Living

Notes From A Plant Freak

December 7, 2012 |

Gardening is a Seedy Business

A most perplexing trend seen in nurseries during the fall are vegetables in starter pots (like 4-inch pots and 6-packs). A cynical laugh was derived from this author recently when he spotted sweet peas being sold in 6-packs at a quality local nursery.  Planting peas this way is almost futile. Let’s lend a hint to our newbie gardeners: many vegetables transplant poorly and are best planted from seed. You might be intimidated by seeds but with a few pointers that intimidation can be converted into a learning experience that can change your gardening success rate.

Many annual vegetable crops grow very fast. Their taproots want room. The goal of an annual plant, or a plant that typically lives out only for one season, is to get established in time to grow and reproduce as successfully as possible, given the available resources and time. Starter pots give hardly any room for such quick development. All too often those plants have sat too long in those pots, not just lacking room, but being overheated and going through extremes of dryness and wetness. Annual plants especially hate this. It’s a wonder anyone ever has success this way.

If you have prepared your garden bed properly and are committed to seeing out the needs of your crop, starting from seed directly in the garden is the best way to ensure a good start for your vegetable crop.  There are exceptions to this rule. Tomatoes and peppers, for example, if obtained by a reputable nursery that keeps its stock in the proper sunlight, watered and not hanging around too long to get root bound will do fine. Perennial crops like oregano, mint, artichokes and such usually transplant well, but beware of the quality you choose. Root-bound plants decrease your likelihood of a positive growing experience.

There is another compelling reason to plant from seed: variety. If you choose a crop from the garden center, you are stuck with whatever varieties they thought would sell well, sometimes being inappropriate for our climate like the well-known Beefsteak tomato which has limited success in Tucson. Often one finds only the tried and true varieties are available.  This is ok if you are content to grow the same thing everyone else is growing. You have the largest selection at your disposal choosing varieties from seed catalogs. especially with the Internet making the stock of all these companies available to you whenever you fancy purchasing some seed. But you do take on the responsibility of doing your homework. Pay attention to how long it takes a crop to mature. Often descriptions will also let you know what a crop likes. With some crops this can be experimental and if you aren’t sure what you are doing, you do take a chance in selecting the wrong crop. Look at the experiments as an adventure and know this is actually more rare of an occurrence than it sounds. Most vegetable crops do well if you pay attention to season length and plant properly.

Variety is also greater with most perennial crops, or more permanent or longer-living plants, when growing from seed. Artichoke varieties in the nursery, for example, are almost always limited to the Green Globe variety. Not because this is the only variety or the best for Tucson gardening. But nurseries are businesses and sometimes they have to make fiscal decisions that limit diversity. There is only so much room and why take chances on a variety people aren’t familiar with.

By no means do you stop browsing the nursery. Depriving yourself of the wonderful experience of perusing the aisles of a good nursery would be a horrible suggestion. Just keep in mind that if you open yourself up to starting things from seed, your options open up, and your success with particular crops will improve.

Seed packets almost always have all the information you need but be wary of seasonal planting suggestions as our mild winter and arid land climate often require different timing considerations. However, seed depth and spacing are almost always available and best followed. Also, almost all seed companies list how long it takes from germination for a crop to develop which is very important data in planning

This author has a lot of favorite seed sources.  Here are a few: our own Native Seeds / SEARCH (NativeSeeds.org) is best for dry land crops, developed in this area. They have all that is local and heirloom. Additionally, use Territorial Seed Company (TerritorialSeed.com) for basic crops, Kitizawa Seed Company (KitazawaSeed.com) for Asian crops, Seeds From Italy (GrowItalian.com) for Italian heirlooms and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (RareSeeds.com) for fun and amazing heirlooms from around the world.

Jared R. McKinley maintains a gardening and homesteading blog called Arid Land Homesteaders League at AridLandHomestead.com

Notes From A Plant Freak

November 7, 2012 |

Gardening: it is often defined in very limited terms and thought of in isolation from many activities that serious practitioners often find themselves engaging. The author is here to encourage a broadening of what is labelled under “gardening”. The following list of activities are those which are great companions to growing plants.

