When the coldest part of winter subsides, usually by March, the Gardening Juices get to flowing ... BUT ... the baseball season must be taken into account.
I have the good fortune of coaching the Freshman baseball team at the districts newest high school and that means a building program is underway. The most skilled freshmen players are on the varsity and the more skilled players have been assigned to the junior varsity. The freshman team then is a collection of players that have good baseball skills but need a little more foundational work to be their best.
What does baseball have to do with gardening you ask? Everything! Just like the 9th grader who is small and slow ... the garden that you work this season will be just that, small and slow.
It takes time and effort to take a youngster from being a bit clumsy and weak to a mature ball-player; it will be a few seasons before your garden reaches its full potential. You will work the ground by adding compost, green manure and enriching materials. You will spend hours and hours 'putt-zing' in and around your terrific tomatoes and your beautiful beans to get the biggest yield you can. In a sustainable approach you are continuously 'coaching' your garden by putting into it the right stuff.
If you want to hit a home-run with your vegetable garden ... you have to pick up the bat and swing a few thousand practice swings ... a.k.a ... you have to put in time and practice the principles of the sustainable way. Remember, a double in the left-center gap will score runners just as well as a homer.
So get out there, hit some ground(ers), get the fences built and make sure to have plenty of excitement in the 'play-of-the-day' ... whatever that may be.
PLAY BALL !!
email us at pioneer_gardens@yahoo.com with any and all questions/comments. The season is nigh at hand.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
An End that is just before a Beginning
Somewhere in the early part of January the winter blahs are beyond acceptably BLAH ... it is just miserable. Although the folks who ski and snow-board enjoy all the cold ... it is not the best time of year for those of us who love to be in the garden. Thank goodness the end of winter is near and the beginning of spring is looking promising.
We finished our final Community Education class on Sustainable Gardening on January 19th and the folks seemed to have gotten a good experience. We've been asked to consider putting together a level two class and we are thinking through what exactly could be of level two content and value. Time will tell and given the state of the economy, we might do well to offer folks a chance to really figure out how to grow enough food to put into storage if things get any worse.
So here is a portion of a short article we read through some time back and kept it in our database of good stuff. It is from http://www.helpguides.co.uk/ about things to do in preparation of the spring season.
Hope you enjoy it.
Sowing Seeds Indoors
Successful indoor propagation requires the gardener to provide the seeds with a healthy growing environment until they have developed sufficiently to survive in the outside soil. This includes using sterilized equipment and hygienic materials to reduce the risk of fungal diseases; the right amount of water and light; and a constant evaluation of their conditions, thinning the seedlings out and hardening them off when they are more fully grown.
Let’s look at just two items on the list for how to grow seeds indoors.
Hygiene
Seeds germinate and grow most successfully in warm, moist conditions; unfortunately, these are precisely the same conditions that encourage the development of fungal diseases.
To reduce the risk of exposing young plants to infection, it is vital to ensure that all propagating equipment is kept clean and sterilized. Tools and benches should be wiped down periodically with a mild disinfectant and all fallen leaves or other debris removed immediately. Seed trays and propagators should be sterilized before use, and compost should always be fresh and sterile.
Fungicidal solutions such as Chesnutt compound may also be applied to protect seedlings further. Make sure that you follow the manufacturer's directions closely.
Seedlings may also be at risk from fungal diseases if they become too moist or overcrowded. This is known as 'damping off', where the roots darken and die and the seedling collapses. This can be avoided by pricking out the seedlings to stop them from becoming overcrowded, maintaining the correct moisture levels and ensuring that there is an adequate air flow above and around the plants.
Sowing the Seeds
Fill a container (pot, seed pan, seed trays or pack) to the rim with standard seed compost and press in lightly around the edges with your fingertips or a presser board to ensure that there are no air pockets. Tap the container against a hard surface to settle the compost and then gently firm the compost again so that the top of the compost is just below the rim of the container. Water and allow it to drain for an hour.
