Trim and Cook: Sofrito

Sofrito

We have talked about the importance of trimming and caring for your plants. It is very sad (Editor's note: very, very, very sad) when you have to clip away unmercifully because that culantro won't stop growing or when you have been away from the kitchen so long that you have more peppers than you can use. Pretty sure this should be the case of our loyal readers because if you have been following our blog your garden must be sprouting and blooming in abundance.

Or maybe not, but for the sake of argument let's say it is. What to do with all those spare spices, leafs and vegetables? Sofrito! Sofrito is part of our Spanish heritage but is has changed and evolved in every Latin country becoming a unique combination in each country. In Puerto Rican cuisine, sofrito is used when cooking legumes, meat stews, and sauces.

Sofrito ingredients

Commercial sofrito in Puerto Rico combines tomato, onion, green peppers, cilantro and garlic. However, the best sofrito is the one made at home.  (Editor's note: Commercial < Home-made... Always) Yes, use those plants you have in your garden to make your very own sofrito. In Puerto Rico we have a saying: “como mami nadie cocina”, which means that no one cooks like mom. It proves to be right every time, and sofrito is not the exception. Although my mom claims to not have a recipe, I've watch her do this for 30 years and yes she does have a recipe, just not a written one, which makes it even better tasting. This is my mom’s recipe which yields approximately an 8 oz bottle or bowl:

• 8 leaves of culantro
• 1 bush of cilantro
• 1 garlic head
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cubanelle peppers
• 10 “ajies dulces” (Capsicum chinense)

You can add other aromatic plants, like basil or thyme, to your liking. Add capers and even cured ham to put in up some extra salty flavor. Many sofrito recipes contain tomatoes. Not recommended. Tomatoes keep ripening inside the mixture and the fruit acid causes the sofrito to turn bad faster. Cut everything to small pieces and blend, preferably in a food processor so it remains chunky. If a food processor is not at hand, use a blender.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to use, it will be good for about 6 months. You can also store in the freezer for longer periods. When ready to use, sauté one tablespoon of sofrito in olive or cooking oil for a few minutes before adding the rest of the dish ingredients.

Be bold and add any other aromatic ingredient and create your own unique recipe. Mix and match flavors using your favorite combinations or even experiment with combinations that work best for each of your dishes. Maybe adding rosemary and mint when using it for red meat stews, and thyme and cilantro for seafood. Keep good care of your garden, trim, cook and let us know how it worked with your own special mix of sofrito.

...and move it all around

Tempus fugit! It's already been more than a year since our first post (Hello there world - August 9, 2011). Wow! Never thought we would still be doing this after a year. But here we are, non the wiser. Well, maybe just a bit wiser.

When we started everything was going great, full steam ahead. We were producing lots of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, flowers, strawberries, etc. Happy times! All that stopped a few months ago. Plants languished, production went significantly down, growth stalled. Part of it was poor care and maintenance (mea culpa) but that couldn't be the whole problem. Something else must be at work. After some deep thinking (and online research) I think we might have stumbled upon the root of the problem: Soil.

Soil!? But isn't soil one of the advantages of container gardening. Not having to worry about it. So we thought. In sub-tropical climates container gardeners rarely have to worry about soil. They plant at the beginning of the season with fresh soil and at the end of the season when plants die soil is discarded (or even better, used towards the compost bin). Fresh soil is then used when spring comes around. In tropical climates where perennial plants are common soil becomes an issue.

Here's what happens to soil after time passes.

1. Nutrients are depleted - Nutrients are depleted from the soil as plants consume them. Not a real issue with containers since we administer fertilizer on a regular basis (you are administering fertilizer, right?).
2. Soil collapses - Soil tends to collapse and become compacted. Nutrient absorption may be reduced due to this. However, this is usually not a big concern in containers.
3. Pests and diseases - Pests and diseases develop in soil as time goes by. These organisms may become dormant until the right conditions (temperature, host, etc) are present. Diseases typically affect a family of plants rather than a single species. Very important since a few common plants (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes) belong to the same family (Solanaceae).

Pests and diseases are the biggest concern to reusing soil. Soil harbors many types of viruses and bacteria. Healthy, mature plants are barely affected by these organisms. However, young plants are vulnerable (plants behave similar to humans, the young and the old are usually the most prone to disease). Therein lied our problem. We had a few combopots with spices, greens, ornamentals, and fruits. Spices are, with some exceptions, perennials; greens are annuals; ornamentals may be either annuals or perennials. Fruits usually have to be replaced after a season, two at the most, since their production is greatly reduced as time goes on. Since we didn't want to lose our spices and herbs we kept out pots intact, soil and all. Mistake 1. Then we went and compounded our mistake with Mistake 2: Replanting species in the same containers. Right on cue diseases started attacking our young plants with most plants never being able to produce fruits.

If you have monopots the solution is simple: Discard soil at the end of the growing season. But what to do with combopots where soil cannot be completely discarded? There is a simple solution. Crop Rotation. This technique is used by large scale farmers around the world. The idea is to move crops around and not grow plants from the same family in consecutive seasons. So if you planted tomatoes in one container your next crop could be arugula or lettuce. If you had peppers then you can alternate them with strawberries or onions.
Simple, right? So learn from our mistakes and rotate your crops.

In Living Color

Seed grown Coleus in a white container with
some common green plants.
Red and green are complementary colors

We've been away for two weeks visiting a slightly larger island than Puerto Rico called Great Britain. We weren't there on any gardening related adventure (rather just catching some Olympic games) but we saw some interesting concepts that we will probably cover later. <End Completely Unrelated Sidenote.> In our last post (we trust that you read it, but just in case here's the link) we talked about planning your garden, about the importance of a theme. We also talked a bit about taking into consideration the shape and color of your plants to make your garden and containers more interesting. According to Ray Rogers writer of The Encyclopedia of Container Plants (highly recommended) there are five plant design attributes: color, line, form, space, and texture. Today we'll present an example of how to use color in your garden although we're by no means experts (wow, that's a shameless plug of our motto).

