By Susanne von Rosenberg, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
One of the pleasures of gardening is having the freshest possible ingredients available for cooking. Another one, if you do it right, is saving money. One way to have both benefits is to plant crops that are relatively easy to grow, yet expensive or hard to find in stores.
Consider growing unusually colored produce, or fruits and vegetables that don't ship well or are challenging to harvest in quantity. I really like the dark purple Graffiti cauliflower. It even retains most of its color when steamed. You will pay a premium for it in a market, if you can even find it at all. The seeds are slightly more expensive than conventional cauliflower, and you may have to order them from a catalog, but the plants are no harder to grow. The same goes for purple carrots.
As for fruits I've grown that would otherwise be expensive to purchase, I would include figs, pineapple guavas (feijoas) and horned melon (also known as jelly melon, New Zealand horned melon and African horned cucumber).
Another strategy is to grow spices and herbs that would be costly to purchase. One of my favorites is saffron. That's right, you can grow your own saffron.
Saffron comes from the saffron crocus. It blooms in the fall and is hardy in the West in USDA Zones 6 through 9. (Napa County is primarily in Zone 9, with a few areas in Zone 8.) The orange-red saffron threads are the female part of the flower. Each flower has three threads. Typically, the bulbs flower eight weeks after you plant them.
Harvest the threads mid-morning on a sunny day so they are dry but the flowers are still fresh. You can pick them carefully by hand or use tweezers. Air-dry them before you store them. It's that easy.
It takes 4,000 flowers to produce one ounce of saffron, but you should be fine with 20 bulbs. The corms (crocuses are corms, not true bulbs) also multiply readily and should be divided after three years. It won't take long before you have a productive saffron patch.
Kaffir lime leaves are another item that is costly in stores yet easy to grow. Known also as makrut leaves, they are commonly used in Thai cooking and other Asian cuisines. Makrut lime trees are primarily valued for the leaves and the sour zest of the fruit. Like most citrus, makrut lime trees should be protected from frost (although one source indicates that it is hardy to 26°F). Use the leaves fresh, frozen or dried. A container-grown tree will easily produce plenty of leaves. The limes themselves are seedy and sour and contain little juice.
Yet another interesting and often expensive spice is black cumin, Nigella sativa. If you love flowers, you may know that the plant commonly known as love-in-a-mist is Nigella damascene; the two plants are closely related.
The flowers of black cumin are attractive and resemble the blossoms of love-in-a-mist. Black cumin is an annual and can be sown multiple times for staggered harvests. Sow after the danger of frost is past and cover lightly with soil. Once established, the plants can tolerate some dry soil.
Black cumin is used in many Middle Eastern and North African dishes. Harvest the seed pods when they begin to turn brown but have not yet opened. Place the pods in a paper bag until all the seeds are completely dry. Use a sieve to separate the seeds from the chaff.
If you would like to harvest your own pink peppercorns, I suggest finding an existing tree rather than growing your own. The misnamed California (pink) pepper trees are native to the Peruvian Andes but found throughout Napa County and other parts of California. While the fruit is referred to as pink peppercorn, it is unrelated to black pepper. These trees were widely planted in the 1800s and are naturalized in many parts of Southern California, where they are considered invasive. They are not considered invasive in our area although they were considered for inclusion on the invasive plant list in 2016. The trees grow up to 50 feet high and nearly as wide. Their roots are aggressive and the trees serve as a host for scale insects.
Finally, consider growing turmeric. It's a close relative of ginger and a little less finicky. Turmeric is a rhizome with edible leaves. It's hardy in our climate but it's best to start the growth process indoors. The soil temperature must be at least 65°F for the rhizomes to sprout.
Plant the rhizomes or seedlings in a shallow depression, then cover the rhizomes with compost as they grow (a little like growing potatoes). Rhizome formation is the last stage of the plant's growth, so the longer the growing season, the larger the rhizomes at harvest. Be sure to replant a portion of your harvest each year, or leave some rhizomes in the ground for next year's crop. You can order turmeric rhizomes online.
Food Growing Forum: Napa CountyMaster Gardeners will present a discussion of “Cane Berries” on Sunday, November 14, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., via Zoom. Register here to receive the Zoom link.
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, U.C. Master Gardener of Napa County
Many people in Napa Valley have a Meyer lemon or Key lime tree. While these are good fruits with many culinary uses, there is a much wider world of citrus to consider for your garden.
If you are a fan of limes, why not try a kaffir lime or finger lime? While the fruit of the kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix) is not much different from other limes, the leaves are special. Beautifully segmented and extremely fragrant, they are prized by chefs around the world.
The finger lime (Citrus australasica) is an appealing tree with small, delicate leaves. The fruit is oblong and contains many small, pearl-like droplets. Often called "citrus caviar," finger limes are a great way to add lime flavor in a unique and eye-catching way.
If you are a cook, consider a Yuzu tree (Citrus ichangensis x C. reticulata). Yuzu juice has been used in Japanese and Korean cooking for centuries but has recently also become popular in the U.S. The zest is incredibly flavorful and can invigorate a favorite recipe. The fruit produces little juice but save what you can. Bottled Yuzu juice can cost four to six dollars an ounce.
Perhaps the most exotic-looking citrus is Buddha's hand (Citrus medica var. sarcodactyli). With its finger-like pointed protrusions, the yellow fruit of this tree resembles a strange, twisted hand. It produces little juice, but the zest has a lemon-like flavor. The tree is most often grown for the novelty it adds to a landscape or garden.
To keep your favorite citrus tree company, try finding a new variety to plant. Some citrus have variegated leaves; some, like pink limes, have flesh with an unusual color. A tree with variegated leaves is a beautiful addition to any garden.
If you do decide to plant a new citrus tree, wait until spring. Citrus trees are intolerant of soggy soil and frost. Planting in early spring will give your tree some time to become established before next winter.
If you garden in containers, choose a dwarf or ultra-dwarf citrus. Dwarf citrus reach eight feet at most; ultra-dwarf types top out at about six feet. Choosing a dwarf tree will ensure that it does not easily outgrow the container. A dwarf citrus in a half wine barrel will be comfortable and happy for many years.
Planting in the ground gives you more flexibility. Visualize the full-grown tree to be sure it will have the space it needs. It can be frustrating to move an established tree when you realize you planted it too close to a structure.
Even the smallest gardens have microclimates, or variations in heat, air flow and sunlight. These variations can affect your plants, in good ways and bad. Being aware of your garden's microclimates can help you choose the optimal planting site. During winter, structures and hard surfaces will retain heat, raising the air temperature around a tree. Conversely, planting in a low spot will allow cooler air to pool around the tree, making it more susceptible to frost. For more information on citrus care, consult the Napa County Master Gardener website (below).
Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Creating Holiday Wreaths” on Sunday, December 11, from noon to 3 p.m., at the Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington Street, Yountville. Learn what plants in your garden could make good wreaths for decorating. Learn how to choose and prepare plant materials so they will look good for a long time. Learn tips and tricks for designing and making easy wreaths for the holidays or any time. Participants will create their own wreath to take home, made from locally collected plant materials. $20 for Yountville residents; $23 for non-residents. Register with Yountville Parks & Recreation or call 707-944-8712.
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.