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ORGANIC FIELD GUIDE ORGANIC FIELD GUIDE
COMMON EDIBLE PLANTS GROW IT EAT IT LOVE IT
Health Power
Plums are known for a unique group of phytonutrient phenols called
neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acid. These phenols help prevent oxidative
damage to fats all over the body. They also disarm the free radical superoxide,
which is highly reactive and can cause major damage to cells all over the
body. Plums increase the absorption of iron, the mineral needed to form
hemoglobin, which transports oxygen to every cell. Plums offer a nice dose
of dietary fiber to promote healthy digestion. They are also a good source
of vitamins A and B2, which contribute to vision, blood vessel health and
metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates and sugars for energy.
Vitamin and Mineral Content
Vitamins – C, A, B2 (Riboflavin)
Minerals – Potassium and others in trace amounts
Disease Prevention
Eating fruits and vegetables high in vitamins C and A has been linked to
lower risk of atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke, asthma, colon cancer,
osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
How to Grow
Plums come in many different sizes, shapes, colors and flavors. There’s a type
right for everyone. Some trees grow nearly 20 feet tall. You can also find
dwarfs growing as small as 6 feet. You can let them be, with minimal pruning,
or train them to grow as fans or pyramids. You can decide on the tree shape,
how much fruit to harvest and how much area to devote to it. Plums like deep,
heavier loam soils that have good drainage and a pH near 6.5. Plant plum trees
in spring. Dig a deep hole and amend the soil with plenty of organic matter
(compost, planting mix or a combination of nutrient rich organic matter with
fertilizer). Drive a support down into the hole. When placing the tree into the
hole, line up the soil line on the tree with the ground surface. Fill in the hole
with the amended soil, pack it down and mulch around the trunk with a thick
layer to conserve moisture and deter grass and weeds. Attach the support
with a tree collar that will not erode the tree, making it prey to silver leaf
disease. With standard cultivars, leave at least 20 feet between trees. With
dwarf varieties, 12 feet is enough. Keep the soil moist but not water logged. It
takes 3-4 years after planting to bear fruit. Each spring, reapply planting mix
to the soil and mulch over the area of root growth with well -aged compost to
provide all the macro- and micronutrients needed. Thin small fruits to about
2 inches apart and 4 inches between large ones. During growing season, prune
off extra thick growth that blocks sunlight from the interior so fruits can properly
ripen. Over winter, prune off old wood to stimulate new growth. Harvest plums
for cooking just before they soften. Or pick them off as they soften.
Insect Control
Pests attacking plums are plum sawfly, wasps, red spider mite, aphids and birds.
Deter aphids with a strong stream of water or by planting French marigolds to
attract their predators, ladybugs and hoverflies. See Apricots for spider mites,
sawflies and birds. If wasps become a problem, put something sweet in a jar
(beer, juice, cider) and cover it with a film. Put a small hole in the cover and hang
it from the tree. Wasps will be attracted, crawl inside the jar and get trapped.
Tips
When watering, do it long enough for water to penetrate to the root level. Otherwise
the roots will try to grow toward the surface for hydration. Also, never prune plums
during the winter, as the wounds will remain open and susceptible to silver leaf.
Plums
INGREDIENTS
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed
light-brown sugar
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
(not quick-cooking)
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
8 ripe plums cut into 1-inch pieces
INSTRUCTIONS
■ Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together ½ cup flour,
1 cup sugar, oats, and salt. Using a pastry blender, blend in butter until
coarse crumbs form.
■ In a 2-quart baking dish, mix plums with remaining sugar and flour; top
with oat meal mixture. Bake until topping is golden brown, 40 minutes.
Let cool 20 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Plum Oatmeal Crisp
RECIPE CARD
Health Power
Quince is a great source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber, potassium
and iron. Due to the high pectin content, it is rarely eaten raw. Rather, it is
popular for making special jams and, since it holds shape well, is popular for
baking, stewing or poaching as a dessert. Rich in fiber, quince aids digestion
and lowers elevated blood sugar and cholesterol. Vitamin C helps protect
cells (including blood vessel and immune cells) from oxidative damage by
free radicals. This makes the immune and circulatory systems function more
efficiently and helps maintain the body’s biochemical balance. Some studies
suggest the phytonutrients (phenolics) in quince have anti-viral properties.
Vitamin and Mineral Content
Vitamins – C
Minerals – Copper, Potassium and Iron
Disease Prevention
Quince may help treat or lower the risk of heart disease, arthritis,
constipation, dysentery and gastric ulcers.
How to Grow
Cousin to the pear, quince needs a moderate climate much like peaches to
set fruit. Depending on variety, size will range from a large shrub to a small
tree. They produce large, beautiful flowers in spring. Flowering a bit later
than pears, the risk of frost damage is lower. Quinces take roughly 4 years
for a light harvest. After 8 years, the harvest reaches full potential and can
be quite large. You can find them in the local nursery in bare rooted form or
propagated by cuttings of suckers from other quince plants. They are self-
fertile; only one is needed for fruit production. They prefer a sunny site and
heavier soil with a pH of 6-6.5 on a slight slope for good drainage. Work in a
modest amount of plant mix to the site. Plant the tree and scatter a couple
handfuls per square meter of planting mix over the root zone. Mulch over
where roots will grow, keeping mulch at least 1 foot from the trunk. Water
more frequently at first to get established. When watering, keep going until
water reaches deep into the soil. This prevents roots from wanting to grow
upward and protects them from drying out. Each spring reapply a couple
handfuls of plant mix to encourage growth. Quinces are ripe when they are
full yellow color and begin to smell sweet. Harvest and use immediately or
store in a cool dry place.
Insect Control
Common pests for quince include aphids, wooly aphids, winter moth,
coddling moth, sawfly and wasps. Remove aphids with a strong spray of
water or by companion planting French marigolds, which attracts hoverflies
and ladybugs that prey on aphids. Wooly aphids are more difficult. They are
hard to treat with sprays, because they cover themselves in a white waxy
layer. As soon as you see these layers, scrape them off. If that fails, spray with
a strong stream of rotenone after flowers have fallen. As a last resort, cut
them out. Cover excess bare wood. Female winter moths have no wings and
crawl up the tree to lay eggs in fall and spring. The best way to stop them is to
tie a sticky band around the lower trunk during egg laying seasons. Coddling
moths lay their eggs directly on the fruit, which give rise to tiny grubs that
burrow directly into the fruit. Use a pheromone trap to control. Sawfly do
damage as small brown caterpillars. As soon as you see them, spray with an
insecticide like Bt, pyrethrum, or quassia. Wasps can be deterred by hanging a
jar full of a sweet liquid (cider, stale beer, fruit juice) with a perforated top just
big enough for the wasp to crawl in. Before taking these precautionary steps,
ask the nursery which pests are most threatening in your area.
Tips
Throughout growth, cut out the old wood and thin the long branches to
encourage lateral growth. Remove the suckers that pop up from the base.
Quince