Rhode Island Feeds

I like using soaker hoses in my vegetable garden. They deliver the water where it’s needed with minimal waste, and they don’t splash water on the leaves – an invitation to disease.  When we moved about a year ago, I brought my old soaker hoses with me, but alas, they were full of unwanted holes and I had to replace them. (I find these hoses break down in just a season or two. It must be the UV light.)

I set off to buy new soakers in the spring, but I guess I left it a bit late, because all any of our local stores had left were the flat, ribbon type hoses.

The Object of My Annoyance

These looked great to me, so I grabbed one and brought it home. I hoped it would lie flatter than my old round soaker, and be easier to place. I hate wrestling with the hose! So I began unraveling and installing the new soaker, and something terrible began to happen. As I flattened each section to the earth and held it down with a garden staple, the remaining hose began twisting and curling back on itself – like an annoying serpent. The more I tried to flatten it, the more it writhed. Once I finally got the last section all nice and flat, I would look up and the first part would be all twisted.

I ended up having to lay the entire thing  three times, and when at last I was done and had unclenched my jaw, I turned on the water to reap the rewards of my labor. The first section seemed to work fine, but the lower parts were not soaking at all, because, as I discovered, there were tiny kinks in the hose. The darned thing never did work properly, and I ended up using a watering wand instead. So if you see these in the store and they look tempting, my advice is to grab an old fashioned round soaker hose and run away! The flat ones – at least this one – will drive you crazy.

Chocolate Cherry on the vine

I am evaluating the tomatoes I grew this year, and having already gushed about “Orange Russian” in a previous post, I will now turn my critical eye toward two more cultivars. Both of these are new to my garden. One is performing magnificently and the other is a disappointment. The cultural conditions are the same for both, in fact, they are growing next to each other.

Chocolate Cherry:

This is a well-known heirloom, and I am happily surprised by its vigor and the proliferation and taste of the fruits. Of course, they do not taste like actual chocolate cherries, but they are definitely dark and sweet. They are also quite a bit larger than other cherry types I have grown – about 1 inch or even more in diameter. All in all, I found this to be a productive and trouble free tomato – and the fruits are delicious.

Milano:

I decided to try this plum type tomato after reading a glowing review in a seed catalog – one I trust. The seed is imported from Italy, and the fruits are supposed to be ideal for sauces and sun drying. I am also growing San Marzanos and I have already harvested two batches and made sauce. The Milanos, on the other hand, are sort of languishing. I haven’t picked a single one yet. Maybe I’m doing something wrong with these, but all the others are doing great, so I don’t think that’s the problem. I won’t bother growing these next year.

I was wondering whether any of you has used a product called “Superthrive.” (And no, I am not working for the company that makes it!)

I’ve been using it for several years, and have been getting good results. It’s not a fertilizer, rather a kind of supplement that provides plants with micronutrients. I first heard about it when I was volunteering in a greenhouse, and the team leader used it to revive some wilted plugs. Then I heard more while attending a class on orchid culture. The instructor told us that she alternated “Superthrive” with her regular orchid fertilizer.

So, I bought one of those  little bottles with the miniscule text and teeny tiny photos. If you want to actually read that tiny text, here’s a link to it on the “Superthrive” website. I think it’s kind of  funny how they try and cram all that information onto a small label. But whatever the bottle looks like, I find the product useful, especially when I’m transplanting, or putting new plants in. They seem less traumatized if  I add it to the water. I also use it on my orchids, alternating with orchid fertilizer.

I would love to hear your comments and/or experiences with this stuff, or any other products for that matter!

This summer, I have been experimenting with new cultivars – both ornamental and vegetable.  Below are my reviews of one of each:

Achillea Paprika:

Paprika. Nice and red.

This was purchased to attract hummingbirds. I planted it in a large, tall planter on our deck, along with some dwarf white cosmos and a new salvia cultivar, which I will review in another post.

