Category Archives: general

Here are some successes in the garden from failures

Not everything I do is successful in the veggie garden. So I want to share some of the veggies that failed and successes that followed. The point here is be flexible and don’t give up. If something doesn’t work, try something else.

Failed: Sweet potatoes/Success: watermelon– I planted sweet potato starts just before I left for a fly fishing trip. I got the new drip system in place and planted them and forgot to turn on the drips to that section in my haste. When I came home, all were dead. So I planted a Moon and Star watermelon plant in their place. Didn’t think there would be enough time to get any to ripen but got 4 nice size ones ranging 10-15 lbs. Sweet!

Failed: Giant pumpkins/Success: Charentais melons-I didn’t start my giant pumpkins this year but instead just planted seeds directly in the ground. Wrong! Nothing came up. Learned a lesson there. So I planted Charentais melon plants as I always wanted to grow them. They produced about 10 wonderful melons. Supersweet!

 

 

Garden officially done for 2017

The garden officially finished on the night of October 9. There were a few cool season crops that did fine in the 27°F temperature-mainly beets, carrots, kale, and bok choy but all the warm season crops are done. I think this was early for a first frost. I write it down so I can review the frost date next year.

I did cover the lettuces in the greenhouse with winter weight row cover but it was actually unnecessary as the temperature was above freezing in the greenhouse and they are looking great and loving the cooler weather.

Now that it’s done, I’ll have time to share some gardening experiences and new crops I tried this year. I will be posting in the next few weeks some of the highlights of this year in the garden.

I still have to clean out the garden and put it to bed. AHHH CRUMBA!

But first I think I’ll go flyfishing one last time this year before it really gets cold…

 

Esmeralda-the crowing hen

We got a hen that crows. That’s right, a hen that crows and lays eggs and she’s not a rooster! Her formal name is Esmeralda and got her from a friend who had 2 hens and one died and she didn’t want Esmeralda alone so she asked us if we would take her. I was hesitant to bring a lone chicken into our established flock. Sometimes they don’t do well and get picked on when introduced. But I said we could try and see. When our friend brought her over we hung out to see what would happen. Esmeralda strolled right in and started to eat some grain while the others watched. The leader of the flock picked on some of the other chicken but when she went over to Esmeralda, Essi as we started to call her just stopped eating, looked up at the leader and resumed eating and that was the end of the confrontation and the pecking order. Essi was the new leader and is always kind to the others.

Then one summer morning I heard crowing from the open window of our house and it seemed to be coming from our flock but we don’t have a rooster. Every time I walked out the door to investigate, the crowing would stop. So one morning I took a different route down to the coop and there was Essi crowing as she didn’t see me.  She goes Err, err, err, et et. Not a full fledge crow like a rooster but definitely a crow. She is so sweet and always runs up to be petted. I researched ‘crowing hens’ and sure enuf, once in a while one will crow. First time in 15 years of having chickens that I have experienced that! She is my most favorite chicken. Ever. Just had to share this with you all.

Artichokes-you can grow them in Santa Fe!

Lot’s of wonderful surprises this year in the veggie garden. Just for kicks, I transplanted two globe artichoke plants this year in my veggie garden entry way. I was thinking the thistle flowers would be beautiful if it had enough time to grow it here. Artichokes are a perennial in zones 8 and higher but are an annual here in zone 6 and take 90-100 days to mature.

I forgot before it makes ‘flowers’ it has to make the artichoke flower bud, which is the part we eat. To my surprise the plant is thriving. Other than adding extra compost when planting and of course watering, I haven’t had to do anything. It doesn’t seem to have any pests or diseases. Not only is the plant beautiful with it silver spikes but the artichoke buds add wonderful interest and that is before it even gets to the flower stage which is a beautiful purple thistle. Looking at these artichoke buds, I’m not sure they are going to make it to the flower stage. I know what I’m eating for dinner tonight!

