By Donna Woodward, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
Few vegetables can boast the versatility of the beet, which is effectively two vegetables in one. We eat both the familiar red orb and the leafy green tops. The greens are similar to spinach and chard in flavor. Swiss chard is a type of beet grown only for its leaves. Beets were originally domesticated in the ancient Middle East for their greens.
“Beet red” is a common color description, but not all beet roots are red. Some are orange, coral, pink, even white. The Italian Chioggia variety is a pretty red and white stripe. They are not all round either; there are several elongated types.
Beets prefer cool temperatures and are best grown in the early spring and in the fall. In the fall of 2018 and spring of 2019 eight Napa County Master Gardeners grew three varieties of beets in their home gardens: Boro (hybrid), Lutz Green Leaf (open pollinated) and Detroit Dark Red (open pollinated). The purpose of the trials was to compare these varieties, to compare fall versus spring planting and to explore other issues around growing beets.
Germination speed varied greatly depending on the time of year. Seeds germinated more quickly in the fall (planted after August 17) than in the spring (planted after January 18). All seeds from the fall planting germinated in an average of 6 days, while seeds from the spring planting germinated in an average of 14 days. The warmer weather in late summer and fall explains this finding. However, earlier germination did not result in more yield. The spring planting produced larger beets and more quantity.
We had varied success with the three varieties but noted little difference in flavor. Detroit was rated a little higher in flavor and attractiveness. It also produced more and larger beets and was the variety most likely to be recommended to others. This is not surprising given that Detroit is one of the most widely grown and popular beet varieties.
Lutz received the lowest rating in almost all the categories and was the least likely to be recommended. It produced the fewest beets but rated highest in terms of leaf quality, which is consistent with its name ‘Lutz Green Leaf.' If you particularly appreciate beet greens, this might be the variety to grow.
Boro was rated the most attractive (round and dark red) and had good pest resistance, but yield was disappointing.
Although beets aren't difficult to grow, issues can emerge that compromise the quality of roots and greens. The leaves are vulnerable to leaf miners. You may see the trails of these little pests as they eat tunnels through the leaves. The best remedy is to use row covers, especially when the leaves are young and tender. The leaves taste best at this point, too. You can time your thinning to make use of the young leaves.
The most common issues with beet roots involve small or deformed beets. Most of these problems can be alleviated by proper planting. Plant beets thirty days before the frost-free date. Seedlings establish best in chilly weather. Growth issues with roots develop when beets are too close together. It is imperative that seedlings be thinned to 1 to 3 inches apart and rows at least 12 inches apart.
When beets are too small, it can also be due to a lack of phosphorus. If your soil has a high nitrogen content, your beets will produce more lush top growth rather than bulbs. By adding more phosphorus, such as bone meal, to the soil, you can induce larger root growth.
Sometimes beets are small or malformed because of too much shade. Beets prefer full sun but will tolerate partial shade. For the best production, aim for at least five hours of sun a day.
Beets don't like acidic soil and may perform poorly in soil with a pH of 5.5 or less. They need a lot of nutrients to grow properly. Work compost and a balanced fertilizer into the soil before planting and side dress during growth. Apply lightly to avoid burning the roots.Keep plants well supplied with moisture, especially when fertilizing. This will help draw nutrients into the soil where the roots can utilize them.
Both beet roots and tops are highly nutritious, full of vitamins and minerals. The roots can be stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in a root cellar for several weeks; for longer preservation, try canning them. Unlike many vegetables, beets retain most of their nutritional value when canned.
For research-based information on growing vegetables, check out the Vegetable Research and Information Center: https://vric.ucdavis.edu/
Food Growing Forum: Second Sunday of the month through November. Sunday, April 11, 3 pm to 4 pm: “Tomatoes, Peppers and Eggplants.” Register to get Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3lC3qs8
Workshop: On Saturday, April 17, UC Master Gardeners of Napa County will hold a virtual workshop on “Soil is the Solution: Digging Deeper” from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Learn about soil, its relationship to climate change and how to enrich your soil to produce healthier plants. Register to get the Zoom link: http://ucanr.edu/2021SoilRegeneration
Got Garden Questions? Contact our Help Desk. The team is working remotely so please submit your questions through our diagnosis form, sending any photos to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org or leave a detailed message at 707- 253-4143. A Master Gardener will get back to you by phone or email.
For more information visit http://napamg.ucanr.edu or find us on Facebook or Instagram, UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
By Donna Woodward, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
One rainy winter day I looked out my window and saw a luscious white pansy in full bloom. I rushed right out and bought more pansies.