The descriptions I read before buying it were enticing ( aren’t they all?): “large clusters of bright red flowers”  “ruby red flowers”   ” irresistible to butterflies.”  At first, the color was indeed bright red. Finally, a yarrow that wasn’t muddy!

Paprika, one month later. Not so red anymore.

But alas, as the summer progressed, even with regular deadheading the flowers went from red to rust – a shade I am definitely not fond of. So in the fall, I will move it to the perennial bed at the side of the house. Maybe it will be redder there.

Tomato Orange Russian:

Orange Russian: big, beautiful and tasty!

I bought this plant at a spring plant sale. As I said, I do love experimenting, and I have found most of the Russian cultivars I have tried in the past to be both interesting and absolutely delicious. I harvested the first fruit a couple of weeks ago, and is it ever different-looking! It’s large and orange and heart-shaped, with red radiating from the tip up toward the stem. The flesh is mostly orangey-yellow, and it is meaty, juicy and succulent. I am only able to eat half of one for lunch at a time. That’s how big and heavy these tomatoes are. I like this plant a lot, and might even grow it again next year, if I can get my hands on it.

I dug up some of my onions recently, and I’d honestly forgotten I’d planted cipollini onions. But these are so beautiful, I had to share.

Red Marble Cipollini Onion

The color is just jewel-like. These small, flat onions are Italian in origin, and this variety is called Red Marble. I got the seed from Johnny’s Seeds in Maine. More later when I find some good ways to cook these. For now, I’m just enjoying the sight of them.

I was outside a few days ago working in my vegetable garden, and bumble bees were hovering nearby.  Those bees  got me thinking about honeybees, and I realized that I hadn’t seen many honeybees this season. Then I read in our local paper  that Colony Collapse Disorder, or “CCD” has been attributed to more disastrous bee die-offs over last winter. The USDA estimates that 1/3 of all the colonies were lost!

Bumble, not honey

We should remember that our honeybees are not native to North America. They were brought here by European settlers, and displaced many of our indigenous wild pollinators. But rely on them we most certainly do, for pollinating crops from apples to broccoli.

Here in Rhode Island, beekeepers have also suffered major losses. CCD continues to affect colonies across the United States and Canada, and the scary thing is no one has been able to pinpoint a single cause of this disease. Researchers suspect a combination of pathogens, pesticides, malnutrition and parasites such as the varroa mite, but the bottom line is, they still don’t know why honeybees suddenly desert their colonies and disappear forever. One French study says that bees stay healthier if they can collect pollen from many different sources. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, today’s agriculture usually involves the mass production of single crops.

Bee with varroa mite - photo: USDA

Those who are studying  CCD  agree on one thing: there isn’t nearly enough funding for research into this problem, especially considering what is at stake. Dennis vanEngelsdorp, the Pennsylvania state apiarist argues that if one of every three cows was dying “they’d call out the National Guard.”

As fellow gardeners, I’m sure you are already aware of the importance of bees as pollinators – in our own gardens, and in the pollination of important food crops. While there’s not much we can do about CCD other than stay informed, we can help bees where we live. If you haven’t done so already, add some plants to your garden that are superior nectar sources. These include: Monarda (Bee Balm), and Eupatorium, (Joe-Pye Weed). Plant in clusters, or drifts – not isolated single plantings. Buy local honey. This supports your local beekeepers and the bees. Finally, if you absolutely must spray pesticides, (and the bees wish you wouldn’t) please don’t spray at mid-day, when the bees are out foraging.

HerbDoc plays host to a robin family!

It was only a common robin (Turdus migratorius) that built her nest in my clematis trellis, but I learned so much about bird behavior from her.  About five weeks ago, I noticed a pair on robins flying under my deck and from an upstairs window, finally spotted the 5 inch round nest taking shape.

Patiently they added twigs, paper, feathers and coarse grass to their nest, lining the outside with mud and the inside with soft grass clippings.

About four weeks ago she laid three blue eggs which took 10 days to hatch.  The nestlings were naked and blind and received constant care from their mother.  I watched as she fed them soft caterpillars, grubs and worms.

