The Gardener's Dirt Newsletter |
|
March 2021
Theme: "Grillscaping"
|
|
Planting Veggies to Grill
By: Tiffany Whichard, Johnston County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer
|
With the weather warming and days lengthening, many of us look forward to using our outdoor grills. But what comes to mind when you think of barbecuing? Maybe you picture flame-kissed burgers and hotdogs at a July 4th celebration. Or hearty rib-eyes that will pair with a loaded baked potato. Or is it skewered kabobs that you see instead? Or maybe your mind drifts to a traditional North Carolina pig pickin' with velvety shreds of pork doused with a pepper-laced vinegar sauce heaped on a fleecy white bun.
The truth is there is so much more to explore. And there is no better way to do that than with fresh bounty from your garden plots. Yes, antioxidant-rich veggies are a perfect jumping-off point for creating a memorable meal. Interested in hearing more? Let's dive in.
Some crops can be cooked directly on grill grates while other small-diameter produce--like asparagus--is best suited to a grill pan. In general, you'll want to start each cook between 350°F to 400°F. Brush your vegetable with butter or oil and season liberally. Cooking times will vary depending on thickness and vegetable chosen, but make sure to lower the lid to create an oven environment and check midway through. Possibly the only harvest that doesn't fare well with this method is delicate, leafy greens and tomatoes.
During spring, crops like home-grown cauliflower can be sliced thickly into steaks. The heat will give each one a meaty char. Green onions, which have delicate stalks with an aromatic, strong flavor tend to mellow when cooked over an open flame. Slicing onions, in general, naturally caramelize and become sweeter.
Eggplant is another good prospect for the grill. Slice it into rounds or cut lengthwise for long, slender cultivars. This creates a creamy, smoky taste which is perfect for a variety of Italian and Mediterranean dishes. Peppers – practically any kind -- benefit from blistering. Just be sure to cut them in half and remove the interior seeds before cooking.
Corn is a summer staple that is perfect for roasting. Pull husks down and remove the silks. Then gather the husks back up and give ears a brief soak for 10 minutes before grilling. Oh, and be sure to turn them in often. Squash and zucchini should be sliced 1/3″ to 1/2″ thick so as to not disintegrate.
And don't forget to utilize your herbs too! Dill, oregano, rosemary, and thyme are good candidates to help infuse your dinner with subtle flavors.
Have more questions about using your garden goodness? Feel free to give us a call.
|
|
Rosemary - The Real Hamburger Helper -
& Cancer Guard for the Grill
By Dianne M. Willett, Johnston County Master Gardener Volunteer
I love browsing seed catalogs and planning for the summer garden bounty of fresh veggies to grill along with delicious Bar-B-Que treats such as burgers, steaks, chicken, or fish. However, did you know that research over the last thirty years has found that grilling, frying, broiling, or smoking meats, poultry, and fish (but not vegetables) at temperatures that exceed 352˚F can create carcinogenic chemicals known as HCA’s or heterocyclic amines. These toxic HCA’s have been found in breast, colon, and prostate cancer cells. Just a point of reference, the household oven broiler is usually set at 500˚F and high-end restaurant steaks are typically cooked at 600˚F. While this high-temperature technique makes the meat crispy and tasty, it is not exactly healthy. However, don’t despair! A familiar herb, Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) can help reduce the toxicity of cooking meats at high temperatures!
Rosemary is a member of the mint (Lamiaceae) family. Originally from the Mediterranean, Rosemary is a perennial shrub that grows easily in zones 7 through 10. Rosemary contains antioxidant compounds that have been used through the centuries to preserve foods as well as increase cognitive abilities. Rosemary is known as the “queen of antioxidants,” and studies show when used on foods cooked at high temperatures it can reduce the HCA’s by 61%!
I love the flavor and the smell of Rosemary and use it often in cooking including fresh Rosemary sprigs or dried Rosemary directly on the meat or in marinades. But if you don’t want your meat to have the strong flavor of Rosemary, then a simple Rosemary Extract (not Rosemary essential oil) will give the same benefits of reducing HCA’s but without the strong Rosemary flavor.
