Gardener to Farmer

Growing Leeks and My Favorite Garden Tool

Yesterday, two (DeDe and Sallie May) of my four Garden Interns helped me clear a bed for growing leeks. I have tried to grow leeks for the past two years, but have always been disappointed in the results. It just seems like they do not reach maturity before the end of growing season. This year, I realized that they overwintered really well, and in fact, multiplied. However, they were not so conveniently located. I pulled them all and threw them in a pile, intending to take them in the house. (Please note the word intending...)

When I realized I hadn't taken them in, I decided to try an experiment. I had always heard that you could grow leeks by cutting off the roots and planting them. I grabbed up the rather scruffy looking leeks and hacked off the roots, then the girls and I planted them right in the ground. Some of them had also formed bulblets, so those were planted, too. 

In doing a bit of research on growing leeks, I discovered this awesome post called Leeks for the Lazy Gardener (right up my alley):

Most home gardeners growing leeks start them from seed each year, or just buy transplants. Some smaller varieties are said to mature in 90 days, but the big inch-or-more wide ones like you'll find in the markets take almost 200 days to grow to that size. In order to get a pencil-sized leek seedling ready to set out in April, you'd have to start the seeds in January, tending and transplanting and keeping them under lights. That's too much work for me. I prefer to let my leeks start themselves.

via simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com

I also want to share with you all the new love of my life...the OXO Garden Knife. OXO sent me this cool looking knife to try. I won't lie to you, the appeal of weaponry in the garden is almost irresistible to me. But I am always dubious of new garden tools...I already have lots of them and it is hard to impress me. Further, it is rare that I will endorse a product. But I am so madly in love with this knife that I will not let anyone else even touch it!

The shape looks like a bulb-planting trowel and a double-bladed kitchen knife were genetically crossed. I know...very Matrix. And yes, I stabbed myself with it a few times as I was not used to the sharp tip. But it is now my favorite weeder and plant divider, as well as self-protection device. (Roaming garden gnomes, you know). The tip slices through dirt, roots and matted green stuff to make pulling weeds a cinch. The sides alternate between a serrated blade and a traditional knife blade, perfect for dividing clumps of perennials or cutting roots off of said leeks.

It is $24.95, so not a cheap tool. But it is super sturdy, and unless I lose it, I can't imaging needing to buy another in the next decade or so. This is the perfect tool for the lazy gardener!

If you have fave gardening tools, I would love to hear about them. Leave me a comment below.

Growing Food Book Winner

Thanks to all of you who entered the Growing Food book giveaway! I am pleased to announce that K Youell is our winner! The rest of you gave so much helpful information, though, that the folks at Cool  Springs Press have created a special discount for you.

Until June 7, you can go to the Garden Bookstore website and take 20% off of your order. When you are asked for a coupon code, enter JA09 and the discount will be automatically deducted.

Getting ready to record the next Good Enough Gardening podcast about garden tasks in June. We are a bit behind due to my trip to BookExpo America...but will have it up today.

Thanks again for all of you who participated!

Growing Raspberries: Five Tips for a Better Harvest

Growing raspberries in Portland’s maritime climate may seem like the sort of gardening that shouldn’t require much explanation. In a city where we spend a significant portion of our time fighting off the “Invasion of the Himalayan Blackberry”, it would seem logical that we should only need to plant them once and await our harvest.

It is true that simply planting any cane berry in the Pacific Northwest will result in a harvest (and  a full-fledged gargantu-bramble). But following these five steps will ensure that they remain productive, easy to harvest and without disease.

 

• Plant in a well-drained location: Raspberries don’t like to sit underwater all winter and spring, so make sure they have soil that drains well.
• Consistent watering is important: Most Portland gardens won’t need much supplemental water until July. Once the rains stop, make sure the canes get 1 to 1.5 inches of water a week. Mulch in summer to help with even moisture and reduce weeds.
• Feed twice a year: Feed raspberries twice a season, once in early spring and once about 60 days later. I like to use a multipurpose organic fertilizer for acid loving plants, and then back that up with a shot of mycorrhizal fungi.
• Use a trellising system: Growing raspberries in rows with a trellis helps reduce disease and pest problems, not to mention that it makes the harvest so much easier.
• Prune, prune, prune: This is the step where most of us loose our nerve. In order for raspberries to be at their best, canes need to be pruned in three ways. Start in early spring, by thinning crowns to the four or five canes that have the largest diameter (this can also be done at the end of summer). Then, remove all small plants that have popped up outside of the row and continue to do so throughout the summer. Finally, after harvest, prune to remove all canes that bore fruit, as they will no longer be productive.  

