Project Ideas

1918
ORGANIC FIELD GUIDE ORGANIC FIELD GUIDE
COMMON EDIBLE PLANTS GROW IT EAT IT LOVE IT
Health Power
Among many varieties, pinto beans are surprisingly nutritious. More fiber
than most foods. Excellent at lowering cholesterol, regulating blood sugar
(especially for those with insulin resistance) and smoothing out digestion.
Crucial contribution to heart health. High content of folate, potassium and
magnesium. Folate lowers concentration of amino acid homocysteine.
(When elevated in the blood, can seriously damage blood vessels.) Potassium
an essential component of nerve cell communication, muscle contraction
(especially heart) and blood pressure regulation. Magnesium helps maintain
blood flow through vessels by blocking calcium channels. Iron optimizes oxygen
attachment to hemoglobin molecules, which transport oxygen in blood. Copper
and manganese help protect energy-producing cell bodies (mitochondria)
by activating superoxide dismutase, which knocks out free radicals. Copper
also needed to form hemoglobin. Vitamin B1 (thiamin) contributes to energy
production and healthy brain function by helping produce neurotransmitter
acetylcholine. Excellent source of protein at low calorie cost.
Vitamin and Mineral Content
Vitamins – B9 (Folate) and B1 (Thiamin)
Minerals – Molybdenum, Manganese, Phosphorus, Iron, Magnesium,
Potassium and Copper
Disease Prevention
Reduces risk of heart attack, stroke, cardiovascular disease, irritable bowel
syndrome, diabetes, colon cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
How to Grow
Part of the Leguminosae family. Hundreds of different cultivars. You can find
a variety that will grow in your location. Two main types: shell beans used
for seeds and snap/bush beans grown for their pods. Two types of growth
patterns: self-supporting and others (pole and runner beans) that grow on
stakes or suspended strings. Most beans grow best in warmer temperatures
(about 75˚F) and are very sensitive to cooler temperatures. Prefer sheltered
sunny site with well-drained soil and lots of organic matter. Prepare rows
by amending soil with aged compost or planting mix rich in organic matter.
If soil is heavy, use more compost to loosen. For seeds to sow properly, soil
should be above 60˚F and near pH 6.5. Beans do not easily transplant, but
if warm season is short, you may have no choice. Start beans indoors in pots
about a month before frost. Sow seeds outdoors about two weeks after the
last frost. Place them about 1 inch under the soil and pat the soil down over
top. Place bush beans 4-6 inches apart in rows and space rows about 2.5 feet
Health Power
Red color of this tasty treat comes from the powerful antioxidants known as
anthocyanins. Cherries packed with free radical destroyers; almost as many
as blueberries. Help with pain of inflammatory conditions like arthritis and
muscle soreness. Linked with heart benefits by reducing inflammation and
total cholesterol, and lowering body fat and total weight. Low in fat, high
in water content and helps boost metabolism. One of only a few foods with
melatonin. (Produced in pineal gland and associated with sleep rhythms.
Cherries may help you get to sleep.) The high potassium content also can help
control blood pressure and maintain proper muscle and nerve cell functioning.
Vitamin and Mineral Content
Vitamins – A, C, B2 (Riboflavin), B6 (Pyridoxine), B9 (Folate) and K
Minerals – Iron, Copper, Manganese, Potassium and Magnesium
Disease Prevention
The flavonoids (anthocyanins and quercetin) as well as the phenolic acid
amygdalin in cherries may help lower symptoms or onset of several conditions:
heart disease, pain from rheumatoid arthritis and gout, diabetes and other
connective tissue ailments. Some studies show a reduced risk for colon and
breast cancer by controlling cell-damaging free radicals.
How to Grow
A tasty addition to the garden. Grow well in moderately cool temperatures
but not constantly freezing. Many varieties self-pollinate. Must match the
cultivar to your area. Consult trusted fruit tree supplier for one that grows well
and matches your taste. Varieties are sweet, sour, dwarf and standard. Pick
site with plenty of sunlight. Thrive in soil rich in nutrients and organic matter.
