might lose a few seedlings, but that leaves more space for the surviving bean plants to flourish.

[ PROBLEM ]

Young plants are sheared or cut at the soil level.

[ PROBLEM ]

Blotches of yellow and brown spread across the leaves, causing the plants to defoliate.SOLUTION

Plant western-grown seed.Common blight (Xan-thomonas), as its name implies, is extremely common. All bean cul-tivars that I am aware of are susceptible. This bac-terial disease is transmit-ted by seed and develops during hot summers when the plants, pods, and seeds within the pods are wet with rain. The control is simply to plant seeds that were grown in a hot, dry climate (where furrow irrigation is the water source in summer and, therefore, the foliage, pods, and developing seeds remain dry). The dry seeds and seed coats keep the bacteria from develop-ing. The disease is, thus, cleverly avoided by using western-grown seed. Remember: If you live someplace where the sum-mers are hot and humid, you shouldn’t save your bean seeds to replant the following year.

◀ VININGHome gardeners often prefer indeterminate vining beans grown on a trellis so that they can harvest a few beans at a time each evening for dinner without having to bend over.

▾BASICS

[ PROBLEM ]

Swiss cheese–like holes appear overnight on young plants.SOLUTION

Use slug-and-snail baits or traps, or handpick the pests nightly.If you live in a northern location and don’t have cold-enough winters to reduce the population, slugs and snails might show up in droves in spring. Will they eat bean plants? Absolutely. (The thistle is the only plant they won’t eat.) As we domesticated the bean plant to be more tender and more palatable to humans, made it more delectable to snails and slugs at the same time. Although baits and traps are an option, the most effective option for keeping these pests under control is picking them off by hand. After several nighttime outings, you will have put a significant dent in the population. The bean plants should bounce back from being munched on, and the harvest won’t be affected.


ISRAELI COUSCOUS SALAD WITH CORN, GREEN BEANS & GOAT CHEESEby Joanne Weir from Fine Cooking

SERVES EIGHT TO 10.

Kosher salt

1 cup fresh corn kernels

1 cup green beans (cut into 1-inch pieces)

2¼ cups Israeli couscous

½ cup plus 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed

1⁄3 cup fresh lemon juice, more as needed


1 cup diced or sliced zucchini (½-inch dice or ¼-inch-thick half-rounds)

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

4 Tbs. chopped fresh basil

Bring to a boil a large pot of salted water over high heat. Cook the corn kernels until just tender, about 1 minute; transfer with a slotted spoon to a colander. Add the green beans to the boiling water, and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes; transfer to the colander.

Keep the water at a boil while you toast the couscous in two batches in a dry skil-let over medium heat, stirring until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Cook the couscous in the boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the couscous, and toss it immediately with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil.

Let the couscous cool completely in the refrigerator.

Put the lemon juice in a small bowl, and gradually whisk in the remaining ½ cup of olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pep-per and additional lemon juice or olive oil as needed.

Put the couscous in a large serving bowl, and toss to break up any clumps. Add the corn, green beans, zucchini, cheese, basil, and the vinaigrette, and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve within an hour or two of making.

R EC I P E S

GREEN BEANS & CARROTS IN CHARMOULA SAUCEby Anna Thomas from Fine Cooking

SERVES 10 TO 12.

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

2 oz. fresh cilantro (about 2 cups)

1 oz. fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1 cup)



½ tsp. sweet or hot paprika

½ tsp. cumin seeds, toasted and ground

Sea salt

2 lb. slender green beans, trimmed

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into thin 4-inch-long sticks


To make the sauce, chop the garlic in a food processor. Add the cilantro and parsley, and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, ground cumin, and ¾ tsp. salt. Pulse until the sauce has the consistency of rough pesto. Season to taste with salt.

In a large pot fitted with a steamer insert, bring an inch of water to a boil over high heat. Steam the green beans, covered, until just tender, 4 to 7 minutes. Pull the steamer basket from the pot, shake to remove excess water, and transfer the beans to a large serving bowl; cover to keep warm. Add the carrots to the basket, and steam, covered, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer them to the bowl with the beans.

Toss the vegetables with about three-quarters of the sauce. Season to taste with more sauce, salt, and pepper.

FINE GARDENING 48


A better way to Water

W atering a vegetable garden can be as easy as watching

the rain or as ridiculous as feed-ing plant limbs intra venously. I don’t know anyone who takes the hospital-bed approach to plant nourishment. I do know people who let the heavens do the heavy labor when it comes to irrigation. They run for the hose only after the rain has turned irregular and they notice that their garden is starting to resemble the Mojave Desert.

Somewhere in between is the ground that will give your plants the right amount of water to flourish. Really, with-out being in your garden, no one can tell you how much water this will turn out to be. Each garden has its own idiosyncrasies that must be observed. Here are a few things to do when deciding how and when to water your beds.

Doing it right is the difference between having a good garden and a great garden

BY JOHN BRAY

Choose your time wisely Early morning, late afternoon, and evening are usually the best times for watering because the cool temperatures mean less water will evaporate. Limiting your watering to these times is a particularly good idea if you use overhead sprinklers. It’s also safer not to water at night because the leaves will remain wet, which may encourage disease. In arid places, however, some people decide to risk watering at night to give the water longer to soak into the soil and cut evaporation from the sun.

Get a bigger bang per bucket Consider the life cycle of the plants in your garden when you water. Recent transplants, for example, need frequent light watering to accom modate their shallow young roots and ease the shock of being pulled from their six-packs. For some crops, like tomatoes, yields may improve but some flavor may be lost with too much watering as fruit ripens. And with carrots and cabbages, watering should be reduced as the crop reaches matu-rity to keep the vegetables from splitting. Once plants are estab-lished, more harm than good is done by giving them a daily sprin-kling. If only the soil surface gets wet, roots will look up, not down, for their drinks. Deep, less frequent watering works best.

Investigate your soil Dig into your garden, and find out whether you have clay or sandy soil; it makes a big difference in your drainage. Clay-laden soil presents special watering challenges. Clay has an electrical charge that draws water, pulling it away from plant roots. In dense clay, little room exists for passages that permit the exchange of essential gases with the air above ground. Clay soil also drains slowly. Water flows more easily through sandy soil, but if it’s too sandy, water may leach out too quickly and take dissolved nutrients with it. Both clay and sandy soils can be turned into a preferred loam by mixing in organic material, such as compost.

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Do a drainage testCheck how quickly your soil absorbs water by using a coffee can with the top and bottom removed. Push one end into the soil a few inches. Fill the can with water, and let it drain completely. Fill it again, and see how long it takes for the water level to drop 1 inch. If it takes more than four hours, you’ve prob-ably got a drainage problem that could harm plant roots.

