Planting a fall and winter garden

Here we are, in the Willamette valley of Oregon, halfway through June, having just finished planting our gardens for summer and fall harvests, and it's already time to begin starting some seeds for our fall and winter harvests, as well as our overwintered vegies that will feed us early next spring.  For those who are fairly new to gardening it probably seems counter-intuitive to plant fall and winter crops during the heat of summer, but when you consider that it will take months to mature crops planted now, it begins to make sense.

So, here's how we do it at the Sharing Gardens.  We start broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, lettuce and chard  around the 3rd week of June and into early July.  We carefully drop two seeds into each cell of a jumbo six-pack or a suitable smallish pot using a complete organic planting mix with good water retention capability.  Black Gold is a great brand if you don't have access to your own blend of compost, leaf mold and weed free garden soil.  Any brand of 'Organic" potting mix should do just fine.  The important thing is that it be able to hold moisture throughout hot summer days and that there be no other weed-seeds that could germinate. Once your seeds germinate, thin them to one plant per cell or pot.

For starting seed this time of the year we set up a table on saw horses outside the greenhouse.  A mist head sprinkler is set up on a timer to come on at 10:00 AM and then again at around 5:00 PM. This should be adequate to insure that the soil doesn't dry out.  Keep an eye on your starts and make adjustments or include an extra hand watering as needed.  You also will find it helpful to set your six-packs in shallow trays on a level surface to hold water for supplying moisture over longer periods throughout the hot days.  However you do it the key is to maintain constant moisture. 

Another thing to be aware of is that some birds LOVE tender young greens and will actually dig out young seedlings as they begin to emerge.  This problem can be averted by purchasing some floating row cover which will allow water and light to get through but will thwart the birds.  The brand we use is called 'Remay' and is available by the foot or in small rolls at local garden supply stores and nurseries.  It can be reused for years if it is kept away from nesting rodents when being stored.  Another more permanent solution is to build frames covered with window screen to put over your starts.

In planning your year round garden you'll want to get used to the idea of earmarking the places where your fall and winter plantings will go.  After your early plantings of greens are harvested, be ready to add compost and other soil amendments a couple of weeks ahead of your later planting to give the soil a chance to reestablish healthy populations of worms and other soil organisms before setting out your later crops.  With practice and experience you will begin to establish a pattern and rythym and the process will become familiar to you.

When your starts are about 4-6 weeks along, it's time to transplant them into the garden into the beds you've previously prepared to receive them.  Just open up holes large enough to drop them in place and gently press them into the soil. Be sure to give them the proper spacing apart from each other.  Crowded plants don't produce as well as ones with plenty of room to expand.  And it's also very good to give each 'start 'a dose of manure or compost tea to get them off to a good 'start.'

The internet is a wonderful resource!   We went online and did a search, 'vegetable planting guide for Willamette Valley Oregon'  and found a printable guide compiled by Oregon Tilth,  which helps to take the guess work out of garden planning.  You can do a similar search if you are not in our general area.  There are a variety of other vegetables you can probably grow aside from the ones I've mentioned here.  We want you to know that the harvest doesn't have to end with the first fall frosts.  You can enjoy eating fresh vegies pretty much year 'round in many parts of the world.  This article only touches on some of the techniques for fall and winter gardening.  We hope that you will look into the subject further and be well on your way to greater food security for yourself, your immediate family and your community of friends.  Be well!!!!

Tomatoes and Peppers - Last weekend!

Tomatoes in our new greenhouse - 2013

This is the last Saturday (May 25) to come pick-up tomatoes and peppers at the Sharing gardens from 9:00 to 11:30.  There are still over 100 left but there are other "sharing"-type gardens we'll be passing the surplus along to after this weekend.

It may still be early to put these heat-loving plants into the ground. We recommend you keep an eye on the weather and if there's a frost-threat bring them back inside at night or cover them with buckets, boxes or some other protection. We won't have replacements if these get frosted. Local wisdom suggests waiting until Mary's Peak is snow-free, or after Memorial Day (whichever is later).

We always like to provide free 'starts' to those in need, but if you've already budgeted money to buy starts from the store, consider making a donation to our project instead. You'll have some of the healthiest, robust, organic 'starts' available. The funds we receive all go towards keeping this vital, local project thriving.

Please continue to bring your six-packs, flats and small, square pots for us to re-use. We don't need any hanging baskets or round pots.

Garden location: LINK

Grow Your Own Protein - Scarlet Runner Beans

by Chris Burns

Just like snow flakes, you'll never find two that look exactly alike,  attesting to Nature's infinite variety of expression!