Rosemary Extract is simply Rosemary that has been infused in olive oil. You can purchase it online, but it is super easy to make. Simply fill a small mason jar with dried Rosemary branches, fill the jar to the top with olive oil, cover, and let steep for 3-4 weeks. Strain the herb from the oil and put it in a clean jar. Before heating up the Bar-B-Que, simply rub the Rosemary Extract (Oil) into the meat, let it sit a few minutes and then grill as usual.
Aggarwal, Bharat B., PhD, Healing Spices – How to Use 50 Everyday and Exotic Spices to Boost Health and Beat Disease. Sterling, New York 2011, Pgs 201-206
Clare, Bevin – Spice Apothecary – Blending and Using Common Spices For Everyday Health. Storey Publishing 2020.
De La Forêt, Rosalee, RH – Alchemy of Herbs – Transform Everyday Ingredients into Foods & Remedies That Heal. Hay House 2017.
University of Arkansas, Food Safety Consortium. (2008, May 24). To Block The Carcinogens, Add A Touch Of Rosemary When Grilling Meats. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 11, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080521184129.htm
|
|
I Do Not Remember Planting This
By: Ester Garner, Johnston County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer
|
|
Quite a dilemma: The solution could be keeping a journal, notebook, calendar, digital record, graph paper notes, or scrapbook method. Whatever you choose, it must work for you, so you’ll use it. Use a pencil so you can make corrections and/or changes.
Take or draw pictures of your site to aid in designing. Note seasonal weather patterns and follow the sun around your place, noting shady, wet, dry, sandy, and muddy sections and how plants react to their environment.
Record soil samples, amendments, chores, pests, what bloomed and when as well as taking pictures throughout the season to aid in future plantings. Create plant profiles to familiarize yourself with each plant. Note all the pests you find insects or animals and how you dealt with each one. Create an expense record and budget so you don’t go overboard.
Finally, with a little help at putting “the right plant in the right place,” you will indeed be a Master Gardener.
Resource:
|
|
Quick Bites: Versatility of Veggies
By Cassidy Hall, Area Agent, Family & Consumer Science
|
|
Too often, people claim they don’t eat vegetables because they “don’t have time” to prepare them and they simply aren’t sure how to turn them into delicious dishes. A colorful diet of varied fruits and vegetables improves digestive regularity, improves gut health and immune health, helps manage blood pressure and blood sugar, and provides us with the nutrients and energy we need to get through life. Below are my favorite strategies to make eating more vegetables convenient and delicious.
Roast them! No matter the vegetable, roasting is a great option. Roasting uses a high, dry heat (425 degrees) to caramelize the natural flavors of the vegetable and provide a tasty texture. Simply toss in olive oil and season. Plain ole salt and pepper work well for most vegetables, but I am notorious for adding garlic and acid such as balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. Roast for 20-25 minutes.
Grill them! You are already firing up the grill, so why not make the most of it? I recommend to fill the grill.’ Grilling adds incredible flavor and these vegetables can be served as a side or as a “preprepared ingredient” (commonly referred to as ‘leftovers’). I love using grilled vegetables as salad toppings, pizza toppings, and taco fillers. Grill about 10 minutes on each side.
Steam them! Frozen vegetables can be steamed as a 10-minute sidekick to a meal. The microwave actually can be your friend in healthy eating. Spaghetti squash can be cooked in the microwave (cut in half, scoop the seeds, and microwave in 1 inch of water for 10 minutes per half) for a pasta substitute. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are great tossed in salt, pepper, and garlic. Finally, give steamed green beans a try! Turn steamed green beans into a masterpiece by adding olive oil, lemon juice, and chopped nuts. Reduced-sodium soy sauce with a dash of honey is a great combination as well.
Pickle them! I have recently become obsessed with pickled banana peppers, perfect for nachos, tacos, and more! Pickling not only adds flavor, but it is a great way to preserve foods. There are great recipes for pickling featured here (https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can6b_pickle.html).