TIP


John Bray is a former associate editor of Kitchen Garden.

How to make sure it’s enoughAccording to a common rule of (green) thumb, a garden needs about 1 inch of water per week. But divining how much the garden is actually getting can be a little tricky. You can estimate by using a rain gauge to track precipitation. The gauge should be near the garden but where water splashing off pavement or overhangs won’t affect the reading. When it comes to your own watering, the amount can be checked with a flow meter attached to the garden spigot. About 60 gallons will provide about 1 inch of water over 100 square feet. In especially dry climates or if you’re using raised beds, more water may be needed.

There are myriad methods to deliver the water. Some gardens are small enough to water by hand. The large size of others or a lack of time may require more elaborate arrangements, including sprinklers, soaker hoses, or drip- irrigation systems. You have to balance your commitment with the needs of the plants and the results you expect.

Read the leaves Don’t let leaves fool you. If they’re drooping in the hot, midday sun, you need not necessarily be alarmed. The plants may just be protecting themselves by exposing less surface to the sun and conserving water, unable to pump enough to offset the loss through the leaf stomatas (inset).

If the same plants are drooping in the morning or at night, then you can rev up the water wagon. But don’t cause a flood. Saturated soil drives out the air that roots need, and plants will drown. And there’s no reason to water the leaves. That encourages a variety of fungi that develops under moist conditions, causing mildew and blight.

Water before you mulchMulch helps conserve water in your soil by shielding the ground from the hot rays that burn off moisture. But it’s a good idea to soak the soil before you lay on that first layer of mulch. Just as mulch hinders evaporation, it also slows the penetration of moisture to the roots. It’s more efficient to get the water down first, then mulch. It also may initially save your plants from waiting for water to percolate through the mulch when they are accustomed to getting it right away. Mulch, of course, will also suppress those thirsty weeds trying to elbow their way to the fountain.

Keep water percolating in the zoneThe root network is the critical area of watering. And the depth varies among plants—in general, we’re talking about the first 6 to 8 inches of soil. Keeping that section moist should prevent plants from being parched by thirst or stressed from binge drinking. With a good garden soil, you should be able to squeeze a little dirt into a clump that will break up easily if you gently bounce it in your palm.

Grow thirsty plants togetherIf you have the space in your gar-den, you can save yourself some trouble by grouping plants accord-ing to their water needs. You wouldn’t want to plant your herbs next to your lettuce, for example, even though they often wind up together in the salad bowl. Herbs generally thrive in dry areas, while lettuces like it moist. If the lettuce gets the water it needs, the herbs are likely to be lush but tasteless. If you water to suit the herbs, chances are that the lettuce will turn out bitter. By grouping the plants according to their water needs, you won’t waste water where it isn’t needed.


T here is no doubt about it—summer squash is a prolific producer. Around here, folks lock their car doors in midsummer, not to

prevent theft but to keep gardeners from throwing their excess zucchini into the backseat. We avoid growing tired of zucchini by growing a wide range of the tastiest summer squash varieties and harvest-ing them at their peak. By planting several succes-sion crops, watering the root zone with the help of sunken pots, and smother ing weeds with a cover crop, we reap a steady harvest from healthy plants over a long season. This keeps summer squash high on the list of favorites for the members of our community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm.

Begin succession planting when the soil warms

We plant half our summer squash when the ground has thoroughly warmed up after the last frost. The soil temperature must be 65°F or higher for good

Secrets to A few simple strategies keep them going strong all season long

summer squash

Growing perfect summer squash is a snap. With consistent water, a bit of fertilizer, and some minor pest control, you can harvest picture-perfect squash like this for months.

The family is large and diverse. Although this pattypan squash may look like a gourd, it is not. Like most squashes, this variety is worth growing for its sweet, delectable flavor.

BY JO MELLER AND JIM SLUYTER

germination. We used to start squash, which has very delicate roots, inside and transplant out after the threat of frost had passed, but we found that seeds planted along with the transplants matured at about the same time. If you need to plant inside because of cool soil, give each plant its own pot and carefully transplant into the garden two weeks later. Squash plants are tender and need protection if a late frost threatens.

A month after the first planting, we do a second sowing. If we can find the space, we will do an addi-tional planting a few weeks after that. We pull out and compost the first plants as they slow down. This gives us young, strong, prolific plants until the first fall frost.

Sink in pots for consistent watering

When we plant squash in late spring, we are already thinking ahead about how to make summer water-


Finish off the bed. Rake the soil smooth around the pot, and gently tamp it down with a soil rake. Try to avoid getting any soil in the pot.

A planting of hairy vetch around the hills discourages weeds and feeds the soil.

Plant a squash hill in 3 simple stepsPrepare the perfect hill. Dig a hole 2 feet deep, and fill it half full with compost. This will encourage vigorous root growth.

Add a plastic nursery pot. Place a pot in the center of the hole, with the lip extending above the ground 1 to 2 inches, and backfill the hole.

The squash plants are planted around the empty pot, not in it. Three plants per hill is the perfect amount.

Filling the empty pot with water allows you to concentrate and evenly disperse moisture. {

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ing easy. We begin by sowing squash seeds in hills 4 feet apart. To prepare the bed, we mark where the hills will be and dig a hole 2 feet deep by 1 or 2 feet wide. Sum-mer squash requires fertile soil to support its large leaves and rapid growth, so we put in a couple shovelfuls of compost and build a hill with the garden dirt dug from the hole. As we backfill the hole, we bury a 1-gallon nurs-ery pot in the middle. The rim of the pot should be 1 or 2 inches out of the ground when the hill is finished, and there should be no soil in the pot. We plant four to six seeds per hill, about ½ inch deep. We poke them into the ground 2 to 3 inches away from the pots.

Once the seeds have germinated, we thin each hill to the two or three strongest plants. As the plants grow larger, the sunken nursery pots give us the advantage of watering at root level. We also shovel some compost into the pots later in the season to give the plants compost tea as we water. Summer squash is a thirsty plant; we water in the nursery pots once or twice a week, even if there has been rain.

Fertilize and control weeds with hairy vetch

When the seedlings are up and thinned, it’s time to plant hairy vetch between the hills. The vetch prevents erosion and keeps the ground cooler on hot summer days. It also crowds out most weeds in the space between the hills. But its greatest virtue is that it changes the nitrogen in the air into a form that can be taken up by the squash plants, a process known as nitrogen fixation.

