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Louisiana Mirliton Pioneers – Part I

by | May 15, 2021 |

Albert Smith, Sr. (1892-1963)

 

Most people have heard of a ship in a bottle or even a message in a bottle; but have you ever heard of a mirliton in a bottle? Well, if you were alive in New Orleans on December 5, 1939, you would have seen this incredible picture captured by the now defunct The New Orleans States newspaper.

Image 1: The New Orleans States1 Article

When I first came across it in my studies, I was struck with curiosity by a number of things: what kind of mirliton variety was this, what size and kind of jug was it growing in, and most importantly: who was Albert Smith, Sr.?

What Kind of Mirliton?

This question is probably the hardest to answer. The reason being is that mirliton comes in so many sizes, shapes, and colors and until Dr. Lance Hill and Mirliton.org started giving them “names” it was probably described by just that – size, shape, and color. Some things we can glean from the photo is that there is a good chance that this variety was probably light green to white. The reason I conclude this is that by looking at other black and white photos in publications from the 1920s-30s we can see how the this compares to those that have been identified as white or light green. The other thing we can learn is that the paper describes this as an “unusually large specimen”. The 1923 publication, The Chayote: its Culture and Uses2, by L. G. Hoover notes the ideal size for commercial use and home production is between 8 and 16 ounces. This falls pretty much in line with what I am familiar with from my own growing experience and with the work of Mirliton.org. The dimensions for these larger mirlitons can easily have a “width” of 4 inches and “height” of 6 inches. The mirliton also seems to have 5 deep furrows and more of a “snub nosed” top. Of course, in this case, the “snub nosed” top could perhaps have been formed due to growing in the jug, especially if it was growing just inside the opening. Oh, while its probably my imagination I feel like I can see some spininess on its surface, but before I go on, let’s look at the jug.

What Kind of Jug?

Based of off typical mirliton dimensions, even the largest of mirlitons would be dwarfed by a one-gallon jug. Additionally, we can surmise that this jug is clear. Based on what I could find online for vintage glass jugs and advertisements in the New Orleans papers of the day, I am guessing this size was a half-gallon that could have been used for common products such as syrup, vinegar, or even port wine. In any case, it would be perfect for just such an experiment, but why do it in the first place?

Fruit and Vegetables Grown in Bottles

A quick scan on histories of growing fruit or vegetables in a bottle reveal that it has been a practice for some time. The February 1930 edition of the magazine Popular Science features a photo of a Capt. John A. Gilman of the US Army Quartermaster Corp in Washington DC holding a watermelon inside a bottle (Popular Science – Google Books)3 and explains how it was done. Further searching reveals that a popular clear fruit brandy, Eau de Vie, which translates as “water of life”, often contains a whole pear inside the small necked bottle (technically this is called Eau de Vie de Poire). How long the practice of the pear in the bottle has been done is hard to say, but newspapers in the New Orleans area in the late 1930s ran several advertisements for Eau de Vie and some current purveyors of this brandy claim the practice of growing the fruit in a bottle has been done for centuries.4 Therefore, the idea of fruit and vegetables grown in a bottle could have easily been a popular idea floating around New Orleans area gardeners in the 1930s, especially if you were an inquisitive individual such as Albert Smith, Sr.

Albert Smith, Sr.

Image 2: Albert Smith Sr. possibly in the 1920s

On July 9, 1892, Albert Smith, Sr. was born in Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia near the Georgia/Florida border (close to Tallahassee) to William and Julie Smith. He married Ira Moore Thompson on November 17, 1915 in Brooks County as well5. According to Albert’s WWI Draft Card filled out on June 5, 1917, he was listed as living a little bit north of Quitman in Morven, Georgia6. At that time, we learn that he was employed as a Saw Mill Laborer and had one child. He is described as being of medium height with a slender build, with brown eyes and black hair. From the 1920 Census, we learn that Albert was still living in Brook County, GA in late January 19207, but by the 1930 Census, he was living in Algiers, Louisiana8. We also learn from this that his oldest daughter, Rose, who was born on September 14, 1921 was born in Louisiana. Thus, we can surmise that sometime between 1920 to 1921, that Albert, Ira, and their two children had moved to Louisiana.

So, what would bring this man and his young family from Georgia to Louisiana? Census records indicate that both his parents and wife’s parents were from Georgia, thus he appeared to have no family in Louisiana. Records also indicate that Albert had a railroad pension from the Southern Pacific Railroad Co.9, but the Southern Pacific’s most eastern destination along the Gulf Coast was New Orleans. It should be noted, that the Southern Railroad did leave from New Orleans to cover parts of the South and East coasts and it appears one of the short lines off of the main, traveled through Thomasville and Valdosta Georgia with Quitman right in its path. Additionally, sawmills had their own industrial railroads connecting to the other lines. Upon further research, it appears that the South Georgia Railway was built through Morven and appears to have fed the line going through Quitman. Thus, with Albert’s work at the sawmill, it would have put him in direct contact with the railroad on a daily basis for a time and as such he probably had several contacts with news from various parts of the route. While this was possibly the case, by 1920, he and Ira were both listed as laborers on a farm in Briggs, which was also in Brooks County. The average daily rate for a male farm worker across the country in 1919 was around $3.03 or maybe $0.38/hr10. Brooks County’s main agricultural product had been to grow cotton. Income levels in Georgia during the time appear to be slightly below the national average, so there is a high probability that their daily income was lower than this. So, what news could draw him to Algiers? In a recent NOLA.com article, I learned that the Southern Pacific Co. had a “…22-block-long railyard complex in Algiers. The facility once employed 4,000 workers and built steam locomotives and other rail parts… When in operation, Southern Pacific locomotives and railcars were transported by a barge ferry from downtown New Orleans to Algiers, where they were reconnected before moving on to western states.“11 Further research shows that the railroad had come to Algiers in 1852 and that this factory was built in 1920. Additionally, the following ad appeared in the May 7, 1920 edition of the Times-Picayune.:

Image 3: Wanted Ad in 192012

Now, while this wasn’t the Algiers facility, it is interesting to note this hourly rate. There is a good chance that Albert could have easily seen the opportunity to possibly double his hourly wage and improve things for his family. Additionally, there was a recession from 1920-21, so there was probably even more incentive to move and look to improve one’s life. Regardless of what spurred the move, Albert appeared to have found a great opportunity with the Southern Pacific Co., which seemed to provide for him and his family through the rest of his working life and beyond.

Life in Algiers

Prior to moving to the Lawrence St. address listed in the caption, it looks Albert Smith and his young family were renting at 1723 Whitney Ave. in 1930. The best I can tell, they next moved to the Lawrence St. address, which they remained at until 1945-52. Image 4 shows what this location looks like in the present day.

Image 4: Location of Albert Smith’s Algiers residence13.

