Clallam County Gardening Calendar
June
Vegetables
• Direct seed arugula, chard, corn, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, and squash into the garden. (See recommended varieties on back.)
• Transplant basil, cucumber, eggplant, pepper, squash, and tomato starts into garden. Cover if temperatures
fall below 50 degrees.
• Stop harvesting asparagus when spears become smaller than a pencil; fertilize and allow tops to grow.
• Harvest no more than half of the stalks so remaining leaves can sustain crown. Stop harvesting rhubarb
when plant begins to produce slender stalks.
• Stop watering garlic as it naturally starts to dry and harvest when 4 or 5 leaves are still green.
• Watch for leaf miners on beets, chard, and spinach; remove and discard infested leaves.
• Provide 1 inch of water weekly as rain tapers off.
• Mulch garden to retain moisture and reduce weed growth.
Fruit trees
• Thin apples, pears, and plums when the size of a large marble. Thin plums to one fruit 2-4 inches apart on
a branch and apples and pears to 1 to 2 fruits per cluster 6-8 inches apart on the branch.
• Watch for signs of brown rot, scab, and powdery mildew and spray with a fungicide registered for those
problems following instructions on label.
Berries
• Watch for gray mold on strawberries; remove and discard affected berries and leaves immediately.
• Fertilize blueberries with 2-8 Tbsp. ammonium sulfate per plant (once this month) (amount depends on
age of plant) or 1 Tbsp. of fish emulsion diluted in 1 cup water (twice this month).
• Make sure berries get 1-2 inches of water weekly.
• Cover plants with net to protect against critters.
Locally Recommended Spring and Summer Vegetable Varieties
•Arugula – Astro, Esmee, Red Dragon
•Beets – Bull’s Blood, Detroit Dark Red, Spring Color Beet
Blend
•Broccoli – Aspabroc, Di Cicco, Gypsy, Thompson
•Cabbage – Caraflex, Golden Acre, Gonzales, Minuet, Parel,
Tiara
•Carrots – Danvers Half Long, Ingot, Mokum, Yaya
•Cauliflower – Amazing, Snow Crown
•Chard – Bright Lights, Golden, Perpetual, Rainbow Blend, Rhubarb
•Greens (Asian and mustards) – Bok Choi, Ching Chiang, Komatsuna, Pac Choi, Tah Tsai, Wasabina
•Kale – Beira Tronchuda, Curled Scot, Dazzling Blue, Nero Di
Toscana, Improved Dwarf Siberian, Red Russian, Red Ursa,
Redbor
•Leeks – King Richard, Pandora
•Lettuce – Buttercrunch, Continuity, Drunken Woman Frizzy
Headed, Little Gem, Merlot, Outredgeous, Parris Island Cos, Red
Sails, Salad Bowl
•Onions – Ailsa Craig, Barolo, Pacific Pearl, Patterson, Red
Guardsman, Rossa di Milano, Walla Walla
•Peas – Alderman, Oregon Sugar Pea Pod II, Super Sugar Snap,
Tom Thumb
•Potatoes – French Fingerling, Goldrush, Kerr’s Pink, Nicola,
Ozette, Purple Peruvian, Rose Thumb, Russet Norkotah, Russian
Banana Fingerling
•Radish – Cherry Belle, French Breakfast, German Giant, Starburst
•Spinach – Olympia, Palco (slow bolting), Seaside
•Turnip – Hakurei, Purple Top White Globe
June Plant Problems in the Garden
As I look out of my window into the garden, it’s another beautiful, sunny day. As the weather continues to warm it’s time to get the vegetable starts planted for long maturing fall and winter vegetables. It is also time to be careful when planting out our starts and direct sowing and checking for pest and other visitors. With the warming temperature comes the annual onslaught of insect pests. We need to be vigilant and deal with these critters in a timely fashion before they take over!
Cut Worms and Army Worms
These are the hairless, variously colored larvae of several species
of moth and can be very destructive on a wide range of vegetables.
Plants Affected: Many, many vegetables and flower starts and seedlings. These critters are not fussy eaters.
