Gnat Infestation

I have had a gnat infestation for a very long time. I do not know what to do to get rid of them. They live in the soil of my plants. Even if I don't water, the darn gnats just are ever present. Does anyone know any secrets to get rid of these pests?

Common Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

The genus name for oregano (Origanum) means “joy of the mountains,” which is appropriate since it is native to the mountainous area of Greece and the Mediterranean.  It is called wild marjoram in some parts of Europe due to its close relationship with sweet marjoram.  Mexican and Greek oregano are slightly different that common oregano and should not be substituted.

Back in Greek and Roman times, oregano was used medicinally more than for food.  Oregano tea was whipped up to treat coughs and asthma.  According to the seed packet (by Botanical Interests), bald and balding men rubbed a mixture of olive oil and oregano into their scalps in an attempt to grow back their hair.  I wonder if it worked. Oregano came into its own in the US after World War II when soldiers returned from Italy.

Antioxidant Powerhouse!

Researchers at the University of Ogden, Utah found that oregano essential oil can effectively fight streptococcus (i.e. strep throat, pneumonia, meningitis, and other bad stuff).  Studies have also shown that oregano essential oil can stop the growth of some harmful bacteria such as E. Coli and salmonella. This is really bizarre, I read that some restaurants put some drops of oregano oil in salad bars to protect them from dangerous bacteria settling into the food. --- Does anyone know a restaurant that does this?

More Traditional Medicinal Uses

Medicinal Uses Today:  Used in treatment of coughs, colds & flus, upset stomach, lady-type cramps,  and cuts & scrapes.  I don’t know why (yet), but the packet says the pregnant ladies should avoid large amounts of this herb.  Some researchers have found that oregano is more effective in treating Giardia than the commonly used prescription drug (I wanted to add a link to the study, but it is in Spanish and I cannot be certain I am finding the right thing… sorry).

I Am Growing It Too!

I planted some oregano seeds over a week ago. I planted it the normal way, meaning I made a hole and stuck the seeds in.  Well, then I read the packet and found out the oregano seeds need light to germinate.   You are just supposed gently press them into the soil.  So, I tried again and gently pressed them in.  One seed has barely sprouted.  There is green.  I have been regularly watering, which I also learned is wrong.  Oregano prefers soil that is not constantly drenched or else the oregano will be bland.  It is also companion planted with beans.  I suppose that as soon as the plant is established, I will move it in with the beans. 

Radishes

Sandra gave me a few radish seeds from a seed packet she picked up at Anderson's the weekend before last.  I pushed some seeds in with the carrots. They are supposed to be ready in only 30 days-- WHAT? 30 days, ridiculous. I will take a picture once a week (first picture is posted here it was taken one week after planting) to report on their progress.  Supposedly, the radishes and carrots live nicely together. When the radishes are done, we take them out and the carrot just moves into the radishes old home.  I will believe it when I see it.  

Radish History

Radishes were cultivated in Hellenistic and Roman society.  Their genus, Raphanus, "quickly appearing",  describes their quick germination period.  (See above-- Radishes supposed to be all grown up in one month!).  The radish is related to the turnip and mustard.  Since radishes grow so fast, you want to plant new seeds every week, in order to get a continuous crop.  Radishes are in season April-June and October to January (they are not into full hot sun). I hope that San Diego's June-Gloom, paired with the placement on the east facing porch will ensure that the radishes don't die of heat.  Since I have the radishes in a pretty shallow box, I am not expecting any massive plants.

Night of the Radishes

On a festive note, some folks in Mexico (Oaxaca to be precise) celebrate the Night of the Radishes (Noche de Rabanos) on December 23.   At the festival, radishes are the main event.  People enter their carved radishes in contests.  Some are themed radish carvings of the Nativity, saints, and buildings. Radishes were brought to Mexico in the 16th century and historians believed that monks in Oaxaca advised the local radish growers to carve their radishes to entice buyers.   Thus began the radish carving and the rest is history.  This year Oaxaca will celebrate its 112th festival of the radish.  If you are in town, check it out.  Or perhaps, we should have a honorary Noche de Rabanos at my house this year and all try to carve those little guys.  I should point out, that with coaxing radishes can grow pretty large.  Sadly, these radishes are merely ornamental.  So I am sure any radish carving that we do will be quite difficult since I am not sure how to get a hold of the giant radishes!