Anything that will bloom in the winter months is especially welcome. We expect to see legions of flowers in summer, but during the cooler months their numbers and varieties dwindle. I appreciate those that bloom in the off-season even more for their scarcity.
The flowers we see in late fall to early spring are those that thrive in cool weather. Our summers are long, hot and dry, so these flowers don't often last through the year. Some can stay alive if planted in optimal conditions and kept sheltered and watered.
The pansy's petals are delicate, but the plant is hardy in the horticultural sense, meaning it will tolerate frost. I object to the term “pansy” to describe a person who is delicate and fearful. Pansies are tough.
Even if the blossoms wither in the cold, the plants will often survive and bloom again. They are usually planted as annuals, though, because they can become leggy in warm weather.
Pansies can be planted in the early spring or the fall. The ideal planting site will get morning sun but avoid the heat of the afternoon.
One early-blooming flower that I have learned to love is the primrose. I think it, too, has an unfortunate name. Perhaps it's the word “prim” that sounds fussy and prudish. An individual primrose may not be stunning, but a group of them makes a bright, colorful border.
I planted a row of primroses ten years ago and they have continued to thrive year after year. Although they don't like the hot sun, they survive in full sun in my garden due to a trick I discovered by accident.
Alyssum was growing in the flower bed and happened to get established around the primroses. I realized that those primroses that were surrounded by alyssum managed to stay alive, partially hidden, through the summer. Now it's a regular cycle. Once the weather cools, the primroses explode with new life. The alyssum can then be thinned and will be back to protect the primroses by the time it gets hot again.
The first flower most of us see in the spring is the daffodil. Daffodils are a member of the genus narcissus and are sometimes referred to as narcissus or jonquil. They have been bred to include many different configurations of petals and color combinations, but the most common color is the familiar bright yellow.
These heralds of spring usually start to appear in early January but some hybrids bloom later. This year I saw the yellow flowers in January, and I had some white ones open in late March.
Another wintertime flower is paperwhite narcissus, which is often sold for forcing to bloom indoors in the winter. It doesn't require indoor temperatures and can be planted outdoors in our zone. It blooms in mid-winter.
I planted some paperwhites near my front door. They were pretty but they smelled so bad I thought we had a skunk. When I realized it was the flowers, I moved them to a bed farther from the door.
Considering their indoor popularity, I was curious about how people tolerate the smell. I read that the aroma is one of those things that is offensive to some people but pleasant to others. Also, there are several varieties, and their scents vary.
Many wildflowers bloom in the early months of the year. March and April offer vistas of mustard, California poppies, calendula and others. They make a spectacular display because their colors contrast so perfectly against a field of green.
A wildflower is not necessarily a native plant. The California poppy is a true native that deserves its status as our state flower.
Another low-growing orange flower, a species of calendula, carpets the roadsides and hillsides in Napa. It's the same color as poppies and often grows with them. Calendula is native to parts of Europe, Asia and Micronesia. You may be familiar with the larger calendulas grown in home gardens.
I planted a wildflower mix a couple of years ago, and the one species that took hold was calendula. They have spread profusely. I had a similar experience with California poppies.
I hope you are enjoying the beautiful displays of spring wildflowers. If you haven't done so, go for a drive in the country. Our hills offer many scenes of incredible beauty this time of year.
It is not too late to plant some of these cool-weather flowers from starts. Bulbs are best planted in the fall. Next year, just when the world looks drab and dreary, you may find your spirits lifted at the sight of the first flowers of the year.
Food Growing Forum: Second Sunday of the month through November. Sunday, April 11, 3 pm to 4 pm: “Tomatoes, Peppers and Eggplants.” Register to get Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3lC3qs8
Workshop: On Saturday, April 17, UC Master Gardeners of Napa County will hold a virtual workshop on “Soil is the Solution: Digging Deeper” from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Learn about soil, its relationship to climate change and how to enrich your soil to produce healthier plants. Register to get the Zoom link: http://ucanr.edu/2021SoilRegeneration
by Penny Pawl, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
I often visit a Facebook page for people who share an interest in building and using greenhouses. I read about how they are building them and what plants they may be growing in their greenhouse, depending on where they live. Heating is a subject that comes up a lot as many people are in climates much colder than ours. An electrical connection is a must to run any fans, cloners, heat mats and lights.
A hothouse and a greenhouse are pretty much the same thing. A lot of people are interested in building greenhouses to help in growing their own food. And some people are planting crops in them.
