The Old Farmer's Almanac 2015 (6 page)

When plants are about a foot tall, support them with stakes or cages. (Cages can be covered with clear plastic to add warmth in cold regions.)

For a bumper crop, remove suckers that form between the main branches and pinch off all late blossoms that will not have a chance to mature.

Keep an Eye on Potatoes

Buy certified seed potatoes. Popular backyard varieties include ‘Red Norland’, ‘Kennebec’, heirloom ‘Irish Cobbler’, yellow-flesh ‘Yukon Gold’ and ‘Yellow Finn’, and fingerling-type ‘Russian Banana’. Just before planting, carefully cut the bigger potatoes with a clean knife into 1½- to 2-inch pieces with one or two eyes on each piece.

Presprout seed potatoes indoors to get a jump on planting. Lay cut-up pieces and small whole potatoes in a single layer (space widely) on a tray or in a shallow box. Place near a sunny window where the temperature is 60°F or warmer day and night. Three to 10 days later, when the sprouts are 1 inch long, they are ready to plant.

Plant seed potatoes in loose, fertile, well-draining soil in full sun as soon as the soil is about 45° to 55°F and can be turned over without clumping. With a hoe or round-point shovel, dig a trench about 6 inches wide and 8 inches deep, tapering the bottom to about 3 inches wide. Put a seed potato piece, cut side down, every 14 inches and cover with 3 to 4 inches of soil.

In 12 to 16 days, when sprouts appear, use a hoe to gently fill in the trench with another 3 to 4 inches of soil, leaving a few inches of the plants exposed. Repeat in several weeks, leaving the soil mounded up 4 to 5 inches above ground level.

Do not allow sunlight to fall on the potatoes, which develop under the surface of the soil, or they will turn green. Do the hilling in the morning, when plants are at their tallest. During the heat of the day, plants start drooping.

If your garden soil is very rocky, put the seed potato pieces directly on the ground and cover with straw or leaves, hilling the material up as the potatoes grow.

Maintain even moisture, especially from the time sprouts appear until several weeks after they blossom. If you water too much right after planting and not enough as the potatoes begin to form, they can become misshapen.

Harvest baby potatoes 2 to 3 weeks after the plants stop flowering. For mature potatoes, wait 2 to 3 weeks after the foliage has died. On a day when the soil is dry, dig potatoes carefully to avoid cutting or bruising their skins. If the soil is very wet, let the potatoes air-dry as much as possible before putting them in bags or baskets.

Pamper Peppers

Select early-maturing pepper varieties (55 to 60 days) and start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost date. Maintain the seeds at 75°F under fluorescent light for 10 to 12 hours per day. Two weeks before planting, cover the pepper plot with clear plastic to warm the soil.

Harden off the seedlings for at least 2 weeks by leaving them outdoors for longer periods of time each day.

Peppers like full sun and well-draining, composted soil with a pH between 6 and 8. However, peppers deplete the soil: Do not plant them in the same place (or the same soil, if in pots) 2 years in a row.

Temperature is important for peppers. A short growing season, low nighttime temperatures (regularly below 55°F), unexpected frosts, and high sunlight intensity from longer days create problems. So does too much water: Peppers easily succumb to wet feet.

Plant when nights remain above 55°F and daytime temperatures average 70°F. To protect plants from chilly nights and/or blustery winds, cover them. Row covers or plastic jugs with the bottom cut out (remove the cap for ventilation) work well.

Protect pepper plants from cutworms with cardboard collars around the stems.

Water at least 2 inches per week during dry spells. Sweet peppers need a steady supply of water up to harvesttime. Hot peppers develop more heat if water is withheld right before the harvest.

Use a balanced fertilizer. Too much nitrogen can produce lush foliage but also blossom failure and/or no fruit.

After blossoms have set, spray the pepper plants with a magnesium solution (1 tablespoon of Epsom salts in 1 quart of water) or scratch 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts into the soil around each plant. More blossoms will appear and fruit will be bigger.

Harvest peppers when the fruit feels firm and separates easily from the plant. Do not twist the stem; use a knife or scissors to cut it.

Ease Into Onions

Onions respond to length of day when forming bulbs, and some southern favorites won’t mature quickly enough in northern climates. Figure out how many days are in your growing season and find varieties that will mature in that time. (See the
Frosts and Growing Seasons
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chart.) Favorites include heirloom ‘Red Wethersfield’, sweet ‘Walla Walla’, and All-America winner ‘Superstar’.

If you are starting from seeds indoors, plant 8 to 12 weeks before the last frost.

If you are starting seeds in the garden, sow them ½-inch deep. Maintain even moisture; if the soil dries out, the seeds won’t germinate. Thin emerging seedlings to 3 inches apart.

If you are planting onion sets, plant them 2 to 6 inches apart, gently pressing them into loose soil as soon as the ground can be worked. (Use the closer spacing if you want to pull immature onions as scallions.)

Onions prefer temperatures of 55° to 75°F to form bulbs. Keep onions evenly moist and make sure that they receive 1 inch of water per week. Once established, mulch to suppress weeds and conserve soil moisture.