Powdery Mildew on Curcubits (squash)

 

Powdery mildew has appeared on my squashes-both winter squash and summer squash. Powdery Mildew is a fungal disease that affects many plants from roses to squashes. Infected plants display white powdery spots on the leaves and stems that eventually will cover the leaves of the plants if left untouched. Powdery Mildew grows well when the monsoons come into Santa Fe. The higher humidity and moderate temperatures are idea for powdery mildew. Also how we manage our gardens can cause it to go rampant. For instance, I planted my winter squash too close to some other plants essentially crowding them. Plus fearing a hail storm this summer, I covered it with some hoops and row cover, holding the heat and humidity underneath creating a perfect environment for powdery mildew. It usually shows up in late August through September.

Controlling it depends on when we catch it. If we let it go too far, it will destroy the plant in which case we should pull the plant and destroy or bag it for refuse. Do not put it in you compost pile and spread the disease around. If it has just started, indicated by the white spots on the leaves, you can spray it with a fungal disease spray like Green Cure. Green Cure is my favorite spray for Powdery Mildew as it is quite effective in halting its progress but you will have to spray it 2-3 times depending on how advanced it is on the plant. We should jump on it as soon as we see it and not wait till it gets out of hand.

 

 

Tomato Tar

I always wonder what is that substance on my hands after working with my tomato plants with my bare hands. My hands turn kinda green and eventually brownish. I wash my hands over and over again and the soapy foam on my hands turn yellow and worse, the towel I use to dry my hands gets green stains.

What is this? It is called ‘tomato tar’ and comes from trichomes on the surface of the tomato plant. Trichomes contain chemicals in the form of essential oils that give tomato plants their smell and repels some insects and has another substance called acylsugars. Alcylsugars are part of the defensive system of the tomato by producing a sort of oil that stops insects from wanting to walk on them. This is exactly what gets on our hands and turns them green or even brown if you leave it on your hands long enough. Getting it off is not easy as I mentioned above but I just read a solution to brown tomato hands that I have to try.

I learned the acylsugars are not water soluble.  Most soaps are alkaline which turns the soap foam yellow and still keep your hands brown. If we wash our hands in a weak solution of white vinegar and water, really wash our hands with it-no soap and then rinse it off and then wash in soap, our hands should turn human color again! Also use paper towels or a designated towel to dry your hands as the soap residue from our laundry can turn the towels green. I prefer a black or dark brown towel so if there are some stains (they don’t come out) at least I can’t see them.

Lastly I’ve had some luck taking a piece of fresh lemon and rub it over my hands squeezing the juice to make sure my hands are wet. I have to wait about 5 minutes and then rinse in water and then use soap and water and that seems to work too. I know lemons become alkaline when we mix them with water and drink it but pure lemon juice is acidic and works on my hands. It’s been a year since I’ve had tomato hands and I know when I get them, it’s just a short time till I’ll be eating those wonderful tomatoes!

Why are my tomato plants dropping their blossoms?

When the temperature outside is 92°F or hotter, the tomatoes will drop their flowers (blossoms) and will not set any fruit. This is called Tomato Blossom Drop and is normal for a tomato to do. Basically they self-abort their blossoms. Why? Because they want to survive. They will continue to produce new blossoms and once the temperatures is BELOW 92°F, they will start to set fruit from the blossoms.

What can we do to prevent blossom drop? Nothing. We really are at the hands of mother nature. The funny thing is once they do pollinate (tomatoes are self-pollinating and wind-pollinated and don’t need pollinators) and they produce baby fruit, they do fine when it’s hot-it’s just while they are trying to set fruit that the temperature is critical. There is also a low temperature where they will drop the blossoms, but we don’t have to worry about that here.

Last year we had 3 months of intense heat with everyday being 92°F or warmer and the blossom just couldn’t set fruit. Finally when the monsoons came mid-August (which is one month later than normal), and it cooled down, they were able to set their fruit. Luckily for us we had a long fall and were able to harvest before we got a freeze. So don’t despair, they will set fruit from their blossoms when the time is right. Hopefully the monsoons will come in July. So for now, just surrender and chill out (if you can).

Row cover protects tomato plants and more

Here is what my garden looks like right now. Just about everything is covered with a material called row cover (also called Remay). My tomato cages are covered from top to bottom with it. This acts as a physical barrier to keep a bug called the beet leafhopper from biting them and transferring a disease called Curly Top Virus (CTV). I’ll take it off my tomatoes when the monsoons arrive.  The bug leaves when the monsoons come.