Regardless of your strategy, fruits and vegetables are the cornerstone of a healthy diet. We should aim to consume at least 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables each day.
|
|
Rightsize Your Garden
By: Jeana Myers, Wake County Horticulture Extension Agent
|
|
If you love to garden, then you have likely accumulated many plants over the years just “to get to know them.” Or you may have a plant passion and collected a hundred roses, chrysanthemums, or Asian lilies. You may have built plant beds, stone paths, ponds, and raised beds around the landscape to accommodate bulbs, perennials, vegetables, shrubs, and flowering trees. Then one day, for a variety of reasons, you just know you can’t or don’t want to continue with all the maintenance requirements you have created. It’s time to “rightsize.” Rightsizing your garden is deciding how much time and effort you want to spend in the garden and then ruthlessly using this criterion as your decision-making guide. It will likely involve removing some plants, adding others, accepting a less complex or crisp look, and adding tools or hardscape features that make care less demanding.
Start with tours of your garden during the growing season, with a notepad in hand. First list the plants, shrubs, or trees that you KNOW should go – those that you curse each year as you weed among their thorns, cut back multiple times (this means you, big gorgeous aster!), or continuously pick up trashy stems from underneath. Gone! Then look at hardscaping features, and with a critical eye, consider removing those that just don’t add to your experience or that need frequent maintenance. Do you have a beautiful stone garden edge that lets wiregrass creep through? Is there a slippery brick pathway you must weed-eat all summer, or a lovely arbor vine that is too high to prune easily? Gone!
General Principles to Help Rightsize Your Garden
The lawn is going to take regular mowing, sometimes watering, overseeding, and aeration, and if you like it “clean” then it will need herbicides and fertilizer. Minimizing or removing lawns is going to reduce maintenance! This isn’t always possible or desired, and for a gardener, keeping the grass out of the planting beds is often the issue. Either you build hardscape features that completely prevent grass entry, and allow for a quick weed eat, or you remove the edging and let the grass naturally soften the bed edges. If you choose the latter, it means that you are moving away from perennials and lower growing plants, to shrubs that allow for a small lawnmower to work under. You might group your favorite perennials and bulbs in one bed with impenetrable walls, and let the mower take care of the rest of the beds. You may mulch annually but maintain with a quick mow.
Shrubs or I should say properly sized shrubs and trees will require less maintenance than perennials. You may love that camellia you’ve had for years, but if it takes annual pruning on a ladder, you might want to investigate the many dwarf and mid-sized varieties now available. There should be minimal pruning on a shrub that is selected for its mature height and placed where it can achieve that comfortably. There are dwarf gardenias, forsythia, azaleas, and many more that will flower year after year, and behave nicely, with nothing more than a loving look. Mid-sized shrubs such weigela, viburnum, spirea, clethra, paperbush, witch hazel, and summersweet are just a few that will effortlessly add color to your landscape.
Small flowering trees like crape myrtles, vitex, redbuds, dogwoods, and fringe trees, bring color to the next height as do brilliant maples. Oaks support more wildlife than any other tree, and if you have the room, are a gift to the next generation.
In evaluating any plant, consider if it can get by with an annual trim, and minimal watering. Choose naturalizing bulbs, sedges, grasses, ferns, and other tough perennials like sedums, daylilies, hellebores, and rudbeckias for spots of color or an evergreen presence. Annual flowers and vegetables can be kept close by in pots and even equipped with irrigation lines on a timer! Put them on benches or tables to avoid bending. Most established shrubs and trees do not need irrigation, especially native species, but you might group those that are less drought tolerant and have an irrigation line available for lengthy dry spells.
Battery-powered electric lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and weed eaters are generally lighter-weight and easier to start than their gas-powered counterparts (push button). Buy equipment that uses the same type of battery and you can always have one charged. Electric implements may not have quite as much power as gas engines, but for normal landscapes, they are more than adequate and much easier to use and maintain.
