October Gardening Article
by Neil DeWitt
This month I will discuss soil quality. For the most part, if your garden plot is in the lower portions of the river valley, you will have a clay soil. If your plot is on the higher portions of our area, you are likely to have sandy soil. Both are fine for growing a vegetable garden as long as you take the necessary steps to improve your soil. Of course we all would like to have a great loamy soil to work with. No matter what cards we have been dealt, we can turn our soil into one that is productive for vegetable gardening.
Sandy soil is the easiest to work. It dries out and warms up quickly and it always drains well. However, these characteristics will cause you to have to water very often as well as fertilize more often because there is nothing to keep the water and nutrients close to the roots of your plants. To improve sandy soil, you need to constantly add organic matter to it. Green manure crops, which were discussed in the last newsletter, will help a great deal. Also, plant residues after the harvest and fall leaves are good sources of organic matter.
Clay soils are more fertile than sandy soils by nature. However, they are heavy, often preventing good drainage, which can spell doom to your plants if water remains in constant contact with your plant’s root system. When clay soil is wet, it is slippery and it sticks to your shoes. The soil becomes slippery because the soil particles in clay are flat and they compress when stepped on and this shuts off the flow of air and water to the plant’s roots. The best way to improve clay soil is once again, to add organic matter such as leaves, old mulches and green manure crops. As this organic matter breaks down, it acts like little wedges that keep the soil particles from sticking together. This creates openings for air, water, and the roots of the plants to better penetrate the soil to take in needed oxygen and water. Adding a whole lot of sand to clay soil does not work well because you will need so much sand it usually is not economically efficient and you are still going to need to add just as much organic matter to the soil anyway. Using raised beds in your garden is also great when working with clay soils as this prevents the soil where you grow your plants from being stepped on and thus becoming compressed. This also allows the clay soil to dry out quicker and warm up earlier in the season.
A loam soil is what should be our goal. Loam soils are usually rich in organic matter and quite fertile. They’re easier to work. They have good drainage, but they still hold enough moisture for plants to thrive. They are certainly the best soils for gardens. And, as you can clearly see, no matter if you have sandy soil or heavy clay soil, you can move towards a loam soil through the use of organic matter. It is important to note that the process of adding organic matter is never complete. It must be a constant process because as soon as you work it into your soil, it begins to break down and in the matter of a short period of time you will be right back where you started with your garden plot in regard to soil composition.
Whenever soils are moist and the temperature is warm, organic matter in the soil will decompose. Organisms such as bacteria, fungi, earthworms, mites and others, attack organic matter. Earthworms are probably the most beneficial workers in your garden. And you need to encourage them to stay in your garden and to multiply by providing them with a constant source of food supply, which is of course, organic matter that you add to your soil. The worms digest the organic matter and deposit casts that are high in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium, making these essential nutrients available to your plants.
Doing a soil test on your garden plot can also help you in knowing what you might need to add to your soil to make it more productive. It is suggested that new garden plots be soil tested before you begin and it is also recommended that the soil in an established garden be tested every three or four years. This test can tell you the strengths and weaknesses of your particular soil. The pH of the soil is the primary thing you should be most concerned with. The pH level of the soil regards the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. The pH level is rated on a numbered scale ranging from 0 to 14, with 7 being considered neutral. Most vegetables do best in soil between 6.0 (slightly acidic) to 6.8 (almost neutral). Lime can be added to the soil to raise the pH level while sulfur can be added to lower the pH level of the soil. A quart of lime spread on 100 square feet of garden area will raise the pH level about 1 point, while about ¾ of a pound of sulfur is needed for 100 square feet of soil to lower the pH level about 1 point.
Take your soil sample by digging a six-inch hole and then cut a thin slice of the soil down the side of the hole to its full depth and place this in a plastic bag. Make sure you do not get your soil sample from just the top of the hole because the sample will not be accurate. Now you have a sample ready to send to a soil testing facility or you can use a home gardener’s test kit available from most garden centers.
Remember, our gardens are like our lives here on earth---we must continually seek improvement as the process for enduring to the end.
Friday, August 5, 2011
September Gardening Tips
September Gardening Article
by Neil DeWitt
September is one of my favorite months as a gardener. Fall is just like spring with its cooler crisp mornings and evenings, but without all the wind! An occasional rain is also a real blessing in the fall. It is a time when we can thank our Heavenly Father for all that He has provided for us over the course of the summer through our garden labors. It is a time to continue enjoying the harvest of crops. It can also be a time when we can restart our garden with fall and winter vegetable crops. And, can even be the time when we begin the process of building-up our garden soil to become better than ever once the weather turns warm/hot next spring/summer. The best preparation of your garden plot can come over the winter months through the use of “green manure” crops. We see examples of this with our local cotton farmers every winter when they plant a grain crop, often, not for harvest as grain, but as fertilizer for the next year’s cotton crop.