It should be noted that today there does not appear to be a 1303 Lawrence St., just 1301 and 1305. I am guessing it must have been renumbered at some point. It should also be noted that while Albert and his family lived here, the Greater New Orleans Bridge, known today as the Crescent City Connection, would not have been looming large behind them as it currently does, since it wasn’t built until 1958. Perhaps its impending construction is part of what led them to move one last time. Following these dates Albert and family moved to 1875 Whitney Ave. I am not sure where 1723 or 1875 Whitney were based off of the available information online. They either renumbered those properties as well or renamed that section of the road as L. B. Landry. It should also be noted that by then, Albert and Ira had a large family of twelve children; 7 daughters and 5 sons.

I was fortunate enough to correspond with one of Albert’s granddaughter, Monique Miles Logan, who through the help of her cousins queried two of Albert and Ira’s remaining daughters about his mirliton growing. The daughters remember that “…he always pickled them. He had a plentiful garden w/ okra, greens, mirlitons, tomatoes.” And that “ … (the) garden was like the Farmers Market because he shared with neighborhood.” Albert surely must have been a great gardener to be able to supply enough vegetables for his large family and the neighborhood.

As a quick aside on pickling mirliton, most recipes I have seen call for peeling, seeding and cutting the mirliton into strips. Albert’s method of pickling the whole mirliton seems very unique to me. Two of the pickled mirliton recipes I found from 1935 called for immersing the mirliton in a hot vinegar, salt, pepper (cayenne or green or Tabasco), and some pickling spices. These would be stoppered then allowed to “ripen” for 10 days indoors in a cool location. It would be interesting to try to replicate Albert’s experiment to see how one could possibly retrieve the mirliton to eat.

Sadly, on Tuesday, March 5, 196314, at the age of 70, Albert Smith Sr. passed away. His wife Ira had preceded him in death on Thursday, January 19, 196115. At the time of his passing, Albert left behind 12 children, 24 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren. He and Ira were buried at the Christian Social Cemetery in Gretna, Louisiana.

Image 5: Albert and Ira’s Grave Stone16

Closing Thoughts

As I got into researching Albert Smith, Sr., I felt a connection to him in the sense that he had some similar attributes to that of my late Grandfather, Lucien Robert. Both had 12 children, over 23 grandchildren, grew up in rural communities and settled in the “suburbs” of New Orleans, and had huge gardens that grew a variety of vegetables in their backyard, although in my Grandfather’s case he didn’t grow mirliton. I certainly would have loved to see the abundance that was generated from his gardens and learn from his years of mirliton growing experience, not to mention his creativity and ingenuity in getting a mirliton to grow inside a glass jug. So, can we ever figure out what variety of mirliton Albert grew? Sadly, probably not. Without a better picture or written description, it would all be just speculation and as all too many families living in the New Orleans area know, many of the Smith’s family photographs, records, and keepsakes were destroyed by the floodwaters of Katrina. Despite that I am thankful to those who preserved the old newspapers and also the fact that someone in 1939 decided to print the photo. For without them, I would never have known of or gotten to “meet” one of Louisiana Mirliton Pioneers, Albert Smith, Sr.

Special Thanks

To Monique Miles Logan, her Aunts, Cousins, and all of the Smith family for allowing me to share the story of their Father and Grandfather. Thank you also to Albert Smith, Sr. for the inspiration!

Sources:

  1. “Mirliton,” New Orleans States (New Orleans, LA) 5 December 1939, page 5, GenealogyBank
  2. L. G. Hoover, The Chayote: Its Culture and Uses, Circular 286, United States Department of Agriculture (Washington, D.C., September 28, 1923), https://archive.org/details/chayoteitscultur286hoov/page/n1
  3. Popular Science, Feb 1930, pg. 60, Vol. 116, No. 2.
  4. Poire Williams – Gastro Obscura (atlasobscura.com)
  5. Ancestry.com. Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data: County Marriage Records, 1828–1978. The Georgia Archives, Morrow, Georgia.
  6. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
  7. 1920; Census Place: Briggs, Brooks, Georgia; Roll: T625_237; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 47
  8. 1930; Census Place: New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 0256; FHL microfilm: 2340547
  9. United States. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (1939). Monthly labor review. Washington: G.P.O.
  10. The National Archives at Atlanta; Morrow, Georgia; Records of the Railroad Retirement Board, 1934 – 1987; Record Group Number: 184.
  11. “Algiers Point’s empty tract could be developed if contaminated soil is removed”, NOLA.COM, (New Orleans) by Mark Schleifstein, May 6, 2020.
  12. Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) 7 May 1920, page 18, GenealogyBank
  13. Google. (n.d.). [Google Maps directions for driving from 1303 Lawrence St, Algiers, Louisiana]. Retrieved May 13, 2021, from https://www.google.com/maps/place/1303+Lawrence+St,+New+Orleans,+LA+70114/@29.9391452,-90.0433388,3a,75y,199.8h,84.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVCCZOql-vh2UJaxdtwiBew!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x8620a651e0e21fdb:0xaa415c29ebd08d64!8m2!3d29.9388922!4d-90.0433527
  14. Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) 8 March 1963, page 2 GenealogyBank
  15. Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) 22 January 1961, page 10 GenealogyBank
  16. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157156887/albert-smith

 

Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – 1st Quarter 2021

Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – 1st Quarter 2021

by | Mar 27, 2021 |

By David J. Hubbell

Background:

On June 20th, 2020, Mirliton.org announced the we were kicking off the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project in an attempt to bring back, from the brink of extinction, this rare ivory white variety of the mirliton grown and cared for over four decades by Opelousas, Louisiana’s Ishreal Thibodeaux. If you haven’t already check out the last Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – please do so here: Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – November/December 2020 – Mirliton. It links back to the other updates which contain an in depth look at all of our growers and efforts from the start of the project.

Welcome New Growers:

I am happy to announce our second group of new growers for the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project. This year we are expanding into Texas and Illinois. Please welcome our growers –Beverley Thomas of Fort Worth, TX, Alan Raymond of Kingwood, TX, Kevin De Santiago of Round Rock, Texas, Salina Wunderle of Chicago, Illinois, David Duvic of southern West Feliciana Parish, Christopher Brooks of Opelousas, Laken Thomas of Lake Charles, and Wade Guidry – south Louisiana. We look forward to their updates and to their helping us expand our restoration and production so we may further our preservation efforts as well as have more seed mirliton to be available to future growers.

Reports from the Field:

As you can imagine most of the growing progress has come to a standstill during the winter months. Many of the growers are still assessing the ravages of winter on their plants and we hope to know more in our next update. The busiest folks in our group with regard to the project were probably Paul D’Anna and Chef John Folse in their efforts to overwinter and make available the plants for our next group of growers in addition to protecting their own vines. Check out how Chef John and Brian Ainsworth prepare the potted plants for shipping to our new growers in the link below:

Image 1. Chef John and Brian packing up some white mirliton plants for shipping. Click on image or this link for the associated video: Ishreal Thibodaux White Mirliton Shipping – YouTube.