These two pictures were taken a month apart, the first towards the beginning of April. You can see how it looks as if there are very few berries. But take a look to the left...they take over the trellis in a matter of days.

 

I am most definitely the type of gardener that avoids extra work, if at all possible. In this case, these five steps help reduce the likelihood of disease and make the harvest short work. Follow these easy steps and you will be snacking on bushels of berries in no time!

And don't forget to tune in to the Good Enough Gardening Podcast...show topic this week: "All Alliums All the Time".

Growing Rhubarb: A Plant for Truly Lazy Gardeners

Ultimately, I consider myself a truly lazy gardener. If there is a way to make something I don't enjoy easier, faster, more pleasant, etc, I am all for it. If I can find someone else to do it, so much the better...things like weeding and watering fall squarely in that category. I would much rather be starting seeds, planting, cutting flowers, harvesting fruits and veggies and admiring mother nature. Really, if fun isn't involved, my interest level decreases significantly.

And let me tell you, growing rhubarb is packed with fun! Now, at first glance, this may seem like an odd statement. But, very few plants are as beautiful, produce as well and love neglect as my tart little friend here. Though they are a vegetable, we generally treat them as a fruit...so, I celebrate their spring arrival with visions of baked goods dancing in my heads. In fact, I just posted a recipe for Rhubarb Cake with Citrus Glaze on Portland Foodie and will be posting a recipe for Rhubarb Bread there tomorrow.

My love affair with rhubarb started about a year ago ("Can This Rhubarb Be Saved?") with a bag of starts I had purchased. I am sad to say that none of them survived. In fact, the one that was doing well, despite all odds, was dug out of the ground and carried away this spring by either a determined squirrel or raccoon.

But that won't stop me, I have a huge rhubarb plant that came with the house. I just harvested the first ruby red stems and they were oh-so-tasty (remember:the leaves are poisonous...so don't eat).

Growing rhubarb is easy...it needs very little from you. However, it does not like the heat, so growing it in southern gardens will be a challenge. Though I need to say that when I lived in Oklahoma, my next door neighbor grew some on a protected side of a pergola that only got morning sun. So hey, don't discount the power of micro-climates.

How to Grow:

• Rhubarb tolerates most soils, but since it is a perennial, plant it in a spot with relatively good soil where it can stay for a while
• It generally likes soil that is slightly acidic, so keep that in mind when fertilizing...give it several doses of a good organic fertilizer during the growing season or use an organic slow release fertilizer
• Make sure it doesn't dry out completely while producing and cut back flower heads to save the plant's energy

Really, that's almost more than I do...and certainly, you can be more proactive with your rhubarb, if  you like. The key is planting it in a place where the climate and site are conducive to growth. As with all plants, if you are working against mother nature, it will be a constant struggle. If you decide you want to try and be the best rhubarb grower ever, this is a site all about rhubarb...If you just want to grow some and have yummy baked goods, well, you can do that too!

Growing Fruit: The Stepchild of the Edible Garden

I don't know why this is, but it seems that fruit is the stepchild of the edible garden. I mean, I see a post about the occasional strawberry, but that's about it. Which is really surprising, because there are tons of fruits that can be grown at home. So I am wondering if it is because people feel it is too difficult or if they just don't know what to do. I hate to say it but fruits are starting to feel a little left behind. And listen, I know from stepchildren...being one myself...

I made a deliberate decision to not include fruit in Growing Food: A Beginners Guide, because I generally think of fruit as a bit beyond beginner. Though, berries are great for beginners...and for that matter, so is rhubarb, with which I have had a long and torrid love affair. I mean, if you can fall off a log, you can grow rhubarb. And grapes, please, those things just take over...and while they can have problems, generally speaking, most people can grow grapes (dependent upon zone).

