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Plant Garlic - Now!

10/28/2016

Have you ever thought about planting garlic bulbs? Well you should think about it because there is no better time to plant them then during fall? Garlic grown in late autumn tends to be bigger, tastier and just plain better, probably because the roots have all winter to get established before the heat of summer sets in.
Many people want you to plant garlic two to three weeks after the first frost in autumn, but before winter arrives in earnest. This may work in many parts of the world but in Central Texas I have to plant my garlic in mid-October, the same time I plant my onions. This way, the garlic has time to develop roots – but not shoots — before temperatures get seriously cold. Garlic can tolerate severe cold, but too much top growth can put the plants in jeopardy. On the other hand, if you wait too long, the cloves won’t have time to produce a few healthy roots. If you live in a mild climate, you can wait until the end of the year, but as I said I plant mine as I plant my onions.

Now that we’ve determined the best planting time, here’s everything you need to know, step by step. Purchase clean, firm garlic bulbs and plant them. It’s best not to use bulbs from the grocery store, which are treated with substances that prevent sprouting and make them last longer in your refrigerator. Having said that I have used them in the past with little trouble. Prepare a sunny spot in your garden by digging in an inch or two of organic matter such as decomposed manure or compost, your garlic cloves will really benefit. Also, be sure to avoid soggy spots as garlic requires well-drained soil.

Break the cloves apart, but leave the papery outer skins intact. Plant good-sized, plump bulbs and discard the tiny ones, or toss them in a pot of soup or pasta sauce. Plant the garlic cloves upright, with the wide sides down. The cloves should be about 4 inches apart and 2 inches deep.

Work 1 to 2 teaspoons of organic general purpose or high-nitrogen fertilizer into the soil around the garlic if you must – I find that growing mine in richly composted soil is all that they really need. Alternatively, apply blood meal according to label recommendations.

Water well immediately after applying fertilizer. Once the garlic is planted, you may want to surround the area with stakes or rocks; otherwise, you may forget they’re there. That is why I always like to make a map of my garden!

Mulch the garlic bed with 4 to 6 inches of mulch if you live in a colder climate, or just lightly if winters are mild. Straw works well because it allows the soil to breath, but skip mulch altogether if you live in a rainy climate, as the cloves are likely to rot in soggy soil. One word of caution, if you are using straw or hay as a mulch be sure you know who grew it and what chemicals they may have sprayed on it or else you could unknowingly kill your crops!

Remove the mulch in early summer when the plants are no longer producing new leaves.

Stop watering and let the soil dry for a few weeks. At this point, dry soil won’t hurt the garlic, but the bulbs will keep longer in storage.

As the tops brown lift the garlic with a garden fork or spade. Your tops may not go completely brown before they begin to die back. They may just turn yellow – usually mid-to-late summer, but that is the time to lift out your garlic.

Don’t wait too long, or the papery covering will break down and the garlic won’t keep anywhere near as long.

Read more about garlic in an article I posted back in January by following the link below:
Read More about Garlic!

When you plant garlic this fall, plant a lot of it. The garlic lovers in your family will thank you!

Happy Gardening!!

Feel free to leave a comment!

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Plant a Fall/Winter Herb Garden - LATE!

10/25/2016

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I got an email from a fellow Central Texas gardener this week and it reminded me of a time when I had the same problem. Since I am sure many other of you out there have the same issue I thought I would answer Amanda's question in this weeks edition of Garden Tech Support Tuesday. Let's jump right in...

Q. “It is nearly November. I live in the southern U.S. in Central Texas and I did not get any cool weather herbs planted yet, is it too late?”

A. Unfortunately, it is rather late to plant your herbs now if you were wanting to start them by seed. But it is not TOO late to have a nice fall/winter herb garden. With a bit of extra care and some help from Mother Nature you can still have a wonderful assortment of cool weather herbs.

A few tips for those who are planting late:

Plant your herbs in an area of your garden where they will get plenty of sun
Plant your herbs in containers that can be moved during really cold weather
Cold wind can be as bad as a freeze – shield your herbs from harsh winds
Mulch to keep the soil warm for your herbs
Use your herbs regularly – this means you will be pruning them often to encourage more growth
If you plan on a few of your spring herb carrying over for fall and winter, you will want to prune those plants a few weeks before the first frost, be sure to remove any woody or dead stems and snip off the upper leaves.

Now, as for a selection of herbs that grow well in cool fall months or in areas with mild winters (more or less like those we have in Central Texas) I have a few favorites, I would consider parsley (flat leaf Italian or curled), cilantro, chervil, chives, sage, rosemary, thyme, lavender, oregano, and mint.

While many people may not know it, fall is a prime time for planting the hardiest herbs that actually grow very well in areas with mild winters. You can put an assortment of your favorite cool-weather-loving fall herbs by the kitchen door—all in one container, if you like—for a pinch of each right at your fingertips. You can also plant pretty cilantro and parsley in existing flower beds or containers to serve as a green companion for pansies and other winter flowers.

Unlike warm-weather summer-grown herbs, cool-weather herbs can be sown directly in the garden a month or more before the last frost in spring for late spring harvest and again in late summer for fall harvest. But keeping in mind that we are talking about getting a late start here, there really is not time to start from seed – you will have to use transplants. I love to start my herbs from transplants anyway and any good nursery or big box store will still have a fairly good supply from which to choose.

Cool-season herbs grow best in soil that is rich in aged compost. Compost-rich soil retains moisture, is well-drained, and contains the important nutrients necessary for cool-season herbs to thrive. It will most likely come as no surprise to learn that cool-season herbs prefer cool temperatures to grow to maturity, (well duh!) but they still germinate most quickly in warm soil. So, when you are starting from seed remember that to speed the germination of cool-season herbs you should soak the seeds overnight in water before sowing them. There is no need to bury the seeds, just sprinkle them on top of the soil. After sowing the seeds cover the bed with clear plastic to help warm the soil (optional and not really necessary in the southern U.S.).

By sowing or setting cool-season herbs in the garden up to a month before the last expected frost in spring, you are almost guaranteed to harvest these herbs at their peak of flavor. When temperatures rise in late spring or early summer cool-weather herbs will want to bolt—that is their stalks will elongate, develop flowers, bloom, and go to seed. Bolting tends to turns herbs bitter. But with a fall/winter planting you will be able to enjoy many months of wonderfully flavored herbs before the bolting begins.

So, let’s take a look at each of the herbs listed above.

Parsley is a hardy biennial herb commonly grown as an annual, but many of us can carryover our spring grown parsley into the fall and have a really well established, large plant by the time next spring rolls around. Direct sow seeds or set out six-week to eight-week old transplants about a week before the last frost in spring. Where winters are mild parsley can be sown in late winter. I recommend starting with transplants in both fall and spring. If growing from seed remember that parsley seeds are slow to germinate; soak them or freeze them overnight before sowing. Parsley can be grown in full sun or partial shade. Italian parsley with its celery and cilantro like leaves is more flavorful than curly parsley yet the curly variety remains more popular in the home garden – why not grow them both!?! Harvest the outer leaves or cut the whole plant down to a couple of inches above the soil and it will regrow.

Cilantro is a cold-hardy annual herb. It is a ‘twofer’ because the leaves and stem are the herb known as cilantro while the seeds, that come along after the plant bolts, are known as the spice we call coriander. Cilantro seeds can be sown a week or two before the last frost in spring and again in late summer. It can also be grown from fall to spring where winter temperatures are mild.
For best germination, soak seeds in water overnight before sowing, but use transplants when you are starting this late. Cilantro leaves have a parsley-sage-citrus flavor. Cilantro seeds (aka coriander) has a completely different flavor altogether, more of a citrus and spice flavor.

