New Years Revolutions

Does your garden get a New Years Resolution (revolution)? What will it be? Will you “go organic” this year? Maybe you can try a new vegetable or herb. Most of our garden is being transformed into raised beds. This is a monumental task; but it is a good one for the winter.

There are two spots in the garden where things were growing before the process was started. They will have to wait until summertime. There is not enough scrap lumber now anyway.
Another major goal is finishing a book on gardening that is in process. There are 23 pages written so far. There will eventually be about 150 pages of text, 50 pages of pictures and an awesome bibliography. The working name is “The Incomplete Garden Book”. That name was chosen; because even though many books profess to tell you everything you need to know, that is just not true. The book may get another name before it becomes “complete”.

There are two other goals of a more minor nature. An application has been sent in for the “Master Gardener Program”. Also there are some new herbs and vegetables that look attractive. Yarrow, fennel and cowslip are the herbs. Fennel is a fall-planted one. Several new types of winter squash will be the vegetables.


David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Christmas Tomatoes

In most of the country they come from the windowsill; but Christmas tomatoes are one of the real rewards of gardening. They don’t count if they come from the grocery store. We don’t have Christmas tomatoes this year. The deer feasted on tomato vines and our harvest was almost nil. At the end of the season when the frost was coming and the vines were being pulled, there was only 2 green tomatoes. This was mid November and they ripened and were gobbled down quickly.

We do have tomatoes growing well in the greenhouse. They are planted in an indoor raised bed. We are holding out hope for Easter tomatoes. All of the greenhouse plants are doing pretty well. The garden is still producing kale, mustard, turnips and arugula. The cold weather has slowed them down a little; but the frost has really made them tender.

The newer plantings of spinach, creasy greens and onions from seed are growing very, very slow. The radishes are doing well; but the carrots and beets have not even sprouted. The onions from sets are really doing well. We are picking from one group and another group is almost ready to pick.



David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Earthworm Habitat

As mentioned in an earlier blog, the lack of livestock deprives the gardener of manure. Inspired by this situation, I decided to make an earthworm habitat. A tenant left an old plastic washtub with holes drilled in it at a vacant rental house. This was turned into an earthworm habitat. It was buried in a shady spot in the garden that was not much good for planting. This spot is under the fig trees.

Finished compost was used as the medium to fill the tub. Some worms were captured from the compost bins and the garden to populate the “farm”. A little plain corn meal was sprinkled on the top to feed the little critters and the whole thing was covered with an old trashcan lid. Then there was an amazing discovery.

The potting soil was getting really low yesterday so some finished compost was screened to make potting soil. Virtually every forkful of compost had 3 to 5 earthworms. I hope this means that the compost that was put into the habitat originally was also full of earthworms. How nice would it be to reach in and grab a handful of medium and have it wiggle?



David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Winter Garden Tasks

There is almost as much work to do in the garden in the winter as during the growing season. The big difference is that there is no emergency. Just do it when you like. Once everything but the winter crops has played out or frozen, the whole garden can be tilled and mulched. The mulch over the tilled ground keeps it soft and makes the earthworms really happy. The mulch cover can be tilled in just before spring planting or pulled aside. The tilling may not even be necessary.

Planning is a lot of fun on nasty days. The unplanted garden like the imaginary lover is always perfect. If salad greens and sallet greens are planted, they need to be picked regularly to keep them growing. After a frost, they get really tender and tasty. Salad greens are eaten raw, sallet greens are eaten cooked. Greenhouse work is fun too. Winter is a good time for changes to the landscape.

This year raised beds are being installed in as much of the garden as is not planted with something. There is an easier method than double digging. The soil is tilled as deep as the tiller will go. The box is built on top of the ground. It is filled to within about 3” of the top with compost and topped up with the loose dirt from the pathways. The fallow beds are mulched.


David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Livestock for a Travelin' Man

It is difficult to find livestock, that can be kept in the city. Goats are definitely out. Chickens or rabbits would be fine; but no rooster. For someone who travels, daily care becomes impossible. For someone who really misses having livestock there has to be something. Bees would be nice and they would complement the garden. They pollinate; but they don’t make manure. The final choice is earthworms.

Earthworm dodo (castings) is some of the best stuff on earth. Earthworms only need to be fed once a week. The only real concern in our area would be freezing. The earthworm “farm” can be placed in the greenhouse in the winter. That takes care of that. Having studied the subject extensively on the internet and in gardening books, the “farm” design decided on will be a 18” square plywood box with a screen bottom and a plywood cover. It will be filled with peat moss and loamy dirt. Earthworms don’t like sand.

The earthworms will come from Renfrow’s Hardware Store. They will be fed grass clippings and cornmeal. The castings will go into the garden. The excess earthworms will go into the compost bins and the raised garden beds. Of course I will take them out occasionally and play with them in the yard. I may even take one or two of my favorites for a walk. I don’t think my wife will let them sleep inside on cold nights but we will see. I’m glad we own our home. At least I won’t have to pay a pet fee.


David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Kale Yeah!!

That is what my friend Burgess says when I offer him kale. He made a big hit with his family making kale soup on the day after thanksgiving. I have persuaded him to share his recipe, which is actually his grandmother’s recipe. This is a 2 day process.

The first day starts with boiling raw linguica and couric sausage (these are Portuguese sausages) . After the sausage is fully cooked pull it out and refrigerate the sausage. Skim the goo off of the top of the water. This will form the stock for the soup.

On day 2, cook carrots and potatoes in the cold stock from the sausage and water. Cabbage is optional. Sauté some onions and celery. When the onions and celery are ready add them and the fresh kale to the pot. Simmer until the kale is cooked. That is all there is to it. Burgess promised to bring me some leftover to try. I will give my report when I have tasted it.

Incidentally the fire ants are gone. I think the grits or the corn meal finished them off. Ray Moore also sent me a method of fire ant eradication using club soda. I hope I will not get to try that until next year.


David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Hard to Beat the Fire Ants

Perhaps the nest is just too big. There are still fire ants in the compost. There seem to be less and less of them though. The mound destroyer has been applied several times. The ants seem to be reduced to a small pocket in one bed. Maybe they will be gone when I get home today.

Almost everything in the greenhouse has germinated. A different watering regime is in place from last year. Last year the tray was kept wet. This year the tray is kept wet until germination. After germination the tray is filled to a level of about ¼ “and allowed to dry. It is left for one day and refilled. Three tomato plants in the raised bed are doing well. They are about 6” high now. Cucumber will be started in pots this week. As soon as they have true leaves, the bottom of the pots will be cut out and they will be transplanted. My luck with transplanted cucurbits has been poor; but they may not germinate without bottom heat.

