Tomato Time!

Posted on June 15, 2023 by Dallas Garden Buzz

June 20, 2023

It’s tomato time at Raincatcher’s garden of Midway Hills.  Over 84 pounds were donated and the plants are loaded down with more fruit to harvest this week. It looks to be a very good harvest and we wanted to share the story of our 2023 tomatoes. 

Thirty tomato plants, determinate and indeterminate varieties, were started from seeds in January 2023 and put into the ground and in raised beds in early April.  This was later than is recommended but the nighttime temperatures were too low in March. It is often difficult in Dallas to get the necessary time for a good crop to mature in between the last frost and the onset of temperatures above 92 degrees.

Prior to planting we amended the beds with compost and MicroLife Multi-purpose fertilizer.  After two weeks, Tomato-tone fertilizer was applied and that schedule has continued. The lower leaves are trimmed up off the ground to help prevent fungal disease.  

Our team decided that with our hot weather it would be best not to prune the suckers (new growth in the areas between the main stem and branches). Instead we allowed them to stay in place and protect the developing fruit from sunscald.  There are many different opinions about this practice but it might be that those advocating for drastic removal of suckers live in areas with less extreme weather.  

Harvest before they are ripe, but after color appears. Squirrels keep a keen eye on the ripening tomatoes and early on they ate on the larger varieties before we could take them off the vine.  To combat that, tomatoes are harvested at the first sign of color change and ripened indoors. When ripe, fruit is then weighed and donated to the North Dallas Shared Ministries Food Pantry.

The indeterminate varieties, such as Celebrity, Cherokee Carbon, Early Girl, Juliet, and Sweet 100, are towering over 6 feet in the air in a fenced garden area and in tall, raised beds with supports. 

The determinate varieties are producing abundantly as well in raised beds.  The variety, Patio Choice Yellow (AAS), has impressed our team with its prolific crop, disease resistance, and sweetness. 

 

Patio Choice Yellow, one of our new favorites

While we are enjoying this season of abundance, we are aware that the blooms here in North Texas will soon slow to a crawl, due to the lack of cooler weather in the early morning.   In general nighttime temperatures over 75 degrees will cause the plants to stop setting fruit.  We are quickly approaching that season.  

There are two ideas of thought about what to do –

  1. Cut the tomatoes back severely so when it gets cooler they will begin producing again, or  

2. Pull up the plants when the blooms stop coming and prepare to start new tomato plants  in July for a fall harvest before the first frost.  Smaller varieties with shorter days to maturity are recommended for fall due to the risk of an early frost.

Our dedicated and determined gardeners frequent Raincatcher’s most days, but our scheduled work times are Monday and Tuesday mornings.  


Please leave a comment below if you have a favorite tomato variety for our area or tomato wisdom to share.

Starla Willis with input from Beverly Allen, Dallas County Master Gardeners

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NATURE WITH NO OR VERY FEW—RESERVATIONS

Posted on June 14, 2023 by Dallas Garden Buzz

June 15, 2023

Everyone loves nature right—but then not squirrels or rabbits.  Not the plants you were told were lovely natives but turn out to be so very successful that you have to carefully and quickly remove them from the neighbor’s yards.  And then we can’t even think about nature films—way too often seem to feature chasing and catching and biting—oh no—a bridge too far.

Well,there is an answer its totally natural contains almost no violence and stars—BUTTERFLIES.  What is best is they are pipevine swallowtails—beautiful large and showy—and actually are here.

Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly laying eggs on pipevine

The whole amazing life cycle can happen in your yard right before your eyes amazing really doesn’t quite cover it—and its not hard and doesn’t involve massive expense. 

What to get started?  Of course.  Here’s how plant white veined pipe vine.  It’s a ground cover type plant that loves shade or semi shade—but seems very adaptable seeding itself into sunnier areas too—but plant your starter plants in a shady place—think about this—put them where you will see them often—and put them in front of any shrubs or tall plants.  Ask around—your friends may be willing to share.  Its best to transplant small plants.  Now natural processes take time be patient and let your plants grow and thrive. 

Larvae eating White-Veined Pipevine

Now exactly how the lovely black butterfly with blue markings finds your plants—they smell them I believe but they also seem to be looking for them.  Eggs are laid in clusters starting in late spring and early summer.  Actually we live in an area that can have two full generations—more about that in a minute.

