LITMIR.BIZ

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trenches with compost or aged manure and 4 pounds of bone meal worked 8 inches into the soil. Then place the crowns in the bottom, 15 inches apart with their roots well spread out. Cover with 2 inches of soil. As the shoots emerge, continue to fill the trench with soil. Once the trenches are full, mulch with 4 inches of an organic mulch.

      On normal soil, annual applications of compost or modest amounts of chicken manure is all that is needed for fertilizer. After the first season, only moderate amounts of water are needed during the growing season. In the arid Southwest, to encourage dormancy do not irrigate in winter.

      Asparagus beetles are generally the most serious pest. Diligent hand picking of the beetles in early spring as soon as they appear helps reduce the population. If the beetles are taking over, knock them off into a bucket of soapy water or use a Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) developed for their control and apply it according to directions. Further, fall cleanup removes some of the breeding adults. If the bed is free of beetles from planting time on, use floating row covers to keep them out.

      A fungus disease called asparagus rust can be a problem in damp weather. Cercospora leaf spot can be a serious problem in the Southeast. Where gophers are numerous they can destroy the whole bed. Plant the crowns in wire baskets to protect them. Perennial weeds can quickly take over and crowd out a bed of asparagus, so remove all weeds and keep the bed mulched.

      Harvest the spears by snapping them off an inch above soil level. No harvest is recommended the first year. In the second year, limit the harvest to three weeks. In subsequent years, harvest for six to eight weeks, and until the spears begin to thin to a pencil thickness.

      Fertilize with fish meal after the harvest. In mild climates, cut down plants when they turn brown; in cold climates wait until early spring as the stalks help maintain a snow cover.

      Varieties

      ‘Purple Sweet’ (‘Sweet Purple’): old variety; large, tender, deep burgundy spears; sweet flavor; Park Seed Company and R. H. Shumway’s carry this variety as rooted crowns

      How to prepare: The purple pigments in asparagus are anthocyanins and they fade quickly when cooked. Young shoots are delicious raw in salads or served with flavorful dips. If you cook the purple asparagus, simmer it in an inch of water with ¼ cup of lemon juice to help maintain some of the color, the longer you cook it the more color it loses, so whenever possible serve them al dente.

      BASIL

      Ocimum basilicum

      ‘Red Rubin’ basil and Lemon Basil

      While there are many types of basil, the ones we are interested here have purple foliage.

      How to grow: Basils are annual herbs that glory in hot weather and wither with frost. Plant it in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil with much organic matter. Start basil seeds inside a month before the weather warms up in spring, or use transplants from the nursery. Place plants about 1 foot apart and keep them moist during the growing season. Fertilize with a balanced organic fertilizer every six weeks and after a large harvest.

      Occasional pests are slugs and snails, and cucumber and Japanese beetles. When harvesting, leaves are picked by hand or cut. Keep the flower-heads continually cut back or the plant will go to seed and give few leaves.

      Varieties

      ‘Osmin Purple’: purple leaves and stems; glossy, slightly ruffled leaves; fragrant; lavender flowers

      ‘Red Rubin’: purple leaves; fragrant; pink flowers; similar to the old standby ‘Dark Opal’ but more uniform

      ‘Purple Ruffles’: dark purple, ruffled leaves; fragrant; lavender flowers; seedlings are variable, select most colorful plants as you thin

      How to prepare: The purple basils are high in anthocyanins. To best enjoy the color, use these basils raw in salads, sandwiches, and as a garnish. They will lend some of their pink color to vinegars and apple jelly. If you cook, puree, or mince purple basils though, they turn a disappointing brown.

      BEANS

      PURPLE AND YELLOW SNAP BEANS

      Phaseolus vulgaris

      ‘Royalty Purple Pod’

      ‘Dragon’s Tongue’

      ‘Wax Romano’

      Purple and yellow snap beans are more popular with children than their green cousins.

      How to grow: Beans are adaptable annuals and are planted after all danger of frost is past. Purple and wax varieties can tolerate colder soil than most green snap beans. They need full sun and a good, loose garden loam with plenty of added humus. Sow seeds of bush beans 1 inch deep in rows 18 inches apart; thin to 6 inches. Pole beans need a strong trellis to climb on. Plant the seeds 1 inch deep; thin to 8 inches apart. If the plants look pale midseason fertilize with fish emulsion. Beans are best watered deeply and infrequently.

      Beans have their share of pests, including bean beetles, beanloopers, whiteflies, aphids, mites, and cucumber beetles. Anthracnose and leaf spots diseases are most prevalent in humid climates.

      Harvest snap beans when the seeds inside are still very small and the pods are tender. Make sure to keep all beans harvested or the plants stop producing.

      Varieties

      Renee’s Garden offers a combination package of green, purple, and yellow beans in retail stores.

      Purple Snap Beans

      ‘Hopi Purple String Beans’: purple bean with black crescent-moon-shaped stripes; can be grown with little or no irrigation; available from Native Seeds/SEARCH

      ‘Purple Queen’: 55 days; bush; purple pods and flowers; sweet flavor; common bean mosaic-virus tolerant

      ‘Royal Burgundy’: 51 days; bush; dark purple pods; vigorous

      ‘Royalty Purple Pod’ (‘Royalty’): bush; deep-purple pods and flowers; vigorous; some resistance to Mexican bean beetles

      ‘Trionfo’ (‘Trionfo Violetto’): 65 days; pole; deep purple pods and lavender flowers; vigorous

      Yellow Snap Beans

      ‘Cherokee’: 55 days; bush; sweet, wax bean; early; high yielding; widely adapted; rust and common bean mosaic-virus resistant

      ‘Dragon’s Tongue’ (‘Dragon Langerie’): 65 days; bush; unusual creamy yellow wax bean with purple stripes; available from Bountiful Gardens

      ‘Pencil Pod Wax’

      ‘Pencil Pod Black Wax (‘Pencil Pod’): 53 days; bush; tender yellow pods with black seeds; early

      ‘Roc D’or’: 57 days; bush; slender yellow pods; productive; resistant to common bean mosaic virus and anthracnose

      ‘Wax Romano’: 58 days; bush; light yellow pods with meaty texture; vigorous

      Yellow Anellino (‘Gancetto Burro’): 80 days; pole; small, crescent-shaped pods; rich bean flavor

      Renee’s rainbow collection beans: green slenderette, ‘Roc D’or,’ and ‘Purple Queen’

      How to prepare: Yellow wax beans keep their color when cooked and are used as you would any snap bean, boiled or steamed until just tender, though cooking times are short as the beans turn to mush quickly.

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