Everything planted in the raised beds is doing well. The PH meter bit the dust; so a new one was purchased. This is a critical element in a good garden. All the beds I tested seemed to be close to 7 (neutral) last night. Lime has not been added for at least 4 years. This PH level seems suspicious. Some soil will be sent off to the Dept. of Agriculture for testing. Renfrow Hardware has free kits to send the soil samples off.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Abundance of Abundance

In hard times it is sometimes difficult to think of abundance. Gardeners know about it. Sometimes we have a couple of items that don’t do well. Other items we have in abundance. Leaves may be trash to many people. When gardens need mulching they represent abundance. My little garden produces so much greens that I can give them away to whoever will take them and still have plenty. A friend told me a little while ago that his family wants kale to make kale soup for the day after thanksgiving. He asked if I had enough. I said, “Kale yeah!”

The leaves picked up on the side of the road are so full of acorns. The deer and the squirrels will love digging through them when the other stuff is gone. I cannot imagine a squirrel going hungry in or around Charlotte. It may be harder for the deer. They cannot always just walk out into the open and get what is available. There is plenty of browse available though.

There does not seem to be an abundance of money or work; but that means there is an abundance of time. That should increase the abundance of the garden and an abundance of opportunities for self improvement. Incidently the recession seems to be reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Too Big to Fail

All of the small to medium fire ant hills treated with Spectracide Fire Ant Mound Destroyer have been destroyed. The one in the compost bin must have been “too big to fail”. Two days elapsed between the treatment and the next turning. The fire ants were working like maggots when I turned the first forkful of compost. The pile was retreated. (I retreated too.) Yesterday the ants appeared to be gone.

The things planted in the greenhouse are coming up pretty well. Out of 5 flats planted to date, 3 are completely sprouted. 4 more were planted yesterday. The first planting (other than tomatoes for the indoor bed) was the test for the spaghetti squash seeds. Something green is growing in those cups; but it is not recognizable as a squash plant yet. It is important to make sure the seeds are viable before giving them away and having people risk a planting on bad seed.

The raised beds are coming along pretty well too. There is not enough lumber in the right sizes to build any more beds. The things that are planted are doing well though. The spinach is finally sprouting and growing and the cress is sprouting well. This is the 4th time to plant Cress (creasy greens) and the first time it has even germinated. Onions from seed were planted for the first time and they seem to have all sprouted. The onions from sets planted at the same time are much larger; but size is not important at this stage of the game.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Revenge is Sweet. Pain is Bitter

My weekend compost turning activities turned sour when I realized I was covered with fire ants. It seems the second compost bin is one huge fire ant nest. There was a bite or two going from bin three to bin four. When I got half way through going from bin three to bin two, the pain began. My clothes were scattered all over the back yard, I was wearing my birthday suit by the time I got to the back door. The shower washed the ants off; but the pain remained.
All the clothes were sprayed with ant & roach spray and left in the garage. Even lotion did not stop the burning and itching. Fortunately the shed contains some Spectracide Fire Ant Mound Destroyer. Every bin was treated and two other mounds that were in the backyard. The fire ants died (I hope). The pain remained all day.

The good news is that I have so much compostable material that I had to set up a temporary bin. If the fire ants are dead, the bins will be turned and the material in the temporary bin will go into the accumulation bin. Do you suppose the poison will hurt the plants in the garden? Most of the compost in process now will be put into raised beds that will not be planted until spring.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Greenhouse Weather

The garden is my pressure valve. We are into the 3rd day of really cold rain. The greenhouse has been my salvation. Potting soil is getting mixed. Cups are getting labeled and filled. The tomatoes have been planted in the indoor raised bed, the lights are set up. The lights were not cutting off automatically. I was ready to take the time back. I realized this morning when I went out to cut the lights off, that they were not plugged into the timer. It should work better now.

Why can’t the rain come while stuff is growing in the garden? The empty rain barrels are full now and overflowing. All summer city water had to be used. The rain is knocking the leaves off of the trees. That will help the leaf blowing process move along as soon as they get dry. The pin oaks are still about ½ green; so they will dump after everything else is cleaned up.

The rain is helping the greens and salad greens in the garden. The ground is too wet to pick them. They just get pulled up. When the soil dries a little there will be plenty to do there. The greens will need picking. The raised beds are full of compost. They need dirt now. More lumber has been scrounged. There is enough to build 3 or maybe 4 more beds. It is better than Prozac.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Praise to Arugula

This blog cannot say enough wonderful things about arugula as a salad green. It has other uses as well. My wife got a super deal on turkey meat balls the other night so she made spaghetti and meat balls. We lined the bowls with arugula. The arugula adds a really nice taste to the spaghetti sauce and the arugula tastes great with spaghetti sauce. Sunday morning one of the cooking show hosts was making arugula ravioli. Ana wrote down the recipe. If it is good, I will find it and link to it for you. I will also give you instructions for Ana’s version.

The building of raised beds in the garden is progressing well. 12 beds are completed and either planted or mulched. 4 more have been built and filled with compost. It is raining today so the soil will probably be too wet for the rest of the week to put the dirt in the beds. I did scrounge enough wood to make 3 more beds.

In the greenhouse, the tomatoes have been planted in the indoor raised bed. Two of them died immediately; so I was glad to have a couple of extras. Spaghetti squash has been planted just to test the viability of the seeds. A lot of seeds have been saved from this years spaghetti squash and the excess will be given away if they sprout well. If they don’t sprout well they will be toasted.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Next Years Perfect Garden

It is planning time again and the garden will finally attain the same perfection it had this time last year. There have been a few lessons to make it even more perfect. No potatoes this year. They are too cheap and my garden just doesn’t seem to produce them well. They require a loose high acid soil. A deer fence will be a necessity even though I hate it for two reasons. 1st I think the deer need to eat too. They just ate too much this year. 2nd it will be ugly.

Over ½ of the garden will be in raised beds this year. That simplifies the planning in some ways. No measuring and calculating in that part of the garden. Just plan for so many row feet of each thing; and figure out how to maximize the daylight. The soil throughout the garden will be much more uniform now. It will still need testing. In some ways it will be more complicated. In order to really take advantage of the space a lot more companion planting will be needed.

A lot of the items will be vertical this year as they were last year. That will be easier with the raised beds; but planning for available sunlight will be harder. Planning the garden needs to be finished before planting in the greenhouse begins. Last year was terrible for the greenhouse. This year will have to be better. An earlier start date will be used and twice the needed plants will be started. The excess can be given away or used to infill if something happens to the plant in the garden.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Falling Leaves

There are bags of leaves all along the street waiting for city pickup. The oak trees are still covered with green leaves. The other trees are still covered with yellow, brown and red leaves. How can so many have fallen? When the grass was cut last week about half of the material from the bagger was leaves. That went into the compost; but I don’t really care a lot for composting leaves.

They do make great mulch. They hold the moisture and the warmth in the ground. They prevent muddy shoes when walking through the garden. They look good. Earthworms love them. The down side is that they remind one that soon there will be no grass clippings. This is the major ingredient for my compost bin. Green stuff makes nitrogen. Leaves make carbon. Carbon is a necessary building block for healthy plants; but most of them make this for themselves. The leaves do provide a lot of organic matter. They can just be tilled into the garden in the spring before planting.

