I read an intriguing garden column (many years ago) in the Redding, CA newspaper that suggested one way to get tomatoes to ripen outdoors in Autumn. It said: "A rule of thumb is, in the fall, take off all leaves and stems and all fruit that will not have time to develop before frost. You'll end up with skeletal vines and bare fruit, which is exactly what you want, since now all the plant's energy will go into ripening that fruit."That might work in the mild climate areas of southern California or south Florida, but here in Northern California (and Redding is in far Northern California), you're asking for a quicker end to tomato season if you do that. November temperatures will typically dip down into the 40's here; in late November, nighttime lows in the 30's are quite likely here. When nighttime temperatures are in the 40's and below, fruit development slows to a crawl and causes other problematic issues. Even here in the milder USDA Zone 9 Sacramento region, harvesting red tomatoes in mid-November is an iffy proposition, at best. The typical Sacramento gardener Thanksgiving trick: harvest the remaining tomatoes the day before. Immediately cut off the damaged, ugly portions. Serve the miniscule, pretty remains to Thursday's dinner guests, chopped and mixed into a salad. "Why yes, we can harvest tomatoes on Thanksgiving!" Please don't ask to see the whole tomatoes, though. You might lose your appetite.
As the fall weather finally begins to turn cooler, gardeners are faced with this annual dilemma: will those green tomatoes in the garden ripen before temperatures start plummeting into the low 30’s? Depending upon where you are located, that question might start occurring to you in September, in the colder regions of the U.S. In many areas of California and other USDA Zone 9 climates, and perhaps parts of Zone 8, fresh garden tomatoes remain edible until late October or early November. They may not be pretty...but they are still a heckuva lot tastier than any tomato you'll find in a grocery store. By mid-November, remaining tomatoes are subject to harsher, colder, wetter weather leading to more outbreaks of blight diseases, insect infestations and bird pecking.
How do you tell when a green tomato, harvested early to prevent freeze damage, will ever turn red and ripen? This can simply be done with a sharp kitchen knife. Harvest a tomato typical of the majority of green tomatoes on your plants. Look at size but pay particular attention to fruit color. Slice through the center of the tomato. Closely examine the seed within the fruit. If the seeds are covered with a clear gel which cause them to move away from the knife, then that fruit will eventually turn red and ripen. If the seeds are cut by the knife then those fruit will never properly ripen. Compare the color and size of the tested fruit when harvesting tomatoes on your plants. Most similar fruit will eventually ripen and turn red.From Colorado State University:Cooler September temperatures help fruit to ripen because the red tomato pigments, lycopene and carotene, are not produced above 85 degrees F; nor is lycopene below 50 degrees F.As late September approaches, gardeners often try to extend the life of their plants by covering with cloth or plastic. Covering plants works well for nearly red tomatoes, but not as well for mature green ones. Though foliage may sometimes be saved, research shows that chilling injury on green fruit occurs at temperatures of 50 degrees and decay losses rise markedly on fruit exposed to 40 degrees F. Red ones well on their way to ripening tolerate colder temperatures.Before frost hits and plants go down, pick and bring fruit indoors to ripen. Clip fruit with a very short stem piece left on but one that’s not long enough to punch holes in other tomatoes. Stems ripped out of fruit will open them to decay.
Eliminate (immature) green fruit, as research shows it’s more likely to spoil than ripen and never develops the flavor consumers want anyway. Mature green fruit will develop good flavor. Mature green tomatoes are well sized and have turned light green to white. If cut open, seeds are encased in gel and no empty cavity space is present.
In addition to mature green, sort and store fruit by these groups as they will ripen at similar speeds. Fruit may be "turning" with a tinge of pink color showing, "pink" with 30 to 60 percent color showing, "light red" with 60 to 90 percent color present, and others "fully red" but not soft.
Store mature green tomatoes at 55 to 70 degrees F. Once fruit is fully ripe, it can be stored at 45 to 50 degrees F with a relative humidity of 90 – 95%.
Recommended refrigerator operating temperatures of 40 degrees are certainly too cool to ripen mature green tomatoes and are colder than desired for ripe ones. Ripening enzymes are destroyed by cold temperatures whether in the garden or in a refrigerator. Ripen tomatoes in well-ventilated, open cardboard boxes at room temperature checking them every few days to eliminate those that may have spoiled. Mature green tomatoes will ripen in 14 days at 70 degrees F and 28 days at 55 degrees F.
The tomato heads at UC Davis recommend storing a small amount of green tomatoes in a carton box on fiber trays or paper layers.
One way to add some air circulation to the bottom, especially in warm conditions: store the tomatoes in a fruit box that contains a perforated plastic liner.Hobby farmer Linsey Knerl offers these ideas for saving green tomatoes:
Get a rope. By pulling up your plants (root and all, if possible) and hanging them right-side up in a garage or basement, you can prolong their time on the vine for a few more weeks. Just string up some clothesline or heavy rope across one wall, and clip the tops of the plant to the rope with clothespins or binder clips. Try to avoid too much sunlight, or your tomatoes will spoil or ripen unevenly. A temperature of 60-72 degrees is ideal. Go the paper route. My grandma used this trick to ripen up green ones over a period of a week or two. Pick only the green tomatoes without cracks, holes, or blight, wrap them individually in newspaper, and place them in a single layer in the bottom of a wooden crate or basket.
Save the plant, or take cuttings.
Depending on your latitude, this may require some alternative sources of bright light. For everyone, propagating a tomato cutting or saving the plant can benefit from adding bottom heat by using a propagation mat. Cuttings or plants should be placed in a room or greenhouse where the temperature stays above 50 degrees, ideally between 60 and 70 degrees.
Saving an entire tomato plant takes some forethought. Planting them originally in a container can ease the process. Using a container that lessens the chances of that plant getting overgrown with encircling roots is ideal. Click on the Smart Pots info page about how Smart Pots fabric containers “air-prune” plant roots to keep them from choking your plant. Yes, that is a blatant plug for one of my sponsors…but it works!
When you’re ready to move the plant indoors or to a greenhouse in a sunny location, think about the obstacles that lie ahead (other than lugging a plant indoors). Dig around the soil, looking for ant colonies or insect/tomato worm eggs/pupae. If you find them, I would advise against saving that plant. You may have an ongoing battle with ants, aphids, whiteflies and tomato worms. Indoors! Don’t worry about trying to save any existing tomatoes on the plant. You won’t. That’s a lot of stress on a plant. The existing fruit and flowers will probably fall off or not ripen very quickly. Before your move the tomato plant, cut back the entire plant so that it’s only about 12 inches tall. Thoroughly clean off the remaining leaves and stems with a good blast of water. You may want to invest in a package of yellow sticky traps to monitor for whitefly infestations, especially.
If you are still keen about growing a tomato plant indoors in the winter, read this post from the Farmer Fred Rant blog page that goes into the best varieties to grow indoors during the winter. Oh, and one other thing: the taste of winter-grown tomatoes is just one notch above supermarket quality. It’s nowhere near that delicious, juicy, aromatic tomato that grows in your garden in the summer.
Now that I have discouraged you from lugging insect-laden plants into your home, how about…
How to take tomato cuttings:
1. Using four-inch pots, fill with a dampened, commercial potting soil, preferably a seed starting mix. Your backyard soil is too iffy, because of possible pathogens and poor drainage.
2. Using your finger, a dibble or a round pencil, make a hole in the dampened soil, a few inches deep.
3. Take 5-7 inch-long cuttings from the tips of the tomato plants. Make the cut just below a side branch. Take off any flowers or juvenile fruit as well as the bottom leaves. That cutting only needs the two top leaves.
4. Drop the cuttings into the hole in the soil and gently press the soil around the cuttings, burying at least two of the side branch cuts.
5. For these new cuttings, direct sun should be avoided until you see new growth. Again, bottom heat and a room where the temperatures are at least 50 degrees. Temperatures between 60-70 degrees can speed up the process.
6. Don’t let the soil dry out, but make sure there is a place for the water to drain out from the container. A ribbed, plastic plant tray below the pots is ideal.
7. When you see new growth (in a week or two), you can slowly increase the light. After a couple of weeks, 12 to 14 hours of direct light will help.
8. Transplant into the garden when soil temperatures are above 50 degrees. Using a hot cap or Walls of Water initially after transplanting can help them adapt to their new outdoor home in early spring.
