□ Rodade (open-pollinated).Smooth, firm fruit ripens evenly. 77 days. FV. Suited for sub-tropical regions.

□ Roma (open-pollinated). Meaty, pear-shaped fruit with few seeds for paste, sauce, and canning. 75 days. Determinate. VF. Abundant.

□ Rose de Berne (open-pollinated). Juicy, sweet flavor, dark pink, thin, smooth globe fruit averages 6 to 8 ounces. Swiss heirloom. 75 days. Indeterminate. Abundant.

□ Roughwood Golden Plum (open-pollinated). Medium size, orange, paste tomato.

□ Royal Chico (open-pollinated). Bright red, plum-shaped fruit, meaty interior for sauce, paste, and canning.72 days. Determinate. Bears until frost.

□ Royesta (hybrid). Ribbed fruit averages 6 to 8 ounces.

□ Russian Red (open-pollinated). Good flavor, round, scarlet red fruit averages 4 to 8 ounces.  80 days. Determinate. Tolerant of lower temperatures.

□ Russian Rose (open-pollinated). Sweet, full flavor, meaty, round, rose pink fruit averages 12 ounces. Russian heirloom. 78 days. Indeterminate.

□ Rutgers (open-pollinated). Old-fashioned tomato flavor, juicy and bright red averages 6 to 8 ounces; great for canning or thick sauce. 75 days. Determinate. VFA. Crack free.

□ Salsa (hybrid). Full flavored, round fruit averages 5 ounces.

□ San Francisco Fog (open-pollinated). Good flavor, round, smooth clustered, trussed fruit.

□ San Marzano (open-pollinated). Delicious, balanced flavor, meaty fleshed fruit averages 5 to 6 ounces for salads and sauce. 78 days. Indeterminate. Heavy yields on tall vines.

□ San Pablo (open-pollinated). Small, plum-shaped Roma type fruit averages 2 ounces for juice and canning. 75 days. Determinate.

□ Sanibel (hybrid). Vine-ripe flavor, large, smooth, red fruit. 75 days. Determinate. VFNA.

□ Sausalito (hybrid). Round, firm fruit averages 2½ to 3 ounces for canning and ketchup.

□ Scarlet Topper (open-pollinated). Very good flavor, meaty, solid core, globe-shaped brilliant red fruit to 3½ inches in diameter. 75 days. Determinate. Also called Pritchard, Pritchard's Scarlet Topper.

□ Sedona (hybrid). Smooth, bright red fruit for greenhouse growing.

□ Shady Lady (hybrid). Excellent flavor, round, globe-shaped, red fruit, medium to extra large. 75 days. Determinate. Excellent performer in western states.

□ Sioux (open-pollinated). Sweet, tangy with rich complex flavor, medium, round, red fruit averages 6 ounces. 70 days. Indeterminate. Reliable in hot weather.

□ Solar Fire (open-pollinated). Medium to large fruit that is heat tolerant. Heavy producer. Plant in mid-summer for late harvest in hot regions.

□ Solar Set (hybrid). Full tomato flavor, bright red fruit averages 8 to 9 ounces, grows well in heat. 70 days. Determinate. VF. Heat tolerant with excellent flavor.

□ Spitfire (hybrid). Full tomato flavor, smooth, large, crimson fruit averages 8 to 10 ounces. 68 days. Determinate. VFA. Early fruit and good performance in heat.

□ Stakeless (open-pollinated). Meaty, round fruit averages 6 to 8 ounces. 78 days. Stands 18 to 24 inches tall.

□ Stuffing (open-pollinated). Bell-shaped, thick walled fruit for stuffing and baking. 75 days. Indeterminate.

□ Sunbeam (hybrid). Excellent flavor, firm, smooth, globe-shaped fruit averages 10 to 12 ounces. Compact plant.

□ Sun Chaser. Very good flavor, round, red fruit to 8 ounces. Good in the hot and humid conditions. 72 days. Determinate. Good in warm regions.

□  Sundrop (open-pollinated). Sweet flavor, small, globe-shaped, deep orange fruit to 1½ inches in diameter for snacking and relish trays. 76 days. Indeterminate.

□ Sun King (hybrid). Sweet, rich tasting, large, red, smooth, meaty fruit for slicing. Productive through long season.

□ Sun Leaper (hybrid). Very good flavor, firm, smooth, red fruit to averages 9 ounces. Large yield from compact plant.

□ Sunmaster (hybrid). Full flavored sugar and acid balance, smooth, firm fruit averages 7 to 8 ounces. Sets best in high day and night temperatures. 72 days. Determinate. VFA. Crack resistant.

□ Sunny (hybrid). Medium-large, firm, thick-walled fruit average 9 ounces. Large yields.

□ Sunpride (open-pollinated). Large, green shoulder fruit to about 9 ounces. Determinate.

□ Sunripe (hybrid). Large fruit. 69 days. Determinate. VF. Resists cracking, plant on short stake. Best in western states.

□ Super Fantastic (hybrid). Delicious flavor combines sweet and acid, large, smooth, juicy round fruit. 70 days. Indeterminate. VF. Yields until frost. Widely adapted.

□ Super Italian Paste (open-pollinated). Sweet flavored, large, meaty, plum-shaped fruit averages 10 to 12 ounces; little juice and few seeds for sauce and paste. 80 days. Indeterminate.

□ Super Marmande (open-pollinated). Very flavorful, meaty, slightly flattened, irregular fruit from 6 to 8 ounces for slicing. 72 days. Semi-determinate.

