Garden Preparation - June

June! - Time to plant everything now because this is  the month to plant everything... Well, yes, but check that long range weather forecast just one more time.  It is possible for early June to be cool and wet with a few hot days sprinkled in. That combination happened in early May and  activated the  spores  of  Early Blight and  Downy Mildew in many gardens.  

Early blight on tomatoes leave.
Source: Ohio State University

Early Blight (Alternaria solani) is a fungal infection that affects tomatoes and potatoes as well as  related plants such as eggplants and peppers.  It usually shows up as dark spots on the the lower leaves of plants and progresses upward. The dark spots will enlarge, converge and the leaves will eventually turn yellow and drop.

The fungi's spores live in the soil and can be spattered up on plants during overhead watering or heavy rains as well as  by wind. To control, or minimize, future infestations, infected plants should be removed and burned or buried. Although fungicides are available, they are expensive and need to be applied to the soil well before plants are growing in the garden, and they do not necessarily eliminate the disease.  Some tomato varieties are resistant to Early Blight. These include  a few like Defiant, Juliet, Legend, Old Brooks, Mountain Supreme, or Verona.




Downy Mildew identifies a group of fungal-like microbes that are triggered by cool wet spring conditions and affect even a wider range of plants   Upper leaf surfaces initially appear pale green or yellowish while the undersides start to appear white, light grey or brown. Eventually, these leaves whither, turn brown and die.

Downy mildew on cucumber.
Source: Cornell University

The spores of downy mildew can activate in soil as cool as 45° F.  The spores can live in soil debris for up to 15 years; and common weeds such as  sheperd's purse, wild mustand and pepper grass can serve as alternate hosts.  For both diseases the practices of  crop rotation, removing plant debris from garden beds and not adding infected plants to compost piles are important management techniques. 

However, in small backyard gardens implementing effective control measures are very challenging. Staking, pruning, mulching and watering at the base of plants or by soaker hoses will  reduce risk further; but given continuing periods of cool, wet weather, gardeners are bound to find these problems showing up.

Despite these depressing notes, here are a few other things you can do in June besides weeding and looking for the first seasonal garden pests:

• Most vegetables can now be mulched with either compost or straw;

• Add a side dressing of fertilizer - preferable an organic, slow release type;

• Time to start second plantings of lettuce, radishes and other cool weather crops;

• Plant beans, beets, carrots and squash; and

• If you've planted tomatoes, put your stakes or cages in now while it's easy to avoid damaging the plants.

Gardening & Plastic

Source: phys.org

A few nights ago I attended a gardening program, and one of the discussions covered weed suppression and how to warm the soil in spring. Although a few gardeners mentioned using newspapers and cardboard for  weed control, most of us, including me, talked about putting down black plastic.  Later that evening, I started wondering about just how reliant gardeners are on using plastics and if I should  start feeling guilty about a possible plastic addiction.   

After a little investigation I started to feel a little better about my own use of plastics in gardening, but I did continue to be dismayed about the ongoing level of plastic litter being introduced into the environment by my species stemming from its collective greed and ignorance.

I recognize that many plastics are  well suited for their applications; and if societies reduced their fossil fuel energy needs and incorporated recycling   regimens into product life cycles, the continuing manufacture and use of plastics would not be  worsening existing environmental problems.  But now  to return to our gardens...

Gardeners are most likely to deal with three kinds of plastics: low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP). All three types, although   essentially not bio-degradable in the sense that they transform into organic compost, they are all re-cyclable materials.  

• LDPE (Recyle Code #4) is  relatively soft, pliable, tough and chemically resistant to varying degrees to many types of chemicals.   LDPE gradually breaks down  over time when exposed to solar radiation  and releases small amounts of a few compounds such as methane and ethylene.   Gardeners using plastic sheeting to cover their plots are using LDPEs.

• HDPE (Recycle Code #2) is both very durable and highly resistant to many chemicals. It is commonly used for storage tanks, furniture, piping etc. Gardeners may encounter HDPE in the form of  large planters & garden bed materials, hoses, and storage tanks (e.g. rain barrels). 

• PP's (Recycle Code #5) characteristics are similar to the polyethylenes, but it is harder, almost as heat resistant, but more economical to produce. Probably the plastic trays and pots that most gardeners use or get when they buy plants are made from PP. 