The leaves in the garden come from the bags on the side of the road. The leaves in the yard get blown around trees and into beds for mulch. I am too lazy to bag them or drag them to the garden.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Greenhouse Tomatoes

Greenhouse tomatoes have gotten a well deserved reputation for mealiness and lack of taste. The greenhouse tomatoes in Bulgaria don’t taste that way. They are grown in the ground rather than in pots. This inspired me to try the same thing in my greenhouse. A raised bed has been built inside the greenhouse. The plants have been started and are almost ready to go into the ground. Fluorescent lights have been installed on chains so they can be moved up as the tomatoes grow.

The lights are also on a timer. The ideal time of daylight needed is 18 hours per day. There will also be cucumbers and basil in the raised bed. A special variety of cucumber is being used that were bred specifically to be grown in greenhouses. They are long skinny things with bumps instead of spines. The arugula and mesclun are doing well in the garden. They do not normally freeze. The weather people are calling for a very cold winter this year. A tunnel might be needed for the worst nights. Since the plants are in raised beds, that should be fairly easy to install.

Year round salads from the garden are a major goal in our house. Grocery store stuff is ok; but not as satisfying as the things from the yard. We did not get a single tomato from the hanging vine; because the deer ate them. The vine has recovered pretty well so it will be moved to the greenhouse.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

New Composting System at Work

It is hard to tell this early in the process; but compost seems to mature faster in the new bins. One reason why it is hard to tell is there is so much of the old compost still in the system. Enough compost has accumulated already to fill at least one of the new raised beds.

The compost starts off in the “accumulation bin”. This bin collects everything that becomes available for a week. Each Saturday the 4th bin is piled onto the screen above the 5th bin which is being referred to as the storage bin. Everything that falls through the 2” X 4” mesh on top is considered finished. Everything that doesn’t fall through goes back into the accumulation bin. Then the 3rd bin is turned to the 4th bin and the 2nd bin is turned to the 3rd bin and the accumulation bin is turned into the 2nd bin. The accumulation process starts over.

Right now the accumulation bin is full and there is a bag of grass that will start the new batch off right. The rainy weekend slowed down the turning. Compost from the 4th bin clumps up when wet and is hard to push through the mesh into the storage bin.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Maintaining a Raised Bed.

Raised beds have an advantage over normal garden rows in that they don’t get walked on so they don’t pack down as quickly. They are subject to some packing from rain and from the deterioration of the organic matter in the bed. Every 3 to 5 years the bed needs to be reworked. Depending on how badly the bed is packed the degree of reworking can vary. This weekend the bed that originally housed strawberries was reworked.

This bed was only 3 years old and was not severely packed. The strawberry plants had been eaten by something so a minor reworking was done to refresh the bed. The top 10” of soil was removed to a new bed in about ¼ of this bed. The bottom was covered with a few inches of compost and the next section of bed was dug and the soil placed in the first section. This process was repeated until the whole bed was done. Some of the dirt that was intended for the new bed was used to cover the last ¼ of the old bed. Since nothing is being planted in this bed now, the whole thing was covered with leaves.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Planning a Raised Bed Garden

A vegetable garden is a fairly permanent establishment. When raised beds are added it adds a new level of permanence. A regular garden will be in the same place every year. The rows may not be. With raised beds the rows (beds) will stay where they are. This has advantages and disadvantages. Some crops have very specific needs and the beds used for them may not work well in crop rotation. Most of the beds in my garden are 3’ wide. This is optimum for reaching the center from anywhere. The squash beds need to be 4’ wide. That may not be enough.

There is always something growing in our garden; so the spot where things are growing may have to wait for beds. The picture from Thursday’s article shows greens planted in a row with beds on both sides. Those greens will last until well into spring, I hope. Space had to be left for a bed between the other beds. That really doesn’t matter this time of year; but it could cause a problem next spring.

Some things grow vertically. This can complicate planning. Normally I like the tallest crops in the west of the garden with a north/south orientation. This lets everything get maximum sun without being blocked by other plants. In a raised bed plants are mixed up more to take advantage of the tighter planning requirements. This could put tall plants and short plants together, requiring heightened awareness of available and needed sunlight.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Cutting off the Head of the Hydra

This was one of the twelve labors of Hercules. Each time he cut off one head two would grow back in it’s place. This is the way greens work in the garden. The more you pick them the more you have. Notice the pictures of the arugula and the mustard and turnips. They were all picked down to almost nothing on Sunday. The picture was taken on Monday afternoon. Another of the labors of Hercules was cleaning the Augean Stables. What kind of garden could you have with all that manure?

You may notice that the Arugula is in a raised bed. The bed was full to within an inch of the top when the arugula was planted. It has settled some since then. When the arugula is pulled off or dies from cold or heat, the bed will be topped up with compost and spaded with a spading fork to fluff it back up.

The scrap lumber from an old deck that was torn up several years ago is becoming raised beds now. Some of it went into the greenhouse. The lumber is of course being supplemented by regular scavenging. The garden thrives on recycled vegetable material, why should it not save old building materials from the landfill as well?

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

What Happens in a Compost Pile

Composting turns organic garbage into fertilizer. The way this happens is by two processes. The first is an aerobic breakdown of the material. This is encouraged by turning the compost, keeping it wet and having lots of good green stuff in the pile. The compost heats to between 90 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit during the process. The higher the temperature the faster the compost makes fertilizer. Turning the compost regularly keeps air mixed in which enables the aerobic (oxygen fed) process. Not turning the compost lets it pack down and burn all of the available oxygen and engage in anaerobic decomposition. Anaerobic decomposition produces methane. This stinks and is a serious cause of global warming.

Some of the internet sources of advice say not to add meat or bones because they attract scavengers. These are good sources of phosphorous. Just bury them in the hottest part of the pile. You can tell that your pile is working when you are turning it or digging into it because it is actually burning. There will not be a flame; but the material is grey like ashes and smoke comes from it. The center of the pile is inhabited by microbes surrounding the hottest part. In the cooler portions, if you are lucky, there will be earthworms. Earthworms love compost and coffee grounds seem to be their favorite food. They cannot live in the hottest part of the pile. Earthworm poop is one of the greatest fertilizers on earth.

The composting system used in my yard is 5 bins made from old pallets. They won’t last forever; but they are free. Compost takes about 5 weeks so I turn the bins each week. The final bin has a top of 2”x 4” fence wire. When I turn into that bin anything that doesn’t fit through the wire goes back to the 1st bin. Also material from the 4th bin is used to cover new material placed in the 1st bin and give it a “starter” of bacteria and earthworms. All of our grass clippings and table scraps and coffee grounds and egg shells go in the compost. I also pick bags of grass clippings up from the side of the road in the grass cutting season. Leaves are good; but they compost pretty slowly. They are only used when they have been mulched or if they are mixed with grass clippings.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

OH! Deer Me!!