Symptoms:
Seedlings or very young starts are chopped off at ground level or up to 1″ above soil level. Generally, the plants are unable to recover from this abuse.
Organic Treatment:
Till the bed once or twice before planting, unless using “no till” methods, to allow the birds to reduce the worm population. Starts can be protected by using 4″ lengths of toilet roll centers. Plant the start and slide the
cardboard sleeve over the start by pushing it 2″ into the ground to form a worm barrier. Use row covers or exclusion cages to exclude egg-laying adults. Control weeds near the garden. Hand pick and destroy cutworms at night as they are nocturnal feeders. Do the same during the day for army worms which are daytime feeders. Remove debris and other hiding places. and encourage natural predators such as birds and spiders.
Cultural Practices:
Rototill, if possible before sowing to expose pests, unless using “No till” techniques. Use row covers or other exclusion devices. Having a few cutworm larvae or pupae in you garden soil is normal. They do not need to be controlled if no damage has been noticed.
Chemical treatment:
Select non-chemical management options as your first choice!
Consult label instructions. Apply at first sign of cutworm damage. Bacillus thuringensis will provide some
control if caterpillars eat enough of it. Use a spreader-sticker with liquid Bt formulations if it is recommended
on the label. Some products recommended in Hortsense or the PNW Handbook can be harmful to beneficial
insects and pollinators. Read the label before applying any pesticide, paying special attention to the section on hazards to pollinators.
Several insecticides and biologics are WSU recommended in either dust or spray formulations
Product Active ingredient EPA #
ferti-Lome Dipel Dust B. Thuringensis susp. kurstaki (Bt) 7401-290
Bug Buster-O (Organic) Pyrethrins 1021-1771-54705
Safer Brand BioNeem Multi-purpose Insecticide and Repellant Concentrate (Organic) Azadirachtin 70051-6-42697]
Cabbage Root Maggots
Root maggots are small white fly larvae which grow up to 3/4″ in
length. This is a very prolific pest in western Washington.
Plants Affected: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, and turnip
Symptoms:
The cabbage maggot is the larva of a gray fly that is about 3/16″
long. Females lay eggs near the base of plants. The white larvae
make tunnels and grooves in the roots and underground portions of
stems. Soft rots may infect these areas, causing further damage. The
leaves of affected plants are often yellow and stunted. Severe damage can result in wilting and death of plants. Younger plants are
more severely damaged. They pupate in the soil, with up to three
generations occurring in a season. The last generation of the season
overwinters in the soil, hatching into adults in early spring.
General Treatment:
Rotate crops. Do not replant susceptible crops in areas infested the previous year. Cover crops with floating row covers or screen cages prior to emergence of adult flies to prevent egg-laying, such as Aribond or Remay. Do not put row covers in areas previously infested with these maggots.
Cultural methods:
Same as for general treatment
Organic treatment:
Same as general treatment
Chemical Treatment:
WSU makes no recommendations
SPELT STRAWBERRY MUFFINS WITH RUBARB BUTTER
June 2023
B Y S U S A N B A U E R
A recipe containing strawberries and rhubarb seems like the perfect thing to make for June. This recipe for muffins uses spelt flour, available at Sunny Farms or on-line. Bob’s Red Mill is the brand I used. So, what is spelt? Spelt is an easily digestible ancient grain that’s probably a primitive relative to wheat. Spelt is sometimes referred to as dinkel wheat or hulled wheat and its scientific name is Triticum spelta. Spelt flour can be substituted for all-purpose flour and it works particularly great in muffins or waffles. This recipe uses strawberries in an interesting way by dehydrating them just a little, so that when used in the muffins they are still juicy, but not so much that they will make the muffins soggy.
I will bet once you make the rhubarb butter, you will make that again and again, even without making the muffins…it is that good!