Chervil (pronounced "SHER-vil") is a half-hardy annual which means that if it gets too cold it will die but it can still stand really cool temps and thrive. It can be sown three to four weeks before the last frost in spring and again in late summer. Chervil grows best in light shade but its seeds require light to germinate. Soak seeds for up to 24 hours before sowing to speed germination. Thin seedlings to 6 to 9 inches apart. Chervil is a delicate culinary herb used frequently in French cuisine. A member of the parsley family, chervil has a mild flavor with hints of liquorice or anise. Chervil leaves are delicate and curly, somewhat resembling carrot greens. Because of its delicate flavor, chervil is usually included in recipes, such as salads and soups, where it will not be overpowered by the other flavors. Chervil is a good addition to omelets. Chervil is commonly used in making a classical Béarnaise sauce. In the fall/winter garden I give this herb as much full sun as possible.

Chives are a cold-hardy perennial herb. Here in Central Texas my spring chives carryover throughout the fall and winter and I know I will be rewarded with a huge stand of chives come next spring.

Chives can be grown from seeds, transplants, or divisions. Sow seeds or set out six-week-old transplants about four weeks before the last frost in spring. Divide clumps every two to four years in spring or fall. Common, Garden or Onion chives have a delicate onion flavor with long leaves that are rounded and hollow, similar to a green onion. they will get a small purple flower with a wonderful peppery taste. Garlic chives have a mild garlic flavor and the leaves of this plant are flat like thick blades of grass. The flowers are white and are borne on long umbrella like flower stalks and they attract beneficial bugs like crazy! The flowers can be eaten as well as the leaves, and are sometimes used in Asian cooking before the blooms fully open.

Sage is a good fall and winter herb for southern garden climates. It is also great for containers as it very much needs good drainage. Again, it is often easy to carryover your spring sage through the winter. Sage can be a slow grower so I really feel that transplants are the way to go here. Sage, a good herbaceous perennial with uniquely flavored leaves, adds a bold and delicious note to sauces, stuffings, poultry, pork, and sausage. It provides a lovely fragrance and flavor to a dish, especially when leaves are sautéed before being added. Keep the soil moist after planting, but only until the plants are well-rooted. Once established, plants in beds survive fine on rainfall alone. In containers, water whenever the soil is dry. Mulch to promote warmth and dryness beneath the lower leaves. Sage is perennial in zones 5 to 8. Established plants can survive a few hard frosts (under 28º F), but you might want to employee a frost blanket to protect newly planted seedlings from late spring frosts or prolong the growing season in fall.

Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean region and is a member of the mint family, rosemary is a lovely, easy-to-grow plant with great culinary and ornamental value. A striking, upright evergreen shrub that is winter-hardy in zones 8 to 10, it fills the air with its fragrance as soon as you brush your hand across the leaves. The key to growing rosemary is a well-drained soil that stays evenly moist at first; as the plant takes root it becomes increasingly drought tolerant. It is also excellent for containers, which lets gardeners in colder climates to bring it indoors in the winter. Unlike most herbs, rosemary has a stronger flavor when fresh than when dried. Cut sprigs anytime for fresh use. Trim it regularly to encourage tender new stems or the plant will get woody. Full sun is ideal for rosemary but this wonderful herb can tolerate part shade, but growth may become a bit scraggly. Keep soil uniformly moist, but allow it to dry out between watering. As with sage, established plants can survive a few hard frosts (under 28º F), but you might want to employee a frost blanket to protect newly planted seedlings from late spring frosts or prolong the growing season in fall.

Thyme is aromatic and it perfectly enhances meat dishes, eggs, cheeses, soups, and sauces, and it is a primary component of both Bouquet Garni and Herbes de Provence. I recommend German Thyme as it works wonderfully well in my central Texas herb garden plus the fact that this tiny-leaved thyme is among the most aromatic. You may also hear this called winter thyme, because it is one of the most cold-hardy of all the different varieties of thyme. The leaves are evergreen to semi-evergreen, depending on the how far North it is growing. In the warm, humid climates of zones 9 and 10 it may suffer in the summer; in zone 10 it is best to lower your expectations and just consider it a cool season annual. German thyme is perennial in zones 5 to 9; lemon thyme (another popular variety), in zones 7 to 9. Established German thyme plants can survive hard frosts (under 28º F). Use a frost blanket to protect newly planted seedlings from late spring frosts or prolong the fall growing season. In coldest zones, cover plants with pine boughs or other similar mulch after soil freezes to help protect the plant from winter damage.

Lavender is native to the Mediterranean. It gives off an intoxicating perfume that has kept it in cultivation for centuries. Lavender is also ideal for culinary use, as it is rich in essential oils. A favorite ornamental for landscapes, the blue-violet blooms are striking against gray-green foliage, and if you are trying to entice pollinators into your garden this is a real winner. Plant lavender in the spring and enjoy it year-round; expect blooms in summer and aromatic foliage even in winter in many areas. Lavender demands well-drained soil so I recommend plenty of nutrient rich compost as it adds in drainage, and Lavender really prefers drier soil. Heavy, wet soil, especially in winter, can kill plants quickly. Lavender thrives in heat, but humidity can lead to fungus issues in some varieties. Plant where air circulation is good, and thin plants as you harvest blooms or stems. Add rock mulch to enhance moisture evaporation beneath plants. Lavender is generally pest-free. Hardier English lavender can tolerate temperatures as low as 23° F.

Oregano is easy to grow; you really just leave it alone as it requires little care. Oregano can be grown from seeds, cuttings, or purchased container plants. Established plants do not require much attention. In fact, these drought-tolerant herbs need watering only during excessively dry periods. Oregano doesn’t need to be fertilized either, as these hardy plants can typically take care of themselves. For optimal flavor (if growing oregano for kitchen use) or more compact plant growth, flower buds can be pinched out as they begin to bloom. Oregano herb plants are commonly used for cooking. Plants can be harvested anytime once they have reached 4 to 6 inches tall. Harvesting oregano leaves as flower buds form will often yield the best flavor. Harvest oregano leaves in the morning hours once dew has dried. As with other plants on this list, established plants can survive a few hard frosts (under 28º F), but you might want to employee a frost blanket to protect newly planted seedlings from late spring frosts or prolong the growing season in fall.

Mint is one of the easiest herbs to grow, some folks say it is too easy as it can go crazy if you let it. Left on its own it can become very invasive. For this reason, many people grow it in a pot. The long stems can even be trained on a little wire trellis, especially in spots where a bit of shade causes it to stretch. Keep pinched to encourage tender new leaves. One of the mints I really love is the large leafed sweet mint, it has a bit of a spearmint flavor and its large leaves are prized by chefs who really like it for chopping into sauces and drinks. Mint is perennial in zones 3 to 11. Plants tolerate light frosts, but eventually die back to the ground in all but the warmest zones. If you need plants to survive a light frost, cover them with a frost blanket. Protect newly planted seedlings from late spring frosts. Mint can quickly overrun a planting bed, spreading by above ground and underground stems. Keep it in check by planting in containers or beds bordered by sidewalk or driveway, or by planting in partially submerged pots in planting beds. Mints wants nutrient-rich, moist soil, although mint grows in nearly any type of soil. I always recommend that you amend your soil with organic matter, such as compost.

