Kale is Awesome and You Should Grow It

 As you might infer from the title, this article is a bit opinionated. However, it is full of information that you should consider before writing Kale off forever. You should grow it! First, Kale is super healthy

Red Russian Kale, which isn't my favorite but 
there were extenuating circumstances. 

food. Second, Kale is delicious. Third, it is really easy to grow from seeds so it will save you on your grocery bill! 

So, the first point is universally acknowledged, Kale is super good for you. For more info on that, click here. 

If you think kale tastes bad, then you should try it the following three ways which I think are amazing before giving up on it. 

1. You can make kale chips by taking the stems off, spreading on a cookie sheet, sprinkling with olive oil and salt, and baking at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. That's it. So crunchy and delicious. Curly kale is best for this but that's usually what you find in the grocery store anyways. 

2. You can add it to several kinds of soup and soften it a bit. We love it in zuppa toscana. Recipe here. 

3. It makes a great salad. I love it with feta cheese, apple slices, raisins and a balsamic vinaigrette. Yum! Recipe here. 

Now are you convinced you should grow some? Fantastic because it's so easy. 

First, kale is a cool weather crop. Here in York County PA you can grow it 10 months out of the year. Just not July and August because its too hot. 

Second, it is super easy to grow from seed. Please don't waste your money buying seedlings. You can also find seeds anywhere that sells seeds. I've even seen them at the dollar tree. Always follow the instructions on the package, kale seeds are small and shouldn't be buried more than a quarter inch. 

Third, kale needs average moisture and soil conditions, is not a heavy feeder, but does need some sunlight. Full to partial sun is fine. 

Fourth, kale is a great plant to do succession planting. So, plant out a few seeds in mid March, and then a few more seeds 2 weeks after that and so on till early May. Then start again in early August and keep going. 

Finally, kale is a brassica so it is susceptible to any other pests and diseases that other brassica's might get. In my garden that means cabbage worms.  They are easy to treat though. You can either put a bug net over your plants so the months can't lay their eggs on them, or you can spray them with Bt (an organic biological control easily found at any garden center). 

So that's it, so easy right? Have I convinced you yet? How do you like to eat or grow kale? feel free to comment below. 

Gift Ideas for Gardeners

 So, I thought when my master gardener classes started, I'd blog about all the stuff I was learning. I am learning a lot but I just got swamped and now it's been too long since my last post. However, I feel like I'm starting to get caught up on life and have time to help you all out with your Christmas shopping. 

Please note, I make no money for this blog so my recommendations are not biased, it's just what I honestly thing would be great gifts for anyone with a green thumb. Yes, I'm kinda dropping hints for what I'd like for Christmas too. ha ha ha

First, tools. Anyone with a lawn to take care of needs certain things like a spade, leaf rake, soil knife and pruners. My advice it to check with anyone the recipient lives with to see what they already have and what needs replacing. Fiskars is an affordable brand available at most hardware stores but I'm really excited about my new higher end pruners I got from my mom for my birthday. 

Second, gloves. All gardeners need gloves, both thick leather gloves and the finer, rubber tipped ones. Even if they already have gloves, they will eventually wear out and need replacing. Honestly, you could put gloves in my stocking every year and I'd be happy. 

Third, books and magazines. We gardeners really need reading material to keep us occupied in the winter while our gardens rest. Anything from insect and plant identification books, to how too manuals, to garden travel memoirs ( I read Monty Don's book on French Gardens last winter and it was great.) Magazine subscriptions are also a great idea. Who doesn't love looking at magazines about their favorite hobby?

Finally, gift cards to local garden centers. You really can't go wrong with this one. We gardeners will just hold onto them till Spring and then pick out the plants we want. Actually, someone gave me a $50 gift card to a garden center once and I spent over half of it on mulch and dirt. It was awesome. 

Well, I hope that got you thinking. If you're a gardener and have some gift ideas in addition, please comment about them below!