To plant the vetch, we cast the seeds thickly on bare ground, starting about 6 inches from the squash seedlings, then rake them in and tamp lightly with the back of the rake. We water frequently until the vetch is well estab-lished. During fall cleanup, we turn it into the soil to enhance the bed for next year’s crop.

Watch out for squash bugs

As the season progresses, one of the first concerns you may have is that the plants don’t appear to be setting fruit. Squash is not self-pollinating, so bees are important in the fruiting process. Also, don’t worry if some of the

▾TECHNIQUE

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Control infestations as soon as possible. The adult squash bug is an unattractive brown color and has an unappealing smell when crushed. Dropping the bugs into a jar of soapy water is one way to get rid of them.

flowers don’t set fruit at all. Squash has male and female flowers, and the males usually bloom first and do not pro-duce fruit.

There are several insects that harm summer-squash crops. One of the most serious is the squash bug, a dingy brownish insect that smells awful when crushed. It resists most organic pesticides, so we handpick the bugs every couple of days to keep them in check. We also look for their eggs—which are a little smaller than sesame seeds, shiny and orange-brown—usually clustered on the underside of the leaves. We scrape them off carefully but don’t worry if we damage the leaf a little in the process; the insects can do far more harm. We also handpick the nymphs, which look a little like overgrown gray aphids.

Cucumber beetles in the squash patch can spread bac-terial wilt. They prefer cucum bers, but we handpick (you have to be fast!) the few we find on squash. If the vines suddenly wilt, it could be a symptom of bacterial wilt. Remove the infected parts of the plant, but be sure to dis-infect your pruners before using them again. There is no treatment for bacterial wilt, so it is important to check frequently for cucumber beetles.

Squash vine borer can also cause wilting leaves. If you suspect vine borer, look for a small hole near the base of the plant. We usually slit the vine from that point, destroy the borer, and try to save the plant. Be on the lookout for the adult vine borer, a rather pretty, clear-winged moth with a red abdomen—a sure sign of borer activity.

As squash plants age, the leaves often start to turn whit-ish, most likely from powdery mildew. The plants will still produce fruit for a while after this process begins, but this is the time when we are happy to have planted another crop of squash. Despite these pest and disease problems, succession plantings keep us far enough ahead of the game that we are supplied with summer squash until we have had our fill.

Jo Meller and Jim Sluyter started Five Springs Farm, a CSA farm in Bear Lake, Michigan, in 1994.

It may have a funny name, but it’s a squash’s best friend. A handful of hairy-vetch seeds is all that’s needed to keep the weeds at bay and give your plants a nutritious boost.

Learn to identify the bad bugs. Squash-bug eggs (left) are a shiny orange-brown and can be scraped off the leaves with your fingers. In the nymphal stage (below), squash bugs look like big gray aphids.

Pick the right varieties for the

best tasteZucchini the size of baseball bats are impressive enough, but they’ve grown far beyond their best flavor. Since squash can grow rapidly, check plants daily when they start to produce. Keeping the squash picked promotes a steady supply. Summer squash that is too large becomes bland but is still suitable for zucchini bread. For the best flavor, get summer squashes off the vine before they are more than 7 to 8 inches long.

We’ve tried many varieties, and our long-time favorite is ‘Sunburst’. A yellow pattypan or scallopini type of summer squash, it is both attractive and tasty. A Lebanese variety named ‘White Bush’ (also called Mideast or cousa type) is a bulbous, light green squash with white speckles.

The green zucchini group has many winners, including ‘Raven’— our fa-vorite—but ‘Black Zucchini’ is another nice option. ‘Eight Ball’ (and its new cousins, ‘One Ball’ and ‘Cue Ball’) are interesting for their shape: perfectly round and best when picked about the size of a billiard ball.

Yellow crookneck and straightneck varieties abound, but our favorites are ‘Gentry’ and ‘Early Prolific Straight-neck’, respectively.

Zucchini is just the begin-ning (clockwise from top): ‘Eight Ball’, ‘White Bush’, ‘Gentry’, ‘Raven’, and ‘Sunburst’.

Zucchini is just the begin-ning (clockwise from top): ‘Eight Ball’, ‘White

▾BASICS


SAUTÉED ZUCCHINI WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES & BASILby Tony Rosenfeld

SERVES FOUR AS A SIDE DISH.

3 small or 2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb.)

Kosher salt


2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

2 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely diced

6 fresh basil leaves, torn into large pieces


1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Quarter and salt the zucchini. Cut each quarter on the diagonal into ¾-inch-thick diamonds.

Heat a large (preferably 12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Pour in 2 Tbs. of the oil. When the oil is hot, add the zucchini and garlic, and sauté, stir-ring occasionally, until the zucchini browns and softens enough that you can cut through it with the side of a fork, about 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, toss in the sun-dried tomatoes and basil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the lemon juice and the remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and serve immediately.

ZUCCHINI & YELLOW SQUASH RIBBONS WITH DAIKON, OREGANO & BASILby Joanne Weir

SERVES EIGHT.

3 small zucchini (about 1 lb.)

3 small yellow summer squash (about 1 lb.)

1 large daikon radish (about ½ lb.)

20 basil leaves, very thinly sliced

2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano



1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

Kosher salt


Small basil leaves for garnish (optional)

Trim the ends of the zucchini and yellow summer squash. With a vege table peeler, shave the zucchini lengthwise into long, wide strips about 1⁄16 inch thick. When you get to the center of the zucchini, where the seeds are, turn it over and slice from the other side until you get to the center again. Discard the center. Put the zucchini ribbons in a large bowl. Slice the yel-low squash using the same technique, and add the slices to the zucchini. Peel off and discard the rough exterior peel of the daikon, and then shave the daikon as you did the squash. Add the strips to the bowl with the squash, along with the basil and oregano.

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the vege tables with enough of the vinaigrette to lightly coat them (you may not need all of the vinaigrette), and season to taste with salt and pep-per. Serve immediately, garnished with the small basil leaves (if using).

SUMMER SQUASH SALAD WITH LEMON, CAPERS & PARMESANby Tasha DeSerio

SERVES SIX TO EIGHT.

1 clove garlic

Kosher salt

¼ cup fresh lemon juice


1 lb. summer squash (yellow squash, zucchini, or a mix)


4 cups loosely packed baby arugula

½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ cup chopped chives, cut into ½-inch lengths

2 Tbs. capers, rinsed well

1 oz. (¼ cup) finely grated parmi giano reggiano, plus a chunk to save for garnish

In a mortar or using the flat side of a chef’s knife, mash the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt. Put the paste in a small bowl (or keep it in the mortar), and whisk in the lemon juice. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes and then whisk in the olive oil.