Simple color wheel containing primary, secondary,
and tertiary colors

Color theory revolves around the use and combination of primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. We will not go into a detailed explanation of how color theory works (mainly because I don't understand it well myself but also because the link provided does a pretty good job itself) but suffice it to say that the idea is to combine colors which complement each other. A color wheel is very helpful for those of us who need a visual aid to remember how colors interact with each other. When designing your garden you need to consider not just the color of your plants but also the color of the container, background, and even the surrounding plants. Doing so will allow you to create magazine quality displays. Most people relate color in plants to flowers. Understandable with plants being primarily green. The problem is that flowers (with some minor exceptions) are fleeting, delicate things. One day they're here, the next they're gone. Thankfully, there are some plants that are able to add color to a container without producing flowers. One in particular is the example we wish to provide today, Coleus.

White variegated coleus
growing around a bromeliad.

According to Wikipedia the name Coleus was an earlier genus that scientists have recently divided between two genus: Solenostemon and Plectranthus (cookies for anyone who remembers another plant from this genus. Hint: it smells like oregano). There are hundreds of species and cultivars sold as Coleus. Any of them can make an interesting addition to a container garden but we are mainly interested in Solenostemon scutellarioides and its various cultivars. This species occurs naturally in the tropics (Southeast Asia) where it is considered a perennial. In colder climates it is grown as an annual. It generally prefers partial shade but new cultivars have been created that are better suited for full sun. Depending on the cultivar it can trail close to the ground topping at only 4 inches or grow up to 3 feet tall. The size of its leaves is also very varied with some being as small as a few inches while others can grow as large as a foot. Propagation can occur by seeds or though cuttings. The more stunning cultivars are available through cuttings only so you will need to buy young plants from your nursery for the ultimate color punch. We've grown both seed and cutting varieties and the difference is significant (contrary to our usual stance cuttings > seeds).

Two small Coleus and a Bromeliad on an orange container.
Purple, red-orange and green are split-complementary colors.

The reason we love Coleus so much (and the reason we are using them as an example today) is its leaves, which come in every color under the sun, except blue. (Interestingly enough the flowers from the original species are blue, flowers of the cultivars might have other colors) These leaves are usually variegated which adds to the interest. With so many colors it's no wonder that this is one of the most popular garden plants. Young plants are usually available in the nursery all year round but are more prevalent in spring or early summer. Once you select the plants you need to determine the sun conditions under which they will thrive. Too little or too much light may cause the leaves to lose color. Start the plants in partial shade and gradually move them into higher sun intensity. Each plant will let you know how much light it's able to tolerate. Soil must drain well and be maintained evenly moist. After a few months flowers will emerge from long stalks. We recommend pinching them to promote bushy, compact growth although some people like the flowers (to each its own I say). We recommend a balanced fertilizer every 2 weeks. As far as pests are concerned we've seen some aphids and whiteflies which haven't adversely affected growth.

Now that you know how to grow Coleus it's time to use it. Again the basic principle is to combine colors to create a stunning display. Since most plants are green you can use Coleus to break the monotony in any container. For example, you may use a red Coleus in a herb container. Herbs are primarily green and red is a complement of green so this combination should work well. Another useful Coleus color is purple. Why? Since most containers are orange (terra cotta) and most plants are green adding purple creates a triadic color scheme. This will result in an extremely vibrant display so use with moderation. Black and white Coleus go well with almost everything so having a few plants of these varieties is always recommended for mixing and matching. Well, you get the picture. Any Coleus can be used to provide an extra punch to each and every display.

So what are you waiting for. Read up on color theory and show us how you use color in Coleus to create stunning containers. Until next time keep on gardening.

Garden Makeover

Rusty garden table

A smart approach is to start your garden with a theme in mind. This way you can plan ahead for appropriate pots, plants and decoration. After all you want a practical garden that has visual impact and good looks.

For starters, think if you want an edible or an ornamental garden. Our recommendation is a combination of both where you can have fresh ingredients for cooking, and color, texture, and visual impact with ornamentals. Remember to take into consideration your space size and environmental conditions such as the hours of available sun and wind. As a good rule of thumb herbs require at least 6 hours of sunlight while flowers and other ornamentals may require less.

Before the makeover

When we started our garden we didn't have a theme in mind. Actually this whole gardening madness started because I like to cook and I wanted a windowsill garden for a few herbs. (I'm actually helping a friend create hers, keep tuned for this upcoming interesting post.) Turns out our sweet basil grew so much we had to transfer it to a large pot and so our balcony garden started. In the beginning it was mostly the pots we could get, all placed across the balcony floor. (Editor's note: Not the best floor plan for a garden.) 

There is an excellent gardening book which has a lot of information on the different plants that could be appropriate for containers: The Encyclopedia of Container Plants. The author, Ray Rogers, has won numerous awards for plant displays and flower shows, so the book presents lots of ideas about the different combinations you can do based on the shape of the leaves, and the color of the plants and flowers. We have learned about the best combinations and decided to experiment a little (yes, always leave some space/time for experimentation).

It was time for a garden makeover! We went shopping and found some interesting pots and colorful garden tables. After pondering for a while (Editor's note: "a while" = hours) we settled on a rusty theme, which will prove to be very convenient in Puerto Rico's high humidity. We selected several rusty metal tables but incorporated a few wooden pieces and pots that also have rusty accents. 

Color palette is important too. You can use a color wheel to decide on good combinations. Play with analogous colors, which will prove very useful for edible leaves or maybe mix and match complementary colors using your flowers. For our new pots and tables we selected colors that are not too bright but which include white, yellow and some blue and purple. Since most of our plants are just green, we wanted to add some color without overcasting our flowers.

There are also other ideas you can incorporate into your garden. One of our favorites is creating theme pots. You can create a pot that is all about salad, mixing and matching different edible greens like arugula, lettuce, scallions. Combine aromatic plants like basil, parsley, lemongrass and rosemary for a more romantic touch.

After the makeover

As you can see in the picture above, the change is not over-dramatic, but it does add great touches, it looks more organized, it has more shape and depth, it displays better the smaller plants as they don't disappear into larger ones. Every once in a while we rearrange them either because plants achieve their their lifespan or because we get new plants always taking into consideration shapes and color.

We will keep improving our garden and as always, keep you posted. We might start introducing some trees to our garden arrangement. Don't miss the updates.

The Substitute(s)

Garlic chives in a pot with some cucumber seedlings.

