You Say Tomato, Part II

In the September Estates blog post, You Say Tomato, I Say…, I discussed how to start tomato plants.  Already, the tomatoes are sprouting and are big enough to leave the greenhouse flats.  They are now in 4” pots and available for purchase.

Many people don’t realize, but the tomato is actually a fruit.  They are low in fat and packed with fiber, Lycopene, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Potassium, Iron, Calcium, and Folate. 

When you plant the varieties of tomatoes I have chosen for our Florida climate (Bella Rosa, Floralina, Homestead, Florida Basket, Snow White, and Cherokee Purple) there are some techniques you should employ to increase your chance of success:

• Plant in raised beds, mounds, containers, or buckets with holes drilled for drainage
• Use the best good draining soil possible
• Place in full sun
• Water when the soil is dry
• Incorporate organic fertilizers
• Insert a tomato cage

Tomatoes are what you call “heavy feeders,” needing a balanced fertilizer throughout the growing season (September through April). The Estates uses worm castings, sea kelp, fish emulsion, bone meal, and Espoma brand fertilizer on ours.  We spray a soap solution once a week to keep insects at bay, and hand- pick the caterpillars off the leaves. Tom’s Plant Soap is available in the Estates Museum Store.  Other insecticides include neem oil, hot pepper spray, and pyrethroids.  As always read the label directions.  Beware of blossom end rot (caused by a calcium deficiency) and fungal diseases, such as early blight and light blight (soil borne fungi). Copper fungicide is labeled for tomatoes and can help control fungal diseases.

Cultural practices highly affect the outcome of tomatoes.  Hand watering at the root zone or using drip irrigation in the morning hours can help prevent withering.  Wetting the soil roots rather than the foliage decreases the chances of fungal diseases. Put dead leaves and rotting fruit in your regular garbage (you don’t want to risk contaminating your compost). High nitrogen fertilizer should be avoided as well. 

You can purchase Estates sprouted tomato plants, fertilizers, insecticides, and fungicides at the Estates Garden Shoppe, open daily from 9AM-5PM, or at the Downtown Farmers Market on Thursdays from 7AM-2PM.  We will keep you posted on the progress of our tomato plants.

The Down and Dirty on Gardener’s Soap

Gardener’s soap has been popular with gardeners and folks who use their hands in their work for many years. There are many and various ingredients used in Gardener’s Soaps and here’s a glossary to help you choose the right one for you.

Exfoliants are used to make soap into a Gardener’s or Mechanic’s soap. The size and shape of the exfoliant grains determine the abrasiveness.

• Nut hulls are characterized by relatively sharp edges and can be very abrasive. The grinding process may render small size particles, but the edges of the particles remain sharp and can create small microscopic tears in the skin.
• Seeds, such as raspberry, strawberry or cranberry have round edges and will exfoliate some, but typically rely on the cleansing power of the soap they are suspended in to remove any dirt. They are best combined with another exfoliant to get dirty hands really clean.
• Pumice is available in fine to coarse grades. Fine pumice will boost the cleaning power of the soap it is in and help remove greasy dirt along with cleansing oils which are added to make the soap more effective. Coarse pumice is too abrasive for hands.
• Coffee grounds are used in soap as exfoliators. Depending on the size of the ground bean particles the soap can be effective as an exfoliator or not.
• Grain meals are also used in Gardener’s soaps to add cleaning power. Oatmeal may be harsh if it is not cooked before adding it to the soap. The whole oat grain itself is relatively large as an exfoliating agent and may just stick out of the bar and not really do much to remove deep dirt. Cooked, ground oatmeal is a nice soft exfoliant and can be used on the face, if care is taken to gently wash the face. Cornmeal is used in Gardener’s soap as it exfoliates, is biodegradable and is compatible with Essential Oils used to increase cleaning power in soap.

Essential Oils are also important to the efficacy of Gardener’s soap. The most often used oils are Lemon, Orange, Tea Tree, Lavender and Peppermint. All work to remove smells and scents from plant material and help to cut the oil component of grime. Care should be taken to keep Peppermint oil based soaps from sensitive areas of skin.

