Vegetable Gardening

This has been a surprisingly good year as far as diseases in my veggie garden. My tomatoes, cucumbers and squash are all great – ok, I have a little sign of powdery mildew on my zucchini but that’s about it. I think a lot of you must be having a similarly good year because I haven’t seen a lot of people in our garden centers with fungus or disease problems.

As most of you know, I like to use organics on veggies – which means spraying preventively. Organic fungicides work better if you use them before you have a problem as opposed to trying to cure a problem. I started doing a fungicide spray on the the susceptible plants in mid to late June, I think it was a little early this year because of all the warm weather, but I think my efforts kept all the fungus and disease away.

The fungicide I like to use is called Actinovate. I‘ve been using it for about 5 years now and I’ve had some great results. Actinovate is a new generation of fungicides – not like the old ones that made you wait a while after application before harvesting. Some of the old ones worked like a sterilizing bleach and you couldn’t harvest for 14 to 24 days! Who can wait that long?

I usually describe Actinovate as a disease-fighting beneficial bacterium. It protects the roots and the leaves of the plants so the fungus won’t spread or get established. Actinovate is labeled for organic gardening and is safe around beneficial insects as well as people and pets. It’s a must for the organic gardener in this day and age especially with the problems we’ve had with late blight in the past few years. No, Actinovate isn’t a cure, but it definitely slowed down the late blight I had in 2009.

Also keep in mind that Actinovate is not just for veggies; I recommend it for things like pythium on lawns, phytopthera on rhododendrons, or Downey mildew on anything. This stuff works great. My phlox paniculata and bee balm are mildew-free because of a preventive spray I did earlier.

Uncle Mike Mahoney

Have you’ve seen our herb and vegetable plants and wondered, “Who is Uncle Mike?” Uncle Mike is Michael Mahoney, one of the six second-generation Mahoneys. With a face full of beard and too-well-worn hat, Uncle Mike is a genuine down-to-earth guy. With a passion for vegetable gardening Mike...

It is a great time to plant trees and shrubs. We stock our nursery yards early so the trees and shrubs acclimate to our local climate and “break growth” naturally. You might see some damage to magnolia blossoms but this is the exception in a year like this. It won’t kill the plant, just some flowers. If by some freak of nature the weather DID kill a tree or shrub we have the one year guarantee so it’s on us. BTW: Remember to amend your soil when planting – it’s really important to give your plant a good start. Personally I recommend Mahoney’s Planting Mix with Bio-tone, but any good soil enhancer is better than nothing.

Perennials are great to plant this time of year. The extra time in the ground gives their roots a good jump on the season. Most everything we grow or bring in has been acclimated or is just breaking growth naturally outside. It may appear small but they will take the frost.

No it’s not yet time for impatients, marigolds, basil, and other tender plants yet. And no, it’s still too early for geraniums to stay outside. We do grow a lot of geraniums for Easter because people like to bring them as a house warming gift – but too soon to leave outside overnight. If you’re not sure just ask, we would love to help. Your success is important to us.

What to do for your LAWN right now

If you use a “Step-1” Lawn Fertilizer with Crabgrass Control there’s still plenty of time for your first application. Most crabgrass controls are pre-emergent (which means they kills crabgrass AS it germinates), so it doesn’t work once the crabgrass is up. One exception: some of the new technology controls containing dimention will kill young crabgrass plants after they germinate – still earlier is better.

How do you know when crabgrass will germinate? The rule of thumb is: when the forsythia drops its blooms, crabgrass will start to germinate. So as long as the forsythia is yellow, you should have a few weeks yet.

Don’t skip that first step and go to the weed and feed – Weed and Feed products only work on broadleaf weeds after they germinate, and most have not yet. Plus if you don’t apply the crabgrass control now, you’ll be sorry in July. If you have a few dandelions showing there ugly heads you can always deal with that with a spray.

Now is also the perfect time to add Lime (or MAG-I-CAL). Test your lawn first (we sell easy DIY kits) to see if it needs lime. Most plants like a soil pH between 6-7. If your soil is too acidic or too low, your fertilizer won’t work properly and the results will be a lawn that never looks as dark green as your neighbors. Can’t have that!!

What to do for your VEGGIE GARDENS right now

Whether you have an existing garden or you’re starting a new garden from scratch, now is a terrific time to amend garden beds with compost and fertilizers. You can actually do this anytime, but if you do it now, you’ll be ready for planting. Compost and fertilizer are both extremely important for strong healthy plants, and an organically rich soil retains moisture better – keep this in mind when you hear all the doom and gloom warnings about droughts and water bans!

You can also apply lime in your veggie garden now. Test your soil pH (we sell easy DIY kits). A proper pH balance is so important, most plants like a soil pH between 6-7. If your soil is too acidic or too low, your fertilizer won’t work properly and the results can be a tomato plant that always looks straggly or greenish.

Now is a perfect time to plant lettuce, broccoli, collard greens, peas and other cold crops. Click here to read my recent cold crop blog.

