Dear Helen: What can be done with a Rieger begonia once the plant stops blooming? I have clipped off the last faded flowers. Is there any way to keep the plant in good condition, hopefully to bloom again?
G.F.
There are two ways to handle a Rieger begonia plant when its bloom period, which can last for months, ends. You can make new plants by rooting stem tip cuttings seven to 10 cm long. Use a lightweight indoor potting mix kept only modestly moist.
The parent plant can be cut back and kept in cool temperatures (not above 20 C) and bright light to regrow. A plant I cut back recently is developing nicely. After it had finished flowering I noticed little tufts of new leaves growing from the base of the plant. I cut the plant down to leave just this newly produced foliage. Rieger begonias can be cut back two or three times before they are discarded.
Bright light, cool temperatures and a short day length are the factors that trigger blooms in these begonias. A flowering plant purchased in the fall can often bloom all winter and well into the spring. One Rieger begonia I bought in November flowered non-stop through the following May.
Dear Helen: Do you have an easy recipe for using prune plums? I have quite a few in the freezer. I鈥檓 not much into cakes or fussy, sweet desserts. I鈥檇 like to find some quick way(s) for using these wonderful, already very sweet, plums.
J.D.
I do have a few simple ways to use the prune plums I harvest. A favourite with children (and adults) is to take plum halves out of the freezer and eat them like fruit popsicles when they are only slightly thawed.
I make an easy dessert by arranging plum halves on a sheet of either a shortbread crust or (purchased) puff pastry. If puff pastry is used, the assembled tart should be chilled for around 30 minutes before baking. Here鈥檚 the shortbread crust and directions for the tart.
Crust
1/2 cup butter (soft, not melted)
1 cup flour
1-2 tbsp icing sugar
Combine and spread onto oiled parchment paper in a 9 x 13 pan.
Place halved plums, skin side down, on the crust. Make small cuts around their edges to keep them lying flat. Bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes. Let cool a bit, then sprinkle with a little sugar.
My favourite, super-easy use for the plum halves is to make a clafouti, which is just a giant popover with plums. The method I use produces a popover filled with fruit and custard.
Clafouti with prune plums
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup milk (OR 1/2 cup each milk and cream)
1/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup flour
Heat butter to sizzling in heavy skillet or baking dish at 375 F.
Place plum halves cut side down in the butter. Heat slightly if the plums have been frozen.
Whisk or whirl in blender remaining ingredients. Pour over plums.
Dust with cinnamon and coconut sugar.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until puffy and brown.
Festive variations: Dot plums with candied ginger, dark chocolate pieces, or chunks of almond paste before adding the batter. Add sliced almonds to the toppings. Clafouti can be made with almost any fruit.
Dear Helen: When my tomato plants darkened and collapsed at the end of September, I cut them down and brought the best tomatoes indoors. I hope I did the right thing.
D.S.
You were right to remove the plants. I hope that you did not compost them.
Late blight infected many home garden tomatoes this year. The blight starts with darkened stems and dark blotches on the leaves. Dark fuzzy spore layers can often be seen, especially on affected stem parts. The tomatoes usually turn brown and leathery and rot quickly.
Look for greenish-brown, leathery areas on the tomatoes. Any that seem unaffected may ripen indoors, but monitor them carefully for initial signs of rotting.
Plants with late blight need to be removed carefully and sent away in the garbage 鈥� or buried deep in the ground, away from the vegetable plots.
