Get Ready for Winter Gardening

 My fellow gardeners;

Since my tender vegetation was destroyed by the frost last Friday night, it’s now time to focus on the heartier cold season crops such as lettuce, spinach, rucola and the rest. I have already installed my homemade ½ PVC hoops in two 10’ raised beds, which will be draped with spun fabric when the cold spell arrives. I’m also utilizing the small cold frame which is now taken up by two wooden half barrels where I grew tomatoes and peppers; this little enclosure is also used to harden-off seedlings in early spring. Another sheltered area  against the south facing wall of the house has been planted with different types of lettuce and onions and when the temperature drops below freezing, I’ll protect it with discarded window panes found at the dump. Plus I’m getting ready to re-assemble my larger cold frame (4’x9’) built with wood, insulated with Styrofoam around the outside and covered with thermo panes.

  My fig tree also needs wrapping, and since I love the fruit, doing the work is not an issue, in fact, it gives me pleasure to keep it from perishing.

  Gardening year round is fun but takes time, and for gardeners like me who thrive on success, a good challenge is part of this great hobby.      

  Give winter gardening a try, you’ll enjoy it,

  Nick Mancini, The Organic Italian

Are you growing shallots?

Cari Ortolani;

As we know, shallots are related to garlic and onions and like their family members, they can be sown in the fall and harvested in late spring. Planting in the fall usually yields larger bulbs, and they can also be used as spring-green-onions when the tops grow 5-6 inches. Since one bulb produces several new ones, from 6 upward, it’s not necessary to plant as many as garlic cloves. Save the best stock to reseed and don’t wait until the ground freezes. I plant my French Red and Dutch Yellow about November 1^st so they’ll root before the ground becomes completely frozen.

A more challenging way to grow shallots is to germinate seeds indoors and transplant outdoors during spring. This will produce a smaller yield but free of most diseases like bacterial, viral or fungal, which commonly affects most bulb-grown plants. Before planting, I like to soak the seeds overnight and immerse in a worm casting tea for 20-25 minutes.

Plant in a sunny location and amend your  soil with a copious amount of organic worm compost and an organic fertilizer (10-15-10). Also, make sure the nutrients are incorporated at root level.

Ci risentiamo,

Nick Mancini, The Organic Italian

Saffron flowers will arrive soon

Cari ortolani,

Since most garden chores are coming to an end at this time of the season, unless you’re into fall/winter planting, or getting your garden ready for a cover crop, there is still saffron to tend to. Yesterday, before the rain arrived, I surf-grubbed my saffron patch to aerate the soil and broadcasted an organic fertilizer 5-10-10 in anticipation of the corms sprouting and the flowers to appear – for more details on growing saffron in Connecticut, ready my article on the fall issue of Edible Nutmeg.

If you’re not presently growing this spice, do yourself a favor and buy a dozen corms to get started. The White Flower Farm, Fedco and other fine retailers have it in stock, but don’t wait too long because they run out, or ship you an inferior product. Another idea is to wait a little longer and purchase corms when they go on sale. At times you can save up to 75% of the original price when they begin to sprout, although at that stage the quality is marginal.

I hope you’ve harvested seeds from your favorite heirloom plant and have stored them in a cool, dry area. This year I collected seeds from about 12 organic/heirloom vegetables, 6 types of tomatoes, in which 2 were on grafted rootstock; hot, red and yellow peppers; Chioggia beets; kohlrabi; Turkish eggplants; banana melons; onions; garlic (bulbils and seeds); carrots; broccoli; Egyptian onions; Welch onions; beans; garlic chives and a bunch of endive, escarole and common lettuces. I have a new dynamite lettuces called Mastrinella given to me by a dear friend in Italy and Canasta, another non-bolting type, which I have sown and will be protected with row covers until late November, the rest will be transplanted into the cold frame to keep us from buying lettuce all winter long.

This Saturday I will start my workshop and the topic is COLLECTING VIABLE ORGANIC SEEDS.

Ci risentiamo,

Nick Mancini The Organic Italian

 

Organic is the Way to Grow

 

Cari Ortolani,

While visiting my former home in Italy, I was pleasantly surprised that returning to organic growing fruits and vegetables is the new order of the day, in fact, towns and cities in that community and throughout the region are furnishing compost bins to all citizens, and everyone is getting onboard.

At first I assumed that everyone had purchased their own bins, but soon realized that they all had the name Ocre (the name of the commune) and a number, and one of my childhood friends, Arnaldo Corona, he told me that they are free.

My next question was if they sprayed their fruit trees with any type of pesticide, whether synthetic or organic and the answer was almost synonymous “if I want poisonous fruit I would buy them at the store”.

I visited several gardens, and to my surprise, since there is lack of water during the summer months and the soil is not too fertile to begin with, they were able to collect rain water and store in large containers. No fancy tools, irrigation systems, expensive trellises or other unnecessary equipment, they rely on experience passed down through generations that always brought bountiful yields, year after year.