The live and let live strategy used with the deer in the past has failed miserably in my garden this year. Having talked to friends and done extensive internet research a two prong strategy has been developed. An eight foot fence with bird netting will be put at the perimeter of the garden. A deer can jump this flat footed; so hopes are not high. The 2nd approach will be to fill little cloth bags with human hair.

A friend of mine is a beautician and he has volunteered to supply the hair. Rags could be sewn together for the bags; but being lazy, I have decided to staple them. They will be scattered throughout the garden on poles. Last year I tried hanging some smelly work clothes in the garden. The smell of them horrified my wife; but did not seem to bother the deer. I hope the hair will do better.

A possible third strategy for some of the raised beds will be to make a frame for a polyethylene tunnel that will extend the growing season and cover it with bird netting in the warm season. This should work for small plants. It won’t help as the plants grow. I also intend to plant some very attractive deer food outside of the garden. Maybe corn and soybeans will work. The deer have to eat too.

An interesting development for this late in the year has occurred. The deer ate even the hot pepper plants. They left the peppers which I picked on Friday. I intended to pull the plants on Sunday and put them in the compost pile. On Sunday they had some new foliage and blossoms. I decided to leave them. I cannot imagine getting new peppers this late in the season; but hope is free.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Wonderful Weeds

Looking in the herb book by Maria Treben for cures for a friend's migraines, I found two fantastic “weeds”. Organic gardening used to define weeds as useful plants in the wrong place. These two weed are cowslip and yarrow. They do so much more than just cure migraines. I have decided to plant them in my flower beds and in the garden.

Yarrow, in addition to curing almost everything, is said to repel bugs and enrich the soil and enhance the action of the compost pile. It is a wonderful companion plant as well; but the research completed so far doesn’t say what to plant it with. One cup of yarrow tea each day will prevent migraines. It is also great for stopping bleeding or increasing blood flow. (Figure that one out.) It is good for soldiers (to treat wounds) and women (to aid in the discomforts of menstruation). The stems are used in divination in the I Ching.

Cowslip is a protected plant in England where it has almost been eliminated by the use of herbicides. A cup of cowslip tea is a fast cure for a headache. Chewing the root relieves a toothache. A poultice made from the leaves is good for bruises. Either plant is good to treat high blood pressure. Wow!!!

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Magic in the Garden

Science has an explanation for the way plants make something from nothing. The idea of photosynthesis seems to depend on the conservation of mass & energy. If E=mc2, how much sunshine does it take to make a cornstalk or a squash vine? It can’t be much. Where does the mass of mushrooms originate?

Many years ago spontaneous generation was disproved. We know that maggots make flies. Earthworms are hermaphrodites; but it still takes 2 to tango. They lay big eggs that make a lot of little earthworms. Their manure is the richest natural fertilizer one can obtain that doesn’t have weed seeds. I still like to think of these things as magic, or at the very least divine. I know the way that the growing garden makes me feel is magic; or is that just a chemical/electrical reaction in my nervous system?

Scientists really like to spoil all the fun. Where do scientists come from anyway? Is that spontaneous generation or photosynthesis?

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

New Raised Beds

This long weekend saw some progress in the garden. The lumber has been identified for 4 new raised beds. One which was built this morning is 3’ X 8’. Two of the others will be 4’ X 12’ and will be used for squash. The other one will be 3’ X 12’. There may be another bed 4’ X 4’ to accommodate a stump. The stump is too much trouble to get out; but it can be worked around.

Most of the fallow part of the garden was tilled this weekend. That is needed before the beds can be built. The soil is tilled as deep as the tiller will go. The box is built on top of the ground and filled with compost and the loose dirt around the bed. The bed can then be planted or left for the spring. The beds that are left for spring get a layer of mulch. The spaces between the beds (30”) is mulched as well. In the spring the mulch will be pulled off of the beds and left in the paths to conserve moisture, prevent weeds and provide a home for earthworms.

The new compost system works great. There won’t be enough compost for all of the new raised beds so “black gold” will be purchased from compost central. A pickup truck full is $24.90. This is really beautiful compost and well worth the money.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Planning for the Greenhouse Season

The greenhouse is ready for the season. All of the pots and trays have been washed with Clorox. All of the benches have been painted. The rain barrels were emptied and washed with Clorox. Sanitation in a greenhouse environment is important; because the optimum growing conditions for plants are the same as those for fungus and bacteria.

The next task is to determine what will be planted and buy some seeds. 6 tomato plants have already been started. They will go in the raised bed at the back of the greenhouse. A white panel has been placed on the wall to reflect light. A timer has been set up and is being tested now. The idea is to have 18 hours of light. Sunset is in the 7 o’clock range right now so the light is set to come on at 6 and go off at 1 o’clock AM. As the season progresses the start time will be earlier.

So…what to plant? Eggplant, tomatoes and peppers will be planted for sure. Every herb for which seeds can be found will be planted as well. Last years plants may have been overwatered causing a heavy loss. There was also a bird in the greenhouse. This year the greenhouse is tighter and the watering will be handled differently. The gas heat could have also been a problem. It was definitely expensive. This year there will be more bottom heating pads. I may even buy a soil heater for the raised bed.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Salad from the Garden

Finally the whole salad (except for the dressing) came from the garden. Tomatoes, cucumbers, arugula, mesclun, basil and radishes were fresh from the back yard. It was wonderful. I just hope it lasts for awhile.

The new compost bin arrangement worked out really well. I was concerned that the boards on the front would present a difficulty in forking the compost from bin to bin; but it was easy as pie. The compost that had been in the bins seemed to be hotter than the compost from the wire cages as well; but that could be a factor of the individual pile.

Figs are really getting ripe. They are so sweet and delicious that it is hard to stop eating them. The squirrels and birds seem to have gotten their fill because they are leaving them alone. The tomatoes that were started for the greenhouse raised bed have true leaves on them now. The lights will be rigged this weekend and the tomatoes will be transplanted to larger pots. They should go in the ground by the 1st of November.

The deer must be starving. They are even eating the hot pepper plants now. They ate all the tomatoes and leaves from the upside down tomato. Upside down tomatoes will get another chance next year. They have been a real loser this year; but they did get started late. Next year they will get started in the greenhouse in February to see if they do better.


David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

New Compost System

A new compost bin system has been rattling around in my head for awhile. It involved a lot of treated lumber and construction and expense and work. The reality finally happened and involved almost none of that. Michael Swol mentioned using pallets for another project. The design using pallets for compost bins jumped into my head.
Michael and I picked up some pallets from Harkey Tile. They were placed together against a fence to make 5 bins that are roughly 3’ by 3’ by 3’. My wife looked out the window and screamed. They are a little bit ugly. She made me move them to a hidden corner of the yard. Even picking up the pallets and doing the construction twice, there is still only about 4 hours and no money except for a few nails and some gas in the project. 2 levels of used 2” X 6”s nail the pallets together on the front and provide a stop for the compost.
The only thing I’m not really sure about is the closure on the front. It works well to keep the compost in the bin. How hard will it be to fork the compost from one bin to the next? The answer to that will come next weekend. Michael still needs pallets for his projects and I will try to get more uniform pallets to replace the odd ones so the effect will be less ugly.