Using a mandoline or a sharp chef’s knife, cut the squash diagonally into very thin (1⁄16- to 1⁄8-inch) ovals. Put the squash in a medium bowl, season with salt and pepper, and gently toss with two-thirds of the vinaigrette.

Combine the arugula, parsley, chives, and capers in a separate bowl, season with salt and pepper, and toss with just enough vinai grette to lightly coat. Taste both the squash and herbs, and adjust the seasoning with salt or pepper if necessary. Layer about a third of the squash in a shallow bowl or platter, scatter about a third of the arugula mixture on top, and sprinkle with a third of the grated Parme san. Repeat the process with the remaining squash-and-arugula mixture, sprinkling each layer with grated Parmesan. For garnish, use a vegetable peeler to shave long strips from the chunk of Parmesan onto the salad. Serve immediately.

R EC I P E S


When I moved from suburbia to a farm, I didn’t let the fact that I’d never planted a fruit or vegetable deter me from starting my own agricultural enterprise.

After talking to people and reading several articles, I decided to grow melons. My inexperience showed. Neighbors gawked at my crooked rows and maintained a stunned silence when they learned I’d planted more than 600 seedlings with a soup spoon because I didn’t own a trowel.

Eventually my neighbor, Slim Bunk, decided to help. In an unassuming way, he showed me his garden and inquired about my crop. He gave me a string line and helped me plant my first straight row. Slim taught me to identify weeds and bugs, to drive a tractor, and to recognize and solve problems before they grow into disasters. At 83, he remains my mentor and the first person with whom I discuss new ideas.

Many years have passed since I harvested that unsightly first melon patch. Despite my naïveté, I had a beautiful crop. Since 1983 I’ve sold melons at the local farmers’ market. Even at the height of the season, with 1,200 melons, I sell out. Home-

MELON TIPS• Start seeds indoors about three

weeks before the last frost date.

• Plant two seeds per pot, keeping them together in the same hole when transplanting into the garden.

• Use black-plastic mulch to warm the ground, prevent weeds, and retain soil moisture.

• Set plants out when frost danger has passed.

• Use row covers to protect newly set plants from insects and harsh weather. Remove the covers as soon as the first flowers appear.

Use these simple strategies for a quicker harvest and the best flavor

BY LAURIE TODD

They’re a highlight of the late harvest. Homegrown melons take a while to ripen, but their taste can’t be beat.

Summer MELONS


Don’t be fooled by a homely exterior. Beneath the warts and cracks, ‘Savor’ Charentais melons have flavorful, juicy, golden flesh.

Be patient with your melon crop. ‘Morning Ice’ can take up to 84 days to mature, but its refreshing taste is worth the wait.

Melons sometimes pick them-selves. The stem of this ‘Gold Star’ cantaloupe has detached, signaling that the fruit is ready to be harvested.

grown melons are so luscious that they expose store-bought ones as flavorless imitations. By using a few simple tricks, you can enjoy them too.

The term “summer melons” (or muskmelons) describes a range of fruit that includes cantaloupes, honeydews, Crenshaws, and Charentais. Taste is my main criterion when choosing varieties. With few exceptions, I’ve discovered that only full-season melons possess the flavor I desire. These varieties, which mature in 11 to 13 weeks, meld fragrance and texture with a rich melon tang.

If you love cantaloupe, the sweet, full-bodied flavor of ‘Gold Star’ is unsurpassed. At 87 days to maturity, ‘Gold Star’ takes a while to ripen, but it is well worth the wait.

For honeydews, I like ‘Passport’ and ‘Morning Ice’. ‘Passport’ is unusual because it is early to mature (73 days) and flavorful. My experience with ‘Pass-port’ is that the first-set fruit have excellent taste but later fruit aren’t quite as good. ‘Morning Ice’ is a tasty honeydew that matures in 84 days.

Melon connoisseurs who want a real treat should consider growing ‘Savor’, a French Charentais melon. Charentais are small—about 2 pounds—and round, with a gray-green rind and deep orange flesh. They are renowned for their exceptional flavor.

Start melons indoors in cool regions

To get full-season melons to mature in my upstate New York garden, I start them indoors and plant them right after the frost-free date. Melons can’t stand freezing temperatures, but I usually risk an early planting. If you decide to do the same and set plants out before the last frost, be prepared to pro-tect them with covers.

I start melons three to four weeks before my frost-free date. Although it’s tempting to begin sooner, I don’t. Melons should be growing rapidly when they go into the garden. Plants kept too long indoors become root-bound and stunted.

I use small pots that are 1½ inches in diameter and 3 inches deep. It’s all right to use slightly larger cells, but not smaller ones. I fill the cells with a sterilized, soilless mix and plant two seeds per cell, placing them ½ to ¾ inch deep.

Melons germinate at 75°F to 80°F in moist but not saturated conditions. Once my seedlings pop up,

Homegrown melons are so luscious that they expose store-bought ones as flavorless imitations.


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I feed them weekly with balanced, liquid fertilizer (10-10-10). Melon seedlings require plenty of light. Green, stocky plants are a sure sign of proper devel-opment and good health.

When my seedlings have developed their first true leaves (at two to three weeks old), I prepare them for outdoor conditions by setting them outside and gradually increasing their exposure to wind and sun. Like other seedlings, melons taken from indoor con-ditions and planted directly in the garden may not survive the shock.

Harvesting sometimes only takes a tug

As harvest approaches, melon vines shift energy from producing leaves to ripening fruit. So don’t be surprised if the mature melon patch looks peaked compared to the lush growth of early summer. I usually harvest four to six melons per plant. All the ones I grow, except ‘Savor’ and ‘Morning Ice’, prac-tically pick themselves. When ripe, they “slip” from the plant by disconnecting from the vine.

Summer melons turn from green to beige and then to beige with yellow undertones as they ripen. When you begin to smell their aroma, your melons are almost ready. Whenever I spot a melon with a yellow undertone, I examine where that fruit joins its vine. The melon is ripe when a gentle tug releases the fruit. This stage is called “half slip.” A dead-ripe melon will eventually disengage itself from the vine. The time from half slip to full slip is, at most, two days. To limit the number of fruit I share with mice and other unwelcome garden creatures, I check mel-ons every day and pick them at half slip. Healthy vines continue to set fruit well into summer, but in cooler climates, late-set fruit don’t ripen.

Charentais melons, like ‘Savor’, will not slip, but they will start to separate from the vine. By the time ‘Savor’ is ready to harvest, it often has warts and cracks, and is as homely as it is delicious. I pick ‘Savor’ when its skin has a beige undertone and when a hard tug detaches the fruit.