Sprinkle the seeds thinly on the surface of the compost to achieve an even covering. This may be done by rolling them between your thumb and forefinger so that they fall singly, or by making a channel of the seed packet so that they can drop out slowly and evenly. You may find that very small seeds are easier to sow if you mix them with the same quantity of fine sand; this will give a more even distribution. Avoid sowing the seeds too densely, as this will result in thin, spindly plants that are prone to damping off. If you are using large seeds, you can sow them individually in compartmented packs or spaced out in trays.
Cover the seeds with a layer of sieved, moist compost to about the same thickness as the seeds themselves, then water lightly, so as not to disturb the seeds or the surface of the compost. If you are sowing dust-like seeds (such as begonia), you will need to leave them uncovered and water them from underneath: place the container in water up to its rim and leave soaking until the surface of the compost is moist. However, take care to ensure that you do not leave them soaking for too long as they will become waterlogged, which may encourage seedling diseases or make the seeds rot before germination.
Place a piece of glass or clear plastic sheeting over the container to maintain even humidity: do not let it touch the compost surface as this may disturb the seeds. Place the container somewhere warm and bright such as a greenhouse bench or in a propagator, shading it with newspaper or fine netting if it is in direct sunlight. Check frequently to see how the seeds are progressing.
Remove the cover as soon as the first seedlings germinate; keep the compost moist and the seedlings in good light until they are ready for pricking out.
Using Biodegradable Pots
You might also consider sowing in a biodegradable pot. In this situation, fill the pot to within 1 cm of the rim, sow three seeds on the surface, cover thinly with compost and then water. The three seedlings may be thinned to two once they have germinated, and the whole pot planted out when the young plants are well developed. This technique is very useful for seedlings that do not transplant well as the pot may be planted out without disturbing the roots.
We finished our final Community Education class on Sustainable Gardening on January 19th and the folks seemed to have gotten a good experience. We've been asked to consider putting together a level two class and we are thinking through what exactly could be of level two content and value. Time will tell and given the state of the economy, we might do well to offer folks a chance to really figure out how to grow enough food to put into storage if things get any worse.
So here is a portion of a short article we read through some time back and kept it in our database of good stuff. It is from http://www.helpguides.co.uk/ about things to do in preparation of the spring season.
Hope you enjoy it.
Sowing Seeds Indoors
Successful indoor propagation requires the gardener to provide the seeds with a healthy growing environment until they have developed sufficiently to survive in the outside soil. This includes using sterilized equipment and hygienic materials to reduce the risk of fungal diseases; the right amount of water and light; and a constant evaluation of their conditions, thinning the seedlings out and hardening them off when they are more fully grown.
Let’s look at just two items on the list for how to grow seeds indoors.
Hygiene
Seeds germinate and grow most successfully in warm, moist conditions; unfortunately, these are precisely the same conditions that encourage the development of fungal diseases.
To reduce the risk of exposing young plants to infection, it is vital to ensure that all propagating equipment is kept clean and sterilized. Tools and benches should be wiped down periodically with a mild disinfectant and all fallen leaves or other debris removed immediately. Seed trays and propagators should be sterilized before use, and compost should always be fresh and sterile.
Fungicidal solutions such as Chesnutt compound may also be applied to protect seedlings further. Make sure that you follow the manufacturer's directions closely.
Seedlings may also be at risk from fungal diseases if they become too moist or overcrowded. This is known as 'damping off', where the roots darken and die and the seedling collapses. This can be avoided by pricking out the seedlings to stop them from becoming overcrowded, maintaining the correct moisture levels and ensuring that there is an adequate air flow above and around the plants.
Sowing the Seeds
Fill a container (pot, seed pan, seed trays or pack) to the rim with standard seed compost and press in lightly around the edges with your fingertips or a presser board to ensure that there are no air pockets. Tap the container against a hard surface to settle the compost and then gently firm the compost again so that the top of the compost is just below the rim of the container. Water and allow it to drain for an hour.
