By Denise Seghesio Levine, U. C. Master Gardener of Napa County
Something has changed. When I was growing up and for many years afterward, a plate of greens was always, well, green.
But now, peruse your favorite seed catalogs, take a stroll through local nurseries, spend a morning at a local farmers market or wander down the produce aisle of your favorite grocery store and you'll see “greens” in a veritable rainbow of colors. Greens don't have to be green anymore.
Consider all the new varieties of Swiss chard. Our family garden always included chard. We harvested outer leaves all through the winter for steamed greens or ravioli filling. Fordhook Giant chard, introduced in 1934 by Burpee, dependably supplied us with nutritious greens from autumn through winter. We grew and another variety, Lucullus, which was introduced in a 1912 seed catalog, for its thick white stems and stalks to use in gratins and other sauced or cheesy dishes. Rhubarb Red chard evidenced its relation to the beet family with deep red stalks and veining and deep reddish-green leaves. Alas, the vibrant color diminishes with cooking.
And now we have Rainbow chard. Seed Savers Exchange offers an Australian heirloom mixture of technicolor leaves and stalks of red, purple, yellow, orange and white. Red-stalked chard has deep maroon leaves with crimson stalks. Yellow-gold chard has eye-popping yellow leaves tinged with chartreuse and golden stalks. The colors are gorgeous, crisp, bold.
Another colorful favorite in our garden is Flamingo chard, available from Renee's Garden Seeds. Flamingo boasts bright green leaves with flamingo-pink stalks.
These beautiful vegetables are a wonderful addition to the fall and winter garden not only for the nutritious harvest they provide but also for the spots of color they add to winter beds that can otherwise be a bit dreary. What's more, these colorful varieties retain their vivid hues even after cooking. Their jewel-colored stalks spark up a plate of greens.
Kale is another fall and winter favorite that can bring color and interest to garden beds and kitchen recipes. Russian Red Kale is misnamed in my opinion given its blue-green leaves and lavender-violet stalks. Blue Curled Scotch kale is more accurately named. If you are growing Lacinato kale, also called dinosaur kale, or have purchased it, you know that, compared to a green vegetable, it looks really blue. Lacinato kale is easy to grow and is prized in many traditional Italian recipes. Occasional aphid infestations can be washed off with a blast from the hose, If you want to explore cooking with kale or expand your kale repertoire, take a look at this bread salad recipe, courtesy of Napa's Foodshed restaurant and Rancho Gordo (https://www.ranchogordo.com/blogs/recipes/white-bean-and-kale-panzanella).
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds has one whole page dedicated to “other greens.” Red orach is a pictured star with deep purple-violet leaves, and it is just gorgeous. Related to lambsquarters, a green that gardeners either love or hate, this beautiful 4- to 10-inch small-leaved plant can be used in salads or cooked as a vegetable.
Kale and Swiss chard can be grown as individual plants or in beds. A chard plant can grow over a foot tall, while Lacinato and Red Russian kales can reach three feet or more in height. A single plant may be enough for a small household, although if you cook a lot and want to supply neighbors and friends, a dedicated bed might be in order.
These are hardworking plants, so prepare your garden bed by adding compost, worm castings or alfalfa pellets. Chard can be planted on eight-inch centers while kale needs fifteen inches between plants. If you monitor it and water as needed until the rains start, you will usually have something to harvest within 45 days. Cut or break off the outside leaves and the plants will continue to grow and supply you with greens. And blues and purples and yellows and pinks. Eating greens has never looked so good.
Workshop: UC Master Gardeners of Napa County will hold a workshop on “Bulbs, Rhizomes, Corms and all the Rest” on Saturday, September 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at a location to be determined. Bulbs are among the easiest plants to grow, and they deliver welcome color and scent when the winter is dreary. In this workshop, Master Gardeners will showcase a variety of bulbs, rhizomes, corms, tubers and stolons. Learn how to plant several kinds for successive bloom; how to care for, store or divide ones that will bloom again; and even how to force them for a date-specific bloom. Online registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (check only or drop off cash payment).