Nutrition Facts

These gems are pretty high in the vitamin count.  Here is a sample of just a few of their vitamin goodies:  folic acid, potassium, B6, magnesium, calcium, and more;)

In addition to the edible root, the leaves of this plant are also edible and can be tossed in a salad.  Has anyone ever nibbled radish leaf?  What does it taste like?

Artichoke Flower

I have been stalking the PB CG again. I stopped by my favorite artichokes (I posted a picture of them earlier in the week); I caught the artichoke with a thistle flower! The flower is pretty big and the color is a lovely lavender. Check out the picture I took with my iphone.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s entry on Radishes!

P.S. Props to KD for getting her mini garden up and running. She prepped her box and planted some of the 20 cent marigolds. Whoo hooo! We will be following her progress.

P.P.S. I am waiting for some updated pictures from the JS & GS Seattle Patch. Send them over :)

Garden Going Ons

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A few pictures from my endeavors. I tried to take a picture of my back patio. It is dark but you can get an idea of my crazy (especially when you note that so many plants couldn’t make it into the shot). The follow list gives a brief update of the going ons in the eclectic container garden.
1. Dwarf Fig is looking good. Loads of new leaves and even some fruit starting up. I am considering picking all the fruit off since it is still only 1.5 years old. I am not certain that he is ready to be fruit bearing.
2. Tomatoes (Early Girl and Cherry)- I have sampled one early girl and have had several cherry tomatoes. They are delicious and I wish that more were ready to eat. The vines are looking good and strong. Loads of mini green tomatoes and loads of flowers ready to turn into juicy tomatoes.
3. Green Onions- Slow and steady. They are still looking pretty puny, but getting taller each day.
4. Contender Beans- They were quick to give a bunch of yummy green beans. They were delicious dipped in hummus. But the plants got attacked by some powdery mildew, so I chopped off all the affected leaves. Now I have stems that are still trying to grow flowers. Last Friday, Sandra and I pushed some additional seeds in the container. I am hoping I will get another crop of beans in late July.
5. Parsley, Basil, and Cilantro- Looking good. The they are still pretty tiny, but getting bushier and taller every day! I can't wait until they are big enough for daily snippings. PS- Grew them all from seeds! Nutty.
6. Chocolate Peppers & Jalapenos- These guys have peppers growing. They are still too small for picking, but I am excited.
7. Radishes and Carrots- Recently sprouted!
8. Oregano & Thyme- Still waiting for these guys to sprout. Getting pretty nervous.
9. Strawberries- There are so many berries growing out of these plants! I am trying to devise a way to put a net over them to avoid the birds eating them all (like they did a month ago!).
10. Chocolate Mint- Living large. Has made several lovely mugs of tea.
11. Lettuce- I ate two delicious heads of lettuce already and just planted new seeds. Several have sprouted. I have learned now that I really need to be constantly putting new seeds in the pot to have a more frequent supply. Now I have a little lettuce growing in a former yogurt container.
12. Luffa- Well, this guy has some rather interesting looking leaves. I think it is getting ready to have a major growth spurt. Mark my words.
13. Patty Pan Mini Squash- Actually just picked two of the squash and haven't tried it yet. I am very concerned about this plant because several of the leaves are turning yellow. Anybody have any experience with this?
14. Artichoke- Not a whole lot has happened to this plant. It got big leaves and constantly has new ones growing, while old ones die. I have struggled with some kind of burrowing pest. I keep having to cut off infected leaves.

Artichokes

There is a local community garden here in PB. I love it. I go there at least once a week to check everything out. The waiting list is about 2 years, so I look on with supreme jealousy. I am certain that all the plants grow twice as fast as mine do in containers.

