thanks for the two-foot rule of thumb on pinching tomato blossoms!
In My Garden Blog:
Southern California Coastal & Inland Valleys
June 3, 2010
By
Yvonne Savio,
Pasadena, CA
First boysenberries!
Spring Into Summer Veggies
Our extraordinarily cool spring and now early summer has been a boon to working in the garden and getting seeds and seedlings going. In past years, we'd already have had a week or two of 100+ degree weather that's unpleasant for people and plants alike. This year, we've even had some drizzles to keep air and soil temperatures mild. With the wonderful ground-soaking winter rains, trees and more shallow plantings have come bursting forth with great gusto.
My tomatoes have reached or surpassed their critical two-foot mark, when I allow them to keep their blossoms. Before that height, I pinch off any blooms that appear because I want all of its energy to go into continued development of roots, stems, and foliage to make strong plants. With this great establishment, I then let them "divert" their energy into producing the fruits that are my payoff for all the garden space, water, compost, and labor that I devote to them. I also plant additional tiny seedlings of determinant varieties for a second crop in mid-August and September. Yum to come!
Transition time on our dinner plates! We've enjoyed the last artichokes and asparagus, along with the first yellow crookneck squash and boysenberries. Sweet and edible peas on trellises have been replaced with cucumbers and beans. Some now-shady spots under deciduous trees protect the late-planted Russian kale and chard, and I'm still foraging individual bok choy leaves and tender stems from bolting plants.
An unexpected fun discovery has been which foliage plants still taste fine once they've started to bolt; bok choy, parsley, cilantro, and beets (both foliage and bulbs) are tasty, unlike lettuce (bitter) and mustard (too fiery).
My favorite salvaging of a bolting plant, however, is with leeks. Once they put up their seed stalks and nubs of blossoms-to-come, you can still utilize most of the flesh. Years ago, I'd chopped the whole leek, internal seed stalk and all, since it sliced just like the regular flesh, and put it into a stew. However, eating the finished dish was difficult because we had to fish out the now cardboard-textured bits of cooked cellulose. Since then, as soon as I see that emerging seed stalk, I pull up the plant, remove the central stalk, and slice the remaining outer layers into my recipe.
And no, you can't just snap off the seed stalk and hope that the plant will continue growing its edible parts. Once the leek's hormones shift to bolting, there's no turning back.
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jenn in the yarden | June 5, 2010 | 11:47AM
Yvonne Savio | June 5, 2010 | 12:17PM
Hi, Jenn -- It's always nice to have the reason for a guideline - it makes remembering so much easier!
Soj | June 7, 2010 | 1:51PM
I too really appreciated that two foot rule! As a new vegetable gardener it didn't even occur to me to pinch off the flowers. I was too anxious to the first tomatoes! And I always wondered about the bolting! Ok to eat? Don't eat. Great clarification!
Yvonne Savio | June 7, 2010 | 2:35PM
Hi, Soj -- Glad to help you enjoy your garden more!
lisa | June 8, 2010 | 7:30PM
Hi Yvonne, I'm interested in planting boysenberries and blackberries but haven't been able to find a local source. Are you able to direct me to a local nursery that might be able to help me? Thanks,
Yvonne Savio | June 8, 2010 | 11:20PM
Hi, Lisa -- Sorry, I don't keep track of who carries what. Call around to the several better nurseries - this will encourage them to purchase stock of things they may not think there's enough call for. I also invite you to join my resource elist(s) at work - and then you can send me a query that I'll forward to the elist(s), and anyone who has some to share or has a recommendation will respond to you directly. Email me at ydsavio@ucdavis.edu, and tell me which or both elist you'd like me to add you to: 1. Community Gardening and Food Security, 2. School Gardening. Or go to our website, http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/Common_Ground_Garden_Program and go to the invitation at the bottom of our homepage.
Florence Nishida | June 10, 2010 | 6:55PM
Yes, thanks for the 2 ft guideline - will pass it along to my Victory Garden circle. I learned that about leeks and found it easy to take out the hard stem of the flower stalk if you first slice the leek lengthwise and pull the stem toward the root end. Florence
Yvonne Savio | June 10, 2010 | 9:48PM
Hi, Florence -- Glad you added the detail about cutting the leek stalk lengthwise: I'd forgotten to indicate than in my column, so I hope other folks aren't struggling wondering how to remove it!
Minnie | October 1, 2011 | 9:15PM
I'm out of league here. Too much brain power on disalpy!
Yvonne Savio | October 2, 2011 | 2:41AM
Hi, Minnie -- Just playing in the garden, and learning a few things along the way!
