Monthly Archives: June 2014

Gardening, Kent Ohio Food Not Lawns

You Had Me At Shiitake

Leave a comment
The Snarky Gardener is looking forward to Shiitake and Chicken-of-the-Woods mushrooms in 2015
wpid-img_23519663190829.jpeg
The Snarky Gardener had to cut down a maple tree for inoculation.  Notice the lack of safety goggles or ear plugs – very professional.

The Snarky Gardener read a TimeBank ad for mushroom inoculation and jumped at the chance. For only 2 Time Credits (equals two hours of my time somewhere else), a mushroom expert came to Snarky Acres and put on a demonstration. I read up online to get the basic idea. First, I had to have fresh wood – 3 weeks or less old. And the wood had to be a hardwood like oak, maple, or black cherry. The timing was perfect as I’ve been wanting to cut up a pile of pine logs near my garden for a year or so. So I found a local tool rental place and rented me the biggest chainsaw they had (24″ inches) as the logs were quite big. Of course this was only the second time I’d ever used a chainsaw, so the Snarky Girlfriend watched to make sure I didn’t cut anything off my body (and to apparently make fun of me). As you can see by the photo, I’m not using ear or eye protection, but I was sure to wear the traditional lumberjack polo shirt. Fortunately, the logs and a six inch wide maple tree were cut without any injury to the Snarky Gardener or his ego.

wpid-img_20140531_154548.jpg
Tom (aka the Mushroom Expert) is putting wax on top of inoculation holes

On inoculation day, process went like this :
1.  Use fresh wood that’s been cut between fall and late spring (for nutritional reasons).
2.  Drill holes into the wood.
3.  Insert pre-treated plugs into the holes.
4.  Wax the holes to protectively seal them.
5.  Wait until next spring, keeping the logs in the shade and moist.
6.  Eat mushrooms for the next 5 years or so.

So now we just have to wait nearly a year before mushrooms will be eaten.

wpid-img_20140614_091250.jpg
The finished product
Gardening

Top Late Planted Garden Crops for Northeastern Ohio

Leave a comment
The Snarky Gardener lists the top vegetables to plant in July and August

Just because you didn’t get around to planting a garden in May and June doesn’t mean you have to go without for the rest of year.  The secret to planting in summer is knowing that the first frost of the year (usually in early October here in NEO) is your limiting factor.  So you need either vegetables that will be done fruiting by then or that can handle a little cold.  I’ve kept this list to direct seeded plants as it’s hard to get starts by the time summer starts.  Seeds can be obtained online, garden stores, and from friends.

Here’s my list:

tendergreenseeds

1.  Bush Green Beans

Many green beans are bush varieties, meaning you don’t have to have a pole (or corn) for them to go up.  The bush bean will usually produce within 60 days of planting but will only have beans for two weeks before the plants die off.

2.  Carrots

Carrots are a good choice as they can be planted through out the year and can handle frost.  Make sure to keep them watered until they germinate.

IMG_20130712_172905[1]

3.  Short season corn

Believe it or not, there are short season varieties of corn which give you ears with 62 days of planting (like Early Sunglow).  Just make sure you get them in by the first of August to assure they have time to develop before it gets cold.

IMG_20130712_172856[1]

4.  Zucchini

Bush zucchinis (like Burpee’s Sure Thing) are great for a short season with days to maturity in the 48 to 60 day range.  Just plant them in mounds and let them go.

RedRussian

5.  Kale

Kale, which is related cabbage and broccoli, is a versatile plant that loves the cold but will grow will in the summer also.

snowpeas

6.  Peas

Peas are a spring and fall crop, so it’s best to avoid growing them during the hot months of the summer.  To get them going in August, you’ll need to shade and water them diligently until temps cool down.  Starting them inside first and then transplanting them in September is also a possibility.

As you have noticed in this list, bush varieties of vegetables are the way to go for a short season garden.  Just remember to read the number of days to maturity and count forward to your first expected frost.