We also had some brisk holiday sales of our Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project tee shirts. The purchase of these shirts helps us continue our efforts to preserve and promote the work of Mirliton.org. If you are interested in purchasing one, these shirts are available as a special offering for those wishing to donate $30 per shirt to Mirliton.org. We posted our first ad in late November and almost immediately sold out of many popular sizes. The good news is that we received a second shipment in December and have more available for the $30 donation (which includes postage and handling cost). To order your own, simply click here or send me an email at rpcajun2r@gmail.com.

Image 2. The official project Tee Shirt.

Image 3. The official tee shirt of The Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project.

Education and Inspiration Through Food:

In addition to the great documentation on the shipping process at White Oak Estate and Gardens, Chef John Folse provides us a little further inspiration with the following recipe for a Mirliton Bisque. Check this out and please “Like” and “Subscribe” to Chef’s new YouTube page.

Image 4. Chef John Folse’s Mirliton Bisque.

I decided to get into the cooking act too with a recipe from the late great New Orleans Chef Austin Leslie. He and Chef Folse were good friends and this is a unique recipe worth trying. It is Chef Leslie’s Mirliton Gumbo.

Image 5. Chef Austin Leslie Mirliton Gumbo prepared by David Hubbell.

Thoughts for the 2021 Growing Season:

This first update of 2021 hopefully will inspire everyone with our efforts to continue to preserve this rare Louisiana heirloom. Thanks to the growing and distribution efforts of Paul D’Anna as well as Chef John Folse, Brian Ainsworth, and Ryan Diez at White Oak Estates and Gardens we should have close to 40 viable vines producing Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirlitons throughout 7 states in the coming growing season. If we have similar success to last year, we should be able to provide these white mirliton to a larger third group of growers in 2022. I am also hoping that each of the growers are able to continue their own propagation of vines on their properties and that they will become distribution centers/hubs for those wanting to acquire and grow these in their communities. I once again reflect upon how a simple text from Chef Folse from a year ago asking for help locating more Ishreal Thibodeaux white mirliton vines has grown into a movement to not only preserved that single vine, but to save and propagate a special variety for others to experience. Thanks to the guidance of Dr. Lance Hill and the efforts of the first group of growers. Again, it is scary to think that the fate of the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton vine could have easily become another causality of 2020, but thanks to the unselfish efforts, dedication, and desires of our first team of growers we are happy to report that we feel we have a great foundation to build upon in 2021. If our future efforts can have similar success, then by next year at this time we will be poised to have hundreds of Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton vines plus a network of growers going into 2022 and should have successfully restored if not exceed the number of vines growing in the United States to probably record numbers.

As a final note, if you wish to be considered in the third wave of growers in 2022 or interested in the project, please check out this link. Thank you all for the interest and support in 2020 and we wish you and your family and friends a safe, healthy, and wonderful spring growing season.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please send them to me David J. Hubbell at rpcajun2r@gmail.com. Thank you.

 

Rockefeller Heirloom Mirliton Donated to Mirliton.Org

by | Jan 8, 2021 |

Chrissy and Ryan Rockefeller

Rockefeller Heirloom Mirliton Donated to Mirliton.Org

By Lance Hill

I am delighted to announce that Ryan and Chrissy Rockefeller of St. Rose, Louisiana have donated several sprouts to Mirliton.Org to propagate. This is a previously unseen dark green and slightly spiny variety.

Image 1. Rockefeller Heirloom Mirliton.

Chrissy Missios Rockefeller has been regularly posting about their mirliton vine on the Louisiana Edible Gardeners Facebook group. We were intrigued that it produced some dark green and spiny mirlitons. Similar varieties exist throughout the word, but Louisiana growers have favored pale green and smooth varieties. Somehow this variety survived. Mirliton.Org plans to carefully cultivate this variety to preserve and repopulate it. We have, as is our practice, named the variety after the family that had owned and preserved it for years.

Image 2. Rockefeller Heirloom Mirliton Vine growing in St. Rose.

People often ask us if different varietal colors and characteristics indicate differences in flavor. Imported mirlitons (chayote) have been selected for uniform color, size, and smoothness, all at the expense of flavor. We know that there are differences in flavor in Louisiana-grown heirlooms and plan to flavor- test the Rockefeller variety.

Image 3. Rockefeller Heirloom Mirliton sprouts.

If you are interested in growing the variety to provide it to aspiring growers, and if you have adequate trellis space and frost protection in place, please email me at lance@mirlton.org for an application.

Special thanks to Paul D’Anna for his help in securing this donation.

 

Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – November/December 2020

by | Jan 8, 2021 |

Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – November/December 2020

By David J. Hubbell

Background:

On June 20th, 2020, Mirliton.org announced the we were kicking off The Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project in an attempt to bring back, from the brink of extinction, this rare ivory white variety of the mirliton grown and cared for over four decades by Opelousas, Louisiana’s Ishreal Thibodeaux. If you haven’t already checked out the Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – July 2020 , August/September 2020, or October 2020 please do so by clicking on the respective links. They contain an in depth look at all of our growers and efforts from the start of the project.

Reports from the Field:

The month of November was one of peak production for the Ishreal Thibodeaux Mirliton growers in Louisiana, followed by a winding down and getting ready for the 2021 growing season. While some of the growers in Baton Rouge and further north would start to encounter frosty conditions in December, there had still been plenty of time for at least two great crops from Chef John Folse and an unofficial grower in Folsom, Louisiana. Both produced 80-90+ Ishreal Thibodeaux’s each, many going toward our next round of spring growers.

Chef John reported back in November, “Our mirliton vine is still healthy and prolific in Baton Rouge here in late November. We still see numerous small mirlitons and many flowers producing numerous small vegetables. It really has been a banner year in our efforts to preserve this rare and special Ishreal Thibodaux variety.”

Image 1. First group of mirlitons picked by Chef John Folse at White Oak Estate and Gardens.

Image 2. Some additional yields picked at White Oak Estate and Gardens in Baton Rouge.

Image 3. The largest Israel Thibodaux Mirliton picked this year from Chef John Folse’s Trellis in Baton Rouge. 1 pound 14.5 ounces!

As the readers will observe, White Oak Estates and Gardens in Baton Rouge has quickly become the center of Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton production in the United States. We appreciate all of Chef John’s efforts in documenting his yields as well as his techniques. As you will see here, on November 30th, Chef, his gardener Brian Ainsworth, and staff took great care to prepare the mirliton vines against the impending freezing conditions on that date.

Image 4. Large Ishreal Thibodeaux vine at White Oak Estate totally covered in anticipation of 30 oF.

Image 5. Four Ishreal Thibodaux Mirliton beds covered from frost at White Oak.

White Oak is also preparing for the future with there overwintering of over 35 pots of the Ishreal Thibodeaux Mirlitons shown below. Chef John notes: “… Brian and I are getting 20 three-gallon pots ready with proper soil to plant the mirliton as they show vine potential. “Later in December he reported the following projection – “35 potted by next week all doing well and vine protected in the covered vine house with heaters.”