As you may know in the beginning there was basil. Shortly after that there was mint and chives (and parsley and peppers and a whole bunch of other stuff. For the complete nostalgia trip see the original roll call). Incredibly, I haven't written a post about chives (probably because we've had some issues in getting chives to germinate). Chives, Allium schoenoprasum, are a perennial member of the onion family native to both the New and Old World. They are commonly used as an onion substitute. Unlike scallions (another onion substitute) they form a small bulb underground. From this bulb very shallow roots and long, round, slender leaves emerge. These leaves are what we're interested in. Chives are propagated by seeds or division. By division is easier but seeds are more gratifying (and our recommended choice, as always). However, we've had very poor germination rates with chives (You've been warned). At the beginning of summer leaves stiffen and purple edible flowers emerge from the tip. 

In terms of care, chives have needs similar to scallions (which we previously covered here). They require a well-drained soil in a location that receives full sun. Due to their shallow root system chives can grow well in just 3-4 inches of soil. So if you have a shallow container that you can't seem to use (we had a few of those) pair it with chives with no worries. A balanced or nitrogen-heavy fertilizer every 1-2 weeks is recommended for optimum growth. When you are ready to harvest just snip a few leaves at the base of the plant. The following day new leaves will emerge so don't worry if you have to take every leaf. Chives can be grown in a monopot or combopot but our experience tells us that they grow better as a monopot. If you want to grow them in a combopot either plant them first and wait until they are established before introducing new plants or make sure you fertilize heavily each week to help them compete with the other plants in the container.

A few months ago we purchased several seeds from genericseeds.com (the jury still out on the site). I assume you read all about it (shame on you if you didn't) but in case you are coming late to the party here's a link. If you read the post you may notice that we bought garlic chive seeds. Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, (which is what this post was supposed to be about until normal chives highjacked it or until I noticed I had more to write about chives than garlic chives) are a species that also belongs to the onion family. A staple of Asian cuisine, garlic chives differ from regular chives in that they have flat leaves instead of round leaves, white flowers instead of purple ones, and that they have a more "garlicky" flavor than the typical "oniony" flavor of chives. Some sources point out that when used in cooking they don't tolerate heat well but we have been unable to confirm this. Therefore, use with discretion. In terms of care, they have the same needs as regular chives so follow our advice above.

So if you like onions or garlic but find their flavor too strong give chives or garlic chives a try. You won't regret it.

Burning the midnight oil

Dama de noche flower. Stunning.

They say New York is the city that never sleeps but nature got there first. It's the original 24/7 operation. I remember years ago being in my mother's small garden waiting to see a spectacle that only happened at night: the blooming of a Dama de noche (Lady of the night). As she described it this plant bloomed only at night peaking at midnight. When daylight broke the flowers would die. The flowers were beautiful and very fragrant. Definitely worth staying awake to watch this. Fast forward to the present. My mother still has her garden and the same dama de noche. Our little garden has many herbs and fruiting plants but very little flowers. Jessica loves flowers so my mom offered us a cutting from her dama de noche. She wrapped it in a damp paper towel and off we went.

Dama de noche in a hanging pot. Each branch can be cut
and grown as a new plant.

Let's put a pause to the sentimental, personal stuff (not even sure why I shared that to begin with) and let's dig into the nerd stuff now. You would be amazed to know that Dama de noche is a cactus. Yeah, a cactus. The scientific nomenclature for this plant is very confusing with many synonyms being recognized but it is usually considered part of the night-blooming Cereus. However, it does not belong to the Cereus genus but rather to the Epiphyllum genus; its full scientific name being Epiphyllum oxypetalum. The species is native to Central America and possibly South America, and is available worldwide through the horticultural trade. It has dark green branches which can grow several feet in length. In nature, the plant grows on trees, much like orchids. Its flowers are large, white, night-blooming and fragrant. Now you might wonder why it blooms at night since most plants bloom during the day. Well, day-bloomers are pollinated by bees, birds, and other diurnal creatures. Dama de noche, on the other hand, is pollinated by bats, moths, and other nocturnal creatures. This also explains why the flowers are so large and white. They are easier to spot at night (Yep, nature is amazing).

A few more flowers just because

If you are growing dama de noche it's certainly not for its looks (it's an unattractive plant in my opinion) but rather for its flowers. Be warned that not everyone gets this plant to bloom, especially on temperate climates. While we don't have a magic formula for making this plant bloom we can offer some tips to improve your chances. Dama de noche can be grown as a monopot (single species in a container) or in a combopot (multiple species in a container). We've found that it grows better in a monopot but it has produced more flowers in a combopot (Yes, nature is weird like that). Dama de noche looks especially nice in a hanging pot but make sure it is properly secured to the wall since the plant can get very heavy. Being a cactus a well draining soil is recommended. Water sparingly but do not allow the soil to dry completely. Fertilize once a month with a balanced fertilizer. Dama de noche prefers full sun but it can grow well in partial shade (3-4 hours of sunlight). It can be propagated via cuttings or (according to some websites) through seed. We wouldn't bother with seeds since cuttings are so easy to obtain and grow. Just snip a small branch from a mature plant and place in moist soil. In 2-3 weeks new branches will emerge and 6-8 months later the plant should be mature enough to produce flowers.

If you like flowers go out there and grow some dama de noche. You won't be disappointed. Until next time. 

Grow and Bake: Herb Bread

Ready-to-eat soft herb rolls.

A great way to make use of your edible garden plants is to improvise in the kitchen once in a while. I love the kitchen and I've made quite a few recipes with our garden fruits (and veggies), some of which I've shared with you such as a basil pesto, and arugula pesto recipe. Today I want to tell you about a bread recipe we tried. A dear friend (you know who you are and we hope you are reading this) came to visit us and he taught us how to do several kinds of bread. Of course, we wanted to use our garden herbs to make them more tasty. We initially used thyme but we have repeated the recipe several times using basil and rosemary. These three herbs are among the Top 8 Herbs to Grow for Bread Baking.

Making bread is tricky. It's not just about following a recipe. You need to familiarize yourself with certain basic concepts and have some specialized equipment at hand. Let's go over them.

Before you even start looking at the ingredients you will need the following equipment: a measuring scale, a mixer, and a baking thermometer. You will need a scale to measure ingredients because their weight is affected by humidity and elevation. The mixer is optional but preferable as it takes a lot longer to knead by hand. The thermometer needs to be able to measure up to 400ºF (200ºC). Beware that most meat thermometers do not reach these temperatures.

