CUISINE & CULTURE
Cut and come again.
Gardeners that sowed seeds of leafy greens suggested in the “What to Plant Now” August 6 column likely already have established plantlets. Thirty- or 40-day-old greens will soon be ready for harvesting using the “cut and come again” method.
Cut and come again is a gardening strategy to harvest individual leaves without sacrificing the entire plant. Once-harvesting eliminates plants from gardens but the cut and come again strategy keeps leafy greens growing in the garden for future harvesting.
Outer leaves are harvested in the cut and come again strategy letting new leaves regrow from the undisturbed crown. Harvest every few weeks for a steady supply of fresh greens all autumn.
With sharp scissors or pruners cut the outermost leaves just above the crown; keep the crown intact. Rinse greens, pat dry, refrigerate in a zip bag with paper towels. Greens will remain garden-fresh for several days.
Maintain routine culture of the remaining plant; keep moist. This technique works well in small and container gardens.
Keeping birds out of the figs.
Those of us who grow figs have learned that birds love them as much as we do. What can we do to keep birds from beating us to the ripe figs? They know when a fig is ripe. As a fig ripens fruit color changes from bright to paler green, then a tinge of tan and a pretty tan when ripe. While color is changing the fruit accumulates sugars and water causing the fig to swell. Figs at premium harvest stage will have an overall tan shade with undertones of light green; vertical striations become visible, they soften and droop from the weight of the fruit. Birds watch these stage changes that signal prime pecking. They often get to the fig before the gardener. The choices to save the harvest is to stand guard to shoo them away (not practical), harvest fruit a day or two (losing sweetness and soft texture) or to prevent them from getting the fruit. Preventing them from getting the fruit takes some ingenuity. The surest keep-away is to cover soon-to-ripen figs with small paper sacks and clothespin them shut, keeping them covered until fully ripe. Check bags in a day or so then harvest perfect, ripe figs without bird pecks—Good job; you have foiled the birds!
Ellen Peffley Harp, a retired professor of horticulture at Texas Tech University, writes about gardening for several Texas newspapers.
