By Susanne von Rosenberg, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
For me, this past year has been very distracting, so I'm not as far along with planting my summer garden as I normally would be. If you can relate, the good news is that it's not too late to have a successful summer vegetable garden.
Even if you already have your summer vegetables in, you may be thinking about other crops that you would like to grow. Early June is still a great time to plant tomatoes (except beefsteak types, which take much longer to reach maturity), peppers, eggplants, beans, chard, cucumbers, melons, squash and pumpkins. Because you're planting later, focus on varieties that require fewer days to maturity.
This year, because of the drought, I would avoid planting corn as well as watermelons. Both require a lot of water to yield well and only produce a small harvest for the space required.
One vegetable that you can plant now for a successful fall harvest may surprise you: potatoes. If you plant short-season (early) potatoes, you can plant as late as the middle of July for a harvest by mid- to late October.
Some gardeners also like to plant a second round of cucumbers in mid- to late June to have more crop when the harvest from their initial planting tails off. If you typically plant bush beans, additional sowings will extend your harvest into early fall. (If you plant pole beans, just keep them picked to keep the vines productive.)
So how do you figure out if it's too late to plant a vegetable you wish you had planted weeks ago? You need to find out the days to maturity for the vegetables you have in mind.
Days to maturity are typically figured from date of planting (if planted from seed) or from date of transplant for seedlings. Once you know the starting point, you can simply count from there to the expected harvest date…kind of.
Days to maturity listed on a seed packet or plant tag are usually best-case scenarios. In my experience, my plants never meet the expected days to maturity. Assuming you also do not have the absolute ideal conditions, your vegetables will take a little longer to mature, so give yourself a cushion of a couple of weeks or more. I've noticed that different catalogs differ in their days to maturity by as much as 10 to 15 days, so I know that this figure is truly an estimate.
Remember also that days get shorter after the summer solstice (June 20 this year), so plants will grow more slowly after that. If you are buying a seedling with no stated days to maturity, look it up online or choose a different variety. Days to maturity can vary by weeks. For example, Yellow Doll watermelon is listed as requiring 65 to 70 days to maturity, whereas Carolina Grey may take up to 100.
If a vegetable variety is labeled as “early season” or “short season,” it's usually a good bet for last-minute planting. Also, the larger the vegetable or fruit, the longer it typically requires to ripen. It simply takes more energy to produce the sugars and starches that go into a larger vegetable or fruit.
What if you've already planted your garden but just wish you could plant a few more things? Or what if you miss your spring lettuces or Asian greens?
Growing vegetables in containers can expand your garden's capacity as well as your planting options. Containers allow you to take advantage of microclimates in your yard. If you're missing the vegetables that normally grow in the spring and fall, you may be able to grow them in the summer in a shadier, cooler location in your yard, such as on the north side of your house or in the dappled shade under a tree.
The only way to really know if this approach will work in your yard is to try it. In general, plan on harvesting summer-grown greens when they're fairly young; hot weather can cause them to develop strong or bitter flavors. If you're going to plant in containers, check out the Master Gardeners' Healthy Garden Tips for information on how to do so successfully.
Free Guided Tree Walk: Join Master Gardeners of Napa County for a tree walk in Fuller Park in Napa on Tuesday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to noon. Limited to 12 people per walk. COVID safety protocols will be followed. You will be asked health questions and asked to sign in. Face masks and social distancing are required. Register here.
Workshop: UC Master Gardeners of Napa County will lead a free workshop on “Worm Composting” on Saturday, June 12, from 10 am to noon, via Zoom.
Learn how to turn your kitchen scraps into rich compost with red worms. All attendees will receive all the materials necessary to make a worm compost bin at home. Pick-up arrangements will be made after you register; limit one bin per family. Register for "Worm Composting with Penny" at City of Napa Home Composting Workshops
Workshop: UC Master Gardeners of Napa County will lead a free workshop on “Summer Rose Care” on Saturday, June 12, from 10 am to noon, via Zoom. Register at http://ucanr.edu/2021SummerRoseCare
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 T. Eric Nightingale, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
The heat is on and our gardens are bursting with delightful treats. If you are like many people in the valley, you are looking at your upcoming vegetable harvest and wondering what you are going to do with it all.
Many people give their excess fruits and vegetables to friends and neighbors and do not think about preserving them for later use. In the past, my personal approach can be summed up as, "I hope you like salad, because that's all we're eating this month.” Not very exciting.
As I've learned, preserving fruits and vegetables is not difficult. The basic canning process is mostly a matter of properly cleaning, heating and sealing your containers to be sure the preserves stay safe. If you are into gadgets, this is the hobby for you. Although all you really need are jars, a large pot, and some jar tongs, there are many tools and appliances designed to improve the efficiency and ease of preserving.
You can preserve just about anything in a jar, and the results are definitely worth the effort. There is nothing quite like eating home-grown strawberries as a harsh winter gale blows against your window.
Possibly the most familiar preserves are the ones made with berries and tomatoes. While jam and pasta sauce are easily in my top 10 favorite foods, I can't get overly excited about making them. However, I am particularly interested in "ready-to-eat" preserves that you can use directly from the jar, no further cooking required. My chef/sommelier wife, Andreya, had some recommendations.
"I particularly like summer squash conserva," she told me. "You can eat it with burrata, sea salt, olive oil and a little basil. It's a tasty snack on bread or crackers as well."
To make summer squash conserva, you cut the squash into bite-sized pieces, then cover it with a hot herb-infused mixture of one part red wine vinegar to two parts olive oil. The slightly softened but still crunchy squash can be tossed into a green or grain salad, or combined with fresh cucumbers and peppers from your garden to enjoy with hummus and grilled pita.