The bread recipe we use includes ingredients you are likely not to have at home, so make sure you have all the ingredients before starting anything.

Ingredients:

• 12.5oz (375g) water
• 0.75oz (22g) yeast, fresh
• 1lb 5oz (625g) bread flour
• 0.4oz (12g) salt
• 2oz (60g) sugar
• 1oz (30g) nonfat milk solids
• 1oz (30g) shortening
• 1oz (30g) butter

Mise en place

Perform your mise en place (Editor's note: yes, Jessica also likes the fancy words) by placing each weighted ingredient separately in small bowls. Either by hand or in the mixer start by mixing fatty ingredients such as shortening and butter. This will start breaking the fats which makes everything mix better. Add the salt, milk solids, water, and sugar and start adding little by little some of the flour. After mixing for a minute or two, stop the mixer.

Lay a bed of flour on the top of the mixture and on top of that add the yeast. Note that the recipe calls for fresh yeast but we used instant yeast with no observable differences. You can substitute for active yeast but this is not recommended as the dough will not rise much and the bread will be dense and hard (believe us, we know by experience). You want bread to be soft and fluffy. Top the yeast with more flour and start mixer again. The reason to place the yeast in between layers of flour is because the milk and salt kill the yeast. Add 1/4 of the remaining flour and then gradually keep adding flour. It is possible (although unlikely given Puerto Rico's humidity) that you won't need all your measured flour.

Pay close attention to the dough, it will start to separate from the mixer bowl walls becoming a ball around the mixer attachment. When the dough has detached completely, including from the bottom of the mixer bowl, stop the mixer and do the dough windowpane test. The dough windowpane can be verified by taking a tiny portion of the dough and stretching it between your fingers. You should be able to see the dough stretch about an inch without breaking. If the window breaks it is not ready. Keep adding flour until the mixture detaches from the bottom and the appropriate dough windowpane is observed.

When the dough is ready it is time to add your herbs. About 0.18oz to 0.28oz (5g to 8g) of your favorite herb is enough. Decide based on how strong the flavor of the herb is and the intensity you want on the bread. We used 5g of thyme, about 5g of rosemary and 8g of basil for ours.

Pinch dough while rolling

Fermentation is an important part of the process. Create a ball with the dough, folding the sides over the center towards the bottom part of the dough until you create a seam-free ball. Roll the dough in a tight circle on a flat surface such as the kitchen counter to make the surface as smooth as possible. Don't use too much flour to dust the surface, the dough must stick a little to the counter for the technique to work. Pinch the dough against a flat surface (read: kitchen counter) for better results.

Place the dough on a deep bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it ferment for 1 to 1-1/4 hours at room temperature. If you used fresh instant yeast, the dough should double in size. Remember that with active yeast, the dough won't grow too much (yes, active sucks). When fermentation time has elapsed, punch down the dough allowing air to escape. The punch relieves stress on gluten, squeezes out excess carbon dioxide, and divides air pockets evenly which makes it easier to shape the dough resulting in softer bread.

First fermentation: 1 to 1-1/4 hour

This dough can be used to make loafs, soft rolls and even cinnamon bread. We decided to do soft rolls. Divide the dough into 2oz pieces, it will yield about 20 bread rolls. Roll each piece into seam-free balls as before.

Now we need to perform a second fermentation, better known as proofing, for 15 to 30 minutes in a high temperature, high humidity environment. Tip: You can use your microwave. Bring water to a boil in a small bowl and place your rolls inside. The steam will create enough heat and humidity for this second fermentation.

If you want your rolls to be nice and golden you can brush eggs whites or butter on top of the rolls. Bake at 400ºF (200ºC) until rolls have reached the same internal temperature. To check the temperature place thermometer (finally we get to use the thermometer!) from the side so as not to disrupt the aesthetic of the rolls. The rolls should reach the appropriate temperature in about 15 to 20 minutes.

Let them cool down a little before eating, chemical processes are still happening for several minutes after your remove them from the oven and the flavor would be different. Spread some butter or cream cheese and enjoy!

Update: Our "dear friend" came over to our house and notified us of some errors in this post. So we've made some slight corrections. We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for choosing container gardening in Puerto Rico.

Attack of the Rotten Tomatoes

Blossom end rot on our roma tomatoes.

Dear reader, it seems we never run out of problems in our little garden (Good thing we never said we were experts). Our loss is your gain though. We planted a Roma tomato plant a few weeks ago. Everything was progressing nicely. The plant was growing, flowers were blooming, fruit was growing. How happy we were. That would soon change (yes, I'm being overly dramatic but editorializing is "in" these days).

We started noticing a small dark spot on the bottom of one of the fruits. "No big deal" I thought, probably a bird nibbled on it. It's salvageable. The next day the spot was larger. The day after that the spot was even larger and an adjacent tomato also had a similar spot. Houston, we have a problem. (Good thing I had foreshadowed this in the previous paragraph or you would be in for a surprise at this point).

The problem? Blossom end rot. Actually, if we were to go overly technical (which I tend to) the problem is calcium deficiency. "Blossom end rot" is just a description of what we see. Now at this point you are probably thinking "I'll just add calcium to the soil and fix the problem". Having proper amounts of calcium at the time the fruit sets prevents blossom end rot which is why we recommend placing crushed egg shells near the roots when transplanting tomatoes, peppers or any other member of the Nightshade family. However, more often than not the cause for the calcium defficiency is not a low amount of calcium in the soil but rather one of the following: uneven soil moisture, improper use of high nitrogen fertilizer, or high amounts of phosphorus.

This disorder typically affects the first fruits of the season and once it presents itself it is very hard to overcome. Therefore, the best strategy is prevention. If you use a high quality potting soil phosphorus shouldn't be a problem. Also, if you follow the manufacturer recommended dose and fertilize every other week excess nitrogen shouldn't be a problem. In any case we recommend light fertilization when the first fruit are being set. That leaves us with uneven moisture which is the most likely cause for blossom end rot in the tropics (sure enough this was our problem). Due to the large amounts of rainfall followed by very hot temperatures maintaining a constant moisture level is always a struggle. We offer the following three tips to help overcome this challenge.

