Asparagus

My brother has a fabulous spring asparagus recipe. It's really simple, but fresh picked asparagus doesn't need a complicated recipe to taste delicious. One night, I left the asparagus under the broiler a minute too long. The result was a slightly charred, crunchy, nutty-flavored asparagus dish.  I don't think I'll serve it to company, but my family does like blackened asparagus!

My brother's asparagus recipe (Thanks, Greg):
Wash and pat dry pencil thin (or thinner) spears. Lay them in a single layer on a broiler pan that has been greased with olive oil.
Drizzle the spears with a teaspoon of olive oil.
Squeeze half a fresh lemon over the spears
Broil for 3 to 4 minutes until spears are just beginning to soften.
Sprinkle fresh parmesan-reggiano cheese shavings over the top and serve.

For the most delicate flavor and texture, you will need to grow your own asparagus or raid a neighbor's garden.  Growing asparagus in Florida and other parts of the southeast, however, is only a task I recommend for strong-willed gardeners. Asparagus requires a period of stress -- cold weather or drought -- to enter dormancy.  Since a dormant period is necessary for a hardy asparagus crop, you can understand why a Florida asparagus crop might not be worth the effort you put into growing this perennial. North and Central Florida gardeners will have better luck growing asparagus than south Florida gardeners.

 Remember, asparagus is a perennial so prepare a rich soil in a place you will not be plowing for the next four to five years. A deep bed of compost mixed with manure works well for asparagus. Select a sunny spot, preferably in an area where you can control moisture levels. The ferns get quite tall and should not be cut back the first year so select an area where your asparagus won't shade out smaller plants.

Be sure to cultivate the soil well and remove all weeds before planting. Asparagus does not tolerate competition with weeds.

To grow asparagus in the southeast, plant one to two year old crowns in the spring. Plant them in 6 inch deep furrows about 12 inches apart. Cover with two inches of soil. Add more soil to the plants throughout the growing season as they grow taller.

If it doesn't rain, water the plants thoroughly once weekly until June. Then water the plants just once every other week (If it is raining, don't water them at all.) Hopefully, your plants will not be deluged with rain and you will have simulated drought conditions for your asparagus. If your plants did not experience a summer drought, pray for a cold winter.  In July, return to watering the plants thoroughly once weekly.

After year one, you can cut the ferns back in late winter after they have died. The ferns are infamous for harboring asparagus beetle so its better to burn them than to place them in a compost pile.

In year two, harvest a few of the larger spears, but allow most of the asparagus to continue growing.

In year three, enjoy your first productive season. It is better to snap the 6 inch spears than to cut them.

I'm growing Jersey Supreme. It is a mostly male asparagus cultivar and is heat tolerant to zone 9.

How Do You Grow Strawberries?

How do you grow strawberries? Do you grow them in hanging pots? Do you grow your strawberries upside down? Right-side up? In raised beds? Up high? Down low? Dr. Seuss could have written a book on the many ways strawberry plants are grown!

Of all the fruits and vegetables I grow, strawberries are my favorite. They give my family the biggest nutritional benefit while requiring the smallest amount of effort in the garden. Did you know strawberries are third on the list of fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide residues (even after they are washed)?  (For more information on fruits and vegetables with high pesticide residues, consider purchasing my book: Container Gardening for Health: The 12 Most Important Fruits and Vegetables for Your Organic Garden )


Strawberry Growing Tips

I usually buy strawberry crowns from Peaceful Valley every fall, but I'm going to try Mountain Valley Growers next because they sell organic strawberry plants. I've purchased seeds and plants from both companies and have always been pleased with their service and quality.

Extend the Season
 
Grow three main types of strawberries to extend the season as long as possible.

-June Bearing Strawberry Varieties produce the largest crop, but they produce it all at once. Also called short-day varieties, june bearing strawberries flower only in cool temperatures and when day length is 14 hours or less.
I'm going to try growing 'Sweet Charlie' this year for my June Bearing crop. This small, container-friendly cultivar grows well in the southeast and has good resistance to Florida diseases. I've also grown 'Camarosa' successfully in North Florida.

