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This past Saturday at the teaching gardens we we harvested sunchokes. #Helianthustuberosus, members of the Asteraceae also called Jerusalem artichoke, sunroom, wild sunflower, topinambur, or earth apple, this plant is a species of sunflower native to central North America where Native Americans cultivated it as a root crop before the Europeans arrived.
Sunchokes are super easy to grow in Central Texas. We bought a handful of the smallest organic sunchokes in the produce section at Central Market and planted them in four inch pots until they sprouted. Planted in April after last frost, this plant needs 120 to 150 days to harvest. They tend to get sweeter after first frost. Tubers can remain in the ground and go dormant over winter and can handle temperatures as low as −22 °F. They also spread so keep this in mind when you choosing a spot in your garden. We planted them in our milpa with the corn because they make a good companion about the same height so they don't shade each other out. They can also grow in full sun to partial shade. They also like alkaline soil and once established can handle drought. Pruning also helps with growing larger tubers. The tubers are used for cooking and baking in the same ways as potatoes: but unlike the potato they can also be eaten raw. You can also roast, sauté, or pickle sunchokes. You can even combine sunchokes with sweet potatoes to make a delicious soup. They have a similar consistency, and in their raw form have a similar texture, but a sweeter, nuttier flavor. When eaten raw, sunchokes have a texture similar to water chestnuts that goes well in salads. Sunchokes are high in a sweet dietary fiber called inulin that acts as a prebiotic, promoting beneficial bacteria in the digestive system. Their inulin form of carbohydrates give the tubers a tendency to become soft and mushy if boiled, but they retain their texture better when steamed. Sunchokes have 650 mg potassium per 1 cup (150 g) serving. They are also high in iron, and contain 10–12% of the USRDA of fiber, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus, and copper.  We just passed the Beaver Moon. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Beavers can be seen along the banks of rivers and streams, collecting wood to shore up their lodges and dams before the ice sets in. This was also the time Native American tribes and later European settlers set beaver traps to ensure a supply of warm furs for winter. Because November also signals the time when bitter hard frost’s become more frequent, this month’s moon is also sometimes called the Frost Moon.
We are now going into a waning period of the Moon—from the day after it is full to the day before it is new again. As the moonlight decreases night by night, plants are encouraged to grow roots, tubers, and bulbs. It’s always best to try to plant with the coming rains which are in the forecast. DIRECT SEED SEED INDOORS
WHERE TO BUY The Natural Gardener and Cultivate Holistic Supply will have bunching online transplants in September. MORE IDEAS For more ideas on Ornamentals, Perennials, and Herbs, visit the Central Texas Gardener and The Natural Gardener lists online. Download the Texas A&M Extension Planting Chart and Varieties. 5 1/2 pounds, variety of mushrooms * 6 tablespoons bottled lemon juice 8 cups water (or as needed) 1 1/2 cups olive or salad oil 2 cups white vinegar (5%) 6 tablespoons finely chopped onions or shallots 3 tablespoons pimentos or diced red bell pepper or hot chilies 2 3/4 teaspoons oregano leaves 2 3/4 teaspoons dried basil leaves 2 3/4 teaspoons pickling salt 2-3 Black peppercorns per jar (optional) ¼- ½ teaspoon minced garlic *Mushrooms used for the demonstration were: Shiitake, Blue Oyster, Royal Trumpet, Lions Mane, Yellow Oyster and Button You can buy these mushrooms from SmallHold at HEB, Central Market or Whole Foods. You can also buy mushrooms at farmers markets and farm stands from Hi-fi Myco and Marysol Mushrooms. STEPS:
ABOUT SHEENA Sheena’s Pickles uses only fresh, organic, and seasonal produce that is locally sourced here in Austin, Texas. In 2012, Sheena received a pickling kit for her birthday. With her passion ignited, Sheena’s Pickles was born. Fast forward to 2021, and you can find Sheena’s Pickles at Antonelli’s Cheese Shop. This past summer we planted non-gmo, organic, Red Foliated Cotton, Gossypium hirsutum. In the Malvaceae family the flowers are hibiscus like and the leaves are very attractive flame red shape and color. Zilker Botanical Garden approved and provided the seeds. While not a food crop, it can be used to make cottonseed oil. We grew about enough to make a spooky, spider web halloween decoration.
Cotton is an annual plant that requires a long, warm growing season to mature properly in 120 days. It needs full sun. In zones 8–10 it can be sown directly after the last frost. Seed germinates in 7–21 days at 70°F. Plant 18–30 in. apart in rows 5 ft. apart. Plants start flowering in mid-summer. Bolls take a few more months to mature; warm late summer weather is necessary for a good crop. Plants grow to 5–6 ft. tall. Spanish colonization and the enslavement of Africans created the mono-cropped cotton industry in Texas that not only paved the way for the civil war, but created the world's 'dirtiest' crop due to its heavy use of insecticides, the most hazardous pesticide to humans and health of all living things. "Conventional cotton covers 2.5% of the world's cultivated land yet uses 16% of the world's insecticides, more than any other single major crop." Source: Rodale Institute  It’s just a phase but don’t forget to seed your leafy greens. We just passed the New Moon phase and are now approaching the First Quarter and are in Waxing Crescent. During the waxing of the moon (the period extending from the day the moon is new to the day it reaches its fullest point), the moon pulls moisture upwards. Seeds do well during this time because moisture is available at the surface of the soil.
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MORE GARDEN TASKS 🌾 Plant cover crops in areas you want to replenish for spring. See our comprehensive guide on our website. 🌳 Plant all trees, shrubs, and perennials. 🐟 Use fish emulsion to get green growth and do weekly foliar sprays with liquid seaweed to provide plants with hormones and nutrients needed for stress and to prevent disease and pests. 🌼 Last chance to sow spring wildflower seeds including poppies. Collect deadhead flowering plants. 🍂It’s also a good time to start composting because leaves are starting to fall. 🌷Fall is a good time to transplant, trade, or give away your divisions of daylilies, bearded irises, violets, wood ferns, cannas, and other herbaceous perennials. For more ideas on Ornamentals, Perennials, and Herbs, visit the Central Texas Gardener and The Natural Gardener lists online. Download the Texas A&M Extension Planting Chart and Varieties. |
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March 2023
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