Have you ever seen these beautiful beans for sale at any market?  Would you even know what they were if I didn't tell you?  Don't they look like some kind of 'Magic Bean' that Jack of 'The Beanstalk' fame might have planted?  If you haven't guessed by now, I'll tell you. They're Scarlet Runner Beans and they're called that for two good reasons.  One, they have the most intensely scarlet red flowers, and Two, they 'run' up any pole, tree, fence or trellis that happens to be close to where they are growing.  If you've never grown them then maybe it's time to consider giving them a place in your garden.

I've grown them many times before, but up until recently I always considered them to be strictly 'ornamental'.  Don't know why!  Perhaps it's because they were described that way in the catalog from which I ordered my first seeds.  As you can see in the pictures posted with this article, they add exquisite beauty to any garden patch. It wasn't until 2011 that I sampled them as cooked, dried beans and discovered their beauty is only rivaled by their delicious flavor!

Scarlet Runners vining up the bamboo trellis. We grew a 70-foot row last year and are doubling it in the 2013 season.

These beauties grow steadily to a dramatic height of 10-12 feet (or more) and need a sturdy trellis of some sort to support the weight of their generous profusion of bean pods (we used bamboo poles tied to a wire pulled taught between t-posts).  The pods are deliciously sweet when they are young and tender (about 3-4 inches long).  So sweet, in fact that it was the first thing our two teen-age garden-helpers would seek out and munch on whenever they came to the gardens.

Bean pod-loving teens!

If it's mainly green beans that you're looking for though, it's probably best to grow another variety like 'Blue Lake' or 'Contender' which provide you with more of a volume at each picking.  These Scarlet Runners tend to produce pods steadily over a longer season but they become tough and stringy if they aren't picked on the small side.  The reason they probably aren't grown commercially for dried beans is that they must be hand-picked. At the Sharing Gardens we've turned this limitation into an asset as the weekly bean-picking was a task that folks with back and knee-issues could accomplish easily standing up. After a few days laid out on screens in the greenhouse the husks were dry enough to split open easily by hand. This was a task that many volunteers (share-givers), who weren't able to do more strenuous tasks,  found fun and relaxing; it also provided an opportunity to sit in the shade and chat with new found friends. These beautiful beans are rather large --about the size of a fat Lima bean-- and therefore yield enough to make a pot of soup-beans in a short time. If you're serious about growing your own protein-source, Scarlet Runners make an excellent choice.

For those who enjoy attracting pollinators to your garden, you'll likely find (as we did) that the flowers regularly attract hummingbirds and many beneficial insects. But the best kept secret of all is just how delicious the dried beans are. They have a mild flavor and, unlike Fava beans, their skin is thin (not even noticeable) and they have a velvety texture.

A bamboo tipi provides a trellis for beans and beautifully frames our garden helpers.

To cook these beans for eating, soak them over night just like you would any other, with about 1/3 beans to 2/3 water in a stainless or cast iron pot.  Pour off the water the next day; rinse the beans with fresh water and put them back in the pot. Add fresh water until the level is about 2-3 inches over the beans.  Don't add any salt because it won't allow the beans to absorb the water as they cook and they'll never soften.  I like to cook them on the woodstove in the winter.   These beans stay very firm when they're finished cooking but can be easily mashed and used as refries, or made into a hearty chile with tomatoes, onions, peppers and Mexican spices.  I cook up a large pot at a time and, once rinsed and cooled, I pack them into smaller zip-lock bags which I stack in the freezer to add to stir-fried kale and leeks with potatoes all winter long. Instant dinner!

Be creative! Sometimes just a plain ole' bowl of beans with olive oil, soy sauce, finely chopped onions and grated cheese is all you need to get you in the mood to go outside and brave the winter elements.

Anyway, if you want to enjoy these wonderful and versatile garden gems, the time to plant is NOW! (late May or first week of June in our region)  If any of our local readers need seed  please let us know and we'll get you started, and you can save your own for next year.  Happy Gardening!

Crumb-Free Cornbread Recipe

Autumn Beauty sunflowers at harvest time

Here are two adaptations of a sweet cornbread  - one, a whole-grain traditional cornbread to serve as a side-dish and the second is more like a corn-cake/dessert. We make a big batch of the dry ingredients for both these recipes and keep them on hand for last-minute guests, potlucks or a yummy breakfast treat. Just add the wet ingredients, pop them in the oven and they're good to go.