===============And you can always cook green tomatoes, such as with this recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes from allrecipes.com : 4 large green tomatoes 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cornmeal 1/2 cup bread crumbs 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 quart vegetable oil for frying 1. Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends. 2. Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium-size bowl. Scoop flour onto a plate. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs and salt and pepper on another plate. Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat. 3. In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) and heat over a medium heat. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels.FOR A HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE...(and you knew this was coming) try this vegan green tomato recipe from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen Blog:Oven-Fried Green TomatoesIngredients1/2 cup water1 1/2 teaspoon ground flax seed1/2 cup cornmeal1/4 cup quinoa flour (or other flour)1 teaspoon cornstarch (or other starch)1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground1/2 teaspoon salt4 large green tomatoesInstructionsPreheat oven to 425. Spray a baking sheet lightly with canola oil or non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.Combine the water and ground flax seeds in a blender and blend at high speed for 30 seconds. Pour into a wide, shallow bowl and allow to sit for a few minutes to thicken slightly.In another wide bowl or plate, combine remaining ingredients (except tomatoes). Cut tomatoes into slices about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Submerge a tomato slice in the flax-water, allow excess to drip off, and place slice into cornmeal mixture. Press lightly to make sure that bottom of slice is covered with cornmeal and turn to coat other side. Place on prepared baking sheet.When all tomato slices are coated, bake for 15 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown. Turn and bake another 15 minutes to brown other side. Remove from oven and serve immediately.Preparation time: 25 minute(s) | Cooking time: 30 minute(s)Number of servings (yield): 6Nutrition (per serving): 94 calories, 12 calories from fat, 1.4g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 214.6mg sodium, 287.3mg potassium, 18.7g carbohydrates, 2.8g fiber, 5.1g sugar, 3.2g protein.
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Publication of the “Beyond the Garden Basics” newsletter will be taking a break for awhile. Thanks for reading…and listening.
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Thank you for also listening to the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast! It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. Please share it with your garden friends.
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Who's Eating My Persimmons and Popcorn?
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 • Duration 16:40
Mid-October is usually the time here in Northern California to harvest two of my favorite backyard crops: popcorn and persimmons. But what if the roof rats beat you to the harvest? Today - roof rat control tips!
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Last Friday’s Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, Episode 351 - “Honey I Shrunk the Fruit Trees” also dealt with the benefits of keeping the height of fruit trees to no taller than you can reach to the top of the tree to pick fruit. Because, who wants to fall off a ladder?
UC Cooperative Extension Communications Specialist - and Consulting Arborist - Kevin Marini walked us through the steps of keeping your fruit trees healthy, and at a reasonable height (listen to the episode for his tree reduction tips).
Among our topics:
• Maintaining the height of fruit trees at a manageable level allows for easier fruit harvesting and reduces the risk of broken branches.
• Thinning fruit trees is necessary to remove crowded fruit and allow the tree to breathe, resulting in bigger and juicier fruit.
• Bringing down the height of a fruit tree can be done gradually over a few years to avoid stressing the tree.
• Using the right pruning cuts, such as reduction cuts and thinning cuts, helps maintain the structure of the tree and promotes better fruit production.
• Cutting newly planted fruit trees at the knees stimulates the growth of lower branches and makes fruit more accessible.
• Rootstock selection is important for controlling the height and spread of fruit trees.
• Thinning cuts are essential for improving air circulation within the tree and ensuring fruit production in lower areas of the branches. Pruning suckers and water sprouts is essential to maintain the structure of fruit trees.
• Removing branches that grow towards the center of the tree helps prevent overcrowding and disease.
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Why Do Pepper Flowers Fall Off?
Friday, April 29, 2022 • Duration 10:59
In this past week’s two episodes of the “Garden Basics with Farmer Fred” podcast, we covered several timely topics in Episodes 188 and 189 including:
• Tips for Controlling Bermudagrass (Note: the word is “control”, not “eradicate”). Bermudagrass is forever.
• How plants communicate to get nutrition and ward off pests. (Steve Zien of Living Resources Co. spends a lot of time with his ear to the ground. Maybe he’s fallen and can’t get back up? Anyway, he says plant roots sweat a lot.)
• The (Alleged) Benefits of Compost Tea. Not that I doubt the enthusiasm of Steve Zien - also known as Sacramento’s Organic Advocate - for advocating the use of compost tea for improving soil biology, but next week in this space we will talk with a researcher from the University of Virginia Cooperative Extension who has studied the pros and cons of compost tea. It may come down to the quality of the water that you use to brew the compost tea.
• Thin your vegetable seedlings! Thin your flower seedlings! THIN THE FRUIT ON YOUR DECIDUOUS FRUIT TREES! (lessons learned the hard way)
• Stop Tomato Blossom End Rot Before It Starts (Tips to reduce the incidence of this disorder in your tomato and pepper plants. Yes, peppers get blossom end rot, too.)
• Grow Your Soil via the “Clip and Flip” and “Chop and Drop” mulching methods. The author of the book, Grow Your Soil, Diane Miessler, also refers in our chat to bermudagrass, calling it “the spawn of Satan”, so she’s OK in my book.
So why, then, is the above podcast about pepper flowers? Because in many parts of the country this time of year, nurseries and garden centers have tomato and pepper plants, side by side. They wouldn’t be stocking peppers on their shelves unless it was the right time to plant them, right? right? Let’s put it this way: those pepper flowers are more susceptible to dropping off during typical late April-early May nighttime low temperatures. Don’t worry, you’ll get peppers. Eventually.
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Top 10 Fragrant Roses (in the Podcast)
Friday, April 22, 2022 • Duration 17:35
As we learned in Episode 186 in the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, the most fragrant roses make the best meal. Really. Well, maybe not a meal, more like an appetizer. Master Rosarian Debbie Arrington of the Sacramento Rose Society explained that rose petals are actually quite delicious, either served raw in a salad, used as a garnish, or steeped into a tea. Listen to her tips for choosing the right blooms for your rose tasting experience in Episode 186 of the Garden Basics podcast. One of her tips: fragrant roses tend to be the most tasty. Her most important tip: “Don’t eat rose flowers that have been sprayed with pesticides.” Listen to her suggestions for fast food floribundas in the current podcast (186).
So, what are the most fragrant roses to choose for your dining experience? In this newsletter podcast, above, another Master Rosarian, Charlotte Owendyk of the Sierra Foothills Rose Society, offered her Top 10 roses that are a show for noses. And below, is part of Charlotte’s article for the Sacramento/Sierra Foothills Rose Society’s newsletter about fragrant roses. Clear your nose, let’s go!
Fragrant Roses…A Few That I Grow
by Charlotte Owendyk (excerpted from the June 2021 Rose Reflections Newsletter)
Watch someone walk by roses displayed at a rose show. First, there'll be an exclamation over color or beauty, but, inevitably, the head will lean in towards the rose in order to sniff its scent and rise with either a smile or expression of disappointment.
Yep, we all want fragrance in our roses. This usually is especially important if you only have space for a few roses in your garden.
The aroma of roses is due to more than 300+ volatile chemical compounds. In addition, there are times when roses are more fragrant than other times. The best time to smell your roses is in the morning when the tem- perature is about 65 - 70 degrees (F). As the day gets warmer, the fragrance oils evaporate. Another factor in fragrance perception is the fact that no two noses are the same!
When the hybrid tea rose became the rage earlier last century, breed- ers aimed for large, high-centered hybrid tea blooms as well as new and different colors. Cut-flower rose cultivars for florists were selected for long vase life,flower shape, and color. In both cases, fragrance was incidental.
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Different Mulches for Different Plants. Fruit Trees vs. Lawns
Friday, April 15, 2022 • Duration 13:49
Some of the highlights of this week’s two podcasts on Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, Episodes 184 and 185, are featured in today’s “Beyond Basics” newsletter podcast. One of the highlights of Episode 184 was Raffaele DiLallo, author of “Houseplant Warrior”, venturing into his other horticultural passion in his yard in Cleveland, Ohio: getting tropical plants to survive and thrive…outdoors…in an area of the country where snow blowers are more in demand than a chipper/shredder.
From Episode 185, Emily Murphy, author of “Grow Now”, talks about how to customize your garden mulching to match the needs of your particular plants. And to give you a hint about the thrust of her book, she casually tossed out the German word, “hegelkultur” in our podcast conversation…which is a raised bed building technique long utilized by those who practice permaculture. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
And, Master Gardener Pam Bone gives us lots of good reasons to NOT plant a fruit tree in the middle of the lawn. But she offers some tips on the precautions to take to do it successfully.
Finding accurate, reputable information (and that’s the key) online is difficult on how to grow trees, especially fruit trees, in a lawn situation. However, the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers tips for commercial orchardists in the Midwest on the benefits and drawbacks of growing grass in the vicinity of fruit trees, in their publication: “Orchard-Floor Management For Fruit Trees”:
That publication is also bullish on establishing “grass alleys”: strips of turf, 5-6 feet wide, between the rows of trees, as long as the turf strips are set back about three feet from the trees: “The grass alley provides a solid place for equipment travel, helps prevent soil erosion, and helps increase water infiltration. Sod also helps to maintain soil structure. …weed invasion can be minimized and sod establishment can be fairly quick.”
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A Visit to the Luther Burbank Gardens
Friday, April 1, 2022 • Duration 10:15
Above is an interview about the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens in Santa Rosa, California. Luther Burbank, of course, is probably America’s most famous botanist, horticulturist and pioneer in agricultural science.
