Potato Fruit

We learned something at the VegHeadz garden today.

Rotation bed B, which is coordinated by Jeanne Breland, contains potatoes and peas this season. Jeanne discovered some fruit on her potato plants which look like  tomatoes. This is the first time any of us had seen this happen.

Did you know that potato plants can produce fruit?  If your potato plant is producing what look like cherry tomatoes, it’s actually a natural and interesting phenomenon—you’re likely seeing potato fruit, not true tomatoes.

Here’s what’s going on:

Potatoes and tomatoes are closely related. Both belong to the Solanaceae (nightshade) family, so they share some physical traits, including similar-looking flowers and fruit structures.  After flowering, potato plants sometimes produce small green fruits that resemble cherry tomatoes. These are potato fruits, and they form from the fertilized flower of the potato plant.  

Potato fruits are not edible—they are toxic due to high levels of solanine (a glycoalkaloid poison). Don’t eat them.

Potato fruit appear more commonly in cool, moist growing seasons such as we have had this spring.   This type of weather favors flower and fruit development in potatoes, especially with certain varieties.

Potatoes are not usually grown from seed, but from actual potatoes which have eyes that sprout, producing a new plant. We had never really considered the fact that potatoes can also produce seeds. 

There is always something new to learn in a garden.

Photos by Jeanne Breland

Wednesday in the Garden

The VegHeadz are busy getting ready for the Spring Open House and Plant Sale scheduled for Saturday, May 10, 2025, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the UF/Leon County Extension, 615 Paul Russell Rd., Tallahassee. The gardens are looking great and the VegHeadz are looking forward to meeting many visitors and talking about gardening, answering questions, and enjoying the day.  The photographs below give a hint of what you will see and learn when you visit the garden.  Get the answers to these questions and many more.

What kind of beans are
climbing so vigorously?

Why are these plants covered
and what with?

Why are these plants
being grown and what
will happen to them? 

 

What vegetable plant provides
this interesting flower and
what else does it provide?  

The plants in these two beds
come from the Leon County library.
See what you can grow with the seeds
available there
.

What is the particular purpose
for the plants grown
in this bed?

These are GMO tomatoes.  
Find out what species genes
have been modified with
And what advantage they provide.

Restricting the Deer Diet

Peggy, Mark, Glenn, and Claudia, part of Wednesday’s fencing crew

Some deer live in the woods behind the VegHeadz garden and patrol the area for tasty meals. One of their favorites is Roselle. Last year we managed to mostly discourage them with vinegar soaked rags tied to a line around the Roselle bed.  Keeping the flags fresh and vinegary was time-consuming for Peggy, who bears most of the burden. This week, to keep the deer away from this year’s Roselle,  we installed a 6’ x 50’ chain link fence enclosure in the garden.  The work crew, including Peggy, Mark, Jessica, Glenn, Michael, Peter, Cathy A., Annie, and Claudia did a great job.

Peggy has been growing Roselle starts and will be planting two Roselle plants in the enclosure the first week in May.  That may sound like very few, but last year Peggy harvested gallons and gallons of the beautiful and delicious ruby-colored calyxes from just two plants.  Roselle needs really warm weather before it will take off. We’ve had a relatively cool spring, so there’s no need to plant it earlier.

Peggy and more than a dozen other Master Gardeners are nurturing Roselle seedlings for sale at the Spring Open House and Plant Sale to be held on Saturday, May 10, 2025, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the UF/IFAS Leon County Extension, 615 Paul Russell Road, Tallahassee.  Be there early to get what you want. We quickly sell out of Roselle and many other popular plants.  Thousands of plants, hundreds of varieties, will be offered at the sale, all propagated by Master Gardeners.

Wednesday in the Garden

Glenn and others hauled a lot 
of garden soil and mulch

We haven’t posted any garden happenings for a while, but spring busyness has been the order of the day.  Enjoy these photos documenting the last several weeks.   And find a bonus recipe at the end for using the last of your winter kale. 

Cathi cleaned up around the 
Rose Arbor at the garden
entrance. 