So the butterfly lays eggs and they hatch into tiny larvae—but they don’t stay tiny long the eating of the pipevine is—well I know the word amazing is being used a lot—but sometimes—you will see its totally indicated.

Larvae at Susan’s house
Larvae on Trellis about to form a Chrysalis
Larvae on a window frame
2 Chrysalis-they can be different colors as seen above

When the larvae have reached there final size—which is big they leave and seem to head for a high place to form a chrysalis—first they find the place—try to leave them alone they know what they want—you don’t!.  They then become completely still and form a J this also lasts awhile.  However when the time is right the larvae turns into a chrysalis so fast that its hard to believe—honestly about 5 minutes.  The chrysalis has to harden but the change is incredibly fast. Now one thing about pipevine—it is toxic—now not to you planting or tending but when the larvae eat it they become very toxic to birds reptiles—things that might ordinarily eat it—you get the idea of this if you pick a leaf—it smells really nasty.  I mention this because you actually get to see way more of these larvae actually form their chrysalis instead of being carried away by wasps or birds—just the way nature should be right?

Now the only part that may be unpleasant it the fact that the larvae eat masses of pipevine—your beautiful patch can look truly ratty when they finish—But wait there’s more!  The pipevine knows very well that it will be eaten and is prepared.  Underground the vine has a storage unit—very like a small sweet potato that helps the vine survive very well when all the leaves have been eaten—very very soon—it has grown back as strong as before and is ready for the next wave of larvae.  That is nature at its best.

In picture above, the creatures were relocated to a better patch of pipevine. The larvae are totally harmless just be careful not to hurt them; they will not hurt you.

If you are very fortunate you will see the butterfly come out of the chrysalis dry its wings and fly away.

It just doesn’t make any sense not to plant pipe vine.   

Susan Thornbury, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008

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Emerald Fire Jalapeno 

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Dallas Garden Buzz

June 12, 2023

I’m kind of obsessed with pepper plants lately.  This is the second year in a row we have loaded Raincatcher’s courtyard beds with pepper plants and I have 27 pepper plants growing in containers at my house.  

I think my obsession started when Jim Dempsey grew the Emerald Fire Jalapeno for our plant sale several years ago.  The award winning Emerald Fire Jalapeno has become my absolute favorite pepper plant.  It produces an abundance of jumbo sized, glossy green jalapenos that are longer, wider and thicker than standard jalapenos.  It turns a beautiful red color if left on the plant.  Because of the large size of the fruit, it is great for stuffing and grilling as well as pickling and salsa making.

Comparison of standard jalapeño at bottom with Emerald Fire jalapeño on top

Pepper plants need full sun and plenty of water during the hottest part of the summer.  They do well with a well balanced fertilizer (5-10-10) every few weeks for the best production.  So if you have space in your vegetable garden or a have a large container, you might want to consider growing this jalapeno.  

Jackie James, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 1993

Note: Start jalapeños as seeds in January or as transplants after that threat of frost has passed.   

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What’s happening this week in the food gardens?

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Dallas Garden Buzz

June 7, 2023

An amaranth volunteer provides climbing support for a Minnesota Midget cantaloupe vine.  Since 1948 this plant has been known for producing sweet 4 inch cantaloupes on 3 foot vines. 

Blackberry season is at its peak.  Volunteers harvest and freeze them every day so that the jam and jelly team can work their magic. 

Patio Choice Yellow and Cherokee Carbon tomatoes have been especially productive.  All of the tomato varieties have to be picked at the first sign of color change and ripened indoors to protect them from squirrels. 

The season is off to a great start. We donated 142 pounds of potatoes to the North Dallas Shared Ministries food pantry in May. The peppers, cucumbers, long beans, and eggplant are coming along nicely. The squash vine borers have been distracted long enough to allow us to harvest some lovely round zucchinis. 

We welcome Master Gardener volunteers and community support. Drop us a line in the comment section if you are new to our garden and would like to know more. 

Beverly Allen, Dallas County Master Gardener class of 2018

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Friends of the Garden, Part II

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Dallas Garden Buzz

June 5, 2023

14 Fascinating Facts About Ladybugs

(These are excerpts from a story by Rosemary Mosco and orginially published on mentalfloss.com and updated for 2023)

  1. Ladybugs are named after the Blessed Virgin Mary.

One of the most common European Ladybugs is the seven-spot ladybug, and its seven marks reminded people of the Virgin Mary’s seven sorrows.  Germans even call these insects Marienkäfers, or Mary’s beetles.