In the Napa Valley, we can get by without having to add a heat source to our greenhouses. In colder climates, heaters can be propane, wood and heat-generating compost. One house I saw online had a solar heater.
I have a passive solar greenhouse and it works well for me. Over the years I have experimented with different ways to keep it warm. For a passive solar greenhouse, heat is gathered during the day and given off at night when temperatures drop.
Passive solar greenhouses come in many designs but do not have an alternative heat source. Elements in the greenhouse collect heat during the day and give it off at night to keep temperatures above freezing.
My greenhouse has a wooden frame connected to cement blocks sunk into the soil. This makes the structure stable so it will not fly around in a strong wind. Some greenhouses built from kits are not attached to the soil, and a strong wind can pick them up and move them. Since I live in a flood zone, I don't want my greenhouse floating away.
I learned the hard way that all the wood should be whitewashed with paint. Carpenter bees love to make nests in open wood; they weakened my first greenhouse. The shelves are unpainted redwood.
The floor is a heat sink of 12 inches of gravel with used fireplace bricks placed on top for walking on. The shelving is high enough to accommodate six 55-gallon plastic tanks full of water lying on their sides underneath. The floor and tanks gather heat during the day and give it off at night.
I do keep a thermometer in the greenhouse that registers the temperature highs and lows each day. I keep three tubs of water in there and have several 5-gallon cans full of water. Because it gets so warm in the summer, I don't keep plants in the greenhouse, but instead use it to dry used soils and also my stash of seeds for the next year.
The greenhouse has two vents which I can open if it gets too warm, plus I often leave the door open during the day. Because birds were flying in, I hung a sheet of screening over the doorway. In addition, I have two grow lights and a shop light on a timer which goes on at dusk and off in the morning. All these features add to the warmth of the house.
The sides and roof are made of 2-ply twin wall plastic. In some areas I have the twin wall on the outside wall and also on the interior wall which enhances the heat collection. These twin wall panels are probably close to 25 years old and may need replacing soon.
Some people gather old windows and build a greenhouse using them. Some of the designs I see online are clever and unique. If you use polyurethane sheeting, it will have to be replaced more often.
If you decide to build a greenhouse, be sure to do a lot of research. Just what plants do you plan to put in the greenhouse? Will you try to grow crops?
You can find a lot of information online for different climates. Also study the information provided by manufacturers. Decide if you want to keep plants in the greenhouse over the winter or simply use it for seedlings for your summer garden. I even saw a greenhouse online with a crystal chandelier, so be inventive and build a greenhouse customized for you.
Food Growing Forum: Second Sunday of the month through November. Sunday, April 11, 3 pm to 4 pm: “Tomatoes, Peppers and Eggplants.” Register to get Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3lC3qs8
Got Garden Questions? Contact our Help Desk. The team is working remotely so please submit your questions through our diagnosis form, sending any photos to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org or leave a detailed message at 707- 253-4143. A Master Gardener will get back to you by phone or email.
For more information visit http://napamg.ucanr.edu or find us on Facebook or Instagram, UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
By Cindy Watter, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
The Solanaceae, or nightshade family, is a large one. Just as our own families can include the kindly grandma as well as the femme fatale, nightshade plants embrace favorite edibles such as potatoes, peppers, eggplants and tomatoes, while also claiming toxic plants such as tobacco, brugmansia, belladonna and jimson weed.
The. 2,700 Solanaceae species have diverse habits, but they all produce solanine, an alkaloid toxin. In most foods, the solanine is present in such small quantity that it is harmless.
Let us dispose of the second, more sinister, group first. These plants are attractive in the landscape and useful in attracting pollinators, but you don't want to eat them. None of these toxic plants tastes good, so you would have to have a powerful thrill-seeking urge to consume them.
Even so, emergency rooms are familiar with jimson weed patients, who find the hallucinogenic plant in the wild. These unfortunate folks usually live to learn their lesson: leave foraging to the experts.
The name "nightshade" sounds dramatic, but some believe that the term arose because some nightshade flowers are particularly fragrant at night and some of the plants don't mind the shade.
The other nightshades, the edibles, are easy to grow. The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), brought to Europe from Mexico, was initially considered inedible because of its relationship to the deadly nightshade. When people finally realized that tomatoes were safe and tasty and not just ornamental, cultivation took off, and the tomato became synonymous with Mediterranean cooking. Most of the solanine is in the leaves and stems anyway. The tomato is botanically a fruit: it develops from a fertilized flower and has seeds inside.