Sprinkle the seeds thinly on the surface of the compost to achieve an even covering. This may be done by rolling them between your thumb and forefinger so that they fall singly, or by making a channel of the seed packet so that they can drop out slowly and evenly. You may find that very small seeds are easier to sow if you mix them with the same quantity of fine sand; this will give a more even distribution. Avoid sowing the seeds too densely, as this will result in thin, spindly plants that are prone to damping off. If you are using large seeds, you can sow them individually in compartmented packs or spaced out in trays.
Cover the seeds with a layer of sieved, moist compost to about the same thickness as the seeds themselves, then water lightly, so as not to disturb the seeds or the surface of the compost. If you are sowing dust-like seeds (such as begonia), you will need to leave them uncovered and water them from underneath: place the container in water up to its rim and leave soaking until the surface of the compost is moist. However, take care to ensure that you do not leave them soaking for too long as they will become waterlogged, which may encourage seedling diseases or make the seeds rot before germination.
Place a piece of glass or clear plastic sheeting over the container to maintain even humidity: do not let it touch the compost surface as this may disturb the seeds. Place the container somewhere warm and bright such as a greenhouse bench or in a propagator, shading it with newspaper or fine netting if it is in direct sunlight. Check frequently to see how the seeds are progressing.
Remove the cover as soon as the first seedlings germinate; keep the compost moist and the seedlings in good light until they are ready for pricking out.
Using Biodegradable Pots
You might also consider sowing in a biodegradable pot. In this situation, fill the pot to within 1 cm of the rim, sow three seeds on the surface, cover thinly with compost and then water. The three seedlings may be thinned to two once they have germinated, and the whole pot planted out when the young plants are well developed. This technique is very useful for seedlings that do not transplant well as the pot may be planted out without disturbing the roots.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Maybe the saying 'A picture is worth 1000 words'
During our Sustainable Gardening Class this topic came up: What is No Till gardening?
Lasagna Gardening
No-Till, No-Dig Gardening
Lasagna gardening is a no-dig, no-till organic gardening method that results in rich, fluffy soil with very little work from the gardener. The name "lasagna gardening" has nothing to do with what you'll be growing in this garden. It refers to the method of building the garden, which is, essentially, adding layers of organic materials that will “cook down” over time, resulting in rich, fluffy soil that will help your plants thrive. Also known as “sheet composting,” lasagna gardening is great for the environment, because you're using your yard and kitchen waste and essentially composting it in place to make a new garden.
No Digging Required
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One of the best things about lasagna gardening is how easy it is. You don't have to remove existing sod and weeds. You don't have to double dig. In fact, you don't have to work the soil at all. The first layer of your lasagna garden consists of either brown corrugated cardboard or three layers of newspaper laid directly on top of the grass or weeds in the area you've selected for your garden. Wet this layer down to keep everything in place and start the decomposition process. The grass or weeds will break down fairly quickly because they will be smothered by the newspaper or cardboard, as well as by the materials you're going to layer on top of them. This layer also provides a dark, moist area to attract earthworms that will loosen up the soil as they tunnel through it.
Ingredients For A
Anything you'd put in a compost pile, you can put into a lasagna garden. The materials you put into the garden will break down, providing nutrient-rich, crumbly soil in which to plant. The following materials are all perfect for lasagna gardens:
• Grass Clippings
• Leaves
• Fruit and Vegetable Scraps
• Coffee Grounds
• Tea leaves and tea bags
• Weeds (if they haven't gone to seed)
• Manure
• Compost
• Seaweed
• Shredded newspaper or junk mail
• Pine needles
• Spent blooms, trimmings from the garden
• Peat moss
Just as with an edible lasagna, there is some importance to the methods you use to build your lasagna garden. You'll want to alternate layers of “browns” such as fall leaves, shredded newspaper, peat, and pine needles with layers of “greens” such as vegetable scraps, garden trimmings, and grass clippings. In general, you want your "brown” layers to be about twice as deep as your “green” layers, but there's no need to get finicky about this. Just layer browns and greens, and a lasagna garden will result. What you want at the end of your layering process is a two-foot tall layered bed. You'll be amazed at how much this will shrink down in a few short weeks.