 Whitney, Peggy and Cathy getting beds 
ready for spring plants

We really can grow spinach in Florida

The last of winter’s kale

A mega-turnip

Janis and James marked the
forest garden pathways by
lining them with bamboo.

Lisa and Joanne working on
Forest garden pathways

Kale and Butternut Salad 

1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, cut into 3/4 inch pieces (about 6 cups, no need to peel—really, try it.)
Three thick cut bacon strips, cut into 1 inch pieces

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup pecans

2 tablespoons maple syrup, divided

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

One large bunch kale (about 1 pound)

Three scallions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (or feta)

Heat oven to 400°. Precook bacon in microwave for 3 minutes.  Cover a sheet pan with foil, add squash and 1 tablespoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss to distribute oil and seasoning, then spread evenly on sheet pan and top with bacon.  Roast for 25 minutes. Toss the pecans with half tablespoon maple syrup and season with salt and pepper.  When the squash has roasted for 25 minutes top with the pecans and roast until the squash is golden and tender, and the bacon is crisp, and another 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

While the squash is roasting, wash the kale and strip the leaves from their stems, then cut or rip into bite-size pieces.  (Compost the stems.) Scrunch the kale with your hands until it is tender. In a large serving bowl, stir together the dressing—vinegar, mustard, remaining one and a half tablespoons maple syrup, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil.  Add the kale and toss until it is well covered in dressing and set aside.

Once the squash is slightly cool, scrape everything from the sheet pan, including some of the bacon fat if any remains, into the bowl with the kale. Toss gently to combine then top with scallions and blue cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Eat at once or at room temperature. Leftovers warmed in the microwave for one minute are great for lunch the next day. Optional additions could be fresh apple slices or grapes, or dried cherries or cranberries.  

Arrowroot

One of the perennials in the VegHeadz edible forest garden that has thrived is arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea). In fact, it thrives a little too well because it forms larger and larger clumps that we need to control, but it doesn’t get out of hand if we pay attention.

There are a number of different plants throughout the world that are called arrowroot.  The one we grow resembles a ginger plant somewhat and forms clumps of elongated rhizomes underground.  It is an attractive three to four foot dark green plant, a tender perennial that dies back in the winter to re-emerge even stronger in the spring. It is generally resistant to most pest and diseases, and prefers partial shade.

Arrowroot contains resistant starch, has a low glycemic index, 

and is gluten-free.  Foods high in fiber and resistant starch slow your rate of digestion, giving you a prolonged feeling of fullness.  In comparison with other thickeners, such as cornstarch and flour, arrowroot is easier for a grower to process into a form that is useful in culinary preparations 

A recent article by food writer and author Tammy Allgood in USA Today tells us what we need to know about how to use arrowroot.

“By the simplest definition, arrowroot is a thickener. Don’t let the chalky-looking powder fool you because it is powerful. Once you start using it, you’ll understand the attributes quickly and that bottle will gather dust no more.

“Arrowroot comes to us from a rhizome of an identical name that hails from the tropics. The tubers are dug up, allowed to dry, then pulverized into the powdery substance we use in the kitchen.  Some old recipe books call it arrowroot flour, a name Native Americans provided that means 'root flour.' It’s rarely, if at all, called that anymore.

“Arrowroot has a distinct advantage over other thickeners like flour and cornstarch.  It is odorless and tasteless and becomes clear as it cooks. That makes it a prize to use in everything from puddings to sauces plus it has nearly twice the thickening power.

“Like cornstarch, it is best to mix with a cold liquid before it’s added to hot ingredients.”

To prepare arrowroot from rhizomes, you need to dig up the arrowroot plant, carefully wash the rhizomes, peel off the outer layer, then grate or finely chop them, mix the pulp with water, let the starch settle, pour off the liquid, and then dry the remaining starch to create arrowroot powder; this process involves removing the bitter compounds by repeatedly washing and settling the starch with water. 