Tomatoes can be grown from seed, but it is easier to buy starts. Keep seedlings indoors until at least April. If the weather remains cold, you might have to wait until May or even June to plant them. The soil should be at least 60°F where you intend to plant, and the area should get lots of sun. All-day sun is ideal.
Plant seedlings deeply, so the lowest leaves are just above the soil surface. Rootlets will shoot out from the stem and form a strong base. This rooting also increases the plant's access to water and nutrients. If your soil contains a lot of compost, you will not need other amendments, although aged chicken manure and nitrogen are sometimes helpful.
Water your newly planted tomato seedlings deeply and keep the roots moist. Install supports, such as a cage, stake or trellis, when you plant to avoid disturbing the roots later. A support will keep the vine from sprawling on the ground and possibly rotting.
You can control most tomato problems, apart from gophers, by regular watering. Occasionally you may spot a large green caterpillar on the stems or leaves. That creature is a hornworm; remove it by hand.
Tomato growers enjoy friendly competition, and they love to share tips. One tip I learned last year is that gently shaking the plant when it's flowering will help spread the pollen from the stamen to the pistil, thus improving pollination and fruiting.
Bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) are a sweet pepper that can be eaten when it's underripe, or green. However, a fully ripe red pepper contains more nutrients, with more vitamin C than an orange. Wait to plant pepper seedlings outdoors until nighttime temperatures are above 55°F.
Peppers do well in containers, or you can space them 1-1/2 to 2 feet apart in rows. The warmer the weather during the growing season, the more flavorful the peppers will be. You can use row covers to keep pests out; organic bait will control slugs and snails. However, the least toxic snail bait is a jar lid full of beer. The slugs drown in it.
Eggplant (Solanum melogena) is a particularly beautiful plant. Like the tomato and the pepper, the eggplant is a fruit. Its flowers are lilac colored, and its leaves are dark green. I have seen eggplants used to great effect as part of a landscape treatment. Again, resist setting out seedlings until frost season is over. They like warm weather. Plant them three feet apart.
You can grow lots of small eggplants, or you can pinch off some flowers to encourage larger fruits. The eggplant benefits from fertilizer such as aged chicken manure or worm castings.
I sometimes wonder what the Europeans ate before they raided Montezuma's garden. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a staple of the European diet, yet it originated in the Andes.
To grow potatoes, cut chunks from a seed potato, making sure there is an "eye" (sprout) on each chunk. Supermarket potatoes may have been treated with a sprouting inhibitor, so it's best to start with real seed potatoes from a nursery.
As soon as you can put a shovel in the soil, you can plant potatoes. Plant them in rows in loose soil amended with plenty of compost. If you use fertilizer, don't let it touch the potatoes.
Pile a few inches of loose dirt above the seed potato. Leafy stems will emerge. When the greens are eight inches tall, bury all but four inches in loose soil, straw or shredded leaves. This process, known as hilling, creates more room for new potatoes to develop. Keep building the mound as the potato leaves grow, leaving about four inches of greens exposed. When the vines flower, you can stop hilling. Potatoes need to grow in darkness, so if the ground is disturbed and you see a potato, cover it up. Light will turn the potato green, and the green part is toxic.
The nightshade family produces some of our favorite garden edibles. Colorful tomatoes, peppers and eggplants are beautiful as well as useful. As for potatoes, it's fun to dig them out of their little hills, which add variety to your vegetable bed.
Food Growing Forum: Second Sunday of the month through November. Sunday, April 11, 3 pm to 4 pm: “Tomatoes, Peppers and Eggplants.” Register to get Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3lC3qs8
Workshop: UC Master Gardeners will lead a workshop on “Growing Tasty Tomatoes” on Saturday, March 27, from 10 a.m. to noon.” Register to get Zoom link:
Napa Library Talks: First Thursday of each month. Thursday, April 1: “Gardening on a Shoestring.” Register to get Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3rn3MF3
Got Garden Questions? Contact our Help Desk. The team is working remotely so please submit your questions through our diagnosis form, sending any photos to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org or leave a detailed message at 707- 253-4143. A Master Gardener will get back to you by phone or email.
