nine palms

Nine Palms Ranch Trial, 2008

Team members: Carol Halloran, Suna Herder, Nella Henninger, Helen Murray, Jeanie Sunseri, Sandra Tamm

Summary

Fourteen varieties of cucumbers were compared for flavor and production. Stallion White and Japanese Long ranked top in flavor. Marketmore 76 was top in production.

Overview

This was a trial to compare the production and taste of 14 varieties of cucumbers. The cucumbers were grown on a 35 foot long arbor. This arbor is 7 feet tall and 41/2 feet wide. The arbor is divided into 7 five foot sections on each side. 14 varieties of cucumbers were selected.

Soil preparation

Between May 16th and May 23rd the area around the arbor was cleared. Sweet peas were pulled up and the area was cleared of weeds, debris and sweet pea leavings. The area was watered well and spread with a heavy dressing of alfalfa pellets. The pellets were spread and dug in by hand on May 20th. On May 23rd, the area was dug in again and watered. The area was ready to plant.

Seeding and transplanting

On May 27th, after much discussion, we decided that cucumber seeds germinated easily so we would seed directly in the soil. In each of the 14 5-foot sections, we planted one type of cucumber seed. We planted on both sides of the wire in their section. Seven seeds were planted on each side, with the plan of thinning after they germinated. We alternated cucumbers with obvious differences. For example: a white cucumber next to a green cucumber, so as to tell them apart more easily as they started to produce. After the planting was finished, the area was topdressed with about one inch of Garrods horse compost and the area was watered well.

Nine Palms Ranch Trial, 2008

Team members: Many Nine Palms Ranch volunteers

Summary

Peaches & Cream corn was reliably productive over an extended harvest period.

Overview

In 2007 we planted four varieties of corn with different maturation times, but they all matured within a week of each other anyhow, not two to three weeks apart as predicted. So this year we planted three varieties of corn at three and a half week intervals to see if we could get corn to mature at different times over the summer. We also tried four different winter cover crops to improve the soil and see if there were differences in a variety grown in the different cover crop areas.

We used three varieties of sweet corn (Latin name, Zea mays). They were standard, not super sweet varieties. Silver Queen is white, Jubilee is yellow and Peaches and Cream is bi-color. See the chart below.

Nine Palms Ranch Trial, 2007

Leads: Betsy Fischer and Gil Patrick

Team members: Carole Reek and Suna Herder

Summary

Under challenging weather conditions, Silver Queen and Peaches & Cream ranked highest among the four corns tested. Golden Bantam is not recommended.

Overview

We compared four varieties of sweet corn (Zea mays) to determine the best production and taste. All the varieties were standard corn, not super sweet. Silver Queen is white corn, Golden Bantam and Jubilee are yellow, and Peaches and Cream is bi-color.

Nine Palms Ranch Trial, 2006

Lead: Karen Schaffer

Summary

Belgian endive can be successfully grown in Santa Clara County as a cool weather green. The plants need to be started in the summer. In late fall, they are harvested, trimmed and transplanted into damp sand where they are kept cool and dark. Six plants will yield weekly salad greens from December through March, for as long as the weather stays cool.

Overview

The purpose of the project was to determine the best timing for planting and forcing Belgian endive in Santa Clara County’s unique climate.

Belgian endive needs to grow in the ground for about four months, then the roots are dug up, replanted in sand, and kept cool and dark while the chicons (the resprouting heads, pronounced shee-COHn) develop. In most places, this forcing phase of growing Belgian endive requires using temperature-controlled rooms, but with our milld winters, we suspected we could leave our bins outside and simply let nature do the work for us. Our 2003-2004 trials proved this conjecture correct.

But when we grew Belgian endive two years ago, we started seedlings in August and transplanted them in October. We then dug the roots in February for forcing. We only got one chicon harvest because the weather was already warming up by then. We believe that by growing the plants over the summer and starting the forcing just as the weather turns cold, we could get harvests all through the winter.

Soil preparation

The plot was cover cropped with fava beans which were cut down and rototilled into the beds in April, along with some aged horse manure.

Seeding/planting

Nine Palms Ranch Trial, 2006

Lead: Karen Schaffer

Summary

For best Brussels sprouts production, transplant seedlings into the garden in May or June. The plants will begin to produce sprouts in the summer and will continue through the fall and winter.

Overview

The purpose of the project was to determine the best timing for planting Brussels sprouts in Santa Clara County’s unique climate.

September and October are the recommended months for transplanting cabbage family plants such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. But Brussels sprouts that are transplanted then often don’t produce well. We wondered if starting the plants earlier in the summer would yield better results. We started seeds one month apart from May to August and tracked the results.

Soil preparation

The plot was cover cropped with fava beans which were cut down and rototilled into the beds in April, along with some aged horse manure.

Seeding/planting

We started five sets of seedlings of Jade Cross Brussels sprouts (seeds from Stokes) approximately one month apart throughout the spring and summer. We transplanted the strongest six seedlings from each batch when they were about six weeks old. They were planted one foot apart in two rows one foot apart in a three-foot wide bed. Each seedling had a handful of alfalfa pellets dug into its hole before planting.

So named for the nine palm trees that line the street, this two-acre site in San Jose has been established for Master Gardener (MG) research use. In order to test the principles that University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) promotes, MGs carry out trials at Nine Palms on best gardening practices and plant varieties best suited for our area, Santa Clara County. Ongoing research projects encompass all facets of gardening from soil preparation to planting density.
This is the largest facility for which Santa Clara County MGs currently care. On site are a large greenhouse, a shade house and several storage buildings as well as over one acre that can be used for annual vegetable and fruit trials. Most of the vegetable and fruit trials, completed in one growing season, emphasize best practices that are applicable to the home gardener.
At this facility, Master Gardeners investigate multiple growing methods and planting times to determine what works best for our unique climates. In recent years trials have included Mediterranean peppers, new vegetable varieties, tomato trials, year-round cut flowers, carrots, winter-grown edible greens and many others. Each year there are at least 10 different annual trials of vegetables, ornamental plants or fruits. There are also longer trials such as the best and most successful blueberries to grow in our area. Some of the most recent trials are accessible below.