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GARDENING BACKYARD
HOW TO GET A LOT FROM YOUR PLOT by Barbara Pleasant
glows green from years of use, it’s possible to quickly turn dreams of bountiful organic harvests into a reality. Even small gardens can be surprisingly pro- ductive, sometimes yielding enough squash to feed the neighborhood. These 10 tips will help you reap top harvests of superb vegetables and herbs.
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Shop from Your Garden First. After a lifetime of buying food in stores, you may need to change your shopping habits to accommodate the stream of veggies from your own produce patch. It makes sense to shop there first. When you plan meals based upon your garden’s abundance, much less over- ripe produce ends up as compost.
Spread on the Mulch. Everywhere but in the subtropics, rain often becomes scarce in summer, so do everything you can to keep plants supplied with consistent moisture. Tomatoes, in particular, are sensitive to changes in soil moisture that can lead to black spots on the bottoms of ripening fruits. In any climate, drip irrigation from soaker hoses on the surface makes watering easy and efficient. Covering the hoses with mulch reduces surface evaporation and discourages weeds at the same time.
Harvest Often. From snap beans to zucchini, vegetables will be longer and stronger if you keep them picked. Gather
28 NA Pensacola/FWB Emerald Coast
hether this is your first year growing a kitchen garden or your thumb
what’s ripe at least three times a week. Early morning is the best time to gather garden-fresh veggies.
Make Plenty of Pesto. A fast-growing annual herb that loves hot weather, basil will keep producing new leaves over a lon- ger time if you harvest big bunches just as the plants develop buds and flowers (the flowers are edible, too). If you have too much basil to use right away, purée washed leaves with olive oil and lemon juice, then cover with water in ice cube trays and freeze. Store the hard cubes in freezer bags for use in making pesto during non-harvest months.
Squeeze Tomatoes. In choosing your favorite tomatoes, taste them fairly by keeping them in a warm place because cool temperatures can destroy their flavor compounds. In addition to watching the vines for ripe colors, make a habit of gently squeezing tomatoes to judge their firmness, the same way you might check an avocado or peach. Heirloom varieties, in particular, are at their best just as they begin to soften, but may become mealy if you wait too long.
Taste Local Favorites. Trying new crops is always fun, espe- cially if you know they grow well in your region. To learn
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