Key steps for processing arrowroot to produce powder or “arrowroot flour:“

• Harvesting: Harvest arrowroot rhizomes when the plant is mature, usually in the late summer or early fall. Dig up the plant, carefully removing the rhizomes from the soil.  Select plump and firm rhizomes for the best quality starch. 
• Cleaning: Wash the rhizomes thoroughly to remove dirt.
• Peeling: Peel off the tough outer layer of the rhizome using a knife.
• Grating: Grate the peeled rhizomes into a fine pulp.
• Mixing with water: Add water to the grated pulp and stir well.
• Sedimentation: Let the mixture settle, allowing the starch to separate and sink to the bottom.
• Decanting: Carefully pour off the clear liquid, leaving the starch behind.
• Rinsing: Repeat the process of adding water, settling, and decanting several times [as many as ten times] to remove bitterness.
• Drying: Spread the wet starch on a flat surface to dry completely.
• Grinding: Once dry, grind the starch into a fine powder, which is now your arrowroot flour.  Producing a fine powder ensures that it will dissolve easily in liquids.

Processing Yard Trash into Biochar

On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, a large group of VegHeadz master gardener volunteers visited the reCap Carbon biochar processing facility at the Leon County solid waste management site. Josh Venable, CEO of reCap, and Keelan Bush Rester, the site manager for the plant, explained the process.  

Woody feedstock for biochar

Josh Venable

Leon County is the first governmental entity in the United States and pretty much in the world to create biochar from landscape, curbside, and right-of-way wood waste. The county pays reCap a tipping fee to process and dispose of the material. It is delivered to the processing site and then cleared of any unwanted inclusions such as plastic, metal, etc.  The wood feedstock is fed through a grinder which leaves it in very small shreds. 

The shredded wood is augered into a large drum reactor, where it is heated at very high temperatures, 500-600 degrees in this case, in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic) in a process called pyrolysis which thermally decomposes and vaporizes much of the material without combustion. The gases produced are captured on site and recycled as fuel for subsequent processing runs.   

The remaining charred material is transferred to a final chamber called a thermal oxidizer or afterburner, where it is exposed  to oxygen and temperatures as high as 2000° to ensure that any remaining gases or air pollutants are destroyed before going out the exhaust stack.  The end product, biochar, which is mostly carbon, is then cooled and fed into large bags holding one cubic yard and weighing 400-600 pounds.   It is stored on site until delivery to end users. 

Feedstock is fed into grinder

Wood shreds after grinding and
headed for the drum reactor.

The plant is currently processing about 1000 pounds of wood waste an hour which produces approximately 200 pounds of biochar or 20% of the feedstock weight. The project presently employs four workers and is preparing to double its capacity. It handles only a small portion of the total wood waste delivered to the solid waste facility, but a larger percentage will be processed as production facilities are added, and markets are developed.

Disposing of wood waste in this way reduces the space needed to store and decompose solid waste, reduces the emission of gases produced in decomposition, and provides an environmentally sound way to dispose of woody biomass. It’s interesting to note that wood wastes resulting from hurricanes and other storms are not processed in this way because that waste is handled under a different contract with FEMA.

Biochar can be created from many different organic materials.  Different feedstocks and different processing temperatures produce biochar with different characteristics, suitable for diverse purposes.  Biochar is used not only in agriculture, forestry and garden settings, but current and emerging applications include road paving, concrete enhancement, building insulation, waste treatment, pollution remediation in soil and water, and many other environmentally beneficial applications.  In whatever way the carbon is utilized, it remains stable for many years, even centuries, preventing it from combining with oxygen to become carbon dioxide. 

The process undertaken by Leon County and reCap produces not just carbon credits, but carbon offsets. Carbon offsets serve as “compensation” to an organization or an individual that invests in a project or solution that will reduce future emissions or sequester existing CO2 from the atmosphere.  Once created, carbon offsets are also an asset class that trades freely on voluntary carbon markets. Carbon credits limit emissions, while carbon offsets reduce or remove them.

Germination testing
of many different
varieties

The VegHeadz are interested in biochar as an organic soil amendment. The biochar produced in Leon County is OMRI and Fresh From Florida certified.  The VegHeadz demonstration vegetable garden will be receiving some of the biochar currently being processed, which has smaller particles than what we have on hand and is more desirable for use as a vegetable garden amendment.  

