Climbing French Beans

I started with Seed Savers Exchange Climbing French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seeds. I planted them directly into the garden in full sun on August 22, 2009 for a fall crop. In the 1930's, Climbing French Beans were reportedly the most widely grown French bean in England, according to The Beans of New York. These beans produce 4 -7" inch stringless pods with lilac flowers and are great for eating raw. There seeds are shiny and dark purple. Climbing varieties of beans will produce pods all summer while dwarf compact bush beans tend to crop over a relatively short period of time.

Growing Tips: French Beans prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Area should be sheltered since beans can be vulnerable to chilly winds. Climbing beans will need support to grow, a trellis often works perfectly. Do not water young plants unless dry or the plant will focus on growing leaves, not peas. Once flowers develop, start watering on a regular basis. Water carefully at the roots, taking care not to splash the foliage.

Starting from Seed: Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and the soil and air temperatures have warmed (around early May). Also can be grown in late summer for a fall harvest. Seeds should be planted in an area where they have a spade and a half's depth to root since climbing beans are deep rooters. Plant seeds 1" deep and 2" apart in rows 36 - 48" apart.

Natural Pest Control: Aphids, both black and green can form colonies on growing shoots. If you are growing organic, rub off early colonies as soon as you spot them. Growing asters, marigolds and sedums near your beans will attract friendly pest predators that eat aphids.

Harvesting: French beans mature in 65 - 75 days and can be harvested late into summer so long as the crop is kept well watered. French beans suffer if they become too thirsty. Pick young and pick often. Young French bean pods are far tastier than mature pods. If you can see bean shapes bulging along the pods, the beans are past their best.

Tomatillos and When to Harvest

Tomatillo is also known as Toma Verde or the Green Tomato. It is not a tomato, it is a member of the nightshade family, related to tomatoes. Tomatillos are grown like a tomato and the leaves and plant look similar to a tomato however, that is where the similarities end. Most people don't know what to expect when growing Tomatillos because many people are generally unfamiliar with them.

The fruit of a Tomatillo is green (there are also purple and yellow varieties often grown outside the U.S.) and about the size of a small tomato or large cherry tomato. The inside flesh is white and meatier than a regular tomato and tomatillos grow inside a thin paper-like husk. The interesting thing is that the husk forms first and looks like a paper lantern hanging from the branches (see above image - My Tomatillo plant on August 21, 2009) and then the fruit grows inside until it fills the husk. If you look up at your Tomatillo from below the plant, you can see inside the husk and see your Tomatillo growing. Tomatillo plants often grow to about 5 or 6 feet tall and require caging or a support trellis.

Harvesting: Tomatillos are ripe when the paper-like husk turns brown and breaks open. Remove the husk and rinse the oily substance off. Store in a cool, dry place until you are ready to use them.

Button Box Zinnia

I started with Button Box Zinnia's (Zinnia elegans) in mixed colors from Lake Valley Seeds. I started the seeds indoors in peet pods and transplanted outdoors in mid-summer. This specific variety of Zinnia grows quite tall, around 2 - 3 feet and produce an abundance of flowers that bloom from midsummer until frost. They are easy to grow and thrive in hot areas however, be prepared to provide support for these Zinnia's as they do grow tall and skinny. (right) My Button Box Zinnia's in full bloom in August 2009. I started these from seed in late May.


Growing Tips: Zinnia's prefer full sun and regular waterings. To avoid spreading disease to the plant leaves (which is a common problem with Zinnia's), water plants at their base taking care to keep the foliage dry. Remove faded flowers to encourage new blooms.

Starting from Seed: Sow directly in the garden after danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. Seeds may be started indoors 4 weeks before planting outdoors. Transplant carefully so as not to disturb the roots. Space seeds 10 - 12 inches apart, 1/4 inch deep. Seeds should sprout in 10 - 12 days outdoors or 2 - 6 days indoors. Plant as an annual.

How to Test your Soil pH

Soil pH determines a plant's ability to absorb nutrients. When the pH is off (too high or too low), the nutrients in the soil become locked up and unavailable. On the pH scale 7 is neutral, less than 7 is acidic and more than 7 is alkaline. The majority of plants prefer neutral soil therefore it is very important to determine the pH of your soil prior to planting. There are a variety of ways to test your soil.

How to test your soil pH balance:

• Smell and taste the soil: An acid soil will be sour.
• Place a soil sample in a jar of vinegar: If the vinegar bubbles, the soil is sweet and neutral and planting may commence.
• Purchase a soil pH test kit: Comes with detailed instructions and can be found at your local nursery.

How to Fix your Soil pH:

• Sweeten a sour or acid soul by raising the pH. Incorporate agricultural lime.
• Balance an alkaline soil by lowering the pH. Incorporate sulfur or cottonseed meal.