□ Super Roma. Good flavor, improved Roma type, juicy interior or juice and soup. 70 days. Determinate. VF.

□ Supersonic (hybrid). Bright orange red fruit with good flavor averages 8 to 12 ounces. 79 days. Indeterminate. VF. Crack resistant. Cage, stake or trellis. Grows well in northeastern states.

□ Super Sioux (open-pollinated).  Round, smooth fruit to about 4 to 6 ounces. 70 days. Semi-determinate. Grow in cage; sets fruit in high temperatures. All regions except southeast.

□ Sweet Cluster (hybrid). Sweet, delicious clusters of 6-8 glossy red fruits about 4 ounces. 67 days. Indeterminate. Outdoors or in greenhouse. Stores well.

□ Tappy's Finest (open-pollinated). Fine flavor, irregular shaped, deep-pink fruit averages 14 to 16 ounces. Meaty with few seeds for slicing and juice.. West Virginia heirloom. 77 days. Indeterminate.

□ Terrific (hybrid). Excellent flavor, smooth, firm, meaty fruit averages 8 to 10 ounces. 70 days. Indeterminate. VFN. Crack resistant; fruits over long season; good foliage cover; grow in cage or on a trellis. Widely adapted.

□ Thessaloniki (open-pollinated). Excellent juicy flavor, smooth, large red fruit averages 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Greek heirloom. 75 days. Indeterminate. Crack resistant. Good yields.

□ Tiffany (hybrid). Rich, sweet flavor, dark red fruit averages 6 to 8 ounces. Vigorous plants.

□ Tip-Top (open-pollinated). Sweeter than cherry tomatoes, nearly round fruit averages 3 ounces. 74 days. Determinate. Requires no staking. Bears in clusters.

□ Tomade. Sweet, delicious, ribbed fruit averages 6 to 7 ounces. Disease resistant. Heavy yield on compact plants.

□ Tomosa (hybrid). Juicy, deep red fruit averages 3 to 4 ounces for snacking. 70 days. Indeterminate.

□ Tropic (open-pollinated). Solid, meaty, flattened, globe-shaped fruit averages 8 to 10 ounces. 80 days. Indeterminate. Tolerates heat and high humidity.

□ Ultra Boy (hybrid). Old-fashioned, acid tomato flavor, smooth, globe-shaped fruit to about 8 ounces.

□ Urbana (open-pollinated). Very fine flavor, smooth, bright red fruit averages 4 to 8 ounces. 75 days. Indeterminate. Ripens uniformly. Abundant.

□ Variegated. Round, red fruit averages 3 to 5 ounces; creamy white and green variegated foliage.

□ Veeroma (open-pollinated). Roma type, plum-shaped fruit, medium red averages 2 ounces. 72 days. Determinate. VF. Resist cracking. Early maturing.

□ Vendor (open-pollinated). Best taste in the green ripe stage, globe-shaped fruit averages 6 to 8 ounces. Greenhouse tomato. 75 days. Uniform ripening.

□ Victor (open-pollinated). Very good flavor, firm, smooth oblate fruit averages 4 to 5 ounces. 70 days. Determinate.

□ Victoria (open-pollinated). Mild tasting, bright red fruit averages 5 ounces. 75 days. Indeterminate. Requires staking or trellis. Not a heavy producer, but unique flavor.

□ Violaceum Krypni-Rozo (open-pollinated). Excellent, sweet flavor, dark pink to purple, deeply scalloped fruit to about 8 ounces. European heirloom. 80 days. Indeterminate.

□ Walter (open-pollinated). Firm fruit averages 7 ounces. 75 days. Determinate. F. Grow on stakes or sprawl on the ground; compact vines, good foliage cover. Best in southeastern region.

□ Watermelon Beefsteak (open-pollinated). Sweet, mild, oblate, dark-pink fruit up to 2 pounds. Heirloom. 75 days. Indeterminate.

□ West Virginia 63 (open-pollinated). Excellent for slicing, uniform, smooth, bright red fruit averages 6 to 8 ounces. 70 days. Indeterminate. Resists cracking. High yield.

□ White Potato Leaf (open-pollinated). Mild and sweet fruity flavor, meaty medium size ruffled fruit creamy white streaked reddish pink. Use for sauce. 80 days. Indeterminate.

□ Wisconsin 55. Sweet, flavorful, smooth red fruit averages 8 ounces. Developed in Wisconsin in the 1940s. 78 days. Indeterminate. Widely adapted.

□ Yellow Cherry (open-pollinated). Mild, sweet flavor, small, round bright-yellow fruit to 1 inch in diameter for garnish and salads. 75 days. Indeterminate. Long season.

□ Yellow Marble (open-pollinated). Mild, sweet flavored, marble-sized, golden-yellow fruit. 75 days. Indeterminate.

□ Yellow Oxheart (open-pollinated). Sweet flavor, large, meaty, bright yellow fruit up to 1 pound. 79 days.

□ Yellow Pear (open-pollinated). Mild, sweet flavor, small, pear-shaped, clear-yellow fruit for salads and pickling. 75 days. Indeterminate. Abundant in clusters.

□ Yellow Perfection (open-pollinated). Mild flavor, medium-small, round, deep golden-yellow fruit. 70 days. Indeterminate. Ripens in cool and warm weather. Fruits in clusters of 4 to 6.

□ Yellow Plum (open-pollinated). Mild, sweet flavor, small, plum-shaped, clear-yellow fruit to 1 inch in diameter, averages 1 ounce. Heirloom. 75 days. Indeterminate. Bears in clusters until frost.