1. Mulching - Mulch reduces evaporation and helps maintain moisture in the soil. 
2. Plant placement - Placing your plants in an area where rainfall doesn't fall on them will also help you be in control of moisture rather than being at the mercy of nature. 
3. Watering - Proper watering is very important not just to prevent blossom end rot but to achieve healthy plant growth. Watering is, in theory, simple. Don't overwater your plants and don't let them dry out. In practice, watering requires knowledge, skill, experience, and intuition. A good rule of thumb is to touch the soil. If it feels hot it needs water; if it's cool it doesn't need water. However, each plant has different moisture needs which is why we say several attributes are needed in practice.

We hope you never encounter blossom end rot but if you do we hope this post helps. Just remember to be patient. It takes time to heal after all. 

Thyme

Our little thyme bush.
We've harvested leaves a few times already

Thyme is a perennial herb belonging to the Thymus genus in the Lamiaceae family (aka the mint family). A large variety of species and cultivars are available ranging from woody shrubs to trailing plants. Not all species are used for culinary purposes though as some are used as ground cover or ornamental plants. The most common species (Thymus vulgaris) is the one mainly used in flavoring meats, soups, stews, and even breads (If you ask nicely Jessica might even share the thyme bread recipe on a later post).

If you want to grow thyme you have three options: seeds, cuttings or nursery plants. If you are interested in one of the cultivars such as lemon thyme you will need to obtain cuttings from a fellow gardener or buy plants at the nursery since no seeds are available. For common thyme all three options available to you. Obviously, we chose seeds (If you follow this blog you should know that we love growing plants from seed. If not, what are you waiting for? Follow us...and bring cookies).

We've found thyme extremely easy to grow from seed. The only challenge is getting from the seedling stage to the transplant stage. Since the seeds are very small we planted quite a few (As a rule of thumb the smaller the seed the lower the germination rate). When they sprouted we had to thin quite a few to make it manageable. We ended up with three or four plants in a relatively small container (see picture). After that it's smooth sailing. Being native to the dry Mediterranean thyme requires little care and attention. Similar to other herbs thyme does best in well-draining potting soil on a full sun (6+ hours of sunlight) location. Only water when the soil is dry and apply a balanced fertilizer every other week for optimum growth. To harvest just cut the desired sprigs and remove the leaves from the stems before cooking.

Due to its versatility in the kitchen and its low maintenance requirements we recommend thyme for even the laziest of gardeners. And if you have lemon or orange or lavender or any other crazy cultivar give us a shout. We would love to add one to our garden.

Roses are red...

Our polyantha rose in full bloom.

..., violets are blue,... Well, our roses are pink but I guess they come in red too. Roses are one of the most popular flowering plants in the world. They comprise the Rosa genus in the Rosaceae family. Roses come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Hundreds of books have been written about roses and hundreds more will probably be written in the future. (Unless the world really ends on Dec 21, 2012) We're by no means rose experts. Our intention here is to give you a brief introduction to roses and help you make an informed selection if you plan on growing one (or two, or three). If you need detailed information on roses by all means pick up a book at your local bookstore (reading is always recommended by Container Garden PR) or check out the American Rose Society webpage (http://www.ars.org/).

If you look at a catalog or browse an online store you may be overwhelmed by the large selection of roses. So which one should you choose for your container garden? In order to answer this question we need to talk a bit about rose classifications. We'll keep this as simple as possible (Boy scout promise. Editor's note: Joel was never a boy scout so take this promise with a grain of salt) because if you ask 10 people you can expect 10 different classifications for roses. I'll use the American Rose Society (ARS) classification because it's the most widely used in North America (and because I'm lazy and it was the first one I found online). The ARS classifies roses into old garden, species, and modern roses. Old garden roses refers to any pre-1867 variants, modern roses are any variant after 1867, while species roses are what we might call "wild" roses or any rose that occurs naturally in nature.

That's how the plant looked like when
I bought it for Jessica.

So back to the original question what rose should you choose for your container garden. In my opinion, old garden and species roses are unfit for containers. Others might disagree but I have my reasons. Species and old gardens are large specimens which, in my opinion, are better suited for people with yards or botanical gardens since they require a lot of space either above or below ground. For container gardeners space is usually a premium so who wants to have a 2 feet deep pot in their balcony or small yard? That leaves us with modern roses. Modern roses care broken down into several sub-categories but again I won't complicate matters. Without hesitation we can recommend miniature and patio roses. With some proper planning and careful selection floribunda and polyanthas can also be grown in containers. Miniature roses are just that, a plant that produces a miniature rose bloom. Patios are small shrubs that grow up to 2 feet tall. They bloom continuously which makes them great to give your garden some color all the way to winter. Polyanthas are small (just how we like 'em) shrubs that produce tiny flowers in large clusters at the end of the stems. Floribundas are related to polyanthas in that they bloom prolifically but come in a wider variety of colors. Of the four recommended varieties floribundas require the most consideration since most have a sprawling tendency.

Now which rose variety do we have? We have no idea (I told you rose classifications are confusing and complicated). I bought our rose from the nursery as a gift to Jessica for her birthday because a rose is forever as is as our love (awww...how romantic). Typical to their style the nursery didn't have any identification so we are left to guess from pictures found on the internet. We believe it's some type of polyantha (possibly pink pet) even though we originally believed it to be a miniature. Hey, we never claimed to be experts.

A new rose plant grown from a cutting.

Now that you know which varieties are adequate you need to know how to take care of your plant. First, choose the right container. Recommended sizes will vary depending on the variety but a container 12 inches deep is a good bet. A well draining soil is an absolute must since roses, in general, don't like standing water. Next, when selecting a plant from the nursery make sure you select a healthy looking plant with no signs of mildew or blackspot (a common fungus that affects roses). Place your new plant in an area where it will receive full sun (6 hours of sunlight). To establish the plant keep the soil evenly moist. After the plant is established water occasionally when the soil feels dry. Always water at the bottom of the container and avoid getting the leaves wet. This will minimize the probability of developing the fungi we described earlier. For fertilizing we recommend a balanced time-released fertilizer (You remember what a balanced fertilizer is right?, If not go here). Depending on the variety, a fertilizer with high phosphate can be used to maximize blooming. Finally, pruning is a very important process in maintaining a healthy rose. When blooms are spent cutting the dead flowers (called deadheading) will increase blooming. Also, roses need a good pruning at the end of the blooming season; winter in PR (Editor's note: Joel hates pruning. Jessica takes care of this). Cut back dead wood and prune healthy stalks to a desired shape. Don't worry if you think you cut back too much; it will grow back in spring. Another advantage to pruning is that healthy stalks that you cut can be used to reproduce your plant and #spreadthelove by gifting to a friend. We tried this ourselves with great success (see picture on the right) following the method explained in our previous post on propagation by cuttings.