I also put row cover over my other veggie transplants while they adjust to the heat and wind when I transplant them into the garden. And I put it over other veggies that I plant by seeds like beans, cucumber and corn. I just plant the seeds in the ground and put a sheet of row cover over them tacking it down with rocks so the wind doesn’t blow it away-but don’t make it too tight.  Give the plants some room to grow under it. When the seeds germinate, row cover keeps the birds from eating the sprouts and I don’t have to replant seeds as often. Plus you can water right through it. Row cover comes in 3 weights. A heavy weight (1.0) for fall-winter, a mid-weight for summer (.5) and a light weight (.3) which does not work well here because of the winds-it rips easily. I use a mid-weight in the summer in my garden.

So basically I use row cover in the beginning of the growing season on almost everything. You can get it at most nurseries.  And you won’t have to keep it on all summer. Once your corn and beans grow up about 4 inches, and your transplants adjust to outdoor growing and the bugs leave, you can take it off and enjoy watching your garden grow. Another plus is it gives some protection against hail. Great stuff. I highly recommend it to be a more successful gardener.

Planting, planting planting!!

last year’s garden-2016. Looking forward to another great garden year in 2017.

I haven’t written in a while as the planting season has been upon us. Now that the danger of a freeze is basically over (never say never tho) I’ve been busy first weeding the vegetable garden and now planting the veggie garden. Most everything will be in by end of this week.

New shade garden-an arbor covered with shade cloth and new lettuce covered with row cover. Also peas in background and Fava beans on right in front

In addition to part of my garden being an Italian garden, I just finished up a new shade garden. I have a semi-shady area where a shed and juniper shade early in the day but I needed shade from the intense sun in the afternoons. I put shade cloth from Home Depot, over the top of an arbor to shade some late season cool crops still in the ground like peas and Fava beans. Also planted some heat tolerant lettuces under row cover yesterday.

TOMATOES: 54 were transplanted in on June 5th in wall of waters (WOWs). Many of them are now peeking out of the WOWs and they need to be taken off.  I put row cover around the cages and over the top (acts as a physical barrier) to keep the dreaded beet leafhopper from the plants.

LETTUCE: Last night I planted some heat tolerant lettuce and Violetta pak choi in the new shade garden.

ARTICHOKE: More of an ornamental here but so beautiful.  Transplanted yesterday.

BEANS-Borlotti-Lamon: An Italian variety of a dry bean. Pre-started the seeds inside. Coming up now and will be ready to transplant this week. Pole variety.

BEANS: Emerite-pole variety of a French haricot bean. Pick when pencil thin.

RUNNER BEANS-pole beans-Painted Lady and a Chartreuse leaf variety of Scarlet Runner. Beautiful flowers and you can eat the beans when young or save for dry bean recipes like soups.

PEPPERS: I wait to plant peppers till June 1 till it really warms up and we are now in the 50’s at nite so all peppers will go in this week under row cover. Varieties include: Shishito, Jimmy Nardello, Caribbean Seasoning, Poblano (for chile relleno), Pasilla (for mole sauce), Aji Amarillo Grande, and Baby Aji Amarilla both from Peru.

EGGPLANTS: ‘Fairy Tale’ variety. Will go in with peppers this week under row cover.

CHARD/KALE: Lacinato, Vates Curly varieties of kale and Argentata chard. I have baby plants to put in this week. Coulda, shoulda already be in the ground but not enough time.

FLOWERS: Many flowers by seed-Cosmos, Zinnias, Nasturtiums, Asylum, morning glories, different sunflowers. Calendula and Marigolds are transplants.

SUMMER SQUASH: Costata Romanesco zucchini, Bennings Green Tint patty pan. Seeds went in the ground last week. A few popping up under the row cover.

WINTER SQUASH: Butternut Rogosa Violina “Gioia”. Seeds in the ground today.

GIANT PUMPKIN: This time I put seeds in the ground instead of pre-growing them. Not up yet.

CORN: Glass Gem INDIAN CORN. Not in yet. Hopefully this week.

ONIONS/LEEKS-transplants going in this week. Very late going in-will see how they do.

BEETS-Chiogga variety. Seeds went in this week. Will get fall harvest from them.

CARROTS: Atomic Red and Cosmic Purple went in this week for fall harvest.

