Food-Gardening Lessons From A Wartime Victory Garden

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Author: JESSIE KEITH

Plants are the lens Jessie views the world through because they’re all-sustaining. (“They feed, clothe, house and heal us. They produce the air we breathe and even make us smell pretty.”) She’s a garden writer and photographer with degrees in both horticulture and plant biology from Purdue and Michigan State Universities. Her degrees were bolstered by internships at Longwood Gardens and the American Horticultural Society. She has since worked for many horticultural institutions and companies and now manages communications for Sun Gro Horticulture, the parent company of Black Gold. Her joy is sharing all things green and lovely with her two daughters.

Managing Watermelon Black Rot

“I lost all of my watermelons to black rot. How can I prevent this next year?” Question from Tina of Holley, New York.

Answer: I am so sorry! The excess moisture of the season has caused extra problems for fruit and veggie growers out East. Black rot on watermelon (more commonly called “gummy stem blight” (GSB)) is a nasty disease caused by the fungus, Didymella bryoniae. Not only does it attack watermelon, but it infects all cucurbits (cantaloupe, squash, cucumbers, etc.). Thankfully, there are several steps you can take to managing it in the future.

  1. Clean up: Remove all vines and debris infected with GSB, and bag and dispose of them in a sanitary manner. Never compost them. GSB will hang out on any old infected crop litter, ready to infect more veggies.
  2. Rotate: Refrain from growing melons for at least three years in the spot where you experienced GSB.
  3. Seed: Purchased seed can be infected with GSB without you knowing it. Be sure to buy seeds from good seed companies that will ensure their seed is GSB-free.
  4. Nursery seedlings: If you buy your watermelon as seedling starts from a nursery, inspect them first. Seedlings with GSB will show several telltale symptoms: dead areas on leaf edges, and oozing-water-soaked areas on the stems. Basically, if seedlings don’t look perfectly healthy, something’s wrong.
  5. Raise planting areas: Raising your planting area can help keep roots from becoming waterlogged and plants drier. Also, plant them in full sun and areas with high air flow. This may help them better resist the disease in the field.
  6. Keep beds well weeded: Some weeds are carriers of GSB, so clean beds are better beds.
  7. Monitoring: Monitor plants for any signs of GSB. Look for oozy, gummy stem lesions, leaves with dead edges and spots (with concentric circles in the spots), and the beginnings of fruit lesions. (Click here for images.) Remove plants immediately if they have GSB.
  8. Fungicide application: Several fungicides can manage GSB, but all are highly toxic. (Learn more here.) Sadly, no organic options work, yet.
  9. Post-harvest storage: GSB infection can also occur on the skin of just-picked watermelon that look okay. Avoid damaging melon skins after harvest, and store fruits at 45°F–50°F to prevent black rot after harvest.

Work is being done to find resistant watermelon varieties, but none have hit the market so far. Good luck, and keep us posted on your melon growing next year.

Best, Jessie

Watermelon black rot is a devastating disease!

 

 

Weeds as pH Indicator Plants

“Is there any way to tell if you soil is acidic or alkaline, by the weeds that grow instead of a soil sample?” Question by Barbara of Youngstown, Ohio

Answer: This is an interesting question, but sadly the answer is, not really. Still, there are some great sources that can help you easily determine your soil’s pH.

Here’s Why…

Lots of research has been done on ecological “indicator” species, but many complex factors are at play in assigning true indicator species, such as climate, topography, soil pH, soil composition, competing plant species, etc. Weeds are never assigned as indicator species because weeds quickly adapt to new environments or changes in the environment.

According to a comprehensive research piece titled Weeds as Indicators: “Weed species or communities must not be used as [soil] indicators. The use of plants as indicators for soil types was sometimes successful (Ellenberg 1951; Meisel 1960; Hilbig 1967; Kuhn 1973; Weller 1978), but often without good results and therefore followed by the conclusion that weeds cannot be used as indicators.”

Don’t despair!

The Ohio State University Extension Service offers great soil testing services (Click here to learn how). I also encourage you to check out the USDA’s Web Soil Survey (Click here to view). They have “soil maps and data available online for more than 95 percent of the nation’s counties.” Pretty cool!

I hope this helps!