David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

The Fall of Fall

The first day of fall has arrived. Leaves have magically arrived in bags on the side of the street. The trees are still green; so these must be from last year. At any rate they still make good mulch in the garden. So far they are only around the raised beds. Planning has begun for next years perfect garden and except for periodic replanting of some things, the fall garden is planted and coming up. The only things not up are the onions and the mesclun mix.

We had tacos last night with peppers, tomato, arugula and onion from the garden. The third crop of figs is coming on with a vengeance. It seems that they are afraid they won’t be ripe before the 1st freeze. Seeds have been planted for 6 tomato plants that will be put into the raised bed in the greenhouse. Only 3 are needed; but who knows how many will actually come up. Last year seeds for the greenhouse were hard to find in local stores in December. They will be purchased early this year.

The garden will grow by a few feet. More raised beds will be built. An 8’ fence will be constructed in the hopes of keeping the deer out. They can jump 18’; but maybe they will go for easier forage. Some stuff will be planted for them outside the fence. The motion detectors on the side of the house don’t phase them at all; but maybe a noisy motion detector would help.


David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Soil Temperature and Germination

I planted spinach and chard five weeks ago. They did not come up. I planted spinach chard and cabbage three weeks ago. They did not come up. I planted spinach, chard, onions and kale Saturday. Yesterday only the onions had not come up. The cabbage from three weeks ago is coming up. I used the same type of seed for the spinach and chard each time. The important variable is probably soil temperature.

Since the 5 week and 3 week seeds have still not come up, I will report the other variable. The seeds planted Saturday were in a raised bed and the soil temperature should be more sensitive to changes in air temperature. Here is a web page that list optimal soil temperatures for different seeds. http://tomclothier.hort.net/page11.html . This tells us that the Cabbage can germinate at a higher temperature than the Spinach. When I looked carefully at the beds last night, I also realized that the arugula and radishes had germinated. The mesclun mix had not.

That could be because of the lettuce requiring a lower temperature.
The really good news is that the arugula is almost ready to be picked. That means we can have a salad with peppers, tomatoes, arugula, radishes and cucumber all from the garden. How rare is that?

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Summer Staples

There are several dishes that are absolutely essential eating in the summertime in the south. One is green beans, another is squash & onions. Last night we had green beans and I confess, not a single item in the dish came from the garden. Everything (except the salt and pepper and chicken bouillon came from the Kings Drive Farmer’s Market.

This is one of those dishes that are better kept simple. The green beans were young, tender and stringless. There was also okra, new potatoes and salt and pepper and chicken bouillon. We use the bouillon instead of bacon in order to avoid high cholesterol. The okra is cut and soaked in a solution of ½ vinegar and ½ salt water for about 30 minutes while the beans are being snapped. The potatoes are quartered to make them cook faster. We don’t cook the beans very long; but some people like them really limp. Cook yours the way you like. Salt and pepper is the only seasoning we use.

Squash and Onions are so easy. Just chop them up and stir fry them. Salt and pepper is all you need here too. Either of these great dishes can be embellished. Either one of them makes a great starter for a vegetable or vegetable beef soup or stew. Another great summer dish is succotash. We will leave that for another day.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Fresh Fall Greens

We picked the 1st mustard and turnip greens of the fall season Saturday. They were so young and tender that we stir fried them instead of boiling them. They turned out a lot stronger that way; but they were absolutely delicious. By Sunday afternoon they were ready to pick again.

A social problem has developed around the Jalapeño peppers. When people see me coming with a bag of them they run. People who used to beg for them, don’t even want to see them now.
They must be “burned out” on free peppers. Solution: I bought a gallon of apple cider vinegar. We rounded up all of the old jars. (Only use the ones with coated lids so they don’t rust.) The jars were stuffed full of peppers and then filled with vinegar. In about a week they will be pepper vinegar. One jar lasts most people a year; so most of them will be given away. How long will it be before people run when they see me with a jar?

Michael Swol and I have been getting excited about raised beds and compost bins. We have a fixation on doing projects with free stuff. We will let you know what we come up with finally. We have a lot of creative ideas. Jane Lancaster has to have one too. An area was tilled and mulched this weekend and the box is being built today.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Squash & Tomatoes

Please forgive the long hiatus. I picked up a lot of new properties to manage and have not had much time to do fun things like this blog. This is the time of year when there is not much going on in the garden anyway. Michael Swol shared this fantastic recipe for squash and onions.
You need yellow crookneck squash, medium sliced tomatoes ¼ inch thick, olive oil, wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, mix oil, vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper together. Dip the slices of squash and tomato into the mixture and alternate them on the baking dish. Michael added after the fact that the bottom slice should be a squash as the tomato will stick to the pan. Drizzle half of your leftover mix on top and bake for 10 min. Drizzle the other half and bake another 10 min. You are done.

The squash in my garden is pretty much played out. We are getting a yellow crookneck once in a while. The spaghetti squash has been picked and the vines pulled. The zucchini and patty pan have quit. The fall turnip and mustard greens are ready to pick. The arugula will be ready to pick in a week. The mesclun and radishes are coming along. The tomatoes have slowed down; but still look healthy. The cucumbers are on vacation. Peppers are rockin’ and rollin’.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Garden Pictures
I keep getting requests for pictures of my garden. This is a time of transition in the garden, so the pictures are not all flattering. The grapes are a little shabby. The spaghetti squash is on its deathbed. The squash are really looking rough. Even the asparagus ferns are starting to brown out a little. The watermelon fence is still happy as are the tomatoes and peppers. The fall crops are just starting to peek out of the ground. The Kale is getting leggy; but is still producing strongly.


David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Michael Swol’s Jalapeño Poppers

Cut top off of pepper and remove seeds. Cook and crumble one hot Italian sausage. Bring some cream cheese to room temperature. Mix sausage and cream cheese and stuff into pepper. Cut some bacon strips in half. Wrap the bacon around the Jalapeño so that it covers the top. Hold together with a toothpick and broil or grill. I tasted one and it was delicious. It was a little hot for me; but not too bad.

The spinach and chard that was planted weekend before last has not come up. The mesclun and arugula planted in the raised bed have sprouted. So have the turnips and mustard. I’m thinking I should plant some kale too. We are still getting plenty; but I expect it to bolt soon.

It has been raining in Charlotte quite a bit; but my yard seems to have an umbrella over it. I finally got some rain yesterday (8/20). It soaked the ground pretty deep. Plants seem to respond better to rain than irrigation. The tomatoes really appreciated the rain and the demonstrated that by being numerous and tasty. All but one or two plants this year are Marglobe or Celebrity. They have more flavor than the new hybrids.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Fall Garden is Planted

Last weekend the Chard and Spinach went in. Everything else had to wait. This Saturday I built a new 12’ X 3’ raised bed. I was not double dug. The whole empty part of the garden was tilled deep. The box was built on top of the ground and about 6” of compost was put in. Then the surrounding loose dirt from the pathways was used to top out the bed.