So, my fellow gardeners, learn how to garden properly instead of relying on the internet for solutions that may or may not help your particular problem. Take a course in organic gardening at the adult education program of your town or city, or from a private workshop to learn the correct way, which will save you money, time, energy and elevate you above other gardeners.

 Sempre Avanti, eternal giovinezza,

Nick Mancini, The Organic Italian

Keep your tomato and squash plants healthy

Cari Ortolani;

Last week I visited 4 community gardens in different areas of Connecticut and found the same results in all of them when it came to tomatoes and squash. Most tomato plants were halfway defoliated by the verticillium and fusarium wilts and in a couple of cases some had contacted late blight.

The majority of squash plants were either decimated by the squash vine borer larvae or invaded by the squash bug, which is almost as detrimental because it makes pot marks on the fruit and renders it unappealing and unpalatable.

To protect my tomato plants from the above afflictions, I use liquid copper or Bordeaux mix exclusively, starting at seedling stage and continuing throughout the growing season. Healthy tomato plants should yield a minimum of 35 lbs. of fruit each, and if yours are not that productive, chances are that you’re neglecting them. In case you’re afraid of copper buildup in your soil, don’t go to the internet for answers, have a soil test instead. A soil test will determine the amount of copper in your soil, and if you’re afraid of drippings, they can always be caught with some type of a mulch or by a couple of layers of black ink newspaper, but remember, copper is a micronutrient and is necessary for plant growth. Having used copper for the past 25 years on my tomatoes and grapes, the level in my soil is at 0.3 ppm, and the range for vegetable gardening is from 0.3 to 8.0  ppm.

For the squash vine borer, tulle and Kaolin clay has worked well by me, and removing the eggs of the squash bug by being vigilant it has also kept them under control.

Ci risentiamo,

Nick Mancini, THE ORGANIC ITALIAN

Garlic and more garlic

 

Ciao Ortolani,

Again, summer is in full swing and the garlic patches are ready to be harvested. This year I have sown 3- 4×8 feet raised beds with first, second, and third year garlic at my community garden plot. The first year garlic are those grown from bulbils and produce no cloves, just a solid bulb resembling a marble.  The second year garlic are mid-sized and have cloves. The third year crop is the conventional hardneck garlic bulb. All together, 160 bulbs.

Why do I grow garlic from seed and bulbils? Since garlic cloves have been planted for centuries in different types of soils all over the world, sometimes they contact pathogens and may not be as healthy as you would like them to be. Garlic grown from seeds or bulbils do not come in contact with any other soil but mine, and by using this technique, and my soil is healthy, I’m assured an organic, disease-free bulb. It takes three years to harvest full size bulbs when planting seeds or bulbils, but the experience makes the gardener understand how this plant grows. I grow hardneck garlic, which produces bulbils and comes from organic German stock. This variety is cold tolerant and ideal to grow in the Northeast.

Even though there  was still a little green foliage on the plant, I pulled out a couple of bulbs last week to check on the progress, and found they are ready, which I harvested this morning. When harvesting white garlic, if the bulbs are pinkish it means it’s not mature, although, when left in the ground too long they may rot especially during wet seasons or in low areas.

Buona raccolta,

Nick Mancini, The Organic Italian  

I’t’s Cherry Picking Time

Cari ortolani,

This week I started to harvest cherries, but not before I had to deal with spraying, pruning, insects, diseases, mammals and birds who relish this delicacy just as much as I do. Cherry trees need attention throughout the year, even during the winter months. First I make sure to remove any skeletonized fruits in case there are a few left on the plant. Beginning in late November, I spray with either horticultural oil, Bordeaux mix or lime-sulfur to make sure overwintering insect eggs and fungi are eliminated.

            I’ve trained my dwarf cherry tree, and other dwarf stone fruits (other than the espaliered ones) into vase shapes to maximize sun exposure, making it easier to spray, harvest and protect the fruit.

Cherries are susceptible to insects and diseases and need attention as soon as they start to bloom, if one wants to harvest a decent crop. The most damaging disease is brown rot, which can be prevented by spraying copper or Neem oil, however, birds and squirrels are the real threat once the cherries begin to ripen. Even though I cover the tree with bird netting and secure it at the base of the trunk, this year I removed 5 birds and one squirrel from inside the netting, and wasn’t able to find a single hole anywhere – maybe my eyesight is failing me.

 Is it worthwhile doing all this work, some people ask, and I always reply: of course, it’s not only the organic/fresh fruit that I enjoy, but the challenge of growing it that makes it fun.

Sempre avanti eternal giovinezza,

Nick Mancini, The Organic Italian

 

To Catch a Thief

Ciao, Ortolani, 

This is one of the many e-mails that I receive from clients, friends, former students and readers asking for my advice. Of course it’s impossible for me to diagnose a problem and suggest a treatment without first seeing the damage or knowing particular details, nonetheless, most people request this type of information: 

“Remember that I said something was eating my lettuce? Well, they are now dining on my basil. I just put out a fresh bottle of beer in two spots in case there are slugs. But, really I’ve never seen one in the garden, can you help me out?” 