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
By T. Eric Nightingale, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
Our summer edible gardens will soon be winding down, ready to be replaced by the winter crops. If you are not ready to let go of a particularly tasty vegetable, you may want to try growing it again next year.
You may also be one of many who have realized that saving seeds from your garden is an easy and economical way to prepare for the future. Why buy new seeds every year when they almost literally grow on trees? Seed saving has been practiced for thousands of years and is not as mysterious as it might seem.
The first step is to know your plants. If the plants are hybrid varieties, their seeds may not grow “true,” meaning the plants they produce won't be identical to the parents. This genetic change-up can happen when different varieties of the same vegetable, such as different types of peppers, are planted near one another and cross-pollinate. If you want to gamble, you can save the seed and plant it and you may get something tasty—or not. Some plants are biennial and only produce seeds in their second year, so a first-year seed hunt would be fruitless.
Note the characteristics of your plants. Did they grow well, with strength and vigor? Did they not only produce a tasty crop but also plenty of it? It is not worth saving seeds from a tomato vine that only yielded a few fruits, no matter how delicious they were. Choose the strongest, most prolific and best-tasting plants as your seed sources for next summer. If you are choosy each year, you will eventually have a personal collection of high-quality seeds. These plants will also be well-adapted to your garden.
When and how to collect the seeds depends on the fruit or vegetable. Many people pick tomatoes and peppers when they are slightly under-ripe, yet these fruits must be fully ripe to have viable seed. It may be difficult to sacrifice some of this hard-earned deliciousness, but it's necessary if you want to harvest viable seeds.
If the seeds come from juicy, fleshy plants such as tomatoes, you must remove the seeds, rinse them and spread them on a towel to dry. Once they are dry, you can remove any excess pulpy matter before storing.
To save seed from pulses, such as beans and peas, allow the pods to dry on the vine before you pick them. The dry pods will be easy to open so you can remove the seeds for storage. Keep the seeds in a cool, dry location. Heat and moisture will encourage rot and even germination.
Potatoes, onions and garlic are among the easiest food crops to save for reseeding. Simply set aside a few of each after harvest and you can replant them the following year to multiply and yield more food. Onions and garlic will be ready to harvest when the above-ground, leafy growth dies back or falls over.
While you only need a chunk of potato or clove of garlic to grow new plants, it is easiest and safest to store them whole. When you are ready to plant, you need only a portion of the potato that contains an eye. So a single potato may yield many plantable chunks the following spring. Keep seed potatoes in open bags or boxes in a cool, dry place with good air circulation. Check regularly during the winter and discard any with signs of rot.
Immediately label your seeds and store them as soon as they are ready. It is frustrating to look at seeds you collected only a few days before and realize that you can't remember a thing about them. With proper care, organization and a little luck, you will have no trouble growing your favorite fruits and vegetables again next spring.
Workshop: UC Master Gardeners of Napa County will hold a workshop on “Bulbs, Rhizomes, Corms and all the Rest” on Saturday, September 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at a location to be determined. Bulbs are among the easiest plants to grow, and they deliver welcome color and scent when the winter is dreary. In this workshop, Master Gardeners will showcase a variety of bulbs, rhizomes, corms, tubers and stolons. Learn how to plant several kinds for successive bloom; how to care for, store or divide ones that will bloom again; and even how to force them for a date-specific bloom. Online registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (check only or drop off cash payment).
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
The Persephone Period
By Helen Dake, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
For years, my husband and I grew successful summer gardens. We were so successful that for a while we set up an “honor system” farmstand for charity on the road in front of our house. We supplied neighbors and walkers-by with tomatoes, peppers, squash and other summer vegetables.
Yet in spite of these accomplishments, we could not seem to grow a winter garden. I planted seeds, put out vegetable starts and then watched despondently as insects and other pests destroyed our little plants and sprouts.