Growing herbs, not matter if you choose to grow them outside, like in the wagon wheel herb garden pictured above, or in a kitchen window sill is a great and easy way to enhance not only your garden, but also your health, and your cooking. Many of the most popular garden herbs, however, are native to the Mediterranean and this means that as your weather turns cold your herb garden may suffer or die due to frost and snow. Luckily, there are plenty of herbs that can withstand the cold, and there are a few simple ways to protect your precious bounty.

I hope the information presented here helps! If you have any tips or best practices you want to share leave a comment below!

Happy Gardening!!

Comments or Tips

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Popcorn. A Healthy, Low-Calorie Snack?

10/21/2016

8 Comments

As many of you know, I serve as the Training Director for the Hays County chapter of the Texas Master Gardener Association. I really enjoy having the opportunity of teaching new master gardener interns and answering their questions. Recently, a student asked this of me and my first reply was, “Yes, of course it is.” But the more I think about it the more I realize that a better and much more in depth answer is required. So, I thought I would make it the subject of this post. Let’s look at popcorn.

Popcorn is one of the world’s healthiest and most popular snack foods. It is loaded with important nutrients and offers a variety of health benefits. However, it is sometimes prepared with large amounts of fat, sugar and salt, which can drive overeating. For this reason, it is very important to prepare your popcorn the right way. It can be either super healthy or very unhealthy, depending on how you prepare it!

What is Popcorn?
Popcorn is a special group of corn verities that “pop” when exposed to heat. At the center of each kernel is a small amount of water, which expands when heated and eventually causes the kernel to explode. The oldest piece of popcorn was discovered in New Mexico and is said to be over 5,000 years old. Over the years, this snacking favorite has become increasingly popular. It became especially popular during the Great Depression because it was so cheap. Today around 1.2 billion pounds (500 million kilograms) are consumed by Americans every year, making it America’s most popular snack food by volume.

Popcorn Nutrition Facts
Many people don’t realize it, but popcorn is a whole grain food, making it naturally high in several important nutrients. Many studies link whole grain consumption to health benefits like reduced inflammation and a decreased risk of heart disease. This is the nutrient content of a 100-gram (3.5-oz) serving of air-popped popcorn:

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): 7% of the RDI.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 12% of the RDI.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): 8% of the RDI.
Iron: 18% of the RDI.
Magnesium: 36% of the RDI.
Phosphorus: 36% of the RDI.
Potassium: 9% of the RDI.
Zinc: 21% of the RDI.
Copper: 13% of the RDI.
Manganese: 56% of the RDI.

This is coming with a total of 387 calories, 13 grams of protein, 78 grams of carbs and 5 grams of fat. This serving also contains a whopping 15 grams of fiber, which is extremely high. It makes it one of the world’s best sources of fiber.

It is High in Polyphenol Antioxidants
Polyphenols are antioxidants that help protect our cells from damage by free radicals. A study done at the University of Scranton showed that popcorn contains very large amounts of polyphenols. Polyphenols are linked to various health benefits. This includes better blood circulation, improved digestive health and a reduced risk of many diseases. Several studies have also shown that polyphenols may reduce the risk of cancer, including prostate and breast cancer.

Extremely High in Fiber
     Popcorn is very high in fiber. According to research, dietary fiber may reduce the risk of many diseases like heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Fiber can also help with weight loss and promote digestive health. The recommended daily intake of fiber is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. However, most people are eating much less than that. 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) of popcorn contains 15 grams of fiber, which goes a long way towards satisfying your daily fiber requirements!

Eating it May Help with Weight Loss
     Popcorn is high in fiber, relatively low in calories and has a low energy density. These are all characteristics of a weight loss friendly food. And with just 31 calories per cup, air-popped popcorn contains much fewer calories than many popular snack foods. One study compared feelings of fullness after eating popcorn and potato chips. They found that 15 calories of popcorn were as filling as 150 calories of potato chips. Now that is a real difference! Because of its low-calorie content, low energy density, high fiber content and increased satiety, eating popcorn may help you eat fewer calories and lose weight. However, as is often the case, moderation is key. Even though it is much more filling than many other snack foods, it can still be fattening if you eat too much of it.

Pre-packaged Microwave Popcorn May be Harmful
     There are many ways to enjoy popcorn, but the most convenient and most popular tends to be the pre-packaged microwave variety. Most microwave bags are lined with a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has been associated with a variety of health problems. These include ADHD, low birth weight and thyroid problems, to name just a few. Some brands of microwave popcorn may also contain diacetyl, which is a chemical found in artificial butter flavoring. Although the risk to the general public has not been clearly identified, animal studies continue to show that breathing in diacetyl can damage airways and cause lung diseases. Personally, I’d rather not take the chance! Many brands of microwave popcorn are made using hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils, which contain harmful trans fats. Studies have linked trans fats to an increased risk of heart disease and other serious diseases. Even if certain brands say they are free of these chemicals, you may still want to avoid them since it’s so easy to make your own healthy popcorn. My advice? Just avoid microwave popcorn.

Some Toppings and Preparation Methods Are a Bad Idea
     Despite all of popcorn’s healthy qualities, the way it is prepared can greatly impact its nutritional quality. When air-popped, it is naturally low in calories, but some ready-made types are extremely high in calories. For example, one report by an independent research firm found that a medium-sized popcorn at a popular movie theater chain had a whopping 1,200 calories – even before factoring in the buttery topping! Ouch! Lookout waist line!

     Varieties bought from movie theaters or stores are often smothered in unhealthy fats, artificial flavorings and high amounts of sugar and salt. These ingredients not only add a significant number of calories, but some of them can also be bad for you in other ways.

Movie Theater Pop Corn – Not Too Healthy!
     If there’s one food that years and years of history has taught us goes hand in hand with movies, it’s popcorn. Not only does just about every movie theater in America sell it (and if they don’t, there’s something wrong with them), just about everyone who’s ever gone to the movies has eaten it while watching a film at some point in their lives. Even when we’re watching movies at home, there’s a base instinct to pop a bag of popcorn in the microwave, and lots of video stores, especially the chain ones, sell them along with rentals (or used to before they shut down, at least). I am not going to attempt to get into the psychology behind munching on popcorn during a movie (even though it’s actually supremely annoying to those sitting around you), but the fact of the matter is that it’s really unhealthy.

     When I took a look at some of the calorie counts from movie-theater popcorn sold at national theater chains the results were pretty shocking. For example, a small popcorn, without butter, from AMC weighs in at 225 calories and 11 grams of fat. Crank it up to a medium and you’re up to about 430 calories and 20 grams of fat. A large AMC popcorn, without butter, contains 1,030 calories and 41 grams of fat. Moving along to Regal Cinemas, things get even heavier. There are a couple of differing calorie counts for a small, unbuttered popcorn, but they range from 325 calories and 27 grams of fat to 670 calories and 34 grams of fat. Either way, not a light nosh.

     Indeed, a recent WebMD study found that Regal’s popcorn was the richest on the market, with a medium containing 720 calories and the large boasting 960 calories. But don’t forget, lots of people also get "butter" on their popcorn. First of all, does anyone out there really think this strange greasy liquid that’s yellow and vaguely tastes like butter really is melted butter? Well it is not. What’s in that, exactly? It’s non-hydrogenated soybean oil that’s been artificially colored and artificially flavored, and each tablespoon contains between 130 - 150 calories. Each pump of ‘butter’ at the theater can be anywhere from 1 – 4 tablespoons of liquid. The calories add up quickly! In fact, if you get a medium popcorn with butter and a medium Coke you could be approaching 1,610 calories right there: the equivalent of four scrambled eggs with cheese, four strips of bacon, and four sausage links, according to the study. So, avoid movie theater popcorn! Take a look at the graphic below:

How to Make Healthy Popcorn
Popcorn made on the stove or in an air-popper are going to be the healthiest options. Here’s a simple recipe to make some really healthy popcorn:

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil.
1/2 cup popcorn kernels.
1/2 teaspoon salt.