So, that's it for today. I hope you enjoyed this introductory course on roses. If you grow roses in containers share your experiences with us in the comments section. Until next time, keep on gardening!

Impossible Seeds

Have you ever wondered why it's impossible to find paprika or curry seeds? Precisely because it is impossible. These commonly used spices do not come straight from a plant. They are, in fact, a mix of other spices. When a certain combination of spices is called for in different recipes it's convenient to blend these ingredients beforehand to eliminate the need for measuring each spice individually. 

One of the most widely-used spice blend is curry powder. Even though curry is commonly associated with Indian food the contemporary English use of the word curry is actually an invention that does not reflect any Indian food. Western curry is a standardized mixture close in flavor to the Indian sambar powder of dried red chiles, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, fenugreek seeds, ground ginger, and ground turmeric.

Paprika is made of ground dried bell peppers or chili peppers, so it can range from mild to hot. Paprika is used as an ingredient in a broad variety of dishes not only to season but also to add color to rices, stews, and soups.

Dry rubs are mixed spices that are rubbed into meat before cooking. There is a wide range of them such as Old Bay, steak and BBQ seasonings, and chili powder (yeap, chili powder is also a spice blend, made of one or more varieties of chili pepper and usually blended with other spices including cumin, oregano, garlic, and salt). Chili powder is sometimes named after the type of pepper used, such as cayenne pepper. Salt is very important on dry rubs as it melts when in comes in contact with meat juices, electrons do their work and the salt, along with the other spices, gets through the meat.

A coffee grinder can be
used to mix spices.

There is a wide variety of other spice mixes such as taco seasoning (chili powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, cumin, salt), apple pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice) and Chinese five-spice powder (star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, fennel seeds). As mentioned before these are made for convenience but they also provides the opportunity to duplicate certain flavors more successfully.

If you have several spices on your garden and you are into doing the mixed spices yourself make sure to get an electric spice grinder. You can get one for about $25. A coffee grinder works too, just remember not to use the same grinder for spices and coffee, as the taste usually stays on the grinder and either your coffee will taste like spices or your spices will taste like coffee. (Editor's note: I'm pretty sure some people wouldn't mind having everything taste like coffee. Neither of us likes coffee very much though.)  

This is how a pepper should  look while
drying, notice it's all wrinkly.

Just for fun we tried making our own paprika and we failed. The first thing you need is some dried peppers. We grew some cubanelle peppers that resulted too hot to use on everyday dishes so we thought it would be a good idea to make paprika instead. Drying must be done in a dry (obviously, we are drying after all), dark place since sunlight bleaches color away and humidity is bad, I mean the enemy! Peppers in high humidity will get mold. Sadly that's what happened to our peppers. (Sniff sniff) We put the peppers in a brown paper bag and stuck them in the oven thinking they would be safe from the humidity. Not! Moldy peppers don't make for a good paprika. Now we are looking for a way to fight humidity in Puerto Rico as it is usually very very high. We've read that it helps if you use thin-walled peppers; thick peppers have too much moisture. We'll look into it and update with hopefully good news.

Go on, create your very own spice or mix and match for a great dry rub. Use your garden as your ally and do some experiments. Who knows, you might have the next chefs' favorite. Let us know about it, we always like good stories.

Three for the price of one

Our cilantro plants. Notice how the one
in the center is bolting.

Who doesn't like to buy one and get two free? Well that's what you get when you plant cilantro, also known as coriander or Chinese parsley (people like to call the same plant different names just to confuse other people). Cilantro (Coriandrum sarivum) is a cool season annual herb in the Apiaceae family. This family contains many well known herbs and vegetables such as carrots, cumin, dill and parsley.

So what are the three things you can get when you grow cilantro? The most common part to harvest are the leaves. These are usually sold fresh at the supermarket in tight bunches. The second thing you can obtain from cilantro are the dry fruits or "seeds". These are used as a spice in various cuisines. The fruits are usually sold as "coriander" in Puerto Rico and can be found in dried whole form or as crushed powder. The last thing is one that you usually don't find in Puerto Rico since it is mainly used in Thai cuisine, cilantro root. To be honest I've never seen one myself.

So how do you grow cilantro? Cilantro is typically grown from seed since it doesn't transplant well. Seeds can be found almost everywhere in Puerto Rico.(Health advisory: Seeds sold for sowing are coated with a poisonous substance to prevent them from being eaten by ants and other animals. Therefore, it goes without saying, do not use them for cooking. Now back to your scheduled programming.) Directly sow your seeds about 2-3 inches apart in a well draining soil or potting mix. Once the seeds sprout move the plants into full sun and make sure the soil is kept moist. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer or a high nitrogen fertilizer once in the season. Now, when should we grow cilantro? Well, it really depends on what part of the plant you wish to harvest. Since the plant tends to bolt quickly in hot weather (read: typical Puerto Rico weather) it is best to grow it in  late fall, winter, or early spring if you are interested in the leaves. After a plant bolts leaves become bitter and should not be used for cooking. If you are only interested in the fruits/seeds you can grow it in summer. The plant will quickly bolt and you will have flowers, and therefore fruits, faster. For roots you should also grow in late fall/winter/early spring since the roots will have more time to develop. 

Leaves are described as having a citrus flavor. They can be harvested at any time and are used fresh in dishes since heat tends to change its flavor. Sometimes they are just used as a garnish. (Jessica uses cilantro leaves in her patented "sofrito" recipe. Maybe she'll write a post about that later.) Seeds can be used either toasted or dried. Fresh, toasted seeds have a more potent flavor. They are used commonly used in Indian cuisine in curries and in other cuisines for seasoning meats and potatoes. Roots are used to flavor Thai dishes such as soups or curries.