Happy Gardening, Jessie

Melon Growing Problems

‘Little Baby’ Flower is super early and high yielding. (My kids love them!)

“Second year trying to grow melons. Can’t seem to get fruit, and if I get one it’s too late for the growing season. Is it a lack of pollination…I always plant them early. Thanks!” Question by Chris of Orange, Connecticut

Answer: It’s so frustrating when you get lots of vine and no fruit. Several factors could be at play, whether you are growing watermelons or muskmelons. Let’s start with the essentials for good melon growth. Melons need:

1. At least 8 hours of full sun

2. Warm summer weather

3. Fertile, well-drained soil with excellent drainage

4. Quality fertilizer formulated for fruiting veggies

5. Reliable pollination

6. Plenty of space

7. Good variety selection for a given region

First, choose early fruiting varieties that will yield fast to ensure you get a reliable crop. ‘Early Granite‘ is a super early-to-ripen muskmelon to try, and ‘Little Baby Flower‘ is very early and my favorite ice-box-sized watermelon. Both are also high yielding.

Next, make sure you are meeting all of the cultural requirements. Planting melons in well-amended mounds (I amend with OMRI Listed Black Gold Garden Compost Blend) that are well-fertilized really helps. Sun and warmth are essential.

Finally, make sure they are getting pollinated. Melons have two flower types, male and female, and they are strictly bee pollinated. The male flowers (these have no underdeveloped melons at the base) are produced first, followed by the female blooms (these have underdeveloped fruits at the base). If you see female blooms on your plants, and no bees, lack of pollinators could be the problem.

Without pollination, the developing fruits just shrivel. You can try a hand-pollinating method, if you think this is the problem. Simply use a small brush to move pollen from a newly opened male flower to a newly opened female flower. It’s fast, easy, and will yield melons!

I also recommend you watch our recent video about melon growing! Happy Gardening, Jessie Keith

 

Help! Tomato White Heart Disorder!

The right soil and irrigation water pH is essential for good tomato production.

“I am growing in raised beds and hydroponically in EarthBoxes. Nothing does very well and tomatoes are horrid with hard white cores. I recently found the water from our community well tests at 8.6 pH. I am wondering if your peat formula would buffer the high water pH. Right now I am using the organic formula in the boxes. I would like to use all earth boxes to grow in as I am a senior with mobility limitations. Your suggestions please.” Question from Patricia of Eagle, Hawaii.

Answer: High pH is certainly causing your crops troubles. Tomato “white heart” or “white core” is very unpleasant, but this physiological disorder can be overcome. It is believed to be caused by nutrient deficiencies due to soil pH problems and/or extreme weather. Several studies point to potassium deficiency as being the primary cause. Tomato choice may also play a role. Many older/heirloom tomato varieties with large seed cavities appear to be more susceptible to tomato white heart disorder.

Tomatoes grow and produce best in soils with a slightly acid pH between 6.0 to 6.8. This is what you need to shoot for in your growing. We add dolomite lime to our peat mixes to naturally raise the pH to a more neutral range, but Black Gold Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss contains pure peat moss, so we do recommend blending this with our compost blend and perlite (a ratio of 3:1:1, peat, compost, perlite would work well), if you want to blend your own mix. Adding a good fertilizer formulated for tomatoes is also essential.

I also recommend you adjust the pH of your irrigation water. Check out this free webinar about adjusting irrigation water pH: Free Webinar: Tools for Adjusting Water pH Alkalinity from Penn State Extension.

Finally, choose newer, high-performing tomato varieties with smaller seed cavities. The varieties ‘Delicious‘, ‘Pink Passion‘, or any new cherry tomato on the market would be good choices.

I hope this helps!!! Keep us posted on your progress.

Happy gardening, Jessie

Spaghetti Squash Care

“I planted spaghetti squash and just got my first flowers! I have been told the first flowers are male. Do I need to do anything to ensure I get lots of squash?” Question from Deborah of Powder Springs, Georgia.

Answer: Yes! Male flowers appear first, followed by female flowers along the vine tips, once the vines get to a substantial size. You will recognize the female flowers immediately because they will have tiny immature fruits at the base of each flower.

To get lots of squash, watch to be sure the female flowers are getting pollinated by lots of visiting bees. Pollination is essential for fruit production. Also, be sure to feed the plants with a good fertilizer to encourage fruiting.