Luckily, I read about a concept that has helped us grow successful winter gardens. This concept is the “Persephone period.” Elliot Coleman, author of many books on organic gardening, uses the term “Persephone period” or “Persephone days” to describe the time of year when the days have 10 or fewer hours of light. Since most plants need at least 10 hours of daylight for active growth, plant growth pretty much stops during the Persephone period and the garden shuts down.
Farmers have observed this phenomenon since ancient times and found ways to explain it. According to Greek mythology, Hades, the god of the underworld, abducted Persephone, the goddess of spring, and carried her down in his chariot to the underworld to be his wife. Persephone's mother, Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and the harvest, desperately appealed to Zeus to have her daughter returned. Zeus asked if Persephone had eaten anything in Hades. Persephone admitted she had eaten four pomegranate seeds. Zeus then decreed that Persephone had to stay in Hades for four months of every year. In ancient times, farmers believed that Demeter withheld fertility and plant growth during those months, until her daughter was returned to her.
When you understand this phenomenon, you can time the planting of your winter garden to ensure success. The first step is to calculate the Persephone period for your location by determining the date when the days become shorter than 10 hours. I did this for you.
The United States Naval Observatory has a “Duration of Daylight/Darkness Table” on its website (http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/Dur_OneYear.php/). The table shows hours of daylight for any location in the world and any date. For Napa, the first day this year with fewer than 10 hours of daylight will be Nov. 19, and the first day in 2019 with more than 10 hours of daylight will be Jan. 23. Between those two dates, our Napa Valley gardens will pretty much go dormant.
The secret to bountiful winter crops is to work around these dates. Since most seedlings need 60 to 90 days from planting to harvest, you can get a head start by planting fall and winter vegetable seedlings between mid-August and mid-September. The seedlings will take advantage of the daylight and warmth to reach maturity by mid-November. You may be able to impress your relatives with home-grown broccoli at Thanksgiving.
The mature crops that you don't harvest will stay fresh in the ground during the cool days of winter, almost as if they were in a refrigerator that you can access when you want. However, if you plant a little later — in early October, for example — your vegetable crops will not reach maturity this year. If they are close to maturity and large enough to resist pests, they can hang out in your garden over the winter and will spurt to maturity in February and March.
Another strategy is to plant seeds and starts just after the Persephone days end, in early February or March, when your garden is coming to life.
What you don't want to do is what I did previously: wait to plant until the Persephone period is underway. My thinking was, “It's a winter garden, so I should plant just before winter starts.” Made sense to me.
A winter garden can be deeply satisfying, providing nutritious and delicious produce such as chard, kale, mustard greens, cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. In the heat of August, winter seems far away, but now is the right time to get that winter garden going. Then watch next February for that spurt of plant growth as Persephone emerges from the underworld.
Workshop: UC Master Gardeners of Napa County will hold a workshop on “Houseplants for Health & Happiness” on Saturday, Sep. 8, from 9:30-11:30 a.m., at American Canyon Library, 300 Crawford Way, American Canyon. Brighten your home and bring the “outdoorphins” indoors with this practical hands-on workshop. Learn what houseplants need, from soil to light to water and fertilizer, and learn about some easy-care choices. Free starter plants will be available to take home.Online registration (credit card only); mail-in/walk-in registration (check only or drop off cash payment).
by Penny Pawl, U. C. Master Gardener of Napa County
A couple of years ago, someone gave me a strawberry plant. I had never grown strawberries as I thought it was difficult. However, I was surprised by this plant and enjoyed the ripe berries. Then I added a couple more plants and decided to build a strawberry tower. Someone else gave me more berries last summer so I now have a full five-story tower.
My tower is constructed of planting containers in five different sizes. At the top of the tower is the original plant in a 1-gallon container. Like a tiered cake, it is stacked on top of a 2-gallon, 3-gallon, 5-gallon and 7-gallon container. Each container is sunk halfway into the soil of the slightly larger container underneath it. The berries are planted around the edges and the fruit hangs down as it grows so it is easy to harvest.
