Giving Tours, and Thank You!

I'll have to admit, I was a mixture of being excited and a little apprehensive about being on the CFSA's Eastern Triangle Farm Tour this weekend. Having a marketing background and being a convicted extrovert, I looked forward to it -- I love being with people, discussing ideas, and answering questions! On the other hand, being a Type A personality, I was worried, worried, worried about everything being just right. I don't even know how many times I aplogized for everything not being quite as lush in the greenhouses as I would've liked, as I've just done a bunch of replanting in beds, and there are others that are still waiting for my attention. And I'm not quite sure how many times I said that the beds would look a hundred times better in about 4-5 weeks. But all turned out OK; a vast majority of those who came seemed to enjoy the tour, and I enjoyed the interchange and having th ability to answer everyone's questions. The only thing that would've made it any nicer would have been temperatures UNDER 90 degrees F! But there were still quite a few people who came out to brave it, anyway, so thank you! :-)

There were some things that made me cringe, particularly the gold mushrooms that seemed to pop up in the beds after Friday night's rain (I had many, many questions about them and whether they were edible!). They are very pretty, but I'm now on the crusade to identify them and why they're there. I've just started seeing them over the past several weeks, and I want to make sure we don't develop any plant problems because of them. I'll let you know what I find out, because I know everyone, as gardeners, has those buggers pop up during humid times here in NC! So, more to come in that department.

The other thing that made me cringe was the repeated questioning about whether or not we have any deer problems with the beds behind the greenhouses. Every time I answered no, I just HAD to knock on wood! So, though I don't consider myself superstitious, I'm hoping all that talk didn't jinx me, because we've been very lucky to date...

Beyond that, it was a really nice weekend. Though we didn't get to tour the other farms ourselves, I did hear a lot about other setups and interesting information. Since getting into the growing arena and speaking with other growers, I've realized more and more how creative growers are and have to be to get things to work sometimes. So, I mentally registered and filed away some ideas that seemed to be interesting to try out.

Anyway, thanks to all who came, and if you have any questions, feel free to send me an e-mail at info@herbanmeadows.com!

Growing Cilantro in NC

"I got a cilantro plant, replanted it, I got one good cutting from it, and then it started flowering, and I couldn't use it anymore. What did I do wrong?"

At the farmers market, I would say that this is by far one of the most common questions I get asked by booth visitors. Here's typically my answer, especially in July and August:

"You live in North Carolina." Period.

Yep. Contrary to what many believe, cilantro is not a plant that thrives in heat and humidity. It's definitely a cool weather plant -- which I've always thought is one of ironies of life, because I tend to use it more in the middle of summer, when it's growing poorly. It really doesn't dry well, either, so it's not like you can dry it and use it later (though you can ground up its seeds into a powder, whcih is coriander, but it's just not the same!).

A note here: Something many people don't know is that if you buy the plant and don't grow it from seed, remember that you MUST replant it when the plant is pretty small in the pot -- if it's even slightly overgrown, it will bolt almost immediately when you replant it and disturb its roots. This is something that many plant retailers won't tell you!

Unfortunately, chefs like to use it in the summer, too, and I have a really tough time trying to grow it for them. No matter what I've tried, I haven't been able to do it well in August. I'll put out rows of seed, the plants will come up more slowly, and then when they're just inches tall, BAM! Ferny leaves and flowers, no matter what I do -- whether in part shade, shade, or a breezy spot. So, unless I reseed every 2-3 weeks (which is a LOT of seed), I'm out of luck.

Right now is a GREAT time to grow some cilantro. I put down seed after the humidity passes -- usually in mid-August, though I didn't this year because of the brutal 3+ weeks of temperatures over 100 degrees. So I waited until September this year -- last week, to be specific! But in mid-October, I should have some really nice, lush cilantro. And with some minor pampering (such as covering it with Agribon -- or a thin sheet -- when night temperatures go below 40, which shouldn't be many), the plants will produce leaves nicely through December. Then I'll put out seeds again for early March (and grow the plants in the greenhouses for the winter).

Another option is to try culantro, or Mexican cilantro, which is better fitted for our hot, humid summers, as long as you plant it in part shade. The plant actually looks very different from cilantro (it's not quite as attractive), but they smell and taste the same, which is what matters! Also, culantro is a bienniel, so you'll at least get it back next year (vs. cilantro, which is an annual, though readily self-seeds). Just another option for consideration!

So, sorry. I don't have any brilliant answers, except don't be so hard on yourself! When it comes down to it, we sometimes forget plants are living things, and like all other living things, they only thrive where/when they have biologically developed to do so. So, try to work with the plants' natural cycles, and you should get optimal results.