Crumb-free, Whole-grain Corn Bread

5 cups Corn Meal
2 cups Corn Flour
1 cup All Purpose Flour
2 cups Whole Wheat flour (use regular or bread  flour, not pastry which has less gluten and will make the bread less spongy)
1 1/4 cups Brown Sugar - packed
5 TBS Baking Powder
2 1/2 tsp Salt

Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly. Since you'll be using it for multiple batches, you don't want all the salt in one batch and none in the others.

Makes enough for five 9" x 9" square pans,  five round pie or cake pans, or five batches of 12 muffins

To bake the bread/muffins:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees (400 degrees for muffins)
In a mixing bowl whip together with a fork:

2 eggs
1 cup soymilk (vanilla or plain) or milk 
1/4 cup (4 TBS) light cooking oil

add 2 cups of dry mix

Stir just enough to moisten all ingredients and remove any big lumps. Baking powder works by making bubbles once wet and if you mix too briskly, you release the bubbles and your bread won't rise as well. Consistency should be thick like a batter. If too dry, add a little more soymilk.

Pour into a well oiled 9 x 9 inch baking pan or spoon/pour into muffin tins (oiled or lined with papers).

Bake for 20-22 minutes till top is springy, lightly golden and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out dry.

Variations:
Grind flax seeds in a coffee grinder ( 2 TBS per batch) and use about 1/4 cup less of dry mix. Flax seeds are a good egg substitute - they give elasticity to the mix. They also add fiber and a nice, mild nutty flavor and texture.

Add canned corn, diced peppers, little cheese cubes for a Southwest variation.

Veggie Corn Pot-Pie - in a well-oiled casserole dish combine cubed potatoes or yams, carrots, onions, celery, peas or green beans in the bottom. Pour corn-bread batter (1/2 batch). Bake at 375 for 25 - 30 min. (till bread is done).

Yummy Sweet and Crumb-free Corn Cake

4 cups Corn Flour
2 cup All Purpose Flour
4 cups Whole Wheat flour (use regular or bread  flour, not pastry which has less gluten and will make the bread less spongy)
2 1/2 cups firmly packed Brown Sugar
10 TBS Baking Powder (1/2 cup + 2 TBS) - be sure there are no chunks - mix thoroughly.
2 1/2 tsp salt

The rest of the recipe is the same as above:
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly. Since you'll be using it for multiple batches, you don't want all the salt in one batch and none in the others.

Makes enough for five 9" x 9" square pans,  five round pie or cake pans, or five batches of 12 muffins

To bake the bread/muffins:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees (400 degrees for muffins)
In a mixing bowl whip together with a fork:

2 eggs
1 cup soymilk (vanilla or plain) or milk 
1/4 cup (4 TBS) light cooking oil

add 2 cups of dry mix

Ismael in the corn-patch 2011

Stir just enough to moisten all ingredients and remove any big lumps. Baking powder works by making bubbles once wet and if you mix too briskly, you release the bubbles and your bread won't rise as well. Consistency should be thick like a batter. If too dry, add a little more soymilk.

Pour into a well oiled 9 x 9 inch baking pan or spoon into muffin tins (oiled or lined with papers).

Bake for 20-22 minutes till top is springy, lightly golden and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out dry.

Variations:

Add chopped nuts and/or dried fruit for a cake-like treat.

Grind flax seeds in a coffee grinder ( 2 TBS per batch) and use about 1/4 cup less of dry mix. Flax seeds are a good egg substitute - they give elasticity to the mix. They also add fiber and a nice, mild nutty flavor and texture.

Tomatoes and Peppers are ready!

The Sharing Gardens is happy to announce that we have beautiful, healthy, heirloom tomatoes and peppers (grown mostly from our own seed) available these next two Saturdays (May 18 and 25) from 9:00 to 11:30.

It may still be early to put these heat-loving plants into the ground. We recommend you keep an eye on the weather and if there's a frost-threat bring them back inside at night or cover them with buckets, boxes or some other protection. We won't have replacements if these get frosted. Local wisdom suggests waiting until Mary's Peak is snow-free, or after Memorial Day (whichever is later).

We always like to provide free 'starts' to those in need, but if you've already budgeted money to buy starts from the store, consider making a donation to our project instead. You'll have some of the healthiest, robust, organic 'starts' available. The funds we receive all go towards keeping this vital, local project thriving.

Please continue to bring your six-packs, flats and small, square pots for us to re-use. We don't need any hanging baskets or round pots.

Garden location: LINK