TDN Newsletter: 6-7-13

First Ever "Fall-Winter" Tomato Line-Up!  June 7, 2013

Dear Gardening Friends, We hope this finds you happy and in "full harvest mode" in your gardens!  While thinking about this Newsletter, it occurred to me that so far, this has been a year of trying big new things here at the Nursery.  And here's possibly the biggest one:   ANNOUNCING OUR FIRST EVER   "FALL-WINTER" TOMATO LINE-UP!! We get so many requests for them, and we know that many of the varieties which we already grow will do well in the cooler climate, so we decided to jump in! Click here to see the full line-up: Click the image above to see the line-up!  Pre-Sale Winter Tomatoes     As of today, they are available for Pre-Sale on our website with pick-ups beginning at our upcoming Winter Tomato Open House on Wednesday, August 26th, here at the Home Nursery. Click here for details. They'll also be available on our regular Wednesdays and Fridays at the Nursery, plus at our Farmers Markets on the weekends. We'll have some of the gorgeous Purple/Blacks, some exciting new Reds, a stunning Orange (you know how we love our Orange tomatoes!!), and a beautiful new Bi-Color, 16 in all. We do hope you'll try them with us, and then report your results!! We all learn best when we share our growing experiences!   (Above from L to R: Anna Russian, Valencia, and Vorlon)    We've been enjoying a great Summer season and have expanded to 36 EarthBoxes and 26 Smart Pots. This has been possible, of course, because we now have more help here at the Nursery; our assistant, Elliot, has been a tremendous help in getting my ever-expanding wish list planted and logged!  Most recently, he planted two more EarthBoxes of Beans (Dragon Tongue and Royal Burgundy) and another EB of Summer Squash...yes, there's still time!   Tomato Harvest  Our experiment of planting just one large-fruited tomato variety in an EarthBox has been a huge success...we are trying out Japanese Black Trifele, Kellogg's Breakfast and Pink Berkeley Tie-Dye this way, and WOW, the production has been fantastic!  We've harvested close to 40 tomatoes from Japanese Black Trifele already!  Planting 2 smaller-fruited varieties per EarthBox works just fine; our Sun Golds and Gardener's Delights have been incredibly abundant...we will definitely continue this method with our Winter varieties!   "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." ~Mohandas K. Gandhi  We also planted many of our new veggie varieties this season: Dragon Tongue, Blue Coco and Black Turtle Beans, Little Fingers Eggplant (oh my gosh, they are prolific!!!), Candy Roaster, Bush Buttercup and Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck Winter Squash, Small Sugar Pumpkin (we have 4 just now turning orange!) and Crimson Sweet Watermelon (we have two sizing up nicely right now!)   Photos from Left to Right: Watermelon, Butternut Squash, Little Fingers Eggplant  Seeing so much EarthBox production, I got to wondering whether they would all like a fertilizer boost... I mean, some of the plants are enormous, and it IS a small amount of soil... so we are experimenting now by reaching up under the mulch covers and adding Black Gold Tomato & Veggie Fertilizer, and then watering it all in real well with Great Big Tomatoes Liquid Compost.  We'll be watching to see if we get a noticeable boost in production and will let you know in the next Newsletter. Corn Update!   Of course, another big experiment has been the Hand-Pollination of not only our Glass Gem Popcorn, but our Bon Jour as well!! Wow, what an education!  We're working with Sydney on a fun and informative video about the procedures involved.  Stay tuned!!             Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!! Another experiment we're about to undertake: I got to thinking, while looking at this beautiful crop of Yukon Gold Potato plants, that it would be so nice if Smart Pot made a taller bag.... I mean, in the ground, you'd keep hilling the potato vines for as long as you could (more vines underground means more potatoes)...so, I called 'em up!  They are really great folks, and they immediately asked what dimensions I had in mind, and I told them 24" diameter x 24" high.  That's basically their 30-gallon pot, but with 9 more inches of height. I told them I'd count the harvest from this standard 30-gallon, and compare it to the yield from their custom sized sample and report it all in our Newsletter. They liked the idea and made it up lickity split, and it arrived today! Next week we'll plant out a round of Yukons in it, and we'll let you (and Smart Pot) know the results as soon as we have them. Thanks, Smart Pot!! Jumping into some Food Preservation!     Click Here to go to the Facebook Photo Gallery!  Alex eats a lot of jam, and I love to grow a ton of beans...it's as simple as that! And we grow way too many tomatoes to be able to eat or give away. We've been saying for several Summers now that we're going to start canning and freezing. Well, about a month ago, Sydney and I took a Canning Class at the Urban Homestead in Pasadena; it was a really info-packed evening, and we came away with jars of 3 different types of canned food: Apricot Jam, Canned Peaches and Dilly Beans...each requiring a different process to make. I didn't want to lose the enthusiasm, so that very weekend, Alex and I began our canning career making Blackberry and Strawberry Jams. The next weekend, we canned Peaches and made Peach Jam. And the next weekend, we made more Canned Peaches, more Strawberry Jam, and a few jars of Strawberry Preserves!! Click Here to go to the Facebook Photo Gallery! Meanwhile, I've now frozen three 2-lb. bags of fresh Green Beans (all varieties) and one 3-lb. bag of Heirloom Tomatoes.  What fun!  And it's so pretty to look at! Click Here to go to the Facebook Photo Gallery!    Click Here to go to the Facebook Photo Gallery!