Composting: this should be synonymous with gardening but technically it is a separate activity. Everyone should be composting; it is the best source of soil nutrition. Even if you don’t have a lot of space, you can make a worm compost bin that fits under your sink. If you have the room, learn to compost. Also, learn to make aerated compost tea. An article on this will be in these pages very soon. But for now, Google it!

Animal husbandry: raise some chickens or rabbits or other herbivore animals. Not only do they give you eggs, meat, or just the enjoyment of having cute animals but their manure is wonderful as an activator for the compost pile and for increasing the soil nutritional and biological profile.

Cooking: obviously if you grow a bunch of food, you gotta eat it. Become a great cook. Everyone SHOULD. But these days many people have become very dependent on fast food. Be able. Learn how to make food for yourself.

Canning, Fermenting, Food Preservation: when a crop produces more than you can possibly consume at once, or even trade away, you can efficiently preserve the fruits of your labor for the future by drying, canning, or preserving with age-old fermenting techniques (like making sauerkraut) which are also very healthy additions to the diet.

Bees: don’t be intimidated. Bees are not that hard to raise. It takes a few hours a week on average to manage a hive, and armed with the right information, you can raise bees. They not only pollinate your garden, but your neighbors’ gardens for miles around. Plus, honey is awesome.

All these things, besides making you a smarter, more able person, will also help you spend less money on inferior food. Home-grown food is really the best. Once you start producing your own, your life is sure to change a lot. This might sound lofty, but engaging in these activities is also good for humankind. Skills like making food should not be lost, or left to large corporations. We should all know something about food, since we cannot live without it.

Seasonal Notes

Keep planting all your cool season crops: leafy greens, root crops, cool season herbs and legumes, garlic, onions, etc. Landscape plants that are not frost tender are best planted in fall, even if they are dormant. Prepare for frosts. They are around the corner. Keep some old sheets at the ready for those cold nights–pay attention to the low temperatures in the evening, that is when frost damage occurs, especially just before daybreak. Cool season annuals and perennials should be out in full force. You can still plant wildflowers, and if you already have, consider planting successionally: if you start a new bath every few weeks to once a month, you will extend your wildflower season considerably. This is true for all annual crops though. Don’t just plant everything out all at once.

Jared R. McKinley maintains a gardening and homesteading blog called Arid Land Homesteaders League at Plantfreak.Wordpress.com.

Fostering Growth

October 15, 2012 |

Newcomers to the Sonoran Desert bioregion, when transplanting themselves from the moister climes of California and Oregon, may expect to find a wind-swept sand dune wasteland devoid of significant vegetation. Not so. With Arizona holding the title of third most biodiverse state in the nation, the variety of plant life here doesn’t disappoint. Sorry, San Diego: close examination reveals there are literally thousands of species native just to the four mountain ranges surrounding the Old Pueblo alone. Los Angeles’ manicured lawns and prepackaged palms pale in comparison.

Desert Survivors Native Plant Nursery conducts the noble task of cultivating and propagating these indigenous cacti, succulents, aquatic plants, trees and grasses using organic gardening practices. Visiting their county-leased land along the banks of the Santa Cruz River at 1020 W. Starr Pass Blvd. gives one the distinct impression that their business is indeed a pleasure.

Founded by Tucson psychologist Dr. Joseph Patterson in 1981 as a human services organization serving developmentally disabled adults, Desert Survivors only later evolved into a bona fide retail outlet after digging and weeding proved spectacularly beneficial to its clients. Today customers come from as far away as Phoenix and Sierra Vista to acquire specimens. Its status as the only pure plant nursery in the area helps Desert Survivors stand out even in a city known for its one-of-a-kind independent operations.

Having been with Desert Survivors since 2005, Janine McCabe is the right person to talk to about what she refers to as “horticultural therapy.” She explains that crews of adults with disabilities are employed to do “all aspects of work here,” from watering and shoveling to stocking and inventory, with mentors supervising their efforts and encouraging them every step of the way.