My tower is in a garden bed with other plants. I filled the containers with my improved garden soil which has lots of compost in it. I fertilize the strawberries with worm compost. Watering is easy: Twice a week, I water the top pot well and the water drains down to the bottom. The roots have plenty of room to grow, and the container sides are camouflaged with hanging leaves and berries.
To discourage quail from eating the berries, I made a trellis of square tomato supports and draped a floating row cover over the top. Garden snails also like strawberries, so you must be on guard.
Every morning I go out and graze in the garden. The strawberries are so good, they never make it into the kitchen. I am growing an ever-bearing variety, so even in winter, I harvest an occasional berry.
All strawberry varieties are one of three types: June-bearing, ever-bearing or day-neutral. Before purchasing plants, read up on these different types so you get what you want. June-bearing varieties produce one crop per year and should be planted in the fall. They are usually treated as an annual and replaced each year. Day-neutral varieties have their peak in early summer but continue to produce sporadically through fall. Ever-bearing types ripen a crop in spring and again in fall.
Strawberries belong to the Rosaceae family so, yes, they are related to roses. The strawberry that we grow today in our gardens and on farms was first hybridized in France in the late 18th century. It is a cross between North American and Chilean species.
Prior to hybridization, people often foraged for strawberries in the wild. In ancient times, people valued them for medicinal uses. Many European paintings from centuries ago have strawberries in them. I also have wild strawberries growing in my garden thanks to birds spreading the seed. However, the fruit from these plants is neither as tasty nor as large as the hybrid strawberries.
The little spots on the surface of the strawberry are actually ovaries; each one has a seed inside.
Strawberries are subject to a number of soil-borne diseases. To minimize the threat, replant them in a different site every four to five years.
Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Healthy Fall and Winter Vegetables” on Saturday, August 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Create your own garden-to-table movement by growing veggies that thrive in cooler weather. From familiar lettuces to exotic Asian greens, from carrots to sugar snap peas, choices abound for fall, winter, and early spring dining. This hands-on workshop provides the essential growing tips that will guide you every step of the way, from planning and planting to harvest. Online registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (check only or drop off cash payment).
Become a Master Gardener: Do you enjoy gardening? Are you a resident of Napa County? Do you want to teach others to be better gardeners by doing educational programs in the community? Then the UC Master Gardeners of Napa County is for you. Now is the time for experienced home gardeners to consider becoming a UC Master Gardener volunteer.
UC Master Gardeners are trained by the University of California Cooperative Extension to provide research-based information to home gardeners throughout Napa County. Volunteers initially receive extensive training, with continuing education each year.
Attend any one of these informational meetings for an application:
Napa: Tuesday, August 21, 7-8:30 p.m.; Saturday, September 8, 1-2:30 p.m.; Tuesday, September 25, noon-1:30 p.m. All meetings are at University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscal Avenue.
American Canyon: Sunday, September 16, 1-2:30 p.m., at the American Canyon Library, 300 Crawford Way.
St. Helena: Tuesday, August 21, noon-1:30 p.m., at Lyman Park, 1498 Main Street, St. Helena.
All locations are handicap accessible. Application forms will only be available at these meetings. Completed applications are due by 5 p.m on September 28. Additional information about the 2019 Master Gardener training class is available online at hppt://ucanr.edu/sites/ucmgnapa/Become_A_Master_Gardener/.
Registration for these informational meetings is not required. For moreinformation about these meetings and other Master Gardener activities, call707) 253-4221. Up Valley and American Canyon residents can call toll-free at (877) 279-3065.
The UC Master Gardener Program is open to all experienced gardeners, but space is limited and volunteers are chosen based on current program needs.