Directions

Place oil and kernels into a large pot and cover it.
Cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes or until the popping almost stops.
Remove from heat and pour into a serving bowl.
Season with salt.

You can add additional flavor by topping your treat with fresh herbs or spices. If you want something sweet, try drizzling it with natural nut butter or sprinkling it with cinnamon or shavings of dark chocolate. For an added health benefit, sprinkle it with nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast has a nutty-cheesy flavor and contains several important nutrients, including protein, fiber, B-vitamins and several minerals.

How to Make Popcorn on the Cob
     If you simply must have popcorn from your microwave, try popping a whole cob! You can now enjoy your popcorn directly on its cob with this easy to follow instructional video.
     As seen in this YouTube video by Eviatar Amar, simply remove silks from the corn, spread butter or oil over the corn cob, place it in a paper bag (optional), and pop it into the microwave.
     Click play on the video to follow the simple recipe.

Real Popcorn is Super Healthy
Popcorn is high in several important nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and polyphenol antioxidants. Not only that, but it is also incredibly tasty and one of the world’s best sources of fiber. At the end of the day, popcorn is very healthy and consuming it in moderation may even help with weight loss. So go ahead, pop some today!

Happy Gardening!!

Comments Welcome!

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Questions about Carrots (Part 2)

10/18/2016

4 Comments

As I said last Tuesday in part 1 of "Questions About Carrots," carrots are really one of the most common vegetables in the kitchen and one of the most fundamental ingredients in the culinary arts. I love carrots! They are easily one of the most versatile of vegetables, carrots can be blanched, steamed, sautéed, roasted, or just enjoyed raw. They're also an important flavoring ingredient for stocks, sauces and soups.
I have had tons of carrot questions come in but one person, (Marvin W. from Perth, Australia) asked a ton of them and since his questions reflect what many of the others of you were asking I thought I would answer his questions today in the Garden Tech Support Tuesday post.

Q, Marvin W. from Perth, Australia wants to know, “Why am I starting to see Carrots in colors other than Orange?”

A.      The funny truth is that carrots of all colors existed for thousands of years (or longer). The Orange carrot is a new arrival it has only been around for about 400 – 500 years! Many people do not know that, but it is true. The plant pigment that gives carrots and other vegetables their vivid orange color is beta-carotene. Fruits and Vegetables that are yellow/orange in color contain beta-carotene and carrots are one of the vegetables richest in Beta-Carotene. Our bodies convert beta-carotene into Vitamin A. One carrot supplies enough beta-carotene to meet our daily requirement for Vitamin A.
          Carrots are orange because they absorb certain wavelengths of light more efficiently than others. Beta-carotene is the main pigment and is mainly absorbs in the 400-500nm region of the visible spectrum with a peak absorption at about 450nm. Carotenoids are one of the most important groups of natural pigments. They cause the yellow/orange colors of many fruit and vegetables. Though beta-carotene is most abundant in carrots it is also found in pumpkins, apricots and nectarines. Dark green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli are another good source. In these the orange color is masked by the green color of chlorophyll. This can be seen in leaves; in autumn, when the leaves die, the chlorophyll breaks down, and the yellow/red colors of the more stable carotenoids can be seen.
          So now that we know that there are different colors of carrots, let’s talk about them. There are 6 main carrot colors in existence today – red, yellow, white, purple, black and orange. The first carrots were brownish, white, purple and yellow - not orange. The Dutch developed orange carrots in the 1500s. All modern-day orange carrots are directly descended from these Dutch-bred carrots.
Often the evolutionary history of a species can be found in a fossil record; other times, DNA and genetic fingerprints replace rocks and imprints. That is the case for the carrot, the richest crop source of vitamin A in the American diet, whose full genetic code has recently been deciphered by a team led by the University of Wisconsin–Madison in collaboration with the University of California, Davis.
          May 2016 - Scientists have unveiled the gene in carrots that gives rise to carotenoids, a critical source of Vitamin A and the pigment that turns some fruits and vegetables bright orange or red. The new, high-quality genome assembly, which the researchers established for an orange doubled-haploid carrot (Nantes variety), contains more than 32,000 predicted protein-coding genes - more than humans!
          The cultivated carrot is believed to originate from Afghanistan before the 900s, as this area is described as the primary center of greatest carrot diversity, Turkey being proposed as a secondary center of origin. The first cultivated carrots exhibited purple or yellow roots. Carrot cultivation spread to Spain in the 1100s via the Middle East and North Africa. In Europe, genetic improvement led to a wide variety of cultivars. White and orange-colored carrots were first described in Western Europe in the early 1600s. Concurrently, the Asiatic carrot was developed from the Afghan type and a red type appeared in China and India around the 1700s.

          So, have you ever seen a purple carrot? How about white, yellow, red or black? Most people haven't, even though such carrots have existed for years. They are available in good grocery and health food stores, often called "Rainbow Packs". Carrots do not have to be orange. As a matter of fact, the orange carrot is a relative newcomer on the scene. Selection and hybridization in the 16th century brought us the vitamin-packed orange carrot we know today.
          But carrots are now in the process of becoming more colorful once again. Today, in both markets and seed catalogues, you can find not only orange carrots, but red, yellow, white and purple varieties. With new research that points out the value of the micronutrients in various vegetable pigments, it is undoubtedly good to eat a variety of colors of carrots.
          It is known that Carrots were originally purple or white or brown with a thin root, then a mutant occurred which removed the purple pigmentation resulting in a new race of yellow carrots. One thought has it that the orange carrot was specifically bred in the Netherlands in the seventeenth century to honor William of Orange. The orange color did not become popular until the 1500's when Dutch growers developed the mutant vegetable by selective breeding to make it less bitter than the yellow varieties, and then it was said to be adopted it as the Royal vegetable in honor of the House of Orange, the Dutch Royal Family. The first carrots were grown for medicinal purposes, perhaps the medicine tasted good! The main reason why cooks and housewives preferred orange carrots was because they kept their color after cooking and did not leave cookware with an unpleasant color.

Q, Marvin W. from Perth, Australia also wants to know, “Can you eat carrot seeds?”
A.     The simple answer is yes, but read on! The white flower head of Wild Carrot (Queen Anne's Lace) is edible raw or lightly fried. The seeds work well in soups and stews and can be used to flavor tea, too. If you catch these plants early enough, you can eat the roots and leaves. These are indeed wild carrots, the ancestor of all cultivated carrots. By the time the flower appears, though, the root is too woody to eat.

A few words of caution:
          Hippocrates prescribed the crush seeds as a form of birth control more than 2,000 years ago, and modern studies find some truth in the fact that the seeds and flower heads should be avoided by women who are pregnant or are hoping to conceive. Also, to the untrained eye, Queen Anne's lace looks a little like poisonous hemlock, which will kill you in an hour if consumed. The latter has a hairless stem and doesn't smell like carrots. (I don't know what it tastes like.) So always be careful when you forage for wild eatables and do not eat anything unless you are 100% certain that it is safe!

