The Seedling Debate - How Deep Do They Go?

Although it’s great to start vegetables right in the ground from seed, sometimes we gardeners have to compromise to provide a controlled environment or the right timing for starts.  Whether grown at home using a heat mat or greenhouse, or picked up at the local nursery, Bill has learned a few tricks over the years about transplanting seedlings.  There are two key things to remember.  First of all, leave the roots as undisturbed as possible - don’t loosen them as you would with plantings of trees and shrubs even if they are compacted.  Secondly, handle seedling by their leaves and not their stems.  Disturbing the roots or damaging the stem will slow the initial growth of seedlings once they’re in the ground.  There’s no question it can be a challenge to get seedlings out of a six pack intact and can occasionally require some aggressive loosening and pushing.  If all the potting soil comes off the roots don’t give up in dismay - just plant seedling with bare roots as gently as possible.  If there are multiple plants in each cell, gently tease them apart and plant separately.  Almost all vegetables except carrots, radishes, and turnips can be transplanted when young.  Surprisingly even beets can be easily transplanted as seedlings. 


When it comes to planting depth, we two bloggers have a difference of opinion and experience.  Bill argues for planting at the same depth as the soil around the seedling and Terry would have been in the same camp up until this year.  At an amazing organic production garden in Occidental, Terry was instructed to plant all seedlings deeper than the current root ball – digging a hole deep enough to bury them to just below the first set of leaves.  Ever the science teacher, she ran an experiment in the Havens garden this winter with brassica family plants.  Students planted broccoli, chard and cauliflower, all from the same batch of seedlings, at two different depths.  At first all the plants seemed to grow at the same rate, but then the deeper plantings really took off, producing much more vigorous and productive plants.  From now on seedlings in her garden are going in at a deeper level.  With this new data, we’ll have to see what Bill decides.

Time to Plan the Summer Vegetable Garden


From Bill:
Whether you’re about to embark on your first vegetable garden or have many years of experience, it’s time to be thinking about where and what to plant this year.   No matter how much you know, there’s always more to learn about vegetable gardening and there are lots of books out there to advance your knowledge.  On a recent visit to the book store I found a whole wall of books about vegetable gardening and I’ve been reading on the subject since the 1970’s.  There are two contemporary books I can highly recommend:


“Golden Gate Gardening—A Complete Guide to Year-Round Food Gardening in the San Francisco Bay Area and Coastal California” by Pam Pierce, Sasquatch Books. 


“The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food” by Tanya L. K. Denckla, Storey Books.  


Both of these books provide a good reference for growing specific vegetables and vegetable gardening in general.  Golden Gate Gardening also provides excellent detail on  growing vegetables specifically in our area.  I think almost any gardener can learn from reading the first part of this book.  Although I’ve found a lot of information on growing vegetables on the Internet, much of it is not applicable to our area or to the home gardener.  These books are a good place to start before looking for nuances of information on-line.


And if you’re going to start gardening, it’s time to be thinking about seeds—I already have 15 six packs of seeds planted and sprouting on my germinating heating pads.  The first sprouts were up after only a week, so I’ve turned on the lights.  I have been using commercial planting mix as the medium for starting my seeds but it hasn’t been entirely satisfactory in the past so I’ve sent away for some germinating mix to try for the first time.  There are recipes for preparing your own germinating mix but you need to have all the resources available.  


As for where to get seeds, you can start by hitting the local garden center and checking out their seed racks.  However, to get a sense of possibilities, seed catalogs are a great source.  You can go on-line and search for seeds from the various suppliers but I think it’s easier and more fun to go through the hard copies.  Here are a few we suggest:


Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds  www.rareseeds.com, 1-417-924-8917
    (the most beautiful vegetables you’ll ever see…)
Territorial Seed Company  www.territorialseed.com or 1-800-626-0866
Seeds of Change   www.seedsofchange.com    1-888-762-7333      
Burpee  www.gardeners.com    or 1-800-888-1447

Snails and Slugs - The Constant Battle

From Bill with a few comments from Terry: 

Most gardeners in our area struggle with the control of snails and slugs.  Although baits can be effective controls some gardeners are reluctant to use them because of the possible hazard to children and pets.  In addition I understand that the baits will kill worms in the garden with one exception that I’ll mention later.

I’ve collected a long list of alternative ways to combat snails and slugs.   You’ll be able to find success with some of these.  However, the gardener must be persistent in eradicating these pests because, even though you succeed in getting rid of the adults, their eggs persist in the soil.  Diligence is the key. 

Here’s a list of ways to attack snails and slugs:

- Simply pick them up and crush them between you fingers or under foot.

- If you’re squeamish, you can put them in a mixture of water and dish soap and they will soon be dead.