He is responsible for the development of over 800 varieties of plants in his 55 year career of plant hybridization, his most famous, possibly is the Burbank Russet potato, which is still available in supermarkets and restaurants every day. His biggest flower achievement? Probably the Shasta daisy. And his fruit tree introductions included the July Elberta peach, the Santa Rosa plum, the plum-apricot cross, the plum-cot, and the freestone peach, many of which are still in commerce. One of his most lucrative developments that you will hear about in this interview is the spineless cactus, which is valuable as cattle feed in drought-stricken areas.
Yes, you’re going to learn a lot about Luther Burbank here.
But also, listen carefully to the docent describing all of this during our visit to the Luther Burbank Home and Garden: Jack Hadley. I conducted this interview years ago, back in 2006.
My method of operation for conducting many of these “on the road” garden interviews is fairly haphazard: driving to a destination, I’ll see something interesting along the way. I’ll pull over, get out my microphone and recorder, and grab the first person who knows something about wherever I am - and is willing to talk - and I then turn on the recorder. It was just my good fortune to be talking to Jack Hadley that day in 2006. Jack passed away in 2013. Jack, although very informative, didn’t talk about himself in our conversation. I wish he had. It was only after reading his obituary that I came to the realization that here was a person I wish I had known better. If you are in the habit of reading obituaries, you may occasionally have the same reaction: “Wow, what an interesting person who lead a vibrant life. I wish I knew them.”
Give a listen to the interview, and then read this edition of the Garden Basics newsletter, or do both at the same time. We will tell Jack’s story in the newsletter, along with his invention of an item that may be in your garage or garden shed right now: the hand-held, Whirlybird-style fertilizer and seed spreader, which he developed as an employee of Ortho, the long-time garden chemical division of the Chevron corporation.
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What's Your NQ*? (Nature Quotient)
Friday, March 25, 2022 • Duration
That audio snippet (above) is from Episode 178 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, featuring author Emily Murphy, talking about her new book, “Grow Now-How We Can Save Our Health, Communities, and Planet, One Garden at a Time”. Go to Episode 178 to listen to the entire conversation. The audio sampler above touches on one section of her book, where she discusses the importance of knowing your “Nature Quotient.” As she puts it in her book:
“Your nature quotient (NQ) is a measure of your understanding of the natural world, the dynamics at work within it, and your personal connectivity to nature. It involves skills such as observation, curiosity, mindfulness, and empathy and compassion.”
But the podcast interview gave short attention to how to increase your NQ, in order to become a better gardener. Nor did it offer up the quiz that Emily presents in “Grow Now” on how to measure your NQ.
Since the name of this digital typing allegedly contains the words, “Beyond Basics”, it seems appropriate that we present the quiz here, along with tips for increasing your NQ, which you can also find in the book, “Grow Now”:
Measure Your “NQ” (Nature Quotient)
(In the book, you can circle all the answers that apply to you. If you try that here, you’ll have permanent black circles on your phone or tablet. Just get the book.)
• How much time, on average, do you spend outside each week? Two or more hours; one hour; less than one hour.
• What are your touchpoints with nature? Houseplants; nearby park or open space; plants and trees in your yard or garden.
• Which of the following have you done recently? Take a nature walk; stop when you hear the sound of a bird; notice a change in wind direction; look to the sun to figure out the time of day; notice a shift in the seasons; pick up litter; photograph flowers and plants.
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Growing the Gumbo Garden
Friday, March 18, 2022 • Duration 03:25
Professional chef and Sacramento County Master Gardener Andi Macdonald shares her California-style gumbo recipe in the brief chat at the top of this edition of the Garden Basics’ “Beyond Basics” newsletter.
Mardi Gras season is also gumbo season in Lousiana. And we know a good thing when we taste it. Gumbo dishes have spread, and can be found served on a regular basis everywhere, including the dining rooms of Congress. What makes Andi’s gumbo recipe unique: it’s vegan.
“Sacrilegious!”, you say, about a dish that goes back hundreds of years in Louisiana, a staple of an early American diet that features meat as the main attraction. To quote Wikipedia:
“Gumbo is a heavily seasoned stew that combines several varieties of meat or seafood with a sauce or gravy. Any combination of meat or seafood can be used. Meat-based gumbo may consist of chicken, duck, squirrel, or rabbit, with oysters occasionally added. Seafood-based gumbo generally has shrimp, crab meat, and sometimes oysters. Andouille sausage is often added to both meat and seafood gumbos to provide "piquancy, substance, and an additional layer of flavor" to the dish. The key is to use a tender andouille so it does not become too chewy. Most varieties of gumbo are seasoned with onions, parsley, bell pepper, and celery. Tomatoes are sometimes used in seafood gumbo, but traditionally few other vegetables are included.”
“I have been a vegan for the past 2-1/2 years,” explains Macdonald, who trained at Michelin-starred restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA, where founder Alice Waters developed the concept of California Cuisine and promoted the farm-to-table movement. Macdonald goes on to say: “I work at creating upscale vegan cuisine. I believe that all food should be wonderful, and there's no reason vegan cuisine can't meet a high bar. I also don't believe that following a vegan diet should be a political statement. Humans have evolved to like certain tastes and textures and that can be achieved in vegan cooking.”
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Peppers to Try in 2022
Friday, February 18, 2022 • Duration 06:01
Looking for tried and true pepper varieties to grow this year? How about proven varieties of tomatoes, greens, squash, okra, melons, as well as pollinator-friendly flowering plants such as begonias and petunias? Give a listen to Episodes 168 and 169 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast.
In Episode 168, we chatted with Sacramento County Master Gardener and vegetable expert Gail Pothour. She and the other Master Gardeners there have been growing an array of All-America Selections winners for several years at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center’s AAS Display Garden…along with some staff favorites. Not only are the vegetable varieties she mentions winners here in USDA Zone 9, but the majority of them are All-America Selections national winners, having proven their mettle in trial gardens from coast to coast.
In Episode 169, Diane Blazek, the Executive Director of the All-America Selections organization, lengthens this “you oughta grow this!” list considerably. In all, between the two episodes, we chatted about 45 different varieties of vegetables worth trying…and, my condolences to you if you were trying to jot them all down while driving.
Here, then, are the pepper varieties we mentioned, along with the usual effusive catalog descriptions, as well as personal thoughts on those varieties we mentioned that were not AAS Winners. All of the AAS winners mentioned can be found at all-americaselections.org . Due to space limitations in this newsletter, we’ll list the tomato varieties in next Friday’s Garden Basics “Beyond the Basics” newsletter. The following Friday (March 4) we’ll have the varieties of chard, lettuce, squash, eggplant, okra, melons and flowering plants that we talked about in those two podcasts.
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• Cutting dead, dying, and diseased branches is important to maintain the overall health of the tree.
• Proper pruning cuts, including the three-cut method for larger branches, help prevent damage and decay.
• Using sharp pruning tools and cleaning them regularly improves the efficiency and effectiveness of pruning.
And one more pruning term, according to the U. Of Florida: Reduction Cut
A reduction cut (also referred to as a drop-crotch cut) shortens a branch by removing a stem back to a lateral branch that is large enough to resist extensive disfunction and decay behind the cut. This is generally interpreted as cutting back to a lateral branch that is at least one-third the diameter of the cut stem. Sprouts commonly follow a reduction cut. In most cases these should not be removed because they help the retained portion of the branch retard decay. When the branch that remains is less than about one-third the diameter of the cut stem, the cut is considered a heading cut. Heading cuts are not considered appropriate in most instances in the landscape. Heading cuts are sometimes necessary when attempting to restore trees following storm damage.
Kevin Marini’s Steps for Pruning Your Fruit Trees For Better Health
Kevin, you mentioned there are some steps, like four or five steps, when it comes to reducing the height of a fruit tree?
Kevin Marini 35:28
Yeah, well, let's start with one that maybe doesn't reduce the height, but it's the easiest step. And everyone could do this any time of year. And they don't even have to be very careful about where they make the cut. And that is the suckers.
Because fruit trees are grafted on to a root stock, you get suckers that grow up from the ground from the root stock. Believe it or not, this can be a big problem. Because if you let those suckers continue to grow, they can eventually convince you that they're part of your fruit tree until you actually see this weird looking fruit on them. And you realize, Wait, what's that all about? Prune out those suckers. Step number one, go out to your fruit tree anytime during the year. If they're shooting from the ground, obviously, from the root stock below the graft union, cut them out, do not let them take over your tree. So that's easy. Step number one.
Farmer Fred 36:21
Yeah, let's define that. First. For people who are trying to find the bud union, if a tree was planted properly, that's going to be like a little lump or a little bump that should be just a few inches above the surface of the soil. And so anything that is emanating from below that point, can be removed completely and safely.