-Day Neutral Strawberry Varieties produce small amounts of fruit throughout the growing season. 
I grow Albion for my day neutral cultivar. It's very hardy in Florida's climate and tolerates container gardening quite well.


-Everbearer Strawberry Varieties produce one to two crops during the spring and late summer/early fall. They flower regardless of day length in daytime temperatures below 89 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooler climates may also get a crop or two during the summer. Everbearer strawberries don't produce runners are a good choice for container gardeners.  I'm going to trial 'Seascape' this year. It's a low chill cultivar and produces large deep red, very sweet berries. What else could anyone want in a strawberry?
Everbearers are a type of Day Neutral strawberry. Woodland strawberry varieties are also everbearing. They produce tiny, candy-sweet strawberries.

Containers: I've grown strawberries in a variety of containers. I have several plants growing in an earth box right now. I have especially good luck with strawberry plants in hanging, self-watering containers. Strawberry plants will grow in just about any container, including herb pots and whiskey barrels.  Just remember to add drainage holes to whatever container you select. Strawberry plants are shallow-rooted and only require 6 to 8 inches of soil, but allow at least 8 inches to 10 inches in diameter for growth.

Soil:  Strawberries prefer rich, loamy soil. Standard organic potting mixes are usually adequate, but some researchers recommend adding well-rotted leaf mold to the soil before planting. I usually stir in about 1 cup of worm compost per plant into potting soil.

Planting Crowns: Its important to plant strawberry plants correctly or they may become susceptible to rot. Bury the plant so the crown, the junction between the roots and the leaf stems, is exactly at the soil line.

Moisture: Strawberries are prone to moisture-related disease so place strawberry pots in a well-ventilated location protected from excessive rain.  So far I've not had issues with Florida's high humidity levels. This might be in-part because all my strawberry plants are bottom watered. Because strawberry plants are shallow rooted, they die quickly in drought conditions. Drip irrigation attached to a moisture sensitive timer is another irrigation option.

Fertilization: Side dress with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, such as blood meal, if young plants appear light green or stunted. Fertilize again with a balanced organic fertilizer one month before plants start to bud.

Pests & Diseases: If you control the amount of moisture that comes in contact with strawberry plant leaves, you will eliminate most diseases from your strawberry garden. Placing copper strips around the bottom of the plants and Remay row covers over the plants eliminates most pests. Just remember to remove row covers when the plants flower. I admit I haven't tried either of these measures on my strawberry plants. Growing them in hanging containers in a screened enclosure eliminates most pest threats. Without an enclosure, your most common predator will likely be birds. I believe they used to circle my strawberry plants waiting until the berries were just the right shade of red before they flew in to consume the whole crop in minutes. Netting solved the bird problem, but made gardening a little more challenging.

That's about all it takes to grow strawberries in containers. Your only other challenge will be getting your family to bring the strawberries into the house without eating them all on the way.

Broccoli

Broccoli is an easy cool weather vegetable to grow in the garden. I planted De Ciccio and Spigariello broccoli seed varieties about 3 weeks ago and I am transplanting them to bigger, 4 inch, containers this week.

You can buy these broccoli seed varieties at http://www.gourmetseeds.com.

DeCiccio is an European heirloom. It grows 2-3 feet tall, light green stalks and has 3-4 inch bluish-green central heads. Since its a pretty big plant, I'm going to plant it in containers 8 inches deep by 36 inches wide.

On Spigariello, the leaves are more prized than the head. Another European variety, Spigariello has thin, narrow leaves on a medium sized plant. The leaves are often eaten like spinach. Spigariello heads are small and  re-sprout when cut. This cultivar is somewhat smaller than DeCiccio so I'll plant it in 8 inch deep by 24 inch wide containers.

Research suggests broccoli produces the highest yields when plants are spaced 7 inches apart.

Broccoli grows best in moist, but well-draining, rich soil. Add up to 1/3 composted manure to potting soil. Mulch to retain moisture and keep the soil cool as spring temperatures rise.