More Info on H2O2

As I've had a lot of interest on the H2O2 (based on my article "H2O2 to Oxygenate Plants," in the Late Summer issue of Bl-Herbs, at http://www.herbanmeadows.com/newsletter.htm), I wanted to give you some more information on its use in the garden.

As a further explanation for how H2O2 is in rain (thus making the plants greener and much happier), see the chemistry explanation below, excerpted from http://www.using-hydrogen-peroxide.com/peroxide-garden.html - I couldn't have said it better myself!

H2O2 in Rain

As rain comes through earth’s ozone layer, some of the molecules of water (H2O) pick up an additional oxygen atom (O), becoming hydrogen peroxide. Oxygen is O2, while ozone is O3. Ozone is very unstable - that third oxygen atom moves on easily. So the water has no trouble picking up some single oxygen atoms.

Hydrogen peroxide is also very unstable - oxygen is readily freed up to oxidize various things that it encounters (such as bacteria, viruses, mold, pollution…) In the process of oxidation, the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is broken back down into water (H20) and oxygen (O).

Hydrogen peroxide will oxidize many kinds of pathogens and pollution, so it helps to clean the air, as the rain falls. I’ve read that there is currently less peroxide in rain water than was common in the past, since oxidizing air pollution now "uses up" much of the peroxide. (Hydrogen peroxide is always "used up" by the oxidation process.)

What Percentage Should I Use, and What Kind?
Though many purport using the H2O2 from the beauty supply store, I only use the food grade H2O2, as anything but food grade has stabilizers, additives, and impurities that are not suitable for ingestion (AND food grade is the only version approved by OMRI for organic use) - thus, I don't use it on my plants. When you buy food grade, it will usually be sold at 35%. I ALWAYS use rubber gloves when handling the straight 35%, as it is very corrosive and will burn your skin if you don't flush thoroughly with water RIGHT AWAY. As I said in the article, I dilute it down to 3.5% with the following formula:

1 ounce of the 35% H2O2: 11 ounces of DISTILLED water (NO spring water, as the H2O2 will react with the elements in the water and not your plants!)

Some articles talk about using it at 8%, which would be a little more than twice my formula (about 2.25 ozs 35% H2O2 with 11 ounces of water), but I've had plenty of success with the 3.5% - and it's more bang for your buck!

And again, the application rate I typically use is 4-8 ounces per gallon of water in the sprayer when I water the plants (using one of those sprayers you can get at Home Depot or Lowe's for applying fertilizer); the smaller the plant, the higher the percentage I use - it helps them grow, grow, grow! Also, if the bed is very thick, I'll use the higher rate, as well. For seeds, you can soak them in 1 ounce of 3.5% H2O2: 16 ounces of distilled water, or just apply at the 8 ounces rate above.

Locally, you can buy 35% food grade H2O2 at GardenWorks on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh (their Website is http://www.gardenwaves.com/), and I haven't found it anyplace else within driving distance (please comment in here and let me know if you know of someplace else!). I also order it from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply (http://www.groworganic.com/), but you really need to order it in bulk to be cost-effective in any way, as the shipping costs are HUGE due to it being consider a hazardous material.

Effects/Uses in the Garden
Many blogs and/or articles I've seen regarding people who've used it don't use anything but the H2O2 (including fertilizer). I use it as part of an integrated system of organic fertilizer, fungicide, and pest control - but I do have to say I use it the most, as it's the easiest to use, and it doesn't leave any smell behind (though I swear I can breathe better myself in the greenhouses when it's just been applied!). But it does do a great job as a general fungicide, and the plants grow in much, much faster (which is important if you're regularly cutting the herbs back for use!).

What amazes me the most is when using H2O2 on seeds. I've planted seeds that have low, low expected germination rates - like 30 or 35% - and gotten a germination rate higher than 90%! Also, the seeds typically germinate more quickly - I've had basil sprout in (and I'm not kidding) 3 days. Amazing!

Well, I think I've beat this one to death. Please feel free to post any comments or questions - I look forward to your feedback!

Welcome!

Hi, and welcome to Weekly Bl-Herbs, our weekly blog on herb and organic gardening observations and tips, answers to common questions, and any other relevant information that might be interesting to you, with an opportunity for comments and interchange!

The plan is to at least post once a week; however, I'm sure there will be weeks when I post several times, depending on if I have a lot of questions to answer or a hot topic that I think may be of interest to you. Either way, mark this page and check back regularly! Please take this forum as a great way to give you pretty immediate questions you may have about organic/herb gardening and use. E-mail me at acoulter@herbanmeadows.com with your questions/suggestions, and I will get back to you via this blog as soon as I can!

Hope you enjoy it!