For more information visit http://napamg.ucanr.edu or find us on Facebook or Instagram, UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
By Cindy Watter, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
Snails and slugs never gave me trouble when I lived in the country because my hippie neighbors had a dozen ravenous geese that used to waddle over and gobble up the slimy little morsels. However, after I left that house and moved into town, I spent my tenth wedding anniversary date night plucking hundreds of the creatures off twelve dozen King Alfred daffodils and dropping them into a bucket of beer. Everyone told me that was the non-toxic way to do it. No one told me not to dump them in the compost pile, however. Lesson learned.)
Early spring is the time of year when snails and slugs appear. They love to chew on tender young foliage. If your garden suddenly displays leaves with holes and ragged edges, chances are you have slugs and/or snails. They hide in the cool damp areas of your yard and come out at night to do their work.
A patch of ivy or weeds or a collection of overturned flowerpots is a perfect habitat for them. You should leave a few leaf piles in your yard to promote biodiversity, but some tidying up can fix your problem. You can also capture them by propping a board on cleats to create a nesting place for them to hide in. Then you drop them in a jar of soapy water.
Or you could sprinkle finely ground diatomaceous earth around the roots of your plant or encircle plants or raised beds with copper strips. The diatomaceous-earth granules are uncomfortable to snails and they just don't like crossing copper at all.
You may also put out jar lids at night filled with beer to drown them. Don't use salt; it will hurt your plants. Make sure you have a space between the trunk of the plant and mulch, to make it harder for the snails to hide. If you must use commercial bait, find one made with iron phosphate. Baits containing metaldehyde are dangerous to pets and children.
Slugs and snails are gastropods, invertebrates that are part of the mollusk family. They have a round mouth, called a radula, with hundreds of tiny teeth that rasp and tear soft young leaves.
These creatures also act as nature's scavengers, removing all sorts of debris from forest and field. They have a purpose, but you don't want them destroying your plants.
The only real difference between a slug and a snail is the shell. Management is the same for both.
The brown garden snail (Cornu aspersa) is not native to North America. It comes from Europe and was brought here by well-meaning people who thought that escargots would become a popular food item. Alas, the snails escaped and became garden nuisances. Gourmets consider them a delicacy, and snails do appear on menus in the Napa Valley. However, most people think of these creatures as pests.
They look festive when they come out after a rain, and I should harden my heart and squash them then and there, but I don't. I keep hoping the birds will eat them.
Years ago, when there was a chemical solution for every problem, I stormed down to my garden store with murder in my heart. Snails had eaten my strawberries. I saw a box with an arresting brand name, promising “SLUG AND SNAIL DEATH.”
The package had a terrifying illustration that looked like a stone lithograph, printed on yellow cardboard. It featured three creatures—two slugs in the background and a snail in the foreground—with horns rampant, and the snail had an aggressive-looking frill on its front. These horrific invaders were so large they held their own against the background, a post-apocalyptic vermilion sun. I grabbed the box. Salvation was at hand.
And then I read the label in the lower left corner. (You should always do this, by the way.) It said: "Keep out of reach of children. CAUTION: This pesticide may be fatal to dogs or other pets if eaten. Keep pets out of treated area." So I went back to hand picking, because I had small children then.
The poison was metaldehyde. I have used iron phosphate bait but, unfortunately, my dog finds it attractive. (It smells like dried blood.) It doesn't hurt her, but it unnerves me. I will try diatomaceous earth.
I also have plenty of plants snails won't eat. Geranium, rosemary, lavender, California poppy and fuchsia don't attract them. Basil does, however.
I was discussing my pest-control quandary with an old friend, who told me I would no longer want to kill snails after I read The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elizabeth Tova Bailey. I am sure that is true. Reading this book will make me feel better about the holes in my brugmansia leaves.
Find UC IPM Pest Note for Snails and Slugs here:
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html
Find UC IPM Quick Tips for Snails and Slugs here:
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/QT/snailsslugscard.html
Food Growing Forum: Second Sunday of the month through November. Sunday, March 14, 3 pm to 4 pm: “Fertilizers and Soil Health.” Register to get Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3r5bgwi
Workshop: UC Master Gardeners will lead a workshop on “Growing Tasty Tomatoes” on Saturday, March 27, from 10 a.m. to noon.” Register to get Zoom link:
Napa Library Talks: First Thursday of each month. Thursday, April 1: “Gardening on a Shoestring.” Register to get Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3rn3MF3
Got Garden Questions? Contact our Help Desk. The team is working remotely so please submit your questions through our diagnosis form, sending any photos to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org or leave a detailed message at 707- 253-4143. A Master Gardener will get back to you by phone or email.
For more information visit http://napamg.ucanr.edu or find us on Facebook or Instagram, UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