What to do for your TREES SHRUBS & PERENNIALS right now

If you have a shrub that seems to be struggling or if you have some winter damage and the tree doesn’t look just right, this is great time to hit it with some good fertilizer. Then just sit back and wait for it to rebound when the warmer temps come.

You may read a lot of controversy on when to feed trees and shrubs: some people say you should feed only in the fall, others say to feed after the plant flowers. If you are using the new organic fertilizers (my preference) remember that they take some time to work, plus they don’t leach away like previous ferts – so I think fertilizing trees, shrubs and perennials right now is fine. Just try to stay away from feeding in July and August — this can push unwanted growth that will be tender in the winter.

How about those hydrangeas? Did you get the blue you wanted last year? If you didn’t, here’s my recipe. Add aluminum sulphate now, and then again when they come into bud. This along with a good fertilizer now, and you will stain your whites blue just by looking at them.

What to do about WEED PREVENTION right now

Now is a perfect time to put down Preen, corn gluten meal or even weed fabrics to prevent your weeds. You need to get all these down before the weeds start. Preen and corn gluten prevent weeds BEFORE they germinate – but they won’t kill established weeds. So don’t wait!

A note about lime. The saying goes; “lime, lime anytime, just not on top of your crabgrass preventer.” This is true — you should not use lime or MAG-I-CAL on top of your crabgrass preventer. Lime will actually break down the crabgrass preventer quicker (organic or not) so the only time you shouldn’t lime your lawn is in the spring if you use a crabgrass control.

Uncle Mike Mahoney

Have you’ve seen our herb and vegetable plants and wondered, “Who is Uncle Mike?” Uncle Mike is Michael Mahoney, one of the six second-generation Mahoneys. With a face full of beard and too-well-worn hat, Uncle Mike is a genuine down-to-earth guy. With a passion for vegetable gardening Mike...

Growing veggies from seed is always fun, right? You can get varieties you can’t find in pots or flats, I always find things that “I’ve got to try” there’s so many new and interesting varieties. It’s fun to watch them grow — my kids actually get into this and get a sense of accomplishment watching the seeds grow to harvest. It’s cheaper to do it yourself — ya it’s always cheaper to grow from seed if you’ve got the time and materials, if not you may want to grow from pots or flats.

But that’s not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about the plants I prefer to grow from seeds. I always have people looking for things like root crops. We don’t see growers growing them that much, they don’t transplant well and it’s just easier to grow from seed. So the following are some of the things I prefer not to grow from pot or flats, instead I sow these directly into the garden. I also don’t mean to say everything else shouldn’t be grown from seed — a lot of people have good success starting their tomatoes and other veggies from seed.

Carrots, Radish & Beets

I prefer to sow seeds directly into the garden. We rarely see these in flats or pots because it’s not very economical to grow them that way. A package of carrot seeds will plant multiple rows instead of a couple plants. I usually sow a couple rows at first and then a couple weeks later I go back and do a couple more rows so I can extend my harvest. Just follow directions on the packs. Pay attention to how deep to plant the seeds and make sure to not crowd them. Keep well watered in the beginning and you can’t go wrong. 

Beans & Peas

Very popular in both flats and pots, but I always do them from seeds because of the cost and varieties available. Like the carrots and beets I sow bush beans a couple weeks apart from one another so it staggers the harvest. There’s no better garden snack than the bean — I always pick a few then eat a few. The peas are another cold lover, you can put them out early especially from seed. Just one more thing about the peas and beans is they are legumes. You should use garden inoculants before planting. A garden inoculant is a nitrogen fixing bacteria, you soak seeds in it to give them a boost. I’ve done tests, some with and some without, and the inoculants make a big difference.

Potatoes

Another root crop I always plant from seed. Although they’re not actually seeds – they come in smaller sized potato sets, which are baby potatoes that get plated in the ground. They are always one of the first things that goes into my garden because you plant them about 6” deep so they are far away from the frost. Something else that’s pretty nice is if you’re cramped for space, potatoes can be grown in containers or baskets. I usually grow them outside my garden in a pile of hay and a little bit of soil. Just put down a layer of hay, some good soil or compost and potato sets. Add some hay and start all over. Do about three layers or more if you have a good basket and feed with some good fertilizer on a regular basis because they respond well to it. After that, just water and keep covering potatoes if they poke out of the hay (they turn green if exposed to sunlight).

Onions, Garlic & Shallots

Usually grown from sets — baby onions that go into the ground early like the potatoes. These things are cheap when you buy them by the sets compared to individual pots. I stick these on the edges of my raised rock wall garden in places where nothing else will grow.

Just some food for thought for everyone who’s planning and plotting out their vegetable garden for this season, I always have pretty good luck planting these things directly into the garden and you should to.

Uncle Mike Mahoney

Have you’ve seen our herb and vegetable plants and wondered, “Who is Uncle Mike?” Uncle Mike is Michael Mahoney, one of the six second-generation Mahoneys. With a face full of beard and too-well-worn hat, Uncle Mike is a genuine down-to-earth guy. With a passion for vegetable gardening Mike...

