Hand Pollinating Squash

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Jay White

A squash vine borer moth in Patty Leander’s garden. Photo by Bruce Leander

Squash vine borers are just horrible in my part of Texas. Because of this, it is almost impossible to get a great crop of any of the standard summer squash varieties grown in our area (yellow crookneck, zucchini or patty pan). As I talk to people, I get more questions about how to control this destructive little pest than any other. Quite frankly, if you are an organic grower, there is not much you can do to beat the borer besides growing your plants under row cover (if you are not organic, Sevin dust does a fairly decent job of keeping borers away, but it needs to be applied every four or five days). If you properly grow under row cover you will definitely stop the vine borer. However, you will also prevent bees and other pollinators from reaching the plants. Because of this, if you want any fruit, you will be forced to pollinate your plants by hand. Luckily, hand pollination of squash plants is very easy to do.

A female acorn squash flower in my garden. Notice the small, developing acorn squash under the flower.

Flower Identification – Hand pollination of squash blossoms requires no special skills or tools. All you have to do is be able to identify male and female flowers. On squash, this is very easy to do. Female flowers will always have a tiny fruit under the flower.

Up close view of the stigma of a female acorn squash flower

Male flowers grow on a long narrow stem. You can also tell the two apart by looking at the reproductive organs found in the center of the flower. The female flowers contain the stigma. The stigma generally looks like a flower in its own right. It has several “bumpy structures” that cluster around a central opening. Anthers (male parts) look a lot like the thing my wife uses to apply eye shadow.

Up close view of the anther on this male squash flower

Hand Pollination – When growing under row cover you will need to pollinate as soon as the flowers begin to open. When this happens, roll back your cover and find a male flower. Cut it off where the flower stem meets the main stem of the plant. Next, gently remove all of the petals from the flower. Once the petals are gone you are left with a stem and exposed anther that is about 4” to 6” long.

The anther and stem of the male plant will be used to “paint” the pollen onto the stigma of the female

Now find a female flower and use your stem and anther to “paint” the stigma in the center of the female flower. Gently rub the anther over the stigma a few times. Then go on to the next female flower. Each anther can be used to pollinate approximately five flowers.

“Painting” the stigma

Caution – A fellow gardener once told me that they were crushed to find a vine borer trapped under their row cover after they had hand pollinated. If this happens to you don’t worry. While it is best if you can keep your squash plant bug free for its entire life, a mature squash plant can usually “outgrow” a worms infestation if the eggs are not laid until after pollination occurs. Because of this, many gardeners that grow under cover often remove the cover completely when the pollination is done.

If you want to keep the cover on throghout the life cycle, work with a buddy and pollinate in the late afternoon (borers are most active before noon). Roll back the cover and quickly harvest several male flowers. Put the cover back in place as you strip the petals from the male flowers. When you have all of the anthers exposed quickly pull the cover back and pollinate all of the female flowers at one time, then quickly put the cover back in place and anchor the sides to the soil.

Squash being grown under cover in Patty Leander’s garden. Photo by Bruce Leander

This method of hand pollination is a great tool to master and you can use it for all of your cucrubits. If you do it right, I am convinced it will increase your yields This fall I grew acorn squash. Since we have been short on bees, I did a small experiment. I hand pollinated half of my vines and let nature pollinate the other half. I got almost a 100% yield from the flowers I pollinated. Mother Nature was only successful about half the time.

Soak, Rinse, Drain, Eat, Repeat – Growing Sprouts by Patty G Leander

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Jay White

These alfalfa sprouts are ready to enjoy. Photo by Bruce Leander

How are you doing with those New Year’s Resolutions? Did you resolve to eat and/or grow more vegetables? If so, here’s a simple way to do both: grow your own sprouts! Sprouts can be grown any time of year and are always in season, but are especially rewarding when winter days are cold and dreary. They are easy to grow, nutritious, and are ready to eat in only 4-6 days.