Cilantro doesn't suffer from any major diseases but ours have been attacked by the dreaded aphids. As we've mentioned aphids are usually accompanied by ants. In order to control the aphids you first need to eliminate the ants. Then use insecticidal soap on the underside of leaves.

That's it for cilantro. What are you waiting for? Go out there, purchase some seeds and grow some cilantro. It will be well worth it.

Disease:Cucumber Wilt

Cucumber wilt

A few days ago I arrived to find one of our three cucumber vines extremely wilted. Instinctively, I thought "Did I forget to water them this morning? Did I accidentally skip them in my morning routine? Did I do it subconsciously? Do I hate cucumbers but haven't realized it yet? Am I such a horrible person that I can't take care of my plants properly? Imagine how you will do when you have kids. Nooooo!!! "<end rant>. Then the rational part of the brain kicked in. The other two vines which share the same pot weren't wilted so it couldn't have been lack of water. There wasn't anything wrong with this particular vine. In fact, it was thriving, already having produced cucumbers while the other two hadn't. A mystery. I checked my bible and there was no mention of anything that would affect cucumbers so suddenly. Google time. About 607,000 results (0.28 seconds). Answer - Disease:Cucumber Wilt.

Cucumber wilt (Erwinia tracheiphila)  is a bacterial disease transmitted by the cucumber beetle. This animal (actually these animals since cucumber beetle is a term used for various species of beetle) and its larvae can be found in various plants in the Cucurbitaceae family (squash, cucumber, pumpkin, watermelon, etc). They lay eggs on the underside of leaves. Once the larvae hatch they start feeding on the roots of a plant or on the soft stems of young plants. Today's lesson: "Always check the underside of leaves. Bad critters tend to dwell there. Example: cucumber beetles, whiteflies, the dreadful aphids." <end today's lesson> These beetles can also transmit another nasty disease called cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Hopefully we'll never have to write about that one.

The most obvious symptom of cucumber wilt is vines that have been well watered suddenly wilting. Before this happens though the leaves of your vines will exhibit dull green patches. However, the onset of the disease is so fast that you may never notice this dullness. I know we didn't. After a plant is infected slime clogs the water conducting tissue thus causing the plant to dry out and wilt. Fruits may become wilted themselves. Once a plant becomes infected there is no cure. The best thing to do at that point is to destroy the affected plant. (Doesn't it suck when you realize you are powerless to do anything to save your plants. Lesson: Nature > us)

Prevention is the most important step in controlling cucumber wilt. So how do you prevent it? Healthy plants are naturally more resistant to diseases. Water your plants regularly and inspect them every day. Plants that have been subjected to drought or water stress are more likely to be infected by this disease. If you find any eggs on leaves promptly destroy them by squashing them with your hands. Some sites on the internet suggest putting a cloth or barrier around seedlings and young plants to prevent adults from laying eggs on your plants. Personally, I find this very impractical if you are only planting two or three vines. As a last, last (and we mean last) resort pesticides can be used to kill the eggs and larvae. However, be mindful that at some point you will be consuming fruits from this plant so toxic pesticides should be avoided.

Now you know what to do (or not to do) when you encounter cucumber wilt. If you have experienced this let us know in the comments section. Until next time keep on gardening.

Arugula Pesto

Our first Arugula. Has grown quite a bit, right?

Little has been said about our arugula since October's Arugula Follow Up. Our first plant has been growing and growing. It's now at the point where it will flower. We made a delicious salad for Thanksgiving with some of its leaves mixed with some lettuce (as we have mentioned before, arugula has a peppery flavor and ours is quite spicy so we can't use it by itself). We have also managed to grow one more arugula plant. Both plants have lots of leaves.

Because its flavor is so particular, arugula is also frequently used cooked as a vegetable. In this form it is used in pastas or even in pizzas, added just before the baking period ends or immediately afterwards, so that it will not wilt in the heat. Similar to basil, it combines really well with mozzarella cheese and sun-dried tomatoes and is good for pesto. Unlike basil, it is considered an aphrodisiac.(Editor's note: It seems Jessica is throwing out a hint to all of our female readers. Gentlemen, if your wife starts using arugula instead of basil, "It's on!".)

The process of making arugula pesto is not too different from the one described on our Basil: Yucky, Yummy Edition. Our previous recipe yielded pesto for about 6 to 8 people but I edited today's ingredients to make a dinner for 2.

Ingredients
(Mickey is the salt and pepper)

Ingredients:
- 1 cup packed fresh arugula
- 1/4 tablespoon minced garlic
- Salt and ground pepper
- 1/4 cup pure olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:
The secret for making pesto with arugula is to blanch the leaves. Plunge the arugula into boiling water for about 15 seconds. Next, plunge the leaves into ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Shake off the excess water and drain well.

Pesto with extra pines nuts

Squeeze the water out of the arugula with your hands until very dry. The rest of the process is quite similar to basil pesto. Chop the arugula and put in a blender or food processor. Add garlic, salt and pepper to your liking, olive oil, and a tablespoon of toasted pine nuts. Blend for at least 30 seconds. Add the cheese and pulse your blender to combine. You're done.

Prepare a meal and let us know about your experience with arugula in the comments section.

New Seeds on the Block

New seeds on the block

It's that time of the year when I go crazy and purchase a bunch of seeds that I probably shouldn't have. But who's there to stop me? *Insert maniacal laughter* I was interested in growing some peppers which I couldn't find locally so I took my talents online (Insider joke for our basketball enthusiast readers). After a few days of research I settled on genericseeds.com (reserving final judgment on the site for now but so far so good). I ordered the following seeds:

• Chocolate Beauty Pepper
• Golden California Pepper
• Horizon Orange Pepper
• Purple Beauty Pepper
• Scarlet Nantes Carrots
• Beefsteak Tomato
• Garlic Chives
• Sage
• Red Burgundy Onion
• White Sweet Spanish Onion
• Yellow Pear Tomato

This will be our first time trying out onions and carrots which has us very excited about these seeds. Not to mention the possibility of having four different pepper colors available for stir fries, and tomatoes for salads, sandwiches and burgers. *Yum*

As mentioned in our previous post (our first product review) we planted the seeds in Jiffy's Seed Starting Mix®. After almost two weeks everything but the sage, and the golden and purple peppers has sprouted. Not bad considering we usually plant a single seed per tray location. I'm still hopeful that the remaining peppers will sprout since the reason I purchased the seeds online was to get a purple pepper plant. Yesterday I (Jessica is sick so no "we" this week) transplanted the tomatoes and the peppers since the Jiffy mix doesn't contain any nutrients and these have a tendency to grow quickly in our warm weather. Lesson from our personal experience: Leaving fast growing seedlings in the mix too long will cause stunted growth and poor yield. In a few days I plan on transplanting the onions, carrots, and chives. If everything goes well we should have carrots and peppers in two months, tomatoes in 3 months, and onions in 4-5 months. Stay tuned to monitor the progress of the new seeds on the block and for more on container gardening in Puerto Rico.