Q. Another question Marvin, “What are the potential disadvantages of eating carrots?”
A.     Carrots are a potent source of carotene, an organic compound responsible for the rich orange hue of this vegetable. This bright-colored pigment is also present in measurable amounts in an array of plants and fruits like collards, sweet potatoes, oranges, and pineapples. Too much consumption of carrots as well as other yellow- or orange-colored fruits and vegetables may result in the condition called carotenosis, which is characterized by the orange discoloration of the skin. This is very rare but it is possible.
        It is crucial to note that the bright-hued carotene, like beta-carotene, is a provitamin A carotenoid which is processed by the liver to turn it into bioavailable vitamin A. Individuals with impaired liver function should check with their physician prior to consuming carrots in excessive amounts as doing so may further tax said organ. Similarly, individuals with diabetes should do so, too, as cooked carrots may interfere with the absorption of medications for blood sugar regulation.

Q. And finally, Marvin in Perth wants to know, “Why do carrots taste sweeter in winter?”
A.     Because plants are immobile, they must develop defense techniques against predators and the severe cold in winter, which would otherwise harm or kill the plant. Carrots have developed the physiological response of increasing their sugar content when it’s cold outside. This helps stop ice crystal formations and prevents damage to the carrot’s cells.
          Frost can do a lot of damage to a plant cell. It can squeeze and rupture the cells until they are completely demolished. But in some cases, the plant’s defense mechanism means a tastier vegetable for us to eat. When a carrot defends itself from frost, we get the benefit of enjoying sweeter carrots all winter long.
          UCLA biochemist Liz Roth-Johnson explains how this works for the crunchy carrot: When it gets cold out, carrots (and parsnips) convert some of their starch stores into sugar. They do this to keep the water in their cells from freezing, and it works in the same way that putting salt on a road keeps it from freezing over. When a foreign substance mixes with cold water, it makes it harder for enough water molecules to reach the surface and freeze there -- so the freezing point gets lower. The cells inside a carrot might have icy-cold water, but that water won't turn into ice.

          And that's a good thing. The formation of ice crystals within and around a cell can destroy it. This post-freeze deliciousness will be true of any of the vegetables that can survive a hard frost!

Well there you have it, tons of carrot questions answered! One not I would like to make, Liz Roth-Johnson is correct about a freeze making root veggies taste sweeter but in the case of potatoes it can cause an unpleasant side-effect. Because of the sugar content in a frosted potato, cooking can actually cause caramelization and turn your spuds brown. You can avoid discolored dishes by letting the potatoes sit in a warm place for a while before you cook them.

Happy Gardening!!

Any Comments?

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Forget about Vitamin Pills - Eat a Carrot!

10/16/2016

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A week or so ago I was asked if I thought it was a good idea to take supplements by someone who says they were told that they were lacking in vitamin A. My answer is to always consult your healthcare professional and follow their advice but for me I’d forget about vitamin A pills. I’d go with eating more vegetables, I’d say go carrots! Carrots provide vitamin A and a host of other impressive health benefits including beautiful skin, cancer prevention and anti-aging. It is time to reap the benefits from this crunchy power-food…

Just Some of the Health Benefits of Carrots

1. Improves vision
There’s some truth in the old wisdom that carrots are good for your eyes. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the liver. Vitamin A is transformed in the retina, to rhodopsin, a purple pigment necessary for night vision. Beta-carotene has also been shown to protect against macular degeneration and senile cataracts. A study found that people who eat large amounts of beta-carotene had a 40 percent lower risk of macular degeneration than those who consumed little.
2. Helps prevent cancer
Studies have shown carrots reduce the risk of lung cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer. Falcarinol is a natural pesticide produced by the carrot that protects its roots from fungal diseases. Carrots are one of the only common sources of this compound. A study showed 1/3 lower cancer risk by carrot-eating rats.
3. Slows down aging
The high level of beta-carotene in carrots acts as an antioxidant to cell damage done to the body through regular metabolism. It helps slows down the aging of cells.
4. Promotes healthier skin
Vitamin A and antioxidants protect the skin from sun damage. Deficiencies of vitamin A cause dryness to the skin, hair and nails. Vitamin A prevents premature wrinkling, acne, dry skin, pigmentation, blemishes and uneven skin tone.
5. Helps prevent infection
Carrots are known by herbalists to prevent infection. They can be used on cuts—shredded raw or boiled and mashed.
6. Promotes healthier skin (from the outside)
Carrots are used as an inexpensive and very convenient facial mask. Just mix grated carrot with a bit of honey.
7. Prevents heart disease
Studies show that diets high in carotenoids are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. Carrots have not only beta-carotene but also alpha-carotene and lutein. The regular consumption of carrots also reduces cholesterol levels because the soluble fibers in carrots bind with bile acids.
8. Cleanses the body
Vitamin A assists the liver in flushing out the toxins from the body. It reduces the bile and fat in the liver. The fiber present in carrots helps clean out the colon and hasten waste movement.
9. Protects teeth and gums
It’s all in the crunch! Carrots clean your teeth and mouth. They scrape off plaque and food particles just like toothbrushes or toothpaste. Carrots stimulate gums and trigger a lot of saliva, which, being alkaline, balances out the acid-forming, cavity-forming bacteria. The minerals in carrots prevent tooth damage.
10. Prevents stroke
From all the above benefits it’s no surprise that in a Harvard University study, people who ate five or more carrots a week were less likely to suffer a stroke than those who ate only one carrot a month or less.

Fun Facts About Carrots

Rabbits love to eat carrots, but they shouldn’t eat too many.
A rabbit eating a single carrot is like us eating over 20. Carrots are good for rabbit teeth and don’t have artificial sugar, but even too many natural sugars can cause digestive problems and diabetes. They probably would do better with carrot tops!
Carrots are the second most popular type of vegetable after potatoes.
The biggest carrot recorded is more than 19 pounds and the longest is over 19 feet!
You can see them here, but they aren’t particularly pretty!
There are more than 100 species of carrots.
Some are big, some are small, and they come in a variety of colors including: orange, purple, white, yellow and red.
English women in the 1600s often wore carrot leaves in their hats in place of flowers or feathers.
The name “carrot” comes from the Greek word “karoton.”
The beta-carotene that is found in carrots was actually named for the carrot itself.
The average American eats about 12 pounds of carrots a year.
That’s only one cup per week. We could easily triple that while also eating a variety of other vegetables.

How Do I Enjoy Carrots?

Personally I love to grow carrots and enjoy them raw but one should always keep in mind that the nutrients in carrots are tightly encased in protein sacs that have to be broken by heat (cooking) or mechanical action (grinding, juicing, proper chewing).
Cooking the carrots in fat or oils, pureeing or juicing them increases the availability of carotenoids by 600 percent. Fats also help the absorption of carotenoids into the blood by 1,000 percent, as carotenoids are fat soluble, so drizzle a little olive oil on top!

Happy gardening!!

Comments welcome!

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Questions about Carrots (Part 1)

10/11/2016

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Carrots are one of the most common vegetables in the kitchen and one of the most fundamental ingredients in the culinary arts. I love carrots! They are easily one of the most versatile of vegetables, carrots can be blanched, steamed, sautéed, roasted, or just enjoyed raw. They're also an important flavoring ingredient for stocks, sauces and soups.

Carrots are a root vegetable, the domesticated carrot is a cultivar of the wild carrot known as "Queen Anne's lace," which is native to temperate parts of Europe and southwest Asia. It has been bred for its greatly enlarged and more palatable, less woody-textured edible taproot, but is still the same species.

The term ‘carrot’ also applies to the long, edible, usually tapering taproot of the domesticated form. These taproots commonly are orange in color, but may be a variety of colors depending on the cultivar, including white, red, black, yellow, or purple. They have a crisp texture when fresh.