The new raised bed was planted with Arugula and Mesclun mix. Tokyo cross turnips and curly mustard were planted in regular rows. The Brussels sprouts are still producing. I did not bother the replant them. The broccoli from spring is still healthy; but not producing broccoli. The yield was so low the broccoli may not be worth the trouble. It may produce some more.

The tomatoes are finally getting ripe and there are 5 spaghetti squash on the vine. We ate one early in the season and had one last night. These things really make a lot of spaghetti. Powdery mildew has raised it’s ugly head; so all of the cucurbits got a good dose of sulfur yesterday. I have the wood to make another raised bed; but the compost isn’t ready. Maybe later.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

New Link

While researching the last article, I found a really informative link http://www.freeplants.com . Not only does this site have a lot of great information, it allows the reader to subscribe to a free gardening newsletter and to download a free gardening book. There is a great recipe for potting soil for people who need a lot of it. There is also a lot of information on propagating different plants. The owner of the site Bob McGroaty has a home based business propagating plants and selling them in his front yard. I am sure he makes good money at it; but it seems to me he is doing it for fun more than money.

Fun is what gardening is all about anyway. I know I could go to the farmers market and get almost everything cheaper than I can grow it. The garden is still cheaper than a shrink however. I save money on therapy. The greenhouse gives me off-season therapy and this blog allows me to take a break during the work day. An occasional home grown vegetable is just a really big bonus.

Another major bonus is being able to give stuff away. I love to take greens to the tellers at the bank. I bring hot peppers to everyone who likes them because we don’t eat them at home. I just plant them to fool the deer into leaving my bell peppers alone. (It doesn’t work by the way; but it has become a habit.)

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Propagating Blackberries and Asparagus

I have friends who have asked for some blackberry and asparagus plants. Having done a little research on both and having planted both successfully this is the method I will use. If my camera comes back from the repair facility in time I will document the processes. First the Blackberries.

Blackberries are virtually impossible to get rid of. My wife does not like them so I am going to dig all of the healthy plants and give them away. If you want some let me know. The first step is to wait for them to go dormant in the winter. Then all of the canes will be cut about 2” from the ground. This is not necessary and will prevent berries from forming the 1st year. It will make the plants easier to handle and if any of them need to be shipped, this step is essential. Next the plants will be dug at least 6” deep and the soil will be shaken from the roots. The recipient will soak the roots overnite in water and plant in rich, crumbly, acid soil. The best way is to dig a hole and fill it with compost and water and set the plant in there. The plant should be planted to the same level as it was before. They will be marked as they are removed from the ground. A blackberry bed can be expanded using this same method.

Asparagus can be propagated in two ways. They can be started from seed or the crowns can be divided. My plants are only 3 years old; so I do not wish to divide the crowns. I am picking seeds just before they fall. The seeds will be planted 1/2 “ deep in very loose rich soil this spring. Very early the next spring or late in the winter the crowns will be dug and replanted. Asparagus should be planted in a permanent location as they come back every year. Make a bed with very loose soil 2’ deep. Dig a v shaped trench 1’ deep. Spread the roots at the bottom of the trench and cover the crowns so that they barely show above the top of the soil. As the sprigs grow cover them almost completely with loose soil or compost. Asparagus are very heavy feeders. Don’t cut them at all the 1st year. Cut them for 4 weeks only the second year. After that they can be cut through the end of June.


David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

The Glory of Dirt

After weeks the tiller finally came home with a new cable. It worked for about 5 minutes. Finally duct tape to the rescue and the dirt was flying. The soil was pretty dry. I did not apply the meter; because this was unplanted ground. Even where there was a cover of mulch the ground pulverized easily. If it is not too hot this afternoon, the new raised bed will be built.

A trip to Renfrow’s wonderful store yielded seeds for mesclun mix, arugula, spinach, Tokyo cross hybrid turnips, curly mustard, kale and chard. The spinach and the chard were planted Sunday morning. The late crop cucumbers are starting to run so they got a good dose of compost. Powdery mildew has raised it’s ugly head. The sulfur mix has done better than the baking soda did so this afternoon, everything gets a dose of sulfur.

The first tomato was subjected to the taste test last night. It is perfect. Nothing can beat a really good home grown tomato. This was a marglobe and had a very high acid content, rich red flesh and a nice firm texture.

Michael Swol took some of the peppers I have been giving him and made some Jalapeño poppers wrapped with bacon. Awesome!!!

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Odds and Ends

Chris has been wondering what to do with all of the figs. He found a recipe for fig wine. Here is a link: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques6.asp . Our figs are not ripening fast. We just get a few each day. I will only prune the branches that keep me from opening the greenhouse door this year. Maybe that will help. Speaking of pruning… The pruning that the deer gave to the tomatoes delayed production by a month. We picked the first tomato last weekend. The vines are totally loaded. The real test will be in how they taste.

The replanted cucumber vines are climbing and blooming. Hopefully they will be productive. Mesclun, Arugula and Chard will be planted for the fall this weekend. Maybe we will get a full salad from the garden yet. We could use kale; but it is a little strong for a full salad. It does make a great addition of two or three leaves though. The carrots are still doing well. The rabbits really like them. Potatoes are just not happy in my garden. The space they take will be dedicated to other things next year.

Our winters have been coming so late that a fall planting of squash may survive to produce a few fruits. The old plants are still producing; but they really look ragged. They might make good candidates for the new raised bed. The winter garden will also include mustard and turnip greens, carrots and beets, more kale and onions. The bunch type onions will be used for the fall/winter garden.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Finally Rain

We had a couple of frog stranglers at the end of the week and the earth is showing her appreciation. The grass is growing really fast. We even picked a tomato finally. The kale just keeps on keepin’ on and the squash is still producing. The watermelons and spaghetti squash are growing. Even a few figs are getting ripe. Chris has been kind enough to bless us with some of his abundance and my wife made some fig preserves.

She did not use Chris’ recipe because it had too much sugar. Ana used a ½ cup of sugar, the juice and some of the zest from a lemon and a stick of cinnamon. No butter. Her preserves were like those that our neighbor Ruby Owens used to make when I was a kid. They were wonderful. My wife thought they weren’t sweet enough so she opened all the jars (except for one that I made off with) and added more sugar. They are just ok now.

The vacant rows in the garden still have not been tilled. That has to happen this weekend. There is enough compost on hand to make a new raised bed. I hope that will happen too. The time is almost here to plant the fall garden.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Sugar Baby Watermelons

Having learned the lessons from last year the sugar babies are growing on a watermelon fence with a fine mesh (1”X1”) plastic material. There are quite a few nice melons developing. Another mistake made last year was not picking some of the melons early enough. This year each melon is being checked every few days. The BT is being used after every rain to keep the worms down. The watermelons were not big victims of the pickle worms last year; but why take a chance.