I think the problem is that most people think of fruit trees when they think of fruit. And especially in the organic garden, fruit trees can be a pain in the rear end...often involving a high tolerance for sharing your fruit with bugs and birds and other members of Mother Nature's family. Trees also take up a significant amount of space and if you have a small yard, this can be limiting. But today, there are all kinds of new hybrids that are specially sized for containers, trees that have multiple fruits grafted onto one stock, have special growth habits that allow for easy harvest... Growers have really made great strides in making fruit much more user friendly for the home gardener.

One of my favorite things about fruit is that almost all of it stores extremely well. It is April as I write this and I still have a couple of big bags of raspberries and blueberries from last July. Seriously, we ate ourselves silly on "berry delights"...a very simple concoction that involves a quick vanilla cake, macerated berries and whipped cream. Yowza!

I truly hope you consider growing fruit in your home garden...there are so many options, some of which are so easy! It would be a shame not to give it a try. And believe me...a strawberry from the garden is 8 million times better than those flavorless things they sell at the grocery store.

Growing Food: A Guide for Beginners

Today marks the release of my first book, Growing Food: A Guide for Beginners! YEA!! Below is a preview of the back cover...but I would love for you to take a look at it on Lulu.com. There you can peruse the first few pages and see what the inside of the book looks like.

And other big news...I am currently developing a new podcast with a crazy chick you may know, Amanda Thomsen of Kiss My Aster. It is called Good Enough Gardening and we will be debuting our first episode in the next week.

But wait...that's not all! Today on Cooking Up A Story, you will find me kneeling in the garden, attempting to teach you how to plant beets. Only Rebecca Gerendasy could convince me to do such a thing. It is a cute video, though...did I mention how amazing she is? And speaking of amazing women...two upcoming interviews are in the works. Tonight I am being interviewed by everybody's favorite life coach (@coachvanessa) at Integrative Wellness Works in the Let Your Life Bloom Series. Next week, I will be chatting it up with @FarmerPhoebe...more details on that in a couple of days. And in case you missed it, The Nutrition Data Blog did a nice little write up with some quotes from me! 

WHEW! OK, finally, here is the back cover of the book...I am so excited you guys! YEA!

Can You Survive Without a Grocery Store?

It has been a long time since American’s were worried that they might have to answer that question. Recent economic and food safety concerns have contributed to a new local food movement in which communities are talking about increasing independence from the supply chain and supporting local growers. Many people have decided to start a vegetable garden…and you can’t get any more local than that!

If you want to join them but are afraid that you won’t know how to get started … relax, we’ve got you covered!  “Growing Food” will teach you everything you need to know about how to plant, harvest, prepare and store the top ten (okay, eleven) vegetables in simple terms and step by step instructions.

And, this book is full of opportunities for you to connect with all kinds of resources. For the first time in gardening history, there is finally a resource that combines written information with live online interaction. Just think, you can ask a real person your gardening questions!  In this book you will find information about:

•             Organic gardening blogs

•             Facebook, MySpace and Gather Grow Your Own Food groups

•             Gardening forums, videos and podcasts

•             Tons of topic specific web pages for more in depth reading

 

This book is not the end of your learning experience. It is the doorway to a whole network of people who can support you in growing your own food.

Growing Potatoes: Growing Food Book Excerpt

Just uploaded this excerpt from Growing Food: A Guide for Beginners...This happens to be the chapter on potatoes...

                                   Growing Potatoes

One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Floor

Did you know that potatoes can be used to make vodka? Their high starch content makes them a likely suspect for the creation of this extremely well-known spirit. You will not, however, get drunk from eating them.

 

Potatoes received quite a lot of bad press, due to our switch from high carb low fat diets to high fat low carb diets. But the truth is that they have a whole bunch of nutritional value. In fact, people can healthily survive on a diet of milk and potatoes….not that I recommend that.

 

I have always loved potatoes and have a hard time imagining not wanting to eat them. But, my oldest will only eat them as fries or tots…so I know there are some people out there who haven’t fully embraced the many ways to enjoy them.