CUCUMBERS: Seeds going in this week around teepees to grow up. Varieties include: EATING:Poona Kheera. PICKLING: Parisian (cornichon), Boothsby Blonde (Bread n butters), and Russian Pickling (dill).

STILL TO COME THIS WEEK: I’m going to try a short season variety of Sweet potatoes called Beauregard (90 days t0 harvest). Getting slips of it in mail.

 

 

Tomatoes started!

Tomato seeds planted March 24. Germinated 4 days later. Picture taken April 2 at 9 days old.

It has begun!

I’m going back to the Santa Fe Farmers Market this summer with my tomatoes! I have a lot of new unusual tomatoes started as well as my stable of wonderful favorites for the public.

Pictured above, the baby tomato seeds are inside the house under lights and keep warm on a germination heat mat set at 85°F. They will be transplanted this week into 2 inch pots and later this month they will be transplanted again into 4 inch pots and then finally transplanted outside in the garden in May. Plus I will take some of the plants to the Farmers Market at end of April/May to sell.

Italian Vegetable Garden

Always looking for something interesting to grow in my garden, I’ve decided to put in an Italian vegetable garden section inside my main vegetable garden. When I started looking at vegetables to grow, I noticed I already had a fair amount of vegetable seeds from Italy that I always grow but they were always interspersed with other veggies. Now they (and more Italian vegetables) will be grouped together to form this new section. It isn’t a permanent section, just something I’m putting together this year and it is just part of a larger array of vegetables I grow. It was fun selecting vegetables from Italy that I like and could group together. By doing this, it has opened me up to all kinds of new varieties to possibly grow. Here is my list:

2017 ITALIAN GARDEN

Cool Season Vegetables
Fava bean-Precoce Violetto
Onion-Red of Florence
Fennel-Mantovano
Rapini-Cima di rapa Quarantina Riccia di Sarno
Kale-Nero di Toscana
Radicchio-Rosa treviso sel Svelta
Beet-Chiogga
Chard-Argentata

Warm Season Vegetables
Bean-Borlotti Lamon
Butternut squash-Rogosa Violina “Gioia”
Zucchini-Costata Romanesco
Zucchini-Zuchetta Rugosa Friulana
Tomato-Costoluto Fiorentino
Tomato-Costoluto Romanesco
Tomato-Pantano Romanesco
Eggplant-Prosperosa
Sweet pepper-Jimmy Nardello

Vegetables for the Table-Tomato Lady 2017 favorites

Here are my favorite vegetables going into the 2017 growing season. I may not have room for all these in the gardening but these are my favorites as of right now

VEGETABLES FOR THE TABLE-TOMATO LADY’S FAVORITES

HEIRLOOM TOMATOES

SAUCE TOMATOES
Goldman’s Italian American-85D
San Marzano

DRYING TOMATOES
Principe Borghese
Any cherry tomato

CHERRY TOMATOES
Sungold*
Green Grape
Black Cherry
Pink Bumblebee
Purple Bumblebee
Artisan Blush Tiger

EARLY TOMATOES-52-65 days
Matina
Stupice
Sungold (cherry)*
Glacier
Siberian
Fireworks

MID-SEASON-65-78 days
Bella Rosa*-very firm even when ripe
Marmande
Pink Berkeley Tie Dye
Black and Brown Boar
Paul Robeson
Costoluto Genevese
Juane Flamme

LATE-SEASON-80 days +
Porkchop
Big Zac*
Pantano Romanesco
Purple Cherokee-purple tomato
Paul Robeson-dark tomato
Indigo Apple or Indigo Rose
Lucky Cross

*denotes hybrid tomato

BEANS
Rattlesnake-pole
Emerite-french filet-pole
Romano-Italian pole or bush
Tarbais-dry pole bean for French cassoulet

BEETS
Cylindra
Touchstone Gold
Detroit Red
Chiogga-beautiful red with white stripes inside

CARROTS
Cosmic Purple
Atomic Red
Scarlet Nantes-orange sweet
Chantenay Red-orange very sweet

CHARD
Ruby Red-gorgeous red/good flavor
Argentata-white stem-favorite in Italy-very cold hardy