The BT (Bacillus Thuringienses) is apparently working on the other crops. I feel like I am using biological warfare. BT is a disease. Just call me Saddam. At least we are getting nice clean vegetables this year without resorting to noxious chemicals. The bugs (in the larval stage) won’t get sick if they don’t try to eat my vegetables. The pollinators are not harmed.

A big surprise this year has been the zucchini. Every year before, even if the rest of the garden is doing poorly, the zucchini is really prolific. This year we have had as much as we wanted; but no excess. The peppers are doing better than usual. I think it is something I learned from Michael and Ray. The pepper plants received no compost until they bloomed. Then, it was loaded on heavily.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Chris' Fig Preserves

Chris’ Fig Preserves

Finally the fig tree is producing a few figs. Chris is still bringing me lots of them. He has been kind enough to share his grandmother’s fig preserve recipe. This recipe starts with a 1 gallon pot. You need enough figs to fill the pot ¾ of the way, 1 ½ to 2 cups of sugar, cinnamon and ¼ stick of butter. Remove the stems from the figs and cut them in half.

Fill the pot to ¾ full of figs. Put about ¾” of water in the bottom. The figs will produce a lot of juice as they cook. Add 1 ½ cup of sugar and cook the figs slowly. As they reduce you can add cinnamon and more sugar to taste. Let the figs simmer for about an hour or until they get the consistency you like. Add the ¼ stick of butter and whip the entire mix. That’s all folks.

I can just taste this on hot biscuits. The mix could also be used to make cake filling or homemade fig Newtons. I am getting so hungry writing this that I need to stop and eat my breakfast. Enjoy!!


David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Figs

Figs

The fig trees are loaded; but they haven’t started ripening. Chris Abrams’ fig tree is already producing buckets every day. He says it is starting to produce a 3rd crop even. What is the difference in his tree and mine? For one thing, I prune mine really heavy every year. His has not been pruned. He has to use a ladder to pick the figs. I guess it would be worth it. Readers of this blog know how brutally my trees get pruned. They will get a vacation from pruning this year.

Chris donated a huge bag full of figs; so I have searched for recipes. They are so good to just eat, that it seems a waste to cook them; but it would be worse to let them rot. Here is a website I found that has lots of good recipes. http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/recipes/figs/figindex.html The one that looks best to me is the stuffed figs.

There was a person talking about figs on NPR yesterday morning. She mentioned a recipe using goat cheese and wrapping the figs in bacon. Of course the figs could be dried. Instructions for this can be found at http://www.ochef.com/9.htm

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Asparagus Ferns

Asparagus Ferns

The asparagus in my garden have developed ferns that are as tall as I am. The variety is Jersey Giant. They were supposed to be mostly male asparagus, that don’t produce seed. About half of them have seeds. The male asparagus supposedly have bigger spears. (I guess that makes sense). There are two ways to get asparagus. Seeds take longer or one can divide the crowns of existing plants. This needs to be done anyway every few years.

There is some type of creature that constantly pulls and eats the shoots from the strawberries in my garden. After 2 years, I have not received a single strawberry. Strawberries have a short season here. They are fairly cheap in season. Maybe the strawberries should be replaced by asparagus. Should I divide the crowns or save some seeds? Actually, I plan to do both so a comparison can be made. If there are any strawberry plants left they will go into a strawberry pot.

The strawberry pot is a large urn with openings on the side to plant the strawberry plants. Hopefully it can be placed where whatever is eating the strawberry plants now will not be able to reach it. Growing wonderful food would be so easy if we did not have to fight so hard to keep the plants and the produce.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Winter Garden Planning

Winter Garden Planning

This is the time to begin planning for the winter garden. What are the crops that are ready to be pulled off? Sugar peas are gone or going fast. Mustard and most of the leaf crops have bolted. If the potatoes are blooming, they can be dug. It is a good idea to make a map of the garden and think about what should be planted for the fall crops. In most areas the fall (winter) garden should be started in September.

Onions will resist the cold in most areas. Lettuce and other salad greens will freeze but come back with a few warm days. The same is true for cooking greens. They need to get a good start before the hard freezes start so they can develop a strong root system. Broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts will be ok in much of the country. The cold weather kills the bugs that cause so much trouble in warm weather.

There is still the greenhouse to consider. Some plants, like tomatoes can be covered on cold nights and still produce for quite a while. In northern latitudes the day length becomes the problem. If they are grown inside lights can be used on a timer. I have built a raised bed inside the greenhouse that I hope will extend the season for tomatoes, cucumbers and a few herbs. Don’t count on it. I haven’t actually tried it yet.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash

The first spaghetti squash fell off of the vine. I did not think it was ripe; but it was. It was really delicious. The spaghetti squash seems to take the flavor from the sauce better than regular pasta. The spaghetti looks like vermicelli. It tastes like whatever sauce is used and it has the texture of a vegetable. There are two more on the vine and several female blossoms. Maybe this is the year.

A volunteer cucumber, in the front yard, that came from the compost that was used to plant a tree is producing quite a few cucumbers. The tree died. So did most of the blueberries. Only 1 blueberry out of 16 is surviving and it looks mangy. The yellow squash is prolific and the kale is still tasty.

The tiller came home Saturday; but it still doesn’t work. I think I can fix it with the universal cure, duct tape. The greenhouse is cleared out. All of the containers have been sanitized. The shelf boards have been painted on one side. All that’s left is to paint the other side, wash the windows and re-install the shelves. Tomatoes will be started for planting in an inside raised bed. Hopefully they will produce through the winter.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.

BT Works

BT Works

Last week, I sprayed the garden with Bacillus Thuringienses. The intent was to kill any larvae like caterpillars or pickle worms, with special emphasis on the pickle worms. The pickle worms normally come a little later in the season so I don’t know how well it will work for them but it really did a job on the kale.

Before spraying we picked kale. It was soaked in dishwashing soap and water for about 15 minutes before the major cleaning. There must have been 50 worms in the mess of kale. Saturday morning we picked a big mess. There was not a single worm. If there was, he was eaten; because we never saw him. I really hated paying $15 for that little tiny bottle of stuff; but 1 tablespoon made a gallon of solution. It should last all season. I will report on the pickle worms.

The spaghetti squash is growing daily and there are 4 more female blossoms. Maybe this will be the year to get lucky. The volunteer cucumber in the front yard yielded its first fruit yesterday. The hanging tomato is finally growing some. The other tomatoes have green tomatoes. I picked enough wax peppers and jalapeños to give some away. Life is good. Real estate is not. Thank God for the garden.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.

Food Safety

Food Safety

A lot of talk and pontification has been devoted to this subject lately. When the E-Coli thing hit the spinach, Willie Nelson was caught with a bag of pot in his motor home. He got a fine. He said, “If that were spinach, I might be dead.” The real problem comes, not so much, from food production; but from food handling and food processing. The key to safety is to handle it and process it less.