- Go out at night with a flash light when they’re out and pick them as above.

- Put out empty grapefruit halves propped up and pick these up in a day or two and dispose of them with the slugs in them. 

- Lay out wet newspaper for a day or two and dispose with the slugs on it.

- Surround vulnerable plants with sharp gravel, egg shells or copper bands.

- Surround raised beds with cooper strips or gutter wire.

- Lay out a tarp with a small bowl of meat juice and go out with a flash light at 9-10 PM.

- Set out bowls of beer.  The slugs and snails are attracted and fall in, get drunk, and drown.  (From Terry:  I’ve found that cat food or tuna cans are the perfect size for this – hold a limited amount of beer - but are just right for slug drowning.  Trader Joe’s beer at $2.00 a sixpack draws them in just fine…)

- Spray your soil and plants with a mixture of one part ammonia to ten parts water.  It should kill the slugs and supposedly it does not damage the plants.

- Spray your plants with coffee.

- Weed regularly and clear plant debris so there are fewer places to hide.

- Water in the morning rather than the evening so the soil is not damp at night.

- Put out decoy food like lettuce leaves to tempt the slugs away from plants.

- Protect seedlings with cut plastic bottles.

- Line pots and containers with copper tape.

- Hoe regularly to bring slug and snail eggs to the surface where predators can get them.

- Phasmorhabiditis Hermaphrodita is a parasitic nematode that kills slugs.  I have not seen it for sale but it’s out there somewhere. (From Terry:  I tried it but my slugs seem to be immune and thriving.  It seemed like a great idea but don’t waste your money…) 

- Finally—Sluggo is a non-toxic slug and snail bait.  Iron phosphate is the active ingredient. Over time the Sluggo degrades and becomes a part of the soil.  Ingestion by the slugs and snails will cause them to cease feeding.  They begin to die in three to six days.  

I continue to regularly pick slugs and snails out of my garden.  I've tried beer, newspaper, and copper tape with varying success.  I now apply Sluggo on a regular basis because of the persistence of the eggs.  I'm now noticing a substantial reduction of the pests in my garden as a result.  However, Sluggo is expensive and requires frequent application.  Beer has to be refilled often  and copper tape is expensive and has to be kept clean.  Newspaper tends to dry out blow around.   So for the frugal gardener tried-and-true, day-to-day, (and night by night) hand-to-hand combat against snails and slugs is the best deterrent.  Try some of the ideas on the list and let us know how they work for you.

Artichokes – ‘Tis the Season for Planting Edible Thistles

From Bill:

Do you enjoy a good artichoke?  Well now is the time to start them if you do.  Unlike most vegetables, the best time to plant is from November through March.  They’re not difficult to grow, and once established an artichoke plant will produce for several years.  I’ve had them last for seven years.

Start by purchasing your artichoke plant(s) at a good nursery or garden center.  I’ve found that the smaller less expensive plants eventually do just as well as the larger ones.

When planting be aware that artichokes do take up some space - as much as six feet in diameter and generally 3-4 feet in height.  They need deep, rich, well-drained soil and the more sun the better.  I now have several plants, and the amount of sun they get really makes a difference in production.  The plants are drought resistant, but for robust edible artichokes, regular water is necessary along with a monthly application of nitrogen fertilizer.  Usual production is a harvest in the spring and a second crop in the fall, but with regular fertilizing I find I can get artichokes through much of the year.

Harvest the artichokes by cutting about 4 inches below the bud, preferably before it starts to open.  When a stalk is through producing buds, cut it off close to the ground.  New shoots will appear around the old stalk. 

The main problem with artichokes in our area is aphid infestation.  These are prevented by controlling for ants that tend the aphids on the artichokes.  Use whatever method you favor, organic or otherwise, to keep the ants away from your plants.

There are several varieties of artichokes.  I grow three different ones and each has unique characteristics.  So, you may want to be aware of differences when purchasing your plants.

After a year of growth, the roots can be divided and replanted 3 to 4 inches deep with the shoot above the ground to provide additional plants. 

And Terry Adds:

Consider artichokes as a decorative food plant as well.  I’m planning to intersperse some in my front garden among the other drought tolerant plantings.   Their jagged grey foliage adds another attractive texture that fits right in.  We’re also having success growing them in containers in the garden at Havens.  Beautiful and delicious, what more can we ask for? 