Growing Squash Successfully

 It's currently late August as I write this so a lot of this information should be filed under "things to try next year". However, I've been trying out several new things with squash this year and I want to share while it's still fresh. Squash are just so delicious I can't imagine not growing them. So here are a few basics and some tricks and tips to help you enjoy your squash. 

First off, there are basically two kinds of squash: summer and winter. Summer squash grows very quickly and has a thin skin like zucchini, pattapan, and yellow squash. Winter squash grows slowly and has a  thick skin like butternut and acorn squash. The growing tips I give you will be true for both unless I specify otherwise. 

If you've never grown squash before, I recommend buying seedlings from a near by garden center. They can be planted out as soon as all danger from frost has passed. No squash plant will tolerate frost. Squash need at LEAST 6 hours of sun a day and regular watering. Giving your squash plants great growing conditions will create stronger plants that can fight of pests and diseases much more effectively. It will also mean more and better quality fruit. 

One of the biggest problems I've had with squash are squash vine borers. A little moth lays an egg at the base of the squash vine and it hatches. The little grub eats into the vine and pigs out till the vine dies. If you're not paying attention the plant looks great until one morning when it has totally wilted. At that point, its too late. Last year I lost every single squash vine I had (including pumpkins!) to this pest. So, this year I tried a few different things. I wrapped aluminum foil around the base of the vines so the grubs couldn't bore into the vines. I periodically sprinkled diatomaceous earth around the base of the plant to repel the grubs. I also kept an eye out for the holes near the bottom of the plant and poked a wire up into the plant to kill any grub inside. These steps worked wonders. I only lost one plant to grubs this year. Yahoo!

Another big problem is fungus, like powdery mildew. Here in central PA, it's humid enough that fungus is just inevitable but I try to fight it off as long as I can. Some great ways to do that include: 1) When watering squash, don't get the leaves wet, just the ground. water creates a moist environment where mold and fungus thrive. 2)Selectively trimming out leaves as they yellow to keep it clean and allow more air circulation. 3) Look for mildew resistant varieties at the garden center. and 4)Use an organic anti fungal spray as needed. I use Green Cure. No spray can get rid of fungus already there but it can help prevent the spread of it. 

When growing summer squash, I learned this year that you can plant it much later than I thought and still get  a great harvest. I planted zucchini seeds on June 30 and by August 10th I was harvesting fruit. Also, because it was planted later, it never got hit with quash vine borers and it still doesn't have mold on it. I haven't treated it with anything. This also helps with succession planting and you can wait till your spring crops are done and then plant summer squash. Just remember that winter squash takes a lot longer to grow so you can't wait to plant that. 

Whew! It's been a busy year for squash but I just love it. Do you have any tips for growing squash? Feel free to post in the comments below!

Healthy Zucchini Plants

Powdery Mildew on Zunnias

Getting the Most Out of Your Tomatos

I am taking a slight break from my series of posts on the elements to bring some timely advice on tomatoes. Tomatoes have got to be the no 1 most popular thing to grow in gardens but they can be a bit tricky. As I"m writing this, it's getting towards the end of July here in PA. If you're growing tomatoes- in a pot, raised bed, or traditional garden -there are things you can still do to maximize your harvest. 

Let me be clear, it is too late to go buy plants and start growing them. Tomatoes require a fairly long growing period. So unless you go b

uy a fully grown plant in a five gallon pot (and that would be totally cheating, you might as well buy your tomatoes from the local farmers market which isn't a bad idea.) you can't start now. Try next year.

For those of you who are already growing tomatoes...

First, if you haven't already done so, mulch your plants. This accomplishes multiple things. It will keep the weeds down, help the soil to retain necessary moisture and will help prevent soil born diseases from leaching into your plants. Straw is a great mulch as is wood chips if you have them. This year, I'm using dried oak leaves from last fall. Dried out grass clippings work as well.

Second, all those juicy tomatoes require water. July and August tend to be rather dry here in PA  so I've been watering my plants about every other day. To help keep down fungus and mold, I only water the soil and not the plant.

