Stinkhorn Mushrooms

Hey Everyone,

On a recent walk through the garden, these unique stinkhorn mushrooms made a spectacular display of oddity in the old potato bed close to the special needs area.  What a beautiful specimen they were!

Mushroom on the far right is developing a
green slime that attracts flies and
beetles to spread its fungus.

In the home landscape they are rarely much of a problem, however, in the vegetable garden they not only create foul odors but attract many undesirable pests as well.  The excessive rains and constant wet ground have been a catalyst in the formation of these mushrooms.  I have placed a link below for a simple strategy to remove them should they become a problem and spread into your garden beds.

The best advice is to eradicate them while still in the egg-like stage of growth as this affords the best success of easy elimination without the use of fungicides.  As a word of caution, all sites and a horticulturist I spoke with recommend wearing disposable gloves when handling as the odor is very hard to remove from skin tissue.

For those who would like to view other varieties of the stinkhorn mushroom, Walter Reeves has some photos on his site that is also below for your convenience.

The foul odor emitted from these mushrooms is most often
equated to the smell of rotting meat
or a dead animal's carcase.

Links:

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-rid-your-garden-of-stinkhorn-fungus#b - simple straightforward strategy to remove stinkhorns naturally.

http://www.walterreeves.com/gardening-q-and-a/stinkhorn-mushroom-identification-and-control/ - link to Walter Reeves post on stinkhorn mushrooms with additional photos.

Happy Gardening and Best Wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29

Finding Humor in the Little Things!

Hey Everyone,

Baker Creek  Heirloom Seeds
www.rareseeds.com

I love December!  Much like everyone else, I wait with such anticipation for all the new seed catalogs to arrive.  Oh, you thought I was going to say Christmas didn't you.  Bah, Humbug! 

These two catalogs arrived within a week of each other from one of my favorite heirloom seed companies, Baker Creek.  I hope you find humor in the photo as well.  Christmas is coming up so fast this year that I am thankful to Baker Creek for just pulling out the good stuff to look at!  Santa must have sent me a little time-saver.

Happy Gardening and a Wonderful Holiday Season,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29   

Are Carrot Tops Edible?

Carrots grown by
Kara in Bed 38

Hey Everyone,

Susan asked the best question not long ago, as to whether or not carrot tops were edible.  My mind instantly drew a complete blank.  Zip, zero, nada, nothing came to thought!  As someone who tries to get the most out of what they produce, sadly carrot tops are prime for green matter in the compost pile, or when feeling crafty, an arrangement or two for the kitchen table.  Much thought hasn't really been given as to whether or not they are edible and if so, the best uses for them.

In scouring all the garden references at hand, checking the best go to sites for reliable garden information, etc., nothing much popped up. What a puzzlement Susan's question turned out to be!  Consequently, the great "Google" search was on and the best results came back from searching to see if carrot tops are edible or toxic.

The Results:

It appears the topic of consuming carrot tops is quite controversial on both sides of the equation.  There is much evidence suggesting they are safe to consume in moderation and then some that raises a flag of caution.  Gardeners need to utilize good judgment when adding something debated to their diets.  The following seems to be the largest concerns found on-line; however, they are not substantiated in any of my garden references.

All leafy greens, including carrot tops, contain a small group of toxins called alkaloids.  These toxins are part of a plants natural defense system to prevent it from being totally consumed by predators, such as insects or animals.  Much like any other greens, it is important to rotate and consume in moderation to prevent toxic levels of alkaloid buildup in the system, as over time this can have harmful effects on the thyroid.  

Carrot tops also contain furocoumarins that may lead to contact dermatitis.  Many gardeners can experience this same skin condition when working with celery or parsnips, as they are all members of the same botanical family.  As a test, some sites suggest rubbing the wet leaves of carrot tops on your skin to see if you have any type of allergic reaction.  If a rash or skin sensitivity develop, this should bring caution that you may be somewhat allergic to the tops and therefore pass on consumption.  Supposedly, it is also possible to possess a food allergy or intolerance to the tops of carrots without being allergic to carrots themselves.

The nitrate levels are the last item of major concern when consuming carrot tops.  According to several of the University Extension websites, the levels of nitrates in all plants vary widely based on the conditions of growth and the maturity of the plant when harvested.  Weather, soil acidity (pH), excess fertilization, nutrient deficiencies, herbicide choices, watering practices, etc., all play a part in the levels of nitrates found in your plants.  The book, Nutritional Sciences, states that the root vegetables collect greater concentrations of nitrates due to their growth habit in the soil.  Vegetables that contain the highest levels of nitrates are the root crops, celery, lettuce, spinach, green beans, parsley, cabbage, and collards. Since the by-products of nitrates can have an effect on nitrosamine exposure in the digestive tract (carcinogenic), blood flow, blood pressure, and migraines, it is recommended to consult a health care professional if you have concerns on adding more nitrate rich vegetables to the diet or concerns on the connection between nitrate rich foods and some health conditions.  

Tasty Garden Treats!
Will you be eating the tops Vicki?