Image 6. First round of Ishreal Thibodaux White Mirlitons potted for overwintering.

Image 7. Sprouted Ishreal Thibodaux White Mirlitons potted for overwintering.

Just as we reported in the last update that our Carolina growers, Chris Smith and Keith Mearns, are having success with propagating cuttings, gardener Brian Ainsworth and his wife have found success in rooting Ishreal Thibodaux White Mirliton in the White Oak Estate greenhouse from cuttings.

Image 8. Mrs. Ainsworth displays a successfully rooted mirlitons vine from a cutting.

If you’d like to see more about the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation operation at White Oak Estate and Gardens in Baton Rouge, please click the photo below and check out Chef John Folse’s video included below:

Image 9. Virtual Visit to White Oak Estates and Gardens

In addition to our official growers, our Metairie grower Paul d’Anna reports one of his contacts whom he gave an Ishreal Thibodeaux vine to in the spring produced 92 mirliton this year. Paul shared with me the that the vine didn’t really take off until September. Up to that point it was about 18” long. He said that neither he nor the grower did anything special. They just watched for potential issues due to squash vine bore and protected it from the evening sun especially in July and August. They also have guarded against anthracnose by removing the bottom 4 feet of leaves once the vine has really started to take off. Paul also said that the gentleman in Folsom cut his vine back due to the freezing weather in December. Mirliton.org acquired a good number of these to be able to supply growers to the second wave for 2021.

The last, but not least, of our official Louisiana growers, James Cobb shared this great picture of his vine and reported “These 2 of mine will be used to get new vines growing, hoping to make way more next season.”

Image 10. James Cobb’s two beautiful Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirlitons.

We are really looking forward to James’ success in 2021.

As we have previously mentioned Carolina growers had some good success with their attempts at cuttings are basically in the overwintering stage to get an earlier start in 2021.

Finally, the Ishreal Thibodeaux Mirliton in Mobile is doing well despite the late start. It is slowly growing and we will try to avoid cutting it back and simply take measures to protect it so it will have a great head start in the spring.

Image 11. David Hubbell’s mirliton slowly adjusting to being transplanted in Mobile.

Tee Shirts:

In the last update, I alluded briefly to the new The Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project tee shirts, but failed to share more information about them. At the beginning of the project, Dr. Lance Hill had a great idea to create a shirt for our initial growers commemorating their participation in the project. Working with a local Louisiana artist, the following design was created and several shirts were printed. It was then decided that we would make these shirts available as a special offering for those wishing to donate $30 per shirt to Mirliton.org. We posted our first ad in late November and almost immediately sold out of many popular sizes. The good news is that we received a second shipment and have more available for the $30 donation (which includes postage and handling cost). To order you own, simply click here or send me an email at rpcajun2r@gmail.com.

Image 12. The official tee shirt of The Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project.

Image 13. The official tee shirt of The Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project.

Education and Inspiration Through Food:

In addition to the great documentation on the growing process at White Oak Estate and Gardens, Chef John Folse provides us a little further inspiration with the following recipe for a Mirliton Pie. Check this out and please “Like” and “Subscribe” to Chef’s new YouTube page.

Image 14. Chef John Folse’s Mirliton Pie.

I was also invited to do a follow up call with local Mobile gardening radio show about the efforts so far. Mobile’s horticulturist, Bill Finch, is a great supporter of the traditional Gulf Coast vegetables and is very interested in mirliton. I am including the link to the show for those interested. The discussion on the Ishreal Thibodeaux’s starts around 18 minutes in: Plain Gardening with Bill Finch Hour 2 12-13-20 – FM Talk 1065

Thoughts for the 2020 Growing Season:

This fourth update hopefully showcased what I consider to be a successful end to our efforts in 2020. As I write this on the last day of the year and look back on all the negative things that have impacted the world and even my personal life, I have to think that by far the formation and initial successes of this project and the efforts of the growers has been for me the brightest spot in my year. What started as a simple text from Chef Folse in March asking for help locating more Ishreal Thibodeaux white mirliton vines has grown into a movement to not only preserved that single vine, but to save and propagate a special variety for others to experience. Thanks to the guidance of Dr. Lance Hill and the efforts of these growers we now have roughly 14 new vines plus over 100 potted plants for the second wave of growers for 2021. The fate of the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton vine could have easily become another causality of 2020, but thanks to the unselfish efforts, dedication, and desires of our first team of growers we are happy to report that we feel we have a great foundation to build upon in 2021. If our future efforts can have similar success, then by next year at this time we will be poised to have hundreds of Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton vines plus a network of growers going into 2022 and should have successfully restored if not exceed the number of vines growing in the United States to probably record numbers.

As a final note, I have gone through my list of growers for the second wave and will finalize their commitments for 2021. If you are interested, please check out this link. Thank you all for the interest and support in 2020 and we wish you and your family and friends a safe, healthy, and wonderful New Year.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please send them to me David J. Hubbell at rpcajun2r@gmail.com. Thank you.

 

Old Family Tradition of Mirliton Growing Flourishes in St. John Parish

by | Nov 24, 2020 |

Old Family Tradition of Mirliton Growing Flourishes in St. John Parish

By Renee Lapeyrolerie and Dr. Lance Hill

First, a little genealogy. In the 1970s, Joseph “Junior” Remondet started his first mirliton (chayote) vine in Reserve, St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. Remondet’s uncle had handed down the old family variety that they had for generations. Junior shared it with his bother-in-law and next-door neighbor, Earl Perque, who bequeathed it to his son Paul Perque It’s a bit like the begats in the bible, but Louisiana mirliton growers believe in preserving family traditions.

Figure 1 Remondet-Perque Heirloom Mirliton

Mirlitons are in the Remondet-Perque family’s genes. The family has grown them for generations. Junior Remondet is a big, garrulous man with a thick Louisiana French accent. His uncle told him to plant two mirliton seeds in keeping with an old myth that you need a male and female plant; but it was good advice since it doubled his chances of success. The family heirloom mirliton is now primarily in the care of Paul Perque. The trellis 15′ X 10’ and is made of fence posts and covered on top with livestock panels (4”x4” mesh) and receives full sun.

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Figure 2 Joseph ‘Junior’ Remondet, Paul Perque, and Ryan Remondet.

Figure 3 Paul Perque with his current vine, has yielded over 300 mirliton at publishing.

Paul Perque’s late mother, Sylvia, took careful notes of the harvest in the back of her address book. Her records include years of family and friends who would call and request mirliton for purchase by the dozen to make stuffed mirlitons. Miss Sylvia was a great cook, known for making pastries for the local church and school.

Figure 4 Sylvia Audiffred Perque’s family notebook of 2013 Mirliton Harvest.