When To Make A
You can make a lasagna garden at any time of year. Fall is an optimum time for many gardeners because of the amount of organic materials you can get for free thanks to fallen leaves and general yard waste from cleaning up the rest of the yard and garden. You can let the lasagna garden sit and break down all winter. By spring, it will be ready to plant in with a minimum of effort. Also, fall rains and winter snow will keep the materials in your lasagna garden moist, which will help them break down faster.
If you choose to make a lasagna garden in spring or summer, you will need to consider adding more "soil-like" amendments to the bed, such as peat or topsoil, so that you can plant in the garden right away. If you make the bed in spring, layer as many greens and browns as you can, with layers of finished compost, peat, or topsoil interspersed in them. Finish off the entire bed with three or four inches of finished compost or topsoil, and plant. The bed will settle some over the season as the layers underneath decompose.
Planting and Maintaining a
When it's time to plant, just dig down into the bed as you would with any other garden. If you used newspaper as your bottom layer, the shovel will most likely go right through, exposing nice, loose soil underneath. If you used cardboard, you may have to cut a hole in it at each spot where you want to plant something.
To maintain the garden, simply add mulch to the top of the bed in the form of straw, grass clippings, bark mulch, or chopped leaves. Once it's established, you will care for a lasagna garden just as you would any other: weed and water when necessary, and plant to your heart's content.
Advantages Of A
While you will be maintaining a lasagna garden the same way you would care for any other garden, you will find that caring for a lasagna garden is less work-intensive. You can expect:
• Few weeds, thanks to the newspaper suppressing them from below and the mulch covering the soil from above.
• Better water retention, due to the fact that compost (which is what you made by layering all of those materials) holds water better than regular garden soil, especially if your native soil is sandy or deficient in organic matter.
• Less need for fertilizer, because you planted your garden in almost pure compost, which is very nutrient-rich.
• Soil that is easy to work: crumbly, loose, and fluffy.
Lasagna gardening is fun, easy, and allows you to make new gardens at a much faster rate than the old double-digging method. Now your only problem will be finding plants to fill all of those new gardens!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Something to Think about when Planning your Garden
here are some compiled notes for your good reading.
Healthy Soil, Food and People
Why Grow Organic?
"I believe that a whole new era of agricultural research is in the making-one that will benefit our country at large far more than all of the research of the past has done, one that will more nearly help to create a healthy society and keep it in close touch with the land from which it gets its strength and sweetness..."
-- J.I Rodale in Pay Dirt, 1945
CHEMICAL VS. ORGANIC
Soluble chemical fertilizers are made up of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) in the form of mineral salts in a quick-release form that, when dissolved in water, suppiy major nutrients only. Plants need more than these three minerals for optimal growth. (Minerals control the metabolism of cells in plants, animals and man.) Some 16 elements are now commonly considered essential, and over 56 have been detected in plant life.
Plants given artificial fertilizers obtain fast growth, causing them to appear lush on the outside. Lush growth, however, produces watery tissues, which become more susceptible to disease and the protein quality suffers.
Most chemical fertilizers are synthesized from non-renewable resources and petroleum products, such as coal and natural gas. Expensive to manufacture, approximately 2% of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. goes into the maufacture of nitrogen fertilizer. Others are made by treating rock minerals with acids to make them more soluble. chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides now pollute the majority of water sources in the U.S. and have been directly linked to many forms of cancer, birth defects and other illnesses.
When chemical fertilizers are put into the soil they dissolve and seek natural combinations with minerals afready present. New combinations glut or overload the plant, causing it to become unbalanced. Others remain in the soil, many in the form of poisons. While using artificial NPK fertilizers can give plants an impressive jolt of growth, they do nothing to address the more important issue of providing full biological and nutritional support for the plants, as well as the microrganisms, bacteria and other life forms in the soil.
