November 2008

Composting 101

It's fall and at this time of year my mind automatically turns to compost. Okay, it's not the most glamorous gardening topic in the world, but it's an essential one. Adding compost to garden soil improves soil health by providing ... more >>

Edible of the Month: Potato

The common, white-fleshed, "Irish" potato has a reputation for being inexpensive, plain, and boring, so why bother growing potatoes? Well, there's more to potatoes than meets the eye ... more >>

Mr. President, Eat the View: An interview with Roger Doiron

It's an election year and there are many hot topics on people's minds. With the economy tanking, fuel prices high, food prices soaring, and concerns about global warming, health care, social security, and education ever present, many people feel ... more >>

Leek, Celeriac, and Potato Soup

Leeks are easy to grow, but they do require a long growing season. Fortunately, you can harvest them into late fall and some varieties actually taste better once they've been nipped by frost. Most leek and potato soups look bland, but my version ... more >>

Send Your Ideas!

Do you have any tips to share? Are there topics you'd like me to address?
E-mail me at ediblelandscaping@garden.org

November Q & A

Question: I live in Iowa and this year my peach fruits had little black spots on the outside of the skin, but not on the inside. What is this and how can I prevent it next year?

Answer: It sounds like your peaches had bacterial spot. This bacteria infects peaches, nectarines, cherries, and plums and is found on the leaves, stems, and fruits. The small black spots on the leaves and fruits and can be so severe that the leaves drop and the fruits are ruined. The spots are more pronounced on the sunny side of the fruits. Warm temperatures, rain, and wind encourage the disease's spread.

To control bacterial spot, prune peaches annually to promote good airflow through the trees, clean up all dropped fruits and leaves in fall, avoid excessive nitrogen fertilization, and grow disease-resistant varieties such as 'Redhaven'.

Question: I have nine different fig trees growing in pots in my yard. How do I over-winter them? I'm in North Carolina, USDA zone 7.

Answer: First of all, many fig varieties are hardy in zone 7, so if you can plant these trees in a sheltered location they should be okay. You can protect the newly planted fig trees by wrapping the tops with burlap and mulching the bases with bark mulch.

If you keep them in their pots, you'll have to move your figs to a warmer location in winter because container-grown plants are more sensitive to the cold than those planted in the ground. Allow the trees to go dormant by reducing the frequency of watering before the first expected frost for your area. It's okay to expose the trees to a few light frosts — cool weather will cause the leaves to drop and sap to move to the roots — but protect them from temperatures colder than the mid 20s. Then remove any remaining leaves. Move the trees into a dark, unheated garage or shed where the temperatures will stay above 20 degrees F. Don't expose them to too much light or they will sprout prematurely in winter. Keep the soil almost completely dry. Move the containerized fig back outside two weeks before your last frost in spring.