Five things to do in the garden this week:
Fruit. If branches are bowing to the ground due to fruit overload, you can make a crutch from a board by sawing a V-notch into one end. Pad the notch with a rag to protect the branch bark. Alternatively, you can find ready-made tree crutches or support poles through online vendors, although they will probably cost around nine dollars. If anyone has another way of supporting tree branches, please advise.
Vegetables. Harvest vegetables as they ripen, every day or two. Put them in the refrigerator if you are not eating them upon being picked. Harvest in the morning since that is when they are fully hydrated. Leaving ripened tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans, cucumbers, or squash on the plant prevents more crops from developing for additional harvests.
Flowers. I would be guilty of garden columnist malfeasance if I didn’t draw your attention to the cigar or firecracker plant. Its name is derived from one-inch orange tubular blooms that end in a ring of yellow. There are a few thousand flowers (at least) blooming on my cigar plant that is four feet tall by four feet wide. It grows adjacent to a fence in front of my garage. I never water this plant. The secret to its success is being watered every other day by my neighbor’s drip system on the other side of the fence that irrigates a hedge of powder puff vine (Calliandra haematocephala), which blooms with the eponymous pink flowers most of the year. There is a take-home lesson here. Cigar plant, although considered moderately drought-tolerant, will flower more when given ample water. The contingency, of course, is that it grows in fast-draining soil, and where I have it situated, the soil is mostly sand. California natives, too, will flower more spectacularly when given supplemental water as long as the soil drains perfectly. It’s not excess water that kills plants but poorly drained soil that encourages the growth of soil-dwelling fungi and other pathogens. Mexican heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia) is a related low-growing compact plant that is constantly putting forth tiny violet flowers.
Herbs. Black Peruvian mint or huacatay (Tagetes minuta) grows six feet tall and displays leaves noted for a mix of fragrances, incorporating hints of citrus, tarragon, basil, and licorice. It is a relative of marigolds, but its flowers are inconspicuous. Its spicy leaves are used to flavor stews, salads, and beverages. It may also substitute for cilantro for those who prefer a sweeter herb in their salsa or dip.
Fertilizer. Seaweed is one of the most effective fertilizers available. In the words of Dutch agronomist Nikki Spil, “It stimulates the plant’s internal processes to keep it healthy and balanced. We don’t always know exactly why it works, but we do see that it works.” Many seaweed-based fertilizers are available through Internet vendors and at the nursery, and it’s worth experimenting with them, especially with indoor plants.