How to choose the right gardener’s soap for you:

• Lavender Tea Tree Soap with cornmeal will clean your hands of dirt that you would typically pick up during potting or planting.
• Heavier dirt will need a Pumice component. The Lemon Pumice Soap will also cut through heavy odors as well due to the Lemon Essential Oil.
• If you’ve been puttering around the yard and want to clean your hands but don’t need to exfoliate, then the Peppermint Cream Soap will leave your hands clean and soft. It has added oils to leave your skin soft. A small amount (about ½ teaspoon) will clean your hands effectively.

Sanibel Skincare Gardener’s Soaps and other soaps are available at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates Museum Store and Ford Cottage Shoppe.

Plant Spotlight: Calamondin

By Debbie Hughes, Estates Horticulturist

           The calamondin is thought to be a cross between a mandarin (tangerine), and a kumquat thus the botanical name, x citrusfortunella microcarpa.  Calamondins are quite small however when you bite into one of these little gems, your taste buds will perk up. The vitamin-C packed fruit is sour on the inside, but the peel is very sweet.  Many people are not familiar with this mandarin relative, but they were imported from China and have been grown throughout Florida since the early 1900’s.  

            Once picked, the fruit doesn’t last longbut you can juice or freeze them for future enjoyment.  When picking the fruit, use scissors or pruners leaving some stem on to increase the shelf life. Calamondin plants are sensitive to frost and grow best in warm climates.  However, potted calamondins can be brought inside during the winter in colder climates. 

Uses for Calamondin:

• Ice Cubes: Freeze the fruit whole on a cookie sheet.  Once frozen, store several frozen fruit in a freezer bag and use as ice cubes in iced tea.   
• Calamondinade: Stir in 1 cup of calamondin juice to 4-6 cups of water adding simple syrup to taste and a pitcher full of ice cubes for a refreshing drink.
• Calamondin Pie: Substitute juice of calamondin for key lime in your favorite key lime pie recipe. 
• Calamondin Marmalade: Made the same way as orange marmalade.

            There are several calamondin trees at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates adding to the repertoire of edible plants Mr. Edison grew on the property. The Estates Garden Shoppe has calamondin trees for sale along with many other types of citrus including grapefruit, kumquat, orange, lime, lemon, limequat, and kafir lime.  You can purchase Estates fruits at the Downtown Fort Myers Farmers’ Market on Thursday mornings. 

Click “More” to view Recipe for Calamondin Cake

You say ‘Tomato’, I say…

By Debbie Hughes, Estates Horticulturist

 

While most of the country is winding down their harvest season, in Southwest Florida we are getting prepared for our fall and winter season of growing vegetables.  Since the days are getting shorter instead of longer, not all tomato varieties will work in our conditions. Bella Rosa, Floralina, Homestead, Florida Basket, Snow White, and Cherokee Purple are the tomatoes enticing me this season.  

Bella Rosa is a mid season tomato with heat tolerance and resistance to tomato wilt.  Floralina is a tomato developed by University of Florida and North Carolina State with resistance to three types of fusarium wilt.  The Homestead variety of tomato is especially recommended for Florida gardeners. Florida Basket is perfect for growing in hanging baskets.  Snow White tomatoes are a pale yellow cherry, sweet without being too sugary.  The Estates grew this tomato successfully last year and I found myself snacking on these delightful mouthfuls every day once the bush was mature.  

Terms to look for when purchasing tomato seeds include “determinate growth” and “indeterminate growth”.  A determinate grower reaches maturity size then begins to flower and produce a set amount of tomatoes, and an indeterminate grower will grow and produce as long as the tomato is happy.  Another characteristic to consider is the number of days to maturity which could be as short as 60 days and as long as 90 days.

The Estates uses nursery flats heaped with a sterile, soil-less seed mix.  The mix is a combination of fine particle perlite, vermiculite, and peat moss.  Pat the mix down level and water it.  Sprinkle seeds on the top of the mix, and cover the tiny seeds with a fine layer of mix.  We have a plastic dome that fits over the nursery flat that provides humidity and warmth inside the mini-greenhouse.  Humidity and warmth are two components needed for seed germination.  Choose a location out of direct sunlight without too much heat.  Little sprouts may be apparent within three or four days. 

Once four leaves are evident on the seedling, it is time to start using a balance liquid fertilizer (10-10-10) or a worm tea and move into additional sunlight (not full sun yet).  The fertilizer reminds the tomato to grow as the media used does not have nutrients necessary for the plants continued growth; the soil-less mix only decreases the chance of seedlings damping off and dying.

