Deep Roots Edible Landscapes

January in the Edible Landscape

Lindsay Miller — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 19:22:51 +0000

Featured Plant: SPROUTS!

January is not a popular month for gardening in the Pacific Northwest. The days are short, the air is cold, and not many plants are yielding a harvest this time of year. We tend to spend our time indoors, getting projects done around the house and cooking hearty meals to stay warm. With all this time spent inside, why not bring a piece of our edible garden in with us? There are some edibles you can be growing inside year-round. This month’s featured edible plant is SPROUTS!
Sprouting seeds indoors is fun, easy, delicious, nutritious, and inexpensive. Basic materials include seeds (found in the bulk section at the grocery store), a Mason jar, a screened lid, and water. Once you understand the steps of soaking, rinsing, and growing the seeds, you can try experimenting with different blends for a variety of flavors. Here are a couple websites with more than enough information to get you started sprouting.
Sproutpeople
Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds

November in the Edible Landscape

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:46:22 +0000

Featured Plant : QUINCE!

Spring Flower Bud

Ornamental Qualities of Quince Trees
Light pink spring buds
Fragrant bloom
Soft green summer foliage
Fast growth rate
Open, arching habit
Compact size (about 20′ H)
Fall fruit harvest
Sweet, citrus flavor (when cooked)
Winter branch structure

Quince Jam Recipe

Homemade Quince Jam

* 6 cups (packed) of quince, rinsed, grated (discard cores, leave peel on)
* 4 1/4 cups water
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 1 Tbsp lemon zest
* 4 cups sugar (don’t skimp on the sugar, or your jam won’t set correctly)
Wash, core, and grate quince in a food processor or with a cheese grater. Put the water in a large, wide, thick-bottomed saucepan (6-8 quarts) and bring to a boil. Add the grated quince, lemon juice and lemon zest. Reduce heat and simmer until the quince is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the sugar and bring to a boil again. Stir to dissolve all of the sugar. Lower the heat to medium high. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until quince jam turns pink and thickens to desired consistency, about an hour. Ladle into hot, sterilized canning jars and seal. Allow to cool to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Makes about 5 half-pints.
To preserve for long-term storage, sterilize jars and lids according to manufacturer’s directions. Place in a boiling-water bath canner for about 12 minutes.

Quince Tree

Quince Care
Plant Quince in a full sun, well drained location. Fall-Spring is the best time to plant any fruit tree as it gives the tree a chance to get its roots established before suffering through the heat of summer. Add a 2 in. layer of compost mulch around the drip line of the tree to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and feed the soil. Continue mulching each year. During the summer, water new plants deeply once a week. Make sure water penetrates the soil to 6 in. by digging down after watering. Once established, Quince will require less supplemental water.
Quince are trained to the shape of a tree or shrub early on, usually before purchasing and transplanting into the yard. Both trees and shrubs should be pruned yearly in the winter, when the plant is dormant. Keep in mind that fruit will form on the growth from the previous season, so shearing the entire plant will result in few, if any fruit. For Quince trees, prune the leaders of the main branches back by half of the previous season’s growth to an outward facing bud. For Quince shrubs, prune out oldest shoots all the way to the base to encourage new vigorous growth. Keep between 5-7 main shoots depending on the age and size of the tree. Always prune out any dead, damaged, or diseased branches. Look for branches that are crossing, rubbing, or crowding each other and prune one out. Thinning the tree each year provides proper air circulation and allows ample sunlight to penetrate the branches to ripen fruit.
Avoid pest issues by keeping the Quince well-mulched and well-watered. At the first sign of aphids, spray off with a strong jet of water and use soap spray at a last resort. Fire blight can also become an issue with Quince trees. This is a disease which turns the leaves black. At the first sign of fire blight, prune affected branches to 6 in. below the evidence of disease. Always sterilize pruners in an alcohol solution to avoid spreading the disease around the tree.