A second option for summer squash is to roast it with wine, garlic and olive oil until soft, then puree it and jar it. When reheated it makes a nice alternative to tomato sauce for your pasta or pizza.
Another enticing suggestion my wife offered was for cherries pickled with hibiscus, red wine vinegar, sugar, tarragon and star anise. This idea threw me off at first, as cherries did not seem compatible with the flavors I associate with pickling. I have since discovered that they add a delicious tart sweetness to a dish like salmon with ginger forbidden rice. Pickled cherries are also a nice accompaniment to your favorite cheeses and particularly delicious with grilled halloumi, honey and fresh mint.
If you are growing eggplants, save some for baba ganoush, the Middle Eastern appetizer made with roasted eggplant, olive oil and tahini.
Finally, don't disregard your herbs. Instead of composting them at the end of the season, cut and dry them for later use. You can do this with a dehydrator, or just hang them in bundles upside-down in a dry location. Once dried, they can be stored separately or blended into personalized seasonings. A package of your personal herb blend is a gift that anyone would be happy to receive.
Some flowers, like calendula, also lend themselves to drying. Use dried calendula blossoms to add a vibrant yellow-orange color to a fall or winter dish.
There are many other ways to preserve your hard-earned summer bounty and some great resources online. If you are feeling tired of a favorite vegetable, it's time to experiment. You may discover that preserving it reinvigorates your interest.
Free Tree Walk: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a guided tree walk of Fuller Park, 560 Jefferson, in Napa, on Monday, July 10, from 10 a.m. to noon.Enjoy a fun, informational stroll through the park, learning about its history and 41 different trees on site. Wear comfortable shoes. Restrooms are available and handicap accessible. The book Trees to Know in Napa Valley will be available for $15 each (cash or check only).
To register, call 707-253-4221. Walk-ins are welcome, but you are guaranteed to receive a complimentary map and additional information if you register at least 48 hours in advance.
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.
Spring and Summer Vegetables From Your Very Own Garden
By Pat Hitchcock, U.C. Master Gardener of Napa County
When should home gardeners start planting their spring or summer vegetable patches? A recent warm spell with near record-breaking daytime temperatures might have inspired you to consider getting some seeds and plants into the ground.
Your dreams of fresh produce might have been encouraged if you saw all the vegetable seedlings at local nurseries. However, nature is probably not finished with winter yet. Many of those nursery seedlings will not thrive if we have chilly days and nights ahead.
A look at the data can be enlightening. Here are the average monthly high and low temperatures for Napa: February, 62°F and 42°F; March, 67°F and 44°F degrees; and April, 71°F and 45°. But these temperatures are averages, which means that many days have lower lows or higher highs. The record shows that our area has a 90 percent chance of experiencing frost in January, dropping to a 10 percent chance in April. So there is still some chance of frost in the next eight weeks.
What does this mean for vegetables? Annual vegetables belong to several different plant families, but they may be loosely divided into two kinds: cool season and warm season. Cool-season vegetables grow best and produce the highest quality crop when average temperatures are 55°F to 75°F, and they usually tolerate slight frost when mature. In contrast, warm-season vegetables require long, hot days and warm soil to mature. They grow best when average temperatures are 65°F to 95°F, and they are damaged by frost.
March and April are much better for cool-season vegetables than for warm ones. Not only are the temperatures better suited to cool-season produce like broccoli, but they are anathema to warm-season vegetables. If we get frost, these tender plants would need to be protected from exposure that would otherwise kill them. The soil right now is pretty cold as well, and the heat-loving vegetables would not grow much until both soil and air temperatures warm up.
Fortunately, there are a lot of cool-season vegetables and many of them mature in 45 to 70 days. The list includes radishes, beets, carrots, lettuce, kale, spinach, Asian greens, broccoli and cauliflower. So you can plant these cool-season vegetables now and be finished with harvesting in May, in time to plan warm-season veggies. If you have limited garden space, this is one way to maximize production.
In Napa Valley, May is the first month when the average night temperatures hit 50°F, while daytime highs are 76°F on average. Over the summer and into early fall, daytime temperatures climb to the 80s and low 90s and nighttime averages stay in the 50s. These temperatures provide a four- to five- month growing season for the vegetables that need warm soil and warm air to thrive.
The long growing season is helpful because many warm-season plants need a lot of time to mature. In many cases, the part we eat is a fruit, botanically speaking. Melons, tomatoes, winter squashes and pumpkins are all fruits that we eat when ripe. Sweet corn, green beans and summer squash are immature fruits.
May is also the month when soils have warmed enough to plant warm-season produce. Although nurseries sell seedlings of many vegetables for you to transplant, several warm-season crops do better when started from seed planted directly in the ground. These include beans, squashes, cucumbers, melons and pumpkins. The minimum soil temperature needed for these seeds to sprout is 60°F. If you plant the seeds in cold soil, they will not sprout and may rot. In warm soil, the seed will come up readily, rapidly establish a good root system and grow well.
Is it time to plant vegetables? Yes, as long as you choose cool-season plants. Hold off on summer's heat-loving crops until the weather is warmer.
Workshops: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will lead a workshop on “Growing Spring and Summer Vegetables” on Saturday, March 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Learn the requirements for success with summer vegetables from seed to starts. Topics include soil types and temperature; when to plant seedlings; how to water, fertilize, harvest and manage pests and diseases. On-line registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only).
The workshop will be repeated on Sunday, March 13, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington Street, Yountville. Register for the Yountville workshop at the Parks and Recreation Department at 707-944-8712 or on its web site.
Compost Workshops: on March 5 starting at 9 am and again at 11 am and Worm Composting on March 19 at 9 am. Preregistration is required. Find more information and registration links at our website http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa
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.