□ Yellow Ruffled (open-pollinated). Excellent flavor, yellow stuffing tomato with ridges to 3½ inches in diameter. 80 days. Indeterminate. Productive.

Grow More Veggies: THE KITCHEN GARDEN GROWERS' GUIDE

Posted by Stephen Albert on August 22, 2008
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Borlotti Beans

Just tender cooked borlotti beans--often called cranberry beans--are a tasty late summer snack.

Use your thumb to pop open the fresh-picked speckled pods, place a few handfuls of beans in a skillet and cover with just an inch of water; add a couple of cloves of garlic, pepper corns, and fresh sage, and simmer until they are just tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain away the water; let the beans dry a minute or two in a colander or on paper towels; lightly salt to taste and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. You can serve them alone warm or cooled or add them to the antipasto tray with mixed cheeses and sausages.

If the beans are fresh picked just barely visible in the pod and still young, you can leave out the cooking part, and snack on the creamy textured, nutty flavored borlottis simply adding olive oil and sea salt. If you've brought home dried beans, soak those 3 to 8 hours at room temperature or place them in a saucepan covered with water and bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and soak for 1½ hours before cooking.

The borlotti bean is an oval to round, ivory and dark red to brown speckled and blotched bean. It comes in a pod very similar, streaked ivory and dark red. The beans and pods are just about the same size as a large string bean. Inside, the borlotti is cream colored. Its flavor compares to the chestnut. Borlottis are shell beans; you don't eat the pods.

Cooked borlottis are tender and moist. They are native to South America but came to Tuscany and northern Italy long ago and have long been a favorite in Italy and Spain. In Italian cookery, the borlotti is used often in bean and pasta soup, know as pasta e fagioli. The borlotti can be added to stews or combined with other vegetables as a side dish.

Enjoy the borlotti fresh in summer and dried year round. Its timing is perfect; the borlotti is ready for picking in summer just as the string bean harvest slows.

In the United States, you are most likely to find the borlotti called cranberry bean. It is also called crab eye bean, Fagiolo Romano, Roman  Rosecoco Saluggia, and Salugia bean. The borlotti is related to the tongues of fire bean which is similar in appearance, perhaps more vibrant yet.

Choose. Select fresh borlottis in full, brightly colored pods.

Shell. Split open the curved inside seam of the pod with your thumb and remove the beans.

Store. Fresh borlotti beans can be kept in the refrigerator up to a week. To freeze borlotti beans, blanch briefly in boiling water, drain, and freeze in a zip-top plastic bag.

Substitute. Tongues of fire, cannellini, and pinto beans can stand in for borlotti beans.

Posted by Stephen Albert on August 20, 2008
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Costoluto Genovese Tomato

Costoluto Genovese is a large, juicy Italian heirloom tomato with an acidic-tart full-tomato flavor well suited for slicing and serving fresh or cooking.

Costoluto Genovese has been a Mediterranean favorite since at least the early eighteenth century. The key to this mid-season beefsteak's rich tomato flavor is heat. Grown away from the dry, sun-drenched gardens of the Mediterranean this tomato might disappoint.

Mid-season tomatoes such as Costoluto Genovese are ready for harvest mid summer. Late-season tomatoes demand 80 or more days to mature; mid-season tomatoes reach their peak at about 70 days and sometimes earlier.

Costoluto Genovese is heavily lobed, even scalloped. In profile this tomato appears flattened and fluted to the point of convoluted. Appearances needn't be off putting; Costoluto Genovese slices nicely at its scallops and is perfect for adding to fresh vegetable plates. Of course, like any other beefsteak this tomato is very meaty and can be sliced across to make a tasty tomato and basil sandwich.

In Italy Costoluto Genovese is a favorite for pasta sauces and pastes; for these, remove the this tomato's medium-thick skin. Of course, the skin makes Costoluto Genovese a good choice for broiling and grilling. And if this prolific, indeterminate producer delivers more than you can keep up with, juicing is an excellent alternative for Costoluto Genovese.

Some people won't hear about adding beefsteak tomatoes to mixed salads; they say sliced, cut tomatoes weep, dilute the dressing, and make the salad soggy. Well, the solution is quite simple: simply let the slices or wedges drain well on a paper towel. No formality should deny you one of the tastiest pleasures of summer.

The rich, sharp flavor of Parmesan cheese is a good match for almost every tomato, no exception is the Costoluto Genovese. Freshly grated Parmesan, complex-flavored and granular--grana, as they say in Italy--is a fine match for this broiled Costoluto Genovese recipe.

Posted by Stephen Albert on August 18, 2008
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Cubanelle Peppers

The cubanelle sweet pepper is tasty lightly roasted and served on a summer sandwich or green salad.

Core and seed three or four of the long tapered cubanelles and place them on the grill or about five inches below the oven broiler element and cook until the skins blister and char on each side, about 10 minutes per side. Next, place the peppers in a large sheet of aluminum foil and leave until they are no longer hot; now, you slice and remove the ribs and seeds and peel the skins away and arrange these colorful peppers to their best effect.

(Tasty tip: an hour before roasting, place the peppers in a glass bowl with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, 3 or 4 sprigs of thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Turn the peppers every 15 minutes so they will be evenly coated with oil.)

Ok, if that sounds like too much work, the mild and colorful cubanelle can be sliced raw right onto a green salad and topped with vinaigrette. Or slice up some cubanelles to add to fresh salsa.