Third, tomatoes are heavy feeders (they require nutrient rich soil) so side dressing (applying fertilizer to the soil around the plant, not on the plant itself) of fertilizer can be helpful however, an  over abundance of nitrogen will cause the plant to grow lots of leaves and not much fruit. An organic fertilizer heavy in phosphorus is your best bet. 

Fourth, there are way too many pests, diseases, and fungi that love tomatoes to get into all of them. Honestly, I think it's just a matter of time before all tomato plants get infected with something. Some of those problems come from the soil so I like to cut off all leaves from around the bottom of the plant. It won't hurt the plant and will delay fungal growth. 

Fifth, if you have insects on your plant, you can usually see them with some careful attention. Everything from horn worms (see picture) to tiny aphids. Bugs can either be picked off or sprayed off with a hose. If your leaves are spotting, or turning yellow or brown, then you might have a fungus or mold. You can use an organic spray on your plants but be aware that you wont cure the problem- just slow it down. I like to use Green Gold powder but it's hard to find in person. You can also use a copper fungicide which is much easier to find.

Growing your own tomatoes can be tricky but they are SO GOOD! What are your tricks to grow awesome tomatoes? Please write about it in the comments below.

Here are a few helpful links for further reading:
Joe Gardener Podcast on Tomatoes
Mother Earth News Growing Tomatoes

How To Choose A Plant

One of the questions I get the most often is what plant to choose for a given garden space. This time of year, folks are getting out of the house and wanting spruce up their curb appeal. I'm always happy to offer suggestions but anyone can make a few observations and then find an appropriate plant on their own. Here is what to pay attention to.

1. How big is the space you have to fill? If your garden bed is only 3 feet deep, then don't buy a plant that will grow to 10 feet wide. My pet peeve is seeing windows overgrown by bushes that are far too big for their space. Take measurements first!

2. How much light will the spot get? Be sure to watch the spot at multiple times a day, ideally at different times of the year. If you plant a cotoneaster in full shade, it will struggle horribly and planting hostas in full sun will burn them up by July.

3. What is the dirt like? Is it sandy, clay or somewhere in between? Does the soil tend to dry out quickly or stay wet?

4. What other plants are growing near by and are thriving? If you know what other plants are already happy, it will give you a clue as to what else will do well.

Once you've got this stuff written down, you are ready to head over to the garden center. I'm not against big box stores but in my experience, a garden center or green house will have better trained staff. You can choose to find someone to help or you can venture on your own. When asking for input, be sure to ask about ease of care. If you're not into regular pruning or spraying, be sure to get a low maintenance plant.

No matter what - read the tag on the plant you're interested in. Don't skip this step! When you bring the plant home, keep the plant tag somewhere for future reference.

What questions do you have about how to pick out a plant? Feel free to post in the comments below!

April Gardening While Stuck At Home

It's been quite some time since my last blog post. I've been taking a college course on women's ministry and just decided I couldn't do both at the same time. However, given the current circumstances concerning Covid 19, I thought a bit of gardening motivation was in order. One of the most therapeutic things for me has been the warm Spring weather and getting my hands dirty in the garden. You can benefit from this too. We're all stuck at home for the most part and gardening is a hobby that has a multitude of benefits, not the least of which is fresh food. Here are some ways you can be busy in your garden now.

First, it's not too late to plant spring veggies. Lettuce, spinach, kale, peas, carrots and onions all prefer cooler weather and it's not too late to plant them, but don't wait too much longer. Once the hot summer weather kicks in, your spring veggies will be done. Everything I listed above is really easy to start from seeds with the exception of onions. I recommend buying onion sets instead. You can find seeds and onion sets at Walmart, Lowes and other hardware stores, and garden centers. Just be sure to check that your local garden center is still open.



Second, you can get your garden ready for summer planting in a few weeks. Summer veggies include tomatoes, peppers, squash and beans. This means pulling out any weeds and pulling off the winter mulch. It's also a good time to make any repairs to your raised beds and trellises. You can also add amendments to your soil - like compost or manure to enrich your garden.

