Trowel and Error

Green Thumb Sunday: Happy Father's Day

Muleshoe and I picked our first vegetables this Father's Day weekend. We brought in a bunch of okra, tomatoes, a zucchini and a very large white cucumber. He had a ball tip-toeing through the plants and picking the ripe vegetables, learning to tell the difference between what is ready and what needs a little more time. All of my hard work is starting to pay off.

While out there, I was thinking that gardening and fatherhood are very much alike. There's lots of hard work, rough spots and times when you wonder whether what you're doing is right or will make a difference in the end. You question yourself and your faith falters a little. You sometimes look backwards and wonder what could have been if things had happened differently. But, ultimately, you make your choices as best you can, give near-constant love and attention, and look forward to the day when those choices turn into what they were meant to be.

I love spending time in my garden. It's relaxing and I like what it produces. But it doesn't compare to the satisfaction I get from being a father. Because tending to Muleshoe is the most important gardening job I'll ever have.

Green Thumb Sunday

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Those Wascally Wabbits!

I seem to be having a little rabbit problem.

They creep in during the dead of night and nibble on my tomato plants. They love the tender shoots that hold the flowers and eat them and the flower right down to the main stem. My little owl deterrent doesn't seem to be cutting the mustard with these rabbits. And since I have yet to put up a fence, I'm basically leaving the garden completely wide open to these little scavengers.

Our next door neighbor, Uncle Nick, has a dog who hangs around our house most of the time. But even Pearl, who religiously guards the chicken house (or is waiting for the chickens to make one wrong move), doesn't seem to be able to stop these bold bunnies.

So a friend of mine recommended Deer Off. It's an all-natural product that helps to repel deer, rabbits and tree squirrels (what other kinds of squirrels are there?) And by the smell of it, I can understand why. It's a mix of garlic, rotten eggs and hot peppers, which burns the nose and eyes and is quite distasteful. Well, I reckon it's distasteful because I refuse to find out for myself. But if it smells that bad, it must taste absolutely horrible.

All you do is spray the plants and the perimeter area and it will keep the garden invaders at bay. Repeat every 2-3 months or so, more often if it rains much. And, of course, wash off all vegetables when you bring them in.

I sprayed the tomatoes and the bell peppers tonight and repositioned the owl. Hopefully this will do the trick. If not, I have a couple of other ideas regarding stringing up aluminum foil pans or installing scarecrows that I can try.

Or, in true Elmer Fudd fashion, I could sit out in the woods with a shotgun and wait for them to appear. But, come to think of it, that never worked for him, either. Bugs Bunny always found a way to outsmart him.

Wascally wabbits, indeed.

Much Ado About Mulch

Here in the South, we are blessed with abundant forests. In Georgia, about half are hardwood forests like oaks and maples. The rest are pines, mostly slash and loblolly. In fact, we have so many pines we jokingly refer to our home as Loblolly Woods, the way a duke or an earl might name his estate. And with all of those pine trees, we're also blessed with an abundance of pine straw.

Pine straw is the preferred mulch in much of the state. Some folks prefer wood chips or other shredded organic matter; others prefer straight compost. But it's pine straw that gets most folk's vote due to its abundance, relatively low cost, and decorative properties. That deep crimson/rust color really enhances a bed or garden.

Today I mulched half of the garden. I first trimmed the tomato plants to get some of the lowest growth out of the way and off the ground. Then I pinched off all the suckers that had developed while I was gone last week. In case you're unfamiliar with this technique, you simply pinch off the new growth between the leaves and the main stem. You're basically getting rid of these non-productive side shoots to help the plant conserve its energy for bearing fruit.

Once I'd finished suckering the tomatoes, I spread the mulch around the plants in a semi-thin layer. Spreading pine straw is easy. I use the shaking method rather than the on-your-knees-to-spread-it method. Just grab a bunch in your hand then turn your hand back and forth like you're turning a door knob. The pieces go flying and easily scatter, giving you an even layer of straw. Then you can go back and tuck in under and around the plants.

Once the tomatoes were done, I did the same thing with the plot containing the cucumbers and eggplants. It took about two bales per plot, leaving me enough left over to do the other two plots later this weekend.

For now, I'm trading in my clippers and gloves for a spatula and a gin and tonic. With so much timber around us, we even prefer our cocktails to have a slight pine tree taste.

Okra: Fried, Boiled, Pickled or Just Plain Raw

When people ask what's in the garden, I tell them it's stuff I like to eat like tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and eggplant. But when I say "okra," some people look at me funny, usually who aren't from around these parts.

Well, truthfully, people look at me funny most of the time anyway since I have a garden, raise chickens, fish on the weekends, and work out of my house during the week. I guess all of that together makes for a curious situation to them, and I get quizzical looks as if I'm up to no good or something. Like maybe I've got some kind of scheme going and am trying not to get caught. I wish it were that exciting sometimes, like I imagine life as a double agent would be.

James Bond lifestyle or not, okra is high on the list of the things I like. It's a Southern staple and I have 24 plants in the ground growing up a storm to help me get my okra fix. Growing okra is really easy. I typically put in green Clemson Spineless transplants the week after the Masters golf tournament, which is held in early April. Here in Georgia, that's late enough to not have to worry about frost or freezing temperatures. I set them out 18-24 inches apart and water a good bit, especially early on. If they aren't growing vigorously, you can add some fertilizer around the base of the plant. But once they get started, they grow quickly. It normally takes about 60 days before you get your first harvest.

And once it's time to harvest, pick nearly every day. You want to harvest the pods when they are 2-4 inches long; any longer and they become leathery tough, much too tough to eat for the most part. The stems are tough so use your shears to cut them off cleanly. You might want to wear gloves, as well, as they can be a bit prickly.

Once you have them harvested and cleaned in the kitchen sink, what now? I'll eat them raw, either as a snack or sliced in a salad. Another great Southern dish is boiled okra, which creates a slimy, delicious mess. Lightly battered in corn meal after dredging them through a milk and egg coating is a good way to fry them. Use medium heat until golden brown, like these shown here.

Or you can pickle them, but that makes you wait a while before you can enjoy them. I'm not that patient!

If you're looking for something new to grow in your garden, give okra a try. They are a hardy over-achiever with a bountiful harvest per plant. And if you're really brave, boil them up, serve them with black-eyed peas and some cornbread, and get ready for a down-home Southern dish.

And don't worry if people look at you funny when you tell them you're growing okra. You'll get used to it.