The planned trial of the material in the garden located at the UF/IFAS Leon County Extension will be carried out during the Fall 2025 season, and beyond if necessary.  Container media testing for growth of tropical plants and germination of vegetable seeds is currently under way by Master Gardener Dave Skinner using various concentrations of biochar from the initial sample we received from the County.

The drum reactor where the feedstock is roasted at
very high temperatures to leave the carbon residue known as biochar

We will continue to keep you updated as we learn more about biochar and its use to improve soil conditions for growing plants, and particularly edible plants. Find out much of what we have already learned about its benefits to garden soil and plants under Garden Resources in the left sidebar.  Thanks to Josh and Keelan for guiding us through the process and answering our many questions.  Thanks to the gardeners who made notes and took pictures during the site visit. Thanks also to Leon County Office of  Resource Stewardship and reCap for undertaking this very interesting and proactive project.

Finished Biochar

U

Making Way for Spring Crops

 

We’re all anxiously waiting for the time to plant our spring crops. The gardeners in the VegHeadz garden are worrying about the fall and winter crops which are still thriving in their beds and wondering what to do about them. 

If you’ve been growing a cover crop in the space, now is a good time to chop and drop it so that it has time to decompose somewhat before seedlings  and seeds go in the ground.

Crops like onions, collards, arugula, fennel, dill, and parsley, for instance, present a different problem.  Most of these crops will begin to bolt when the weather warms anyway, so cutting them is not a great loss. Or leave some of the ones that bolt and flower to feed spring pollinators. Others will become bug-ridden with pests as garden insects start to wake up and reproduce in the spring weather.  Cut those right away. 

Wait until it’s time to plant and cut healthy ones off at ground level. The decomposing roots will provide nutrients for your new crops and will make way for air and water to reach the new roots. Save only the best plants that are still producing such as onions or cabbages that have heads still expanding, and cut or pull the rest.  Healthy plants can go in the compost bin.

This also provides an opportunity for succession planting. In the space available plant a portion of your spring crops a couple weeks earlier than you usually do, then, as the winter plants start to fade about two weeks later plant some more of the same crop, and then two weeks later, when all the winter vegetables are gone, plant the rest of your crop. That way you can harvest over a longer period of time and take advantage of the most advantageous conditions for the growth of that crop. 

Remember,  a variety of crops planted in the same bed or area provide advantages at any time, and particularly for the new plants. Existing crops can provide shade and protection to new baby seedlings as they get established, and plants that bolt and flower will attract pollinators and predator bugs to your new plants to help control pests and produce fruit.  

For more about preparing your garden beds for the next season, see the plan provided by Nathan Ballantine, the Man in Overalls, here.

Worm Castings for your garden

Worm castings are many times more dense in plant nutrients and microorganisms than compost. This material (worm poop) offers several advantages over traditional compost and other soil amendments, making it a highly effective organic fertilizer.  The process of creating worm castings is called Vermiculture.

Worm castings contain essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. These nutrients are in a highly bioavailable form, meaning plants can absorb them more easily than those in traditional compost.  Unlike synthetic fertilizers, and similar to compost, worm castings release their nutrients slowly, providing their benefits over an extended period. 

Equally important, worm castings are packed with beneficial microbes that help break down organic matter and improve soil health. They also enhance nutrient uptake and suppress harmful pathogens.   Another important benefit is their ability to help balance soil pH since they have a near neutral pH of 6.5 to 7.

In addition to these benefits, the humic acids and growth hormones in worm castings stimulate root development and overall plant growth. They also contain compounds that help naturally suppress plant diseases and pests. 

Worm castings improve the soil’s ability to retain moisture, reducing the need for frequent watering.  They help bind soil particles together, reducing erosion and runoff.  The fine texture of worm castings helps improve soil aeration and drainage. 

Unlike raw manure or unfinished compost, worm castings don’t have an unpleasant odor. They are safe to use directly on plants without risk of burning leaves or roots. 

Overall, worm castings are one of the best all-around soil amendments for improving soil health, boosting plant growth, and reducing the need for manufactured fertilizers.