Harvest onions when the tops fall over and dry. Leave the onions on top of the soil for 1 to 2 days during clear weather and then spread them out in a warm, well-ventilated area until the necks are dry. Put them in large-mesh citrus bags or wrap them individually in newspaper and store in a cool (35° to 45°F), dark place. Do not store potatoes and onions together. Onions release a gas that can spoil potatoes.

Keep Carrots Happy

Carrot flavor can vary depending on the type of soil. Experiment with different varieties, including heirloom ‘Chantenay’ and the unusually coral-hued ‘Atomic Red’. If you are growing carrots in containers, look for the round All-America winner ‘Thumbelina’ or the tiny ‘Little Finger’.

Prepare the soil by turning it over to a depth of at least 1 foot before planting carrots. If your soil is heavy clay or very rocky, plant carrots in a 12-inch-deep raised bed filled with fluffy, rich soil.

Keep carrots away from soil that has recently had manure added into it, or they may grow “legs” and appear forked. Work used coffee grounds into the soil as fertilizer.

Plant carrot seeds ¼-inch deep. Cover with a layer of vermiculite or fine compost to prevent a crust from forming and slowing germination.

After the leafy seedlings emerge and you can see them, thin to 3 to 4 inches apart. When thinning carrots, pinch off the tops of unwanted plants rather than pull them out, to prevent uprooting the plants that you want to keep.

If you see orange crowns emerging at soil level, cover them with soil or compost to keep them from turning green and becoming bitter.

As a general rule, the smaller the carrot, the better it will taste. Begin harvesting carrots when they are the size of your finger. Baby carrots are ready for eating 45 to 55 days after planting. Mature carrots need 70 to 90 days. You can also mulch them heavily with well-rotted hay in the fall and leave them in the soil until early winter.

Lettuce is luscious and kale is comforting, but to put some pizzazz into your garden, grow Asian greens.

Asian greens are easily grown in garden beds. In fact, these lush leaves deserve a place alongside the ornamental plants before they go into your salad bowl. Use them in borders, alongside pathways, and in the front yard. Mix colors and textures to create eye-catching impact.

Here are a few to try in containers or beds.

Amaranth

(AKA CHINESE SPINACH, HIYU, CALLALOO), AMARANTHUS TRICOLOR

Highly decorative red, green, or striped foliage makes amaranth stand out in any garden. Some species are strictly ornamental; look for edible types for culinary use. Amaranth is typically known as a grain crop; its seeds have been harvested for centuries in Asia, Europe, and Central and South America. The plant is heat and drought tolerant, not prone to bolting, and disease and pest resistant. Substitute its tasty leaves in any recipe that calls for cooked spinach, such as stir-fries, soups, and pastas.

Garland chrysanthemum

(AKA SHUNGIKU), CHRYSANTHEMUM CORONARIUM

Not all garden ‘mums are edible, but this one is! Native to the Mediterranean, garland chrysanthemum is gorgeous and tasty. Both the greens and cheerful yellow flowers can be eaten. Plant this cool-weather crop in full sun or partial shade. Prolonged heat will cause the greens to become bitter, so sow seeds in early spring and late summer for best flavor. Harvest leaves when they are young and tender and add to salads, soups, and stir-fries. Allow some plants to flower for a decorative addition to your garden—and your salad bowl.

Komatsuna

(AKA MUSTARD SPINACH), BRASSICA RAPA VAR. PERVIRIDIS, SYN. BRASSICA RAPA VAR. KOMATSUNA

A Japanese green with a mustardy bite, komatsuna has round, slightly savoyed (crinkled), dark green leaves borne on sturdy stalks. Komatsuna is best harvested at the baby green stage (4 to 6 inches tall): Remove the entire plant and then reseed (in the same spot, if desired) for another crop later on. You can eat the stems, leaves, and yellow flowers. Leaves are often pickled, but they can be eaten raw in salads or cooked into a quiche or scrambled eggs.

Mibuna

BRASSICA RAPA VAR. JAPONICA

Another green that can tolerate partial shade, hardy mibuna can be sown successively from late spring through late autumn. Its narrow, rounded, green leaves offer an attractive contrast when planted alongside mustards. Harvest mibuna at the baby greens stage for a mild, slightly peppery taste. The flavor intensifies as plants mature. Mibuna is a good cut-and-come-again crop and will regrow several times over the season. Its leaves can be pickled or eaten raw in mixed greens salads. Chop and add some to soups or potato salads.

Mizuna

(AKA CHINESE POTHERB MUSTARD, JAPANESE SALAD GREEN), BRASSICA RAPA VAR. NIPPOSINICA

Although mizuna is closely related to mustard, it doesn’t deliver the same fiery kick to the taste buds; instead, its flavor is similar to that of cabbage. This cool-weather crop will germinate at low temperatures and can tolerate light frost. In addition, mizuna performs very well in the heat of summer and will not readily bolt.

Harvest the feathery green or purple leaves as you would for any cut-and-come-again crop, allowing the center rosette to continue to grow, or harvest entire mizuna plants at once and immediately reseed for successive crops, in the same spot or elsewhere. Use mizuna fresh in mixed greens salads or wilted in potato or pasta salads. Add it to chicken soups or stir-fry it with noodles or rice.