‘Morning Ice’ may require a strong tug before it disengages from the vine. It tends to split before reaching maturity. I allow split fruit to ripen because I’ve discovered that only a small portion of the melon needs to be dis carded. Although it’s difficult to judge quality by appearances, I’ve found that heavy net-ting (the rough webbing on the melon’s surface) is a sign of superior taste in cantaloupes.

Laurie Todd started The Melon Foundation in Lansing, New York.

It doesn’t take a lot of muscle. A little pull is all you should need to harvest a melon.

Ripe melons are beige with a yellowish glow. It’s easy to tell that this ‘Passport’ melon is almost ready to be picked because of its outer coloring. This honeydew hybrid typically has green flesh, though occasionally you’ll find one that’s orange inside.

Grow melons in any location Despite the folklore that melons require an abundance of precipitation and heat, I’ve discovered that they perform best with average to moderate rainfall and temperatures around 85°F. But don’t worry if you live in an area where summer scorchers send temperatures over 90°F and even above 100°F. Once established, melons can take the heat.

��•�Black�plastic�speeds�growth In short-season areas, using a black-plastic mulch is key to growing full-season melons successfully. Plastic warms the soil, prevents weed germination, and retains soil moisture.

• MELONS NEED ROOMI plant my seedlings 3 feet apart within the row and leave 6 feet between rows. If space is limited, some gardeners manage to grow melons on vertical trellises.

�•�don’t�disturB�their�rootsWhen it’s time to plant, punch holes in the plastic where the melons will grow. I plant two seedlings together in the same hole. Gently remove the plants from their starter containers, and bury them about an inch deeper in the garden than they were in the seed cells.

�•�row�covers�offer�warmthImmediately after planting, drape the melons with a row cover. Anchor the cloth every 3 feet with half a shovel-ful of dirt. The cover should rest directly on top of the plants. Row covers provide about 2°F of extra frost protection, accelerate plant development, and protect seedlings from strong winds and airborne insects. I remove the cloth as soon as the first flowers appear so that bees can pollinate the blooms.

•�water�well�at�planting�timeWater melons within 30 minutes of plant ing. They need about 2 cups per planting hole to ensure proper soil-to-root contact. To get my plants off to a quick start, I add a tablespoon of 20-20-20 soluble fertilizer per gallon of water. During the growing season, I recommend a good soaking if it hasn’t rained for a week.

•��protect�melons�from�weeds,� PESTS, AND DISEASE

Although weeds won’t grow directly under black plastic, they will pop up in the holes you’ve made for the plants and in between the rows. I eliminate these competitors while they are still young and too little to adversely affect my plants.

Striped cucumber beetles arrive in midspring, and they damage melons by chewing on plants and spreading a bacterial virus. Biological controls are available to curtail these nasty bugs. Row covers also offer some protection.

Powdery mildew reduces the plants’ photosynthetic capability, causing melons to be less sweet. But don’t worry. Your first crop of melons will be well established before the mildew takes hold. The negative effects, therefore, will only be pronounced on later fruit.

▾BASICS


MELON CAKE WITH CITRUS GLAZEby Laurie Todd

SERVES 12.

3 cups flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup butter, at room temperature

3 eggs

2¼ cup puréed orange-fleshed melon

1¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup lemon or orange juice

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift the flour and baking powder together, and set aside. Cream the granulated sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.

Add the dry ingredients in two parts to the butter mixture, alternating twice with the melon purée. After each addition, stir the mixture until smooth. Be care-ful to clean the batter from the edges and bottom of the bowl. Mix the batter on medium high for about 2 minutes.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured tube-cake pan. Bake for 50 min-utes or just until a cake tester comes out clean. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by mixing confectioners’ sugar with the lemon or orange juice until smooth.

Cool the cake in its pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack. Spoon or pour glaze over the warm cake.

MELON FROSTby Laurie Todd

SERVES FOUR.

2 cups puréed melon

1 cup plain, low-fat yogurt

2 cups orange juice

1 Tbs. lime juice

¼ cup sugar

¼ tsp. ground ginger or 2 dime-size pieces of crystallized ginger

Mint leaves or blueberries (for garnish)

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender, and purée. Freeze the mixture in an uncovered bowl until it is the consistency of fro-zen slush, 2 to 4 hours. Return the mixture to the food processor or blender. Purée again. Spoon into chilled glasses. Garnish with fresh mint or blueberries.

MÂCHE WITH SPICY MELON & PINK-PEPPERCORN DRESSINGby Annie Wayte

SERVES FOUR.

1 tsp. pink peppercorns3 Tbs. unsalted sunflower seeds1 medium ripe melon (cantaloupe,

Crenshaw, or Charentais), peeled, cut into thirds, and seeded

1 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar; more to taste

2 tsp. fresh lime juice; more to taste

¼ tsp. chopped fresh hot chile (such as serrano, jalapeño, or Thai bird’s eye)

¼ tsp. minced garlic1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil1 tsp. coarsely chopped mint leaves,

plus 12 large mint leaves, torn into small pieces

Kosher salt 3 oz. mâche, trimmed, washed, and

dried (about 3½ cups)

R EC I P E S

Toast the pink peppercorns lightly in a small skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Lightly crush them with a mortar and pestle or on a cutting board with the bottom of another small skillet. Set aside. In the same skillet you used to toast the peppercorns, lightly toast the sun flower seeds over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the pan, and set aside.

Coarsely chop approximately one-third of the melon, and purée it in a blender until smooth, about 45 seconds. You should have 1 scant cup of melon purée. Pour it into a medium bowl, and add the vinegar, lime juice, chile, garlic, and half the crushed peppercorns. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the chopped mint leaves, and salt to taste. If the dressing is too sweet, add a little more vinegar or lime juice.

Just before serving, cut the remaining melon lengthwise into eight long, elegant slices, each about 1 inch thick. In a large bowl, toss the mâche and torn mint leaves with just enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves. Season with salt to taste. Arrange the mâche on serving plates with two slices of melon per plate. Scatter the toasted sunflower seeds and remaining pink peppercorns over the top. Serve the remaining melon dressing on the side.


F or me, pumpkins are one of those foods that bring up a host of pleasant memories. As a boy, I remem-ber the rich, spicy aroma of pumpkin pies baking in

Grandma’s kitchen—a special treat we ate only at Thanks-giving and Christmas. Now that I have more say in the mat-ter of what my family eats, we consume lots of pumpkin: as a vegetable side dish, in breads, in pies and puddings, and even in ice cream.

The pumpkin possesses many desirable characteristics. It is easy to grow, prolific, nutritious, and relatively free from pests and diseases. It stores well and produces edible seeds and meat that can be eaten as either a sweet or savory dish. But the most common use for pumpkins is undoubtedly decorative.

