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Holy basil, or Tulsi, (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is a plant that I would like to recommend for growing in our garden next year, both as a culinary herb, and as a medicinal.

   

Holy basil is used for treating the common cold, influenza (aka”the flu”), H1N1 (aka “swine flu”), diabetes, asthma, bronchitis, earache, headache, stomach ache, heart disease, fever, hepatitis (viral), malaria and tuberculosis.  It is also used to reduce stress, to treat mercury poisoning, to promote longevity, as a mosquito repellent, and to counteract snake and scorpion venoms.

Note:  Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) should not be confused with the more commonly grown basil varieties such as Genovese (Italian), Purple, Cinnamon, Nufar, Pistou, or Sweet Thai,  (Ocimum basilicum), Lemon (Ocimum basilicum citriodora), or Lime (Ocimum americanum).

(See Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

For more info on Holy Basil:
1.    www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1101-HOLY%20BASIL.aspx
2.    www.youbeauty.com/health/columns/whole-beauty/holy-basil-for-stress
3.    www.holy-basil.com/

 

Re:  Acidity, Asthma, Blood Circulation, Bronchitis, Cancer, Constipation, Dyspepsia, Gall Bladder, Gall Stones, Gallstones, Gastric Problems, Headache, Headaches, Insect Bites, Jaundice, Kidney, Kidney Disorder, Kidney Infections, Leucoderma, Liver, Nausea, Obesity, Piles, Respiratory Problems, Skin Care, Skin Infections, Skin Problems, Sore Throat, Urinary Tract, Weight Loss

Radish, the well-known salad ingredient, is a juicey root crop, pungent or sweet in taste. Radishes can be white, red, purple or black, long-cylindrical or spherical in shape. They are eaten raw, cooked or pickled. The oil obtained from the seeds is also used. The other parts of radish which are consumed are the leaves, the flowers, the seed pods and the seeds. The scientific name of radish is Raphanus Sativus, which belongs to the Brassicaceae family. Radish is also known as Daiken in some parts of the world.

For the huge health benefits of relishing radishes, click here.

On Saturday morning, July 14th, I discovered this 1/4-inch long, light-orange colored bug on the basil.  It proved difficult to photograph, since it really didn’t like to stand still.  However Alan, being very patient, finally captured these two shots — one for close-up detail, and the other with my hand for scale.

   

After many hours of searching the internet, I am now convinced that what I found is the nymph stage of a type of Stink Bug — the Spined Soldier Bug, Podisus maculiventris.  While many types of Stink Bugs are exceedingly damaging to many food crops in the U.S., this particular bug is actually beneficial because it’s a predator.  It kills other insects by literally sucking the life out of them!  

So, this is one of the good guys!  It’s a good thing that we don’t need to get rid of this bug, as stink bugs are very difficult to control, both organically and conventionally!

 

 

For more info on Spined Soldier Bugs:
1.  http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/insects/bugs/stinkbugs/stinkbugs.htm#nymph

2.  http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2010/08/02/immature-predatory-stink-bug-eats-monarch-caterpillar/

3.  http://bugguide.net/node/view/237854

4.  http://stinkbugsguide.net/infestation.htm

5.  http://www.motherearthnews.com/blogs/blog.aspx?id=142346&LangType=1033&blogid=1502

 

Chief Gardening Officer Mike Smith recently made us aware of Flower Sprouts, called the first new vegetable in 10 years, a cross between Kale and Brussels Sprouts. (See Mike’s post). At Mike’s suggestion we decided to try them in the Garden this year.

Flower Sprouts thriving in the Robbins Farm Garden, with proud parents Kale and Brussels Sprouts (not shown) close at hand.

Reportedly, the Flower Sprout was developed by Tozer Seeds, a family-owned business in Surrey, UK and was first introduced in 2010. Both an owner and a senior plant breeder from Tozer expressed pride to the press over this first new vegetable in a decade. Apparently, this enthusiasm is not shared by everybody in the UK, with the Daily Mail announcing “A New Vegetable for Your Children to Hate“. Even the BBC Surrey reporter interviewing the Tozer Seeds representatives seemed to be trying to overcome her timidity over veggies to faintly praise the Flower Sprout although Dr Frankenstein probably thought the same about his little project, the Flower Sprout is different.

Far from being some sort of hybrid monster, it has been developed over the last ten years using traditional breeding techniques…….. It has a Brussels sprout-like growing habit with its tall stem and rosettes forming all the way up to a frilly-leaved top. A bit like one of the more imaginative hats you see at Ascot Ladies Day. And its appeal may go further than just the aesthetic. Brussels Sprout haters around the world could possibly be won over by its milder, sweeter flavour. But for those of you who, like me, are of a nervous disposition and get easily frightened by funny shaped vegetables, be warned! “Funny-shaped”? We would take issue with that description, but, of course, we Robbins Farm Gardeners are particularly enthusiastic and welcoming to our veggies, be they “old standbys” or exotic newcomers. As the reporter notes, Flower Sprouts grow in a stalk like Brussels Sprout, but the “sprouts” remain open, forming small curly leaves like Kale. And, they’re a lovely deep green and purple. Many of us are excited for them to be ready to harvest but we hope you will come visit them in our Garden first.

Garden fabric, aka row cover or floating row cover, can be very handy to have on hand in your garden, as it can serve many purposes! 

Garden fabric can . . .

     *  slow evaporation from a plant and its surrounding soil

     *  act as a thermal barrier, protecting plants from the cold and the wind

     *  help to shade the plants, protecting them from overheating

     *  prevent insect damage, by keeping munching insects away from the plants

     *  stop birds and other critters from helping themselves to your harvest

     *  control pollination, in case you want to try very specific cross-pollination experiments

Available in different thicknesses, the heavier garden fabrics are better in the colder months (for heat retention), while the lighter fabrics are a much better choice when the weather gets hot. 

Also, remember that many vegetable and fruit crops require cross-pollination and, since the fabric will limit access to the plants’ flowers, pollination must be done by hand, or the fabric must be removed for an hour or two each day to allow pollinators to do their job.  Once pollination has taken place, the row cover may be left in place to protect the maturing crops.

In some cases, garden fabric should be cut into strips, and the strips wrapped around the stems of plants to protect them from boring-type insects.  E.g., most types of squash are susceptible to attack by the squash vine borer (SVB).  As the name states, the SVB (in its large caterpillar form) bores its way into the main stem of squash plants, and then eats its way through the stem, usually until the plant wilts and dies.  This attack may be prevented with a garden fabric wrapping of the stem.  The best time to apply garden fabric in this manner is before a seedling is put in the ground.  Start wrapping the stem about an inch below ground level, and wrap it all the way to the top, avoiding the side branches as you go.  As the plant grows, more fabric may be added, and the fabric already in place may need to be loosened to avoid restricting growth of the stem.  In this way, the stem is protected from vine borers, but the entire plant does not have to be covered, thereby using much less fabric.

For more info on this very versatile tool, see:  www.gardeners.com/Row-Covers/5111,default,pg.html