Ryan fondly remembers helping his father tend to the mirliton trellis, running new wires across the top. Ryan is in the grocery produce business and recounts when a colleague from the West Coast visited him and was mystified by the enormous quantity of chayote coming into Louisiana since there were few of the Latino and Asian populations that valued the squash. Ryan told him the history of home growing mirlitons in Louisiana. For the coup de grace, he had his mother prepare his colleague some of the traditional shrimp-stuffed mirlitons.

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Figure 5

The vine is located at the end of the family lane and adjacent to a large drainage ditch alongside the Canadian North Railroad. Junior’s uncle had suggested that he plant near a water source such as this, and Paul credits the vine’s success to this location.

The vine has a traditional Louisiana overhead trellis (arbor) and access to an adjacent tree that it likes to climb. In 2019, an early frost—the first in over a century—killed the top of the vine but it recovered and regrew in the spring of 2020.

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Figure 6 Full Vine.

Figure 7 Earl Perque with his mirliton vine in background.

 

Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – October 2020

Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – October 2020

by | Nov 13, 2020 |

Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – October 2020

By David J. Hubbell

Background:

On June 20th, 2020, Mirliton.org announced the we were kicking off the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project in an attempt to bring back, from the brink of extinction, this rare ivory white variety of the mirliton grown and cared for over four decades by Opelousas, Louisiana’s Ishreal Thibodeaux. If you haven’t already check out the Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – July 2020 or August/September 2020 please do so here: https://www.mirliton.org/2020/08/10/update-on-the-ishreal-thibodeaux-white-mirliton-preservation-project-july-2020/ or here https://www.mirliton.org/2020/09/26/update-on-the-ishreal-thibodeaux-white-mirliton-preservation-project-august-september-2020/. They contain an in depth look at all of our growers and efforts from the start of the project.

Reports from the Field:

The month of October was a one in which we expected to start seeing some rapid fruiting of the Ishreal Thibodeaux Mirlitons. While the weather was cooler, the Gulf Coast was again rocked by another set of hurricanes with Delta and Zeta making landfall in October. Luckily, our growers didn’t sustain any issues.

Starting with the Carolina growers we learned the following:

Chris Smith’s reported that “I’ve taken cuttings to root out and sent one to a greater greenhouse in CLT. I’ve got mine under cover and will overwinter. The main difference in learning is that my vines will flower and fruit in fall when the daylength drops, yours will flower and fruit in spring when it warms. If they survive the winter here, I’ll plant out next May and hope to get to fruit that fall. I may try to force flowering with daylength restrictions.” To note: the Ishreal Thibodeaux will actually flower and fruit in both the fall and spring in an established vine. Chris’s information and hopeful success on taking cuttings and overwintering will be of great interest to us in the future months on

Image 1. The first of two potted mirliton Chris Smith and his group are nurturing.

Image 2.  Another view of Chris Smith’s potted mirliton.

By mid-October, Keith Mearns plants were also doing well in Columbia, South Carolina. He sent updated pictures of the one in the ground as well as one in the pot (see below). In addition, he had successfully started one from a cutting. He reports

“…I had success with cuttings with at least three nodes, cut end dusted with Hormodin 3, inserted into 100% perlite, kept under mist (3min every 45 min) “. This is very encouraging as it gives us a second way to preserve this and other mirliton plants other than simply starting them from seed mirliton! This is definitely something we hope to explore further and share with the Mirliton.org community in the future.

Image 3. Keith’s mirliton cutting. This looks to be doing well!

Image 4. The first of potted mirliton Keith Mearn’s is nurturing.

Image 5. Keith’s planted mirliton has seen some substantial growth since last month!

James Cobb’s vines in Houma was also doing well in mid -October with the emergence of several new tendrils.

Image 6. James’ potted mirliton doing well in October.

In addition to just the propagation of the plant, Dr. Lance Hill and I worked with a Baton Rouge area designer to come up with a Team shirt to also propagate awareness. We have elected James our “poster boy” due to the joy in his face as he sports this new shirt. (More to come on this below).

Image 7. James sporting the new Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project Tee next to his potted mirliton.

Metairie grower Paul D’Anna reported that his vine is still surviving, but was struggling. However, he noted that one of the unofficial growers he had previously given an Ishreal Thibodeaux vine to was seeing some tremendous success. We will follow up and see if they are willing to participate in the official project.

Some exciting news from Chef John Folse was that once again he was producing some nice sized Ishreal Thibodaeux mirlitons. He reported early in the month that, “Today at White Oak Estate & Gardens in Baton Rouge, I picked seven of the largest Ishrael Thibodaux White Mirliton I’ve ever grown! For some unknown reason, this Fall season is producing some of the most unbelievable white mirliton I’ve seen both in size and quantity. Might be the rabbit cages next to the arbor!!!!!”

Image 8. John Folse’s older vine is starting to produce in Baton Rouge.

By October 26th, Chef John reported the following. “Counted 36 mirlitons on the vine today…WoW! … I’ll pick about 6-8 very large ones to add to the 5 large ones picked yesterday.”

Image 9. Chef John Folse showing the bounty from his harvesting of mirlitons at White Oak Estates and Gardens in Baton Rouge.

“How big is that mirliton?” you’re asking. It measured 12” diameter and 1.113 pounds!

Image 10. The Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton picked from White Oak Estates & Gardens is definitely a keeper.

From my end, the one I received from Chef John was plant in Mobile and is doing well, though I don’t expect to see any fruiting until the spring.

Image 11. David Hubbell’s mirliton slowly adjusting to being transplanted in Mobile.

Closing Thoughts for Effort So Far:

This third update hopefully showcased the fruits of the efforts so far. As I write this in mid-November, we know that the yields we are seeing so far aren’t as great as we had hoped, but if we can preserve these vines through another growing season, we should have an even better spring than we saw this year. Right now, I am thinking of maybe only have a smaller set of additional growers, say maybe two more to overwinter a few and plant in the spring. I will go through the list of previous applicants and narrow down the field to between 2-5 to be prepared. More to come in the next few weeks.

For information on the tee shirt James was wearing, please click on this link to take you to detailed information on how to get one. – Mirliton Tee.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please send them to me David J. Hubbell at rpcajun2r@gmail.com. Thank you.

The Perfect Holiday Gift for Mirliton Fans!!!

by | Oct 18, 2020 |

INTRODUCING THE FIRST PRODUCT AVAILABLE FROM MIRLITON.ORG!!!!

The Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project Tee

This festive unisex tee shirt is made out of 100% cotton and is a soft and comfortable way to show your support for this exciting project and your love of mirliton!

The Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project Tee

Designed by Artistically Yours

Order yours today through the Mirlitons Classifieds.

Grower James Cobb proudly sporting his Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project Tee next to his Ishreal Thibodeaux vine.

Click the Mirlitons Classifieds to order.