Cubanelles are mild to spicy, less so with cooking. You'll find the flavor of the cubanelle akin to the popular Anaheim sweet pepper. Cubanelles range in color from green to yellow to red. A red cubanelle is a ripe pepper but not necessarily more spicy than a green cubanelle. When it comes to hot, be assured the Cubanelle barely rate on the Scoville unit pepper heat meter.

Cubanelles are also known as Italian frying peppers. They are popular in Italy added to casseroles and pizzas.

Cubanelles can be stuffed after roasting whole, without coring and seeding before hand: follow the roasting directions above, slice and seed the peppers after roasting and then lightly stuff with a mix of goat cheese, fresh crused garlic to taste, olive oil and a bit of fresh minced thyme. Once the cheese mix is added to the sliced pepperes, reheat them in the oven or on the grill for a few minutes.

Posted by Stephen Albert on August 15, 2008
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Baby Corn

Baby corn fresh picked is sweet and crunchy. You can eat it whole out of hand--yes, kernels and cob together, add it raw to salads, or cook it quickly in stir fries. Fresh baby corn among crudités is a summer-only delight.

But fresh-picked baby corn--not the baby corn out of a can swimming in a pan at the downtown salad bar--comes with a short window of opportunity; it must be had in mid-summer during just the one or two days after the silks of the corn cob emerge from the husk, called "silking". After that, baby corn is on its way to becoming an adult.

You, no doubt, know baby corn when you see it. It's the finger-length corn that most often shows up in Thai and Chinese dishes. It looks like miniature corn on the cob. But baby corn does not come from dollhouse-sized corn plants; baby corn is harvested from standard varieties of sweet and field corn just after silking

Picked fresh baby corn is sweet, juicy and crunchy. Wait until the third or fourth day after the silks emerge from the ears and baby corn begins to grow starchy and hard and you then must wait another 20 to 50 days for pollinated ear to mature to full size and regain their sweet natural corn flavor and tenderness.

While canned baby corn is dull flavored--after all, baby corn for canning is most often grown in Asia, where the required hand picking is less costly, and must travel a distance to reach you, fresh-picked baby corn even stir fried will have full sweet corn flavor, the same flavor you catch when you rush fresh-picked full-size corn to the table minutes after harvest.

Serve and cooking. Here are some ideas for enjoying fresh-picked baby corn:

• Bring to the table raw just picked and serve alone or add to the crudités plate and serve with dip.

• Add raw to a green salad or mixed fresh-picked vegetables and top with vinaigrette.

• Roast lightly with sesame seed oil and toss in a rotini or penne pasta salad.

• Steam or stir fry a minute or two and it will retain its shape and flavor; never cook past tender-crunchy.

• Add cobs whole or cut on the diagonal to soups.

• Braise in a broth with whole baby bok choy and mushrooms and glaze before serving.

• Pickle in vinegar, water, salt, and dill and serve as a snack.

Choose. Select baby corn still in the husk to ensure it is still moist. Peel back the husk and look for small, full kernels in straight rows; the end should be tapered. Avoid baby corn whose kernels are sunken or wrinkled. Bright yellow baby corn will be sweet; white baby corn will be a bit starchier.

Store. Baby corn will keep in a loose plastic bag in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, but is best served fresh.

Prepare. Before serving or cooking, carefully remove the husk and silks so as not to break or damage the ear. Trim away the stem end. Leave whole or cut on the diagonal.

Harvest your own. Pick baby corn 1 or 2 days after the silks emerge. The ideal ear will be 2 to 4 inches long and about ½ inches in diameter. Silking of corn ears occurs over a 2 to 4 week period on each plant. Harvest baby corn every 2 to 3 days during that time. If you want some ears on your corn plant to mature to full size, leave the ears at the top of the plant to gain maturity and harvest the ears below as baby corn.

Grow your own. Corn can take a significant amount of room to crop. Because baby corn is not grown to maturity, growing baby corn in the kitchen garden is quite doable; the plant does not grow to maturity. Plant corn for baby corn harvest as close as 18 to 24 inches apart.

Grow any variety of sweet or field corn for baby corn harvest. Some corn varieties are suited for baby corn harvest; these varieties never gain more than six feet in stature. Try 'Little Indian', 'Baby', 'Golden Midget' (butter yellow kernels), 'Glacier' (white kernels), 'Miniature Hybrid', 'Baby Asian', 'Baby Blue' (blue kernels), Bo Peep ('pink kernels'), and 'Strawberry Popcorn'.

The botanical name of baby corn is Zea mays.

Posted by Stephen Albert on August 13, 2008
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Long Beans

Slice the pencil thin long bean into 1 to 2 inch bite-sized pieces and stir fry with a bit of ginger then serve as a side dish with pork or fish.

Add sliced long beans to soups or more simply add them blanched or raw to a salad just as you would the French haricots verts.

Long beans have a chewy, crunchy texture--more so than snap beans--and a flavor reminiscent of the dry navy bean or asparagus. Asparagus! Yes, that is where this cousin of the black-eyed pea gets one of it many other common names: the asparagus bean.

Asparagus bean, yard long bean (it actually can grow to nearly a yard long, though it will be tastier at half that length), Chinese pea and China pea (where this bean is a favorite), snake bean (looks like), dau gok, and in the Caribbean bodi or boonchi are other common names for this legume.

Besides stir-fry, soups and salads, the long bean is a good choice for stewing, braising (to remain chewy and firm), sautéing, shallow frying, and deep frying. With cooking, the long bean's bean flavor intensifies.

Thin and young long beans have the most delicate flavor. Older, fatter beans are more intense and sweet, and dried long beans can be used in the kitchen just like any other dried bean or legume.