Next up on our to-do list:  Pickled Peppers, Pickled Beets, and preserving our Garlic harvest!  I recently harvested our Garlic Crop for this year...came out pretty well. It's "curing" in the garage now, and I've decided to try a method of preserving I found on the Internet on a lovely blog called Barefoot in the Kitchen.  (This link also includes a little video on that amazing 10-second garlic peeling method you might have heard about on NPR.) Basically, you peel and wash & dry the cloves, pack them into sterile canning jars, cover with boiling white vinegar, seal and water bathe for 10 minutes.They say the garlic's natural oils don't allow the vinegar flavor to penetrate, and that garlic will keep for up to a year.          I'm very excited about the prospect of having ready garlic on hand all year!  We'll post photos of it next Newsletter!   Now for the Not-So-Nice: As always, at this time of the year, we get lots of glorious reviews (and photos) about our customers own gardens. AND we also get the same questions and concerns over and over. We've covered these points pretty extensively in our Tomato Tips on the website, but here's some quick comments:   Blossom End Rot -Very common. Result of insufficient calcium in the soil. Even happens in the EarthBox from time to time. Some varieties are more susceptible. Can be corrected by adding more Dolomite Lime, but don't delay!     Tomato Hornworms - This crazy looking creature has a voracious appetite  and can defoliate a huge tomato plant practically overnight. In our region of the country, we are actually plagued with the Tobacco Hornworm. They can eat up your peppers, too. Keep a keen eye out for the worm's poop, and then check the foliage just above... Check frequently, and hand pick!!   Known by lots of different names, this Cabbage Moth is a little devil on  wings! It flits around the garden, pretending to be a pretty butterfly, lights momentarily, lays eggs, and wham!! Your basil, lettuce and other delicates are chewed to bits!! We've lost a fair amount of inventory to these guys. Try to swat them out of the garden (Alex keeps a racquet nearby), look for the poop and hand pick these little inchworms. Customer's Brag Book: Even though our Market friend, Robin, didn't "grow" his little friend, we must start the Brag Book this month with Winston!!  I swooned, he is so cute!! He's a little Pot Bellied Pig, and he got to come to the Market with his Dad a few weeks ago. The peaches we canned were grown by Robin and his family!           (Above) Winston the Pig!! ~Click on the photos for larger image~     (Above) Todd's new horseshoe bed ~Click on the photos for larger image~             (Above) Westlake customers, Jim and Tami's amazing harvest  ~Click on the photos for larger image~  (Above) La Canada Customer, Mark's abundant tomato harvest ~Click on the photos for larger image~   (Above)  Westlake Customer, Leslie's tomatoes and pumpkin ~Click on the photos for larger image~   Our "Welcome Summer" Open House was a lovely affair!  Jake & Lalo had their usual good time soaking up the love.  We do hope you will join us for the Winter Tomato Open House next month!!        That's it for now, stay tuned for updates, and as always, happy harvests!! Jo Anne, Alex, Jake and Lalo

Corn Growing Instructions from Native Seeds SEARCH

Here is an instructional video filmed at 

the Native Seeds/SEARCH farm. 