In short, if conscientious gardeners simply  re-use and recycle their plastics, they may be able to feel less guilty about living in the age of plastics... but I must admit that the chore of cleaning  last year's shredded plastic sheeting from my garden before stuffing it in the recycle bin does  not especially inbue me with a lot of motivational energy. I will now try to remember not to yield to the temptation of simply hiding these plastics in the trash...


And remember:

"If it can't be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, 

resold, recycled or composted, then it should restricted, redesigned 

or removed from production." - Pete Seeger 

Frost Anxiety Time For Gardeners

It's mid-May and my tomatoes are itching to leave the grow lights and heat mats of my cellar and venture into the big time - the outside. I would like to reclaim my cellar space for some other projects, but Memorial Day is still almost two weeks away plus spring so far has been cool and very, very wet - far from ideal for tomatoes and other warm weather veggies.  My garden peas and radishes have sprouted; and the broccoli, parsley, kale and brussels spouts that I set out two weeks ago have acclimatized.  They  all exhibit a healthy green or bluish green, but new leaves are  developing very slowly. Although the risk of a late frost is receding as mid-May approaches,  frost remains a possibility. Gardeners need to take another patience pill before giving in to the demands of those anxious tomatoes!

Source: FamilyFoodSecure.com

But, if you do feel compelled to set your tomatoes outside now, place somekind of a cover over them. Gallon milk jugs will work as hot caps for a few plants; or, if money is no object, set up a  row covering with polyethelene (PE) film. [Note: Be sure to use aluminium or wood framing because PVC piping may interact with the PE film and deteriotate the film.]

Unless the long range forecast during week preceding Memorial Day promises a warm spell for the week following the holiday, my tomatoes will remain indoors until the 31st this year! Oh yes, my plans are, of course, subject to change.

If you want to learn more about tomatoes, Rensselaer County's Cooperative Extension will be presenting a program on Tuesday, May 21 at its Demonstration Garden located at the Robert C. Parker School, 4254 Route 43, Wyantskill (East Greenbush). The program is entitled, "Starting Right with Tomatoes," and starts at 7:00 PM rain or shine.  Bring a  dry soil sample from your garden and get a free soil test!

Veggie History: New Zealand Spinach

If you are looking for an easy heirloom vegetable to plant this spring either in your garden or a container, try Tetragonia tetragonoides, or New Zealand Spinach.

NZS is native to Australia and New Zealand. Supposedly, Captain Cook and his crew cooked and ate it to minimize the effects of scruvy, but it fell to  Jospeh Banks, the English botanist-explorer who developed much of the Kew Gardens in London during the late 18th century, to introduce the plant to Great Britain.

New Zealand Spinach is not related to our familiar garden spinach (Spinacia oleracae) that frequently appears  in omelets and salads. It is actually a member of the fig-marigold family (Aizoacae).  As an editable plant, New Zealand Spinach has many desirable characteristics: the bright green leaves and stems are succulent; it's very tolerant of hot weather, and insects and slugs don't like it. Just a few plants   can produce a thick, prodigious cover of tender vine-like stems and leaves, BUT NEW ZEALAND SPINACH  IS NOT TO BE EATEN RAW because it contains oxalates. [Oxalates also occur in rhubarb and can contribute to the  formation of kidney stones.] However, NZS's oxalates can be removed by soaking the greens in boiling water for a minute and then rinsing them in cold water before their final cooking.

If you let New Zealand Spinach go to seed, it will reseed in our climate.  Many, many years ago in another place and time, I naively planted a row of NZS in a garden; and I had volunteer NZS popping up for years.  I recommend limiting yourself to a few plants confined either to a large pot or hanging basket.

And remember:

"I'm strong to the finish, cause I eats me spinach..." - Popeye

Dwarf fruit trees

The ideal grafted tree. Source: bianoti.com (FR)

In May gardeners' thoughts are not necessarily limited just to growing vegetables. Some gardeners, as well as new home owners, might also be ruminating about fruit trees; and more than likely, they are thinking about selecting some kind  dwarf tree(s) for either their yards or patios.

Quite simply, the best  and most succinct guide that I've found about choosing  dwarf trees is from Spruce Crafts. Their article covers the kinds of fruit trees that are readily available and the importance of being aware of the root stocks used for grafted varieties. Note, also,  that although  there are many images from nurseries  of dwarf trees growing in containers bearing perfect fruit, this area's climate is not particularly suitable for potted trees unless either you 1) can move the tree into your greenhouse or living room for the winter, or 2) use a very, very large pot that might protect the roots from freezing - a container  so large that you'll never be able to move it again.  You might just as well plant the tree directly in the ground and gamble on using a lot of mulch!