  1. They are not bugs!

Ladybugs are not bugs – they are beetles.  They are part of Coleonptera, the beetle order.  

  1. Some people call ladybugs birds, bishops, or cows.

In parts of England, and for reasons that are unclear, the ladybug is a bishop.  Nowadays, most people in England use the word ladybird, perhaps because these insects are able flyers. 

In several languages, the portly, spotted ladybug is affectionately known as a little cow.  French people sometimes use the term vache à Dieu, which means “cow of God”.

  1. Ladybugs come in a rainbow of colors.

You’ve probably seen red ladybugs with black spots – but members of the ladybug family come in a wide range of hues, from ashy gray to dull brown to metallic blue.  Their patterns vary, too; some have stripes, some have squiggles, and some have no pattern at all.

  1. Those colors are warning signs.

To avoid being eaten, ladybug species with bright colors are walking billboards that say, “Don’t eat me, I’ll make you sick!”  And that is because…

  1. Ladybugs defend themselves with toxic chemicals.

A lot of ladybugs produce toxins that make them distasteful to birds and other would-be predators.  These noxious substances are linked to a ladybug’s color, the brighter the ladybug, the stronger the toxins.  Don’t panic:  Ladybugs won’t harm you unless you eat many pounds of them!

  1. They lay extra eggs as a snack for their young.

Ladybug moms lay clusters of eggs on a plant, but not all of those eggs are destined to hatch.  Some of them lack embryos.  They’re a tasty gift from the mother ladybug; the newly hatched larvae will gooble them up.

  1. Ladybug larvae look like alligators.

What hatches out of those ladybug eggs is a long, spiny larva that looks a little like an alligator.  Though ladybug larvae may be intimidating, they’re not harmful to humans.  They crawl around, feeding and growing, until they’re ready to turn into something even weirder…

  1. Ladybug pupae look like aliens.

Once the larvae find a nice spot in the garden, they turn into an alien-looking pupa.  Protected by a hard covering, the ladybug then makes an incredible transformation from larva to adult, bursting out of its old skin.

  1.  Adult ladybugs fly with hidden wings.

When a ladybug takes flight, it lifts up its protective, hard covered wings, that are not suitable for flight, and slides out another pair of wings that are light weight, slender and perfect for flight.

  1. Ladybugs survive the winter as adults.

They enter a state of rest and cuddle together in groups, often in logs or under leaves.  Some even find comfort in our homes, the harlequin ladybug enjoys the warmth that is provided.

  1. They’re voracious predators – mostly.

They are a natural form of pest control.  They’re favorite foods are some of our worst plant pests:  aphids, scale bugs, and mealybugs.  A single ladybug can eat 5000 aphids across its lifetime.

  1. Humans are spreading ladybug species around the world.

People have introduced non-native ladybugs to combat agricultural pests, and in some cases they’ve hitchhiked on imported goods.  The results have not always been beneficial as they push out the native species and introduce a deadly fungal parasite.

  1. They can be bad for your wine.

After devouring the aphids on nearby crops, such as soybeans, if vineyards are nearby, the ladybugs take up residence in bunches of grapes.  When ladybugs become frightened during harvesting, they squirt out a smelly defensive liquid fluid.  The resulting wine has a particular stinky flavor that has been likened to peanuts or asparagus.

There are additional sources on the use of beneficial insects at: 

 www.aggies-horticulture.tamu.edu/vegetable/problem-solver

Jon Maxwell, Dallas County Master Gardener

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African Blue Basil

Posted on June 3, 2023 by Dallas Garden Buzz

June 3, 2023

African Blue Basil

If African Blue Basil could speak it might first suggest introducing you to the “parentals”. In this case, that would be a good idea. The African parent is a perennial shrub from forests of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. 

In 1983, African Blue basil was first seen by a nurseryman named Peter Borchard, owner of Companion Plants in Athens, Ohio. He noticed it growing in the path between beds of the two presumed parents, East African basil and ‘Dark Opal’. Borchard dug the hybrid out and brought it into the greenhouse hoping to save seed. No seed formed leaving Borchard with the task of growing more plants from cuttings. Shortly thereafter, African Blue Basil (Ocimum gratissimum) entered the market.