Tomatoes: Starting from Seed

It's time to grow tomatoes! Plant your tomatoes from seed now and transplant them into the garden when the threat of frost has passed. Here's a tomato seed starting primer to help you navigate the early stages of tomato gardening:

Tomato Seed Packets
Tomato seed packets and tomato seed catalogs use an alphabet soup of abbreviations and unfamiliar words to describe disease and pest resistance. The following terms are the most critical to understand:

Whether you grow heirloom tomato varieties or hybrids, select cultivars carefully. The letters VFNAT on the tomato seed packet indicate resistance to Verticilium Wilt (V), Fusarium Wilt(F), Southern Root Nematode (N), Blight (A), Tobacco Mosaic Virus (T). (In Florida, Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus(TSWV) and Bacterial Wilt(BW) create the majority of tomato problems.) Heirloom tomatoes carry some natural resistance (or were bred over generations by farmers) to many of these diseases while hybrids are specifically bred for tomato disease resistance. Check with your county extension office to determine what diseases are prevalent in your region and ensure the seeds you buy are resistant to these diseases.

Indeterminate Tomatoes vs. Determinate Tomatoes
There are two main types of tomatoes: indeterminate and determinate. Indeterminate tomatoes produce fruit all season long. Determinate tomato varieties produce all their fruit at one time.
Most of the diseases mentioned above affect indeterminate tomato cultivars more frequently than determinate tomato varieties.
Indeterminate tomato varieties grow much taller than determinate varieties. If you are growing tomatoes in containers, determinate tomato varieties will be easier to manage.

Seed Starting
I start germinating tomato seeds 6 weeks before the last frost.   I use an organic seed starting medium consisting of 1 part perlite and 1 part organic, sterile potting mix. It is not necessary to germinate tomato seeds in soil. I use soil because I do not always transplant seedlings as quickly as I should. The soil ensures the transplants get a little nutrition while they are waiting for me to come home.

In recent seasons, I have been using recycled foam egg cartons for seed starting containers. If you can get the cardboard cartons, all the better. Other recycled container prospects include plastic blueberry or strawberry clam shells. Fill the cartons with damp seed starting mix. Plant the tomato seeds at a depth of three times the diameter of the seed. Gently firm the soil and close the lid.

Place the carton of planted tomato seeds in a warm environment (75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit) and leave the carton closed for three to five days. After three days, open the lid to see if the tomatoes are sprouting. If sprouts are visible, cut the lid away from the carton. This will become a water tray. CAREFULLY, pick up the carton and poke a drainage hole in each of the cells. I use a shisk-a-bob stick or a pencil. Fill the tray with water and place the carton on top of the tray in a well-lit, warm location.

Light
Tomato seedlings must receive at least 4 hours of direct sunlight a day. If you can place your seedlings in a southern window, this may be adequate. My seedlings usually require supplemental light. You can obtain grow-light bulbs from your local hardware store. These screw into regular light sockets. Seedlings in need of additional light will grow very tall on long, thin stems. You may need to start over if they begin to get so tall they fall over.

Temperatures
Tomato plants are most productive when daytime temperatures range from 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and night-time temperatures range from about 62 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ventilation
Ventilation is critical to prevent "damping off", a bacterial disease, in young seedlings. (I also find bottom-watering helps control this disease.) Place a fan near, but not directly on your tray of seedlings. If you live in a warm climate, such as Florida, you can place young seedlings outside for a few hours a day to ensure they get adequate ventilation as well as light. Just remember to bring them in each evening before temperatures start to fall.

Transplanting
Transplant tomato seedlings to larger containers when they have at least two sets of  "true" leaves. (The first set of leaves doesn't count!) Some transplants must be transplanted to incrementally larger containers every few weeks before being transplanted into the garden.  However, I find it is best to place tomatoes directly in 6 inch or 8 inch containers when I transplant the first time and to leave them in these containers until I transplant into the garden. I tried transplanting from cells to 4 inch and 8 inch containers one year and compared the difference. Seedlings planted in the larger containers grew faster and stronger than those transplanted into smaller containers. Recycled yogurt containers are the perfect size. Just be sure to place drainage holes in the bottom.