Corn has both male (tassel) and female (ear) flowers on the same plant. Male flowers on the
tassel mature when anthers emerge from spikelet flowers, and pollen is dispersed through holes
at the tips of the anthers. The tassel is usually fully emerged before any pollen is shed. Pollen
shed begins at the middle of the central spike of the tassel and spreads out later over the whole
tassel with the lower branches last to shed pollen. Pollen shed usually begins two to three days
prior to silk emergence and continues for five to eight days with peak shed on the third day.
Place a paper bag, or specially made silk bag purchased from other sellers, over the ear before
you see any silks emerging from the leaves around the ear. They will continue to grow inside the
bag. Once the silks emerge they are open to receive pollen. You want to control this process and
only allow the silks to receive pollen of your choosing.

On a typical midsummer day, the shedding of pollen is in the morning between 9:00 and 11:00
a.m. Cool, cloudy, humid conditions will delay the onset of daily pollen shed. Gently shake the
corn stalk and you will see the yellow pollen gently fall from the tassle. When you have pollen
shed and silks emerging you can begin hand pollination. Collect ample amounts of pollen in a
paper bag by bending down the stalk and shake the tassel inside. Collecting pollen from more
than one tassel will increase your diversity. You will be able to see a tablespoon or more of
collected pollen inside the bag. Take of the bags that were placed over the ears to expose the
silks. Gently shake the pollen over the silks so that they may contact. You can also use a small
paint brush to brush on the pollen. Make sure it is thoroughly cleaned with hot water and dried
before working with a different variety.

To avoid further pollen from another corn variety place a paper bag over the ear and use a stapler
to keep it closed. The ear will continue to grow inside. You have minimized the ability for
foreign pollen to get inside. You can also write the dates on the paper bags to track the dates of
pollination.

TDN Newsletter: 3-29-13

 