African Blue basil is now identified as a hybrid plant in the Lamiaceae family made
by crossing East African camphor basil and a varietal of purple sweet basil called
‘Dark Opal Basil’. Its strong camphor scent was inherited from the East African
basil used to breed the plant. Though some people may find the camphor odor
and taste too strong to use in the kitchen, others embrace its culinary uses.
While doing morning chores in the garden, the dark purple leaves of African basil
tempt me to experience their crisp, semi-chewy and woodsy flavor with notes of
menthol, musk and cloves. With a refreshing and earthy taste filling my mouth,it’s time to move out of the way and give the honeybees time to forage for nectar.

 

Before planting in the garden, familiarize yourself with its specific characteristics.
African Blue basil is a rare, aromatic, perennial shrub that can grow up to five feet
tall in some gardens. Plants produce abundant flowers that are pink with a dark
purple base, making it attractive to bees and beneficial wasps. African blue is one
of the few basils that is sterile, meaning it will not produce seeds. Fortunately,
this unique trait allows the plant to stay in bloom for a longer season. As with
other basils, African Blue does best in well-draining soil amended with compost.
Plants thrive in full sun and will form rounded mounds.


Suggestions for cooking with African Blue basil offer a wide range of possibilities.
While best suited as a fresh flavoring or garnish, the leaves may also be used in
pesto’s, chimichurri sauce, salad dressing and dips or sprinkled over soups, tossed
into salads or layered over bruschetta. Also, try it mixed into pasta, spread over
sandwiches, used as a pizza topping or for elevating desserts.

Along with the leaves, African Blue basil flowers are edible and can be used as a garnish in soups, salads and grain bowls.

They can also be incorporated into
cocktails, floated on sparkling beverages or stirred into teas. African Blue basil
pairs well with parsley, cardamom, ginger ale, champagne, green beans,
tomatoes, potatoes, lentils, rice, and feta cheese. For best quality and flavor, use the leaves and flowers shortly after harvesting.

Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008

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What is Tupelo Honey?

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Dallas Garden Buzz

May 24, 2023

(A $120 bottle of Gold Reserve Tupelo Honey)

“She’s as sweet as Tupelo honey

She’s an angel of the first degree

She’s as sweet as Tupelo honey

Just like honey baby, from the bee”

In 1971 singer-songwriter Van Morrison released his album Tupelo Honey. Shortly thereafter, the album reached number 27 on the Billboard charts. As a result, the name and brand of Tupelo honey reached a national audience. Then in 1996 Tupelo honey once again gained recognition in the media spotlight with the release of the major motion picture Ulee’s Gold starring Peter Fonda. Not only did Fonda win a Golden Globe for his performance in the film, but Tupelo honey also earned the distinction of being known as the Queen of the Honey World.

Tupelo honey is light golden amber with a greenish cast. The first taste is of cinnamon with a tinge of anise. That gives way to a whisper of jasmine and something citrusy like tangerine rind. 

Tupelo honey is unique for its unusually high fructose to glucose ratio. Because of this ratio, raw Tupelo honey is very slow to, and rarely ever crystallizes. The higher fructose to glucose ratio also makes Tupelo honey one of the sweeter honey options.

Considered by many to be the most expensive honey in America, it seems strangely odd that the best Tupelo honey producing region in the world is the Florida panhandle along the Appalachicola, Chipola and Choctahatichie River systems of creeks and backwaters. It comes from the nectar of the White Ogeechee Tupelo trees. The Tupelo tree, also known as the swamp gum tree, is abundant in only a few places in the country including Northwestern Florida, Southern Georgia and Louisiana. Beekeepers load their beehives on barges and float them in the swamp for the 3-week blooming period, being careful to avoid the alligators lurking in those waters. The little flowers are very delicate and can be easily destroyed by high winds or severe rain. This is why the demand for Tupelo honey will always exceed the supply! 

Tupelo Blossom
Tupelo Trees

Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008

Try this Tupelo Honey Recipe:

Tupelo Honey Grilled Salmon

Grilled Salmon
Drizzle of Tupelo Honey Glaze
Grandchildren ready for a taste of the Tupelo Honey Grilled Salmon.

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The Colors of Honey

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Dallas Garden Buzz

May 19, 2021

Take a quick look at the six jars of honey shown above. What did you notice? If the first thing that caught your eye were the different colors, then a brief description of honey’s relative visual properties might provide some insightful information. And, yes, it’s true that most of us generally choose honey based on color.

