Garden Preparation - May

The excitement levels of backyard gardeners increasewith each passing day of May, but try to contain that excitement because a late heavy frost can dash your expectations throughout the month.  However, here are a few things you can do...

• Sow seeds for  cool hardy veggies in the garden; peas, beets, cabbage spinach, chard etc., but check the soil temp just in case. These fellows will deal with soils in the 50°F range, but don't let your excitement think that you can sneak in bean seeds much less set out those tomatoes and pepper plants you just bought from the big box store.

• If you already have set out cool hardy plants, then you might want to start checking for cutworms, slugs and even flea beetles. If your seeds have sprouted, think about thinning.

• Towards the end of this month, remember to move your seedlings out of the cellar during the daytime to harden them to the real world. Keep your eyes on the weather forecasts because you may not want to leave the plants out over night.  What you are really doing is exposing the plants to the spring breezes that will motivate them to streghten their stems.

• There's still time to start seeds for some of the warm weather lovers like cucumbers, melons and peppers indoors.  If you also starting lettuce, remember to keep it cool (under 70°F) and shaded - otherwise the seeds will stay dormant and not sprout.

Veggie History - Lettuce [Lacuca sativa]

Romain types were some of the earliest  varieties
  probably developed by the Eqyptians.

Botanists believe that lettuces, botanically part of the daisy family, Asteraceae, derives from a wild variety in Asia Minor and may have been first cultivated by the Egyptians and the farmers in Mesopotamia. The wild variety probably resembled celtuce - a stem type that we now think of as an Asian vegetable (commonly called: Chinese or asparagus lettuce), but it was likely introduced into China between 400 and 600 AD. The Greeks and  Romans liked the cultivars that the Egyptians had developed and added  lettuces to their menues. Eventually the Romans introduced lettuces to Britain. The Romans, of course, evacuated Britain, but the lettuces stayed.

Celtuce

• Celtuce is a great cool weather plant. You can start it indoors a month before the last frost or directly seed it into the ground. It is robust enough to sprout even when soil temperatures are just 40°F.  Space seeds 1" apart and thin to 8" spacing. Harvest when  plants reach 8-10", or you can let them to full size (about the size of a Brussel sprout),   full cooking.  If you want full size plants, spacing needs to be increased to 18."  Both leaves and stauks are editable.

In England the Elizabethans grew both a few head and leaf varieties, and  early New England colonists mention lettuce seeds in their diaries  as early as the 1630s. By the end of the 18th century in New England, "market gardeners" near coastal urban areas like Boston that offered  ready supplies of animal (as well as  seaweed) manures learned to grow lettuces and other seasonal crops on their southern slops to sell to city dwellers.   In Virginia Thomas Jefferson grew Dutch Red, a loose head variety, but like many gourmands of those times and earlier, he  preferred lettuce to be either boiled or sautéed.  Lettuce in salads was sometimes also eaten with simple vinegar dressings, but fresh salads remained restricted to upper class  menues until practically the end of the 19th century. Starting early in the 20th century lettuce in fresh salads spread around the globe.


And remember...

"The metaphor of the melting pot is unfortunate and misleading. A more accurate analogy would be a salad bowl, for,
 though the salad is an entity,  the lettuce can still be distinguished from the chicory, 
the tomatoes from the cabbage." -  Carl N. Degler

Book Recommendation - Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening

Matt Mattus' Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening (Cool Springs Press, 2018) is another attractive gardening book about growing vegetables,  and  it one that I will be adding  to my recommended booklist.

This is a good book for new gardeners who may not be familiar with many of the details of cultivating vegetables or even with the names of commonly grown varieties. Mattus  divides his attention between how to grow different types of vegetables and summarizes the distinguishing characteristics of common cultivars along with a few less popular varieties. He does not overwhelm the gardner with information because his focus is on the practical: how and when to plant, weed and water; what are the pests and  practical responses to them. Mattus is not necessarily committed to organic practices, but  his use of commercial fertilizers and pesticides is judicious.  

Although chapter headings are entitled by common vegetable names, e.g.,  "Onions, Leeks & Garlic" and "Asparagus, Rhubarb, and Artichokes," the chapters actually appear  in alphbetical order according to the genus of the vegetable groups. This arrangement only becomes clear within a chapter where the principal species within a genus are identified: onion (allium cepa) and leeks (allium porrum). The result is that a new gardener initially may  scan through the pages (not a bad thing to do really) to find peppers or,  in desperation, go to the index  to find the page reference for her favorite vegetable. In short, if you know a new gardener who is wondering about what to plant and how to grow it (as well as liking books)  Mastering the Art of Vegetable Growing would make a thoughtful gift.