Third, if you haven't already done so, go ahead and clean up your perennial beds. Pull out last years dead growth and any weeds that have sprung up. You can also freshen up the mulch if you wish.

Be aware that all perennial plants- whether herbaceous perennials, bushes or trees- will wake up to Spring at different times. Don't panic if a particular plant hasn't started to show signs of new growth yet. It might just not be ready.

So go ahead and try your hand at gardening. The fresh air, sunshine, and soil will do you a world of good. Feel free to post pics of your garden in the comment section below.

Tomatoes for Beginners

If you could only grow one kind of plant in your vegetable garden, what would it be? Ask most gardeners and they'd tell you tomatoes. Why? The difference in taste between store bought tomatoes and fresh ones out of your garden is night and day. If you've never enjoyed a sun ripe tomato right off the vine, then you're really missing out. However, for the new gardener there really are some things you should know to enjoy tomato growing success.

First, buy plants, not seeds. The growing season here in PA isn't long enough to grow them outside from seeds. When you get used to growing store bought plants, then you can try starting them from seeds in winter to plant out in spring.

Second, there are dozens and dozens of kinds of tomatoes. To clear it up for you, in my way of thinking there are three different kinds. You have your grape or cherry tomatoes that are little fruits that are delicious eaten whole or cooked. Then, there are the roma tomatoes. I don't really enjoy eating these and they're really best for making sauce. Finally, you have your traditional large tomatoes that are delicious and great for everything.

When selecting your plants, look for healthy, green plants. My personal preference is to buy an early season non determinate variety like Early Girl tomatoes which you can find everywhere. They will start providing tomatoes in July and continue producing them till the first frost.

Third, when you plant your tomatoes, bury them up to the first set of leaves, feed them a general purpose fertilizer (I use Espoma Garden Tone) and mulch generously. Keep the plant well watered till it starts to grow new leaves. I also like to pinch off any flowers it produces until June so the plant will grow in size first. Oh, and this is really important, tomatoes NEED sun. At LEAST 6 hours a day.

Mulch is really important for tomatoes. It keeps weeds down, preserves water, and prevents tomatoes rotting from resting on the ground. I prefer straw mulch myself but bark mulch or shredded leaves would work too.

Be careful not to plant tomatoes too early in the Spring. An unprotected tomato plant at freezing temperatures is a dead plant. As I write this, we are almost to Mother's Day so it's a great time to plant them here in central PA.

There is so much that has been written on growing tomatoes but this should be enough to give you a good running start. So go get some tomato plants and get growing!

Strawberries!!!

Everybody loves strawberries. They are so juicy and delicious and amazing eaten several different ways. However, if you've never had fresh, home grown strawberries, then you have been missing out. Strawberries are right up there with tomatoes for food that is way better home grown than bought in a store. You CAN grow your own strawberries, but there are a few things you should know.

You can find lots of good articles on the basics of growing strawberries already on the web like these:

How To Grow Strawberries, Better Homes and Gardens


Strawberries: Planting, Growing and Harvesting

However, here are my personal tips for success.

Right now it is March and here in central PA, you can plant strawberry crowns now. In fact, I planted mine in February two years ago. Buying crowns instead of plants is far more affordable and they'll still do just fine. I purchased mine in a bunch of 25.

Mulch around your plants with pine needles. You can rake them up under any pine tree. I've gotta give cudos to Barbara Pleasant for this bit of advice. The biggest problem with growing Strawberries is the weeds and pine needles are great for keeping them down. They also keep the strawberries out of the mud so they're less apt to rot.

Now, the first year you have your plants you have to pinch off the flowers so the plants will get established. It's awful, I know. But perennial food plants are an investment in the future. Once you get them going right, you'll be getting food for years.

On your second year (and every year there after), when the strawberry plant starts to flower, sprinkle a general purpose fertilizer around the plants (but not ON them) to give them a boost.

When you see small, white berries start to form, dust the plants with Diatomacious Earth to keep slugs and beetles from eating the berries before you can. You can find it at any hardware store or garden center.