When it was very hot, she would take a trip to the bird bath in my herb garden and submerge herself in the cooling water for several minutes.

Then she would return to the nest, sitting on top of the trellis with her nest a few inches below and spread her wings.  Amazing!  She was shading and cooling the tiny nestlings from the intense sun and summer heat.

They have developed quickly and are now covered with feathers and are almost as large as their mother.  They’re pretty crammed into that little space, and movement has to be restricted or a sibling might fall out.  Their mother only visits to feed them and spend the night.  She’s not ever far away, however, as she swoops and chases any bird or animal in the vicinity that she feels is a threat.

I understand it only takes two weeks from hatch for them to be able to fly and leave the nest.  Even though my clematis has suffered from the constant comings and goings of Mom Robin, I will miss watching this little family group.

I debated about posting this, but after consulting with fellow bloggers, I decided to go for it.

Below is the potato I dug in my garden. Mother Nature sure works in mysterious ways.

Herbdoc has seen some interesting insects around her garden this summer:

It certainly has been a banner year for insects here in Rhode Island!

Here are three I recently found in my yard.

Black Swallowtail caterpillar

Black Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes) – found happily munching the parsley in my gigantic herb basket on the back deck.

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe) – spotted enjoying the nectar of the Verbena bonariensis. (This plant has attracted a lot of wildlife this summer including hummingbirds who sip the nectar and goldfinches who love the seeds!  I will definitely plant more of these verbenas next year.)

Bella Moth Caterpillar

Bella Moth caterpillar (Utetheisa bella) – I had to do a lot of research to identify this one.  Three of them were snacking on my licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolatum) on the front deck.  I plan to keep watching them to be sure they are Bellas.  Let us know if you think they may be something else!

Editor’s note: Herbdoc wrote about a week later to say that the caterpillar had emerged from its cocoon, and it was indeed a Bella Moth.

In one of my “daring gardening experiments,” I decided to try Greasy Beans. Greasies are called greasy because they don’t have the fine hairs on their pods like regular pole beans. You can see my previous post about Greasies here.

They grew just like regular pole beans here in my southeastern Connecticut garden. I had them on posts growing with Scarlet Runner Beans (because I like the flowers) and cukes.

Greasies on the vine.

And they are delicious. This is one garden experiment that I will definitely repeat. Here’s one way I prepare them.

Greasies on the counter, ready to cook. Mmmm.

Greasy Beans with Onion and Bacon
Servings: 2

1 lb. greasy beans, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 medium onion, slivered

Trim and rinse beans and place in a pot of boiling salted water. Have an ice-water bath ready. Blanch beans in boiling water until crisp-tender, cool off in ice water and set into colander to drain.

Cook chopped bacon in a skillet until it releases some of its fat, then add onion slivers. Cook bacon and onion until onions are just beginning to brown and bacon is crisp. Add drained beans and cook until rewarmed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 220, Total Fat 10.2g, Cholesterol 28mg, Sodium 645mg, Total Carb. 18.7g, Fiber 8.2g, Sugars 4.3g, Protein 14.4g

Recently, I told you about the monarch caterpillar that had pupated among my string beans. I considered myself lucky to have found the chrysalis, but did not dare hope to catch the emergence of the butterfly.

I was away for a few days, and one of the first things I did when I got home was run and check the chrysalis. This is what I found last evening. It was much, much darker, and I could see orange wings inside. This morning, the chrysalis was still there, but it looked ready to pop at any minute.

See the wings?

I reluctantly went out for a while, and when I returned, there was the empty chrysalis with the newly-emerged butterfly beside it. It was just hanging out drying its wings, so I snapped a couple of photos and let it be.

I didn’t catch the actual event, but this came close. I’m so glad I left that milkweed!

lamb's quarters

Here’s Herbdoc with another edible wild plant:

Here’s an edible weed that I routinely yanked out of my vegetable garden until I met a mother of ten who cultivated a row!  She insisted it was edible and nutritious with a distinctive flavor, so I just had to try it.