 

If you stay away from the spud, here’s a potato adoption strategy to help you embrace its earthy goodness!

Ten Steps to Becoming a Potato Lover:

1)      If you have never grown potatoes, you will be surprised at the large variety of types to plant.

2)      Each variety has a different flavor and texture. Experiment and find out which works best in each recipe.

3)      Potatoes are an early planting crop…spring is on its way!

4)      As the plants start to sprout, take a minute to admire their beautiful foliage. Some have leaves that look like tomatoes, others have leaves that are broad and a bit wrinkly.

5)      Potatoes can have beautiful and very fragrant flowers. Be sure to enjoy the ornamental benefits of your spuds.

6)      These gorgeous tubers are incredibly nutritious…don’t believe the urban legends that they have limited nutritional value.

7)      Potatoes can be harvested as the plant is growing, just remove some of the compost and straw, take a few potatoes and cover up again.

8)      They can be prepared in so many ways…but the easiest is to wash and cube the spud and place it on a baking sheet. Add olive oil, flaky sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Roast at 400° for 30-45 minutes.

9)      Try at least three times to give yourself a chance to really enjoy…add a different spice like smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder or grill seasoning each time.

10) Slowly try new cooking methods. I love to make hash browns by grating, adding salt and pepper and frying in vegetable oil in a hot skillet.

To see the full chapter, check out the Growing Potatoes page.

Obama has a Victory Garden? We Had it First!!

Well, I meant to get to this post a week ago...but things just got out of hand this week. And now that Michelle Obama has announced her spectacular vegetable garden, I feel as though I have to rise to the challenge.  Let's start with a quick update of what's happening (or happened) in the outside garden.

Here you see a picture of my neighbor Liz, working away, while I stand by taking pictures of everything. This is usually how I work...:)

Anyway, we spent the day weeding the front 4 beds, plus a bed on the other side of the garden and sowed peas, lettuce, carrots, red mustard, chard and beets. I couldn't believe how much we got accomplished in just a few hours...it really is amazing how an extra pair of hands helps!

The tree behind her is an old apple that apparently has a type of borer attacking it. This nasty little bug eats a ring around the branch, eventually killing it. So, Liz's husband is going to remove it with a chainsaw...I plan on being there to take pictures. :)

In our spring clean up, we decided to test two rakes sent to me by Radius. The green one is the Garden Shark and the orange is the Groundhog. (Note Liz is still working and I am still taking pictures.)

The Garden Shark rake is for spreading mulch and de-thatching lawns and the Groundhog rake is for leaves, branches, and other garden debris. **

So here's the scoop on these two lovelies. Let me start by saying I have always hated traditional rakes...I have to stoop over and work too hard to get a minimal amount accomplished. These rakes have an extra long handle and are ergonomically designed to work for you, not the other way 'round. Both Liz and I agreed that these two rakes are by far our favorites.

I am big on finding tools for the garden that are more friendly to my body. Conserving energy and effort means I can stay in the garden longer...which is exactly what we did. We worked ourselves tired (four hours later) but felt completely satisfied...and much like expectant mothers, we have gone outside every day since to check on our babies...no sprouting yet.

And not to be outdone by the Obama's, Liz and I are sharing our own Organic Vegetable Garden Plans.
This is a complete list of all that we have planted (in the greenhouse and outside) with various growing information. You can also see what varieties and seed producers we are using. And somewhere, Liz has used her fancy software to layout our garden, indicating what is planted where...I will get that posted soon.

Hope you are enjoying your spring (yea!) garden as much as we are!

**both of these rakes are available now in our OpenSky Store!

Save Small Farms and Home Gardens: HB 875, Part II

Yesterday's post on the Food Safety Modernization Act sparked some great conversation...particularly about how a food safety bill could be a bad thing. To those of you who went and read the actual bill, kudos! For those of you who haven't yet and would like to, visit this link to Open Congress and leave your feedback in the text of the bill.