A “green manure” crop can turn both heavy hard clay and lifeless sandy soils into a garden soil that is full of nutrients, easy to work, and one that retains moisture well. It is possible to improve any soil and build it into a soil that is compatible with vegetable gardening. However, this is not always something that you can do overnight through the use of commercial fertilizers and soil supplements. Neither will mixing one huge pile of organic matter into your soil one time accomplish it. This may certainly help in the short term, but it won’t last. Organic matter is the key to creating a rich productive soul. But, you must realize that it is always temporary. From the moment you mix organic matter into your soil, you start to lose it. Earthworms and countless other soil creatures start breaking it down into usable plant food and soil-improving humus. In our hot temperatures, they will work their way through organic matter in no time, and if you don’t have another helping ready for them, they’ll die or leave the area in search of food sources elsewhere. And once you have a big crew of worms and other beneficial critters working for you in your garden, you don’t want to “lay them off” so they move on to “greener pastures”, but you want to keep them well fed with organic matter as in a good winter crop of green manure.
Any green plant that is spaded or tilled back into the soil can be called green manure. Certain crops can be grown specifically to be turned under, back into the soil while they are still green for the purpose of serving up a host of organic matter. Alfalfa, buckwheat and annual ryegrass are a few examples from amongst a long list of possible green manure crops.
There are many advantages to be found in utilizing a green manure crop. First, green manure is easier to use than animal manure as a fertilizer and soil conditioner. Five or six pounds of seed can produce tons of green organic matter. Animal manure is usually full of weed seeds that you may end up fighting in your garden for years. It takes a lot more animal manure to add a significant amount of fertilizer to soil as compared with using green manure. Green manure crops really help sandy soils to better hold their nutrients and moisture which are trapped by the organic matter close the surface for better utilization by your vegetable plants. Green manure crops provide a tremendous amount of organic material for earthworms and the bacteria in the soil to break-down for food. Green manure provides a literal feast in your soil. When tilled into heavy, clay soil, green manure crops improve and condition the soil. This keeps the clay-laden soil from baking down and crusting over as much, thus making it easier to “work” or till. Use of a green manure crop over the winter months helps to reduce the loss of topsoil due to erosion and our heavy spring winds. A thick green manure crop helps to choke out weeds, smothering them by blocking out the sunlight they need to thrive. Three or four successive years of winter green manure crops will almost wipe-out persistent problem weeds in your garden. Green manure crops act as an insulating blanket to your soil, keeping the ground cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Winter months are when earthworms are most active. Having an insulating blanket of green manure allows the worms to “feed” closer to the surface of the soil where they will produce a rich store of nutrients for next year’s crops, right where young plant have full access to these nutrients. And a final benefit to the use of green manure is the fact that these crops typically send their roots much deeper into the soil than do most vegetable plants, thus bringing valuable deeper nutrients up to feed the plant when they get put back into the topsoil as the green manure crop is tilled prior to the time when you plant your next year’s garden.
One of the easiest green manure crops to use in our area is annual ryegrass. Be sure you purchase the “annual” variety of seed rather than the “perennial” seed. Also, make sure you are getting ryegrass seed, not rye seed, which is a grain. This seed is inexpensive, easy to grow, easy to obtain, and it will grow as a rich green crop throughout the winter months. This is the same grass crop that is grown in our area as a “winter lawn” when it is “over seeded” on turf lawns.
Use 2 to 3 lbs. of annual ryegrass seed per 1,000 sq. ft. of garden for green manure. This seed is usually less than $1 per lb. The best time to plant this crop is in late September through the end of October. To plant, spade, plow, or till your soil to prepare a good seedbed. Turning the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches is sufficient. Rake the seedbed. Spread a little commercial fertilizer such as a 5-10-10 or a 10-10-10 at a rate of about 2 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. Use your rake to mix this fertilizer into the soil. Broadcast the ryegrass seed evenly over the area, then finish with a light raking to mix the seed into the soil. Finally, keep the soil damp each day, but not soaked, until the seed germinates and becomes established. Let the ryegrass grow without any mowing, continuing until you till it under about 2 weeks prior to the time you begin planting your garden next spring.
by Neil DeWitt
September is one of my favorite months as a gardener. Fall is just like spring with its cooler crisp mornings and evenings, but without all the wind! An occasional rain is also a real blessing in the fall. It is a time when we can thank our Heavenly Father for all that He has provided for us over the course of the summer through our garden labors. It is a time to continue enjoying the harvest of crops. It can also be a time when we can restart our garden with fall and winter vegetable crops. And, can even be the time when we begin the process of building-up our garden soil to become better than ever once the weather turns warm/hot next spring/summer. The best preparation of your garden plot can come over the winter months through the use of “green manure” crops. We see examples of this with our local cotton farmers every winter when they plant a grain crop, often, not for harvest as grain, but as fertilizer for the next year’s cotton crop.