Let’s not give up our gardens, let just make some changes so we can better manage them. To everything, there is a season, and it might be time to rightsize your landscape!
|
|
Growing Corn in North Carolina
By: Felice Chadwick, Johnston County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer
|
|
What is your favorite vegetable? Mine has always been fresh sweet corn. Even though corn takes a lot of space in a garden and has high fertilization and water requirements, I always include it in my garden plans. Here are a few tips for producing a successful corn crop.
My father-in-law advised me to plant sweet corn when the dogwoods are blooming which is usually late March to early April. I have found that to be good advice with one caveat. Some corn varieties require a much warmer soil temperature to germinate. The first time I planted Primus in early April, not a single seed germinated. Last year I planted Primus in May, and it was wonderful. I usually have the best corn harvest from varieties that can be planted in early spring for several reasons: the corn has a chance to pollinate before the hottest weather arrives and the ears are ready to harvest before insect problems become too great. So instead of ‘knee-high by the 4th of July’, my first corn is usually ready to harvest by then. I have not had good luck with planting sweet corn after mid-May.
Choosing a variety can be intimidating as there are 4 groups of sweet corn to consider: normal, sugary enhanced (se or se+), supersweet or shrunken (sh2), and synergistic (syn or syn+). These groups vary in characteristics such as tenderness and sweetness of the kernel and the ability to delay sugar conversion to starch which yields a longer harvest period.
· The supersweet (sh2) varieties must be isolated to prevent cross-pollination with other types which render the corn inedible.
· Synergistic (syn) varieties combine the best traits of both se and sh2 types resulting in the sweetest, most tender, and best keeping of all. Primus, which I mentioned above, is a syn+ type with 60% se kernels and 40% sh2 kernels. Sweetness is another syn type that I have enjoyed and is an earlier maturing variety. Both are bi-color (have mixed yellow and white kernels).
In addition to choosing varieties that can be planted in early spring, I look for varieties that mention providing good husk protection. I find they have less insect damage without having to use insecticides.
Plant corn in multiple rows - preferably at least 4 rows to maximize pollination. Corn needs a lot of nitrogen. In addition to fertilizing when the soil is prepped for planting, corn needs a side application of fertilizer as soon as tassels start to develop.
As the silks on the ears of corn start to dry and turn brown, start checking the kernels by pulling back a little of the husk at the silk end. The bi-color varieties provide a built-in ripeness indicator: if the kernels near the tip of the ear are all still white, the harvest is still days away. The ear is ready when there are some plump yellow kernels near the tip. If any of the kernels have a sunken look, the ear is past the best harvest time. Different varieties will have different levels of color darkness and dryness of the silks. Some will be almost black and completely dry before the ears are ready, but others will need to be pulled sooner. Also, ears ready to harvest will usually begin to push away from the corn stalk due to the swelling kernels and will be easy to twist down and off the stalk.
I hope this information will help you grow and enjoy my favorite vegetable!
|
|
|
|
NC State Extension Plants Database |
Take a quick tour to understand how the information and images are organized and then visit the NC State Extension Plants Database to learn all about plants.
|
|
|
|
Our Johnston County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers
(EMGV) can help with various horticulture questions.
Email the EMGV at
or call (919) 989-5380
to speak with one of our Extension Master Gardener Volunteers
|
|
LAWN CARE
-
The best defense against weeds is a healthy lawn. Learn how to care for your lawn throughout the year. Visit TurfFiles and click on Turf Tips to learn more about your lawn type. Keep it happy, healthy, and weed-free.
- Control existing weeds now, before they get large and/or set seed.
- For yards with an established weed problem, use pre-emergent herbicides to kill seedlings as they germinate. Pre-emergent herbicides can be used to control crabgrass and other broadleaf weeds. Pre-emergent herbicides should be applied while the forsythia is in bloom - late February to mid-March.
- Sharpen mower blades! A sharp blade cuts. A dull blade tears, making grass susceptible to diseases.
TREES, SHRUBS, & ORNAMENTALS
- Divide fall-blooming perennials that are overgrown, such as asters, primrose, irises, Shasta daisies, and mums. This is an easy way to enlarge your garden.