I’ve had many carrot questions come in to the website over the last several weeks so I am going to answer the most common questions in today’s Garden Tech Support Tuesday post.

Q. Mike K. of Richmond, VA asks, “Can I eat the green leaves of a carrot?”

A. Yes! Most people used to believe that carrot tops were poisonous but that is simple not true at all – I’ve eaten the tops of carrots and I’m still around! They are highly nutritious, rich in protein, minerals and vitamins and oxalates. The tops of the carrots are loaded with potassium which can make them slightly bitter. Carrot tops are rather high in dihydroisocoumarins, which can have blood thinning effects.

Sprinkle some chopped carrot tops into a salad or on top of any dish for added taste and a nice boost of nutrition. I have a friend that likes to make carrot top pesto!

Q. Helen I. of Detroit, MI wonders, “Do they help you see in the dark?”

A. Yes, and No! Carrots do help you see in the dark, but can only improve your night vision if you are deficient in Vitamin A. Carrots are high in Vitamin A, and a deficiency in this nutrient can cause some difficulty seeing in dim light. Vitamin A is essential for the formation of the chemical retinal, whose presence in the retina is necessary for vision. Our eyes have two kinds of light sensitive cells: the rods and the cones. The rods are the cells we rely on to see in dim light. They are sensitive to Vitamin A deficiency, because it can cause a shortage of retinal. The retina is the light-sensing part of the eye that holds the rods and cones, which contain enzymes that absorb light and allow us to see. When light strikes the retinal molecule, it changes its shape. This activates a cascade of chemical reactions that informs the brain that light has entered the eye. When the levels of light sensitive molecules are low, due to Vitamin A deficiency, there will not be enough retinal to detect the light at night. During the day there is enough light to produce vision, despite low levels of retinal.

So it's only night vision that can be improved by eating carrots. The rods provide black and white vision and respond in dim light while the cones provide color vision and respond to bright light. Vitamin A helps the retina tell black from white and provides for color vision. It also helps us see in dim light or at night. When you go into a darkened theater after being out in the bright light, your eyes are able to adapt because of the vitamin A that you have stored in your body. So really the answer is they do help you see in the dark, but can only improve your night vision if you are deficient in Vitamin A.

Q. Vera D. way off in American Samoa asks, “How do carrots make seeds? I want to harvest and save the seeds each year.”

A. Seed saving is a wonderful way to expand our gardening experience and also a great way to protect many heirloom varieties from completely disappearing! Carrots however, are not as easy to ‘seed save’ as other garden favorites because they are biennial plants and only flower every two years. This means that they only seed every two years.

In the first year the plant produces the edible root and a leafy top. If a carrot plant is left in the ground for another year, it flowers and seeds are produced. Sexual reproduction in carrots is therefore not different from other flowering plants. Pollen is produced and transferred to the female part of the flower, the stigma.

The pollen grain then delivers the sperm cells within it to the ovary via a long tube where fertilization takes place. The seeds are tiny - a teaspoon can hold almost 2000! The birds-nest-shaped fruit cluster of carrot has a remarkable mechanism for seed dispersal. The stalks are hydroscopic, so that when conditions are dry and suitable for seed dispersal they bend outward, exposing the fruits to wind and animals; when conditions are wet, they bend inwards, forming the familiar bird’s nest structure, which protects the seeds.

When the tops die back, the plant uses the stored food to grow new foliage and the flower stalk the following spring -- and it's that extra food stored in the root that makes the carrot such a tasty treat.

Q. Webster N. in Franklin, NJ has an interesting question, “I want carrots that are sweet, I know that they contain carbs, but my home grown carrots were not very sweet so how do grow them sweeter? I've tried growing different varieties and harvesting early and late, but always the same result: boring carrots with very little flavor.”

A. That was a long question and I’m gonna hit you right back with a long answer! All carrots (like many vegetables) contain naturally occurring sugars. Carrots contain both carbohydrates and sugar. The word carbohydrate is an umbrella term for single or multiple sugar molecules. Single sugar molecules are known as monosaccharides and include glucose, fructose and galactose. Carrots do contain carbohydrates, because they contain the naturally occurring, simple sugars fructose and glucose. The carbohydrates and sugars found naturally in fruits and vegetables are considered a healthier source than those from refined and processed sources.

When you eat your carbs and sugars from a vegetable, they are accompanied by vitamins, minerals and fiber. When a substantial amount of fiber accompanies the digestion of sugars and carbs, the effect of the sugar on your blood glucose is reduced. Carrots tend to be sweeter if grown in cooler periods and climates, and gain more sugars as they mature in cool conditions.

When above-ground plants do well and root crops do poorly, it's generally due to heavily compacted soil. Imagine trying to push your little self through dense clay! Poor taste in carrots can also be due to an overabundance of nutrients (especially the most common of the Big Three plant foods); timing; the weather during the growing season; and variety choice.
Let's start—as all good gardeners should—with the soil. You can't expect to sow carrot seed in rock hard clay (especially clay that you've been further compacting with your big feet) and get anything other than some green growth up top and a small, unhappy and misshapen rear end underground. Carrots require the absolute loosest soil of pretty much anything we grow.

That's a raised bed (where the soil is never walked on) with excellent drainage at the very least. Even better would be a raised bed into which you have mixed a good amount of something to loosen and lighten the soil, like perlite (a mined, volcanic mineral that's popped into little balls that look like Styrofoam) or a soil-free mix designed for seed-starting.

Better than that would be a nice deep container with excellent drainage filled with (ideally) one-third soil-free mix, one-third perlite and one-third light, screened compost. This is not a place for any kind of {quote} 'topsoil' or garden soil—even if your garden soil is naturally sandy. (But if that is the case, try growing some carrots in a raised bed of that sandy soil plus some compost.)

Nutrients: carrots are the opposite of heavy feeders; too much of any nutrient, even supplied in organic form, can make them taste woody and look hairy. This is especially true of nitrogen, which makes for the worst tasting carrots—so don't use any kind of manure or chemical fertilizer. Two inches of high-quality compost worked into the soil (or even better, into a soil-free mix) should be all the food they need. If you must add something, carrots do like a little phosphorus and potassium (the P and K members of the N-P-K scale), but go light.

Carrot seed germinates best in warm soil, the roots grow best in warm (but not hot) weather and the taste is always best when those roots are harvested after a cold night. This makes late summer the ideal time to start them. On average, it takes carrots about 70 days to mature. So if I (in my Zone 8B Central Texas Garden) planted some seeds on October 1st, they would sprout right away in the warm soil, the green tops would love the sun, and then the nights should be getting cool by harvest time. October 15th would be better, and even as late as November 1and December would be ideal, insuring that I could harvest after the kind of cold night/light frost that really concentrates the sugars. Now that is in Zone 8, but you are in New Jersey so that may be Zone 6 which would mean you look at planting from July 1st to August 1st.

If you MUST plant in the Spring, I strongly suggest you do so in a container that's big enough for the roots to go down nice and deep but manageable enough for you to move outdoors easily. Sow the seeds while the container is inside, then move it outside after the carrots have sprouted.

No matter what or when: soak the growing medium really well, sow the seeds thickly, cover with the tiniest amount of soil free mix and then either mist the surface morning and night (outdoor plantings exposed to sun) or cover with clear plastic wrap (indoor sowing in a container for moving outdoors after germination). And remember the words of the Great Jedi Master Gardener Yoda, “If wrap you choose, remove it when first sprouts appear.”