A “green manure” crop can turn both heavy hard clay and lifeless sandy soils into a garden soil that is full of nutrients, easy to work, and one that retains moisture well. It is possible to improve any soil and build it into a soil that is compatible with vegetable gardening. However, this is not always something that you can do overnight through the use of commercial fertilizers and soil supplements. Neither will mixing one huge pile of organic matter into your soil one time accomplish it. This may certainly help in the short term, but it won’t last. Organic matter is the key to creating a rich productive soul. But, you must realize that it is always temporary. From the moment you mix organic matter into your soil, you start to lose it. Earthworms and countless other soil creatures start breaking it down into usable plant food and soil-improving humus. In our hot temperatures, they will work their way through organic matter in no time, and if you don’t have another helping ready for them, they’ll die or leave the area in search of food sources elsewhere. And once you have a big crew of worms and other beneficial critters working for you in your garden, you don’t want to “lay them off” so they move on to “greener pastures”, but you want to keep them well fed with organic matter as in a good winter crop of green manure.
Any green plant that is spaded or tilled back into the soil can be called green manure. Certain crops can be grown specifically to be turned under, back into the soil while they are still green for the purpose of serving up a host of organic matter. Alfalfa, buckwheat and annual ryegrass are a few examples from amongst a long list of possible green manure crops.
There are many advantages to be found in utilizing a green manure crop. First, green manure is easier to use than animal manure as a fertilizer and soil conditioner. Five or six pounds of seed can produce tons of green organic matter. Animal manure is usually full of weed seeds that you may end up fighting in your garden for years. It takes a lot more animal manure to add a significant amount of fertilizer to soil as compared with using green manure. Green manure crops really help sandy soils to better hold their nutrients and moisture which are trapped by the organic matter close the surface for better utilization by your vegetable plants. Green manure crops provide a tremendous amount of organic material for earthworms and the bacteria in the soil to break-down for food. Green manure provides a literal feast in your soil. When tilled into heavy, clay soil, green manure crops improve and condition the soil. This keeps the clay-laden soil from baking down and crusting over as much, thus making it easier to “work” or till. Use of a green manure crop over the winter months helps to reduce the loss of topsoil due to erosion and our heavy spring winds. A thick green manure crop helps to choke out weeds, smothering them by blocking out the sunlight they need to thrive. Three or four successive years of winter green manure crops will almost wipe-out persistent problem weeds in your garden. Green manure crops act as an insulating blanket to your soil, keeping the ground cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Winter months are when earthworms are most active. Having an insulating blanket of green manure allows the worms to “feed” closer to the surface of the soil where they will produce a rich store of nutrients for next year’s crops, right where young plant have full access to these nutrients. And a final benefit to the use of green manure is the fact that these crops typically send their roots much deeper into the soil than do most vegetable plants, thus bringing valuable deeper nutrients up to feed the plant when they get put back into the topsoil as the green manure crop is tilled prior to the time when you plant your next year’s garden.
One of the easiest green manure crops to use in our area is annual ryegrass. Be sure you purchase the “annual” variety of seed rather than the “perennial” seed. Also, make sure you are getting ryegrass seed, not rye seed, which is a grain. This seed is inexpensive, easy to grow, easy to obtain, and it will grow as a rich green crop throughout the winter months. This is the same grass crop that is grown in our area as a “winter lawn” when it is “over seeded” on turf lawns.
Use 2 to 3 lbs. of annual ryegrass seed per 1,000 sq. ft. of garden for green manure. This seed is usually less than $1 per lb. The best time to plant this crop is in late September through the end of October. To plant, spade, plow, or till your soil to prepare a good seedbed. Turning the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches is sufficient. Rake the seedbed. Spread a little commercial fertilizer such as a 5-10-10 or a 10-10-10 at a rate of about 2 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. Use your rake to mix this fertilizer into the soil. Broadcast the ryegrass seed evenly over the area, then finish with a light raking to mix the seed into the soil. Finally, keep the soil damp each day, but not soaked, until the seed germinates and becomes established. Let the ryegrass grow without any mowing, continuing until you till it under about 2 weeks prior to the time you begin planting your garden next spring.