FROM ROBERT RODALE:
Robert Rodale, former editor of Organic Gardening magazine said, "Feeding a plant artificial fertilizers is basically the same as feeding a person intravenously." Plants, like us, can't survive on junk food, either. Rodale also emphasized what science has always conlirmed: a successful garden begins with healthy soil, "Ninety percent of all garden failures are caused by poor soil," he said.
DID YOU KNOW?
A 1987 National Cancer Institute study showed that in households where home or garden pesticides and fertilizers are used, children are up to 6 times more likely to develop leukemia than are children in non-pesticide homes.
The American Medical Association showed that in 1990 deaths in the U.S. due to toxic pollutants and contaminants equaled the number of gunshot and motor vehicle fatalities combined.
-- In 1991, the EPA completed a 5-year study entitled "The National Survey of Pesticides in Drinking Water Wells." The reports stated that more than half of the 94,000 drinking water wells in the U.S. contained nitrates from fertilizers. The most commonly detected pesticide was Dacthal, an herbicide used on lawns.
-- An estimated 14 million Americans regularly drink pesticide-contaminated water.
Healthy Soil, Food and People
Why Grow Organic?
"I believe that a whole new era of agricultural research is in the making-one that will benefit our country at large far more than all of the research of the past has done, one that will more nearly help to create a healthy society and keep it in close touch with the land from which it gets its strength and sweetness..."
-- J.I Rodale in Pay Dirt, 1945
CHEMICAL VS. ORGANIC
Soluble chemical fertilizers are made up of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) in the form of mineral salts in a quick-release form that, when dissolved in water, suppiy major nutrients only. Plants need more than these three minerals for optimal growth. (Minerals control the metabolism of cells in plants, animals and man.) Some 16 elements are now commonly considered essential, and over 56 have been detected in plant life.
Plants given artificial fertilizers obtain fast growth, causing them to appear lush on the outside. Lush growth, however, produces watery tissues, which become more susceptible to disease and the protein quality suffers.
Most chemical fertilizers are synthesized from non-renewable resources and petroleum products, such as coal and natural gas. Expensive to manufacture, approximately 2% of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. goes into the maufacture of nitrogen fertilizer. Others are made by treating rock minerals with acids to make them more soluble. chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides now pollute the majority of water sources in the U.S. and have been directly linked to many forms of cancer, birth defects and other illnesses.
When chemical fertilizers are put into the soil they dissolve and seek natural combinations with minerals afready present. New combinations glut or overload the plant, causing it to become unbalanced. Others remain in the soil, many in the form of poisons. While using artificial NPK fertilizers can give plants an impressive jolt of growth, they do nothing to address the more important issue of providing full biological and nutritional support for the plants, as well as the microrganisms, bacteria and other life forms in the soil.
FROM ROBERT RODALE:
Robert Rodale, former editor of Organic Gardening magazine said, "Feeding a plant artificial fertilizers is basically the same as feeding a person intravenously." Plants, like us, can't survive on junk food, either. Rodale also emphasized what science has always conlirmed: a successful garden begins with healthy soil, "Ninety percent of all garden failures are caused by poor soil," he said.
DID YOU KNOW?
A 1987 National Cancer Institute study showed that in households where home or garden pesticides and fertilizers are used, children are up to 6 times more likely to develop leukemia than are children in non-pesticide homes.
The American Medical Association showed that in 1990 deaths in the U.S. due to toxic pollutants and contaminants equaled the number of gunshot and motor vehicle fatalities combined.
-- In 1991, the EPA completed a 5-year study entitled "The National Survey of Pesticides in Drinking Water Wells." The reports stated that more than half of the 94,000 drinking water wells in the U.S. contained nitrates from fertilizers. The most commonly detected pesticide was Dacthal, an herbicide used on lawns.
-- An estimated 14 million Americans regularly drink pesticide-contaminated water.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
A Little Something for your Reading Pleasure
Here is some information we use in our Community Education Class materials.