October in the Edible Landscape

Lindsay Miller — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 05:23:11 +0000

October is a great time to get garlic cloves in the ground. Plan on growing them for about 9 months before harvesting, usually in late June or July. Purchase “seed garlic” at a nursery to ensure a quality crop and for the best selection of hardy NW varieties. Plant each clove 2-3″ deep and 4-6″ apart in loose soil amended with compost. Plant in a full-sun bed and keep evenly watered and weed-free during the growing season. Side-dress with a nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer in the early spring to push healthy shoot growth. Snip off any flowers that develop in late spring (these “scapes” are a delicious treat when sauted like Asparagus). Once the tops start to brown out, stop watering to allow the bulbs to form a dry, papery outer layer. When only a couple green leaves remain, carefully dig-up the plants and clean the soil off the heads leaving the greens attached. Allow the heads to cure for a couple weeks out of direct sunlight in an area with ample air circulation. The rest of the greens will brown-out and once the heads are cured, snip off the stalk and store in a cool, dry place for harvest throughout the winter and spring. Save the largest heads to use as seed garlic for replanting in the fall.

August in the Edible Landscape

Lindsay Miller — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 05:20:28 +0000

Featured Plant: Lavender!

Ornamental Qualities of Lavender
Evergreen Shrub for Perennial Winter Interest
Beautiful, long-lasting, fragrant summer bloom
Variety of flower colors and types available
Insectary Plant, attracting pollinators
Extremely heat and drought-tolerant

Lavender Recipes

Peach and Lavender Butter
3lbs peaches
1/3 c water
2 tbsp fresh or dried lavender buds
3 tbsp bottled lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
3 c sugar

Blanch peaches to remove skins (boil 30 seconds and then plunge into an ice bath). Once peaches cool, peel, pit, and chop roughly. Bring 1/3 c water to boil. Place Lavender buds in a small bowl, pour in boiling water, cover, and steep for 15 minutes. Strain the liquid through a mesh sieve and set aside. Combine Lavender water, peaches, lemon juice, and zest in a heavy, medium stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, until mixture thickens and clings to a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Press mixture through a sieve or food mill or puree in a food processor to combine. Return puree to the pan, adding sugar and lavender buds. Bring mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes. Enjoy Peach and Lavender Butter on toast, muffins, or mixed into oatmeal. Store cooled butter in the refrigerator or process sterilized jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes. Substitute nectarines for peaches, or try adding 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, or 1 tsp cinnamon for additional flavor. Yum!
Lavender Care
Plant in full sun and well-drained soil
Water deeply about 1-2 times a week during the first summer, less frequently afterward
Mulch with compost to feed the soil and retain moisture
Fertilize in the spring with an organic Vegetable Fertilizer to promote healthy blooms
Harvest blooms in the morning for maximum Lavender oil and flavor for cooking
Shear back in the fall to just below current season’s foliage

March in the Edible Landscape

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:04:36 +0000

Featured Plant: ROSEMARY!

Ornamental Qualities of Rosemary
Evergreen foliage
Fragrant foliage and flowers
Early spring bloom
Pollinator attractant
Easily pruned and shaped
Tough shrub-tolerates poor soil and dry conditions (requires excellent drainage!)

Rosemary Recipe
Rosemary flavor pairs well with potatoes, vegetables, and meats. Try using pruned Rosemary branches as skewers to add extra flavor to grilled vegetables.
Grilled Vegetables on Rosemary Skewers
1 red onion
2 cups mushrooms
2 lbs potato
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges
salt to taste
4 rosemary branches, 8-10″ long, with leaves removed
Cut vegetables into 1/2″ chunks and marinate in oil, garlic, and salt for about 30 minutes. Soak Rosemary branches in water so they don’t burn. Assemble vegetables and lemon on skewers and grill until browned.

Rosemary Care/Maintenance Tips
Plant Rosemary in full sun and well-drained soil. If drainage is poor, consider raising it up on a slight berm. Mulch well with compost to protect the roots through the winter and suppress weeds. Prune regularly to keep it full and bushy or shear annually in spring after it flowers. Water weekly in the summer so that water penetrates the soil to a depth of 6″. Rarely is affected by pests or disease. Prune out dead branches in the spring.

February in the Edible Landscape

Lindsay Miller — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:33:58 +0000

Featured Plant: CHIVES!

