Tropical Vortex

February 2014

 

PICKAWAY TO GARDEN

 

Family Feud

 

By Paul Hang

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What vegetable plant families can safely be planted year after year in the same location? Survey says! None!  Besides the TV quiz show Family Feud another family feud, that of the Hatfields and McCoys illustrates the danger of getting families too close. Did your tomatoes do poorly last year? How about your zucchini or your cucumbers? Have you been gardening the same way for years and are now getting poorer results? One reason may be family feuds. If you plant members of the same vegetable family in the same place year after year you have been depleting the nutrients that members of that family use. Another result of not rotating plants from the same family is that pests and diseases that the family is susceptible to will build up in the soil to levels which, if not fatal, will surely affect the quality and yield.

 

You can’t always know which vegetables belong to the same family. Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes are NOT in the same family, Lettuce and Kale are NOT in the same family, Beets and Turnips are NOT in the same family. It can be a little complicated so I am providing a list of the family names and which vegetables belong to the family. I am going to use common names for simplicity’s sake. If I told you that Beets, Spinach and Swiss Chard are all in the family chenopediaceae it wouldn’t be the same if instead I said they were all in the Beetroot family.

 

The Legume family contains Beans and Peas. It also contains Alfalfa and Clover which, if you use them as cover crops, should also be rotated. The Parsley family contains Carrots, Celery, Fennel, Parsnips and, of course, Parsley. The Cucurbits family contains Cucumbers, Melons, Pumpkins, Squash and Gourds. Notice all of these grow on vines and it is tempting to lump all vining plants in the same family but that would be wrong. Peas are in the Legume family remember?. The Onion family counts among its members Onion, Garlic, Leek, Shallots, Chives and Asparagus. Asparagus, like Rhubarb, is perennial and doesn’t need to be rotated.

 

Endive and Lettuce are in the Aster family. The Nightshade family claims Tomatoes, Peppers, Potatoes and Eggplant among its family. The largest family has Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collard Greens, Kale, Kohl Rabbi, Radish, Rutabaga, and Turnip. Their family name is Cole Crops also known as Brassica. Corn is a Grass and so is in that family. A lot of us plant herbs and sometimes we plant them among our vegetables. Members of the Mint family, Basil, Rosemary, Oregano, Sage, Thyme and Lavender also benefit from rotation.

 

As you plan your garden don’t plant members of the same family in the same place that they were planted for the past three years. Using garden maps, or photographs, and keeping them for at least three years, makes this a lot simpler. Rotation of crops will enable nutrients to build back and for diseases and pests to leave. Rotate your families and avoid family feuds.

 

Towards the end of the month look for signs of the coming spring, skunk cabbage sprouting, morning cloak butterflies, birds singing more, return of male red-winged black birds. February is midwinter. It is the last full month of calendar winter. February 2^nd is halfway between the Winter solstice and the Spring equinox. The month is named for the goddess Februa, mother of Mars, who was not only the god of war but of growing crops. Some traditions lit fires for her to intercede with her son and bring on the spring. February second is also, in the Christian tradition, Candelmas Day, the Festival of Lights. It was thought that if the sun shone bright on that day it meant there would be a second winter.

 

Spring is coming. Whether you believe in the intercession of the gods or the outcome of a Pennsylvania rodent’s debut,  there are no mammals, including Al Roker, that I am aware of who can reliably predict what will happen. The way this winter has been going we can wish that the Ground Hog saw his shadow and we will have only six more weeks of winter.

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

Not much. Check perennials for heaving up out of the ground. Press them down gently with your foot. Send in your seed orders. Will our results ever match those of the glossy color pictures?

 

This is a good time to prune trees and shrubs (after you sharpen your tools). You can see their structure now that they are dormant and the leaves are down. Cut out crossing and rubbing branches and unwanted suckers.  Pruning can be done to reduce the size of a tree or shrub to bring it in to balance or to remove overhanging branches blocking a view or path.  Remember, spring flowering shrubs should be pruned after flowering if you want to enjoy the blooms.

 

Some seeds can be started indoors this month for setting out in late March or early April such as onions, cabbage, cauliflower, and other members of the Cole family. Check the seed packets for times.