In case you're wondering, Matt Mattus, a resident of Worcester, MA, is a trustee of the Tower Hill Botanic Garden (Boyston, MA), a past president of the American Rock Garden Society and authors the blog, Growing With Plants.

And remember...

"Growing your food is like printing your own money." - Ron Finley

What's in your garden soil? - Earthworms

Now that it's spring most gardeners probably have seen worms on sidewalks, driveways, lawns etc. Backyard gardeners probably know that most earthworms are good for their gardens, but exactly why are they good?  Our common earthworms are actually returnees to North America, and in some of our ecological systems they can actually be detrimental.  The following text comes from Cornell University's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Agronomy Fact Sheet Series - Fact Sheet #102 : Earthworms in Agroecosystems published in 2018 by Madeline Kennear, Quirine Ketterings, Karl Cymmeck, Mike Stanyard, Mark Ross and Kitty O'Neal.  I think it's an excellent, straight forward treatment of what these critters do in farm lands as well as in garden soil and compost piles.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Introduction 

Add capti

Earthworms are soil dwelling invertebrates (animals without a back bone) that were present in the northeastern United States in the past but then got wiped out by ice age glaciers.  Their reintroduction to the moderal agriculatural ecosystem occured a few centuries ago as a result of the European and Asian horticulural trade.  This factsheet provides information about the types of earthworms in North America, impact of earthworms activity on agriculture, a technique that can be used to estimate earthworm populations in a field, and agricultural management pratices that can promote earthworm activities.

Types of Earthworms

Earthworms are classified into three main categories according to their feeding and burrowing habits: endogeic, anecic, and epigeic earthworms. A species may be categorized into more than one of these groups.

•   Endogeic earthworms are deep burrowers that create temporary, horizontally-oriented burrows up to 20 inches below the surface. They consume organic matter from the soil. This organic matter is typically older and not as rich in nutrients as the organic matter consumed by other types of earthworms. Endogeic earthworms typically appear grey in color (little pigment) and range in size from 1 to 5 inches. Species in this group can be found on the soil surface after heavy rain.

•   Anecic earthworms are very deep burrowers. They build permanent vertical burrows and can be found up to 80 inches deep. They feed on soil and leaf litter from the surface, which they pull into the burrows, hereby also supplying “feed” for other organisms at the same soil depth. Anecic earthworms are primarily grey colored as well but they have a red or black head. Earthworms referred to as “nightcrawlers” are in this group.

•   Epigeic earthworms live at the soil surface and feed on leaf litter. They are typically only 0.5 to 3 inches long. This group has pigmented bodies and includes “red worms”.

Benefits of Earthworms

Earthworms are useful in an agricultural system because of their eating habits. They consume large quantities of soil and plant residue and help break down organic matter. Earthworm feces (casts) have high levels of plant-available essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which can be used by plants or other organisms. The casts and burrow walls are hotspots for microbial and enzymatic activity, and in areas where the casts are expelled, the soil pH is often higher.

Earthworms can help with pest management as well. They can control populations of certain nematodes and overwintering fungi populations that reside in the soil. Earthworms eat the eggs and spores of some harmful nematodes and fungi and thereby suppress their population.

Burrowing habits of many of the earthworm species increase soil aeration and tilth of the soil. Burrows allow for easier root growth for crops while also increasing water infiltration. Aggregation that results from burrowing and cast production can increase soil porosity and reduce soil compaction.Through their feeding, burrowing, and the creation of casts, earthworms can contribute toimproved nutrient cycling and availability, and may enhance soil health over time.

Negative Effects of Earthworms

While earthworms can greatly benefit nutrient cycling and soil structure, intense burrowing may result in excessive aeration and nutrient leaching problems. Some anecic species are capable of creating permanent burrows from the soil surface all the way to tile drains, if present. This can be problematic when burrows provide pathways for manure and fertilizer nutrients to quickly reach tile lines and become unavailable for plant uptake. Such issues can be addressed with shallow incorporation of manure and fertilizer which disrupts burrow structures.

Research is currently being done in forest ecosystems to better understand the potential negative effects of the reintroduction of earthworms in these systems.

Population Estimates

Table 1: An example of average earthworm population in fields under various crop 
             management practices that were implemented for 10 years or more.

Tillage	Management	Earthworms/yd2
Corn (continuous)	Plow	8
	No-till	20
Soybean (continuous)	Plow	50
	No-till	120
Bluegrass-clover	Alleyway	365
Dairy pasture	Manure	285
	Manure (heavy)	1100

Source: Earthworms and Crop Management. 
            Purdue University Cooperative Extension Agronomy Guide.