The warm-crop planting season is finally here and we can safely plant our crops and yes, our tomatoes.  I love this time of year because my wife and I get together with the kids and pick our favorite tomato varieties to grow, and of course some new ones we may not have tried before. One of my favorite things is slicing up a bunch of different tomatoes (different shapes, sizes, colors, etc.) and tasting with friends. The favorites are usually written down to remember to plant next year.  Over the years we’ve come up with a delicious list.  One question I often get is, “what’s a good tomato?”  I’ve got to answer their question with a question: “good for what?  Salads, sauces, salsa, sandwich slicer or maybe a good cherry or grape.  I have favorites for all occasions.

These are some of my favorites. Try some new ones this year – you may be pleasantly surprised.

Super sweet 100

What a great cherry! I like to call this one the ‘’babysitter’’ because it produces so many small red sweet cherries it will keep the kids busy for hours when you say, “go pick them”. This plant is very vigorous – don’t be confused by the size of the fruit, this is a huge plant and it will take up a lot of space. It’s not great in small pots, as it will outgrow them quickly, but that’s doesn’t make me love it any less.  I strongly recommend it, even if you don’t have kids to entertain.

Sun gold

This one is probably the sweetest cherry I’ve come across.  If you haven’t tried this one, it’s worth it. A little bit on the orange side so it adds a different color to salads. It’s on the low acidic end, too.  

Brandywine

Now this is what summer is about! This old Amish heirloom comes in pink, red and yellow – and they’re all great.  Who knows which is the original, but it doesn’t matter when you taste these. It’s not a heavy producer, so I make sure to grow more than enough. But man what a taste!!  Slice those babies up with some buffalo mozzarella and a little pepper, creamy Italian dressing, maybe some fresh basil (I don’t like balsamic…too much heart burn). Yumm!!! If you’ve grown this one and want to try something new try Burpee’s ‘Brandy Boy’.  It’s a cross between Brandywine and Big Boy. I got a nice yield with that great taste, plus it produces much earlier in the season.  

Big Beef

This hybrid produces nice large, round, blemish-free tomatoes.  But don’t confuse this with commercial varieties that are bred to look ripe before their time. This Big Boy is very disease-resistant. So if you have had problems with disease or cracking try this one, it won’t disappoint you.

San Marzano

This is the plum tomato that all others are judged by.  It’s larger than roma, and tastes better according to my Italian relatives and friends. This variety is open pollinated like roma so you can grow it with other tomatoes without cross pollination (which can result in different tomatoes than what you intended).

Juliet

A large grape or small plum, this is a nice sweet variety that I love in salads, although you may want to slice them in half for the kids because they are slightly larger than your typical grape tomato. Nonetheless they are a nice sweet tomato with a long shelf life.  

Prudence purple

This is another great heirloom I love to grow. These big purplish or dark red tomatoes are another great tasting tomato like Brandywine. A great one for any occasion.  I love mixing these in with a caprese dish. They are really big and meaty and they taste great together.

Ramapo

This one was a surprise. We tried Rampo for the first time last year and it was great.  It’s an old reintroduction of a Jersey favorite.  Medium to large fruit with a great yield, this tomato will please all your uses. In fact I remember tossing a bunch in when making a sauce and they were not to watery. They’ve become a staple in my August salads.

Whopper

This is one big, big, nice tomato. Wait ‘til you see it – size alone is reason enough to grow the ‘Whopper’. You’ll agree, it definitely deserves a spot in your veggie garden. 

Mortgage lifter

This is a big pink or maybe more red tomato that has a heavy yield of large low acid and low seed fruit. But the best part is the story of its origin. It was developed by radiator repairman, M.C.“Radiator Charlie” Byles. Without any experience in breeding, Byles made a successful cross of four of the largest tomatoes he could find - German Johnson, Beefsteak, an Italian variety, and an English variety. With the money he made selling the tomatoes he ended up paying off his mortgage, hence the name.

Lemon boy

If you want yellow, here it is. This medium-sized fruit is great tasting, as yellow as a lemon and has a heavy yield to boot. I love how they really brighten up a salad,

Jet star

This probably is a tomato you may have passed by or maybe you’ve grown it before, but a nice medium fruit sized fruit that is low in acid (you don’t have to be yellow to be low acid).  This plant is a perfect size for those upside down tomato planters, it won’t take down the house when you water it and it also makes a great vine ripe bunch like in the groceries store.

This is just a short list of our ‘Uncle Mike’ varieties that we grow in our growing range in Woburn. We have selected a range of hybrids, grapes, cherries, heirlooms, dwarf, and lots of others varieties.  We also buy a lot from other local quality growers so we have even more of a selection for you, and as we find new ones, well we’ve got to check them out as well right.  All our tomatoes are locally grown so there is less of a chance to get late blight which is a disease that has been a problem in the last few years.

Uncle Mike Mahoney

Have you’ve seen our herb and vegetable plants and wondered, “Who is Uncle Mike?” Uncle Mike is Michael Mahoney, one of the six second-generation Mahoneys. With a face full of beard and too-well-worn hat, Uncle Mike is a genuine down-to-earth guy. With a passion for vegetable gardening Mike...