You can make your own quite easily. The worms do all the work.  Learn more about vermiculture under gardening resources in the left sidebar, and save the date for the Vermicomposting Workshop at Leon County Extension on May 1, 2025..

More complete analysis of worm castings benefits (or not), here:  https://www.gardenmyths.com/vermicompost-is-it-great/

Nematodes

 Nematode galls on Squash roots

At the VegHeadz spring planning meeting in January the subject of nematodes came up. 

In the past, we’ve had some  nematode problems in the area where our newer raised beds are located, and it appears they have now made their way up into some of the beds. They don’t move very fast so it has take them several years to get there.

Nematodes are a perennial problem in gardens of the South and many soils are infected. They can never be completely eliminated from the soil once they inhabit an area.   

There are a number of ways to manage them beginning with planting varieties that are resistant to their damage.  Another way is to plant companion plants/cover crops which exude chemicals that either kill or discourage the nematodes.  These companion plants usually furnish additional benefits to the garden.

Learn more in this article from Alabama A&M and Auburn University Extension:  Nematodes

It’s a Greens Thing!

Winter in the VegHeadz garden means Greens—lots of colors, lots of varieties, lots of flavors.  Refreshing, healthy, resilient.  We love greens! 

 Mizuna

Kale

Dill

Arugula

Red Sails Leaf Lettuce

Flashy Butter Gem Lettuce

Lettuce bed

Red Mustard

Some of our last harvest before record
cold, snow, and ice.  All delivered to
the Kearney Center for the Homeless. 

Dooryard Fruit Maintenance in January and February

If you have fruit trees in your landscape or are thinking about planting some, January and February are busy times in our area. Deciduous fruit trees,  berries, and grape vines can be planted throughout January and February and for those who already have some in their yard, it’s the time to prune and fertilize.

For citrus, it’s best to plant after the last frost to allow new trees to put down roots and get established before next winter.  Pruning can be done most any time, but it’s good to leave excess growth until after danger of frost to help protect the trees.  However, February is a good time to fertilize citrus.  

If you’re unsure what to do and when, refer to our dooryard fruit calendar in the left side bar or at this link.   The calendar also includes links to information about maintaining each type of fruit, including how to fertilize and pruning instructions.

Another resource is the free Fruit Pruning Workshop scheduled at the Leon County Extension on February 4. Information and Registration here.

We welcome any questions or comments so we can make the Fruit Maintenance Calendar as useful as possible. You can leave comments below or reach us at the email in the left sidebar.

Wednesday in the Garden

White Egg Turnips, Chinese Cabbage, and 
Chayote

It was a foggy, misty, cool morning with about half of the regular VegHeadz on hand. We did some weeding, harvesting, and neatening up the beds because we won’t be seeing them again for several weeks. Christmas and New Year’s are on Wednesday and everybody’s busy with holiday festivities.  The nice thing about winter gardens is they do a pretty good job of taking care of themselves.  We’ll be seeing you again next year.  

A Christmas goody from Peggy—
Roselle Jam

Peggy and her friend Jane
picked this eggplant from a huge 
plant still doing nicely in December.

Peter is potting up Rudbeckias
which have volunteered in
pathways and outside the garden
perimeter.  They’ll be on sale
at the garden Open House in May.

These delicious Grinch cookies were a
treat today.  They were made by Jeanne’s
granddaughter June, age 9, who has
been a regular visitor to the garden.  

These Shamrocks popped up in  
the forest garden.  They are edible 
and also harvest nitrogen for use
by surrounding plants.  

4

Dave’s bed is looking good.  The
peas are supplying nitrogen for the 
adjoining brassicas.  

Crimson Clover in the forest
garden, planted as a nitrogen
producing cover crop,
winding its way among the trees
and shrubs that live there.  

The grape arbor is wearing a 
golden shawl

Louie planted these lovely 
greens in the Herb Garden—
Mizuna and Endive.

This White Stem Pak Choi
is grown from seeds from
the library.  It’s always hard
to determine when to harvest
less familiar plants. 

Cabbage beginning to head up.

Collards. We’ve had very little 
pest damage despite a warm fall.  

Kale

A radish ready to pull.