I’m well aware that homegrown seedlings, especially those raised by newcomers, are quite special because it takes lots of hard work, and the gardener feels responsible to keep them healthy throughout the season. Suddenly unknown assailants damage or destroy your priced possession and revenge is your first reaction, which usually resorts to using means to destroy the insect without identifying what caused the damage.

Even though it feels like a major catastrophe when it happens, don’t search the internet to find instant gratification and spray with whatever someone (whether they are qualified or not), suggests. First determine if it’s the work of insects or otherwise, what type of damage the plant has sustained, and contact knowledgeable people to guide you through the situation.

After this person sent me a picture of  pill bugs, better known as roly-poly’s, I knew they could be the culprits. Do not take anything from granted. These insects usually feed on decaying organic vegetation, and at times, especially when large in numbers, they’ll feed on tender foliage, young vegetable seedlings, and transplants. Pill bugs, like slugs, feed at night and spend bright daylight in damp/dark areas, and to catch the “thieves”, lay down a piece of board or several large leaves (Brassicas) and uncover in the morning, only if they are damaging your tender crops.

Ci risentiamo,

Nick Mancini, The Organic Italian

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to Plant Warm Season Crops

Cari Ortolani;

Yesterday was the last spring class of THE ORGANIC GARDENING WORKSHOP followed by a little get-together afterwards to discuss what strategy is necessary to harvest a bumper crop. And, since tomatoes are the most popular vegetable grown in the world, the question arises of me stressing that if a tomato plant doesn’t produce at least 35 pounds of tomatoes, it’s not a fruitful harvest, at least not for me. The usual reply from newcomers is “you must be dreaming”, because their anemic looking plants, which most likely were bought with several flowers or tomatoes already on the vine, produced at the most 10 pounds.  They were proud of the results and to them it was a decent enough yield to brag about to their neighbors.

The secret of growing a bountiful harvest of tomatoes, or any other crop for that matter, is to plan beforehand, and preferably the previous fall. Make a sketch of your garden to insure that crop rotation is observed. The first step to success is to grow a cover crop, spot fertilize for the particular plant, and have the soil ready before transplanting your seedlings into the garden.

As we all know, tomatoes do not need excessive amounts of nitrogen, a 5-10-10 organic fertilizer is sufficient, unless your soil test says otherwise. I use Alfalfa Meal or Soybean Meal for Nitrogen, Rock Phosphate for Phosphorus and either Greensand or Sul-Po-Mag for Potassium.

As my seedlings get re-potted into paper pots, I begin to spray them with a diluted solution of liquid copper to protect them from air and soil-borne diseases. The night before planting, I cut all leaves, except the top three to make sure the wounds heal overnight and prevent pathogens from attacking them. Also remove any flowers and most definitely fruits. Dig a trench, place a banana peel and a handful of scrunched seaweed at the bottom, plant the tomato seedling quasi-horizontally, and cover the entire stem with soil up to the top leaves. The little leaves that are laying flat will be upright by morning, and within a week, the stem will have plenty of roots, which can sustain fast growth and heavy cropping.

Sempre avanti,

Nick Mancini, The Organic Italian

 

 

 

 

 

The Garden Should be in Full Swing

Cari Ortolani,

Because of the mild weather this winter, spring has been challenging. Whether your growing vegetables or fruits, the results are the same. For the first time in years I’ve noticed an increased number of aphids, leaf miners, scales,  and for the first time my grapevines have been attacked by the erineum mites.  At first I thought it was phylloxera a deadly disease that kills the roots of Vitis vinefera, but soon after looking at it with a magnifying glass, I realized it was the less serious disease. If the leaves of your Vitis vinifera (European cultivars), grapevine has blisters on the leaf surface, chances are it has the same affliction.  Erineum mites is a minor disease, especially in older vines and if sulfur is sprayed to control powdery mildew. If you use sulfur, be careful, it may burn leaves, and do not use on Concord or Foch type vines. This pest overwinters under bud scales and moves to the new growth during spring.

Now into a more pleasant topic. Since I do intensive gardening in raised beds and I like to harvest 3 crops in every inch of space (other than the cold frame), my first yield of cool weather vegetables are way ahead of schedule, in fact some plantings of spinach, lettuce, radishes and others are just about ready to make room for cucumbers, tomatoes, beans and the rest. Yesterday my students in  THE ORGANIC GARDENING WORKSHOP planted tomatoes (Costituto Genoves) and peppers (Corne di Toro Giallo) in one of the sawed-in-half whisky barrels, and (Principe Borghesee), which are sun-drying tomatoes and Turkish Orange eggplants on the other. Both tomato plants grown on 4” newspaper pots were sown horizontally to maximize the root system.

Succession planting is essential when gardening n small spaces or in containers, and by planning ahead is imperative. Amend the soil after removing your spring crops so the warm weather plants will start on a positive note.

Ci  risentiamo la prossima settimana,

Nick Mancini, The Organic Italian