Soil should be pH 6-8 with moisture retentive, well-drained loam. Prepare
soil area of five square feet by adding generous amounts of organic matter
and nutrient rich planting mix or well-aged compost. Rock dusts also good to
apart. Pole beans are more sensitive to cold. Plan on planting a week or two
later and harvesting a week or two earlier. Yield about three times as many
beans per area as bush types. Sow seeds 2 inches deep and 10-12 inches
apart in single rows spaced about 3.5 feet apart or double rows spaced 1 foot
apart. A bean teepee makes nice addition to garden. Water beds evenly and
keep soil moist. Letting soil dry out may hurt yields. Bush types germinate
in 1 week; pole types in 2 weeks. After seedlings are a few inches tall, apply
a thick layer of mulch to retain moisture, deter weeds and buffer the soil
against temperature fluctuations. Light application of fertilizer containing
micronutrients mid-season produces high yields. Snap beans and shell beans
ready for harvest when soft and a little longer than index finger. Harvest all as
soon as they are ready to stimulate re-growth. If you see outlines of seeds on
pod, you have waited too long. Eat or freeze them immediately to preserve the
fresh flavor. Both unshelled beans and those in pods preserve for about a week
in refrigerator. To dry shell types, let them sit in pods on plants until pods turn
brown and dry out. If weather is wet, cut plant and hang upside down in dry
area. Dried beans last about one year.
Insect Control
Common pests are aphids, corn earworms, cabbage loopers, corn borers,
Mexican beetles and Japanese beetles. Aphids can be handled by inter-planting
French Marigolds, which attract their predators. Hoverflies and lady bugs eat
tons of aphids. Corn earworms grow roughly 2 feet long and grub on bean
plants. Not a large threat, but if you get a manually uncontrollable infestation,
apply the insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Cabbage loopers feed on leaves
and eat twice their body weight a day. If they are uncontrollable by manually
picking, use an insecticide like Bt. Mexican beetles will ravage the bean plants if
they infest in numbers. The first sign is small yellow groups of eggs, which hatch
into larvae that look like small yellow caterpillars. Adults look like larger, darker
ladybugs. Remove eggs and larvae and smash adults when you see them.
Tips
In order to get continuous harvest, successively sow every two weeks until
2 months before first frost. Be careful not to knock off blossoms when watering.
work in, because they continue to release vital nutrients for years. One-year-old
trees are best to start. Make sure to allow for space of branches and foliage,
usually just over 20 feet in diameter for full-size tree. Dig the hole 6 inches to
a foot wider and deeper than the ball of roots in the transplant. Loosen soil
at bottom of hole by poking with pitchfork or similar tool. Cut off elongated
roots with a clean tool, plant tree and firm in soil around roots. Water until air
bubbles stop appearing. Prune tree/s back to around 2-3 feet by cutting slightly
above connection to an adjacent branch. Decreasing demand for water and
nutrients will buy time for roots to catch up with supply. Shape as desired. Most
importantly, cut internal lateral branches close to the trunk to maintain room
for air and sun. Other than that, leave them to grow or trim branches similar to
peach trees to increase fruit size. Leave cherries on tree as long as you can, but
pick before they split. Eat sweet cherries right away. Use tart ones to cook with,
bottle or make into jam within a few days.
Insect Control
Birds are main threat to cherries. Plan on losing about 30 percent of crop.
If planting only one tree, consider planting a mulberry tree nearby to distract
birds from cherries. They love mulberries. (If growing more than one tree,
you will have more fruit than one family can think of consuming per season.)
Sometimes aphids, winter moth or bacterial canker cause problems. Spray
off aphids with a strong stream. Best way to get rid of winter moths: secure
a grease band around the tree between fall and spring to stop females from
crawling up to lay eggs. To rid bacterial canker, cut and dispose of all infected
wood. Then spray copper fungicide three times with one month between
applications.
Tips
When planting in windy, more exposed locations, support tree with a stake
until trunk and roots are strong enough.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound green beans
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup raw almonds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon shallots
1 clove garlic
INSTRUCTIONS
■ Wash & trim the green beans and cut at an angle. Mince garlic and shallots.
■ Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water ready.
Bring water to a boil and add green beans. Cook until bright green. Drain the
beans and pour into ice water. Drain and put on paper towel to dry.
■ Place a large pan over low heat and add butter and chopped almonds. After
butter melts add minced garlic and minced shallots. Add the green beans
and stir to coat in the butter. Heat beans, then squeeze lemon juice over
beans. Serve immediately.
INGREDIENTS
1 frozen banana
½ cup frozen black cherries
1 cup black cherry juice
/ cup chocolate-flavored soy milk
¼ cup vanilla yogurt
Shaved dark chocolate and mint
leaves for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
■ Blend banana, black cherries,
cherry juice, soy milk and
yogurt in blender until smooth.
Pour into glasses. Garnish with
chocolate and mint leaves. Serve
immediately.
Green Bean Almandine
Black Forest Cherry Smoothie
RECIPE CARD
RECIPE CARD
Beans Cherries