I like to think I am well travelled. I always have to add extra pages to my passport. I am not as well traveled as the food I eat. The food from the garden only goes about 200’; but the stuff we buy comes from everywhere and a lot of people play with it before we eat it. Even on the commercial farm, the food (like the spinach) can get polluted. The spinach was fertilized with cow manure. That should be good. The real problem was that the cows had been eating food supplements containing “meat byproducts”.

Vegetables, even from the garden, should be washed. What goes onto them or into the ground can pollute them; so real food safety comes from being careful what is put on the garden and the plants. There is no joy like picking something, wiping it off on a shirt sleeve and eating it fresh from the garden. I will keep my garden where I am not afraid to do that.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com, His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.

The Perfect Garden

The Perfect Garden

This is the time of year when the successes and disappointments of the garden become reality. I am a little disappointed with the garden this year. There are some successes; but the failures are more glaring. The perfect garden like the perfect lover is mostly in the mind. That is why this is the best time to start planning next years garden. It is still perfect.

It is wonderful to live in the city and still have deer and rabbits and other wildlife in the yard. They are great to watch. It has never been a problem if they eat a little bit from the garden. It is fun to play little tricks on them, like spraying everything with habanero spray. This year they have taken more than a little bit.

Deer must be excluded from “the perfect garden”. Stuff will be planted outside the garden for them to munch. An 8’ fence will go around the garden. Deer can jump 18’; but maybe they won’t if there is something good to eat outside. Bugs must be excluded as well. Companion planting and organic sprays will be used for that. The habanero pepper spray worked well. It was a little too strong at the bottom of the sprayer. It actually burned the grape leaves. There are some really simple cheap sprayers at Lowes. I will buy a couple extra and label them so the sprays can be separated. BT, sulfur and pepper-garlic will be used.

It would be wonderful to have everything in raised beds. The work to do that is massive; but a couple of new raised beds can be added each year. The plans in my mind included a row of hanging tomato plants. The one hanging plant is not doing as well as the planted ones; so maybe 3 or 4 hanging plants will be used as a comparison. The design on the raised beds will be made to accommodate some chicken wire panels that can be added or removed easily to let me in and keep rabbits, squirrels, raccoons and birds out. Bird net can be draped over the top.

Summer squash plants are so greedy. They want to take over the whole garden. (See Picture.) They were given a 4’ row this year. It is still not enough. Next year they will get panels on the side of the rows to keep them in their place.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.

Summer Cooking

Summer Cooking

The real start of summer cuisine is not cooked at all. The tomato sandwich has no comparison. Of course, it requires a really great bread and a good spread. My favorite bread is Nova’s sesame semolina wheat bread; but I’m sure you have your own favorite. Michael Swol makes a killer Tzajiki sauce that is fantastic for tomato sandwiches or just for dipping.

His sauce has plain yoghurt, dill, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, sugar, fresh ground pepper and cucumber. The key to the cucumber is to peel and quarter it and remove the seeds. Aioli also makes a really great spread; but it is difficult to get the proper consistency. Of course you can add lettuce and bacon to a tomato sandwich to get a BLT.

Barbecue is also a summer favorite. There are so many ways to make it that I will just refer you to the expert. Go to the expert at http://carolinasmokehouse.blogspot.com/ Chris is a cook (he says he is not a chef) at one of the top restaurants in Charlotte. He is not allowed to say the name; so I won’t either. He does have some really great stuff on his website. Check it out.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.

The 4th of July is for Tomatoes

The 4th of July is for Tomatoes

Last year my 1st homegrown tomato came off the vine on the 3rd of July. This year the deer pruned my tomatoes so severely that there are no 4th of July tomatoes. There are two very tiny green tomatoes on 1 vine. Fortunately Michael Swol felt sorry for me and brought me an extremely ripe and very tiny cherry tomato from one of his plants. It was, of course, anticlimactic as my friend Stephanie has been blessing me with homegrown tomatoes for a week.

At least the cucumbers and squash are doing well. Even the new cucumbers that were planted early last week have come up. The Hydroponics store on Monroe Rd. in Charlotte has BT. This is supposed to murder pickle worms. Michael and I each bought a very tiny bottle for $16. I sprayed mine yesterday (the 4th of July). I hope it will give me independence from pickle worms and other caterpillars.

BT (Bacillus Thuringienses) is a disease that kills insects in the larval stage. Supposedly they take a bite or two, get sick and fall off the plant and die. I hope it ruins their whole day.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.

A Bug's Life

A Bug's Life

Maybe some people think they are cute. The holes in the plant leaves are not cute. The diseases they spread are not cute. Even organic sprays have some downsides. If pepper and garlic sprays repel the bad bugs, do they repel the pollinators also? Even using a very dilute solution of pepper spray the solution that had settled to the bottom of the sprayer was strong enough to burn the leaves on the grapevines, which were the last thing to get sprayed.

Because the cucurbits are doing really well a sulfur spray is being used now. This is mostly to combat powdery mildew. It is simple and pretty harmless to the plants and it is actually beneficial in reducing the alkalinity of the soil. Put 1 tablespoon of wettable sulfur for each quart of water. Shake it and spray it. It doesn’t even clog the nozzle of the sprayer. It will eventually reduce the alkalinity of the soil so be sure to test the soil occasionally. I use sulfur in the soil where I plant blueberries and potatoes to increase the acidity.

Last year the pickleworms were my greatest nightmare. I’m not sure if the sulfur will help for them. I will be researching. There is no way they get to ruin so much produce again this year. The major catastrophe last year was the lonely spaghetti squash that matured. I have heard that BT (Bacillus Thuringienses) is effective against these. I will research that and let you know.

This article was accidentally posted to another blog. I deleted it from there. If you read it there, please forgive the summer rerun.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.

Winter's Grape Leaves

Winter’s Grape Leaves

It turns out that Winter’s recipe was not an original. She got it from a website called http://allrecipes.com . This is a website where friends share recipes. Since the byline says “All Rights Reserved”. I will not repeat the recipe here. The name of the recipe is “Figs Oozing with Goat Cheese”. I could not find it by following links; but there is a search tool bar and the title can be inserted and the recipe will be found. Michael said it was wonderful. He did not save one for me.

A friend is making pickles today. I am jealous. She also has tomatoes already. Maybe she will give me a couple. The hanging tomato plant that I started is still alive; but it is not growing. I think the tomato plant I used was too big. Three that I planted in the ground from the same source at the same time are doing great.

The garden really looks great; but the yield so far is pretty disappointing. The squash are the bright spots. We have been picking a lot of yellow crookneck squash and a few zucchinis and patty pans. The patty pans are my favorites. The spaghetti squash are growing rapidly and blooming. So far there is only one female blossom. They usually bloom a little later than the male blossoms. If they don’t produce something this year, that space allotment will go to regular winter squash next year.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.