Antioxidants

                                                                               

 

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage. Antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers" and hence prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals. Health problems such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer are all contributed by oxidative damage. Antioxidants may also enhance immune defense and therefore lower the risk of cancer and infection.

Fortunately, research is also increasingly showing that there is potential health benefits of antioxidant intake by eating a diet rich in antioxidant-containing foods.

When it comes to antioxidant intake, no one food or food group should be your sole focus. It's best to include a wide variety of foods as part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. Some of the better sources of antioxidants include:

Berries-Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, lingonberries and strawberries.
Fruit-Many apple varieties (with peel), cherries, red and green peppers, red pear, plums and many more.
Beans-Small red beans and kidney, pinto and black beans.
Vegetables-Artichoke, spinach, red cabbage, sweet potatoes and broccoli.
Nuts-Walnuts, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds are some of the highest.
Just to name a few!

As a bonus, foods high in antioxidants typically offer many other health benefits. These foods are often plant based and offer health benefits in addition to their antioxidant content, such as being high in fiber, protein, and other vitamins and minerals and low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

antioxidant values of foods are expressed in ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) units.

What is ORAC value?
ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) unit, ORAC value, or "ORAC score" is a method of measuring the antioxidant capacity of different foods and supplements. It was developed by scientists at the National Institutes of Health. While the exact relationship between the ORAC value of a food and its health benefit has not been established, it is believed that foods higher on the ORAC scale will more effectively neutralize free radicals. According to the free-radical theory of aging, this will slow the oxidative processes and free radical damage that can contribute to age-related degeneration and disease. To find the ORAC value of your food check out http://www.oracvalue.com/.

So, great news, a lot of the foods that are really high in antioxidants you can grow easily at home. Tomorrow's Harvest has many different fruit and nut varieties that you can grow at home. Check with your local nursery or contact us for more information.



It's Blueberry Planting Time

It's Blueberry Planting Time  

The modern blueberry is a 20th century invention. Before the 1900s, the only way to enjoy these North American natives was to find them in the wild. Then, scientists started to unlock the secrets of cultivating blueberries, and we’re glad they did! Plump, juicy berries are now easy to grow in your backyard on bushes that are resistant to most pests and diseases, and can produce for up to 20 years. Blueberry bushes are also an attractive addition to your overall landscape, offering scarlet fall foliage and creamy white spring flowers.

Planting
Blueberries are picky about soil. They require one that is acidic, high in organic matter, and well-drained yet moist. pH should ideally be between 4 and 5. Bushes should be planted in the early spring. Dig holes about 20 inches deep and 18 inches wide. Space bushes about 5 feet apart. Apply fertilizer one month after planting, not at time of planting.

Care
Mulch to keep shallow blueberry root systems moist, which is essential. Apply a 2-4 inch layer of woodchips, saw dust or pine needles after planting. Supply one to two inches of water per week. For the first four years after planting, there is no need to prune blueberry bushes. From then on, pruning is needed to stimulate growth of the new shoots that will bear fruit the following season. Drape netting over ripening blueberries, so that the birds won't make away with the entire crop. Prune plants in late winter, preferably just before growth begins. Pruned plants will not bear the season following pruning, so prune a different half of a planting every two years (or a different third of a planting every three years). Do not allow the bush to produce fruit for the first couple of years. Pinch back blossoms, this will help to stimulate growth.

Harvest/Storage
Blueberries will be ready for picking in late July-mid August. Don’t rush to pick the berries as soon as they turn blue. Wait a couple days. When they are ready, they should fall off right into your hand.

Blueberries are a very healthy and delicious fruit. Check with your local nursery to see which one of the fantastic Tomorrow's Harvest bluberry varieties they sell. You will be surprised at how many wonderful varieties there are. And as always if you have any questions on varieties, planting or anything, please let us know.

 

Here is one of the many tasty recipies that calls for blueberries. Enjoy!

Blueberry muffins
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 egg
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries

In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Combine the egg, milk, oil and vanilla; add to the dry ingredients just until moistened. Gently fold in blueberries. Fill greased or paper-line muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Rootstocks 2

Guardian* (Prunus persica) each seedling. Use with almonds, peaches, nectarines, plums, prunes and apricots. Resistant to ring nematde, a leading cause of Peach Tree Short Life (PTSL). Resistant to root- knot nematodes. Fairly vigorous. Used mainly in the Southeast United States. Unknown adaptability in other regions.

Flora Guard (Prunus persica) Peach seedling. Use with peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots. A low chill peach rootstock that causes early bud break of 3-5 days in some years. Resistant to root knot nematodes. Does not tolerate high pH soils.

Plum 26-24 (plum rooted cutting) Use with plums, prunes, apricots and some almonds. Slightly dwarfing, moderately resistant to Phytophthora crown and root rot and oak root fungus. Tolerates wet soils and is root-knot nematode resistant. Tends to lean. Shallow roots the first few years. Very susceptible to bacterial canker. Incompatible with peaches, nectarine and some almond varieties. Suckers profusely and is to crown gall.

Plum 29-C (plum rooted cutting) Use with plums, prunes, apricots and some almonds. Makes a large tree. Immune to root-knot nematode. Tolerates wet soils. Tends to sucker and lean. Some incompatibility with almonds. Prunes subject to brown line on this rootstock. May see a lighter crop than Marianna 26-24. Susceptible to oak root fungus.

M40* (plum rooted cutting) Use with plums, prunes, apricots and some almonds. A Marianna 26-24 selection that roots deeper and has less suckers. Good in wet soils. Not compatible with all almond varieties. Same a Marianna 26-24.