Honey Colors

The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies commercial honey (the jars you typically find in the grocery store) into 7 color categories:

*Water White (0 mm – 8 mm) (Colorless and transparent)

*Extra White (8 mm – 17 mm) (Very light-yellow tint while remaining transparent)

*White (17 mm – 34 mm) (Slightly more yellow/very light amber, also transparent)

*Extra Light Amber (34 mm – 50 mm) (Transparent with a light orange/amber hue)

*Light Amber (50 mm – 85 mm) (Deeper orange /amber hue, not fully transparent)

*Amber (85 mm – 114mm) (Deep orange color and not transparent)

*Dark Amber (114 mm – 140 mm) (Very dark and opaque, referred to as “motor oil black”)

How Honey Color is Measured 

The color of honey is typically measured using a continuous scale known as the Pfund scale of measurement. The scale consists of a glass wedge that varies in its color from lightest to darkest amber. The honey to be evaluated is poured into another wedge-shaped container and then the color is compared with the amber scale. The place where the color of the honey matches closest to the scale is then marked as the result. The final measurement is thus given in a number ranging from 0 to 140 mm (according to the scale length where the match occurs). 

What Determines Color?

The color of honey is determined by its floral source, or blossoms of the nectar, and mineral content. Honeybees forage for both nectar and pollen. Nectar is the bee’s source of energy while pollen provides protein and other nutrients. As the bee forages, pollen grains collect on its head. The bee then uses its front legs to transfer the pollen to the pollen baskets located on its hind legs. Bees mix dry pollen with nectar to compact the pollen in the pollen basket. Honey, therefore, gets its color from the pollen that a hive gathers to make it. 

Light colored honeys like citrus, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus and thyme contain high amounts of calcium. Darker honeys contain higher amounts of potassium, chlorine, sulfur, sodium, iron, manganese and magnesium. Iron is what gives buckwheat honey its deep brown color. 

Lighter-colored honeys generally have a milder flavor but with a pronounced floral aroma often accompanied by herbal, spice, vanilla, butterscotch or other enticing flavor notes. As the honey gets darker in color, the aroma and taste become more distinctive. All honey tends to deepen in color as it ages, but this change does not affect its flavor.

Finally, it is important to keep in mind that soil, climate, water, wind and sun all contribute to every honey’s sensory attributes, including color, aroma and flavor. This unpredictable mosaic of natural conditions is a gentle reminder of the ever-changing profile of varietal honey. Clover honey from this year may surprise your taste buds with a slightly different flavor profile in the future. 

(Honeybee gathering nectar from Sage blossoms)

Examples of light honey floral sources:

*Sage

*Clover

*Fireweed

*Cotton

*Acacia

*Alfalfa

*Apple Blossom

*Blackberry

*Blueberry

*Palmetto

*Tupelo

Examples of dark honey floral sources:

*Buckwheat

*Avocado

*Chestnut

*Dandelion

*Huckleberry

*Manuka 

*Tulip

Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008

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Have you heard? Here’s what all the buzz is about!

Posted on May 18, 2023 by Dallas Garden Buzz

May 18, 2023

Saturday, May 20th bee lovers from all over the globe will gather in Rome, Italy to celebrate bees and their importance. It also serves as a chance to raise awareness of the ongoing increasing threat against them from human activity.

The theme this year is “Bee engaged in pollinator-friendly agricultural production”. One of the featured speakers during the Friday, May 19th pre-event is well-known Texas professional beekeeper, Erika Thompson of Texas Beeworks. She will be speaking on behalf of bees and beekeepers at the United Nations in Rome. The title of her presentation is Saving Bees and Pollinators. 

For more information and to register for the webcast, google World Bee Day 2023.

Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008

To celebrate World Bee Day, we will post another monthly bee article tomorrow.

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Scenes From Harvesting Red Potatoes

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Dallas Garden Buzz

May 17, 2023

Mark Jones demonstrating how to dig under the potatoes and lift them out to minimize damage.

These potatoes were hilled up with compost but we did not add any support to keep the compost in place and they peeked out of the soil. The skin became scaly. 

Ruth Klein with a gigantic red potato

Ruth Klein and Yuliana Rivas Garcia digging up potatoes

It is fun when the potatoes pop up out of the soil.

We improvised to keep the compost from sliding off after we hilled up the potatoes. The added layers of compost increase yield and keep the potatoes from being exposed to the sun.

Cynthia Jones preparing just over 68 pounds of Red La Soda potatoes for North Dallas Shared Ministries Food Pantry.

Beverly Allen, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2018

Red La Soda and Kennebec potatoes were planted in February

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