Ornamental Qualities
Spring green foliage
One of the first perennials to emmerge in Spring
Grassy leaf texture
Purple flowers and buds (both edible!)
Long bloom season
Cut back to regenerate foliage and bloom

Recipes
Chives make an excellent substitute for green onions in salads, dressings, and as a garnish.
Mashed Potatoes with Chives and Horseradish
Potatoes, peeled and boiled til soft
Butter
Cream or Milk
Fresh chives, snipped to 1/4″ lengths
Freshly grated horseradish

Care/Maintenance Tips
Plant chive starts or seeds in full sun and well-drained soil
Mulch with compost to suppress weeds and conserve water
Keep well-watered during the summer
Fertilize in spring after foliage emmerges
Cut back rangy foliage to ground mid-season to regenerate growth and bloom
Divide chive clumps in early spring
Harvest blooms just as they open and sprinkle onto salads, soups, etc.

January in the Edible Landscape

Lindsay Miller — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:30:14 +0000

Featured Plant: HORSERADISH!

Ornamental Qualities of Horseradish
Fast upright growth
Perennial foliage
Soft green leaves
White flowers
Makes a nice screen or backdrop for contrasting flower colors

Recipes
Prepared Horseradish
This is the basic method of preparing the root as a condiment. It can easily be added to other dishes such as mashed potatoes, steak, or even apple sauce.

Horseradish Root
White Vinegar
Salt
Wash and peel the horseradish root. Cut into cubes and place in a blender or Cuisinart. Process until it reaches the desired consistency. Take care in removing blender lid, horseradish fumes are quite strong and can burn your eyes! For milder horseradish, add 3 tbsp white vinegar and 1/2 tsp salt immediately after processing. For stronger horseradish, wait 3 minutes after processing before adding other ingredients. Add ice-cold water (or ice cubes) to mixture to yield a smoother texture. Store in a tight-lidded jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or freezer for up to 6 months. Best used fresh, as flavor weakens over time.

Horseradish Care
Horseradish roots are best planted in early spring, before foliage has emerged. It is easily divided by digging out a mere chunk of root and transplanting. Horseradish thrives in moist, well-drained soil in full sun. In these optimum conditions, it may run farther than you’d like it to, quickly taking over beds. To avoid this problem, try planting horseradish roots in containers, or in remote parts of the garden with poorer soil and less access to water and sun. Begin harvesting leaves for spicing up salads in spring and summer. Roots of new plants are better harvested in the fall or winter after they’ve been established in the garden a full season. Leaves begin to die back in late fall and the plant will go completely dormant for the winter. This makes harvesting much easier, and is a good time to remove any unwanted wandering roots from the bed.

December in the Edible Landscape

Lindsay Miller — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:21:04 +0000

Featured Plant : LINGONBERRIES!

Ornamental Qualities of Lingonberries
Evergreen foliage
Low-growing, spreading habit
White flowers in spring and again in summer
Bright red (delicious) berries in fall-winter
Red/ green winter color
Attracts wildlife
Tolerates acidic soils
Tolerates partial shade conditions

Lingonberry Recipes
Lingonberry Sauce
This is a simple recipe that goes great over oatmeal, pancakes, or waffles. Also, try it as a substitute for cranberry sauce alongside meat and potato dishes.

2 quarts fresh lingonberries
1 cup water
3 cups sugar, or to taste

Add ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly to dissolve sugar. When sauce starts to warm up, mash with a potato masher to release berry juice. Bring to a boil and then simmer about 10 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.

Lingonberry Care
Plant Lingonberries in full to partial sun. They may benefit from afternoon shade in hottest regions. Soil should be well-drained and rich in organic matter. Lingonberries need an acidic soil. Our native Portland soil tends to be acidic, but if in doubt, use a soil pH tester. Elemental sulphur can be added to lower the pH over time. Also try mulching with pine needles, leaves, or pouring leftover coffee and coffee grounds around the plants. During the dry summer months, water lingonberry plants at the rate of one gallon/week. This is best achieved through a soaker hose or drip irrigation system, so that the water slowly penetrates to a greater depth in the soil. Fertilize in the spring with an organic fertilizer for acid-loving plants. Prune out oldest shoots each winter to promote the growth of new stems on which flowers and fruit are borne.