This reminds me of when I first moved to our house (and long before I knew much about fruit trees), I planted dwarf pear and cherry trees - with very mixed results.  Although the pear trees were the least work, the neighborhood squirrels got almost all the fruit.  The cherries were a somewhat different story... I didn't mind sharing that fruit with the birds, but the dwarfs did not stay particularly dwarf.  A sour cherry that awarded us with many pies, grew to about 16 feet and then suddenly died after 8 or 9 years. A multi-variety grafted sweet cherry  I planted in the backyard actually lasted about 15 years but grew to about 25+ feet!  I've never been tempted to try apples, not because of my cherry experience, but because squirrels and too many insect pests like them.  Trying to grow apples organically, I've been told by arborists,  is an oxymoron. [Although there are natural pesticides such as sulphur and neet derived compounds, these can be pretty unfriendly to beneficial insects too and timing of their application is essential.]

That said, a 10 - 12 ft dwarf apple, pear or peach tree will eventually (think years) produce between 1 - 3 bushels if properly cared for and assuming you successfully guard it from everything in your neighborhood that also likes fruit.  A dwarf cherry tree of the same size can  produce 15 - 20 quarts a lot of pies. Dwarf trees will also need pruning best done in January or February.  If you have other shrubs and trees in your yard, look at them and ask yourself two questions: "do I prune these regularly now?" and "do I really want to spray fruit trees?"  If the answer to either is "no" or "not enough," maybe you should stick to potted tomatoes...

Veggie History - Basil (Ocimum basilicum) 

Thai basil ("Siam Queen")

A wide variety of basil is now regularly available from nurseries and seed suppliers.  In temporate climates, basil is usually grown as an annual herb and is  frequently promoted as a potted or windowsill herb. Historically, however,  basil has been incorporated   into healing and spiritual practices s much as much as serving culinary purposes by many cultures.

Originally basil grew in tropical areas from Sub-Saharan Africa through Southeast Asia, and many of these locales actually grows as a perennial shrub.  Ancient Egyptians utilized basil as one of their ingredients in their embalming concoctions, and they probably domesticated it for other purposes as well. Alexander the Great is credited with introducing the herb to Greece and that, of course, set basil up for being added to early Roman cuisines - but it was apparently associated more with the daily menus of poor and desperate than with those of  elite.  Basil spread slowly in Europe and was not widely grown in Britain until the 16th century. The earliest Pilgrims may not have migrated  with basil seeds in their pockets to North America, but by the early 18th century basil was available from  colonial seed purveyor, and the herb was included in both Thomas Jefferson's and those of other Virginia planters' kitchen gardens by the end of that century.  

Holy basil (Tulsi).

Most of the "sweet" basils, i.e. those  familiar to cooks, are all cultivars of the Mediterranean area's species that we now think of as the Italian favorites of "Genovese," "Large Leaf," and  "Dark Opal," but  "Thai basil"  also owes its derivation to this area.  Over generations O. basilica  has  been bred for somewhat different flavors in different societies - lemon (Indonesia), pepper and anise (Thai).   African basil (Ocimum gratissimum), a different species and popular in much of West Africa and parts of the Carribean, is also called "Clove basil."  Finally, there is  another species, "Holy basil" or "Tulsi" (Ocimum tenuiflorum),  - grown also by Thomas Jefferson - that is still used in Hindu worship rituals as well as in Indian and Thai cooking.  "Tulsi" is also espoused  by homeremedity believers as an herbal panacea for many ills - just check the Internet!

And remember...

"A man taking basil from a woman will love her always." - Sir Thomas More

Tomatoes - Focus at Demonstration Garden

This year’s Vegetable Garden at the Rensselaer County's Cooperative Extension Demonstration Garden will focus on tomato varieties. With 11 raised bed plots our Master Gardener volunteers hope to grow as many different varieties as possible. So far, varieties such as ‘Sungold”, ‘Black Pearl’, ‘Goldie Yellow’, ‘Paul Robeson’, ‘Gardener’s Sweetheart Cherry’, and ‘Weisnicht’s Ukrainian’ will be included. 