It is the policy of the University of California (UC) and the UC Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources not to engage in discrimination against or harassment of any person in any of its programs or activities (Complete nondiscrimination policy statement can be found at http://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/files/215244.pdf )
Inquiries regarding ANR's nondiscrimination policies may be directed to John I. Sims, Affirmative Action Compliance Officer/Title IX Officer, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2801 Second Street, Davis, CA 95618, (530) 750-1397.
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
By T. Eric Nightingale,. UC Master Gardener of Napa County
Most people are familiar with proteas, the shrubs with exotic blossoms that are often the focal point of a bouquet. Proteas are only one member of a family of beautiful, drought-tolerant plants. Plants in the Proteaceae family are spread across the southern hemisphere in impressive variety.
Proteaceae members exhibit variety in size, growth habit and even flower shape. With so many choices, it is difficult to understand why more Napa Valley gardeners don't use them in landscapes.
My personal favorites are in the Grevillea genus. Their flowers remind me of fuchsia blossoms. They are often small and elongated and usually red, pink or white. Some Grevillea shrubs have long, needle-like leaves, while others are so soft and fluffy they almost look like pale green clouds. One popular species is the hybrid ‘King's Fire'. ‘The four- to five-inch blooms have many inward-curving styles in brilliant red. The contrast of these flowers against the delicate green foliage is stunning.
For larger flowers, consider Leucospermums. Like proteas, these plants are considered “pincushion” flowers because of the long styles that seem to protrude from a fuzzy cushion. These flowers are perfect for bouquets and are a guaranteed showstopper. My top choice is Leucospermum ‘Veldfire'. Its blooms consist of a few dozen yellow spears in a bed of white fluff and red ribbon curls. From a distance they look like torches burning brightly in the sun.
For larger plants, look to the Hakea and Banksia genera. Both range from large shrubs to tree size, while still offering unique flowers. Some Hakea have leaves that are needle-like, with sawtooth edges; others have broad leaves resembling eucalyptus. Some have delicate flowers similar to those of a Grevillea, while others have fluffy blooms that are orb- or cone-shaped.
Banksia have similar foliage but less flower variety. Tall, thick, cylindrical flowers adorn Banksia shrubs and trees. A blooming Banksia is a sight to behold. Its red, yellow or orange flowers never fail to stop me in my tracks.
Before you run out and get one of these wonderful plants, know that they require special care. Proteaceae thrive in full sun and in well-draining, slightly acidic soil. Soil in Napa Valley tends to be slightly acidic so no worries there. The challenge is drainage. Napa Valley soil can hold too much water for drought-tolerant plants.
There are ways to address this problem. You can replace your native garden soil with purchased soil, but that's expensive and labor-intensive. Compost, the soil cure-all, is also an option. If you are patient, a few years of regular compost applications can dramatically improve your soil's drainage. For those who, like me, would like the best result with the least investment, there is a third option: mounding. Topping the native soil with a mound of soil with better drainage will ensure that water does not puddle around the roots and trunk of the plants that live there. This approach is used by many people when planting Proteaceae and is usually successful.
Some species are sensitive to phosphorus and should be fertilized accordingly. It is important to research the needs of specific plants. Protea are also not accustomed to low temperatures. While we typically get only a few freezing nights a year here in Napa Valley, I recommend protecting them with frost cloth on these occasions.
While they can be challenging to grow, Proteaceae offer many rewards. A dry garden is a wonderful thing but can easily become a place of hard surfaces and sharp edges. Proteaceae spice up this landscape with their soft textures and unique, colorful flowers. They are definitely worth the effort.
Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Healthy Fall and Winter Vegetables” on Saturday, August 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Create your own garden-to-table movement by growing veggies that thrive in cooler weather. From familiar lettuces to exotic Asian greens, from carrots to sugar snap peas, choices abound for fall, winter, and early spring dining. This hands-on workshop provides the essential growing tips that will guide you every step of the way, from planning and planting to harvest. Online registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (check only or drop off cash payment).
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.