Strawberries can be eaten fresh, frozen, made into jam and canned. Also, kids LOVE them. My daughter gets excited to check for fresh berries throughout the summer. They really are worth the time. Do you have any tips for growing strawberries? Please share in the comments below.

6 Ways To Feed Your Gardening Habit in the Winter

As I'm writing this post, it's pretty darn cold outside for central PA. Now that the holidays are over, I'm ready for spring! If your favorite hobby involves a green thumb, then January and February can be a bit of a downer. Here are a few ways I enjoy gardening in winter.

1. Order some free seed catalogs and check out all the cool varieties you can grow in your garden this year. Some of my favorites are (and I'm not being paid anything from them) Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Territorial Seeds, and Stark Brothers Nursery .

2. Plan your garden and set goals! Once you see what's available, you can draw out a rough sketch of your garden and plan out what you want to grow. You can try out a new variety of vegetable or flower or a new way of cooking or preserving your produce. One of the things I love about gardening is that there are always new things to learn about and try. Which leads me to my next point...

3. Spend some time this winter reading up on an aspect of gardening you're interested in. You can find lots of great articles at www.motherearthnews.com or check out this blog post I wrote on some books I recommend.

4. Enjoy a houseplant or two. There are countless varieties available at your local garden center. One of my favorite ideas is to grow an herb plant such as basil or parsley that will also provide a welcome freshness to your winter cooking.

5. If  you get some unusually warm days, as we typically do here in central pa, you can take the opportunity to get some minor hardscaping done. For instance, I know I'd like to create a simple fence around my raspberry canes off the ground so it's easier to mow around this year. As long as the ground isn't frozen, I should be able to get that done when I get time. I also have at least one place where I'd like to take out the grass and add mulch and stone. It's not as much fun as growing stuff, but it will save me time in the Spring.

6. Pruning is a common winter practice. If you have fruit trees and bushes, rose bushes, or brambles, then you'll need to spend some time pruning them this winter. Find more information about how to prune, check out this post.

So, there are my six best ideas to enjoy your winter. How do you enjoy gardening when it's too cold outside?

Garden Center Review: Ashcombe Farm and Green House

Every once in a while it's good to try something new, so here's my first garden center review. Anyone who's into gardening loves a good garden center so here's my take on Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouse in Mechanicsburg, PA. Please note I'm not getting paid by them or any other garden center to write reviews.

So, I'd heard about Ashcombe's from my co-workers back when I was a full time florist. However, I just assumed it was a small green house in a field some where. Out of desperation for some winter savory, I decided to follow the signs off of route 15 in Cumberland county and see if they carried unusual herbs. Boy, was I surprised to find a massive barn encompassing a gift shop, a cafe/ice cream parlor, a winery booth and more. Outside of the barn was several green houses with the largest selection of plants I've seen anywhere. They also have a picnic area, a children's garden and a separate area for bushes and pond plants.

If you're looking for a great selection, Ashcombe has it. Their herb selection was amazing. (Yes, they have winter savory). Imagine whole rooms full of tomato, pepper, and any other kind of vegetable and flower plant you can think of. Having a two year old, I was a big fan of the children's garden which is a bit rough around the edges but my daughter didn't notice. She loved it. The picnic area is very pretty and we really enjoyed the ice cream parlor too.

Where there any down sides? Sure. Most of the gift shop was way too expensive for me. It's not the cheapest place to get plants either but if you want an unusual variety then I think it's still worth it. Some plants seemed reasonably priced to me and other seemed too expensive. Also, their clearance plant section was overpriced. If a plant looks that bad, you've got to mark it down more than 25% to get me to buy it.

Getting back to positives, the staff were all helpful and pleasant. They also have a lot of special events, including stuff for kids. Over all, I'd definitely recommend going there but give yourself lots of time and prioritize your budget ahead of time. For more information, check out their website at www.ashcome.com. Have you been to Ashcombe? Feel free to write about your experience below!