Long beans do not contain as much moisture as bush or pole beans (the long bean is not a close relative of the common bean), that's what makes them more flexible and snake like and, of course, drier to taste. The next time you order Szechwan-style Chinese food look for the long beans. The Szechwan dish called dry-fried beans is the long bean deep-fried, drained, and then stir-fried with spicy seasoning. That dish takes about 5 minutes to cook.

It was once believed the long bean was native to China and southern Asia, but it is now known that the long bean originated in tropical and sub-tropical Africa before traveling east to India, Indonesia and China and then on to the Pacific Islands. From Africa, the long bean traveled west to the Caribbean and North America. Today the long bean is commonly grown in California and Hawaii.

The long bean grows on a climbing plant that reaches 6 to 13 feet long. The pods can be straight or hooked and contain 15 to 20 elongated kidney-shaped seeds usually black or brown between and each about ½ to ¾ inches long. The long bean is ready for harvest at 8 to 10 inches long but can be picked much longer, at 1½ to 3 feet long.

Season: Long beans are a warm-season plant and are harvested from mid to late summer. The long bean will be damaged by frost.

Choose: Select small, thin, firm pods in which the beans have not matured. Pods can range from dark green to pale-green. Pale green beans will be sweeter and meatier when cooked though more fibrous and less delicate. Dark green beans are best suited for braising as they are more firm. Avoid mature beans that can turn yellow or whitish colored.

Store: Long beans will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, best in a closed plastic bag. Mature long beans can be harvested for their seeds which can be dried and stored like other dry beans.

Prepare: Trim away the stem end and slice into desired lengths on the diagonal or straight across. Long beans are best trimmed before stir frying.

Cook: Long beans can be stir-fried, stewed, braised, sautéed, shallow fried, and deep fried. With cooking, the long bean's bean flavor intensifies.

• Stir fry until just tender crunchy.

• Steam or for 3-7 minutes until just tender.

• Braise for 20 minutes with other vegetables and meats, best in a garlicky or oniony braising liquid.

Serve: Long beans can be served raw in salads or added to soups or stir-fried dishes.

Flavor partners: Long beans have a flavor affinity for pork, ginger, nuts, fermented black beans, garlic, strong herbs, soy and fish sauce, chili peppers, sausages, oil and vinegar.

Nutrition: Long beans are low in calories, about 45 calories per cup, and rich in vitamin A and also contain vitamin C and potassium.

The botanical name for the yard-long bean is Vigna unguiculata, subspecies sesquipedalis. (Sesquipedalis means foot and a half long in Latin.)

Posted by Stephen Albert on August 11, 2008
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Thinning Apples

Too many apples? Sometimes, yes.

The best way to large delicious apples is thinning the crop.

Thinning apples is easy. Thin the fruit to a distance of twice the diameter of the fruit at maturity. If you expect the mature apples to be 3-inches across, leave 6 inches between each apple after thinning. If you're not sure how big the apples on your tree will be at their peak, thin to a distance of 6 to 8 inches apart on the branch.

Some apple thinners remove the fruit on every other spur; others leave a fruit on every third spur as they thin from the trunk outward on a branch. Always leave the largest fruit on the spur. Whichever method you choose, the goal is to leave plenty of room for each apple to mature.

Be careful as you thin to avoid damaging the spurs. A spur thinned this year will likely bear another apple next year. If you pull to hard when thinning, you could accidentally damage or detach the spur.

If your apples are small this year, be sure to thin more heavily next year. If the fruit set is light this year, thin less or not at all next year.

There is something about fruit thinning that you might resist. Those clusters of apples seem to say you've done something right; why thin a good thing?

But a large apple crop or set has more to do with the work of nature than anything you've done. Nature wants a lot of apples. An apple tree will produce many more blossons and fruit than is necessary; a lot of apple seeds is how nature perpetuates the species.

But for the kitchen gardener too many apples on a tree can mean smaller fruit, limbs loaded to the point of cracking or breaking, and sometimes a small crop next year.

So thinning is a good thing, especially in years when there's a heavy fruit set. (An apple tree can summon only so much energy and nutrients to make it through the fruiting season.)

When to thin? Nature often starts the thinning process on its own a few week after the initial fruit set in spring. Called "June drop", apple trees simply shed some of their smallest fruit. But nature can often use some help, especially in years when the apple set is heavy, and especially if you are growing apples for eating.

A week or so after the "June drop" is a good time to thin your apple trees. But even as apples approach half their preferred size in the middle of summer, you can still thin the crop.

Thinning--sometimes called fruit pruning--can ensure fat, delicious apples. Thinning can also ensure that apples don't touch leaving little room for insects or diseases to take hold. And for some varieties that "alternate bear" or produce significant crops every other year, thinning will leave the tree with the enerfy to produce an equal-sized crop year after year.

Posted by Stephen Albert on August 08, 2008
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August Garden in the Southern Hemisphere

The days begin to warm in August in the southern hemisphere. This is the time to begin planting crops for summer harvest. But keep in mind there may still be some chilly days in the colder regions.

Root crops can go into the ground immediately this month. But tender seedlings, tomatoes, capsicums and some lettuce may need protection until the weather turns warmer for good.

Get manure, compost, blood and bone meal into the garden now. That will give these soil amendments a chance to begin to break down before the entire garden is planted.

This month is the last chance to spray stone fruit with lime sulphur or Bordeaux mix before the spring bud burst. Once buds break, it will be almost impossible to control fungal problems.