Winter Vegetable Gardening

Bill’s advice: 

 

Snap Peas

The first day of winter is a few weeks away.  However, we are already in the thick of what I would consider the winter vegetable gardening season.  The summer plants are almost all gone and any seeds for winter plants should have been planted weeks ago (except for peas and fava beans).  But, it’s not too late!  You can clean up and leave it for next spring, or continue to get some production out of the garden.  The sun is low in the sky so for gardens shaded by trees, it is really difficult to grow much in the winter season.  For those with sun exposure it’s time for a trip to the nursery for seedlings of cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, lettuce, chard, cabbage, kale, collards, and strawberries.  Onion sets can be planted for green onions but sets for the larger onions should be planted in February or later.  Now is the time to plant garlic and artichokes (even, if you have minimal sun).  If you already have artichokes, think about dividing your plants to get even more.  Peas can be planted now and while it’s not the best time, potatoes can also be started.  Summer season carrots and beets can be left in the ground and picked as needed.  However, they will go to seed, if left until spring.  So, if you’re not already a year around vegetable gardener, consider trying it.  Next year start your planting for winter in the late summer when you can start your own seedlings. 

Fava Beans

And Terry adds:

bird netting over peas

Snap peas are coming up happily both at home and in the Havens garden.  We’re experimenting with two varieties of bush snap peas this year – our tried and true Cascadia, and a newer variety called Sugar Bush.  We’ll let you know the pros and cons.  If you plant peas, don’t forget to cover with bird netting until they are a few inches tall.  Pea shoots are like bird candy and frenzied birds can rip out the whole crop in short order.  Once the peas are taller, the netting can go.  Birds will nibble on the leaves but not rip them out of the ground.  Fava beans also thrive at this time of year and add fresh accents to dishes throughout the winter.  Escarole is another favorite of mine in the winter garden.  It can be sautéed or braised like other greens, but really shines in soups where it adds a silken texture.   

Heirloom Pumpkin Pies

Since I took on baking them myself, all of my holiday pies have come directly from the pumpkin. Over time they became my expected contribution to the feast.   Back in the food dark ages, I used ordinary jack-o-lantern pumpkins. Although the pulp was on the watery side, it was still an improvement over that nasty looking stuff in the cans.  I graduated to Sugar Pie pumpkins when they became readily available, and in recent years have grown my own.  This year’s crop of exotically named Galeux D Eysines heirlooms was surely the best ever.  The name romantically translates to “embroidered with pebbles from Eysines.”   A luscious rosy salmon color with oddly warty bumps, they were almost too gorgeous to bake, but bake them I did.  The largest topped out at 16 inches in diameter packed with about 25 pounds of solid orange flesh. 

wedged into the oven

In prior years I’ve cut my pumpkins in half, scooped out the seeds and baked face down on a cookie sheet, but this behemoth stymied that plan.  Cutting through that monster would have taken a chain saw.  Always looking for the simple solution, I decided just to pop (well maybe wedge..) the whole thing into the oven with the temperature set at 350.  After 3 hours, it was so tender I could pierce it through with a bamboo skewer.  Drooping over the cookie sheet a bit did make it a little tricky to extricate from the oven, (can you hear my husband laughing in the background?) but once  on the counter, scooping out the lovely orange flesh and separating the seeds was a breeze. 

After this successful experiment, I swore off wrestling with a knife and unbaked pumpkin ever again.  Out of the food processor flowed a silken orange puree that set my mouth watering in anticipation of pies to come and tonight I grabbed a quart from the fridge to make a Pumpkin Curry soup that tasted of fall in the garden.  Now that’s what Thanksgiving is all about.

Terry

Radicchio Regrets

Radicchio—If only I had done a little more research.  We see Radicchio in the grocery store at a $4.50 a head or pound.  It's a tight purple ball streaked with white.  Often found in salads in good restaurants and in salad mixes, it’s a member of the chicory family and has the typical bitter taste.  I’d grown some radicchio several years ago.  I didn’t pay much attention to it and in winter I was pleased to be harvesting heads of this expensive vegetable.  (I grew padron peppers, another expensive vegetable, this year to the delight of family, friends, and neighbors.  These sold at one time at $6.50 a quarter pound.) 

Struck by my initial success, I've planted radicchio the last four years in a row.  At first I had difficulty getting the seeds to germinate, and then for two seasons I got a great profusion of plants and green leaves but no purple balls.  I thought there was something wrong with the seeds and pulled the plants up.  I planted again this year and when green leaves appeared, I didn’t pull them up and am now starting to get the purple balls.  I recently came upon an article online that described how to grow radicchio.  It turns out that radicchio is a perennial and will form the balls again in the spring!  I also learned that I should have cut the profusion of leaves down within two inches from the ground to encourage the formation of the purple balls. 

Since finding that information, I’ve found even more elaborate schemes for growing this expensive vegetable.  I suspect that these methods are used in commercial cultivation of radicchio.  They're too much work for me, however, at any price.  

Bill