Except the seeds, you probably already have all you need to grow sprouts. Photo by Bruce Leander

With the exception of the seeds themselves, you probably already have the supplies you need right there in your kitchen. Seeds can be purchased online and you can often find sprouting seeds in the bulk section of natural food stores or at your local nursery. Popular seeds for sprouting include alfalfa, daikon radish, kale, mustard, broccoli, lentils and mung beans For the purpose of growing sprouts it’s important to use organic or untreated seeds that are sold specifically for sprouting. A few of my favorite online sources for sprouting seeds and supplies include Sprout People (www.sproutpeople.com), Johnny’s Seeds (www.johnnyseeds.com) and Pinetree Seeds (www.superseeds.com).

The lid of this jar is specifically designed for sprouting. however, you can build your own with a mayonaise jar and cheese cloth. Photo by Bruce Leander

There are 3 simple steps for growing edible sprouts: 1) Soak 2) Rinse 3) Drain

First soak seed for 12-24 hours in a clean, wide-mouth quart canning or mayonnaise jar. Use 2 tablespoons for small seed like alfalfa or broccoli and ¼ cup for large seeds like mung beans or lentils. Two tablespoons may not seem like much but once all those little seeds start sprouting they will take up plenty of room in the jar. Cover the opening with cheesecloth, a piece of nylon pantyhose, or a special sprouting lid with holes for drainage. The next morning drain off the water (I drain the water into my compost bucket) and cover the jar so the seeds are not exposed to light by either placing the jar in a paper bag, wrapping the jar in foil or rolling it up in a towel. Lay the jar sideways on the counter so the seeds are distributed evenly. Gently rinse and drain the seeds with tepid water 2-3 times a day. After 3 or 4 days (some seeds take longer, check packet for specific sprouting information), expose your sprouts to bright light for a several hours so they can green up. Give them one final rinse, pat or spin dry and they are ready to eat.

Fresh sprouts ready to eat! Here is what two tablespoons of alfalfa sprouts produce five days after the process starts. Photo by Bruce Leander

If not consumed that day they can also be stored in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Pile sprouts on sandwiches, wraps, omelets, salads or slaw. They can also be added to soups or stir-fry, cooking briefly for a pleasant crunch. Start a new jar of seeds every week for a continuous supply of seeds.

Sprouts can be added to soups, salads, stir fry and even sandwiches. Photo by Bruce Leander

Growing Beets (Beta vulgaris)

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Jay White

Beets are one of those vegetables that take me back to childhood. My Aunt Sarah and Uncle Tom grew them. At their house, no summer meal was complete without a side of cold pickled beets. My aunt and uncle were carrying on a tradition that started more than 4000 years ago. That’s when the people that know about these things believe beets were first cultivated and consumed in the areas around the Mediterranean sea. These early beet lovers ate the roots and the tops. In fact, they ate beet greens until spinach was introduced around AD 850. The Romans used beets as a food staple. They also used them to dye their clothes, cure their constipation and spice up their love lives (they considered beets an aphrodisiac). Since the Romans ate them, they spread to Europe. Most European countries developed their own recipes that embraced the beet (think borsch). And, thanks to Napoleon, they also grew them to make sugar. However, with all of that history, I still can’t get anyone at my house to eat them except me.

Larry and Carol Ann Sayle grow a variety of beets at Boggy Creek Farms. Photo from their website. http://www.boggycreekfarm.com/

Growing – There are two types of beets regularly grown in the home garden; var flaviscens and var vulgaris. Flaviscens is the botanical name for chard. Many people do not realize that chard is actually a beet that has been developed more for its stem and leaves than for its roots. Vulgaris is what the majority of us think of when we think about beets. Most of the beets grown in the home garden have a characteristic, deep red bulb (Bull’s Blood). However, there are varieties available that are white (Albino), yellow (Golden) and striped (Chioggia).

Freshly germinated Bull’s Blood Beets. Notice how much they look like chard at this stage.

Beets can be grown almost year round in gardens a little further north than mine. However, they prefer cooler temperatures and grow best when the air temperature is between 65 and 75 degrees. Since it gets so hot here I confine my beet production to the fall and early spring garden. Around mid- September, I plant my first row of beets. I often add another row in October, November and December (they can survive all but the worst freezes that Zone 9 can throw at them). This succession planting will keep me in beets right up to March. To plant, I dig a shallow furrow with my trusty Cobrahead Hand Hoe, scatter the seeds, cover and water. Within a few days, they sprout. In fact, so many little plants pop up that I am convinced they have about a 110% germination rate!