August Planting Schedule for the Southern Hemisphere:

Here is a planting schedule by region for the Southern Hemisphere in August:

Temperate regions: Vegetables: artichoke suckers, beets (beetroot), cabbage, cape gooseberry, capsicum, carrots, celery, chicory, choko (chayote), cress, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, spring onion, parsnip, peas, potato tubers, radish, rhubarb crowns, salsify, Swiss chard (silverbeet), tomato. Herbs: basil, borage, caraway, chamomile, chervil, chicory, chilli, coriander, dill, garlic, marigold, parsley.

Tropical and subtropical northern regions: Vegetables: beans, beets (beetroot), buckwheat, cabbage, cape gooseberry, capsicum (sweet pepper), carrots, celery, Chinese cabbage, choko (chayote), cress, cucumber, fennel, lettuce, marrow, melons, mustard, okra, parsnip, potatoes, pumpkin, radish, rhubarb crowns, rosella, salsify, spring onion, squash, strawberry runners, sweet corn, sweet potato, Swiss chard (silverbeet), tomato, zucchini. Herbs: basil, borage, caraway, chamomile, celeriac, chervil, coriander, dill, garlic, hyssop, lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, parsley, salad burnet, thyme.

Cooler southern regions: Vegetables: artichokes, broad beans, Chinese cabbage, cress, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce, spring onion, onion,  parsnip, peas, potato tubers, rhubarb crowns, salsify, Swiss chard (silverbeet), spinach, turnip. Herbs: garlic, parsley.

August Harvest Schedule for the Southern Hemisphere:

Here is a roundup of vegetables and fruits ready for harvest during August in the Southern Hemisphere:

Vegetables: asparagus, Brussels sprouts, carrots, celeriac, celery, Chinese cabbage, kale, lettuce, mustard, peas, purslane, rutabaga (Swedes), turnips, witloof chicory.

Fruit: avocadoes, grapefruit, kiwifruit, lemons, limes, mandarins, navel oranges.

Posted by Stephen Albert on August 07, 2008
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August Garden in the Northern Hemisphere

August was the sixth month of the year in the early Roman calendar--called Sextilis, which means sixth--until the Emperor Augustus came along and rearranged the calendar and named the month after himself.

In the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, August is the height of summer. Even though the longest days of the year are past, August is one of the hottest months of the year.

While goldenrod, wild asters and other late summer flowers are blooming on the prairies now, far northern high mountain regions are experiencing chilly nights and even frost. While the fields and woods are full of insects, some birds are nearly ready to fly south.

At the farm markets in the Northern Hemisphere this month you will find fresh and locally harvested beans, carrots, green chilies, corn, eggplant, lettuce, melons, pumpkins, purslane, sweet bell peppers, tomatoes, turnips, and zucchini.

Fresh local fruits and nuts coming to the farm market this month include: almonds, apples, late apricots, avocadoes, brambleberries, cape gooseberries, gooseberries, grapes, figs, hazelnuts, melons, mulberries, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, strawberry guavas,  strawberries, and tamarilloes.

If you are working in the garden, reliable crops for fall gardens can be planted in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in August: crops such as beets, bush beans, carrots, collards, mustard, onions, radish, spinach, and turnips.

If you are planting in the heat of August, it is important to plant when the soil is moist. Cover seed lightly with soil and use a mulch of grass clippings, straw, or paper placed over the seed beds until seed germinate. This is important particularly when the weather is both hot and dry.

Other vegetables for temperate regions started in August that are not as reliable but worth attempting are: potatoes, rutabagas, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, endive, Swiss chard, and corn salad.

In sub-tropical and tropical regions from Southern California and South Florida south into Mexico and Central America, you can plant late potatoes, tomatoes, beans, beets, carrots, Brussels sprouts, celery, chard, cucumbers, and turnips this month.

In the northern regions of the Northern Hemisphere, the weather may be hot in August but the growing season is growing shorter. Crops that will mature in the coolness of autumn can be planted now. Sow snap beans, Chantenay carrots, Chinese cabbage, and endive. If you didn't have any luck with spring-sown peas earlier, try them now. The cool nights of the next month should be good for them while they are still growing.

When the middle of the month comes, mound soil around stems of leek to blanch and blanch early celery by using paper tubes. To hasten onion ripening, bend over tops if they are beginning to wither. In late August, in the cooler regions sow spinach and mustard.

Planting in the Northern Hemisphere in August:

Temperate regions--Zones 7-9: Sow beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chicory, cress, eggplant, endive, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mustard, spring onions, parsnip, peas, potato tubers, radish, rhubarb crowns, rutabaga, salsify, shallots, spinach , Swiss chard, and turnips.

Cooler northern regions--Zones 3-6: Sow broad beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, chicory, cress, endive, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, spring onions, parsnip, radish, rhubarb crowns, rutabaga, salsify, shallots, spinach, Swiss chard, and turnips.

Tropical and sub-tropical southern regions--Zones 10-12: Plant artichoke suckers, beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, cape gooseberry, capsicum, carrots, celery, Chinese cabbage, cress, cucumber, eggplant, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, marrow, melons, mustard, okra, onions, spring onions, parsnip, potato tubers, pumpkin, radish, rhubarb crown, rutabaga, sweet corn, sweet potato, Swiss chard, tomato, turnip, and zucchini.

Posted by Stephen Albert on August 06, 2008
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Kitchen Garden Almanac for August

August is a month of endings and beginnings in the kitchen garden. Yes, there is still a month of vacation time before school starts, but in nature change is about. Summer will begin to fade in many gardens during August giving way to autumn and cool weather. In other regions, as the summer garden comes to a close, the "second spring" garden will come on, a garden that will benefit from continuing warm temperatures.