Lamb’s Quarters (Chenopodium album), sometimes called “goosefoot,” can be found growing in disturbed soil, vegetable gardens or at the edges of fields.  It can reach four feet in height with multiple branching stems off its squared main stem. Both leaves and stems have an earthy spinach/chard flavor.  The easiest way to cook it involves putting the leaves and stems in a bamboo steamer; they will turn a deep green and reduce as they cook.  Small, raw young leaves are a wonderful addition to salads.

As with all edible wild plants, make a positive identification through the use of a good field guide or by working with a person who collects them regularly.  Be sure they have not been exposed to pollution or chemical sprays before harvesting for consumption.  If you choose not to harvest wild plants, there is a cultivated variety called “Magentaspreen” which carried by a few seed houses.

Benary's Giants

Back in April, I told you about my fondness for zinnias. I started two cultivars from seed – Cut and Come Again, and the newer Benary’s Giants. I promised to tell you how I liked the Benary’s, so here’s my review:

I planted the seedlings along my front stairs, and they began flowering (in a horrendous heat wave with no rain) about a month ago. They’re about 24 inches high, and sturdy, despite repeated attacks by earwigs and other various insects.

What I like best about them is their strong, jewel-like colors, which really stand out against the green of the lawn. The hummingbirds seem to enjoy browsing the flowers,  zooming in after a stop at the feeder, and I often see butterflies feeding on them, too.  To make things more interesting, I planted a container of bachelor’s buttons (Centaurea cyanus) nearby. I really like the way all the colors work together.

Love this

The Cut and Come Agains are doing well – vigorous and blooming strongly. They just don’t have the pop of the Benary’s, though, and their colors seem a little muddy by comparison.

Cut and Come Again

So the results of my very un-scientific zinnia trial are these: Benary’s Giants are awesome and worth the extra $.50 of whatever per seed packet. I think they’ll be my default zinnias for the foreseeable future – or at least until something better comes along.

I always allow some milkweed to grow in my vegetable garden. I don’t let it take over, but I want to provide a hospitable place for monarch butterflies. In case you didn’t already know, milkweed is the ONLY thing monarch larvae eat. I feel they have enough to contend with, and this is the least I can do. It is obvious that monarch larvae have been munching on these leaves. Good! I was hopeful I might actually catch some of them in the act.

Some serious munching going on here

I didn’t see any eating, but when I was harvesting my string beans, I saw a monarch caterpillar – more or less out in the open -  about to pupate. I had always assumed they did this on the undersides of milkweed leaves, but I guess I was wrong. This one was attached to the fence the beans climb on, about three feet high.

Pupating among the beans

After taking a few photos, I left the house for about two hours. As soon as I came home, I went outside to check on the caterpillar, and I found this. That sure didn’t take long!

The chrysalis

My next step was to go online to try and learn more about this stage in the monarch’s development. The first thing I found out is that unlike moths, monarchs do not spin cocoons. A monarch during this pupa stage is properly called a chrysalis, and the chrysalis is found under the skin of the larva when the last layer splits and falls away.

So, how long will it be before a butterfly emerges from the chrysalis? It seems temperature can affect the speed of the metamorphosis. The hotter the days and nights, the faster it happens. I figure it’ll be between a week and two weeks before this one emerges. It would be great to catch the big event, but I can’t camp out with the beans until it happens. I’ll just have to check on it every day – and of course I’ll keep you posted.

Hal Morpeth welcomes student volunteers. photo courtesy of CELS News

This is a story about a university, its faculty, staff and students, the State of Rhode Island, some Master Gardeners, and a food bank. It’s also about testing new vegetable cultivars, and bringing many diverse interests together to grow good food, and lots of it.