CUCUMBERS
EATING
Poona Kheera-best tasting ever
Lemon cucumber-never bitter

PICKLING
Boothsby Blonde-Bread and Butter pickles
Parisian-Cornichon pickles
Russian Pickling-Dill pickles
Mini Whites-sweet pickles

EGGPLANT
Rosa Bianca-big eggplant for Eggplant Parmesan
Fairytale-small, sauté or BBQ

PEPPER
Jimmy Nardello-red thin skin pepper for sautéing-SWEET
Shishito-Japanese small green pepper-saute-serve for tapas-NOT HOT
Poblano-use for chile relleno/MILDLY HOT

SQUASH
Winter Squash
Sweet Meat
Butternut-will not attract squash bugs
Galeux D’ Eyesines

Summer Squash
Costata Romanesco-zucchini-Favorite of Deborah Madison also
Bennings Green Tint-patty pan

 

TOMATO GROWING 101 CLASS

Costuluto Genevese tomato
Tomato Lady’s mini-farm

Ok folks, the Tomato Lady (that’s me) has decided to teach a comprehensive course for all the tomato lovers who want to be successful at growing their own tomatoes here in the greater Santa Fe area. Interested? Read on.

TOMATO GROWING 101-Season Long Course

Do you want to learn how to grow great heirloom tomatoes organically from start to finish? Think of the money you can save by learning to grow your own heirloom tomatoes from seed. Plus you can try new varieties that are not sold in the nurseries.

These hands-on classes will emphasis learning how to grow tomatoes successfully throughout the whole season. Participants will learn how to grow tomatoes from their seeds, what starting mix to use, what soil to transplant in, how to handle the delicate seedlings when transplanting up, how to produce sturdy plants. Lighting systems will be discussed and your seedlings will stay under lights at my farm under my care until time to plant outside when you will take your plants home to plant outside in your garden.

All planting materials, seeds, soil, amendments and pots supplied while growing them at the farm. Class participants will get a workbook with printed material added at each class to help them be successful throughout the growing season. Students will get experience with actual planting to gain confidence and will come back to learn how to prune them, how to identify diseases and pests and how to control them.

Participants must sign up for all classes at once. Course payable at signup for a total of $150. Class size is limited-10 students max. This takes a commitment. No partial classes.

____________________________________________

To register for the class is an easy two-step process:

1. Fill out the CONTACT FORM below and hit the submit button. Then to pay:

2. TO PAY: click the PAY PAL button (below the contact form). You don’t need to have a paypal account.  They will process credit cards too.

Step 1: Fill out this CONTACT FORM:

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

Step 2: TO PAY: Purchase all 7 classes for $150 here

Buy Now Button
____________________________________________

HERE IS A PDF OF THE SCHEDULE BELOW. PUT THIS SCHEDULE IN YOUR CALENDAR AND PRINT IT SO YOUR DON’T FORGET!

tomato-growing-101-class-schedule

____________________________________________

REVIEW CLASS SCHEDULE

Section 1
HANDS-ON LEARNING OF HOW TO START TOMATO SEEDS/CARING OF THE YOUNG SEEDLINGS AND TRANSPLANTING UP/PREPARING SOIL IN GARDEN

Class 1    
Wednesday, March 22nd—10am to 12 noon

Learn how and why to plant tomato seeds/how to pick your varieties, what soil medium to use, learn about germination troubles and how to avoid them/plant your seeds

Class 2
Wednesday, April 5th—10 am to 12 noon

Transplanting up to 2” pots/changing the type of soil, adding amendments for great growth and how to deal with transplant shock and learning how to maintain your plants.

Class 3
Wednesday, April 19th—10 am to 12 noon

Learn about transplanting up to the next stage of growth-up to 4” pots, how to transplant to get the best sturdiest stems, additional amendments you can use and how to maintain your plants.

Section 2
LEARN HOW TO TRANSPLANT THE TOMATO PLANTS OUTSIDE IN THE GARDEN /LEARNING ABOUT SOIL AMENDMENTS/TAKING YOUR PLANTS HOME

Class 4
Wednesday, May 10th—10 am to 12 noon

Participants will learn how to transplant their tomato plants out in the garden, how to prepare planting hole and what amendments to add when planting for better growth of tomatoes. Discussion and demo of how to use wall-of-waters and how to set them up properly. After learning how to do all this, students will take home their plants to be planted in their own gardens.