Vegetables and herbs that require sweet soil: asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, lavender, leeks, nasturtiums, onions, rosemary, spinach, sweet peas and thyme.

Vegetables, fruit and herbs that require acid soil: apple, blueberries, brambleberries, carrots, eggplant, parsley, potato, pumpkin and tomato.

In addition to balancing your soil pH, you should also know that you should not plant the same vegetable or crop in the same location as the previous harvest. If you do plant something in the same place, you will need to add nutrients to the soil since the previous harvest will have removed or added other nutrients that could hinder the growth and development of the new crop.

Connecticut Field Pumpkins

The most traditional pumpkin is the Jack-o-Lantern or as it is officially known, the Connecticut Field Pumpkin. They typically grow to 10 and 20 pounds, are bright orange and are perfect for Halloween carving. They are not especially good for eating, they are plain tasting and not very sweet and can be a bit watery if using for pie. However, this is the most common choice of home gardeners and commercial growers. (right) My Jack-o-Lantern pumpkin from Halloween 2008. (below) The pumpkin patch at Baggenstos Farm.

Growing Tips: All pumpkin varieties prefer full sun, at least 6 hours of direct each day. Soil should be kept moist but not wet. Most pumpkins require 110 - 140 frost free growing days, see the Starting from Seed section below for proper planting dates.

Starting from Seed: Pumpkins are tender annuals so note that frost will kill them and cold weather will stunt their growth when starting plants. Soak your seeds the night before planting to make sprouting easier and faster. Plant pumpkin seeds in the middle of small mounds (mounds should be 10 feet apart from other mounds) that are about 3 feet in diameter. Surround each mound with a moat, about 4" wide and 4" deep to help contain water around the roots. Plant 4 - 5 seeds in a circle in the middle of the mound, space seeds 6 - 8 inches apart and cover with at least 1" of soil so the birds don't eat them. After two weeks, thin to two or three of the strongest and largest plants per mound. When to plant your seeds:

• Giant Pumpkins: Start indoors from April 25 - May 15, transplant after the first true leaves form, provide cold and frost protection.
• Jack-o-Lanterns and Field Pumpkins: Directly sow into the garden from May 15 - June 15, provide cold and frost protection, if needed.
• Miniature Pumpkins: Direct sow into the garden from May 15 - July 1.
  

How to get rid of Slugs

Slugs can be huge garden pests especially for those that grow lettuce, beans, peas and a large variety of other vegetables and flowers. There are many ways to get rid of slugs, some naturally and others chemically. The key is to getting rid of the slugs and snails before they cause too much damage to your garden. I have provided multiple methods for natural repellents for organic gardening and chemical methods.

Getting rid of Slugs Naturally and Organically:

• Apply pea gravel, broken egg shells or sand around the base of the plants (but not touching or packed up against the plants) that you want to protect, about 2" deep. Slugs do not like to climb over these things and sand will also discourage weed growth.
• Place a half-full beer can(s) near the area that you want to protect. The slugs will attract to the beer instead of your plants.
• Go out every evening, just when it starts to get dark or every morning, just when it starts to get light - these are when most slugs are out - and pick off all the slugs from your garden. In the daytime, slugs tend to sleep under garden containers and terra-cotta pots, if you have these, lift them up and you will probably find the slugs underneath.
• Apply copper plating to your raised garden beds. Slugs don't like it and gives them a mild shock from crawling on it.

Getting rid of Slugs Chemically:

• In a 1-quart spray bottle, mix 1 1/2 cups non-sudsing ammonia and 1 1/2 cups water. Spray in areas where slug damage is evident. This will dissolve baby slugs on contact while the ammonia will break down into the form of nitrogen and feed the plants.
• Or you can buy Corey's Slug Bait or Ortho Eco-Sense Slug and Snail Killer.

Lucky Bamboo

Lucky Bamboo is one of the perfect house or office plants as it needs little care. About an inch of water and little direct sunlight to keep happy. What many people do not know, is Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena) is not a bamboo at all. It is a resilient member of the lily family that grows in dark, tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia and Africa. (right) My Lucky Bamboo.

Growing Tips: Lucky Bamboo prefers fresh water - 1" of the base of the canes should be submerged - and plenty of indirect sunlight with room temperatures at 65 - 70 degrees fahrenheit. You can also add a mild fertilizer occassionally to help it thrive such as African Violet Fertilizer.

Why are the Leaves turning Yellow?: The two most common factors that cause the leaves to turn yellow and the stems to eventually yellow and die are 1) Too much direct sunlight; and 2) Too salty water or flouridated tap water.