Kevin Marini 36:39
Yes, I'm actually glad you drilled down on that a little bit, because one thing that I have encountered quite a bit is that people bury the graft union. So they buy their fruit tree in a container. And the graft union is above the soil line when they bring it home. But when they pop it out of the container and put it into the ground, many times they'd bury it too deep. And if that graft union is subsurface, if it's underneath the ground, it can absolutely quickly rot. And then you can lose your fruit tree in a nice stiff wind down the road. That's super important, The graft has to be above ground. It has to be daylighted. You really have to take care of that, right? Ideally, you don't want it facing west, where the afternoon sun is hammering it, you kind of want it facing the other way. It's not a deal breaker, if you didn't do that. Don't worry, folks. But having that graft union up above ground and then controlling any sucker growth from below that coming from the ground, from the rootstock, or just beneath the graft on the stem, is important.
Farmer Fred 37:44
Yep, there are other suckers - I don't know if this is unique to citrus or not - they're called water sprouts, that can just spring up almost anywhere in the tree. But the thing with them is they're growing straight up. And they're easy to spot and easy to remove.
Kevin Marini 37:59
So that is I would say your step number two. So you start with your suckers down below, get rid of all those, get them out of the way. Some of them can be quite thorny, and vicious as well, especially on citrus. And so then you're looking for these other type of suckers called water sprouts. They generally occur as vigorous vertical shoots on lateral branches. So branches that are going out relatively in a horizontal fashion, they will have these sprouts that vertically shoot up to the sky. On certain plums and cherries, sometimes these water sprouts can be seven, eight feet in length. I mean, they can completely destroy this beautiful structure that you're trying to work on with this fruit tree. Identifying those water sprouts and getting them out of there is super important. You know, some people will use water sprouts to rejuvenate fruit trees. That would be getting really technical here. We're not going to go into that, but I just want to point out that they could have a use in certain circumstances. But overwhelmingly in our backyard orchard, you see a waterspout, it should be taken out.
So, let's talk about number three. Okay, so you've got your suckers, got your waterspouts right. So now you're going to start actually looking for some problem children. Okay, what are the problem children? Well, those shoots that are going into the middle of the tree that you spoke about earlier, are probably I call them problem children. By themselves. They're just little shoots the branches and you might not think anything of them. But for me, trying to maintain a certain structure to the fruit tree, those can really muck it up very quickly. They really become cumbersome to deal with, if you really let them grow in there, you really have to get in there and find their origin and cut them out and yank them out. And it can be a little troubling. So I say, stay on top of this, those branches that are crossing, rubbing, and then going from branches into the middle of the fruit tree, get those out of there. They are pretty easy to identify and remove. Now, of course, there's also I mentioned the crossing, rubbing, those aren't necessarily only branches that are going towards the middle of the fruit tree, those are branches that are just growing too close together. And if they're touching already, with a fruit load, it's even going to be worse. And they can create wounds, which then of course lead to potential disease. So you don't want that.
And then of course, the next step is those dead, dying, diseased branches. If you know a branch is dead, cut it out of there, don't let it be a host for other bacteria or fungi that could reinfect the live tissue somewhere on the planet from the tree. If it's dying, if you see something dying back, sometimes the best thing to do is to prune that puppy out quickly, potentially stopping the infection in its tracks. Right? Those four or five quick tips, if everyone just did those, the fruit trees would be in good shape. For the most part, you still would probably have to do what we talked about in the beginning, which is reduction cuts, and a mix of dormant and summer pruning to keep that height down. But those easy steps - like walk out to the tree - and take out suckers, water sprouts, branches going towards the center, dead, dying, diseased, crossing, rubbing. Five. So there it is, you do those five things, you are doing way more than most people do.
A Few Q&A’s about fruit tree pruning:
• How far back should I prune my deciduous fruit trees?
The latest trend for backyard orchardists: keep your fruit trees no taller than you can reach. All the fruit above your extended arms, after all, is for the birds. For fruit trees five years old and less, this is fairly easy to do. For older, taller established fruit trees, remove one-third of the total tree height each year until the desired height (under ten feet) is achieved.
• How much of a branch should I cut?
Never cut back a healthy branch of any tree by more than one-third its entire length. Don't make a "flush cut" (removing a branch right next to the stem). Leave the nub or "branch collar" that protrudes out less than an inch from the stem. That area contains the chemicals necessary for the tree wound to heal.
If in doubt what to cut, especially when the branches are out of easy reach, don't hesitate to call in a tree pruning professional.
• How Do I Prune a Thick Branch?
Don't try to get rid of any branch thicker than an inch with just a single pass of the saw; you could end up with a fallen branch that may have removed more than you had anticipated, such as a strip of the main stem. When tackling the big branches, use the three-cut method with a pruning saw:
•Cut number one: make a cut halfway through the underside of the branch to be removed, about one foot out from the collar where the branch attaches to the main stem.
•Cut number two: Saw through the top of the branch, about two inches farther out from cut number one. The branch should give way about half way through this cut, with the undercut portion preventing any damage to the tree along the stem.
•Cut number three is the clean up cut, sawing through the remaining stub of the branch you want to remove. Make this cut close to the collar (the enlarged portion encircling the branch that attaches to the main stem) but do not make the cut flush with the stem; damage to the vascular system (a tree's pipeline for nutrients) may result.
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We had to cut short last week’s display of Master Rosarian Charlotte Owendyk’s list of the Ten Most Fragrant Roses to grow (the Internet was running low on zeroes and ones). Here, then, is the balance of those shows for the nose, excerpted from the June 2021 Rose Reflections Newsletter of the Sacramento Rose Society and Sierra Foothills Rose Society.
By the way, those two societies are having their spring rose show and sale, Saturday, April 30, 1-4:30 pm, at the Shepherd Garden and Art Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd. in Sacramento’s McKinley Park. Free admission, free parking. If you’re in the area, drop in and smell the roses. Sacramento Rose Society President Debbie Arrington wants to remind you, “after seeing the show, check out the McKinley Park Memorial Rose Garden, too.”
DOUBLE DELIGHT & MR LINCOLN ARE FRAGRANCE WINNERS
Two roses stand out as the most loved fragrant rose. Query rose growers and you will find Mister Lincoln and Double Delight mentioned most often. Also, these roses are frequent winners of the “most fragrant rose” award at rose shows. However, both roses are problematic in relation to disease resistance.
Hybridized in 1965, Mister Lincoln, a dark red hybrid tea, has an old fashioned, damask scent. Mr. Lincoln's blossoms are held on stiff, upright stems and will turn bluish as they age. The bushes can be expected to grow 4-5 feet tall and about 2 feet across. The lower couple of feet of the canes are usually leafless. It is susceptible to blackspot.
Double Delight, hybridized in 1977, has flowers that are a rich, creamy white to pale pink center with deep, ruby edging. They have a bushy habit, growing to about 4-5 feet with a 2-3 foot spread. It has a sweet, spicy scent. It is also susceptible to mildew.
Beverly – Perfectly formed high centered blooms with an intense fruity fragrance that has notes of citrus, peach, pear, and plum that mingle with base notes of patchouli and fresh myrtle that makes want to keep you nose in those beautiful blooms. Foliage is dark green with excellent disease resistance. The blooms open flat. This rose was the winner of the “Best Hybrid Tea” and “Most Fragrant Rose” awards at the 2013 Biltmore International Rose Trials.
Falling in Love – lovely warm pink with white accents and reverse exhibition blooms with strong rose and fruit fragrance. This rose is a good bloomer and fairly quick repeat. The rose produces big, beautiful and nicely fragrant blooms that are long lasting cut flowers. Falling in Love is upright, has big stiff canes and is fairly angular with great looking foliage. However, watch out for those thorns -- Falling in Love is one of the thorniest roses currently on the market. It's a beautiful rose and great looking bush with outstanding foliage.
Golden Celebration One of the largest-flowered English Roses, bears rich yellow blooms in the form of giant cups. They have a strong Tea fragrance, developing wonderfully combined notes of Sauternes wine and strawberry. It forms a large rounded shrub, with ample foliage – the flowers held beautifully poised on long, arching branches. A few blooms will fill a room with fragrance. Very few thorns. One of my top favs.
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However, the old garden roses (OGRs) continued to sell because they were great garden plants and many of them have outstanding fragrance. In many cases, it was the fragrance that sold the rose. And many of these OGRs, unlike hybrid teas which bloom all season long, only bloom once a season.
In 1985 a paradigm shift occurred; David Austin, a farmer in England, succeeded in breeding fragrant OGRs with repeat blooming roses to produce a whole new generation of fragrant repeat bloomers. Currently, David Austin Roses is a major hybridizer of repeat blooming roses that have fragrance and luscious bloom form. A typical example is Golden Celebration. Many members have a soft spot for these roses.
Hybridizers in the last 10-20 years have been working to incorporate disease resistance into roses. (It takes a minimum of 10 years for a rose to come to market.) Many of recent roses introduced are disease resistant to most fungal diseases.