As part of our goal  to reach out  to and assist other tomato lovers in their pursuit of the perfect fruit, we have also scheduled two programs  at the Demonstration Garden this spring. The first is on May 21st at 7 PM and will focus on proper growing techniques, such as pruning, staking and fertilizing. The second program will be on August 20th. We plan to show off our beautiful plants and sample as many varieties as we can. If you live in the area, please join us. The programs are free.

The garden is located at the Robert C. Parker School on Route 43 in Wynantskill, NY and also features dedicated gardens culinary herbs, ornamental grasses, fragrances, prairie species and butterflies.  

Submitted by Nancy Scott,  Master Gardener

2019 Summer Gardening Programs at Rensselaer County's CCE Demonstration Garden

This year's schedule of gardening programs presented by the Horticulture Program of the county's Cornell Cooperative Extension   appear below.  All programs are free and open to the public. Presenters   are either Master Gardeners or Extension staff.

The Demonstration Garden is located on the campus of  the Robert C. Parker School  at 4254 Rte. 43 in Wynantskill (North Greenbush, NY 12198).

Directions From Interstate I-90 Exit 8: East onto Rte. 43; pass through the Rte. 4 intersection towards West Sand Lake for approximately 2.1 miles;  turn left into the Robert C. Parker School. Parking is adjacent to the demonstration garden.  

For more information, call Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Horticulture Program at (518) 272-4210 or e-mail dhc3@cornell.edu.

Program Schedule

• “Introduction To Straw Bale Gardening” - Wednesday, May 15 from 7 to 8 PM. 
Planting vegetables and flowers directly into straw bales may sound odd, but it provides many advanatges and amazing results! Master and Straw Bale Gardener Becky Raymond will show us this novel technique. Bring your garden soil for a free pH test, too!

• “Starting Right With Tomatoes” - Tuesday, May 21 from 7 to 8 PM.
Tiny tomato plants are like puppies: they grow best with guidance. We’ll discuss how to prepare the soil, plant, fertilize, water, stake and keep diseases at bay so your young tomato plants will produce a healthy harvest. Bring your garden soil for a free pH test, too!

• “Perennial Plant Propagation: New Plants From Old” - Wednesday, June 5 from 7 to 8 PM. 
Come watch Master Gardeners demonstrate various techniques to get new plants from your favorite perennial plants. We’ll show simple division, softwood cuttings and other techniques you can employ at home, and giveaway some samples, too!

• “Using Herbs Throughout The Seasons” - Tuesday, July 9 from 7 to 8 PM. 
Explore the varied uses of herbs you can grow yourself, including for teas, medicine and cooking. The basics of growing herbs and of drying and storing them for future enjoyment will also be discussed by Master Gardeners led by Kathy Hartley and Janet Poole.

• “Cooking In The Garden” - Tuesday, July 30 from 7 to 8 PM.
Back by popular demand! What can you do with summer’s gorgeous produce? Using vegetables grown on-site Master Gardeners will prepare a variety of fresh and healthy dishes to share with the audience. Join us to learn new recipes and enjoy sampling some delicious sum- mer foods! Master Gardener leaders will be Nancy Scott and Barbara Nuffer.

• “Late Summer Is For Lawns” - Tuesday, August 13 from 7 to 8 PM. 
Mid-August to mid- September is the best time for lawn weed management, overseeding, fertilizing, and renovation. Bring samples of problems (weeds, bugs, etc.) and we’ll discuss options to improve your lawn for the future. Hosted by CCE Educator David Chinery.

• “Great Tomato Tasting” - Tuesday, August 20, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. 
NOTE EARLIER START TIME! What’s your favorite tomato? Come find out by tasting a wide variety of delicious tomatoes grown by Master Gardeners. We’ll have some old favorites as well as some new top picks. We’ll also talk about tomato growing challenges, so bring us your tired, your diseased, your dead specimens, yearning to be compost.

“Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities.”  Individuals with questions or special needs requiring accommodation should contact Cornell Cooperative Extension at (518) 272- 4210. CCE provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Have You Tried Any of These Vegetables?

Many of us plan our gardens in advance of spring and fill up our planting beds quickly. Occasionally, however, I actually leave a little space for something new, not necessarily exotic or weird but something that I'd simply like to try out.  The potential list of these potential veggie candidates, of course,  is very long, but here are a few that might at least get you thinking about deviating from your standard repertoire.