Pumpkins are closely related to squash and grow well in most climate zones, although gardeners in northern areas or at high altitudes will want to use a row cover or some other type of frost protection for cool spring evenings.

Pumpkin plants are either indeterminate creeping vines or determinate shorter vines but not true bushes. They pro-

duce both male and female flowers. The female flowers are open for only one day and will produce pumpkins if pollinated. Sometimes the first female flowers will open before there are any male flowers to pollinate them. They will dry up and drop off, but the plant will continue to produce flowers.

The right variety depends on room and region

Besides being easy to grow, pumpkins are available in numerous varieties, each possessing its own appeal. To decide which to plant, consider what you want to do with the pumpkins: eat them as a sweet or savory dish, or use them as an autumnal ornament. Also consider if you are growing pumpkins to store for midwinter dining and how much space you have in the garden.

Whatever you decide, keep in mind the length of your growing season. Most pumpkin varieties need at least 95 days to mature, with some larger varieties taking as many as 120 days. I have grown pumpkins in areas ranging from USDA Hardiness Zones 1 to 5, but gardeners as far south

PUMPKINSFollow these easy steps to grow the king of vegetables

BY WILLIAM BROWN

This family is large and diverse. They can be long and green, flat and red, or perfectly round and orange, but all pumpkins are vegetable gar-den essentials.


as Zone 9 grow them as well. In the South, pumpkins are generally grown as a winter food crop (they mature at the wrong time of the year for Halloween activ ities), and they develop well even in high heat as long as they have enough water.

I usually grow at least two varieties of small to medium pumpkins, and I make sure that at least one variety matures early. My favorites for smaller pumpkins (the 4-to-10-pound range) are ‘New England Pie’; ‘Rocket’; ‘Racer’; ‘Small Sugar’; ‘Howden’; ‘Montana Jack’; and ‘Long Pie’, an heir-loom that is harvested green and turns orange in storage. While I don’t normally grow tiny decorative pumpkins, I have friends who have had great success with ‘Jack Be Little’ and ‘Fairy Tale.’

Pumpkins prefer a well-drained, fertile, loamy soil, with a neutral pH, but they will grow in heavier clay soils as long as they are not continually wet. To build up and enrich the soil prior to planting, I prepare what my dad used to call a “$25 hole for a $5 plant.” I dig a hole approx-imately 12 inches deep and 2 to 3 feet wide, then fill it with a mixture of compost, topsoil from the hole, and a blend of organic fertilizers and soil amendments. I then mound the excess soil and compost mixture into a tradi-tional hill.

Mounds and mulch hasten the harvest

Pumpkins like hot feet. The traditional small hill or mound (12 to 18 inches high) warms up quickly in spring, speed-

Cloches offer protection from the cold. They also give plants a moist growing environment.

Accelerate the pumpkin sea-son. Soil blocks give seedlings more room to grow, so you can keep them indoors longer.

I have been using this formula since 1986, when I had a 5-acre market garden in upstate Minnesota. I needed a baseline mix that would produce good yields. With the help of a chemistry teacher, I developed a mix that works well in warm soil, with enough biological activity to break the fertilizer into a food plants can use.

Organic pumpkin fertilizer

Greensand

Blood meal

Wood ashes

Bonemeal

Lime

A $25 HOLE FOR A $5 PLANT

To grow the best pumpkins possible, you need to amend your soil before planting. Pumpkins like rich, loamy soil that is well drained but remains moist. Adding things like compost and fertilizer to the planting hole will ensure that your pumpkins grow to their potential.

1. Start by chopping out a hole considerably bigger than the pumpkin seedling. Sometimes the claw end of a steel hammer works best.

2. Add compost and an organic fertilizer mix (see facing page) to your planting hole.

3. Transplant seedlings when they are eight to 12 weeks old. After planting, make a moat around the transplant so that the water stays where you want it—near the plant.

RECIPEI fertilize each plant with a mix of the following:

½ cup blood meal (for nitrogen)1 cup bonemeal (for phosphorus)¾ cup greensand¼ cup hardwood ashes (for potassium)2 tablespoons agricultural lime (for calcium) 2 table spoons pelleted sulfur1⁄3 cup kelp meal

▾TECHNIQUE


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Soil blocks are another option for jump-starting the pumpkin season. If I start the seeds indoors using soil blocks, I can hold off on transplanting my pumpkins until late spring without plants becoming root-bound. I put out 8-to-12-week-old plants late in spring and cover them with floating row covers or cloch-es for protection from late-season frost.

Lots of room is important because these sun-loving plants grow to fill the available space—and then some. I usually grow the indeterminate, creeping-vine type. I plant pumpkins into hills 12 feet apart, then train the vines toward the next hill in the row so that they fill the space in between. Space bush vari-eties 8 feet apart in all directions. I also spray the plants once or twice during the growing season with a foliar mix of kelp and liquid fish emulsion.

Avoid pests to preserve the patch

Once pumpkins are in the garden and growing, they require little maintenance, just consistent watering and a watchful eye for pests: leaf miners, squash bugs, and squash vine borers. You can use neem extracts to control the first two pests. The best strategy for dealing with vine borers is to time plantings so that the vines are mature enough to withstand the damage.

Despite my best efforts, I’ve still had trouble with the squash vine borer. This critter wreaks havoc by attacking the plant at the base of the stem, within 2 inches of the ground. It literally bores a hole into a stem and deposits one or more eggs inside. The eggs hatch within 7 to 10 days. Once hatched, the borer larva eats the soft inner tissue of the plant stem, effectively stopping the flow of nutrients and moisture from the roots to the leaves. Usually the first thing gardeners notice is that the plant is wilted beyond hope.

Once the larva matures, it crawls out of the stem, burrows into the ground, and metamorphoses into a pupa. The pupa matures and emerges as a flying adult, seeks out a mate, and begins the cycle again. Depending on what zone you live in, there may be two cycles, but most gardeners in northern areas have to face only one generation.

The initial infestation is revealed by a tiny pile of what looks like sawdust at the base of the plant. Keep an eye on your plants, and if you notice this damage, you can surgically remove the larvae by slicing the stem lengthwise and plucking the little beasties out with tweezers. Wrap the stem with breathable adhesive tape (from your first-aid kit), and the plant should heal and continue to grow.

