Phase II: Green Leafy Things (plus post-Irene update)

So, that was an interesting week. I like how it also falls to the local TV weatherperson to explain earthquakes to viewers at home. I guess they have access to the maps in the studio? Took more than one gen-ed science class in college?

I got my comeuppance with my mocking of the earthquake earlier this week when the pepper plants really did topple almost completely out of the ground during Irene. The biggest plant is about an inch around at the base, so snapping completely in half would have taken a lot more wind. Some creative emergency trellising and we're back in the vertical position. The largest basil plant also was uprooted but I could just tamp that back down.

All in all, the neighborhood's plant life fared fine - nothing I would even categorize as a branch, let alone limb, came off a tree. Glad we got those oak saplings lo those many years ago.

I am a bit concerned that the insane amount of rain will drown out the seeds I planted last week for what will be the Green Leafy stage of the season. I sowed some chard along with more fennel, and started bok choi in the basement (or, if you prefer, bok choy, or pak choi, or even pak choy. Or Chinese cabbage). It's total guesswork here when to start these plants I feel with fall around here. It could be hotter than hell into September, or get really hot in the middle of October and force these guys to bolt. I'm holding off on the kale we'll plant until later, probably the end of September after the basil starts to go south. The chard should deal with potential early-fall heat better than the kale, and given I've seen boxes of kale being grown around Columbia Heights more or less in the middle of winter, I'm not too worried about waiting longer for it.

The bok choi isn't futzing around, by the way. It had germinated in two days after I put it under the desk lamp. In another day - bam! - sprouts.

Now for the ever-exciting compost update, How's It Rotting? Pretty well, actually. The "browns" of the can -- the sticks, leaves, etc -- have broken down almost completely, taking much of the paper with them. The compost was almost ready to use for the second planting but wasn't quite there. It probably will be come kale time, but truly will come in handy when we need to re-enrich the topsoil early next spring. If I had been better about watering the can it may have been ready now, but I don't think the tomatoes were that big of nutrients whores. Another dose of blood meal and compost tea should do the job.

Breaking News: Pepper Plant Listing in Green Line Garden after Earthquake

Today's magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook the nerves and strained the quadriceps of Washington's office workers forced to take the stairs to the safety of standing under plate-glass windows. It also, apparently, did major structural damage to the Green Line Garden. Reporters in the field have indicated that a poblano pepper plant within the garden is listing precariously after the temblor, and may be in danger of collapse.

Steps are being taken, garden officials stated, to ensure the safety of nearby plants and passers-by.

Fox News, meanwhile, is reporting that the lower raised bed of Green Line Garden has collapsed entirely and an enormous crack in the earth has swallowed up the thai basil plant. These reports could be independently verified.

Taste Tomatoes Saturday @ Silver Spring

From the Field to Fork Network e-letter:

4th Annual Washington Gardener Magazine Tomato Tasting - August 20th 

Kathy Jentz, Editor of Washington Gardener Magazine’s invites her fellow garden communicators to the 4th Annual of Washington Gardener Magazine Tomato Tasting on Saturday, August 20 from 10:00am-12:00 noon. 

Sample the multitude of tomatoes at market and vote on your favorites. Stop by for tomato recipes, growing tips, and much more... 

The event is Free and open to the public. It takes place at the FreshFarm Market in downtown Silver Spring, MD. Wear a bib!

 The FreshFarm Market is set up on the street between the Borders and the row of restaurants in the commercial district of downtown Silver Spring. The market's pretty meh and in kind of a weird spot because there's a Whole Foods right there. Well, whatever. Go slop all over yourself.

A long-overdue reader request

Enjoy.

The slow, steady decline of the tomato plants

I've ripped all the large tomato plants out of the raised beds. The decline I described at the end of July progressively got worse, and the plants ended up as stringy stalks with a few sad leaves at the end. When the tomatoes started to decline in quality, too, it was time to pull the plug. The yellow cherry tomatoes started to pucker from a lack of water, suggesting that the fungus-based disease diagnosis may be the correct one. The infection interferes with the plant's ability to transfer water upward from the stalks.

  

The ripening tomatoes here were among the last of the crop. The stupice started to get splotchy and misshapen a few weeks ago and that was that. The last of the yellow cherry tomatoes held on until last week, when I hacked it apart and yanked it out.

Container planting, I'm sure, can be successful in its own way. But in the raised beds the tomatoes really had a chance to lay down roots:

The paper tube under my hand is the original defense against cutworms. The stalks of the plant more or less filled up the cylinder.

The plants grew so wildly that I had to cut them up with pruning shears to remove them from the beds. The trellises I put up were almost complete failures, listing uselessly toward the car pad. The anti-rat fence I hastily erected ended up doing just as much of the work. So if you're ever debating between those cheaper swinging-gate type wire trellises and the more expensive round ones, go round. Or don't try to get too creative with the cheap guys and make them into simply triangles for single plants. 

Even with the bulk of the plants gone, we still have a crapload of tomatoes. The two plants I didn't get around to trellising are still hanging in there, producing delicious black pearl cherries -- which are my favorite of the varieties we did. We still had enough to can three pints, make a large tomato gratin, and throw together a quick salsa.  

Bruce Monroe Community Garden is Filling Up

As of last count, 46 of the 55 plots planned at Bruce Monroe Community Garden are reserved. So hurry up and lay your $30 down.

Food porn -- Gazpacho

Soak it in...Yeah. Hells yeah.

  

Per Jose Andres (actually his wife's) recipe in Tapas. Usual deal -- tomatoes, cucumber, peppers. garlic -- but with lots more olive oil, some sherry vinegar, and all whacked in the blender before chilled. I used some home-grown poblano peppers rather than bell, and Persian cukes that I got at the DuPont Circle farmers' market because they are awesome. It's yellow because of (1) the olive oil (2) a few yellow cherry tomatoes I threw in and (3) the stupice, when blended, are a weak pink color.