For the past several years, University of Rhode Island Plant Sciences professor Dr. Rebecca Brown and research associate Carl Sawyer, with help from some URI students, have been growing fresh produce for the Rhode Island Food Bank. This year, the project has undergone a significant expansion. Dr. Brown needed more help, and a team of volunteers headed by Master Gardeners Hal Morpeth  and Charlie Samson got involved. With help from some URI and other student volunteers, they made the transition from “gardening” to “farming,” planting hundreds of cucumbers, lettuces, peppers, cabbages, carrots, potatoes, and onions.

volunteers getting down and dirty. photo courtesy of CELS News

Vegetable trials are also part of the project. One of these, partially funded by the RI Department of Environmental management, is testing blight-resistant tomatoes.

Bringing so many diverse groups together seems to benefit everyone. The trials will produce research data, the volunteers – including Master Gardeners – gain valuable experience, and the Food Bank gets the fresh produce. Sounds good to me.

Recently, some friends and I went on the Newport RI “Secret Garden Tour.” A ticket purchased in advance was just $20, and the proceeds went to charity. It was also an opportunity to explore the historic and lovely “Point” section of the city, since all the gardens were located there,  within walking distance of each other.

Actually, that was the best part: walking around The Point, where most of the wooden houses were built in the 1700s, and charming vignettes like this one abound.

The houses are close together, so the gardens are quite small. Some were delightful – with garden ornaments as interesting as the plants themselves. As for the plantings, I adored the shape of one azalea, which, we were told, is 110 years old, and there were some wonderful trees like the venerable copper beeches in the garden of a B&B.

The 110-year-old azalea

Other gardens, though, were not “tour ready” in our opinion. They needed dead heading and weeding, and no one could tell us anything about the individual plants if we had questions. At least two of the gardens touted specimen trees in the brochure, but when we asked about them, in one case the tree had been cut down and in the other, it had been “moved somewhere else.”

Overall, the tour was worthwhile, especially since our ticket money went to a good cause. I guess I was expecting more on a horticultural level – and docents who could answer our questions about the plants.

This garden was full of surprises

Herbdoc has some good news. I love good news.

turkey poult. photo: Herbdoc

The Eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallapavo silvestris) was near extinction in the early 1900’s due to over hunting and loss of habitat.  In Rhode Island, The Department of Environmental Management’s restoration effort started in 1980, and the population swelled to an estimated 4900 in 2009.

For the past ten years we have seen increasing numbers on our wooded property.  The first flock consisted of a dozen adult birds, but last winter we counted 72 visitors!  It wasn’t until last summer that we spotted the poults, or young turkeys, accompanied by three hens.  The hens apparently teach their young to be very quiet since they would otherwise become dinner for predators.  This year we have nineteen poults with four hens.  They are particularly fond of my herb garden where they snack on insects, green plants and fruit.

They are such a delight to watch, and a real benefit of having them visit has been a rapid decline in the number of ticks.  An adult turkey can eat up to 200 ticks a day with the result that our woods have been tick free for the past several years.

The second successful restoration project has involved the osprey (Pandion haliaetus), a magnificent raptor with a 3 foot wing span that feeds on live fish.

The osprey population was decimated during the years between 1950 and 1975 due to the effects of the pesticide DDT which worked its way up the food chain to the birds.  It caused a thinning of eggshells and poisoning of embryos; very few eggs hatched.  The ban on DDT in 1972 and the construction of special platforms to provide nesting sites contributed to the osprey’s remarkable comeback.

This photo was taken at the Salt Pond in South Kingstown, RI.  The nestlings were peering across the road at their parents, either awaiting dinner or being urged to take the plunge for their first flight!

ospreys panting in the heat. photo: Herbdoc

Roses have a reputation for being fertilizer hogs, but that may not be valid.  I have been growing roses for about eight years.  Taking my cues from professional rosarians and the internet, I gave my roses everything that was recommended and then some.  Of course, there is a fine line between overfeeding and underfeeding and there are many environmental and cultural variables that have to be factored into the equation.  However, I have to say my roses have always thrived and bloomed from June through November so the advice was good.  Or was it?