As I mentioned earlier, floating row covers will protect pumpkins (unless larvae hatch out under the row cover), but you have to pay close attention to pollination. My homemade alternative to borers is to glue a strip of aluminum foil around the stem before I transplant the seedlings. My “glue” is a mix-ture of pressed garlic, cayenne, and boiled molasses. I use a

wooden spatula to paste the goop on (from the ground up about 6 inches), then I wrap the foil around it. I secure the shield with a loose twist tie. If you consistently have problems with vine borers, then applying nematodes in the spring is a good idea. Once you’ve seen to the basics and have taken care to keep pests under control, all that’s left to do is harvest. You must be patient and wait until fall, after the vines have been killed by frost and the stems are dry and shrunken. Pumpkins picked before they are mature will be “green” and won’t store well. Likewise, be careful not to break the stem off the pumpkin because that too will affect the length of time you’ll be able to store it.

After I harvest my pumpkins, I wash them with mild soapy water and rinse them with a mild bleach solution: 1 cup chlo-rine bleach to 5 gallons cool water. The final rinse helps inhibit mold and other fungal growth while the pumpkins are being stored for later use. When you get ready to use a pumpkin, be careful when cutting it open—and don’t forget to clean and toast the seeds. They are scrumptious.

William Brown, a former market gardener, lives north of Indianapolis.

Grow them up instead of outWhen you have a small amount of space, growing pump-kins is usually out of the question. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Pumpkins are vines that you can train to grow vertically. In my urban garden, I use a chain-link fence for support. Throughout the growing season, I train the vines to grow up and through the fence. The tendrils also help, by wrapping around the wire fence and support-ing the plant as it grows. The best types of pumpkins to grow vertically are smaller varieties, like ‘Jack Be Little’, a tiny, flat, 8-ounce pumpkin, or ‘New England Pie’, a 4-to-5-pound sweet pumpkin perfect for pies.

—Patti Moreno

Give them space to ramble. A single pumpkin vine can spread up to 30 feet, so be sure to provide plants with plenty of room to grow (above). Wait until all the vines have died before picking pumpkins from your patch (below).

ing up seed germination when seeds are sown directly in the ground. The increased warmth of the soil also encourages vigorous root growth. While this is still a sound practice, there is another option: using plastic mulch with or without a row cover. Both hills and plastic mulch increase the soil tempera-ture in the root zone. The floating row cover provides warmth and uniform growing conditions as well as protection from most flying insect pests.

Combining black-plastic mulch with row covers gives you a good jump on the season. Lay drip irrigation under the plas-tic, because pumpkins like to be watered deeply. The plastic eliminates the need to weed. When the danger of frost is gone, however, remove the row cover to allow the bees to pollinate your crop.

▾T IP


SUNSET SOUPby Janet M. Jemmott

SERVES SIX.

2 Tbs. butter

½ cup chopped shallots or 1 leek, chopped

6 to 8 carrots (about a pound), peeled and chopped

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. curry powder

½ cup white wine

3 cups vegetable broth

2 cups pumpkin purée

Salt and pepper

Crème fraîche for garnish

In a heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and add the shallots and carrots. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp. kosher salt, stir, and cover the pan. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

Uncover the shallots and car-rots, turn the heat up to medium, and sauté until the vegetables brown, about 5 minutes. Add the curry powder, then deglaze the shallot-carrot mixture with the wine. Add the vegetable broth, and bring to a boil.

Lower the soup to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes, partly covered. Remove the pan from the heat, and cool the soup slightly. Scoop out the solids, along with some liquid, and purée in a blender or food processor until very smooth.

Return the vegetable purée to the pan, and add the pumpkin purée. Stir well, and add salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with crème fraîche, and serve.

SUGAR & SPICE PUMPKIN PIEby Melissa Clark

SERVES EIGHT TO TEN.

Piecrust for 9-inch pie plate

2 cups pumpkin purée

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 cup heavy cream

1 Tbs. brandy

¾ cup lightly packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. freshly ground cinnamon stick (or 1½ tsp. preground cinnamon)

½ tsp. table salt1⁄8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg1⁄8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Pinch freshly ground cloves (or 1⁄8 tsp. preground cloves)

R EC I P E S

Blind-bake the piecrust: Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 400°F. Transfer the piecrust into a chilled pie plate, line it with parchment, and fill it with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until the sides have just set and look dry, 16 to 20 minutes (lift the parchment to check).

Remove the weights and parchment, and bake until the edges are light golden and the bottom is pale and completely dry, about 5 minutes. If the dough starts to bubble while baking, gently push the bubbles down with the back of a spoon. Let the piecrust cool completely on a wire rack before filling.

Make the filling: Heat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin purée, eggs, egg yolk, cream, and brandy. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, pepper, and cloves. Whisk the sugar mixture into the pumpkin mixture.

Pour the filling into the cooled piecrust. Bake until the pie is set around the outside but still slightly wet and jiggly in the center, about 1 hour. The filling will continue to set as it cools. Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack, and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.


EXTENDING THE

Proper plant protection means that gardeners anywhere can harvest during fall and winter

BY NIKI JABBOUR

I f I had a dollar for every time someone has said, “It’s too cold to grow vegetables in winter,” I could buy myself a heated

greenhouse. The truth is that even people in northern regions—like Nova Scotia, where I live—can have a fall and winter garden with-out the added expense of a heated structure. Late-fall and winter gardens are also low main-tenance; there is no need to water, weed, or fertilize from December through March. Har-vesting is the only “chore,” and with more than 30 types of cold-hardy vegetables and herbs in our winter garden, even the kids get excited about pulling a rainbow of carrots from a cold frame in January. The key to success is simple: Use the right season extenders to protect plants from harsh and inclement weather.

Know your frost date and the days to plant maturity

No matter what season extender you use, there are two important things to remember when planting fall and winter edibles: the approximate date of the first hard frost in

your region and the days to maturity for each crop you plant. The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists frost dates for most parts of the country. And days to maturity will be listed in the seed catalog or on the packet. This information is important because the growth of most plants comes to a standstill when day length drops below 10 hours. As a result, it is important to be sure that crops are at the right stage of maturity when they have less light.

To ensure that winter crops have enough time to grow and reach a harvestable size, I add an extra week or two to the maturity date for the selected edible. ‘Winterbor’ kale, for example, is an extremely cold-tolerant hybrid. It is ready to harvest as a baby crop about 60 days after seeding and after 80 days for a mature plant. If I want a mature winter crop of ‘Winterbor’, I need to take 80 days, tack on an extra week to account for the shorter days, and count backward from my first hard-frost date to determine when to seed it. (For examples of when to seed other crops, see the chart on p. 81.)

SEASON

Season extenders can be simple. These cold frames are made out of recycled hem-lock and polycarbonate, and are ventilated with pitchforks and wood. The cloches are made out of plastic, and the deer protection is a scrap of concrete-reinforcing mesh.