Summary

Earthworms help to improve soil structure and nutrient cycling and are beneficial to agricultural sustainability. The population of earthworms in the soil can be estimated by counting the number of earthworms in small, representative parts of a field. Earthworm abundance, diversity, and their burrowing activity are affected by crop and soil management practices. Practices that improve soil health also support earthworms. These practices include addition of organic materials, leaving residues in fields, manure application, and reduced tillage.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Little More About Worms 

• The most recent worm arrival now among us, commonly called either the Jumping or Crazy Worm,  is not so benevolent.   It out competes its more established cousins and other soil critters and easily lives as well in thin forest soils by consuing the relatively scarce hummus on the forest floor.  For more information about this rascal check this blog's POST about it from last year.

• Earthworms are actually more efficient composters than bacteria and fungi and so highly are desirable to have  in your compost pile; but they like cool and moist conditions. Don't let your compost dry out. 

• Most earthworms like neutral or slightly acidic soils. The pH scale goes from 0 → 14 [acidic → alkaline] with 7 being neutral. Most vegetables grow happily between the values of 5.5 →  7.5 which is also pleasant for our familiar earthworms. 

• As acidity increases earthworms may enter diapause, a state of dormancy in hopes of a change in environmental conditions.  They also prefer loamy soils.  Sandy soil can be too abrasive for their skins and it tends to not hold moisture. Clay soils are difficult for earthworms to tunnel and it tends to stay too moist.  

• Earthworms are actually more efficient composers than bacteria and fungi.  They are desirable in your compost pile because they will speed up the production of hummus; but remember to keep your compost pile moist.  If it heats up (an unlikely event for backyard piles) the earthworms will just burrow downward to find cooler temps.

• To attract and keep earthworms in your garden, you also need to keep the soil cool, evenly moist and have compost for them to eat.  Keeping between 2 - 4 inches of compost on top of your soil should do the trick.  

• To check on your garden's worm population do the following:

• Mix 2 tablespoons of mustard powder into 2 liters of water
• Slowly pour this mixture onto a 1 square foot area and wait about 5 minutes
• Then count the number of wigglies that come to the surface

And remember...

"Flies, worms and flowers exceed me still." - Issac Watts

Book Recommendation -  Kids and Vegetable Gardening

Signs of spring are finally  sprouting, and children are waiting to splash in the puddles and, if properly conditioned, maybe also willing to dig with you in garden soil.  To that end one of the following books should be strategicly squeezed into  one of their egg baskets along side  all the choculate rabbits.  This list of relatively new books was compiled for me by Molly Chatt, Head of Youth Services for the East Greenbush Community Library in Rensselaer County.  Many of the titles will be available from your local public library, and all are availble from either bookstores or online sources. Happy reading and digging...

• Armstutz, Lisa J. Edible gardening: growing your own vegetables, fruits, and more.  Capstone Press,  2016
• Craig, Joe Archer & Caroline.  Plant, cook, eat!: a children's cookbook.  Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc..  2018
• Batholomew, Mel. Square foot gardening with kids: learn together: gardening basics, science and math, water conservation, self-sufficiency, healthy eating. Cool Springs Press , 2014
• Biggs, Emma. Gardening with Emma: Grow and Have Fun: A Kid-to-Kid Guide. Storey Publishing 2019
• Brown, Renata Fossen. Gardening lab for kids: Garden art: fun experiments to learn, grow, harvest, make, and play. Quarry Books 2017
• Cohen, Whitney and John Fisher. Gardening projects for kids: 101 ways to get kids outside, dirty, and having fun. Timber Press 2012
• Gaines, Joanna. We Are the Gardeners. Thomas Nelson 2019
• Hendy, Jenny. The best-ever step-by-step kid's first gardening: Fantastic Gardening Ideas for 5-12year olds, from growing fruit and vegetables and fun with flowers to wildlife gardening and outdoor crafts. Southwater 2014
• Kuskowski, Alex. Super simple salad gardens: a kid's guide to gardening. ABDO Publishing Company 2015
• McDougal, Nancy and Jenny Hendy. 300 step-by-step cooking & gardening projects for kids: the ultimate book for budding gardeners and super chefs with amazing things to grow and cook yourself, shown in over 2300 photographs. Lorenz 2012
• Torino, Stacy. Project Garden: A Month-by-Month Guide to Planting, Growing, and Enjoying ALL Your Backyard Has to Offer. Adams Media 2012

And remember...

"Teaching children about the natural world should be seen as one of the most important 

events in our lives." - Thomas Berry