Keep misting every morning until the sprouts all have some green leaves. Then thin them until the remaining plants are several inches apart in all directions (the more room between the remaining plants the better quality carrots you'll pull) and begin watering normally. Mulch with compost or a thin layer of shredded leaves to prevent weeds.

Again, no matter what or when, keep the seed packet handy and harvest a test carrot exactly when the plants reach the Days to Maturity indicated. If the root is light in color, wait to harvest the rest—they're still immature. If the color is right but the taste isn't there, you waited too long. For the sweetest flavor, harvest first thing in the morning, preferably after a cool night.

Often you can also get good results by selecting to grow a particular variety of carrot. Most sources consider the blunt-tipped Nantes types to be sweeter and more reliable for home growers than the long and slender Imperator types commonly found in supermarkets. The somewhat short and stubby Danvers and Chantenay types are also good bets for backyard growers. Or for some real fun try growing Parisian or Parisian Market Carrots – they form carrots that are about the size of common red globe radishes. They are fun added to a salad!

Well, I am running long again! I still have many more carrot questions to answer so look for part 2 of carrot questions next Tuesday in the Garden Tech Support Post.

Happy Gardening!!

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Echinacea does have scientific backing!

10/7/2016

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I was speaking to a group recently when I happened to mention that not only fruit and vegetables but many herbs and flowers have health benefits for us. I mentioned that Echinacea can be used to help fight the common cold and flu. One member of the crowd, a nice lady named Virginia, commented that her doctor said that Echinacea has “never been scientifically proven to have any effect on the common cold.” Well right then and there I knew I was going to be writing about the purple cone flower (another name for Echinacea) in the Phytonutrient Blog!

So let me make this perfectly clear:
Echinacea is a popular herb used to shorten the common cold and flu, as well as reduce sore throat, cough, and fever. Science backs up the power of Echinacea to treat upper respiratory tract infections and much more. Period.

Echinacea is a little plant with big healing power. Its name comes from the Greek word for hedgehog (echinos) because its prickly seed head resembles the spines of angry hedgehog.

Native Americans have used Echinacea for more than 400 years to treat infections and wounds. Before the introduction of antibiotics, it was used for scarlet fever, syphilis, malaria, blood poisoning, and diphtheria. Use by the medical community in the U.S. has fallen off but it has become increasingly popular in Europe and especially in Germany.

Herbalists recommend Echinacea to shorten the duration of the common cold and flu, and reduce sore throat, cough, and fever. Science backs up the power of Echinacea to treat upper respiratory tract infections and much more.

Here are just a few of the proven health benefits of Echinacea.

1. Common Cold
Extracts of Echinacea are widely used in many countries to prevent or treat the common cold. In Germany alone, there are more than 200 different Echinacea products on the market. A review of 16 trials by the respected Cochrane Collaboration found that Echinacea products can help prevent and treat the common cold.

In a Swiss review of three studies, researchers looked at the effects of Echinacea on people intentionally infected with the rhinovirus. They found that the likelihood of developing a clinical cold was 55 percent higher with placebo than with Echinacea. This is a significant difference! They suggested that standardized extracts of Echinacea were effective in the prevention of symptoms of the common cold after clinical inoculation.

Another meta-analysis from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy reviewed 14 studies. Researchers found that Echinacea decreased the odds of developing the common cold by 58 percent. It also cut short the duration of a cold by 1.4 days. They concluded that Echinacea is beneficial in decreasing the incidence and duration of the common cold.

Studies show that drinking Echinacea tea at the first signs of the cold or flu can reduce the severity and duration of the illness. It also can be taken as a preventive measure. In a study of 80 healthy athletes given Echinacea, 71 percent were free of cold episodes.

And it can keep a cold from returning. A meta-analysis of six studies found that people with higher susceptibility or stress, or weakened immunity cut their risk of a recurrent respiratory infection in half with Echinacea. They also had fewer complications like pneumonia, ear infections, and tonsillitis.

Another study of 524 children ages 2 to 11 years found that treating a cold with Echinacea led to a 28 percent decreased risk of a second upper respiratory infection.

And Echinacea is effective for treating sore throats. In a study of 154 patients with sore throats researchers found that a spray combining Echinacea and sage was just as effective as a chlorhexidine/ lidocaine spray. Echinacea was effective in 63.8 percent of patients.

2. Influenza
Echinacea may even be more effective than flu medications. In a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, multicenter, controlled clinical trial researchers compared a hot Echinacea drink with oseltamivir (better known by its trade name Tamiflu), the gold standard treatment for influenza. In the trial, 473 patients with early influenza symptoms were given either oseltamivir or the Echinacea formulation. Results showed that Echinacea was just as effective as the flu drug but had far fewer complications or adverse events.

3. Boosts Immunity
In an Australian pilot study, 11 healthy individuals took Echinacea tablets daily for 14 days. At the end of the test period, researchers observed signs of increased immune activity including increased white cell counts. They also found an antioxidant effect of the Echinacea.

And researchers from the University of California Irvine Medical Center found that extracts of Echinacea helped stimulate immune function in cells taken from normal individuals and from patients with either chronic fatigue syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

4. Eye Infections
In an Italian study 51 patients with low-grade, steroid dependent, autoimmune uveitis (inflammation of the middle level of the eye) received conventional steroid treatment. But half the patients also received 150 mg of Echinacea twice a day. Uveitis was resolved in 28 out of 32 patients taking Echinacea. In addition, the Echinacea group reduced steroid use by about 70 percent more than the control group.

5. Supports Red Blood Cells
In a study of 24 healthy young men, subjects received either a placebo or 8,000 mg of Echinacea in four doses of 2,000 mg four times a day. Blood samples taken during the 28-day trial showed that the Echinacea group had up to a 63 percent greater level of erythropoietin (EPO). EPO is a hormone that promotes the formation of red blood cells by the bone marrow.

6. Reduces Wrinkles
Researchers in Thailand tested topical cream and gel containing Echinacea on 10 healthy volunteers, aged 25-40 years. After one month measurements of skin hydration increased significantly. Topical Echinacea reduced wrinkles by up to 14.92 percent.

7. Protects Against Radiation Damage
A study from Serbia looked at chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes among workers exposed to radiation. All of the workers were given 275 mg Echinacea tablets. At the end of the treatment aberrations in lymphocyte chromosomes dropped significantly. In addition, the number of defective cells that self-destructed increased. The researchers concluded that Echinacea may be beneficial for the prevention of adverse health effects in workers exposed to radiation.

8. Reduces Chemo Side Effects
In a German study researchers isolated a polysaccharide fraction from the herb Echinacea. They injected the Echinacea compound in 15 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy starting three days before their first treatment. Two weeks after the chemo treatments, leukocytes (white blood cells) were about 50 percent higher in the patients receiving the Echinacea treatment compared to a control group. Researchers suggested the Echinacea treatment may be effective in reducing chemotherapy-induced leucopenia (low white blood cell count).

Look, the simple fact is, that while I would never recommend that you ignore the advice of your doctor, if he or she is still of the opinion that Echinacea has no scientific backing to support its effectiveness, well they need to do some more recent research! Take a copy of this article to them and ask them to look into it – I know that the science will alter their opinion and open their eyes to the wonderful gift of nature that is the purple cone flower.

Echinacea is available in extracts, tinctures, tablets, capsules, and ointments. It can be found in health food stores and on the internet. Best of you can grow it yourself!

So all in all, I just want to say, “Yes! Virginia, Echinacea does have scientific backing!”