Chard is actually a beet that has been bred for its stems and leaves

Once the true leaves form, I start thinning to about 4” apart. They will mature in 45-70 days depending on variety. For best production, keep your beats evenly moist throughout their lifecycle. Beets will stop growing at whatever size they are at if the soil is allowed to dry out. Harvest your beets when they are 1 ½” to 2” in diameter. If beets get too big they become very fibrous and are not fit to eat.

Pickled Beets – Pickled beets are a family tradition at our house. My grandparents married in 1916 and I am sure my grandmother started making them for my “Pa” around that time. So, at least someone in my family has been enjoying pickled beets for the past 100 years. My grandmother taught my mother to make them and my mother has now taught me. Here’s how we do it:

Pickled beets will keep for weeks in the refrigerator

Remove tops from approximately 12 beets. Leave 1” of top on the root. This will prevent red beets from “bleeding” as much when you boil them. Place the beets in a large pan and bring to a boil. Boil until the beets are soft. Their skins will wrinkle when they are ready. Drain and run cold water over them to cool. Take the beets in your hand and gently squeeze. This will force the beet out of its skin. Remove any stubborn skin with a knife. While the skinless beets are cooling combine the following ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a boil.

2 cups vinegar

1 cup water

¼ cup sugar

1 Heaping tablespoon of salt

6 whole cloves (optional)

Once the mixture boils, reduce heat to simmer. Cut beets into ¼” slices and place in jars. Pour the vinegar mixture into the jars until it just covers the beets. Seal the jars and place in the refrigerator.

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Jay White

The following varieties should do well on their own roots. Some claim nematode resistance (N) and that seems to be a primary factor in achieving late season/fall production.

Nematodes can decimate a tomato’s root system. Photo By Bruce Leander

Celebrity N, Champion (Champion II seems to be the main variation of this variety left, fruits are a bit smaller but it is N resistant. Regular Champion may be too virus susceptible), Better Boy N, Viva Italia N, Tomande N, Juliet (small, saladette type), Momotaro, Early Goliath N, Tycoon, Fourth of July (Campari size). Cherry types= Sungold, Tomaccio, , Sweet 100, Sweet Million N, Sweet Chelsea N, BHN 968 N.

Juliet is always a great choice for the fall garden. This photo is the copyrighted property of William D Adams and cannot be published without written permission from William D Adams.

This second list of varieties may produce fine early in the season, especially on new soils and on soils where nematode susceptible plants haven’t been grown for several years but they can really produce much better crops when grafted on nematode resistant rootstock. Even varieties on the previous list that don’t claim nematode resistance may need to be grown as grafts on nematode resistant rootstock to improve productivity. (Johnny’s Seeds does offer special rootstock varieties but the home gardener may want to go with cheaper and easier to find seed like Celebrity for their initial grafting experiments—see Johnny’s website for tomato grafting instructions. Rotating to non susceptible crops like sweet corn, planting cereal rye as a fall cover crop (use a line trimmer and dig in-in the spring), dry tilling in the late summer (nematodes need moisture to survive) and solarizing the soil=work the soil up, dampen and cover with a single layer of clear, UV resistant plastic for at least 60 days during the July-September time period to reduce nematode populations.

Black Krim is a very tasty addition to the fall garden. This photo is the copyrighted property of William D Adams and cannot be published without written permission from William D Adams.

Black Sea Man, Black from Tula, Black Krim, Moskvich, Flamme, Cherokee Purple, Marianna’s Peace (a favorite in 2012), J D’s Central Texas Early Black, Persimmon, Purple Calabash, Kosovo, German Johnson, Green Zebra and Talladega Hybrid. All of these varieties from both lists have excellent flavor and texture

Monthly Archives: January 2013

Hand Pollinating Squash

Soak, Rinse, Drain, Eat, Repeat – Growing Sprouts by Patty G Leander

Growing Beets (Beta vulgaris)

Tomato Varieties for 2013 By William Adams ©