- Control leaf gall on azaleas and camellias. Leaf gall, a fungal disease, shows up as swollen leaves covered with a white powdery material. It is unsightly but generally not harmful to the plant. Pick off the affected leaves and dispose of them to avoid spreading the fungus.
- Do not compost diseased plant material.
- Remove protective winter mulch from tender perennials in early March to warm the soil and stimulate the plant to grow.
- Apply fresh mulch in April after perennials have emerged. Mulch helps with water conservation and weed control.
-
Spring flowering shrubs such as quince, spirea, forsythia, azalea, Camellia japonica, Carolina Jessamine, viburnum, mock orange, weigela, Oriental magnolia, and Indian Hawthorn flower on old growth. Prune them soon AFTER they bloom.
- Time for heavy, rejuvenation pruning of summer-blooming shrubs. Prune holly, Nandina, and Beautyberry before new growth begins. Althea, Buddleia, Vitex, Crape Myrtle, and Pomegranate can be pruned at the beginning of March to stimulate more flower production later.
-
Prune roses before bud break. http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/roses-for-north-carolina/
- For a better show next spring, let the foliage of spring-flowering bulbs die back naturally.
- Mulch or living ground covers are better choices under large trees. Ground covers act as "living mulch." Low-maintenance, shade-tolerant ground covers include pachysandra, periwinkle (vinca), ajuga (bugleweed), liriope, and mondo grass. A 2"-3" thick layer of composted mulch conserves moisture, reduces erosion, and provides nutrients to the tree. Keep mulch away from the trunk of the tree to discourage rodents and rot.
- Protect shade tree roots from injury. Remember that most of a tree's feeder roots are near the soil surface, under and just outside the tree canopy. If digging, foot traffic, or vehicles injure roots then damage to the tree can range from slowed growth (minor) to the death of the tree (major!). Some trees, such as dogwoods, are very susceptible to root damage; others, like maples, are more tolerant.
EDIBLES
- Plant cool-weather vegetable crops such as lettuce, mustard greens, sugar snap peas, radishes, onions, potatoes, spinach, and cole crops (such as cabbage and collards) as soon as soil can be worked.
- If a ball of soil crumbles when squeezed in your fist, the soil is workable.
- Take a soil test to see how much fertilizer to apply around pecan trees. It's time!
- Beets, broccoli, cauliflower, and Chinese cabbage can be started by the third or fourth week of March. Now is the time to start seeds indoors for vegetables such as tomato, pepper, eggplant, and others to get a jump-start on the summer growing season.
WILDLIFE & INSECTS
-
Put up martin and bluebird houses by mid-March to encourage these birds to nest. Learn how to build a bluebird nest box at http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/fact-sheets-plans/
- Clean out last year's birdhouse nesting materials to make them more attractive to house-hunting birds.
LANDSCAPE IDEAS
- Take photographs of your yard while your spring bulbs are blooming to help you remember where to plant more bulbs in the fall.
|
|
NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state, and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension.
Declaración Completa (Español) “La Extensión Cooperativa de Carolina del Norte prohíbe la discriminación y el acoso independientemente de la edad, el color de la piel, la discapacidad de la persona, el estado civil y situación familiar, la identidad de género, el país de origen, la ideología política, la raza, la religión, el sexo (incluido el embarazo), la orientación sexual y la condición de veterano de guerra. Colaboración entre las Universidades NC State y N.C. A&T State, el Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos, y los gobiernos locales.
Contact bmspivey@ncsu.edu or 919-989-5380 for accommodations related to a disability.
Disclaimer agrichemicals:
Recommendations for the use of agricultural chemicals are included in this publication as a convenience to the reader. The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in this publication does not imply endorsement by North Carolina Cooperative Extension nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned. Individuals who use agricultural chemicals are responsible for ensuring that the intended use complies with current regulations and conforms to the product label. Be sure to obtain current information about usage regulations and examine a current product label before applying any chemical. For assistance, contact your county Cooperative Extension agent.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