Anyway, I love artichokes—easily my favorite veggie. Several community garden plots include artichokes. The plants are just huge and the artichokes look delicious! So, when I was strolling through Anderson’s (mid March) and saw a small artichoke plant I thought I’d give it a try. I planted it in a fairly medium sized pot and set it in the front. Over time, the plant has grown, but there is no indication that it intends on producing an artichoke. I should probably mention that the plant can be 6 feet tall! I, almost certainly, need to re-pot it to a much bigger container. But, I think I have some time.

AC first introduced me to artichokes when we lived together in Berkeley. She and JE bought a few, steamed them up, and proceeded to show me how to scrape the flesh away from the inedible leaves. She also dunked hers into mayonnaise and melted butter. Since dunking things into mayonnaise and butter are not things that I enjoy, I found myself uninterested in the artichoke. Actually, a bit grossed out. It is not pleasant to watch people eat artichokes (especially when they are dipped in mayonnaise). But several years later, when I was living in LA, I found myself stuck with an artichoke that I paid for (came in my Organic Express delivery), so I figured I would give it a second shot. This time, I steamed it, loaded it with salt and pepper and drizzled with olive oil. Loved it. Thus began my artichoke love. Now, when I get them, I steam them up with some potatoes and consider it a perfect meal.

All About Artichokes

The artichoke is actually an undeveloped flower. If you were to leave the artichoke on the plant, it would open up and grow a thistle like flower. The picture to the right is an artichoke from the PB Community Garden. It has ants swarming all around it, but I have been watching this guy to catch a glimpse of this thistle flower.

Nearly 100% of US grown artichokes are grown in Monterrey County (think Castroville).

Artichokes can be made into an herbal tea (WHAT?) and is available commercially in Vietnam. Tell me someone has seen this product? (Upon further research, I learned that artichoke tea is just the water left over from boiling… sounds like broth to me. I’m just saying). Artichoke Tea Bags Link

In Ancient Greece, artichokes were thought to ensure the birth of a boy.

The “Artichoke King,” NY mafia member, Ciro Terranova (1889-1938), created an artichoke uproar when he bought crates of artichokes from California and sold them in NY for 30-40% more. He bullied people into purchasing the chokes. In 1935 the Artichoke Wars where in full swing. The Mayor of NY had to issue a ban on the sale, display and possession of artichokes. Ban only lasted a week. –Whoa, and I thought the thorns were bad….

Marigolds- My first attempt to grow flowers from seed!

*NEWSFLASH* I clearly posted this entry too soon! The seeds I planted last Thursday have indeed sprouted today, June 2; I shouldn't have doubted.  Only a 5 day germination period. I guess those bizarre rainy days were great for them.  

I bought some cheap seeds (20 cents) by American Seed. The package merely says Marigold, Crackerjack Mixed Colors. There is no reference to what type of marigold or the official name. The seeds look like mini sticks that are black and yellow colored. I bought them because I read somewhere that they are excellent companion plants because their pungent smell repels insects. So, I filled three pots with soil and these seeds. I am not convinced the seeds will sprout-- I mean, 20 cents is pretty cheap.

After some research, I have determined that the seeds I planted are the Common Marigold (Tagetes). Marigold is a member of the daisy family. Wikipedia says that the name marigold describes the calendula flower in some other areas. Apparently, the leave juice of this flower is used in wart removal. Anyone try this?

But Can You Eat Them?

Some marigolds are edible--very exciting. However, since my cheap ass seeds fail to tell me what freaking kind of marigold it is, I have no method of determining whether the ones I planted are edible! Time will tell (if they even sprout).

Dying For Marigolds

The lovely deep yellow color of the marigold flowers are used to make dye. One website said that farmers even feed chickens marigold petals so that the chicken skin is yellow. Wierd, I don't eat meat, but I am not certain if I did that I would want yellow chicken skin.

PS. Totally unrelated to gardening, as I write this post I am watching some random SciFi Channel show where Baltar (you know, from BSG) is playing Merlin (yes, the wizard) with the worst "voice" ever. It sounds like he is trying to sound like a mix of James Earl Jones, a dying person, a person with a speech disorder, and Darth Vader. It is AWFUL. so sad.