Ingredients:
Spelt Muffins:
• 1/2 cup diced strawberries (about 1/2 pound)
• 1 1/4 cup spelt flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Rhubarb Butter:
• 1 stalk rhubarb, ends trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Juice from 1/4 of an orange (alternatively you could use a half lemon or lime)
• 3 tablespoons pure cane or white granulated sugar
• Salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F. Place 9 muffin liners in your muffin pan. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Spread the diced strawberries out onto the baking sheet and transfer to the oven to dehydrate slightly, about 15 minutes. They’ll be juicy when they come out, but, they’ll have released some of their juices. We are doing this so
we don’t have super soggy muffins. Set aside.
2. Increase the oven’s temperature to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the spelt flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a 2 cup measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, egg and vanilla extract. Create a well in the dry ingredients and in one batch, pour the milk and egg mixture. Mix just until you no longer see any flecks of flour. Be sure to not overmix (this will overdevelop the gluten and create tough muffins). Set aside a small handful of diced strawberries (we’ll use these to garnish the tops) and fold in the remaining strawberries in the batter. Fill the 9 muffin liners, to the top, with batter. Divide the handful of diced strawberries among muffin tops. (Obviously this step is optional but I did this for added
cuteness.)
3. Transfer to the oven to bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, rotating them at the 7-minute mark, until a skewer when inserted into the centers comes out clean. Cool the muffins in their tin for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a
cooling rack.
4. To make the rhubarb butter, add the rhubarb, juice from 1/4 of an orange, sugar and pinch of salt to a small saucepan, set over medium-low heat. Cook until the rhubarb has softened and released its juices, about 10 minutes. Take
a spatula and smash the rhubarb so it looks more like a compote. Transfer it to a small bowl and stick it in the fridge to cool. (We don’t want to add warm rhubarb compote to softened butter—it’ll turn into a big ol’ mess.)
5. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter and rhubarb and whisk until the two are completely married together. Give it a taste and adjust the salt, if you like. (I always add more salt.) Serve alongside the muffins. They’re perfect
with each other.
St. Patrick's Day Muffins
I think March should be designated as the official “green” month. I know the first thing you think of is St. Patrick’s Day, and the “wearin’ o’ the green”, but I was actually thinking more along the lines of the beautiful green shoots emerging, the grass greening-up and the tree’s green buds swelling. Of course, we can’t forget the first day of spring is also in this month…even if we all know, for us, the real spring is really a way off yet. I was trying to think of something to go along with St. Patrick’s Day and I decided that the usual corned beef and cabbage didn’t sound too exciting, but how about a muffin that uses baby spinach (if you are one of the lucky ones to have it growing in your greenhouse, if not, still easily available) and some fruit for a very different St. Patrick’s Day muffin. I know, the muffin is green and at first it might look a little different, but
just taste it and you will understand….why March should be officially the “green” month…..Sláinte….
Ingredients:
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups packed baby spinach
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 1/2 cup whole milk (or milk of choice)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 small apple (about 6 ounces), peeled, cored and roughly
chopped
• 1 small banana (about 6 ounces) (the riper the better)
• One 1-inch piece ginger root, peeled, and roughly chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar (for topping – optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or use paper liners.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Add the spinach, granulated sugar, avocado oil, milk, vanilla, apple, banana and ginger to a blender and blend until completely smooth and a vibrant green. Add the eggs one at a time and pulse 1 to 2 times just to combine (if you blend the eggs too much, the muffins will puff up too quickly in the oven and then deflate while cooling). Pour the spinach mixture into the flour mixture and fold
until combined.
4. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each almost all the way to the top. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar on top of each muffin. Bake until the tops are round and golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
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Locally Recommended Vegetable Varieties
• Arugula-Astro, Esmee, Red Dragon
• Chard-Bright Lights, Golden, Perpetual, Rainbow Blend, Rhubarb
• Corn-Bodacious, Earlivee, Quickie, Seneca, Horizon, Sugar Pearl White, Sugar and Gold
• Cucumbers-Lemon, Marketmore 97, Pepinex
• Eggplants-Black King
• Lettuce-Buttercrunch, Continuity, Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed, Little Gem, Merlot, Outredgeous,
Parris Island Cos, Red Sails, Salad Bowl
• Peppers-California Wonder 300, Wonder Bell
• Spinach – Olympia, Palco (slow bolting), Seaside
• Squash, Summer-Black Beauty Zucchini, Cavili, Latino, Bush Scallop, Round Zucchini, Superpik, Tromboncino
• Squash, Winter-Butterbaby, Honey Boat Delicata, Table King Acorn, Vegetable Spaghetti, Waltham
Butternut
• Tomatoes-Bloody Bucher, Early Girl, Oregon Spring, Stupice, Sun Gold
PR I N C I P L E S O F PR O P E R WA T E R I N G
One of the most common causes of plant death or poor plant performance is the misunderstanding of what
is meant by proper watering. This becomes a more significant issue when the weather conditions become
drier and hotter and rainfall must be supplemented or replaced with irrigation water. Questions about irrigation that are commonly asked are: What is the best type of irrigation system to use or what is the best way
to water my plants? How long do I water or how much water do I give my plants at each watering or irrigation cycle? How often should I water my plants?
There is no one way to correctly water plants. Any method used to water plants, such as a bucket, a hose,
flood irrigation, sprinklers, bubblers, a drip system, micro-spray or any other watering method can be used to
properly water as long as 4 principles are followed.
Since a plant absorbs water (in most cases) through its root system, we need to understand what is going on
below the ground and what are the primary functions of a plant’s root system. The root systems on plants
have 3 main functions. One function is to anchor the plant so that it stays upright in the soil or growing medium. A second function is to store food and carbohydrates to sustain the plant during the dormant season
or when the leaves are removed or are lost from the plant’s canopy. (This is especially true on deciduous
plants during the period when there are no leaves on the plant or when a plant is heavily pruned.) A third
function is to absorb water and nutrients. The roots that absorb water and nutrients are called feeder roots
or hair roots. These very fine, delicate roots are constantly being generated and are constantly dying off due
to soil conditions and other factors. Water absorption by an established plant in the ground occurs primarily
within the Feeder Root Zone.
A plant’s root system needs both air and water for survival and healthy growth. Soil conditions that are too
wet exclude available air and roots may drown or be killed by fungus diseases. Soil conditions that are too
dry may lead to plant wilt, plant desiccation and root or plant death. A careful balance of water and air in the
soil must be maintained for best plant growth and development. During dry weather this balance must be
maintained by proper irrigation methods.
T H E FO U R K E Y PR I N C I P L E S O F PR O P E R WA T E R I N G
#1 Water the proper area – the Feeder Root Zone!
#2 Apply water to a sufficient area of the Feeder Root Zone
to support the canopy of the plant and to maintain a strong and
healthy root system.
#3 Apply a sufficient amount of water – enough to thoroughly wet
the entire depth of the Feeder Root Zone.
#4 Water at the correct interval – often enough to keep the plant
from wilting, but infrequently enough to allow air to penetrate the soil.
Roots can drown if the soil is kept constantly wet!
NO R T H W E S T V E G E TA B L E GR O W I N G
T I S F O R T O M A T O E S P A R T 1 – S M A L L T O M E D I U M
There is probably no other plant anticipated and favored on the Peninsula as the tomato. The tomato is the
most frequently home grown fruit in the United States. Tomato “fever” can hit as soon as the Big Box and other stores set out their large tomato starts and plants. People in droves will haul off the plants and get ready to
put them out – frequently too early. Starts need to be hardened off properly to avoid setbacks such as transplant
shock. This may not have been done by the producer and since often you do not know where the starts were
produced, this may lead to several additional problems.
The tomato exists in two main growth forms – (a) the sedate determinate tomato which produces its crop over a
short period and is frequently confined to a single main stem and (b) the indeterminate tomato which is the
wild child of the family and will grow in all directions on multiple stems if not brought under some degree of
control. On the positive side, however, the indeterminate tomato produces over a much longer period.