Growing food is fundamental to sustainable living and good health. Fresh food is simply better; flavors, vitamins and enzymes decrease rapidly as food ages.
The majority of people who live to a ripe old age, and who seem to enjoy good health right up to the end, seem to spend a disproportionately large amount of time puttering around in their gardens, and comparatively little time out driving around in traffic or managing the hostile takeover of corporations.
There is a lot to know about growing food, and information varies depending on geography, climate, etc. It takes years to become an accomplished farmer. We will simply guide you to the resources that you need in order to do it.
But first, a few basic principles:
* Pick a sunny location. Most food does not grow well in the shade. You need at least six hours of direct sun a day to be very successful.
* Establish buffer zones. Your garden may need protection against wind, automobile traffic, deer and other pests. Hedgerows, fences and perimeter beds can help. Surrounding a garden with perennial herbs confuses pests with its strong scents. Fencing a garden with pollen-bearing perennials provides critical habitat for the predatory insects which keep pests in check. Establishing the perimeter first can help ensure success when actual crops are planted.
* Establish permanent pathways and garden beds. Arrange beds running north - south. A good-sized bed is 3-4 feet wide and as long as you want it. (If it is much wider than four feet, you will not be able to reach the center without stepping or kneeling in the bed.) Cultivate your beds year after year, adding compost and organic fertilizers as needed, and rotating crops. Do not walk on your garden beds as it compresses the soil.
* Build your soil: This is the cornerstone of sustainable farming and gardening. Healthy soil supports good plants. The best way to build healthy soil is to add lots and lots of compost. You cannot add too much compost to your soil, but if you add too little, it will get hard and your plants will be puny and weak, and thus susceptible to disease. If you cannot make enough compost (most homeowners fall into this category), then buy it from your city, a local farmer, or your neighborhood landscape supply house. A few sustainable businesses have developed products out of recycled plastic which help urban and suburban residents compost.
* Buy a good spading fork: The digging fork is by far the most useful cultivation tool. You will use it every day for digging new beds, re-digging old ones, cultivating around crops and trees, even weeding and pulling out nasty unwanted trees and cactus. The best forks have big, fat forged steel heads; short, stout, unbreakable handles and a D-grip.
* Cultivate diversity: Monoculture attracts pests; so grow a little of everything. Learn which plants grow together, and which do not (the science of companion planting). Harvest your own seeds and purchase heirloom variety plants. Keep a steady stream of flowers available to feed predatory insects (which need to eat even when there are no pests in your yard); multitudes of small flowers feed more predators than big, showy flowers.
* Water carefully: Plants show many of the same signs when over-watered as when under-watered. Established plants typically prefer deep, infrequent watering; that is, soak, let the soil dry out completely, then soak again. Check the soil to be sure. Dig down six inches. If the soil will hold in a ball, then it does not need to be watered. Daily, shallow watering causes or exacerbates many plant diseases, including blossom-end rot.
* Learn about Integrated Pest Management. Avoid using chemical pesticides and fertilizers, which already plague the commercial food supply. Most homeowners wind up misusing chemicals far more egregiously than farmers.
* Learn how to tell when fruits and vegetables are perfectly ripe.
One very easy thing you can do to reduce your impact on the planet, and bolster your gardening efforts, is to compost. Compost makes rich fertilizer and mulch out of yard waste, food scraps, tree trimmings, old lumber and even certain types of paper. You can even compost human wastes, although you may not want to use that to grow vegetable crops.
Here is a view of our '08 garden.
More later ... for certain!
Growing food is fundamental to sustainable living and good health. Fresh food is simply better; flavors, vitamins and enzymes decrease rapidly as food ages.
The majority of people who live to a ripe old age, and who seem to enjoy good health right up to the end, seem to spend a disproportionately large amount of time puttering around in their gardens, and comparatively little time out driving around in traffic or managing the hostile takeover of corporations.