Product Review: Jiffy Seed Starting Jiffy-Mix®

Our 10 Qt. Jiffy bag.

Welcome to our first ever product review! Here we will either be praising or bashing a product we've used in our garden. The first victim product to be reviewed is Jiffy's Seed Starting Mix®. This is a very popular brand that is widely available in Puerto Rico. This light, loose, soil-less mix consists of peat moss and vermiculite and is designed to promote fast germination and root growth. It doesn't contain any nutrients so this is only meant for germination not for long-term growth. It comes in various sizes including 4, 10, and 16 Qt. bags. The larger sizes are excellent for planting a good number (35-50) of seeds at once.

Let me get this out of my system first. I initially hated this product. Why? Because when I took the stuff out of the bag and watered it it became a swamp. Literally the stuff would not absorb water. It seemed impermeable. And I wasn't alone in this predicament. Several reviewers in Amazon and other websites had suffered through the same experience. Was I was supposed to put my seeds in this stuff? No thanks.

But being as stubborn as I am (did I just admit that?) I wouldn't give up on the product. I first started out trying to grow a few peppers, a couple of tomatoes and some herbs. We had previously used these same seeds on Jiffy pellets with great results. Success rate with the mix was lower than 25% (*Insert sad face*. Side note: blogger should have native emoticon support available for posts. They actually direct you to external websites for your emoticon needs. Sigh). After that I tried my luck with a few lettuce seeds. Success rate increased to about 50% but I still wasn't satisfied with the product since it still wouldn't hold water properly (and 50% germination rate is not good anyways).

Left - Jiffy mix out of the bag, Middle - Swampy Jiffy mix,
Right - proper Jiffy mix after stirring with water

I let the product go unused for a few weeks since I was both frustrated with it and waiting for a seed order I had made with genericseeds.com (good prices, reserving a final verdict on quality until we use more seeds). We went to a local nursery on an unrelated trip to pick up a palm tree for a neighbor and the attendant was using a similar product. He told us that he uses the mix but that it bogs down unless you know the trick: Water and elbow grease. He told us to add water to the mix and stir it continuously until it becomes mud-like. Then it's ready to use. Excited with these news I anxiously waited until the seeds arrived. When the time had come I stirred and mixed until a mud-like consistency was achieved. Success! Then we deposited the mix into our germination tray and planted close to 30 seeds. As of this writing we have a germination rate of 85% and climbing. Nice!

Verdict: If you're looking for an alternative to pellets or are looking to germinate a large number of seeds we recommend this product. Follow our advice and you should have no problem obtaining great results with this mix.

Disclaimer: Container Gardening in Puerto Rico is not affiliated with the company that makes this product or any of its affiliates. We did not receive any free products or other compensation for this review.

The Rose of Mary

Our Rosemary (front) with thyme
and other flowering plants keeping it company

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a perennial herb belonging to the mint family (Lamiaceae). Members of this family, which include mentha, basil, sage, and others, are among the most fragrant plants in the world. According to Wikipedia (help out by editing it or donating) the name "Rosemary" comes from the Latin rosmarinus which means "dew of the sea" because in many locations the only moisture it needs to survive is the dew from the sea. Legend has it that the Virgin Mary once spread her blue cloak over a rosemary bush and the flowers turned blue. Afterwards, the shrub became known as Rose of Mary.

Rosemary is an evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean which, luckily for us, easily adapts to tropical conditions. It can grow up to 5 feet but in containers it usually grows to 2-3 feet (Ours is about a foot tall at the moment). Its fragrant leaves, which are easily recognized since they look like miniature pine needles, are commonly used in the preparation of various dishes such as meats, soups, and even pesto. Who hasn't tried a rosemary chicken breast or rosemary bread. Delicious! (Editor's note: Need to convince Jessica to make some rosemary pesto)

 Rosemary can be grown from seed or cuttings. Even though we usually prefer seeds (watching plants sprout is a soul satisfying experience in my opinion) we've experienced a poor germination rate so we would recommend cuttings or buying young plants at a nursery. Another reason to use cuttings or young plants is that you will find a wider variety of cultivars than from seed. The common rosemary is a tall upright plant with thin leaves and blue spring flowers (We haven't seen any flowers on ours yet). The cultivars can be short, bushy, sprawling, upright with broad, short or thin leaves and blue, white, and even pink flowers. Even the fragrance can change from one cultivar to the other.

The bible (The Bountiful Container by McGee and Stuckey) recommends that rosemary be planted on a container of at least 8 inches in depth. However, ours has been happily growing in a 3 inch pot. Although I suspect that we will need to repot it soon. Rosemary, true to its Mediterranean origins, prefers dry conditions, however, the soil must not be allowed to dry completely or the plant will (almost instantly) die. Be careful though because overwatering will cause root rot which will also cause the plant to die. The moral of the story is that you will need to find the right balance between watering and dryness for the plant to thrive. We planted ours in a good draining soil which we let dry between waterings. Place your plant in a sunny location so that it receives between 4 and 6 hours of sunlight. Fertilize it every week or two weeks with a balanced fertilizer or one with a high nitrogen content (you are interested in the leaves after all).

We haven't experienced any pest problems with our rosemary but nevertheless you should check your plants regularly, especially if pests are present in your other garden plants. If you feel generous (always remember to #spreadthelove) or you want more for yourself you can propagate your rosemary using the cuttings method we've previously discussed (see Propagation:Cuttings). So what are you waiting for? Go to your local nursery and get yourself some rosemary.