Garden Review 2014

Garden in Review 2014

This year, I planted the cucumbers to grow upward in a new garden that was shallow. The soil needed more amendments as it got very hot this summer. Five plants produced about 20 cucumbers.



Tomato plants numbered 15 and did well. This is the first year I grew vine tomatoes and was surprised by the pink color and taste full of flavor. The rest were Beef Steak except for one grape tomato plant that was a volunteer from last year and did well.

Vine Tomatoes, Basil and Swiss Chard

Tomatoes

Vine Tomatoes

Vine Tomatoes

Platter and glass from a garage sale.

Grape Tomatoes

Swiss Chard and Basil did very well.

Basil with Oregano and Cilantro going to seed

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Basil and Dill

Swiss Chard, Marigold, Alysom

Lizolivia

Research Shows Organic Grown is Healthier

The largest review of published data on organic food ever conducted reveals organic food really is much healthier. 343 studies were reviewed by an international team in Newcastle University in the UK. They concluded that organic produce is higher in antioxidants, lower in toxic heavy metals and much less contaminated with pesticide and herbicide residues.

The British Journal of Nutrition published the study that compared and evaluated the nutrient content of produce grown from both methods. Researchers analyzed the polyphenolic content levels of organic micronutrient compounds. Polyphenols have been linked to a reduced risk of chronic disease, cancer and serious cardiovascular and neuro-degenerative diseases.

Eating organic produce is like eating one or two extra portions of fruit and vegetables. For ex., eating an organic apple may be the nutritional equivalent of eating three that were conventionally grown. Not only does organically grown contain higher levels of nutritional value, it is also less contaminated with toxic heavy metals, such as cadmium, and crop pesticides, most of which contain glyphosate, prevalent in conventional produce.

Lizolivia

Giant Sunflowers Begun to Blossom

Sunflowers of the giant variety have bloomed.

Lizolivia

Stinging Nettle Rash, Treatment and Uses

This is stinging nettle after it flowers. The plant has six subspecies and five have many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on the leaves and stems that act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation when touched.

Hydrocortisone cream, calamine lotion and a paste made of baking soda with a little water may provide relief. Anything touching the rash can inflame it again. Stinging Nettles tea has a long history of medicinal use for allergies, asthma and bronchitis.

Nettles As a Food Source

Native Americans harvested the plants, before they blossom and go to seed, when other food sources were scarce. Soaking stinging nettles in water or cooking removes the stinging chemicals from the plant, which allows them to be handled and eaten without incidence of stinging. After the stinging nettle enters its flowering and seed setting stages the leaves develop gritty particles which can irritate the urinary tract.

The flavor is similar to spinach and cucumber when cooked and is rich in vitamins A, C, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. At the peak of the season, nettle contains up to 25% protein, dry weight, which is high for a leafy green vegetable. An herbal tea can be made after drying the leaves. Nettles is very popular in Northern India as a vegetable cooked with Indian spices.

In the Garden

Stinging Nettles attracts beneficial insects and also adds nitrogen when composted. Although low in phosphate, soaking it in a bucket of water for a few days makes a liquid fertilizer that supplies magnesium, sulphur and iron.

Nettle Rash

Stinging Nettles









Lizolivia

Preserve Your Basil Harvest

Trim back the plants early in the day before the sun heats them up. Cooler temperature retains the oils for better flavor. Keep at least one third of the plant for continued growth.

There are several ways to preserve Basil:

• Gently tear or trim the leaves from the stems and lay them on newspaper or paper towels. When dry enough to be crumbled, store the dried Basil in baggies or jars in a cool, dark place.
• Put the stems of freshly trimmed Basil in a container of cool water and change the water every day.
• Chop the Basil and put it in ice cube trays. Fill with water and place in freezer. After it has frozen, transfer the Basil cubes to freezer bags and store in the freezer. Keeps for up to seven or eight months.

Sageymania

Grow Healthy Tomato Plants

Tomato and Basil

Companion Plants for Tomatoes

Tomatoes grow well with Basil, Parsley, Sunflower, Calendula, Mint, Garlic, Onion, Lettuces and Nasturtium.

Keep Corn and Potatoes a good distance from Tomatoes. Calendula (Marigold) works as a pest deterrent as well as Nasturtium, Mint, Garlic and Onion.

If you prefer that the mint does not gradually take up more space, it can be grown in medium to large pots and containers.


To keep tomato plants off the ground:

Plant your tomato plants fairly deep, they have a very long root system. Hammer a stake 4" (inches) to the side to gently tie the plant to as it grows. An old pair of nylons cut in 6" lengths works well as ties.
Sow a sunflower seed of the giant variety on the other side of the plant. When the plant grows taller than the stake, secure it to the sunflower stalk.

Water to keep the soil moist and fertilize the soil around the plants once every week.

Sageymania