In a couple of weeks, the Estates will have tomato plants for sale at the Garden Shoppe and the Downtown Farmers’ Market as seedlings so that you can plant them at home in 5 gallon buckets, raised beds, or other containers (the ground in Florida is not favorable for tomatoes because of nematodes).  Come by the Estates Heritage garden to see how our tomatoes are progressing.

Look for future blogs once the seeds are sprouted and growing and we will discuss transplanting them into larger sized pots and then hardening off the seedlings to finally get them into their new home .

Plant Spotlight: Ackee

By Dick Dutton, Estates Plant Curator

Ackee, Blighia sapida, Sapindaceae

 

The Ackee (or Akee) is a native to West Africa but found a new home in Jamaica in the 18^th Century.  The scientific name, Blighia sapida, is named for Captain William Bligh who took it from Jamaica to England.

The Ackee is related to the Lychee and the Longan and can grow up to 30 feet high.  Ackee fruit opens at maturity, with three cream colored arils, each tipped with a black seed. The edible aril is eaten cooked, but must be mature, fresh, and harvested when the fruit opens naturally. Immature arils, overripe arils, the outer rind of the fruit, the pink membrane under the seeds and the seeds are toxic and can be fatal. When harvested and prepared correctly, the arils are delicious and safe to eat. Ackee and saltfish is highly esteemed in Jamaica, where it is the national dish.

There is a mature Ackee tree at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates just inside the entrance gate to the riverside property on the left.

Plant Spotlight: Ylang Ylang

by Dick Dutton, Plant Curator

Ylang Ylang Tree, Cananga Odorata, Annonaceae

The Ylang Ylang is an evergreen tree around 30 to 45 feet tall with with gracefully drooping branches.  It is often grown in the gardens of Southeast Asia and has yellow-green, highly fragrant, drooping flowers, which appear almost continuously on the leafy twigs.  The oil of the flower is used to make Chanel No. 5 perfume.

There are two mature Ylang Ylang trees at the Estates.  One is located near the Edison Guest House and one is close to the fence on McGregor Boulevard.  Area neighbors walk by the trees just outside the grounds and enjoy the beautiful, exotic fragrance of their flowers.

There are two other forms of the Ylang Ylang on the Estates grounds; a large vine by the cistern and a dwarf scrub bush just inside the fence near the crosswalk.

If you are interested in enjoying the Ylang Ylang’s famous fragrance from home, the plant is available for sale in the Estates Garden Shoppe.  The trees for sale are propagated from seeds from the Estates’ own trees.

Plant Spotlight: Dwarf Poinciana

by Dick Dutton, Plant Curator

The Dwarf Poinciana is a large shrub/small tree that has flowers resembling a Royal Poinciana tree with the advantage of a smaller size. The Royal Poinciana, considered by some the most beautiful flowering tree in the world, is large and can reach 30′ in height with a 50′ spread. This makes the Dwarf Pionciana perfect for smaller yards or lanais where space is limited.

Dwarf Poincianas grow to 8-12 feet and are semi-deciduous, losing their leaves during the winter for a relatively short time. They are easy to grow from seed; germination takes no more than seven days during the warmer weather. There is one tree on the Edison & Ford Winter Estates grounds by the fountain on your way to Edison’s Pier.

Dwarf Poincianas are very popular and are available for sale in the Estates Garden Shoppe located near the Information Booth.

Plant Spotlight: Candlenut Tree

by Dick Dutton, Estates Plant Curator

 

Candlenut Tree, Aleurites moluccana, Euphorbiaceae, Old and New World Tropics

The Candlenut tree is the state tree of Hawaii. It is one of the few trees that has a motto: “Peace, Security and Enlightenment.” The Candlenut tree can grow to 75 feet tall, bears walnut-size nuts and has evergreen leaves resembling the maple in shape.

Parts of the nut are used for cooking, traditional medicine, and soaps. Ancient Hawaiians used the nuts to provide light by stringing them in a row on a palm leaf midrib, lighting one end, and burning them one by one approximately every fifteen minutes. This led to their use as a measure of time, as one could instruct someone to return home before the second nut burned out.

