Super-Sized Veggies

When you see vegetables like this 'Stone Head' variety of cabbage (figure B), which weighs about 35 pounds, it's easy to understand what all the fuss is about. It would take about 68 grocery store cabbages to equal one of Evans' gargantuan cabbage heads. And take a look at this leek (figure C).

To grow a large zucchini--say, a 35-pound zucchini--Evans recommends growing the plant in its own contained, raised area (figure F), which helps hold in moisture and warmth. And he grows only one zucchini on each plant.

To make compost tea, gather a diffuser, some air hoses and an air pump, put them in a five-gallon bucket filled with water, and turn it on. The air jets pump air into the water and encourage the growth of millions of good, aerobic bacteria. Next, add about eight cups of compost to the bubbling bucket (figure H). Evans adds a special blend of ingredients that contains, among other things, simple sugars. Allow the tea to brew for 24 hours. Evans then mixes five parts water to one part tea. He applies the tea two different ways by saturating the ground and directly watering the plants' foliage. This creates a bio-film, which protects the plant from diseases and pests.

"What happens in the soil is that everything is stimulated by all the microorganisms to such a high point that they will give that plant the maximum food for its production," says Evans. And more food for the soil means bigger, tastier and healthier veggies.

For Evans, bigger veggies aren't always the goal, but a bigger bounty is. Evans is a big potato fan, so to ensure a large yield, he sprays the tea on the ground and the leaves of the plant. The average potato plant produces anywhere from seven to eight potatoes, but just one of Evans' plants nets about 40 potatoes. "It's hard to believe he gets 40 potatoes from one plant," says James. "But that's the benefit of compost tea, even in Alaska's rugged climate."

There's another way to tell that Evans' plants are healthy--by their Brix level or the amount of sugar they contain. In the grocery store, most veggies have a Brix level between 7 to 10 Brix, but his plants measure a whopping 20, and that means they are deliciously sweet to eat!