Vegetables are generally divided into warm season and cool season crops. Most warm season crops are harvested for their fruit: tomatoes, squash, peppers, eggplant, and melons for example. These crops require a lot of heat and long days to mature and become tasty.

Cool season crops prefer cooler temperatures. These are the leaf and root crops: beets, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, and spinach. Leaf and root crops benefit from cool weather; they use the shorter days to direct their energy into leaf and root formation and don't bother with flowering and seeding or fruiting.

Use the number of days in your garden's growing season to determine which crops will do best this time of year, as the days start to grow shorter and eventually cooler. Seeds that go into the ground now need time to germinate and grow. If the warm weather will be gone from your garden in 60 to 90 days, there may not be enough time for warm-weather crops to mature and bear a tasty harvest.

Check a frost map for your area or talk to the master gardener at your nearby cooperative extension or garden center; they can tell you about when to expect the first frost of autumn or winter.

When planning the autumn and winter garden, check the date of maturity on your seed packets against the average date of the first frost in your area. Add at least 2 weeks and up to 4 weeks to that number and count backwards from the average first frost date to arrive at your planting date for that crop. Plants grow a bit slower as summer fades into autumn and the sun's intensity decreases. So allow some grow time by adding a few weeks to the maturity date on your seed packets.

You may have plenty of time for more warm-weather crops in your region (after all there are only 1 or 2 days of frost each year in San Diego, for instance), or time may be very short (there are on average just 60 frost free days each year in Telluride, Colorado, with the average first frost date arriving about August 27).

One way to cut short the number of days a plant will need in the garden is to transplant seedlings. Garden centers may still have warm-season seedlings available and are very likely have cool-season seedlings on hand. These plants already have a 2 to 6 week head start over seeds you might sow today.

Autumn garden planting. Here are some crop recommendations for planting the late summer or autumn kitchen garden now. These suggestions are divided into 4 major geographical areas: North and East and Midwest (zones 2 in the northern most areas to 6 along the coast), the South (zones 7 in the north to 10 in the far south), the Southwest and California (zones 7 in the coolest areas to 11), and the Northeast (zones 5 in the highest elevations to 8 along the coast).

North and East and Midwest. Check the number of frost-free days left in your area. You may have time to plant beets, chard, endive, kale, late kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, winter onions, radishes, and spinach. Also in some areas: carrots, beans, chard, corn salad, endive, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, late cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, celery, and late peas. You must hurry these into the garden if starting from seed. Herbs can be planted in pots: chives, parsley, mint, and thyme.

South. Start winter vegetables in seedbeds or under cover for planting in early September. Both warm and cool-weather crops can still be planted in the August garden in The South: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bush and pole beans, cabbage and Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, chard, sweet corn, kale, leaf lettuce, Bermuda onions, fall peas, radishes, rutabagas, salsify, spinach, winter squash, tomatoes, turnips, and pumpkins. Next month you can begin to plant autumn salad greens.

Southwest and California. In many areas, there is plenty of warm weather to keep the warm-weather crops going in successive plantings; in the warmest regions and reverse-season areas, set out bush beans, cucumbers, eggplants, limas, southern peas, peppers, tomatoes, and watermelon. You can also plant basil, string beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, chard, sweet corn, dill, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce, okra, potatoes, rutabagas, summer squash, winter squash and pumpkins, spinach, and turnips. Where there is less time until the first frost, plant radishes, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, chard, kale, leaf lettuce, fall peas, late potatoes, salsify, and late spinach. Irish potatoes can go into the garden now. Towards the end of August, winter vegetables can be sown in seedbeds or under cover.

Northwest. Be sure to check the number of frostless days left in your area. You may have time for artichokes, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, endive, leaf lettuce, mustard, parsley, peas, spinach, and turnips. Check the seed packets for "fall" and "late" varieties; they are quicker maturing plants. Late cabbage, late cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli will probably have time to mature.

Here are additional tips for your kitchen garden in August:

Tomatoes. Continue to feed tomatoes and watch for pests and disease. Water tomato plants frequently to prevent the development of blossom-end rot. Remove excessive leaf growth from tomatoes, side shoots and yellowing leaves. Stop outdoor tomatoes when four or five trusses have set by pinching out new growth. At midmonth, remove flowers and buds from tomatoes to speed ripening of fruit. (The same is true for squash.)

Herbs. Cut herbs to freeze and dry for winter use, preferably before leaves become too old or plants begin to flower. Collect herb seeds when ripe. Pot up herbs for winter use, or take cuttings or divide perennial herbs to start new plants. Take cuttings of bay, lavender, mint, rosemary, rue, and sage; lift and divide clumps of chives.

Brambles and berries. Cut fruited raspberry, blackberry, loganberries, currants, and gooseberries canes back to ground level, and carefully tie new canes that have not fruited to supports. Take hardwood cutting from black currants and gooseberries. Root them in sandy soil in a sheltered spot. Plant black currants, red and white currants and blackberry and raspberry canes from now until early spring provided that the soil is not too cold to too wet.  Shallow rooted blueberries should be well mulched and watered. Protect grapes from birds.

Strawberries. Clean up strawberries once they have finished fruiting. Remove old leaves and unwanted runners. Runners can be detached from parent plants and transplanted or rooted in pots. Potted runner plants can be set out in the garden. Water all well. Replace worn out mulches. Keep watering everbearing strawberries; replenish their mulch as needed. In short season regions, have cloches ready to extend the season for late-fruiting plants.