In reading several soil references through the years, I have learned that excessive fertilization and some soil practices can lead to toxic levels of undesirable compounds being present in the veggies at harvest time, including nitrates.  After all, our plants are what they eat and even with organic practices, you can overdo.  However, the largest surprise has just come from learning that different varieties hold onto their nitrate levels more readily than others do. As an example, Bloomsdale spinach retains over three and one half times as many more nitrates in its leaves than the smooth leaved variety called Tuftegard.  Therefore, by making simple informed choices when choosing which cultivars to grow, we can tremendously lower the risk of the over consuming nitrates in our diet or nitrosamine exposure for those who may have concerns.

While the choice "to eat or not to eat" will be a topic of discussion for many, I hope you enjoy the post and learning about something new.  Kudos to Susan for bringing us a topic that will help us in getting even more produce out of our gardens.  It would be wonderful to hear what others think about the subject.

The reading is quite interesting and I have placed some links with descriptions below for your convenience.

http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/carrotops.html - This is an excellent link with general information and recipes.  The pesto does look interesting!

http://www.gardenbetty.com/2013/07/are-carrot-tops-toxic-the-short-answer-no/ - This is a nice summary of the general information appearing on-line.

http://greenearthorganics.blogspot.com/2013/04/carrot-tops-to-eat-or-to-compost.html - This is a blog post appearing on Green Earth Organics.  It has some links to information on the topic of whether or not they should be considered toxic.

http://www.leafforlife.org/PAGES/LEAFVEG.HTM - Article on Leafy Vegetables and Nitrates by David Kennedy.

http://www.thekitchn.com/5-ways-to-eat-carrot-tops-183415 - Additional recipes for those who are brave enough to try!

Happy Gardening,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29

If Worms Could Talk!

Hey Everyone,

Worm Photo compliments of
Vicki Williams, Bed 41

Although a bit on the quiet side, worms really have a lot to say about your garden.  Imagine if you could hear the details of all that they were telling you and utilize that advice to fine-tune the soil.  All of us know that worms are good for the soil and having them in the garden is a bonus for healthy vegetation. However, they have so much more to say!

If worms could speak, they would tell us to start by taking a simple census of their numbers as a test for overall soil health. They would let us know by simply increasing their numbers; we would see immediate improvements in our soil's texture and capabilities.  Our plants would then become superheroes in the garden, producing food grown with greater nutrient densities, based on what we have fed the worms within our soil.

Organic matter is crucial to growing quality vegetables in raised garden beds.  This is one of the simplest methods found for checking the levels in your soil.  To determine if you have enough organic matter in the soil to sustain good fertility and growth you need to observe the biological community.  The size of the earthworm lends itself to observation as a member of this natural life form.  Performance of this test is possible at any point in the year as long as the ground is not frozen or extremely wet from rainy weather. Humid weather provides the most accurate findings.

Healthy Soil Worm Test:

Many soil guides and references suggest you dig up an area 1 foot in square by 7 inches deep.  Remove this sample and place in a wheelbarrow or shallow container.   Using your hands sift through the sample and count all the earthworms present.  Make sure to include the small ones as well.  If you only find one or two worms, test another area of your garden bed.  A second examination will hopefully bring about better results.  The magic number to hit is 10 or more in a sample.  If you have 10 or more earthworms within a sample (back patting is in order), then there is enough of a presence in your garden to have beneficial effects on the soil and the overall health of your plants.  Simple strategies can bring these numbers up, if need be, and get the soil to optimum levels for better plant health.

Simple Remedies for Low Numbers:

Mating Earthworms by Jackhynes at en.wikipedia
Reproduction occurs on the surface, most often at night!

There is not a need to run to the bait shop and buy wigglers or stake out the compost pile for some new adoptions.  If the soil is not rich in worm activity to start with, it will not be able to support new worm life until the environmental conditions are more conducive.  An initial remedy, as a first-step, is to target the quantity and quality of organic matter that will feed the appetite of an earthworm.   Carbon and nitrogen rich materials are what they enjoy most and it will assist in building the organic matter in the soil and their numbers.  Excellent sources of carbon can be as simple as a bag of chopped leaves mixed with composted cow manure or worm castings, which balance out the carbon material with something rich in nitrogen.  Coffee grounds are an excellent source of matter with carbon to nitrogen ratios that foster the growth of beneficial microbes while feeding the worms.  Although, keep in mind to always add a little extra nitrogen when using coffee grounds since the microbes will need some additional food as well.  Adding good quality compost is another choice that works extremely well.  Each of these additions work at building the optimum levels of organic matter into the soil that in turn supports both the earthworm populations and the microbial activity.

For those who enjoy reading, the link below has an excellent article on Earthworms and Soil Fertility.  It also has some wonderful information on composting in the left-hand links that many will find useful.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/composting/earthworm-soil-fertility - link to earthworm and soil fertility article.

Barbara Pleasant also wrote a nice article on earthworms for Mother Earth News a few years back and the link is below for those who may enjoy creating easy environments to raise them.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/soil-building-worms.aspx#axzz2mQx5SX29

Happy Gardening,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29