 

 

Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – August/September 2020

Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – August/September 2020

by | Sep 26, 2020 |

Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – August/September 2020

By David J. Hubbell

Background:

On June 20th, 2020, Mirliton.org announced the we were kicking off the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project in an attempt to bring back, from the brink of extinction, this rare ivory white variety of the mirliton grown and cared for over four decades by Opelousas, Louisiana’s Ishreal Thibodeaux. If you haven’t already check out the Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – July 2020 please do so here: https://www.mirliton.org/2020/08/10/update-on-the-ishreal-thibodeaux-white-mirliton-preservation-project-july-2020/ . It contains an in depth look at all of our growers and efforts for the start of the project.

Reports from the Field:

The month of August was basically one in which the growers were nurturing their potted mirlitons to encourage growth and good root development as well as protect against the summer elements…including hurricanes! In addition, the two Louisiana growers with vines in the ground also worked to protect these so that they could thrive despite the aforementioned elements. September was our anticipated month to have the mirlitons in the ground to shoot for a small fall crop.

First off, it was good to hear that our Carolina growers fared well with Hurricane Isaias.

Chris Smith’s sprouts in Ashville, North Carolina were coming along nicely in early August and was hoping to be on course for the September planting. However, he noted on September 23rd, the mirliton were still “alive but small and still in containers. We’ve hit a low of 40F here already so I’m taking precautions. I’ve taken a cutting and sent it to a heated greenhouse in Charlotte where it should overwinter quite happily. I’ll keep mine in containers and move them inside as well as taking extra cuttings as the vines grow. The ‘season’ here is to grow early in spring, set out in summer and harvest in fall. Hopefully we’ll see that pattern in 2021…”

Image 1. The first of two potted mirliton Chris Smith and his group are nurturing.

Image 2. The second of Chris’ two potted mirliton. This one was just starting to sprout.

At the end of August, Keith Mearns plants were also doing great in Columbia, South Carolina. He reports “Both my plants are doing well. One started later than the other and is about 12” long. The large one is now beginning to branch from lower buds. “

Image 3. The first of two potted mirliton Keith Mearn’s and his rooster are nurturing.

Image 4. The second of Keith’s two potted mirliton. This one is doing well!

Keith reported the following on September 16th, “In anticipation of some decent rain, I planted one of my plants today on one of the trellises I sent photos of. I’m thinking that I’m going to up-pot the other plant into a 15gal pot and keep it in my heated cold frame greenhouse. I’ve also just stuck a few cuttings to see how they do.”

Image 5. Keith’s planted mirliton.

James Cobb’s vines in Houma were really thriving at the beginning of August and he states this one is in a “10 gallon nursery pot and the top of the cage is 6′. Tallest plant is now at the 4′ ring or about 3-1/4′ above the soil. The fruit on that one is still very firm. The other fruit basically rotted but the plant itself is doing well, but not as tall as the other, but does have a couple of new shoots coming up from the bottom.”

Image 6. James’ potted mirliton doing well in early August.

Then our Louisiana growers had to deal with a double whammy the last week of August: Marco and Laura. While Marco seemed a relative non-event to some, Laura did some major damage to the west side of the state. One of the Ishreal Thibodeaux growers not in the first group of official growers unfortunately lost hers during Laura.

In an effort to protect his plant, James lashed himself to the plant during the storm as seen here. 😉 In reality he was showing the incredible growth his vine had seen in a three-week period.

Image 7. James’ “lashing” himself to the potted mirliton before the arrival of Laura.

Luckily for us, Paul D’Anna and Chef John Folse didn’t see any damage on their ends from the storms.

Chef John, shared these updates early in August on his plants in the pots that were also looking fantastic.

Image 8. John Folse’s potted mirlitons in his greenhouse in Baton Rouge.

By September 6th, Chef John and his Gardener Brian Ainsworth had planted a few more Ishreal Thibodeaux’s at White Oak Estates and Gardens.

Image 9. Brian Ainsworth planting more mirlitons at White Oak Estates and Gardens in Baton Rouge.

The newly planted mirliton from earlier in the summer were also doing quite well on September 22nd in Baton Rouge.

Image 10. The Ishreal Thibodeaux mirlitons planted earlier this summer at White Oak Estates & Gardens.

From my end, my seed mirliton started to drop the “embryo”, and while I expected to see sprouting, none occurred. Lance Hill noted that “The tendency for spring mirlitons to not sprout was first identified by Ervin Crawford. This is a little-understood quality called “parthenocarpy”: a fruit that sets and grows but does not contain a fertilized seed “embryo”). There is almost nothing in the literature on this but it means we best wait for fruit to sprout before we give them out as seed.

I assumed that it was a fluke, but I just read that some plants deliberately produce parthenocarpic fruit to distract herbivores. Animals prefer fruit that has not sprouted because sprouted fruit is filled with roots that consume moisture. “

Image 11. David Hubbell’s seed mirliton not doing so well in early August.

Since mine wasn’t looking too great, I received one of the extra potted vines from Chef John to plant in Mobile by the first week of October.

Image 12. Potted vine to be planted in Mobile.

Education and Inspiration Through Food:

Chef John and I had planned to do some more videos in August, but unfortunately the dual hurricanes caused us to delay this effort. However, a friend of mine, Jaime Callahan of Buddy’s Cajun Spice did release his Cajun Stuffed Mirleton Slipper recipe on Youtube that looks pretty good. Please check it out:

Image 13. Jaime Callahan’s Cajun Stuffed Mirelton Slippers https://youtu.be/6Goqi8ncJMM

Closing Thoughts for Effort So Far:

This second update hopefully showcased the efforts needed to nurture and protect potted mirlitons against the elements for a Fall planting. As I write this in late September, we know that the heat and humidity are just starting to let up along the Gulf Coast. Hopefully the next report will detail further updates and showcase more of the planted efforts of the various growers as the vines adjust being in the soil and focus on hopefully what will be a successful but possibly small first crop.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please send them to me David J. Hubbell at rpcajun2r@gmail.com. Thank you.

 

Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – July 2020

Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – July 2020

by | Aug 10, 2020 |

Background:

On June 20th, 2020, Mirliton.org announced the we were kicking off the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project in an attempt to bring back, from the brink of extinction, this rare ivory white variety of the mirliton grown and cared for over four decades by Opelousas, Louisiana’s Ishreal Thibodeaux. Since that time, the Phase 1 growers have been continuing toward our goal of both growing and educating the public on this variety as well as the project in general. Originally this venture had four official growers agreeing to adhere to the strict guidelines that were put forth in the preservation plan. ( https://www.mirliton.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Ishreal_Thibodeaux_White_Mirliton_Preservation_Project.pdf)

They are: Keith Mearns with the group Historic Columbia in Columbia, South Carolina; Chris Smith with The Utopian Seed Project in Asheville, North Carolina; Paul D’Anna a long-time independent grower in Metairie, Louisiana; and Chef John Folse growing these at his White Oak Estate and Gardens in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In addition to these, two other long-time independent growers were added to the official group: James Cobb in Houma, Louisiana and myself, David J. Hubbell in Mobile, Alabama. In addition to the official group, a few pots of sprouted Ishreal Thibodeaux mirlitons were made available to some experienced mirliton growers with the hopes they will also report in on their independent progress.