Apples. Thin apples and support heavily laden trees. Spray developing fruit with calcium nitrate. Start picking early apples; early-ripening apple do not store well, so eat them now. Water apple trees regularly and deeply to decrease the risk of bitter pits. Remove and dispose of apples showing signs of pest infestations. Control woolly aphids on apple trees; apply grease bands to trunks. Dispose of fallen leaves from scab infected apple trees. Place netting to cover and protect developing fruit from birds. Summer prune cordon and espalier apples.

Cherries, plums, apricots, nectarines and peaches. Start picking early plums. Prune cherries, plums, apricots, nectarines, and peaches when harvest is complete; cut out dead, diseased, broken, and crossing branches. Prune espalier and fan-trained fruit trees; cut lateral growth toward the wall or fence by half. Rake and dispose of fallen leaves from scab-infected pear trees and rust-infected plum trees. Keep the orchard and area below fruit trees clean to interrupt the life cycles of pests. Protect fruit against birds. Plant peaches and nectarines.

Feeding plants. Give warm-season fruiting crops--eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, and squash--a side-dressing of compost tea or manure tea. Add a cup or two of well-rotted manure or compost to a gallon and let sit overnight before watering around plants.

Prepare for frost In short season regions, cloches or floating row covers should be readied to protect plants from early frost. Be ready to cover tomatoes, peppers and beans to protect against the first frost.

Greenhouse and frames. Add extra shading to greenhouse glass if necessary. Clean and disinfect the greenhouse and get ready for winter. Check insulation and heaters to make sure the minimum temperatures are reached (be sure you have a minimum-maximum thermometer). Ventilate on warm days as necessary.

Posted by Stephen Albert on August 04, 2008
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Kitchen Garden Insect Control

There is little reason to spend money on controlling kitchen garden pests. Most of the tried and true garden insect controls have been around for thousands of years.

"Prevention is better than a cure"; that old adage is true in the garden as it is in most areas of life. Spending quality time in the garden is as simple a way as any to stay ahead of insects and other pests. By making daily visits to the garden, you'll be the first to know when pests arrive, and you'll be able to control them before they get established.

Here are ten simple ways to keep tight control on garden insects without spending a dime:

Keep the garden clean. Cucumber beetles, flea beetles and asparagus beetles are just a few of the pests that seek shelter in garden debris. Clean up the garden during the season and after the season ends. When a crop is finished, clean up and eliminate insect shelters. Fall cleanup is particularly important in reducing overwintering pests and getting a head start on next year.

Turn the soil. Using a garden fork or hoe to simply turn the soil between crops or at the end of the season will expose soil-dwelling pests and their eggs to sun, heat, and cold which will interrupt their life cycle. Light cultivation will also keep weeds at bay during the growing season and interrupt germination. Deep cultivation to 6 inches at the end of the season will expose soil-borne pests to the light and bury surface dwelling insects. (This fall cultivation is also a good time to add compost to your soil.)

Handpick pests. One of the pleasures of gardening is being in the garden. So while you're there scout for newly arrived insects on a regular basis, and use your thumb and finger to dispatch them. The best time to look for insect pests in the garden is during the middle of the day; most insects love the sunshine. Don't forget to look under plant leaves for insect eggs; look for white, yellow, or reddish brown eggs. If you suspect small insects are about, place a sheet of white paper under the plant and shake to expose them.

Water spray. A strong spray of water from the garden hose will end the stay of small caterpillars, aphids, mites, scale, spittlebugs, and others. If an infestation has gotten out of hand, you may have to return more than once to get the upper hand on aphids and other colony dwelling pests. 

Cardboard and foil collars. Cardboard, heavy paper, and aluminum foil collars around young seedlings and even more mature plants will keep chewing pests from attacking plant stems. A four-inch cardboard or aluminum foil square around the base of a cabbage plant will keep cabbage root maggots from laying eggs. Plant collars will also keep flies from laying eggs. For cutworms, extend the collar 1 or 2 inches into the soil around the stem of the plant.

Plant traps. Use sacrificial plants to trap insects. A trap or catch crop of early maturing radishes will lure flea beetles away from more substantial crops. Mustard can be used to trap harlequin bugs. An early sowing of one or two squash in pots will draw beetles away from your main crop. An unthinned patch of carrots will attract aphids leaving other crops pest free.

Mixed plantings. By intermixing crops instead of planting each crop in concentrated rows or blocks, insects that attack specific plants have a harder time getting established; there's just not enough of one crop in one place to make their efforts worthwhile. Mixing crops is particularly easy to do in small gardens. 

Mulch. Mulches can help keep pests from laying eggs or setting up house in the soil.

Beneficial insects. Attract insects that like to eat other insects. Lacewings, lady bugs, parasitic wasps, and syrphid and hover flies are beneficial insects. Grow beneficial insect host plants to attract these insect predators to your garden. Lacewings are attracted to carrot family plants and oleanders. Lady bugs are attracted to angelica, goldenrod, morning glory, oleander, and yarrow. Parasitic wasps are attracted to carrot family members, goldenrod, oleander, and strawberries. Syrphid flies and hover flies are attracted to members of the daisy family. Give beneficial insects a reason to visit and stay in your garden.

Rotate crops. Changing where you plant specific crops from year to year will break up the life cycle of rootworms and nematodes that feed on the same plants. Move crop families to another part of the garden every year if possible.

Posted by Stephen Albert on August 01, 2008
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