Both produce side shoots from the leaf joints which frequently stop at a few leaves on determinates but can
grow into full blown secondary stems on indeterminate plants. This is why it’s necessary to do a bit of pruning
on both. With determinates the first prune is usually to remove all the leaves below the first flower truss as it
sets. With indeterminate plants, frequent haircuts are required to contain them. For this area, to obtain ripe tomatoes it is prudent to grow mostly tomatoes with a low number of days to maturity since we have a short
growing season and frequently lack the necessary heat for many classic varieties to fully ripen. Tomatoes exist
in a huge rainbow of colors from white through reds, greens and oranges to almost black. Similarly, they range
in size from small cherry tomatoes to plump Roma tomatoes and on to giant beefsteak tomatoes.
Cultivation:
Tomatoes are definitely classified as a warm season crop. Fertile, well drained soils produce the best results for
cultivation and yield. Depending on the prevailing season, pre-warming the soil may be beneficial for outdoor
plantings as well as some protection such as water walls when the plants are first set out. Seeds for transplants
are usually sown indoors, under grow lights on heated mats about 8-10 weeks before the last frost. germination is mainly complete by 10-14 days.
Varieties to try:
Extension Recommended Cherry Tomatoes
Black Cherry (OP, Heirloom, Indeterminate, 64 days) Large Red Cherry (OP, Heirloom, Indeterminate,72
days), Yellow Pear (OP, Heirloom, Indeterminate, 78 days), Jaune Flamme (Heirloom, 75 days)
Extension recommended Medium Sized Tomatoes
Glacier (OP, Indeterminate, 55 days), Early Girl (F1, Indeterminate, 57 days), Better Boy (F1, Indeterminate, 75 days), Legend (OP, Determinate, 68 days), Oregon Spring (OP, Determinate, 60 days), Bloody
Butcher (OP, Indeterminate, 55 days), Green Zebra (OP, Indeterminate, vigorous, 78 days) and the ever popular Stupice (OP, Indeterminate, 52 days)
Others worth consideration
Sungold (F1, Indeterminate, cherry, 70 days), Sweet Million (F1, Indeterminate, 65 days), Moskvich (OP, semi-determinate, 60 days) and Mortgage Lifter (OP, indeterminate, 75 days)
Pests and Disease:
Wilts – plant resistant varieties, eliminate nightshade family weeds, use good crop rotation. Early and late
blights – copper fungicides, allow good air circulation, avoid overwatering. Aphids – insecticidal soap, Neem
or beneficial insects such as lacewing larvae, Hornworms – handpick or use Bt/pyrethrins based insecticides.
Blossom end rot – add calcium as lime or chalk to increase calcium levels. This disease is usually caused by
low calcium.
Harvesting:
Start to harvest when fruits are fully colored, ripe but not soft. Determinate tomatoes will start to harvest from
the bottom truss and will harvest over quite a short period. Green tomatoes can be brought inside to ripen either
on the vine or store in wax paper. Over-ripe OP varieties can be used in seed saving. Indeterminate tomatoes
will produce for a much longer period, often into late September.
Nutritional Value:
Raw cherry tomatoes (1 cup,149g) contain 27 calories, 5.8g carbohydrate, 1.3g protein, 0.3g fat, and 1.8g fiber.
They are also a significant source of omega 3 (4.5 mg) and omega 6 (119 mg) fatty acids, vitamins A (25%
RDA), C (32%% RDA), B6 (6% RDA), K (15% RDA) and Folate (6% RDA). They are low in sodium (0%
RDA) and high in potassium (15% RDA) and manganese (8% RDA) with significant but lesser amounts of
phosphorus, magnesium (4% RDA), calcium and iron (1-2% RDA).
Culinary uses:
Tomatoes can be used raw in salads, blanched and crushed or sliced, sautéed in olive oil (or a touch of balsamic), stir fried, pureed, blended to make sauces and frozen or dehydrated for longer storage. There is no end to
their uses in the kitchen as side dishes, additives for stews, curries, many Italian pasta dishes, etc. I like them in salads, frittatas, home-made pizza and sheet pan gratins (especially with Gruyere cheese!)