There are a couple of pests that damage radishes, but the most common one in this region is the flea beetle. It feeds on select green leaves (arugula and eggpant are two other favorites). I usually don't bother trying to control flea beetles on radishes unless there is an infestation since they don't harm the root (the edible part) of the radish. Part of growing organically is understanding relationships in the ecosystem and letting nature take its course. That is why you see "shotholes" or pinholes in my radish greens. That is the hadiwork of the flea beetle.
But, when it comes to arugula and eggplant, flea beetle control is necessary. With eggplant, the flea beetles feeds on the young leaves of the plant, stunting its growth. I remember one particularly bad year when flea beetles devistated my entire eggplant crop practically overnight. By the time I was aware of and identified the problem, it was too late.
As for arugula, the flea beetle doesn't do as much structural damage to the plant, but the sight of insect holes in your salad greens can be off putting. The solution is BT (Bascillus thuringiensis). BT is an organic control that is mostly used to kill worms and caterpillars and their larvae. It is a naturally ocurring microrganism that paralyzes the bug's digestive track. It is important to note that when I say worms, I mean worms like Cabbageworm, not worms like earthworms. And when I say caterpillars, BT is used extensively to control hornworms, the bane of tomato growers. I have also found BT to be somewhat effective in controlling flea beetles.
Radishes are most commonly used in salads. But many people have shared with us different ways to enjoy radishes like a radish and butter sandwich. Last year, The New York Times documented a movement to bring radishes to upscale restaurants by roasting them. And, in a recent episode of Iron Chef America, both contestants made radish sorbet(!).
Today, Karen and I planted 200 heirloom tomato plugs. I put the stakes in the ground now even though they obviously don't need them yet. The reason is because once the plants get bigger, their roots will spread out. Putting a stake in the ground will disturb the roots. While the picture above shows a very small tomato plant, it was actually several inches tall when I planted it. I plant tomatoes deep in the ground because the stem will send out roots below. This means a stronger root system, and therefore, a stronger, more productive plant. I also worked in a small handful of organic fertilizer in the soil with the plant.
All these tomatoes are heirloom varieties. Some, like Black Cherry, Valencia and Striped German, we have planted in the past. Others, like Black Prince, we are trying for the first time. Throughout the season, I'll update you on how they progress and the taste of each variety of tomato.
As a result of the rain and cool temperatures, plant growth has been stunted. Last year I bragged about early lettuce and getting tomatoes three weeks ahead of schedule. On May 16th, 2010 I posted about Dianthus blooming. Today, it is barely budded out and won't bloom for at least another week. Last year, poppies were blooming at this time, today only a coupe of heads have formed.
But, the good news is that the weather has broken. Newport was foggy and rainy today. But as soon as I got over the Jamestown Bridge, the sun was out and the skies were blue! I got home and picked a salad of lettuce and radishes for dinner and enjoyed it with a glass of wine from Puglia (Italy). Best of all, I can share some of this bounty with the folks who shop at the Richmond Farmers Market. Although the harvest is small because of the cool weather, I will have lettuce micro greens and radishes at the market tomorrow. I hope you can be there.
Need another reason to go organic? How about exploding watermelons? Farmers using chemicals to grow bigger watermelons instead found that the fruit exploded in their fields making watermelon bombs. Gallagher would be proud.
One last note about lilacs. Many folks will tell you to prune the old growth from the plant in the fall. This is a mistake since lilacs bloom on old wood and set their blooms for the next year almost immediately after the current year's blooms fade. Here is a link to a good article with detail on getting the most from you lilac.
"Enzo is crazy." That is a phrase that you hear at our house all the time. Enzo is a red winged blackbird that comes to our house every spring.
Three years ago, we started noticing some tapping at our front door. We'd open the door and no one was there. Again and again this happened. After a several days I noticed that when I opened the door a bird would be flying away. Then, I noticed a tapping at the back of the house.
So, I set up a stake out. I waited for the tapping at the front door and opened it. When the bird flew away I quickly went out the back door and saw the bird coming around the corner of the house. He spotted me and flew off.
Next time, I sat by the corner of the house and waited for the bird to come back. After a few minutes, he was back at the front door tapping on the kick plate underneath the front door. I knocked on the wall and he flew away to the back of the house. I peeked around the corner and the bird was tapping on the basement window.
At this point I realized he was tapping at his own reflection. He saw himself in the kickplate and saw himself in the window. This went on all spring and summer and then he was gone. It was during this time that Karen and I named the bird Enzo, it just seemed to fit. The tapping would start early, early in the morning (sometimes before 5am) and not end until late afternoon. "Enzo is crazy."
By late fall, Enzo was gone. We missed him and his tap, tap, tap at the door. But, he returned the next year and started up with his tapping routine.
I tried several times to take his picture, but he was always too quick. Always out of focus, far away or out of the frame I could never capture a picture. "Enzo is crazy."
Last summer, we painted the house and took out the kickplate. Enzo stopped knocking at the door, but we stil heard his song at the house and saw him hanging out in our pine trees and coming down to the water garden for a drink. The picture above is Enzo in a pine tree in our back yard.
This spring, Enzo returned with a girlfriend. Of course we had to come up with a name. I suggested Melita because I am currently reading "The Jukebox Queen of Malta." Karen suggested Mirella because we had just finished watching the Italian epic "The Best of Youth." "Enzo is getting lucky."
Believe it or not, there are veggies you can harvest this early in the season. Lettuce, Beets and Radishes all should be thinned to allow them to reach their full maturity. To do that, you pluck out some of the seedlings when they are very small (these radish thinnings are less than an inch tall). But, don't throw them out. Wash your thinnings well because the white and red parts were underground. Then, dress them with some oil and vinegar like a regular salad. The taste is a very, very mild radish flavor. You can do the same with beet seedlings, lettuce seedlings, basil seedlings and arugula seedlings. After you enjoy your salad of micro greens, check out the price of a container of micro greens at the grocery store. You'll never throw out your thinnings again!
