A storm this winter did a number on the old sign.. so here's the new one

Now is the perfect time to plant overwintering vegetables. Plants like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and beets can be set out now.  They will grow rapidly in the autumn and then slow down as winter approaches.  When the days start to lengthen the plants will start to mature.  January King cabbage, as the name implies, is ready to harvest in January.  A variety of cauliflowers will head up in January and depending on the variety will continue to mature through early May.  Purple sprouting broccoli will become huge plants, sometimes close to three feet in height, that will be covered with small heads of tender broccoli in late February and March. 

We have a full selection of winter and overwintering vegetables in the nursery now.  So stop by and pick up a selection for harvesting when most peoples gardens and bare. 

Now is the time of year when the fruit is ripening and the birds are as hungry as ever.  There are several options open to the gardener to try to protect ripening fruit from the predations of ravens, crows and jays.  Trees can be covered with netting but I've always found that some bird will find its way in.  If the fruit tree is large netting is out of the question.  My favorite deterrent  in a large tree are used CD's.  One takes a CD and ties about 18 inches of string to it and then tries the the whole thing to the tip of a branch on the tree.  For a large tree one needs at least a dozen CD's.  When the CDs rotate in the wind they catch the sunlight and their reflections dance about confusing and scarring the birds.  Even when the sun is not shining the CD with its large central "eye" seems to intimidate the birds.

Each year we try variations to the theme to try to come up with the best way to deter the birds.  Last year we recommended using flash tape to tie the CD onto the trees.  This year I tried both flash tape and regular cotton string to see which was the best.  The cotton string seemed to offer the best movement.

I do have a word of warning though.  If you have to use a ladder, take care.  The plum tree that I was using as a test tree is a favorite spot for moles.  And yes, you guessed it, one leg of the ladder I was up on plunged through a mole hole sending me to the ground and breaking my collar bone.  So be careful.  It's nice to have lots of homegrown fruit but not at the cost of a broken bone.

101 Plants has been selected along with seven other nurseries in the Northwest to introduce grafted tomatoes to the home gardener.  A grafted tomato is a selected variety grown on incredibly disease resistant rootstock.  This combination creates a vigorous plant that produces more tomatoes than the non-grafted plants.  This is not a new development.

In the 20's, growers in Asia found that they could increase production on desired varieties if they grafted them onto disease resistant rootstock.  If the rootstock were allowed to produce fruit it be small, hard and bitter.  Today, 81% of Korean vegetables and 54% of all Japanese vegetables (95% of Japan's watermelons, oriental melons, greenhouse cucumbers, tomatoes and eggplants) are produced on grafted plants.  Vegetable grafting in spreading throughout Europe, especially to Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Morocco.

In the U.S., vegetable grafting is still mostly limited to East Coast growers, although the technique's potential for increasing plant health and fruit yield without crop rotation, harmful pesticides or chemical fertilizers is starting to catch the attention of more greenhouse growers and organic growers.

Grafted tomatoes have an increased resistance to early and late blight, nematodes and bacterial diseases.They also have an increase toerance to enviromental stresses, which along the South Coast means cool weather.  With increased vigor and yield gardeners growing grafted tomatoes can expect bigger harvests of better quality fruits over a longer period with fewer harmful inputs.

We at 101Plants are totally excited to be able to be part of this introduction.  The closest other nurseries participating are in Portland and Medford.  So come by and talk to us about this unique new delvelopment and maybe buy a plant for your garden or greenhouse.