Last month saw the first waves of cool weather come through our area, much to our collective delight.  Now this month we have already seen two nights of freezing temperatures north of the lake.  With the change in weather, we also see a change in the landscape.  Though not as striking as Fall is in the north, we do see some beautiful Fall foliage in this area.  Some trees providing us with our Fall color include the following: Sweet Gum, Flowering Dogwood, Black Gum, Persimmon, Crape Myrtle, Red Maple, Tulip Poplar and Bald Cypress. Except for the Crape Myrtle these are all native trees.  If any of these fit into your landscape scheme, the time to plant starts now with your window of opportunity lasting until next February.  The trees are dormant now and the sooner you plant the more time the tree will have to establish its roots. 

Loretta Boswell

Beautiful fall foliage

Home landscape:  So many people, especially those living on the north shore who suffered from tree damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, probably do not want to see a tree within a hundred feet of their home now.  But it does not have to be this way.  A careful study of the right tree for the right location can eliminate the anxiety of having the trees nearby.  Planting “survivor trees” that are native to our area is a great start.  Dr.  D. G. “Buck” Abbey, landscape professor at LSU, lists his favorite hurricane-resistant trees. I’ve shortened the list by naming just the natives.  These include the Bald Cypress, Live Oak, Black Gum, Iron Wood, Shumard Oak, and Winged Elm trees. These trees have mature heights from 30 feet (Iron Wood) to 100 feet (Bald Cypress and Shumard Oak). 

Trees to avoid or what Dr. Abbey calls “Victim Trees” include Pecan, Pine, Red Cedar, Ornamental Pears, Willows, Silver Maples, Box Elders, Cottonwoods, Hickories, some Elms and some Red Oaks.  He explains that these trees are “weighed down by a dense canopy and possess a high center of gravity.  They are fast growing, weak-wooded and shallow rooted. They will not survive a storm well.”  The complete article can be read by logging on to www.lsuagcenter.com  and typing in Hurricanes & Trees in the search box. 

Below is a sampling of trees of different mature heights that can be planted now. All are native except where noted. 

Up to 35 feet – good for urban landscapes: 

Flowering Dogwood – 20 feet – needs fertile, well-drained acid soil – Fall color

Eastern Redbud – 25 feet – fertile, well-drained acid soil – early Spring color

Crape Myrtle – 25 feet – non-native – undemanding – Fall color

Cherry-Laurel – 30 feet – fertile, well-drained soil – evergreen

Fringetree – 35 feet – fertile, well-drained acid soil – Spring/Fall color

Up to 70 feet –

River Birch – 40 feet – moist, sandy, acid soil – exfoliating bark

Red Maple – 50 feet – moist soil – adds color

Live Oak – 50 feet – moist soil, undemanding and long-lived

Tupelo Gum – 70 feet – moist to wet soil – early Fall color

Up to 125 feet – if you have the space, these are grand

Baldcypress – 100 feet -  wet to dry, undemanding – bronze Fall color

Longleaf Pine – 125 feet – sandy, well drained soil – long-lived

For a complete list, type in “Trees” in the search box of the LSUAgCenter website.

When choosing your new trees the Ag Center suggests avoiding some common mistakes.  First, do not plant large trees too close to buildings, utilities, sidewalks or driveways.  Second, avoid the wrong soil condition.  Third, avoid planting messy trees by driveways, walks, decks and play area (e.g.: sweet gum and persimmon).  Fourth, avoid thorny trees in play areas or close to sidewalks (e.g. Hawthorns and citrus). 

Next month I’ll continue this tree discussion by providing you with information on how to plant that new tree and where you can purchase it.

Vegetable gardening:  In November you can continue to plant collards, Brussels sprouts (transplants), cabbage (transplants or seed), shallots, garlic, Swiss chard, spinach, kale, mustard, carrots and turnips (Fall/Winter, 2007 – Horticulture Hints & Living Well, LSUAgCenter.com).  If you put out seed, a helpful hint is to take the time to water every morning with a very gentle spray.  The seeds need this steady moisture to germinate well.

Loretta Boswell

Fall harvest

The picture featured show the fields of greens and a sampling of the produce coming out now.  The harvest this week included arugula, collards, kale, chard, mustard greens, beet greens, kohlrabi greens, turnips and turnip greens, broccoli, cabbage, and potatoes. Herbs available now include parsley, cilantro, oregano, thyme, chives, tarragon, rosemary, and mint.

In the beginning of the article I mentioned that we have had two freezes already.  Before the first one I harvested all the summer veggies that were ready.  These included the last of the tomatoes, green and red peppers and okra.  The potatoes were covered with a row cover and did not have problems with the cold. With the extra tomatoes and peppers I made a wonderful ethnic Tortilla soup.  Herbs from the garden that went in the soup included the cilantro and oregano plus the garlic used was harvested earlier too.  The recipe is rather long but can be downloaded from http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_26262,00.html .  The only change I would make is to double the broth as I found it to be too thick and not soupy enough.

Now you might be wondering what to do with so many greens.  As I’ve written before a simple way to prepare is to sauté some onion in olive oil, add the greens, chicken or vegetable broth, and slow cook until tender.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Here is another way to prepare the greens and have an offering for that Monday night gumbo party. The recipe is “Gumbo Z’herbes” by Emeril Lagasse.

3 tablespoons rendered bacon fat

1 ham hock, about 2 pounds, with ½ inch slits cut into it

2 cups chopped onions

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 bay leaves

4 sprigs fresh thyme

½teaspoon cayenne pepper

5 assorted bunches of greens, such as spinach, collards, mustard greens, turnip  

  greens, watercress, chicory, beet tops, carrot tops or radish tops washed, rinsed  

  and chopped

1 bunch parsley, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

½small green cabbage, chopped

2 quarts chicken broth or 2 quarts water

Salt & pepper

File powder

Cooked white rice for serving with gumbo

Loretta Boswell

Fall garden

In a stockpot or large saucepan, heat the bacon fat.  Add the ham hock and onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add chopped greens, parsley, green onions and cabbage and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted.  Add broth or water and increase heat to high.  Bring to a boil, skim surface, and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for 2 ½ hours until greens are very tender.  Season with salt and pepper and add file, to taste, just before serving in large bowls over hot white rice.  (Do not allow gumbo to boil after adding the file).

The following events might be of interest to you:

New Orleans Botanical Garden – Celebration in the Oaks begins Nov. 23-25,  Nov. 30 – Dec. 2, then nightly from Dec. 7 through Dec. 30.  It will be closed Dec. 24th and 25^th.  The cost is $6.00 per person with children 3 and under entering free. 

If you are the volunteering type, City Park is looking for you to come to their Super Saturday Volunteer Work Day.  The next one is Dec. 1, between 9 and 12 noon.  The meeting place is Storyland and help is needed to prune, rake, cut grass, pick up trash and plant.  Detailed information is available at http://neworleanscitypark.com/calendar.html.

The LSU AgCenter’s 2007 poinsettia open house will be Dec. 14 ^th at the Burden Conference Center on Essen Lane in Baton Rouge from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.  70 varieties of poinsettias will be on display.  In addition, LSU AgCenter horticulturists Jeff Kuehny and Wanda Ellis will be on hand to discuss the care and selection of poinsettias.  There is no charge for attending.  If you need further information you can e-mail to jkuehny@agcenter.lsu.edu.

In closing, have a safe Thanksgiving!

If you have any questions or comments, I can be reached by e-mail at lally@bellsouth.net.

Loretta Boswell

St. Tammany Master Gardener