Dear Gardening Friends, Spring is finally here, and we're busier than ever before with a season opening that took us by storm (and by surprise!) Our idea of offering "Pre-Orders" before the Spring Kick-Off Sale & Food Drive proved to be a good one...some 50 pre-orders came in steadily once we announced the line-up of this year's Heirloom Tomato varieties; our patio was filled to capacity! Since many people picked up before the Sale weekend, our driveway was not the usual mob scene it has been in past years. (We were happy as we were running on very little sleep all that week.) We actually had time to talk with folks and not be in a frenzy! We'll definitely do it this way again next year. ~ The Food Drive Results ~ ...were great! We collected 385 pounds of food donations, and a cash collection total of $750!   It was a fun weekend, and this is my favorite photo from the event, taken early Saturday morning...        Thanks again to all who participated and made our   Annual Spring Kick-Off a success!  CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS FROM THE 2013 SPRING TOMATO SALE & FOOD DRIVE    Rebuilding Inventory!   We're working day and night to restore our inventory levels on everything  after the Sale. Last weekend, being the first time we brought Tomatoes to the Markets, was also a wipe-out - we had 27 tomatoes left on the tables at   La Canada Saturday after the dust settled!! This weekend we promise to have: Persian Cukes Beans Lettuces Summer Squash  We'll also have (in limited supply) these great herbs this weekend: Stevia Summer Savory  Sweet Marjoram  Perennial Basil  And next up will be Corn, Melons, Winter Squash & Okra!            TWO Ways to get   YOU involved! 1.) Cherry Tomato Challenge!   VS.         SunSugar                                                           Sun Gold  During my Tomato research, I came across a variety called "SunSugar". It was the top pick by Sunset Magazine, edging out the beloved "Sun Gold"!! According to our seed source, SunSugar really took off after that article, so I bought one pack of seeds. We've grown 6 seedlings of SunSugar which will be ready to plant out in about 2 weeks; we'll plant one out with a Sun Gold in the same EarthBox. I'll plant the same for my Mom, and we've found 2 other customers who will do the same trial.   So we need 2 more volunteers to grow both and   REPORT their findings. We want to know: which was your favorite of the two and WHY: Flavor? Production? Plant Size? Disease Resistance? They don't have to be grown in an EarthBox...just be sure you can grow both of them in the same environment and location (a large-enough raised bed for example, or identical containers, placed side by side) and be sure to take notes and photos! The SunSugar will be free to whoever wants to join in! Just give us a call: 323-422-3835.   We'll post the results & photos in a Fall Newsletter! 2.) AT LAST, GLASS GEM CORN!   ...and a CONTEST!         Many of you probably saw the photos of this incredibly rare and beautiful variety of popcorn called "Glass Gem" going around on Facebook last year. I did, and after some research, I put us on the waiting list (along with about 7,000 others) with the Native Seeds/SEARCH group, and 3 weeks ago we got an email saying we could finally purchase it! I am so excited to grow this special corn (and again I wonder at what my corn-farming grandparents would think : "Multi-colored, translucent popcorn grown in EarthBoxes, out in the front yard! What's she doing now??") Each person on the Waiting List was allowed to only purchase ONE packet with approximately 50 seeds. We plan to fill two EarthBoxes with it, which means we have enough for ONE other customer to do the same. But we wondered, WHO SHOULD IT BE?? ...So we decided to hold a contest...If you are interested in receiving four FREE 6-packs of Glass Gem Corn Seedlings, please email us your 30-second video stating why YOU should win them. You'll grow the corn out, practicing the method of Hand-Pollination to ensure variety purity (linked instructions here), and take lots of photographs along the way! Once harvested, we encourage you to save some seeds for yourself and to share with someone next year. We think this whole experience would be most appreciated in a School (or large Community) Garden where a number of children can experience this amazing expression of Mother Nature's infinite imagination! The Days to Harvest is roughly 110, so remember, we're looking at sometime in mid-July for the harvest...so please don't enter if you plan to be on vacation at that time. Don't delay... The DEADLINE for entries is:  Friday, April 19th!! Shoot your best and email it to twodognursery@gmail.com The seeds were sown today and will be ready to plant out in 3-4 weeks. We'll announce the Winner in our next Newsletter (and include the winning video entry.) Later in the Summer we'll post photos of your process & harvest and of our own, too! Good luck!!! Click here to read the    Glass Gem Back Story    (from Native Seeds/SEARCH)    All Glass Gem Corn photos shown here are copyrighted by Greg Schoen and used with his gracious permission.   Tomato Tragedy? Sometimes, tragedy strikes and a tomato plant gets broken off right at the soil line. Don't panic! When this happens to us, we simply put the upper part into a water bottle filled with a solution of Great Big Tomatoes and voila...new roots!! We love this product and use it to water-in every seed we sow. It's excellent as a soil drench, a foliar spray, and handy to just pour a half-cup right into an EarthBox watering tube!     Often the remaining stub of a plant will re-grow itself, too!   How determined Nature is!! The Garden Party!   For the 3rd year in a row, Two Dog Nursery has been invited to participate in the wonderful Los Angeles Garden Party & Tour given by the Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society. We'll be selling our Organic Seedlings, Blueberries, Fruit Trees and lots of Products once again at the lovely Getty House (official residence of the Mayor of Los Angeles). CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS FROM LAST YEAR'S GARDEN PARTY!     Guests will tour 6 Private Residential Gardens in the Windsor Square-Hancock Park neighborhoods and enjoy a light lunch in the Getty House garden. There will be a lecture on Urban Farming and a demo on Wall Gardens. There will also be a Boutique for purchasing special items, and the event will honor Councilman Tom Labonge! This event always raises an impressive amount of money, and this year, proceeds will be used for "greening" L.A. High School at Olympic & Rimpau Blvds and Third Street Elementary School at 3rd & June Streets. We hope you can join us on   EARTH DAY, April 21st for this fun event! For more info and to purchase tickets online, go to:   www.losangelesgardentour.org  or call 213-243-8182 with questions. Time to Chop, Turn & Plant!   The Roof Top Cover Crop is all flowered-out and ready to chop down. We'll turn under as much of the beautiful "green manure" as will fit in each container, and the rest will come home to our compost bin. In about 2 weeks it will have broken down, and the soil will be ready for us to plant ALL the New Varieties!      CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL OF THE VARIETIES!     NRDC Competition Results: Well, since the big NRDC 40th Anniversary shindig is NEXT Thursday in San Francisco, I guess it's safe to assume Two Dog did not win this year. I'd been holding out hope, but oh well, we'll try again next year. We want very much to go solar and to install a water filtration system at the Nursery, so we'll have to figure out another way. Meanwhile, to those folks who sent such nice Letters of Recommendation on our behalf, our heartfelt thanks! Cabbage Consolation...   It did make me feel better to go out to the "Front Yard Container Farm" and harvest this gorgeous Mammoth Red Rocks Cabbage!      A friend of ours makes the most delicious slaw with  just these 3 ingredients: Olive Oil Lemon Juice Salt It's so light and fresh with juice from our   35 year-old Meyer Lemon tree!

