Posts Tagged: Vegetables

Maybe Gardener

As I write this blog entry, November is four days away. At this time in a normal weather year, the summer vegetables would be done and gone. I would have removed the summer plants and tucked in the garden until next spring. We all know 2011 not been a normal weather year.

I have cleaned out the dried and broken corn stalks, the zucchini vines that shrived into spiny twine, and the tomato plants - except the one last tomato plant that still has two great tomatoes. I could not bring myself to rip it from the ground.

I know the plant looks ridiculous - especially since I pruned back most of the spent leafless branches and the rest of the bed is empty.

I know the last two tomatoes will probably not taste anything nearly as good as the sweet delicious globes we harvested in August.

I know the frost will be here faster than you can say “Under the Solano Sun” and the plant will be finished for sure.

But for some reason this year, holding on to one last bit of summer seems to be helping me ease into the short and dark days of fall and winter. I look out the kitchen window and see the bright red tomato ripening and it makes me smile. And the tomato plant is holding on to summer, too. There is cluster of new flowers opening on the other side of the plant.

 

I was told a compassionate gardener would let the plant go after a long season of producing tomatoes. Maybe I am being a selfish gardener by keeping the plant in the garden. Maybe I am being a compassionate gardener by allowing the plant to fulfill its productive destiny. Maybe I am an experimental gardener by growing beyond the normal season! Maybe if I get some plastic sheeting and grow lights… or, maybe not.

A Work Day in the Garden

Another good day working at the New Foundations Garden located at the Solano County Juvenile Hall Detention Facility, in Fairfield.

This garden was started last year with the cooperation of the Solano County Grounds Supervisor Jim Simon, the counselors at the facility and the Master Gardeners.  The idea is to turn a huge empty field into several types of gardens and paths, along with a teaching area.

Over the last few months planting beds were constructed, filled with compost, and made ready to plant.  The young men at the detention facility did the work under the supervision of the Master Gardeners.   Summer vegetables were planted as well as red and golden raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.  A citrus orchard has also been started with the trees off to a good start.  So far the young people have learned how to plants seeds and trees, how to install drip irrigation, and how to compost by starting a compost bin. The Master Gardeners have taught the young men how to keep the garden tools clean and ready for use, as well as plant propagation.

Over the summer months, zucchini, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, corn on the cob, watermelon, and pole beans were harvested. Some of the bounty has been donated to the food bank.  The blackberries, raspberries and strawberries were eaten right of the vine by these hard-working young people.

This last week the beds were cleaned of the summer vegetables, except for a tomato plant, pumpkin, watermelon, and the zucchini as they were still producing.  The cleaned beds were then planted with butter lettuce, ‘Pixie’ cabbage, tricolored carrots,   broccoli, and green onions as the winter crops to be planted so far.

For color, one of the beds was planted with iris and cannas and another bed has been planted with sweet peas.

Also on their waiting list the giant pumpkins that were planted early in the year. All are wondering how large they will get and if any will be ready by Halloween.

More projects are planned for the coming months, watch for updates.

Suisun Community Garden

Are you an apartment dweller or an otherwise landless gardener who has been dreaming about having a little piece of earth to call your own?  Or maybe you are just someone who has a small yard and is looking for additional space to garden?  If so, consider checking out the Suisun Community Garden located on Lotz Way by the Marina Shopping Center off of Highway 12 in Suisun City.  For approximately $30 a year which is intended to cover the cost of water usage, you can lease a 10' x 10' plot at the Community Garden.

Almost all of the Community Garden's current members have built raised beds to grow vegetables which they are doing so successfully, as the site receives full sun daily, even in the winter.  At last check, the author of this post observed corn, tomatoes, squash, tomatillos, eggplants, strawberries, artichokes, beans, carrots, radishes, beets, sunflowers, cosmos, dahlias, nasturtiums, and more, growing at the Community Garden.

As an added benefit, most members of the Community Garden are generally friendly, and will happily exchange gardening war stories and tips with you while you are there weeding, watering, etc.  Although vandalism and theft can be an issue at the Community Garden from time to time (this is a common occurrence at ANY community garden), there is usually more than enough bounty for you in your plot to harvest and enjoy.  It is also not unusual for other Community Garden members to share their harvest with you. 

At last count, there were only a dozen or so plots left, so don't delay.  For further information, please contact the Joseph Nelson Community Center at (707) 421-7200 or check out the Community Garden's Facebook page.

UCCE Helps Kids to "Power Up Your Summer!"

UC Cooperative Extension's Network for a Healthy California--Children's Power Play! Campaign, in partnership with LA's BEST After School Program kicked off the third annual  "Power Up Your Summer!" Challenge on Friday, June 10. The event empowered kids to add more play and eat more fruits and vegetables this summer to beat the "summer slump" in physical activity and healthy eating.

Youth leaders, U.S. Olympian Cyclist Tony Cruz and Chivas mascot were there to guide kids in super-charged, fun group games and activities.

Kids gain weight more than twice as fast during the summer as they do during the regular school year.

"For many students, summer break is also a break from healthy habits fostered in the structured school environment," said Ben Melendrez, program coordinator. "Instead of scheduled meals and snacks, children at home may have continuous access to unhealthy snacks. In place of recess, they spend more time watching television and playing video games. It all adds up to more calories consumed and less burned."

Eating more fruits and vegetables not only beats the "summer slump" and childhood obesity; it also helps kids feel good, reduce stress, improve strength and increase self-esteem. The event provided kids and their families resources, tools and guidance to ensure they meet their personal goals for healthy eating and physical activity this summer.

Elementary school children should get 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. They should also eat two-and-a-half to five cups of fruits and vegetables every day.

"Parents can help their kids stay on track this summer by including more fruits and vegetables in meals and snacks, limiting screen time and by being positive role models," said Melendrez. "One of the best ways for parents to help kids get active and maintain healthy eating habits is by enrolling them in a summer activity program, which provides scheduled play and snacks as well as a safe place for them to learn and grow while parents are at work."

For more information on the Network for a Healthy California--Power Play! Campaign, please call (323) 260-3841 or click here.

Power Up Your Summer Kick-Off 043

Consumers to pay more for winter veggies

Last week's rain storms are pushing up prices of vegetables typically grown this time of year in California and Arizona's southern deserts, according to a story in Western Farm Press. Writer Cary Blake's article blames El Niño.

Last Friday through Sunday, “We exceeded our annual rainfall in about 12 hours,” the story quoted Kurt Nolte, director of the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension in Yuma County. “We had a massive rainstorm between noon and 6 p.m. Thursday.”

Over the weekend iceberg lettuce prices increased to about $12 per 40-pound carton, up from about $8 last Wednesday. Iceberg prices Monday were about $15, almost double since before the storm, Blake reported.

Besides harming crops, the storm created a thick layer of mud in agricultural fields that trapped vegetable harvesting equipment.

Khaled Bali, irrigation-water management advisor and acting director of University of California Cooperative Extension in Imperial County, told Blake that about 60 percent to 70 percent of the county’s heavy clay soils have a slow water infiltration rate.

And, according to the article, Bali said rain water has a slower infiltration rate than irrigation water.

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