Citation (inter specific - peach & plum - rooted cutting) Use with apricots, plums, prunes and some peaches and nectarines. Highly compatible with apricot and plum, induces early bearing, very tolerant of water logging, resists root-knot nematode, induces early defoliation, dormancy and hardiness. Susceptible to crown gall and oak root fungus. Peach and nectarine scions lack vigor in young trees.

Mazzard (cherry seedling) Use with cherries. More drought tolerant than Mahaleb. Cold hardy, resists root-knot nematode, vigorous moderately resistant to oak root fungus. Slow to bear, large tree prone to root suckering, susceptible to crown gall, bacterial canker and root-lesion nematode. Scion doesn't show buckskin infection as quickly as on Mahaleb.

Mahaleb (cherry seedling) Use with cherries. More drought tolerant than Mazzard. Resists bacterial canker, smaller tree than Mazzard. Moderately resistant to crown gall and root-lesion nematode, shows buckskin infection quickly. Intolerant of wet, heavy soils, attracts gophers, tends to sucker, susceptible to oakroot fungus, some root-knot nematode susceptibility. Very susceptible to Phytopthora crown and root rot and Prunus stem pitting. Incompatible with some varieties (i.e. Van and Larian).

Colt (cherry rooted cutting) Use with cherries. Tolerates wet heavy soils better than Mahaleb, resists bacterial canker. Drought sensitive, susceptible to crown gall.

Giesla 5* (cherry rooted cutting) Use with cherries. Produces a tree about 45% the size of Mazzard. Produces few if any suckers, has been called the "most productive". Does well on heavy soils. Staking is required.

Giesla 6* (cherry rooted cutting) Use with cherries. Semi-dwarfing tree, early blooming and very heavy bearing, does well on heavy soils, good virus resistance, no suckering problems.

Giesla 12* (cherry rooted cutting) Use with cherries. Semi-dwarfing tree, about 80% the size of a Mazzard, does well on heavy soils, good virus resistance, no suckering problems. Staking is recommended.

M-9* (apple layered cutting) Use with apples. Crown rot resistant, very little suckering, produces earlier ripening fruit of larger size and better color. Susceptible to fireblight, anchorage is fair and requires staking, roots are brittle, not suitable for dry light soils.

M-26* (apple layered cutting) Use with apples. Dwarfs to 40-50% seedling size, very precocious and productive. Shallow rooted and drought sensitive, staking usually required, moderately susceptible to collar rot and susceptible to fireblight and wooly apple aphid.

M 7/7a* (apple layered cutting) Use with apples. Dwarfs to 55-65% seedling size, very precocious and productive, moderately resistant to collar rot, resistant to fireblight. Suckers, susceptible to wooly apple aphid, less precocious and lower cropping efficiency than M-9 or EMLA-26.

M-111* (apple layered cutting) Use with apples. Well anchored, resists wooly apple aphid, dwarfs to 90% of seedling rooted size, adaptable for light to heavy soils. Susceptible to crown rot.

NCB (Northern CA Black) (walnut seedling) Use with walnuts. resists Verticillium Wilt, oak root fungus and root-knot nematode. Susceptible to Phytopthora crown gall and root-lesion nematode, subject to black line.

Paradox (NCB X English walnut hybrid- Grown from tissue culture) Use with walnuts. Very vigorous, resists root-lesion nematode and certain Phytopthora species, grows better in heavy, wet or low fertility soils that NCB, resistant to oak root fungus. Highly susceptible to crown gall, may be less resistant to oak root fungus than Northern California lack, subject to black line, more susceptible to salt soils.

Vlach Paradox (NCB X English walnut hybrid - Grown from tissue culture) Use with walnuts. A vigorous paradox cloned from a surviving tree planted in 1904 . Chosen for its longevity, vigor and overall health. Trees on this rootstock will be comparable to trees on paradox seedlings. Vlach has shown less susceptibility to lesion nematode and slightly more resistance to crown gall and phytopthora and some species of nematodes.

VX211* Paradox (Complex hybrid walnut grown from tissue culture) Use with walnuts. A very vigorous paradox cloned from a selection that has shown to be tolerant of some nematode species. It is deep rooting with many fine hair roots. Good in poor soil where vigor is needed. Moderately susceptible to crown gall and somewhat resistant to phytopthora.

RX1* Paradox (Complex hybrid walnut grown from a tissue culture) Use with walnuts. A vigorous paradox cloned frm a selection shown to be tolerant of phyopthora. It is shallower rooting and survives well in heavy, wet soils. It is moderately susceptible to crown gall.

UCD 84-121 (NCB X English walnut hybrid seedling - Grown from tissue culture) Use with walnuts. A clonal paradox screened for phtopthora resistance at US Davis. 84-121 shows a level of resistance to phytopthora citricola in early studies better than seedling paradox. A late leafing clone. Further tests need to be conducted to confirm phytopthora resistance.

Walnuts on their own root (English walnut variety rooted - Grown from tissue culture) Tolerates black line virus. Trees are somewhat less vigorous then on paradox rootstock. More susceptible to phytopthora but more resistant to crown gall. Not all English varieties are grown on thier own root.

Wingnut (Pterocarya stenoptera) Use with walnuts. Tolerates Phytopthora species in wet soil conditions. Vigorous tree. Not compatible with all English walnut varieties. Tends to sucker.

*=royalty item

Well, that was a lot of information and can be overwhelming. Remember, you can always ask questions if you need help picking out the perfect Tomorrow's Harvest tree for your home.