GROWING


1. Cloches shelter plants in autumnCloches have been used for centuries by clever gardeners to extend a harvest. Also known as hot caps, cloches are miniature greenhouses placed over plants to protect them from inclement weather. I use cloches in two ways: to shield crops for one or two days from imminent frost, hail, or snow; and as incubators to shelter early-planted or tender crops for up to six weeks.

In the case of imminent bad weather, any type of container can be an effec-tive short-term cloche; a bucket or a large jar work well. Because this protection won’t be on the plants for more than a day or two, it doesn’t need to be translu-cent. For longer protection, the cloche needs to be made of a clear material, like glass or plastic, to allow good light transmission. Cloches should be removed or vented on mild days (when temperatures exceed 40°F/4°C) to protect plants from overheating. An unvented cloche will trap heat and humidity, and if left on for too long in warm weather, it will scorch the plant beneath it.

Plant the right crops at the right timeHere are some of my favorite vegetables and herbs for late fall and winter. I’ve paired them with season extenders, like cold frames and mini hoops, but don’t be afraid to experiment with other shelters to see what works best in your garden.

Type of crop Method of planting Approximate planting date from first hard frost in fall

Season-extender suggestions

Arugula Direct-sow 4 to 6 weeks before fall frost Cold frame, or open garden covered with a mini tunnel in late autumn

Carrots Direct-sow 10 to 14 weeks before fall frost Cold frame, or open garden covered with a 1-foot depth of straw or leaf mulch in late autumn

Celeriac Transplant Plant in spring (this is a long- season crop)

Open garden covered with a 1-foot depth of straw or leaf mulch in late autumn

Chervil Direct-sow/transplant 8 to 10 weeks before fall frost Cold frame

Claytonia Direct-sow 8 weeks before fall frost Cold frame

Endive Direct-sow/transplant 8 to 12 weeks before fall frost Cold frame, or open garden covered with a mini tunnel in late autumn; cloches for individual heads

Kale Direct-sow/transplant 8 to 12 weeks before fall frost Cold frame, or open garden covered with a mini tun-nel in late autumn; large cloches for individual plants

Leeks Transplant 12 to 16 weeks before fall frost Open garden covered with a 1-foot depth of straw or leaf mulch in late autumn

Mache Direct-sow 6 to 8 weeks before fall frost Cold frame

Mizuna/ Mustard

Direct-sow 6 to 8 weeks before fall frost Cold frame, or open garden covered with a mini tunnel in late autumn

Parsley Transplant Dig up mature curly parsley, and move it to cold frame in late summer

Cold frame, or open garden covered with a mini tunnel in late autumn

Parsnips Direct-sow 16 to 18 weeks before fall frost Open garden covered with a 1-foot depth of straw or leaf mulch in late autumn

Spinach Direct-sow 6 to 8 weeks before fall frost Cold frame, or open garden covered with a mini tunnel in late autumn

Thyme Transplant Plant any time (it is a perennial) Cold frame

Parsley Carrots Spinach Leeks

2. Row covers insulate newly seeded or transplanted cropsRow covers are gauzy materials that are extremely effec-tive at insulating newly seeded or transplanted veggies from light frost, cold weather, and pests like birds or deer. In spring and early autumn, light-to-medium-weight fab-rics can be laid directly on top of crops. As fall morphs into winter, I switch to heavyweight covers and float them on mini hoops, along with a layer of greenhouse plastic to shelter cold-season edibles such as kale, Swiss chard, leeks, and spinach. Heavyweight row covers offer more insulation than light- or medium-weight covers, but they don’t allow as much light to pass through. A heavyweight material placed directly on vegetables that are actively growing in spring or autumn could delay or damage the crops. I therefore save heavyweight covers for winter, when my vegetables are hibernating.

Season extenders protect crops from inclement weatherSeason extenders stretch the growing season by weeks or months. These four examples afford gardeners extra protection for times when nature isn’t especially cooperative.


Niki Jabbour is a food gardener, a radio host, and the author of The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener. She lives near Halifax,

Nova Scotia, where she and her family harvest vegetables throughout winter.

3. Cold frames create beneficial microclimatesIf I could have only one season extender, it would be a cold frame—a bottom-less box with a translucent top that captures solar energy. Cold frames create a micro climate around plants, sheltering them from bad weather and cold tem-peratures. They should be sited so that the sloped top faces south for maximum light exposure. Our 6-foot-long and 3-foot-wide cold frames are crafted from 2-inch-wide local hemlock boards, and sunk into the ground for added insulation. The translucent tops are made out of Lexan, a twin-wall polycarbonate material that is effective for insulat-ing but still permits over 85 percent light transmission. As with mini hoop tun-nels (see facing page), cold frames need to be vented in spring and fall, and brushed off after a snowstorm in winter. To vent, use thick branches, a shovel, or a pitchfork to prop up the top. I keep my cold frames closed during winter, except for the few minutes a day that I harvest.

4. Mini hoop tunnels protect plants in all seasonsMini hoop tunnels are workhorses in the garden, sheltering tender small tomatoes, peppers, and melons in spring and tall kales, collards, Italian parsley, and leeks in late autumn and winter. We make our mini hoops from ½-inch PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe bent over 10-foot-long and 4-foot-wide beds and slipped over 1-foot-long rebar stakes that are pounded into the ground.

The covering on a mini hoop tunnel is determined by the season and the crop to be protected. In cold weather, a sheet of green-house plastic provides the greatest insulation, but in the milder climate of late spring and early autumn, a light fabric usually suffices. In summer, mini hoop tun-nels can be covered with a length of shade cloth to create a shelter for cool-season salad greens, which bolt quickly when grown directly under the hot sun.

In spring and fall, be sure to vent your mini hoop tunnels by opening the ends when outside temper-atures rise above 40°F/4°C. Crops that are grown in too warm an environment, especially winter veg-etables, will grow soft and be more susceptible to cold damage. Crops must also be kept away from the cover of mini hoop tunnels during winter or the foliage will freeze upon contact. Remember to brush snow off your structure promptly after a storm, using a broom or plastic shovel, or it may collapse.

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1. ‘Green Bouquet’ basil

2. ‘Crimson King’ basil

3. ‘Sweet Genovese’ basil

CONDITIONS: Full sun; well-drained soil

—Designed by the staff of the Chicago Botanic garden

in glencoe, illinois

Photo by Danielle Sherry

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VEGGIE GARDEN TIPS TRICKS · Whether you’re growing basil for the best flavor possible or looking to add a little pow to the beauty of the veggie patch, there’s a variety that’s