Section 3
THEY’RE IN THE GROUND, NOW WHAT?
THE NEXT STEPS FOR TOMATO GROWING SUCCESS

Class 5    
Wednesday, June 7th—10 am to 12 noon 

Participants will learn how and when to remove wall of waters, how to control leafhoppers, learn about tomato cages-what works and doesn’t work, saving water by mulching, using organic fertilizers, using row cover as protection.

Class 6    
Wednesday, July 12— 10 am to 12 noon

Trimming and pruning your tomato plants, the pros and cons of sucker control and how to remove them. Learn to make compost tea. Identifying beginning problems, which organic fungicides and insecticides to use as the season goes on if needed.

Section 4
MAINTAINING YOUR PLANTS-PRUNING TECHNIQUES, IDENTIFYING AND CONTROLLING DISEASES AND PESTS AND HARVESTING

Class 7
Wednesday, August 9th—10 am to 12 noon

Participants will learn how to maintain their plants, pruning techniques,      harvest techniques, identify tomato diseases and pests and how to control them organically.

Cool season crops have begun

transplants-2-weeks-old

When I was looking through what I plant each year, I realized I actually grow many varieties of cools season crops (like greens/lettuce). I started some seeds of cool season crops inside under lights but no heat on Jan 17!  I never put the heat mats on for cool season crop seeds, only for warm season crops and it is way too early for them just yet.

I started:
Asian greens: bok choy, pak choy, Wasabi arugula

Lettuces: 4 Season Lettuce butterhead, Yugoslavian Red butterhead, and Santoro butterhead lettuce. Can you tell I like butterheads?!

Leeks: Solaise, King Richard and American Flag

Onions: Candy (it is an intermediate or neutral variety) which is they type of onion we have to grow here.

Spinach: Carmel-Just planted the seeds today. Still have some spinach plants that have overwinter nicely outside in a raised bed with only winter weight row cover on it. By planting a crop of spinach last fall, I’m hoping I get a bumper crop of spinach in March! The variety of spinach I like the most is called Carmel which overwinter last year and looks to do the same this year. You can get seeds from Johnny’s or plants from Agua Fria Nursery.

4-season-lettuce

four season lettuce is looking good

Today I transplanted up lettuces and Asian greens to pony pots from seed trays. The plants are looking good but need to grow more before I put them out in my green house or cold frame. You can plant outside in sunny raised beds in March but all-greenhouse, cold frames or just plain old beds will need winter weight row cover on the little starts to protect them from our cold nights.  I’m hoping to put them out by beginning of March. The varieties I grow at this time of year are very cold hardy. I’m trying to get a head start as our cool season crop season is pretty short here before it gets too hot and everything bolts. And there is nothing better than spring spinach or lettuce!

More daylight hours/plants start to grow again

Growing Spinach and Lettuce in a Cold Frame

The Persephone period is over. Elliot Coleman in his Winter Harvest Handbook, coined this name. When daylight hours are less than 10 hours per day, the plants that are in the ground slow down or stop growing altogether during this time. This means that the spinach or mache you planted last fall had slowed down and by Thanksgiving stopped growing. The Persephone period can be longer or shorter depending on what latitude you live in. For us in Santa Fe, it is from Thanksgiving to Jan 14th.  In states that are further north, they are still in the Persephone period. As the daylight hours continue to get longer and longer, you should notice the plants starting to grow again. I grew ‘Carmel’ spinach last fall in one of my beds up by my house and it is still alive, covered with winter weight row cover. I did this the year before and it survived and gave me beautiful spinach by March that I was able to harvest 4 times before it became too warm. If you didn’t grow anything to overwinter, you can now start spinach, Asian greens like ‘Tatsoi‘ and ‘Baby Bok Choy’, mache and some very cold hardy lettuces like ‘Winter Wunder’ and ‘Marshall Red Romaine’ once the soil warms to 40•F+. If you keep them covered with winter weight row cover to protect them from our cold nights, you will be able harvest them in early spring barring any devastating deep freezes. If you can’t wait and want to speed up the process, start the seeds under lights inside now and transplant them next month in February. To find other extra cold hardy crops to grow, go here.