Globe Artichokes  (Cynara scolymus) - Here's one  for a backyard gardener with extra space and  looking for a challege.  Annual versions of these perennial plants (in milder climes) were developed in the late 1980's. For our locale there are  several varieties that will grow, but the two more readily available  cultivars are Imperial Star and Colorado Star. They can be grown from seed, but get started  quickly -- in fact, maybe you should wait until next year unless you can get a seedling from a nursery... Anyway,  the seeds require temperatures in the 70-80°F range to germinate, BUT after sprouting the seedlings only need  daytime temperatures in the range 60-70°F  AND need to have night temperatures between  50-60°F (so turn off those heat mats at night).  If you start the seeds in plugs, they will need to be transplanted into 4" pots as soon as the first permanent leaves develop.  The plants like very fertile well drained soil. Artichokes produce deep tap roots and each mature plant requires about 12 square feet of space.

Flower sprouts (Brassica oleracea) - Known as "Kalettes," their commercial name, they are relatively  new to the backyard gardening scene. First developed in Great Britain about 10 years ago,   kalettes are a cross between Brussels sprouts and kale. They  grow on  stalks like B. sprouts, but instead of setting little cabbage-like heads, kalettes set small, loose heads.  The leaves in these heads are more tender than regular kale and hence you can  incorporate into salads without excuses or guilt. like regular kale, they also fill a decorative function on dinner  and serving plates in upscale eateries.  Kalettes are a late crop  requiring a full 100 days to harvest although there are three cultivars, one each for early, mid and late season. In your garden, space plants 18" apart and in rows 3 feet apart.  

Cucumbers (Cucumis melo) - Although Armenian cukes are distantly related to our familiar cucumbers (Cucumis sativus),  they are really melons - it's cousins are honeydews and musks. There are two main varieties, one is long and light green and the other resembles a stiped zuchinni. The flesh is melon-like, but the flavor is cucumber-like. You will need to trellis these plants because they  are vigorous growers and set many fruit. However,  Armenian cucumbers are suseptible to a number of common diseases and  is the  reason why  they hurry to fruit early and often.

Heirloom pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo etc.) -  For a backyard gardener recognizing  a pumpkin as a pumpkin taxonomically gets to  be confusing. Most of us picture "field pumpkins" when we hear the word - plants with big vines, fruits of varying in size and typically some hue of orange (& most recently, white). But it's not quite that simple. There are  various schemes for dividing the Cucurbita into species. One system names 30 species! The term, Cucurbita, simply translated means "gourd," and the species name, pepo, botanically designates a type of berry. Pepos typically have a tough outer rind and a thick underlying flesh layer. Summer squash, zucchini and acorn squashes as well  as field pumpkins are all  C. pepos,  and originate from from wetter areas Mexico and North America. Other Cucurbita  species, like C. maxima, come from South America, but all Cucurbita are traceable to the New World in origin while  their recent cultivars, like the summer favorite, zucchini which was developed in Italy in the 19th century, are associated with other continents.

So in case you happen to have a lot of room left in your garden, here are some heirloom  C. pepos that you might want to try the Connecticut Field, New England Sugar Pie, and the Winter Luxury Pie pumpkins.  For C. maxima,  another  species that  includes recognizable "pumpkins" as well as  many winter squashes like Hubbards, the varieties   that you might consider growing include  Long Island Cheese, Big Max and Rouge Vif D'Estampes pumpkins.

Tomatoes (Solanum lycopesicum) - Try yellow Brandywine; move beyond that old conventional red heirloom...  Remember as an heirloom,  Brandywines are indeterminate - lots of long vines - requiring staking, caging, pruning or treslising for the industrious gardener.  Like all tomatoes they  require fertile soil, and grow best if moisture levels are stable.  Because the heirlooms have not been bred to be disease resistant, especially to late blight (Phytophthera infestans),  Brandywines may not survive too long into late summer or  early fall. However, if you want to splurge, you can by a grafted plant from a nursery on disease resistant stock for about $10+.

Finally, if you are thinking about saving their seed, you may  be disappointed because Brandys will cross pollinate with other tomatoes in your garden or from your neighbor's. "Crossing" will not affect their fruit this year, but you may not get the this year's tomato next year from the seed you saved.

And remember...

"The tomato hides its grief. Internal damage is hard to spot." - Julia Child