There are three trees growing on the Edison and Ford Winter Estates. Candlenut trees are available for sale at the Garden Shoppe.

Neighborhood Walks Yield Scented Treasures

by Debbie Hughes, Estates Horticulturist

Take a walk around the neighborhood and open your eyes and your nose.  Many of our great wonders can’t be found while driving in a car.  Get out of the house in the summertime – I find the cooler night time is the perfect time.

I walk around my neighborhood every night accompanied by my 6 pound dog, a silver-colored energetic Yorkshire terrier named “Roxy”.  A dog is a great companion to make you exercise when you would rather be lazing around the house.  While we were turning round the last corner before heading home on this dark humid evening, an intriguing smell wafted past my nose.  What could this be?  I looked around knowing Roxy couldn’t help (she was only interested in dog smells).  I knew this had to be some night-time pollinator attractor flower.  As I walked a few more steps, there shining in the evening moonlight was the luminescent blooms of the Angel Trumpet.  It appeared to be the apricot/salmon colored variety.

The angel trumpet works so hard to get the attention of the moth, the pollinator of these heady flowers. Many flowers need more than a night-time glow; they need fragrance. Angel trumpets are classified as vespertine flower is one which opens and blooms in the evening.  The Brugmansia genus, botanically speaking, blooms off and on throughout the warm months usually 4-6 weeks apart. The Estates has two large (6 foot) angel trumpets standing guard at the entrance to the Moonlight Garden. There is a foot long white flowered variety also in another area of the gardens. 

Angel’s Trumpets close up during the daytime.

Angel’s Trumpets open up in the evening to attract night-time pollinators.

The most certain way to enjoy all that nature has to offer is to get out of the house and capture real life adventures.  The olfactory senses don’t work on the television. We often take cuttings from the Angel Trumpets and offer them up for sale at the Estates Garden Shoppe or at the Downtown Farmer’s Market.  If you can’t grow these plants at home become a member at the Estates so you can regularly observe all the goodies growing.

Orchids in Bloom

by Debbie Hughes, Estates Horticulturist

I was fortunate enough last weekend to visit the strange Ghost orchid at the Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary near Naples, FL.   The term “visit” usually describes catching up with an aunt or uncle, but this visit was more like a long lost friend.  A Dendrophlax Lindenii, botanically speaking, is a rare orchid native to South Florida composed of roots (no leaves) and an odd-shaped white petaled bloom spike.

To view the ghost orchid one had to squint through a scope. The orchid was perched in its roost, 300 feet from the boardwalk, high in the sky in an unsuspecting 600 year old cypress tree. I couldn’t believe my eyes; the orchid really existed!  My previous experience came up empty while hiking through the Fakahatchee Swamp in the Everglades years earlier.  I also discovered oodles of orchids attached to pond apple trees within naked eye view while strolling on the boardwalk.  Most people might not notice the orchids, mistaking them for tree parts.   I wonder what fate native orchids have in South Florida, as the numbers have dwindled throughout the state and the world since people began collecting them and developing the lands on which they thrive.

Every week, we attach orchids into our mango trees and other appropriate trees at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in what we call “Orchid Lane”.  Orchids were a favorite of Mina Edison; many horticulturists hunting the wilderness and friends worldwide sent her orchids.  There was even talk of the Edisons’ and Fords’ camping forays into the swamps bringing orchids home to their gardens.  The rough crevices of the bark make mango trees a perfect candidate for the orchid to establish a network of roots in.  The canopy also provides protection from strong winds and direct sunlight.

Laelias, Cattleyas, Cyrtopodium, Dendrobiums, Phaleanopsis, Schomburgkia, Psychopsis, Dendrophylax, Epidendrum, Oncidium, Encyclias, Brassavola, Vanilla, and everything in between reside in the loving arms of our tropical jungle.  We are a designated site for confiscated orchids through CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Since we receive many rare and not-so-rare orchids, we are able to provide a chance for the public to enjoy these beauties close up. 

Each month an orchid will find a reason to bloom and continue the cycle of life.  We have a Dendrobium that has bloomed continuously since I began work here in 2007.  Just come by and walk around the property; you will be amazed at the fun you will have discovering our hidden wonders.  During the year we offer an Orchid class for those who would like to learn about their care.   Stay tuned for more info about our amazing orchids throughout the year!