Fragrance took a backseat to disease resistance. Now, breeders are more focused on including fragrance in roses.
MORE RECENT FRAGRANT ROSES
Firefighter – a dusky red velvet hybrid tea that is disease-resistant, with intense old rose fragrance. It is named in honor of the firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11/01. It is very productive, generating long straight stems which are almost thornless, and fragrant until it falls apart. Is an excellent cut flower. This rose grows tall.
Francis Meilland This rose has amazing sweet strong fruit and citrus rose perfumed blooms on long stems. Also winner of many awards in America and internationally. It is also tested and proven highly resistant to blackspot in a variety of climates. The bush is covered with dark green glossy foliage. Francis Meilland stood out to me because it’s a heat lover, grows long cut-worthy stems, has massive blush to white blooms, some of the most fragrant blooms. Its form is actually more of an old fashioned type rose and not your average hybrid tea.
Julia Child ‐ Just before our wonderful American icon left us, she selected this exceptional rose to bear her name. Julia loved the even butter gold color & the licorice candy fragrance. To top it off it has a perfectly rounded habit, super glossy leaves & great disease resistance. Consistent, hardy & floriferous in all climates. Very disease resistant. The blooms do fade a bit.
Memorial Day Lovely orchid pink hybrid tea rose with enormous old-fashioned full 5-6" flowers (petals 50+) saturated with super-strong classic old rose fragrance. Long, almost thornless stems are lushly adorned with clean green leaves on a continual blooming plant. Just one flower perfumes an entire room. All-American Award winner. This is my #2 favorite rose.
Pope John Paul II–Beautiful clear white blooms with approximately 45 petals de-light the nose with a strong citrus fragrance. Dark green glossy foliage is diseaseresistant. The bushy plants tops at 4 feet. DO NOT prune hard. Just de-twig and kind of shape the bush. Next season you will be surprised at the results. This is my #3 favorite rose.
Secret – My favorite rose! Produces lots of lovely creamy blooms with pink on the edges of the blooms when the petals reflex shows a touch of gold which provide aglow to the fragrant strong spicy scented blooms. Secret repeats blooms quickly and has glossy bright green foliage that is very disease resistant. Great cut flower.
Princess Alexandra of Kent - The unusually large, bright pink flowers are full-petaled and deeply cupped. In spite of their size, they are never clumsy, being held nicely poised on a well-rounded shrub. There is a strong and delicious fresh Tea fragrance, which changes to lemon, eventually taking on hints of blackcurrants. The blooms handle our heat well.
We will highlight more of Charlotte’s favorite fragrant roses in next week’s newsletter.
Happy 10th Anniversary to Me! (How Gardening Has Helped Keep Me Alive, Courtesy of The Heart-Healthy Garden
The Heart Healthy Garden is a topic that is close to my heart, literally. After being diagnosed with four cholesterol-jammed heart arteries in March 2012, I underwent quadruple coronary artery bypass graft surgery on April 17, 2012. At the same time, I was told I had full-blown Type 2 Diabetes (A1C of 10.4). My general practitioner doctor (at the time) told me after the surgery, “You’re good for three to five years, tops.” I took that as a personal challenge.The surgery went well and the long road to healing from heart disease and diabetes began...including doctors' orders that a gardener does not want to hear: no lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk for 3 months! Even more problematic for me: no bike riding for three months. After all, when surgeons slice open your sternum to work on your heart, it takes a long while for that bone to heal, despite being held together with wires.Thanks to regular exercise and a healthier diet, with a kickstart from low dosages of diabetes and heart medications, I lost over 60 pounds by February 2013, the replacement arteries (taken from the chest) that still service my heart were cholesterol-free, the blood sugar levels were back to near normal (A1C = 5.9), and I no longer needed to take any prescription medications for either of these ailments. With the doctors' blessings, of course. Today, I weigh the same as in 2013. And still ride my bike, over 100 miles a week.
A big part of my success was due to the encouragement and diet tips I got from the nurses who ran the cardiac rehabilitation program at the hospital. They believed - as I did - that there was enough clinical evidence out there that eating right and regular exercise can reverse heart disease and diabetes.
The “exercise” part of the recovery was not an issue. As an avid cyclist, I usually averaged 50 to 100 miles a week on the bike. Living at the time on 10 acres, I got a lot of weight-bearing exercise shoveling 10 cubic yard piles of mulch, and lugging it around in 8 cubic foot wheelbarrows throughout the property to keep my fruit and nut tree orchard fat and happy.
The “Diet” part of the secret? Eat less sugar. Eat more fiber. That included growing, and eating, heart-healthy fruits and vegetables, loaded with fiber.
Most people are familiar with fiber. Fiber is a component of all plant-based foods which cannot be absorbed or digested. It travels relatively intact through your body and out. This is the role of insoluble fiber, the roughage found in many fruits, vegetables and grains that passes through your digestive system and helps promote regularity. Fiber is also composed of soluble fiber, a type of fiber that dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. Studies at the Mayo Clinic and other institutions have shown that soluble fiber may help lower blood cholesterol levels by reducing low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber may have other heart-health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, blood glucose levels (important for Type 2 diabetes patients) and inflammation.Consuming foods rich in soluble fiber became one of my nutritional keystones for recovery. And it worked! If battling high cholesterol levels and diabetes are part of your life, ask your doctor if a high fiber diet (30 or more grams a day of fiber) is right for you. Better yet, ask a registered dietician. Doctors know pills. Dieticians know food. Which do you want to consume for the rest of your life?If you cast your vote for "food", you, as a gardener, may be wondering, “What are the top five fruits and vegetables with the most soluble fiber that should be part of a heart-healthy backyard garden?” Thanks for asking:
Artichokes
(3.2 grams soluble fiber per 100 grams).
According to the UC Davis Vegetable Research and Information Center website, the globe artichoke is a perennial, cool-season vegetable that yields and produces best when grown near or along the California coast where cool to mild climates prevail. In milder areas of the East Coast, some success has been reported growing from seed varieties, or from transplants such as “Imperial Star”. A mature artichoke plant produces ten or more stems during a season; each stem can provide four to five buds.Unfortunately, perennial plantings of artichokes are not recommended in areas where warm to hot temperatures are common. However, it is possible to grow high-quality artichokes in inland valleys and low desert regions of southern California by handling the crop as a direct-seeded or transplanted annual crop. Until recently, it was believed that artichoke buds produced from seed-propagated plants were of inferior quality to those produced by vegetative propagation. Recent research at the University of California has shown that seed-initiated artichokes looked and tasted great. Moreover, annual cropping makes growing artichokes feasible in gardens with limited space because the crop does not require long-term space allocation. Quicker rotation with other vegetables is also possible.To grow artichokes in warm climates, plant seeds or transplants of 'Imperial Star’ in July for inland valley locations or in September for the low deserts.Blueberries
(3.0 grams soluble fiber per 100 grams).
Up until about 25 years ago, commercial highbush blueberry production was relegated to the cooler, more humid climates, especially in the northern tier of states. The development of southern highbush blueberry varieties meant we could start growing this tasty fruit here in USDA Zone 9 and other in warm climates. According to the UC Cooperative Extension, rabbiteye blueberries grow in the southeastern part of the country and thrive in hot, humid weather but are not cold hardy. Lowbush blueberries grow in the northeastern states and Canada. Northern highbush blueberries grow from Florida to Maine and the northern tier states and have a high chilling requirement that limits their adaptability. Southern highbush blueberry varieties have a low-chill requirement and are heat tolerant. Although they are self-pollinating, blueberry fruit set will increase and berries will be larger if two varieties are planted together. Most varieties grow 4 to 6 feet tall here. A few, such as Sunshine Blue (3'), are more compact.Shell Beans
(1.6-2.2 grams soluble fiber per 100 grams).
This easy-to-grow summertime garden staple should be included in every yard. The horticultural bean (shell bean), is widely grown in many parts of the country. The colorful pods and beans of the horticultural bean make it an attractive addition to the garden and kitchen. The seeds of pinto beans look similar to those of the horticultural beans, but are smaller. They are used widely as brown beans and as refried beans in Mexican dishes. Black beans or black turtle beans make an unusual, delicious black-colored soup. They are easy to grow if given plenty of air movement to prevent the disease problems to which they are susceptible. Kidney beans are the popular chili and baking bean, available in deep red or white types. Navy pea and Great Northern beans are used in soups and as baked beans. Plantings of beans should be made after danger of frost is past in the spring and soil is warmed, since seeds planted in cold soils germinate slowly and are susceptible to rotting. One old nurseryman offers this tip to avoid rotting bean seeds: water the day you plant the seeds; don't water the soil again until you see the bean emerge from the ground.
Apricots
(1.8 grams soluble fiber per 100 grams).