Let me try to sum up two major concerns that are not apparent just by reading the text of this bill. The first is the use of the word "tracking". This term positions this bill to be a cousin for the National Animal Identification System, which creates a tracking system for each and every animal (including hobby farms and pets) in the US. The purpose of which is to be able to track the life cycle of an animal, hoping to prevent the spread of illness or disease.

The USDA has proposed a rule to require all farms and ranches where animals are raised to be registered in a federal database under the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) for existing disease control programs.  The draft rule covers programs for cattle, sheep, goats, and swine.  It also sets the stage for the entire NAIS program to be mandated for everyone, including anyone who owns even one livestock animal, for example, a single chicken or a horse.
                                                                                                     http://www.farmandranchfreedom.org/

And while this seems like a good idea in concept, the cost of this level of regulation will be astounding. It will force many small farmers to stop farming. The basic economics of the process create an affordable financial impact for large agribusiness (who will spend about $7 a head for cattle) but will cost small farmers about $64 a head. If you aren't a farmer, but just have a flock of chickens, you will also be responsible to meet these regulations and absorb this cost. Which will lead to fewer people with livestock.

Though the intended consequences of this bill may not be to support industrialized agriculture, that is exactly what it will do. This will create a food paradigm monopoly, generating increased dependence on big agribusiness and the directives of the government.

Now, imagine this same regulatory system being imposed on other types of food production. Suddenly, the fear for small farms and home vegetable growers seems more rational.

And, if you are organically certified. Please note, both the NAIS and HB 875 give the government extreme latitude in telling you what feed, fertilizer, medicines and pest control methods you can use. There is no mention of organics or how this bill would affect existing organic regulation.For more information, check out Sarah Gilbert's Post on Super Eco.

We are all concerned about food safety. But tracking programs like these will reward the businesses who are actually causing the problem. Seriously, when is the last time you heard that someone became ill after purchasing food from a farmer's market or eating from their own garden? In trying to regulate these huge entities, whose behavior is absolutely appalling, we are giving them the keys to the kingdom.

Before NAIS or HB 875 are passed or implemented, some serious discussion and edits need to be made...otherwise, we will end up punishing the group that is most likely to save us from groups like Monsanto.

I don't think I can find a better way to end this post than with this:

The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, opposes the bill and states:, "The burdensome requirements the bill imposes on small farms and the intrusive federal control it creates over small farm operations threaten the future viability of sustainable agriculture and the local food movement."

Save Small Farms and Home Gardens: HB 875

I am not one to overreact about early legislative efforts. New bills are always stuffed full of language that will never make it to the final version. But HB 875 is a different matter.

It is not just the drastic regulatory language that scares me. It is that it represents agribusinesses next step on the path to world food domination. And though that sounds like an over exaggeration, it is not.

Companies like Monsanto have already invaded our food and seed supply. They have successfully obtained patents for GMO seeds and have cornered the market on seed sales. They have sued farmers for harvesting and using seeds from their own corn because it was accidentally cross-pollinated with their varieties. And now they are trying to push through legislation, via Rep. Rosa DeLauro, whose husband works for Monsanto.

Please, don't let this bill get out of committee. There are other ways to protect our food supply. Let's not create a perfect storm by eliminating the few small farmers who are still growing non-gmo, genetically diverse crops.

For more information, check out this OpEdNews piece...a bit on the extreme side, but still has relevant information. Also check out OpenCongress, a cool site that lets you track bills, legislators, etc, leave comments and keep an eye on hot button topics.At the end is a link that will help you automatically send feedback to your elected officials and local newspapers. Here's what I wrote, feel free to copy and edit:

I am increasingly concerned about the potential effects of HB 875. This bill is clearly designed to benefit big agribusiness and to make it nearly impossible for smaller farms to comply. The sweeping language of this legislation could even impact people growing their own food in backyard gardens. This effort is clearly being pushed by small farm destroying companies like Monsanto.

Oregon will not benefit from this kind of outside regulation. Further, we do not need a completely new regulatory agency to deal with food safety issues. Please, read this bill and take action. Don't let agribusiness destroy family farms and urban homesteaders.

Sincerely,
Jean Ann Van Krevelen

Get involved and say no to Monsanto and others like them who care about absolutely nothing but making money.