There is a lot to know about growing food, and information varies depending on geography, climate, etc. It takes years to become an accomplished farmer. We will simply guide you to the resources that you need in order to do it.
But first, a few basic principles:
* Pick a sunny location. Most food does not grow well in the shade. You need at least six hours of direct sun a day to be very successful.
* Establish buffer zones. Your garden may need protection against wind, automobile traffic, deer and other pests. Hedgerows, fences and perimeter beds can help. Surrounding a garden with perennial herbs confuses pests with its strong scents. Fencing a garden with pollen-bearing perennials provides critical habitat for the predatory insects which keep pests in check. Establishing the perimeter first can help ensure success when actual crops are planted.
* Establish permanent pathways and garden beds. Arrange beds running north - south. A good-sized bed is 3-4 feet wide and as long as you want it. (If it is much wider than four feet, you will not be able to reach the center without stepping or kneeling in the bed.) Cultivate your beds year after year, adding compost and organic fertilizers as needed, and rotating crops. Do not walk on your garden beds as it compresses the soil.
* Build your soil: This is the cornerstone of sustainable farming and gardening. Healthy soil supports good plants. The best way to build healthy soil is to add lots and lots of compost. You cannot add too much compost to your soil, but if you add too little, it will get hard and your plants will be puny and weak, and thus susceptible to disease. If you cannot make enough compost (most homeowners fall into this category), then buy it from your city, a local farmer, or your neighborhood landscape supply house. A few sustainable businesses have developed products out of recycled plastic which help urban and suburban residents compost.
* Buy a good spading fork: The digging fork is by far the most useful cultivation tool. You will use it every day for digging new beds, re-digging old ones, cultivating around crops and trees, even weeding and pulling out nasty unwanted trees and cactus. The best forks have big, fat forged steel heads; short, stout, unbreakable handles and a D-grip.
* Cultivate diversity: Monoculture attracts pests; so grow a little of everything. Learn which plants grow together, and which do not (the science of companion planting). Harvest your own seeds and purchase heirloom variety plants. Keep a steady stream of flowers available to feed predatory insects (which need to eat even when there are no pests in your yard); multitudes of small flowers feed more predators than big, showy flowers.
* Water carefully: Plants show many of the same signs when over-watered as when under-watered. Established plants typically prefer deep, infrequent watering; that is, soak, let the soil dry out completely, then soak again. Check the soil to be sure. Dig down six inches. If the soil will hold in a ball, then it does not need to be watered. Daily, shallow watering causes or exacerbates many plant diseases, including blossom-end rot.
* Learn about Integrated Pest Management. Avoid using chemical pesticides and fertilizers, which already plague the commercial food supply. Most homeowners wind up misusing chemicals far more egregiously than farmers.
* Learn how to tell when fruits and vegetables are perfectly ripe.
One very easy thing you can do to reduce your impact on the planet, and bolster your gardening efforts, is to compost. Compost makes rich fertilizer and mulch out of yard waste, food scraps, tree trimmings, old lumber and even certain types of paper. You can even compost human wastes, although you may not want to use that to grow vegetable crops.
Here is a view of our '08 garden.
More later ... for certain!
Thinking about Spring in the middle of Winter
One of the best things about us 'crazies' that garden for fun and for cutting food costs is being able to dream about summer. Even now in the dead of winter, looking out the window at snow galore and Mr. Temperature in the mid 20's,
we are planning the start date for the '09 food garden.We've been working on the garden patch for over a dozen years and committed to the sustainable approach six years back. Last week over a glass of Merlot, we re-calibrated the garden design drawings and picked a start date, March 21st for those who circle dates on the calendar.
We usually get a 'fake spring' in the last week or so of February but the veteran farmers ignore this attempt by Mother Nature to get a last laugh at the rookies, so we do also. I mean you could get out and try to dig some ground but just below that 1/2" of muddy stuff, you'll still encounter frozen earth; good soil, with lots of nutrients but hard as an ice cube just the same.
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