ANN LOVEJOY | Nurturing homegrown food crops

Since the whole country has been experiencing unusual weather lately, we can consider ourselves fortunate to just be dealing with our usual variety of summerish weather. As usual, cool-season crops thrived in the chilly, wet spring and early summer. And, as usual, the heat-loving crops were slower to get going, but are now coming into their own.

To help our edible crops do the best they can, we need to stay alert to their needs. Sadly, there really is no one-size-fits-all schedule for feeding and watering. The best schedule is one that follows the fluctuations of weather and plant growth. In cooler weather, food crops need less water and can't use as much fertilizer. When the soil and night air heat up, both root and top growth take off and plants need more nurturing.

Perennials, trees, and shrubs develop big root systems over time, making them less vulnerable to changes in temperature and other conditions. Many edible crops are annuals, which can be fatally damaged by a temporary lack of water on a blazing hot day. Unless they get regular amounts of food and water, annuals get stressed. Stressed annuals tend to go to seed fast, spending energy on seed production instead of producing bountiful harvests.

Moderation and consistency are the key to good results with most food crops. It's vital to stay aware of garden conditions so we can respond appropriately. Too much water is as bad as too little, promoting diseases and attracting insects. Too much fertilizer can also cause problems, diluting flavor and promoting foliage over food. It's best to be a Goldilocks gardener and keep everything "just right."

Readers asked about organic ways to deal with several issues, including powdery mildew on pumpkins and cucumbers and strawberries that mold before they can be harvested. Powdery mildew can occur when plants have dry roots or don't get adequate air circulation. Keeping soil moist can help, so watering well, then adding mulch will help. If the mulch is very dry, wet it thoroughly as well so it won't wick away the water. Spray foliage of susceptible crops like cucumbers, squash and pumpkins with a 10 percent solution of skim milk (1 cup milk powder to 10 cups water). The calcium helps foliage resist mildews and promotes sturdy plant growth.

If your strawberries are getting moldy, they probably need better air circulation. Groom the undersides of plants, removing old leaves and fruiting stems, and mulch the soil with clean compost. You can also try an organic alternative being explored by California growers. In recent years, commercial growers have relied heavily on methyl bromide to clean fields of various soil and foliage diseases. As that proved too dangerous, Federal regulators ordered it discontinued.

Now, California growers are turning to onion skins and rice straw, both natural fumigants. Rice is an important crop in California, where rice straw is plentiful. Around here, check your local feed store for rice straw bales. Strawberry growers use rice straw as mulch, so their berries never touch the soil. The berries stay a lot cleaner and the rice straw helps fend off molds and mildews. Slugs don't like sliming over scratchy straw, so there's less pest damage as well.

Onion skins are harder to find in bulk, even when we add garlic skins (which also fight diseases). To accumulate enough skins to mulch your strawberry patch, ask your local coop or grocery store if you can collect onion skins from onion shipping boxes. Friends might be willing to save you onion skins, as well. Or eat lots of onions; they're good for you, too!