Apricots - as well as other deciduous fruit and nut trees - are available inexpensively as bare root trees in late winter and early spring. According to the annual taste test surveys conducted by Dave Wilson Nursery, the top-rated apricot varieties include the Blenheim, Canadian White Blenheim, Tomcot, Early Autumn, Autumn Glow, and a couple of Apricot-Plum crosses: the Flavor Delight Aprium and the Cot-n-Candy Aprium.
Green Peas
(1.7 grams soluble fiber per 100 grams).
According to the UC Davis Vegetable Research and Information Center website, peas do best when grown during cool weather; warm weather shortens the harvest season. In the Central Valley, low foothills and East Bay, plant peas from September through March. Peas can be grown throughout the country, timed with coolness and humidity.Bush types grow in most areas of California; vine types do best when planted along the coast. It is essential to provide support for the climbing vine types. Do not use overhead irrigation; it increases the incidence of mildew. Harvest peas when the seeds and pods are well-developed, but tender enough so they may be crushed between the fingers without separating into halves. Harvest edible pod types at the first sign of seed development. The sugar content of peas readily transfers into starch. Peas overmature quickly and starch conversion continues after picking. Therefore, cook or process (can or freeze) peas soon after shelling.Bush peas have a shorter, earlier production period than the pole types. However, the pole types require extra work, but yield more and produce for a longer time.
And finally, listed from greatest to least, the soluble fiber content (grams of soluble fiber per 100 grams of food) of the most commonly grown garden fruits and vegetables:(From: Handbook of Dietary Fiber by Sungsoo Cho & Mark L. Dreher)
* artichokes 3.2
* blueberries 3.0
* pinto beans 2.2
* apricots 1.8
* green peas 1.7
* kidney beans/white beans 1.6
* raisins 1.3
* avocado 1.3
* carrots 1.3
* eggplant 1.3
* oranges 1.1
* pears 1.1
* peaches 0.9
* strawberries 0.9
* leeks 0.9
* green beans 0.7
* cabbage 0.7
* cauliflower 0.7
* peppers 0.7
* potatoes 0.6
* peanuts 0.5
* asparagus 0.5
* celery 0.5
* spinach 0.5
* sweet potatoes 0.5
* turnips 0.5
* tomatoes 0.4
* apple 0.3
* melons 0.3
* broccoli 0.3
* corn 0.2
* lettuce 0.2
* walnuts 0.1
* olives 0.1
* cucumbers 0.1
* onions 0.1
* radish 0.1
* zucchini 0.1
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I have a feeling that Luther Burbank and Jack Hadley would have been good friends.
Here are some of Jack Hadley’s life achievements, as written about in his obituary from Legacy.com, published in the January 8, 2014 Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
“Jack Hadley, a longtime Santa Rosa resident, beloved husband, father, U.S. Navy veteran and inventor of the "Whirlybird" hand-held fertilizer-spreader, passed away on Dec. 29, 2013. He was 88. The oldest of four boys, Jack was born in Martinez, CA on Dec. 15, 1925. He attended Nichols Elementary school and Mt. Diablo High School in Concord, where he excelled in football. He graduated in June 1944 and was drafted into the U.S. Navy. He was assigned to the USS Colorado BB45 battleship in Leyte Gulf, Philippines and was anchored in Okinawa when the atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. They were assembling to invade Japan when World War II ended. He was discharged in June 1946 and attended Marin Junior College where he excelled in football as a half back and fullback. His hopes were fulfilled when he received a full football scholarship to Oregon State College (now OSU) where he studied agriculture. He hoped to run a cattle ranch. After redshirting in 1947, Jack suffered a severe dislocation of his shoulder in 1948 while playing linebacker, an injury that ended his football career. But he didn't slow down, riding bareback in the College Rodeo and winning first place in 1949. After graduation, Jack joined Chevron Chemical in 1951 as a livestock specialist. In 1952 he met and fell in love with Aneta Nygren, and three months later they were married. They had their daughter, Shellie, in 1953. Later Jack was in product development working his way up to Western Regional Manager. He worked for 36 years for Chevron Ortho Division where he invented the "Whirlybird," a hand-held fertilizer spreader. More than 100 million Whirlybird spreaders have been sold to date. Jack was known for his enthusiasm, can-do attitude and his positive and sincere outlook on life. He loved people, and they flourished when around him. While working for Ortho, Jack designed and built five homes on weekends. He was a powerhouse of creativity and energy. Jack retired in December 1986. After years of living in San Rafael, he and Aneta moved to Santa Rosa in 1987. Jack designed and built a beautiful dream home for them overlooking Sonoma Valley. Jack volunteered with "Ideas to Market" an inventors group, and later was recognized by the city for his work at Luther Burbank Home and Garden.”
Some of the comments left by Jack’s friends and family on that obituary page reinforce and expand on much of what you just read:
“Jack was a kind and generous soul, always cheerful and always with a good idea. It was my pleasure to know and work with him as a fellow volunteer at Luther Burbank Home & Gardens.”
“All who knew him loved him! Hope you are spreading your wonderful good cheer wherever you are now, Jack.”
“He has a special place in our hearts, as he stood tall during the goood and not so good times.”
“Jack was a beloved boss and mentor of ours when we worked for him at Ortho. What a wonderful man, this world won't be the same but heaven is rejoicing in his coming home!”
“Always a kind word, how you doing, with a laugh. Happy memories . Laughing, smiling. Always so sweet.”
“He will always be remembered as the spark plug that ignited Chevron and made it the envy of the industry. Jack was the best at everything..the best.”
“Jack was an overwhelming personality who could not accept a "NO, Jack" on a regulatory or label issue. The Ortho family will miss him. He was a treasure.”
“Never a happier man than Jack. I am a better person for having worked for and known Jack Hadley.”
“I remember Jack when they were very involved and great volunteers at the Burbank Home & Gardens. He had such a positive and helpful attitude about everything.”
“A great man and a great life. He left an indelible mark on so many. I was blessed to have the opportunity to witness his leadership skills for 10 years.”
“Mr. Hadley was one of the best I've ever met. He was always so kind and had the nicest smile and could light up a room with those eyes. He will definitely be a shining star up above.”
“Jack was a mentor for many of us. For me he was both a professional and personal friend who taught me much about work and life.”
“Jack was a wonderful man one of the best I ever worked for. He was always in high gear and full of life. he will be missed!”
“I loved working for Jack at Ortho. He was my hero and role model.”
“Even in his 80s Uncle Jack was a delight and bubbling with life. His LOVE of family and the world around him was intoxicating...a "Hadley trait" I hope transcends generations to come. Love always Uncle Jack.”
“Jack was a wonderful man and such a fine human being. Always positive and seeing the good in life, unfailingly kind and ever a gentleman. I always felt happy when I was around him, because he was so cheerful.”
As I am compiling this, it’s getting a bit misty in here. I bet you wish you knew Jack Hadley better, too. My interaction with Jack was brief; but I’m glad to be able to share with you my few minutes chatting with him, all those years ago. You’ll never be able to think about your Whirlybird fertilizer spreader in the same way.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from some of the underlined links in the newsletter. This is how I am trying to keep this a free newsletter. And as long as you buy whatever you want from Amazon using any of those links to get into the Amazon site, I get a few pennies. Thank you.
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• How often do you feel burnt out and exhausted? Often; sometimes; never.
• How comfortable are you without wifi, or going without your phone for periods of time? Love it; hate it; it doesn’t matter; a mix of all three.
• Can you determine when the moon is full? Yes; no.
• What do you think of bugs? Fascinating; frightening.
• What are your feelings on dirt? Love it; hate it; neutral; not sure.
• What do you do when you find spiderwebs outside? Leave them where you find them; Swipe them away.
• How do you see yourself? As someone who can grow anything with a little bit of effort; as someone who is challenged by gardening and everything you try to grow withers.
Unfortunately, for those of us who are results-oriented, this is a quiz without a score. As frequent guest (and retired college horticulture professor) Debbie Flower likes to remind us, “This information will not be on the Final.” So, just be honest with yourself, and perhaps take up some of Emily’s suggestions in her book for 15 easy ways to increase your NQ, with my additional thoughts in italics:
15 Easy Ways to Increase Your NQ
* Keep a Bird book and binoculars by the window. (be sure to tell the neighbors you’re looking for birds, not hot tub parties)
* Grow three new herbs in your kitchen or on your patio (gentle reminder: marijuana is not an herb. Besides, the teenagers next door have binoculars, too, and might covet your “herb garden”.)
* Compost your kitchen scraps and yard waste. (And start a worm compost bin. They’re quiet and undemanding. They’re happy with your leftover, chopped up vegetables.)
* Try growing - from a cutting - a plant that you pass on walks in your neighborhood. (Pro tip: for the sake of your health, ask before you snip. A good book on the topic is “Plant Propagation” by Alan Toogood)
* Try propagating a favorite houseplant. (Again, the book “Plant Propagation” is a handy reference)
* Try growing mushrooms in your cupboard or in a shady spot outside. (for advice on which mushrooms you find outdoors that are safe to eat, consult someone with extensive mud stains on their shirt and pants. They are probably members of a local mycological society, who spend their weekends crawling through forests, looking for mushrooms. And let them taste it first.)