Happy Gardening!!

comments welcome!

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Time For Some Soil Amendments

10/4/2016

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Fall is a great time of year to tune up your soil. The year's Spring harvest is winding down, the cool weather is coming and that always makes gardening more enjoyable, and many of the soil amendments you add now will have all winter to break down before your next Spring planting. The trick for those of us in Texas (and the rest of the Southern U.S.) is that our growing season is not over yet! The truth is that we can grow vegetables nearly all year long!

I hear you out there – those of you not living in the South, “Boohoo, big problem I have to grow my garden all year long!”

I know. It is hard to be us! But if you stop and think about it, vegetables, herbs, and fruits all take nutrients from the soil as they grow. Each year you need to replace those nutrients to insure a healthy harvest. It all begins and ends with the soil. The healthier the soil, the better your vegetables will grow and the fewer problems you'll have. But if you are constantly growing those nutrient devouring plants when do you work on building the soil?

Northern gardeners can use the fall to easily prep the soil for the Spring. Adding your organic matter, humus and manures to the soil in the fall gives it an entire winter and spring to become biologically active. The remnants of this year's crop will have plenty of time to break down. But again, in the South, we are still growing those hungry veggies in the fall so what do we do?

Q. Matt W. of Texas, asks, “Fall is here, and now that I am finished with my spring/summer garden and am thinking of my fall garden. How should I go about amending the soil?”

A. Well, Matt, your question has sparked the entire post of Garden Tech Tuesday this week! The bottom line simple answer is to use finished compost in you beds. Ideally, finished compost is dark brown or black (almost like bagged potting soil), crumbly-textured, and has a rich earthy smell. But realistically, there is no exact point at which compost is "finished."

Many gardeners choose to use compost that is not fully decomposed. They don't mind if there are still recognizable bits of leaves, minute twigs, straw, hay, and the like. They know it will finish decaying in the soil in their yard or garden. Generally, try to harvest your compost in the late summer or fall to make room for new leaves in your bin(s).

If you intend to use your compost in seed-starting mixes, houseplants, or to cover seed rows, it's best that it is well-rotted and possibly screened. Otherwise delicate roots can be attacked by microbes if the roots touch any unfinished compost.

The biggest benefit of finished compost is that it is ready for the plants to use right away, that is something that we need when we are fortunate enough to be able to garden year-round. But even Southern gardens have plots that are not used in the fall so let’s look at my 3-Step program for just how to handle those areas that are “put to bed” for the fall…

Step 1 Compost

Yep, right off the bat I am going to recommend compost again (are we seeing a pattern here?). Whether you are using your own homemade compost, or are purchasing compost in bags or by the truckload, stock up early with as much as you can afford. I’d recommend a couple yards of compost each fall for most gardens. You can stockpile it on a big waterproof tarp, which will allow you to keep things neat and keep the compost covered so it doesn't get soggy.

As you remove spent crops from the vegetable garden, use a garden fork to loosen the soil, and mix in a 3" to 4" layer of compost. While soil temperatures are still warm, the nutrients and organic matter in the compost will stimulate microbes and other beneficial organisms. Tired, end-of-season soil will be refreshed and renewed when spring comes around.

Flower gardens also need compost. As you begin cutting back and cleaning up your perennial beds, keep a good supply of compost at hand. Dig in some compost wherever you've pulled out annuals and whenever you're planting bulbs. Pile on a good 2" to 3" layer around the base of established perennials and shrubs (keeping it back an inch or so from the stems).

Planting new shrubs, trees or other landscape plants? Opinions vary, but I always mix a few shovels of compost with the soil that goes back into the planting hole.

Step 2 Raw Organic Matter

The soil in the unused beds of your vegetable garden will probably be laying fallow over the winter months (although I would suggest growing a cover crop of some sort). To boost the amount of organic matter in your soil— beyond what you can get from finished compost— consider incorporating raw organic matter directly into the soil.

There's just one thing to keep in mind when you're adding raw organic matter to your soil. The beneficial soil organisms that will help decompose this material, require nitrogen to do their work. This means that if you don't add some additional nitrogen along with the organic matter, the microbes will start using up the nitrogen in your soil. To avoid this, you can either add some nitrogen-rich manure along with the raw organic matter, or sprinkle on some granular organic fertilizer.

Shredded leaves are my top choice for raw organic matter. Use a leaf shredder if you have one. If not, just mow over the leaves several times with your lawnmower. Animal manures (but not from dogs or cats) are great for the soil. You can gather it in buckets, plastic trash bags, feed bags, or in the back of a pickup truck.

A good thing about adding animal manures in the fall, is that it doesn't really matter if the manure is fresh or aged. Over the winter months, the caustic ammonia will dissipate, leaving behind valuable nutrients and organic matter.

Step 3 Organic Soil Amendments

Most organic fertilizers release their nutrients slowly over many months, so applying them in the fall helps ensure they'll be available to your plants next spring. If you can get your hands on some kelp meal, greensand, rock phosphate, or bone meal, do so. Because it's the end of the season, your local garden center may even have some broken bags they'll be willing to sell you at a discount. You can mix these organic materials right into your garden (or side dress around plants), along with the shredded leaves, manure and compost. Breaking down organic material requires some nitrogen. To facilitate the process, you can add 100% alfalfa pellets that are marketed as rabbit food! Just sprinkle in a cup or so mix in the rest of the amendments.
If you suspect that your soil pH may need adjusting, autumn is the time to correct it. It's best to raise or lower soil pH slowly, over a three- to six-month period. Add lime in the fall to raise the pH level of your soil. Add acidifiers like pine needles, peat moss and elemental sulfur if your soil is too alkaline. Remember that unless you already know that your soil is too acidic or too alkaline, you should always do a soil test to determine the pH level before taking corrective measures. Contact your local Extension Office for help with soil samples.

And finally, a quick note on Cover crops…

I believe very strongly that keeping roots in the soil is an important part of any gardening program. My great grand mother told once told me, “God don’t seem to like bare ground too much, if you don’t grow something there He sure will!” In my experience that statement is true and I would add that what He grows there may not be what you were wanting there!

Cover crops are an excellent solution to managing nitrogen in the soil. Nitrogen is a major component of chlorophyll, which plants need to perform photosynthesis in order to grow. Nitrogen is a difficult nutrient to manage in agricultural systems because plants can only use it when it is available in a specific chemical form (NOT the form prevalent in the atmosphere) and it easily leaches out of the soil during heavy rainfalls if it isn’t fixed inside the tissue of a plant.

Legumes (a family of plants that often have pods—beans, peas, etc.) can trap significant amounts of nitrogen that can later be used by other crops. A type of bacteria that lives in the plants’ roots converts atmospheric nitrogen into a form that the legume can use for its own growth. When leguminous cover crops begin to decompose, soil microorganisms convert the nitrogen in their tissue is into a form (nitrate) that subsequent plants can use.

Non-leguminous cover crops (typically grasses), can also help to keep nitrogen available by taking in nitrogen already present in the soil that would otherwise be lost to leaching. The nitrogen is assimilated into the plant tissue and when the cover crop begins to decompose, it is released back into the soil for subsequent crops to use.

So Matt, there is what I suggest, thanks for submitting your question!

Just remember that the soil is the foundation on which we build our gardens and improving that soil makes a huge difference in its ability to retain water, support healthy plant growth, and help your plants fend off diseases, pests and other stresses. Whether you're new to gardening, or a seasoned pro, building better soil is the single most important thing you can do to improve your gardening success. And fall is the best time to do it!

Happy Gardening!!

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