One thing that may not have been clearly stated is what we will consider success for the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project? One goal is to re-establish 20-30 sustainable vines that can endure for 5 or more years with long term committed growers willing to dedicate the “rest of their life” to caring for the vines or being the “keeper of the flame”. They would be connected via a network to be able to resupply each other should one lose their crops, plus we could have some guidelines that they maintain to improve their chances going into the future as well as finding someone else to take over for them at some point. Lance Hill has also suggested: “I think a goal of an initial five growers and each year after then, double that number (each grower recruits another grower.) “This plan will surely put us on a path to get to 20-30 growers in just a few years. The key to this will be to also adequately educate the new growers to hopefully plan for issues in the future.

Distribution:

The seed mirliton for the project were provided by Paul D’Anna and Chef John Folse. On June 29th, Chef John carefully packaged four sprouted seed mirliton to send to our growers. These mirliton were wrapped loosely in bubble wrap and placed two to a box, then shipped second day UPS to our Carolina growers.

Image 1. Chef John Folse showing the meticulously wrapped mirliton for shipping.

Image 2. Chef John Folse and White Oak Gardener Brian Ainsworth finishing the packaging the seed mirliton to be sent to the Carolina growers.

They were successfully received in great shape on July 1st and 2nd, where they were unwrapped and potted in 3-gallon pots with a mixture of good potting mix.

Image 3. Recently unpacked white mirliton from Ashville, North Carolina grower, Chris Smith.

Image 4. Potted white mirliton from Columbia, South Carolina grower, Keith Mearns.

Around this same time, Houma grower James Cobb picked up his potted mirliton from Paul in Metairie.

Image 5. Potted white mirliton from Houma, Louisiana grower, James Cobb.

In addition to their distribution efforts, both Paul and Chef John had potted a few of their sprouts to add to their respective gardens to further improve the 2020 Fall yields.

Additionally, Chef John and Brian put together a video to the growers in the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project which included a mini lesson in history and how to properly pot these seeds mirliton to ensure success.

Insurance and Experimentation:

By July 7th, the core group of first round growers had all received their mirlitons. Since there were some sprouts still remaining, it was decided these would be potted as a bit of insurance in case we encounter any issues before September. If all goes well, any remaining plants not needed in September will be sold to the next round of growers.

Due to the extra sprouts that they had saved, both Paul and John decided to experiment with direct planting into the ground, but both took added precautions to ensure success the intense 98-100 degree heat south Louisiana has been experiencing. In Paul’s case, he planted his in a partially shaded area of yard. John and Brian installed a shade cloth to protect against the heat and their efforts have paid off with three vines having sprung up thus far. Chef John notes “The intense heat has definitely played havoc on the new plantings and we really have to nurse and protect them daily from getting burned up.”

Image 6. Direct planted white mirliton with protective shade cloth at White Oak Estate and Gardens in Baton Rouge.

Image 7. Direct planted sprouting white mirliton with protective shade cloth at White Oak Estate and Gardens in Baton Rouge.

Some additional growing notes I would like to pass on from Chef John are “The White mirliton is definitely affected by the late June to mid-August heat. The mirliton seems to whiter and develops brown spots and begins to rot in this high heat. The mirliton once picked really needs to sit in a cool dark space (I put them in my bottom desk drawer to stay cool and dark until I started to see roots and vine sprout.) I then moved them out for planting. Next year however, I will definitely not rush this process. I’ll leave them in a cool, dark space until I have a nice vine growth 6-10 inches them plant under shade cloth to help establish a healthy plant.”

Education and Inspiration Through Food:

Shortly after we announced the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project, I was invited to appear on the local Mobile gardening radio show about the planned efforts. Mobile’s horticulturist, Bill Finch, is a great supporter of the traditional Gulf Coast vegetables and is very interested in mirliton. I am including the link to the show for those interested. The discussion starts around 23 minutes in:

https://fmtalk1065.com/podcast/plain-gardening-show-with-bill-finch-6-21-20-hour-1

This was then followed by an invitation to appear on July 5th on another Mobile radio show, Sip and Chew with Mike and Stu to discuss the project, as well as to learn more about mirliton in general. To help with the discussion, I brought them some food samples to help “educate their palates” on mirliton. Once again, if interested here is the link to the show as well as one of the dishes I prepared for them. The discussion lasts from 15-34 minutes:

https://audioboom.com/posts/7625135-sip-and-chew-7-05-20?fbclid=IwAR2zMJ2-FxvKrJXvvUp1BhnBh4qfAiCxMch0O0DNrf-bRQGD6dYssIetQmo

Image 8. Mirliton, Andouille, & Gulf Shrimp Dressing ala Mobile, Alabama. Recipe in link https://youtu.be/g14oA1nmJ7Y

Finally, on July 24th, my family and I visited Chef John at White Oak to check on the progress of his original vine and see how the potted seed mirlitons were doing. In addition, he and I took one of his few remaining Ishreal Thibodeaux white mirlitons from this spring harvest and prepared one of his classic mirliton recipes. Attached is the link to the video of our work so the readers can see why we get so excited about preserving the white mirliton and mirlitons in general. https://youtu.be/trMlF_fu_CE

Image 9. The original white mirliton vine at White Oak Estate and Gardens in Baton Rouge is still continuing to thrive through the hot July weather.

Image 10. Chef John Folse’s Crabmeat- and Shrimp-Stuffed White Mirliton https://youtu.be/trMlF_fu_CE

Closing Thoughts for Effort So Far:

This update will be the first of many to come, hopefully monthly, to detail the subscribers to Mirliton.org on the progress being made to restore the Ishreal Thibodeaux variety. As you can see, the team of growers have been quite busy since we announced the project. As we go into August, we along the Gulf Coast will be especially on guard to protect these plants to ensure they make it through perhaps the hottest and most brutal month for us. Rest assure that all on the project will do their utmost to get through this time so that we are able to transfer the potted vines into the soil and focus on hopefully what will be a successful but possibly small first crop.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please send them to me David J. Hubbell at rpcajun2r@gmail.com. Thank you.

Freeze Protection For Mirlitons–That Works!

by | Dec 6, 2019 |

The following blog was submitted by David Hubbell from Mobile. I asked him to explain how he saved his family heirloom mirliton from the recent early freeze, the worse one in 112 years. Every year we are losing locally grown varieties because of climate changes; droughts, early frosts, intensive precipitation events and flooding. If we are going to preserve out heirloom varieties, we need to plan for these challenges. David started from the beginning with a trellis he could easily and quickly protect from the frost or freeze. The old saying was that mirlitons take care of themselves; they use to, but not anymore.