* Commit to using only organic fertilizers. (Pro Tip #2: building a healthy soil with consistent practices of mulching, composting, no-till, and cover cropping may reduce your fertilizer needs to near zero, especially on permanent plantings.)
* Follow the sun by creating outdoor spaces to be either sun or shade, depending on the season. (Pro Tip #3: just moved to a new home? Plan before planting. And that could take a year. Track the moving shade in your yard with pictures for the first year in your new home. Once each month, on a sunny day, take a series of pictures at 9am, noon, 3pm and 6pm of the areas where you want to put a garden. Gauge from those pictures whether the area, on average, is full sun (6-8 hours or more per day), part sun (4-6 hours) or mostly shade (less than 4 hours). Plant accordingly. Fear not, you can still plant in year 1. Just use containers that you can move around easily to follow the sun.)
* Add a new, pollinator-friendly planting bed to your existing garden. (In USDA Zone 9, don’t forget to add winter-blooming shrubs that are attractive to bees and other beneficials, such as rosemary and euryops.)
* Begin a nature project. What can you make with leaves, driftwood, or other found items? (I like to put fallen oak leaves in a metal trash can and whip them into small pieces with a string trimmer, and then top my raised beds with those shredded leaves. A mulching mower can accomplish that task, as well)
* Do a simple test of the soil near your home. (Inexpensive pH and macronutrient test kits are widely available. A couple of universities also do inexpensive, but complete soil testing: University of Massachusetts/Amherst and Colorado State University.)
* Plan a small cutting garden for homegrown bouquets. (Zinnias are easy to grow and long lasting as cut flowers!)
* If there are trees in your yard or nearby landscape, create a comfortable spot to sit and enjoy them for some at-home forest bathing. (A long time ago, an old edition of the Sunset Western Garden book offered instructions for creating a redwood haven. I did it, and the result was fabulous! Truly a “greenhouse” and a cool, contemplative area in the summer that attracted nesting owls. Pro tip #4: use tall, evergreen trees that are native to your area. And you’ll need a big yard to do this! Instructions at the end of this newsletter.)
* Replace a section of your lawn with a riot of regionally appropriate plants and wildflowers. (YES!)
* Fill window boxes and planters with flowers and leafy greens you’ve never planted before. (“Bright Lights” Swiss Chard is a personal favorite for the eyes and mouth.)
Pick up Emily Murphy’s book, “Grow Now”, wherever you pick up books. Lots of great advice and great pictures!
These instructions from the 1988 edition of the Sunset Western Garden Book applied to coast redwood trees. Many different varieties of conifers could be used instead: pines, cedars, and firs, for example. Choose species that are native to your area for the best chance of longterm success.
From the 1988 Sunset Western Garden book description of Sequoia sempervirens (coast redwood tree):
“Plant several in a grove or in a 40-foot diameter circle. Inside it’s cool, fragrant, and a fine spot for fuchsias, begonias, and people on hot summer days. For grove or circle planting, space trees 7 feet apart. Trees can be planted 3-4 feet apart and topped at least once a year to make a beautiful hedge.”
If you have the room, do the circle. The hedge is too much work and, in my opinion, destroys the majesty of the trees.
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By Andi MacDonald, Sacramento County Master Gardener / Professional Chef
Serves 8
What makes gumbo so special is the roux, a cooked mixture of flour and fat that both thickens and flavors the stew. Depending on what it will be used for, roux can be white, blond, brown, or black. For this gumbo, the aim is a very dark red-brown roux, which takes patience and a good eye. One way to tell that you’ve reached perfection is that the roux will smell like popcorn.
You can buy Creole seasoning from just about any grocery store or make your own. Making your own is pretty cheap and not difficult. There’s a recipe for a spice mix following the gumbo recipe.
Textured vegetable protein (tvp) is a gluten-free soy product available in many grocery stores. It can also be ordered online.
½ cup neutral oil, such as canola oil
½ cup AP flour
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 celery stalks, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
½ lb vegan Italian sausage, in ¼” slices
1 tablespoon Cajun/Creole seasoning (or to taste)
2 teaspoons Kosher salt (or to taste)
½ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 ½ cups textured vegetable protein, large chunks
7 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon filé powder mixed with water (optional, see comments in #7 below
* Combine the peppers, celery, and onions into a bowl and set aside.
* In a separate bowl combine textured vegetable protein with 1½ cups of warm water (or vegetable stock for more robust flavor). Cover and set aside.
* Pay close attention – this next step is crucial! Heat the canola oil in a heavy saucepan. When it gets hot, add the flour gradually, while vigorously stirring with a wire whisk. Boil the mixture and whisk as it continues to boil. Keep stirring until the roux becomes a dark reddish brown color and smells like popcorn. Be careful not to splash yourself or touch the side of the pan with your arm. Be both attentive and brave – this procedure could take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes. Do not ever, ever, ever walk off and leave it.
* Pull the pan off the flame. Add half of the vegetable mixture, and with a long handled wooden spoon, stir for 1 minute. It will splatter and steam – so be careful!
* Return to the flame. Add the remaining vegetable mixture and stir for an additional minute.
* Gradually stir in the vegetable stock. Add the sausage, spices, herbs, garlic, and soaked textured vegetable protein. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
* Fifteen minutes before serving, check the gumbo. If it seems too thick, add more stock. If it seems thin, thicken with a filé slurry (filé powder mixed with enough water to form a pourable paste). Taste and add salt if desired.
* Serve over rice and top with fried okra pieces. Some cooks add okra to the stew with the other vegetables. Personally, I find boiled okra too slimy. It’s best if it’s fried and sprinkled on top. Win-win for both camps!
Creole Seasoning
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoons ground white pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon msg (optional)
Combine ingredients in a small jar and stir or shake to blend.
=====================================
Although I am very familiar with the smell of freshly-made, stovetop or air-popped popcorn (which, by the way, has a much more pleasant aroma than overly zapped, artificially flavored, microwave popcorn), I had questions about some of her ingredients: neutral oil? AP flour? Filé powder?
“Neutral oil is an oil that doesn't have a strong flavor, such as canola, corn, grape seed, and mild olive oils,” explains Macdonald. “AP flour is white all-purpose flour, the kind used for just about everything. Filé powder, also called gumbo powder, is dried sassafras root. It is traditionally used to thicken gumbo. It's mixed with water to form a glutinous slurry (fancy chef talk for paste), which is then stirred into the gumbo, usually not long before serving. It's probably available at stores, but I order it from Amazon because I don't have the time nor inclination to drive all over the county trying to find it. In place of filé, a cornstarch slurry would work, as would potato flakes; neither exactly traditional, but it thickens the stew. Gumbo is served over rice.”
And as you heard in our chat, “Yaya” is the Greek endearment for “grandma”.
You’ve probably grown many of the ingredients of this gumbo recipe. But celery? Okra? And what about growing your own seasonings, including cumin, coriander, paprika, and chipotle?
Celery
As odd as it sounds, the primary commercial growing areas for celery in the United States are California and Michigan. Two very different climates. However, the majority of commercial farms in California growing celery are nestled in the fertile valleys near the Pacific Ocean, areas that seldom get above 90 degrees or below 40 degrees. Celery prefers climates without the extreme temperatures (which is Michigan in the summertime). In hot climates, success depends on your timing. Celery plantings in March and April or August through November in hot summer areas helps this sensitive crop dodge the heat in its developmental stages. For most of the country, March is the ideal month to start celery from seed, indoors. Set out transplants (which are much easier than from seed) in hot summer areas in March or April; in mild areas of the country set them out in late May or early June. Read more here from Johnny’s Selected Seeds about growing celery.
Okra
“Valued as a key ingredient in authentic Southern gumbo and other soups and stews, okra can also be roasted, pickled, dipped, or grilled. Despite being slow to evolve from seeding to fruiting, pods form repeatedly and quickly in late summer.” Here’s more from the Sonoma County (CA) Master Gardeners on how to grow okra.
Chipotle
Not the restaurant chain. It’s a dried, smoked jalapeño pepper. The website, chilipeppermadness.com says it takes 10 pounds of jalapeños to make one pound of chipotles. Here’s how to do it, from that same website.
Cumin and Coriander: Two Different Plants
The cumin plant: Cuminum cyminum. Here’s how to grow this herb and harvest its seeds, from West Coast Seeds.
The Coriander plant, Coriandrum sativum. But you may know is by its other common name, cilantro. A cool season crop in hot areas; a summer crop in milder areas. However, if all you want are the cilantro leaves, hot climate gardeners can grow it as a micro green in a shady area. Fill a tray with a light, seed-starting soil, scatter the cilantro seeds throughout. When they get a few inches tall, give it a haircut of about an inch or so from the top, and harvest just the upper leaves. The book, The Sunset Western Garden Book of Edibles says this about harvesting the coriander seeds: “To collect seeds, pull up whole plants when fruits (which look like seeds) begin to turn gray-brown; then put the plants headfirst into bags and shake them; or, hang them over paper and let seeds drop.”
