Tips for the Novice Gardener

By Mort Mather

Whether following a garden talk or being introduced to a party of four in our restaurant as the "farmer who grows the vegetables," it is inevitable that someone will say, "You must have a green thumb. I can't grow anything." My response is, "Not so much a green thumb as a brown knee."

Check out my work jeans, or if it's a hot day, check out my knees. There will be garden soil on at least one, even if I've only been out there a few minutes. It's kind of like an adult dropping down on a knee to talk with a child. I drop down on a knee at the sight of a weed.

Here is my answer to those who say they don't have a green thumb, and to those who might be afraid they won't be able to master the mysteries of gardening. To get a green thumb, you need to have some success growing something.

Having written a garden column for 20 years for the local paper, I'm probably the best-known gardener in the area. I now plant over half an acre in vegetables each year. But this year cutworms wiped out my first two plantings of lettuce and all my zucchini plants died about two weeks after they started producing.

I have not been able to get a decent stand of spinach for the past five years. Discouraging? You bet -- but also challenging. If gardening didn't present me with challenges, I suspect I would become bored and look for something more challenging.

So if someone like me with 35 years experience can have failures, what chance does a novice have? This year I had the best eggplant crop ever... The winter squash is spectacular... And I finally found a method of supporting pole beans that doesn't take too much time to erect.

I supplied the restaurant with more produce this year than in any previous year. A failure of a planting to perform as hoped is not an indication that someone doesn't have a green thumb.

If you have never grown anything before and would like to try, here are some simple starters. Try making some sprouts. Radish seeds sprout fast and put a nice little zip in a salad. All that is needed are the seeds, a jar with a screen top, and water. You can get all you need from a natural food store.

Put some seeds in the jar. Cover them with water and let them soak for a day. Pour off the water and place the jar on an angle, screen-side down so no seeds are sitting in a puddle and air can get into the jar. To avoid a wet counter, set the seed jar in a bowl to catch any dripping water. Leave the jar someplace easy to keep an eye on.

Rinse the seeds in water 2 to 4 times a day. "Is it 2 or 4," you ask. No, no. That is a question you have to answer for yourself. Don't let them dry out completely. You'll see. Just take care of your pet sprouts. The radish seeds will swell and sprout in just a few days. (Other seeds take longer.)

What you are learning here is that seeds contain all they need to survive practically on their own. They need to soak up some water in the beginning for the germ of life to sprout. Then they need to be wet most of the time, but they also need air. They will grow actually farther than you need for salad sprouts. They have enough nutrients in that little seed to produce at least the first two leaves and some root. Fantastic!

For a more spectacular plant, try the flowering (non-edible) amaryllis. You can buy these bulbs with growing instructions in many stores. Or, you can just nestle the bulb in some gravel in a flower pot. Add water and watch the plant grow from the top of the bulb into a one to two foot tall plant with a large beautiful flower. The gravel method is a one shot deal, so if you want more from the bulbs, follow the growing instructions.

Onion sets and garlic are similar to the amaryllis bulb and grow as easily. But because we want more from them than just a one shot flower, they need to be planted in fertile soil with lots of sunlight. Chives, another member of the onion family, can be grown in a pot of soil either indoors or out.

Many people grow patio tomatoes in containers. They may not know that green peppers and eggplant are even easier to grow, as the plants are more like shrubs, whereas tomatoes need cages or stakes to keep them from flopping all over the place.

People with yards can turn over a plot with a spading fork, rake in a goodly amount of compost (about an inch), and plant a small garden. I highly recommend that the first garden be small, 20 square feet or so. Success that first time out will go far in confidence building. Even if you bite off more than you can chew another year and experience failure because the weeds win, you still know that you can do it because of that first success.

Seed companies are reporting unprecedented requests for catalogues. Is there a new back-to-the-land movement? Are unemployed people trying to grow food to help make ends meet? Is the high price of food motivating people to try gardening? Perhaps it is all three. I suspect that people trying to get closer to the land will be the most successful. They are working from an internal ethic, a desire to grow their own food. Their motivation is positive.

Unemployed people are motivated by need and they are also likely to succeed. They will put in more time than is actually needed and concentrate on success because it is important to them. Those who are doing it to save money are the ones most likely to be disappointed. I have had people tell me about the $25 tomatoes they grew.

Just as our pets get some attention daily, so should our plant pets. Whether it is a jar of sprouts or a half acre garden, give it some TLC every day.

[Ed. Note: Mort Mather has been gardening organically for 35 years. He is the author of Gardening for Independence and has founded two non-profits -- one saved a farm on the Maine Coast and the other saved the historic Ogunquit Playhouse. Mort is a certified organic farmer supplying vegetables for his family-run restaurant (www.joshuas.biz.) in Wells, Maine. To learn more, click here.]

Healthy Recipes: Chili Spiced Halibut Kabobs with Avocado Salsa By Kelley Herring

This fish dish is a dream come true for the gourmand, the nutritionist, and the environmentalist alike. Created with eco-friendly Pacific halibut, these kabobs have a laundry list of nutritional attributes, including offering an excellent source of magnesium and omega-3, two key nutrients that help to keep blood sugar stable.¹

Time to Table: 20 minutes
Serves: 8

The Benefits
Excellent source of magnesium, protein, selenium, niacin, omega-3
Good source of potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B12
Low carb, low sodium, gluten free

Ingredients

1 whole organic jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
32 ounces Pacific halibut, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tbsp organic chili powder
4 Tbsp organic Italian salad dressing (gluten-free)
1 whole large organic tomato, diced
1/2 slice organic red onion, diced
4 Tbsp organic lime juice
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
3 cloves organic garlic, crushed
1/2 medium organic avocado, diced

Preparation
First, prepare salsa. Add half the lime juice, half the crushed garlic, jalapeno pepper, and onion to a mixing bowl. Add the avocado, tomato, and cilantro; toss gently, trying not to mash the avocado. Refrigerate.

Next, prepare the kabobs. Mix the chili powder, salad dressing, remaining lime juice, and remaining crushed garlic in a bowl. Toss and lightly rub the Alaska halibut cubes with the chili mixture and let marinate, at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Place 5-6 halibut cubes on each of the 8 skewers. Cook the kabobs on a lightly oiled, medium-hot grill, turning until the juices run clear (approximately 8-15 minutes). Place 1 skewer on each of eight serving plates; remove the halibut cubes from the skewer. Divide the salsa among the eight plates and serve.

Nutrition Information
156.87 kcal Calories, 3.88 g Carbohydrate, 35.91 mg Cholesterol, 4.78 g Total Fat, 1.43 g Fiber, 23.99 g Protein, 115.51 mg Sodium, 0.95 g Sugars, 0.63 mg Zinc, 0.69 g Saturated fat, 0 trans Fat, 2.15 g Monounsaturated fat, 1.22 g Polyunsaturated fat

References

1. He, K. et al. Circulation. 2006 Mar 27; [Epub ahead of print].

[Ed Note: Do you love dessert, but not the sugar? Kelley Herring's new company, Wellness Bakeries, has created all-natural, protein-packed, high-fiber, low glycemic dessert mixes that you can enjoy without a moment's guilt. To learn more and try a delicious slice for yourself, click here.]

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 10-10-08] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/