Where do all these plants come from? “We grow the majority of them from seeds or vegetative cuttings,” explains McCabe as she meanders purposefully among the octopus agaves, mountain yuccas, giant blue sotols, pincushions and fish hook barrels. “We do go out of our way to more isolated localities,” she says, in search of groups of trees which are “hopefully more pure and less cross-hybridized.” The idea is to locate and breed “stuff that’s native or unique,” in order to promote mindful urban landscaping, while providing a sense of purpose and pride for persons with disabilities. If that isn’t a win-win scenario, then what is?

Become a member of the 501c3 nonprofit Desert Survivors for only $50 a year (tax deductible, of course), and you’ll receive a 10% discount on all plant purchases. You’ll be supporting not only the aforementioned adult vocational rehabilitation, but also the consultative services they offer to similar agencies as well as an early childhood intervention program which supports families in need of resources. Newsletter updates will keep you abreast of Desert Survivors’ positive impact in our community.

Desert Survivors Native Plant Nursery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm. Reach them by telephone at (520) 791-9309 or for a comprehensive plant list, from abutilon abutiloides (shrubby desert mallow) to zephryanthes longifolia (copper rainlily), visit DesertSurvivors.org.

Notes From A Plant Freak

October 8, 2012 |

The cool season has begun. It’s time to plant. Like crazy. You may let a few of those warm season crops that are still producing to linger – especially basil and peppers. Hopefully your bed of cucurbits (cucumbers, squashes, pumpkins, melons, etc) is separate and you can let them finish up as well. If your cucurbit bed is not separate, remember next year to keep them in their own space. They sprawl like crazy and are not the greatest companions for row crops.

Prepare your cool-season vegetable garden beds with care. The more you put into those beds, the more they will give back to you in the form of food. I always try to get as much of this stuff for free as possible; manure, shredded newspaper, and homemade compost. Make sure there is a balance of richer material like good compost and manure and more woody material like hay or the woody part of your compost. Too much dry brown material will steal nitrogen from the soil. Also make sure your manure is aged or it will burn your plants. The resulting soil should be easy to work, soft, and not compacted. Make a rule to never walk in your garden beds, and design them so that you never need to.

There is so much to plant right now; greens (lettuces, cabbages, arugula, Asian greens, etc), cool season herbs (dill, parsley, cilantro), broccoli, cauliflower, root crops (carrots, beets, radishes), peas, artichokes, cool season legumes (garbanzos, lentils, fava beans), and edible flowers like calendula and nasturtium.

Once your seeds have germinated, or if you plant out young plants from pots, make sure you add a protective layer of mulch around your crops. This protects plants from drying out too fast, keeps the soil insulated from the elements (both cold and hot) and also breaks down to become plant food. I use a layer of finished compost and a layer of hay. Most plants don’t care to be buried too much with the compost right at the base of the plant so be careful. Always thin out your seedlings so that plants have enough space to reach their ideal size.

For most landscape plants appropriate to our climate, fall is the best time to plant. Fall planting give a plant enough time for plants to get established in the ground before next summer’s heat comes. There are always exceptions to the rule, and frost tender plants like bougainvillea or lantana are that exception. If the landscape plant is frost tender, it is best to plant after the last frost, unless you are willing to protect it from every frost, or live in a frost-free microclimate.

Finally, this is also the time to put out seed of spring-blooming wildflowers (like lupine, poppies, desert bluebells, and firewheel). For optimum germination, prepare your plot by digging down about 8 inches and amend with compost. Though wildflowers don’t necessarily NEED this, you will have much more success if you give them a little boost. When you are finished amending, rake the beds to create little depressions for the seeds to nestle into. Broadcast your seed evenly and cover with a very thin layer of soil. You may use netting to avoid feeding birds with your expensive wildflower seed. For best germination, gently water every day or so until you see germination, then scale back to once a week if there is no rain.

If you have had a rough summer with your garden, don’t let that discourage you. Enjoy fall gardening, which is easier and inspires a lot more confidence in being able to keep your corner of the world a little greener.

Jared R. McKinley is a lifetime gardener and founder of the Arid Land Homesteaders League. PlantFreak.Wordpress.com

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