Keep your plants happy and well cared for and they should produce lots of delicious squash for you!!

Happy gardening!

Jessie

Raised Bed Soil Enrichment

Organic matter will greatly increase the water-holding ability of any soil. (Image by Jessie Keith)

“What can I incorporate in my soil on an elevated bed to help retain moisture? It’s very hard to keep soil moist.” Question by David of Brookville, Ohio

Answer: Organic matter, organic matter, organic matter! Amendments rich in organic matter have high water holding ability and keep soil porous to create the best possible environment for root development. Amendments with excellent water-holding capacity include compost, peat moss, coconut coir, and earthworm castings. (Check out Black Gold’s suite of OMRI Listed soil amendments for organic gardening.) Add products such as these to your raised beds in the beginning of the season at a 2:1 ratio of amendment to soil. Then mulch with a thick layer of compost or straw to keep weeds down and further hold water. If you do this, your beds will hold water really well!

Happy Gardening! Jessie

Creeping Jenny Removal

Creeping Jenny (Image by Kurt Stüber)

“I have been trying for years to eliminate the creeping jenny that is seeming to take over my garden and flower bed with no success. What is the best way to get rid of it?” Question from Brenda of Peterson, Iowa

Answer: Such a pretty plant…such a pain to remove when you want it gone. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) is a pretty but aggressive groundcover that can take over garden areas pronto, especially if your garden ground is moist and fertile.  The golden cultivar is most commonly planted.

The creeping stems root along the ground and spread quickly. If your plants bloom, they are setting seed, too. The plants are fairly shallow rooted, so I recommend taking a flat, sharp spade and manually cutting out plants from underneath. (They don’t respond well to weed killers.). Then cover the areas of removal with thick organic mulch to discourage small undetected stem pieces from re-rooting and seeds from sprouting. Have you observed any in your lawn?

Happy Gardening! Jessie

 

How to Store Weed Killers

“Have any studies been done to determine if bags of weedkiller “offgas” and contaminate any seed starter/potting soil/etc. stored nearby?” Question from Julie of Hortonville, Wisconsin.

Answer: Not any comprehensive study we can find. The ability for an herbicide to offgas would depend on the product. We recommend looking up the SDS or MSDS for each weed killer in question to determine its ability to give off harmful gas. You might also contact the maker of the weed killer in question and ask.

But, good storage of garden chemicals and potting soils can remove any worry you might have. Store them in large, covered plastic bins and keep everything separate. When I managed a greenhouse, I purchased plastic-topped storage bins on wheels to store my mix components, and any chemicals were kept covered and far from where the planting action occurred.

Happy Gardening! Jessie

Help Me Find Sweet Shrub

Sweetshrub

“I grew up with “sweet scrubs”. I can’t find them anywhere.” Question from Judy of Louisville, Mississippi

Answer: I bet you are talking about the eastern and southern US native shrub, sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus). It’s unusual flowers smell very sweet, almost  like strawberries. Does it look right? If so, it can be purchased at many native plant nurseries.

Happy Gardening! Jessie

My Tomato Containers are Not Producing

“I have tomatoes in pots on my deck but they haven’t bloomed. The plants are beautiful. I water frequently. I used Miracle Grow potting soil. The tomatoes in the garden are fruiting. I live in Texas, it’s very hot this year.Where did I go wrong? Question from Donna of Cross Plains, Texas


Answer:  Tomato containers are always more demanding. These veggies are heavy feeders and drinkers, so they need large containers with plenty of space, everyday water and diligent feeding, which it sounds like you are providing. So, high heat is most certainly the problem. Most tomatoes are sensitive to temperatures above 95 degrees and many varieties stop producing when days ans nights remain too hot. This is especially the case with container-grown tomatoes because their roots are more exposed to ambient heat.

Water and feed your tomatoes well, place them under shade during the hottest time of day and they should perk up once temperatures cool down. You also might consider planting them in the ground and see if they come around. Tell me how they do!

We also recommend a soil with high water-holding capacity, like Black Gold All Purpose Potting Mix, which feeds plants for up to 6 months! We also encourage you watch our video about how to grow great tomatoes in containers (below)!

Happy Gardening, Jessie