Lance

Freeze Protection for Mirlitons

By David Hubbell

To say I was a bit concerned when I received an email titled “Frost Alert…” from mirliton.org on November 8th is a bit of an understatement. In Mobile, Alabama the typical first frost dates are November 21st-30th, which is what I have typically experienced over the past 10 years of growing mirlitons here. However, to get down below freezing for more than 6 hours and nearly two weeks early was almost unprecedented. Of course, we have had similar predictions in the past that would change as the forecast got closer to the predicted date, however, the local experts were telling us this one was serious.

On the following Sunday, I tuned in to the Plain Gardening with Bill Finch, our local gardening guru on the radio, to get his take on the forecast. Just like mirliton.org, Bill was extremely concerned on what was going to happen to the fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants of the area should we see the predicted 12 hours of 25-29 oF temperatures. Bill is also a great supporter of the mirliton effort and we have spoken frequently over the last several years on the subject. In fact, he even lamented on the air “what was David Hubbell going to do with his mirliton?”

 

So, what was I going to do? Well, evaluating the situation and looking over my experience of the last 10 years I figured I had at least three possible options:

  1. Cut the vine back to 2” above the surface and cover with mulch
  2. Try the sprinkler method suggested by Lance Hill at mirliton.org or
  3. Try to provide enough cover and heat

 

Since I had only picked two mirliton and had a lot of blooms with plenty of growing time left, I decided against option 1. While option 2 made logical sense to me, the area of my structure and the types of sprinklers I had didn’t lend themselves to this method; plus, due to the proximity to my driveway I may actually be creating a slipping hazard with the water. Therefore, I decided by default to go for option 3. I had some previous attempts at this over the years with mixed success and I had somewhat designed my mirliton support structure for such an enhancement.

 

Preliminary Steps

 

Before even considering protecting against a freeze, I had planted my vine in a well-drained location about 25 feet away from a big water oak with a decent canopy. This location is also heavily shaded by some of the neighboring trees and even three navel orange trees I planted nearby around the same time. Unbeknownst to me at that time, this probably has provided a bit of an infrastructure needed to help keep heat released from the ground trapped beneath the canopy and warm the mirliton vine. The first few years of growing mirliton was basically trying to mimic visions I had of old T-pole clothes lines I thought I remembered seeing mirliton grow on as a kid. I did this with a nice, but inadequate trellis and a long rope tied to the water oak. After the massive amount of plant growth during the first few years I realized I needed a “beefier” structure. Seeing pictures of similar structures created from folks in the New Orleans area I choose to create a system with six 4×4 posts separated by 1×4-12 planks lengthwise and 1×4-8 widthwise, and using reinforcing wire and small 1×2 railing pieces on top (see Figure 1.) The main advantages of this structure for me was a place for the vines to grow across the top while allowing the fruit to hang down so I could easily walk under it and inspect and pick. Plus I know had a structure that could now be easily reinforced with coverings and heater/heat lights if needed.

FIGURE 1. Mirliton Structure

Materials Used for Freeze Protection

  1. 20 ft. x 25 ft. Clear 4 mil Plastic Sheeting – quantity 2
  2. Old flannel King Size Bedsheets -quantity 4 (more preferable)
  3. Heavy Black Yard Bags full of leaves – quantity 5 (more preferable)
  4. Incandescent Heat Lamp – quantity 1 (2 or 3 may be preferable)
  5. Halogen Lamp – quantity 1
  6. 360 Surround Indoor Heater Black 1500W – quantity 1
  7. Swimming Pool Cover – 15 foot diameter – quantity 1 (3 or more preferable)
  8. ½” thick plywood -enough to cover top
  9. Clamps of various size

Freeze Protection Steps

 

Two Days before predicted frost:

  1. Rake all of the leaves and loose material away from the mirliton structure. This will allow as much heat to absorb into the ground, which will in turn be released back at night during the freeze.
  2. Fill as many black plastic yard bags as possible and allow them to absorb the heat from the sun.
  3. If your vine has grown beyond the structure, pick any mirliton that are of a useable size on that part of the vine, then pull all of the vines up under the structure. In my case this basically killed this portion of the vine, but the plan is to protect the main plant as much as possible, so for me this turned out to be somewhat of a sacrificial act.

Day before predicted frost:

  1. Place black plastic bags around the base of the vine to form an insulating barrier from the cold.
  2. Cover leaves and vines with as much flannel or thick cloth as possible. NOTE: You don’t want the plastic material to directly touch the leaves. There will still be damage without the cloth and only the plastic.
  3. With assistance, take one of the 20 ft. x 25 ft. clear plastic sheeting and cover the cloth allowing about a 2 foot over lay onto the ground to prevent a way for the cold air to “short circuit” the protective barrier. Use as many clamps as possible to secure to the wooden structure.

    1. Repeat with other roll of plastic in a similar manner. NOTE: If your structure is bigger, you may need more rolls.
  4. Once again with an assistant’s help, cover the structure with the pool cover(s) especially if you didn’t have enough sheets to cover the plants.
  5. Position heat lamp(s), light(s), and heater. NOTE: Do not place them directly against and cloth, plastic, vegetation, or dried vegetation. This could cause a fire to the structure or heat damage to the plant.
  6. Place plywood on top of the structure. This serves three purposes:

    1. Added insulation
    2. Traps in heat from lamps/heater.
    3. Protection from rain. In my case, rain was predicted with the incoming cold front. In years past I learned that the rain will collect on the plastic and cause the barrier to be breached thus thwarting all of your efforts.
  7. Finally, place heavy objects such as pots full of dirt, bricks, cinder blocks, etc. around the over hanging plastic to ensure the winds doesn’t gust up underneath. Also secure any openings where the cords going to the lights or plastics overlap with smaller clamps. Try to make the covering as secure and tight to prevent any breaches of cold air.

Day after predicted frost:

  1. Once freezing temperatures have passed and outside conditions get in the mid-30s oF, unplug heat sources.
  2. Remove as much as covering as possible so as not to damage the plant now that danger of frost and freezing has passed. At a minimum open up enough to allow ventilation of the mirliton vine.
  3. Inspect the plant for damage.
  4. Water the vine and apply a gallon of a water-soluble vegetable fertilizer.

Final Thoughts

 

The previously describe method was based off of my 10 years of mirliton growing experience. I feel I was quite fortunate to have escaped any significant damage. I would like to add that if the freezing temperatures would have been predicated for more than 12 hours, I would have been hard pressed to try either methods 2 or 3. While it is nice to extend the growing season for the mirliton, I feel it is more important to preserve the Louisiana heirloom varieties as best as possible. In the case of prolonged freezing weather or after the typical fruiting season has passed (mid December) that means method 1. While it is always a sad day at the Hubbell Household when I have to cut the mirliton vine back, I know that by March I will start to see sprouts returning and if I am lucky will be treated to a small springtime crop.

Thanks for taking to time to read my thoughts and please feel free to contact me at rpcajun2r@gmail.com.

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