Della Balfour rose

For six years I faithfully applied fertilizer (8-12-4) in mid April and then every six weeks until mid September.  In addition to fertilizer I applied about one half cup of Epsom salt (for magnesium) to the soil around each plant.  Then in mid November I put down a shovelful of manure, a handful of superphosphate, some lime, and a small volcano of mulch around the base of every plant.  Two years ago I added a systemic pesticide product (there are several good ones on the market…I prefer Beyer) to the regimen and this was applied in the spring.

Well, last year I got lazy and only fertilized once, in mid April.  Everything else remained the same.  Much to my surprise, the plants seemed to be healthier than usual but I didn’t trust my observation so I decided to do the same thing this year.  My friends began to comment about how robust and healthy the roses looked and then I knew it wasn’t my imagination last year.  Except for the ever present and hideous black spot, all of the roses have stronger canes, larger, firmer, and greener leaves, and larger and more abundant blossoms.

Healthy rose leaves

I believe my new program has been successful because it may actually be stressful to overfeed roses…and probably other plants as well…especially when temperatures start climbing.  Of course, the money I save by buying one container of fertilizer instead of five every spring is enough to buy several new rose plants every year.  Now that’s what I call a win-win situation.

Female ALB. illustration: US Forest Service

This is my third post on the subject of Asian Longhorned Beetles (ALBs) . Considering what is at stake – our eastern forests – I should probably be writing even more often about these insects.

These unwelcome visitors arrived in the United States in wooden pallets, and proceeded to kill every tree in their paths. Worcester, Massachusetts has been particularly hard hit, losing about 25,000 trees at last count. For more background information on the ALB, go here.

The big worry is that the beetles could be living undetected somewhere and that it will be discovered when the damage has already been done. So it is very important that we keep our eyes peeled for signs of the beetles, especially now,  in July, when they emerge through dime-sized holes in tree bark after spending the winter as larvae, feeding on heartwood and killing trees.

Watch for holes like these. photo: USDA

Please be on the alert for these devastating pests, and report any insects – or their signs – that you see.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Asian Longhorned Beetles have been discovered in Boston. A small infestation was found in six maple trees at Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain, near the Arnold Arboretum. The trees have all been removed, and officials are now trying to determine the extent of the infestation. People living in the Brookline, Newton and Boston areas should be especially vigilant.

Stinging Nettle

HerbDoc has some thoughts on nettles:

Stinging nettle, Urtica dioica, is an herbaceous perennial which grows from 3 to 7 feet tall and blooms in June.  If you’ve come in contact with it, you won’t soon forget it as it is covered with many stinging hairs (tricomes) whose needle-like tops come off when lightly touched.  These tops contain several chemicals including acetylcholine, histamine and serotonin which cause pain and itching that can last for up to a week.

As painful as its bite is, I wouldn’t be without a patch in my yard.

Fresh nettle has an abundance of nitrogen and is often added to my compost pile as an activator.  In the very early spring, when the leaves are tender, it can be picked and boiled (to remove the stinging hairs) and eaten like spinach.  These young leaves are also very popular in Northern and Eastern Europe where they are made into soup.  Nettle is rich in vitamins A, D, iron, potassium, manganese and calcium.  Do not use as a pot herb after it blooms because it forms cystoliths which may cause urinary and kidney problems.  Dried leaves can be used for teas which were often part of spring tonics.

Stinging nettle was used by ancient Roman soldiers for urtification, a process of flogging oneself.  This was done to treat tired, painful legs on long marches and stimulated circulation!  It has also been used as a treatment for arthritis and rheumatism in Germany, and extracts of the plant are said to control dandruff and eczema.

Dock

If nettle grows freely in your yard, it is a sign that the area has high fertility and contains phosphorus.  Its growth also encourages beneficial insects.  Should you come in contact with nettle, look for dock, another common weed in Rhode Island.  Rubbing the leaves on the affected area will alleviate the burning and itching.  Other folk remedies include horsetail, Jewelweed, or the topical use of milk of magnesia.