Well friends, that's it for now. We'll see you this weekend at the Markets! Don't forget to let us know if you want to help us "Trial" the SunSugar vs. Sun Gold, and do send in your video entries for the Glass Gem Corn Competition!! Thanks as always, and Happy Harvests, Jo Anne, Alex, Jake & Lalo P.S. Fruit Trees (link to tree page) are selling like mad! Some fun varieties coming with us this weekend:     Cara Cara Orange, Kaffir Lime, Calamondin, Buddha's Hand, Fuji Apple, Panache Fig, Utah Sweet Pomegranate, plus thornless Triple Crown Blackberries! Oh, and Chandler Strawberries, too!  P.S.S. We're hoping to catch a glimpse of our favorite Easter Bunny, Nutmeg, in Westlake Village this Sunday!!     If you haven't got a chance to "LIKE" us on Facebook, please do!! And share our page with your like-minded friends!!

The Story Behind Glass Gem Corn

The Story of Glass Gem Corn

 Like many heirloom treasures, Glass Gem corn has a name, a place, and a story. Its origin traces back to Carl Barnes, a part-Cherokee farmer living in Oklahoma. Barnes had an uncanny knack for corn breeding. More specifically, he excelled at selecting and saving seed from those cobs that exhibited vivid, translucent colors. Exactly how long Barnes worked on Glass Gem-how many successive seasons he carefully chose, saved, and replanted these special seeds-is unknown. But after many years, his painstaking efforts created a wondrous corn cultivar that has now captivated thousands of people around the world.

Approaching the end of his life, Barnes bestowed his precious seed collection to Greg Schoen, his corn-breeding protégé. The weighty responsibility of protecting these seeds was not lost on Schoen. While in the process of moving in 2010, he sought out a place to store a sampling of the collection to ensure its safekeeping. Schoen passed on several unique corn varieties to fellow seedsman Bill McDorman, who was owner at the time of Seeds Trust, a small family seed company then located in central Arizona. (Today, Bill McDorman is Executive Director of Native Seeds/SEARCH.) Curious about the oddly named Glass Gems, he planted a handful of seeds in his garden. The spectacular plants that emerged took him by surprise. "I was blown away," McDorman recalls. "No one had ever seen corn like this before."

All Glass Gem Corn photos shown here are copyrighted by Greg Schoen and used with his gracious permission.