Paprika
Grow it like you would a pepper. Because, it’s a pepper! Renee Shepherd of Renee’s Garden seed company is fond of the “Hungarian Magyar” paprika pepper, and explains how to grow it here.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from some of the underlined links in the newsletter. This is how I am trying to keep this a free newsletter. And as long as you buy whatever you want from Amazon using any of those links to get into the Amazon site, I get a few pennies. Thank you.
Thanks for Subscribing and Spreading the Word About the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred newsletter, I appreciate your support.
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You will also see the notation, “F1”, after many of these hybrid varieties. No, they are not part of the international Formula One auto racing circuit (although “Pepper Quickfire” would be a good name for an accident-prone driver).
According to the smarty pants experts who occupy the F1 Wikipedia entry, “…the term F1 hybrid (also known as filial 1 hybrid) is usually reserved for agricultural cultivars derived from two parent cultivars. These F1 hybrids are usually created by means of controlled pollination, sometimes by hand pollination.”
PEPPERS TO TRY IN 2022
Pepper Carmen F1 2006 AAS Edible Vegetable Winner
Carmen is an improved sweet pepper with an unusual shape. Most gardeners think of a bell shape when “sweet” peppers are mentioned. Not so anymore. Carmen is an Italian bull’s horn type which refers to its elongated shape, about 6 inches long. The medium thick flesh is the sweetest when it is ripe red, but Carmen peppers are sweet even when immature or green. One of the improved traits is the earliness to ripe red. Gardeners can look for red peppers about 75 days after transplanting into warm garden soil. The other improved traits are sweet flavor and high yield. Carmen proved to be widely adaptable, flowering and setting fruit over a wide temperature range. Like all peppers, Carmen will produce the highest number of peppers when grown in full sun and given proper nutrients and water. Carmen plants are productive with an upright, medium height of 28 to 30 inches. This plant size is perfectly adaptable to larger patio containers.
Cornito Giallo F1 2016 AAS Edible – Vegetable Winner
“DOUBLE YUM” was one judge’s response to the AAS Winner Cornito Giallo F1 pepper, “The flavor on this one is totally a winner!” Starting as small green fruits, this AAS Winner develops into bright yellow jewels with a delicious sweet and fruity flavor. The peppers themselves are plentiful and durable, yet easy to eat fresh. Being an early bloomer, you will be able to enjoy these peppers throughout the growing season and well into the fall. Plant Cornito Giallo F1 in your garden this year and you can join our judges in exclaiming “YUM!”
Dragonfly F1 Sweet Pepper 2022 AAS Edible-Vegetable Winner
Dragonfly pepper plants produce beautiful purple peppers that have thick, sweet walls, unlike the thin papery walls of other purples on the market. Similar to the beloved dragonfly that flits around your garden, this pepper transforms itself from a green pepper into a purple fruit that is as delicious at the green stage of maturity as it is when fully purple and mature. Overall, it’s a much better purple color than comparison varieties, with above average, robust pepper flavor. Fruits are held high on the plant, keeping them from the soil. The 4-lobed fruits do not fade, and if left on the vine, turn a beautiful, bright red color.
Escamillo F1 Pepper 2016 AAS Edible – Vegetable Winner
A wonderful sweet taste on a golden yellow pepper, the Escamillo F1 pepper is an early bearing pepper plant with a compact habit makes it an ideal choice for any home garden. Gardeners will be captivated with the high yield of peppers per plant and how the fruit itself is held off the ground for easy picking and less rotting. This plant is a winner with its all-around qualities of excellent taste either raw, cooked or fire roasted, compact size and high yield.
The early and heavy production of the yellow sweet pepper Gypsy provides color and flavor variety to your salads and dips. The 3-4 inch wedge-shaped fruits are very tender, crunchy and sweet. The plants average 18-20 inches in height with a 14-18 inch spread and are resistant to tobacco mosaic virus disease. (One of my personal favorites. Gypsy has been part of my pepper bed for over 30 years)
Just Sweet F1 pepper 2019 AAS Edible – Vegetable Winner
A unique snacking pepper with four lobes like a larger bell pepper, only smaller. Not only are the 3 inch fruits deliciously sweet with nice thick walls but the plants are vigorous growers (up to 36 inches tall and 15 inches wide) that don’t need to be staked because they’ve been bred to have a strong bushy habit. Many judges conduct consumer taste tests and reported back that this pepper won those tests, hands down. The Just Sweet peppers are exceptionally bright, shiny and a vivid yellow color with a flavor described as sweet with aromatic accents. Great lunchbox item for kids!
Nadapeno pepper (from Baker Creek, Not an AAS Winner)
Love the flavor and crunch of jalapeño, but can’t take the heat? This truly heatless jalapeño is perfect for those with sensitivity or aversion to the heat of traditional jalapeño peppers. Great for pickling, stuffing, poppers and salsa. This variety is very early and prolific! (Not only will it fool your heat-sensitive taste buds, it will also fool Mother Nature. Nadapeno produced sweet peppers for us through mid-December)
Although colored peppers can be difficult to grow, this 2011 AAS Winner, Orange Blaze F1, solves that problem. This variety proved itself a winner in AAS Trialing Grounds across North America due to early maturity, sweet flavor, and disease resistance. It matured to a beautiful orange color earlier than the comparisons. Expect a very sweet flavor at full orange color about 65-70 days from transplant. Orange Blaze F1 produces 3 to 4-inch long fruits about 1 1/2 inches wide with 2-3 lobes. High resistance to diseases.
Pot-a-Peno Pepper F1 2021 AAS Edible – Vegetable Winner
Pot-a-Peno is a fun new jalapeno pepper with a compact habit perfect for growing in containers and hanging baskets. Plentiful small, green jalapeño fruits have a traditional spicy zip that is great in any dish where you want a little punch of spice. Simply leave the fruit on the vine a few extra weeks and they will ripen to red for a sweet, spicy flavor. This variety is earlier to mature than other jalapenos giving you a head start on your garden’s harvest. A unique trait of Pot-a-Peno is how the fruit hangs down beneath the plant making it very easy to harvest without damaging the appearance or productivity of the plant. A dense foliage canopy makes for an attractive addition to your patio or balcony garden.
Not a sweet pepper, but not too hot, either. In the podcast that starts off this newsletter, Diane Blazek, Executive Director of the All-America Selections organization, has a recipe for stuffed poppers using the Pot-A-Peno pepper, cream cheese and mild sausage.
Pepper Quickfire F1 2022 AAS Edible – Vegetable Winner
Mighty, strong, hot, and quick! What more might one want in a hot Thai-type pepper? Quickfire peppers produce plenty of hot delicious fruits on a compact, sturdy plant that is perfect for container gardening. No staking is required. This pepper has tremendous ornamental value but was bred for its taste and yield. Culinary gardeners will definitely want to give this gem a try in their Thai and other Southeast Asian dishes where a little heat and kick give the meal some quickfire!
Roulette F1 Habanero 2018 AAS Edible – Vegetable Winner
Roulette F1 resembles a traditional habanero pepper in every way (fruit shape, size and color, and plant type) with one exception – No Heat! This AAS National Winner’s one-ounce fruits are red with thick walls when it matures and a nice citrusy (no heat) habanero flavor! Gardeners will be delighted with the earlier production of large, uniform fruit and a very high yield. One judge noted that each plant easily produces 10-11 fruits at one time and up to 100 per season so there are plenty to eat fresh, cook with, and enjoy! For an early fruit production of a habanero pepper that will charm even those that don’t like it hot, take your chances…Roulette is the perfect choice.
Tequila sweet pepper (Fred’s choice) A true purple sweet bell pepper, deep in color with early maturity. Its 3 to 4-lobed fruits mature to a medium red. Matures in 75 days. Cut it open and savor the delightful aroma! Attractive fruits make excellent stuffed peppers and stir-fries. Resists Tobacco Mosaic Virus.
This completely heat-free jalapeno is an improved version of the popular Fooled You Hybrid. Get jalapeno flavor without the heat or mix with hot jalapeno varieties to create the exact heat level you want in hot sauces and salsas. Improvements include disease resistance to Bacterial Spot, races 0-3, 7, and 8. Expect large harvests of these peppers that are 4½ inches long and 1½ inches wide. 90 days. https://tomatogrowers.com/products/tricked-you-hybrid
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from some of the underlined links in the newsletter. This is how I am trying to keep this a free newsletter. And as long as you buy whatever you want from Amazon using any of those links to get into the Amazon site, I get a few pennies. Thank you.
Thanks for Subscribing and Spreading the Word About the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred newsletter, I appreciate your support.
And thank you for listening to the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast! It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. Please share it with your garden friends.
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