August Gardening Tips
August Gardening Article
by Neil DeWitt
Hopefully all is going well in your garden and you are enjoying a bountiful and delicious harvest. This month I have a few hints relative to harvesting your crops of various produce. After months of hard work and tender care, when it’s finally time to reap the rewards of your vegetable garden, it helps to know when it is best to harvest your vegetables. This knowledge can be as important as knowing how to grow them. The following tips might just help you somewhat in picking your produce at it’s prime:
· Early morning is always the best time of day to pick your produce before it becomes stressed from the sun and the heat of the day depleting some of the moisture in the fruit and vegetables.
· Small is beautiful, tasty, and tender, too! (Size does matter for vegetables, usually smaller is even better)
· Keep picking! Don’t let plants go to seed.
· Asparagus: Snap off spears when they are 6 to 8 inches tall. Bend the spear from the top toward the ground, it will snap at the point in the spear where it is tender and not too fibrous. Only harvest spears for about 8 weeks before letting the plant grow to the “flower stage” as this will allow it to “feed” properly for the next spring harvest season.
· Bush Beans: Pick when 4 1/2 to 6 inches long.
· Broccoli: Harvest when the buds are compact but before they turn yellow or open into flowers. Leave 5 to 6 inches of stem attached. Leave the plant in the garden after you cut it and the broccoli plant will produce additional heads.
· Carrots: Pull or dig when ½ to 1 inch in diameter and before the plant begins to produce a seed flower.
· Corn: Harvest when silks turn dry and brown, don’t pull back the husks to peek at the kernels. The kernels should be bright, plump, and milky when pricked with your fingernail.
· Cucumber: Harvest before cukes begin to turn yellow, unless they are the “lemon” variety. Pick when 4 to 6 inches in length for pickling varieties and when 6 to 10 inches for the slicing varieties.
· Eggplant: These are ready when they turn dark and shiny.
· Green onions: Harvest when their tops are about 8 inches tall.
· Summer Squash varieties: Pick when you can easily dent the rind with your fingernail. Smaller is certainly better for zucchini especially.
· Winter Squash varieties: Harvest when the rind is firm enough so that you cannot easily dent the rind with your fingernail.
If you would like to have fewer troubles with your tomatoes, consider these tips:
o Choose the right location. Tomatoes need at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. Leave plenty of space between plants for good air circulation, staking or otherwise supporting plants also helps.
o Rotate crops. Many disease spores can live in the soil for years. Don’t grow tomatoes or related plants like peppers and eggplants in the same spot year after year.
o Improve soil. Get your tomatoes off to a good start by planting them in well-drained, weed-free soil that is enriched with organic matter like well-rotted manure.
o Water correctly. Deep, slow watering encourages good root formation and is better than short, frequent irrigation. Use soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems to avoid wetting foliage, which can lead to fungal diseases. Water early in the day so plan ts dry before evening hours. By keeping moisture levels consistent, you will help prevent problems like blossom-end rot and leaf curl.
o Mulch. Reduce weeds and maintain consistent moisture levels by spreading mulch around plants. Leave space around the stem. Mulching reduces the spread of early blight and other diseases by preventing spores from splashing onto plants.
o Keep it clean. Remove garden debris, leaf litter, and weeds to keep pests and pathogens away. Sterilize garden tools periodically in a solution made from one part bleach to nine parts water to lessen the spread of diseases.
o Encourage beneficial insects. Praying mantises, predatory wasps, lady beetles, and toads are all natural predators that reduce tomato pests. Keep them happy in your garden by avoiding use of pesticides as much as possible.
o Plant the right variety of tomato. Select the types of tomatoes that grow well in hot arid areas. Your garden centers or the local cooperative extension service will have recommendations for our valley. When selecting plants for transplanting, look for healthy green leaves and stems. Avoid plants with roots coming out of the bottom of the pot, as this indicates they have been in the container too long. Also look for signs of pests or diseases on the plant to avoid introducing them into your garden.
o Tomato varieties marked with these codes have built-in resistance to these diseases:
F – Fusarium wilt T – Tobacco mosaic virus A – Alternaria leaf spot N – Nematodes
FF – Fusarium Race 1 and Race 2 L – Septoria leaf spot V – Verticillium wilt
by Neil DeWitt
Hopefully all is going well in your garden and you are enjoying a bountiful and delicious harvest. This month I have a few hints relative to harvesting your crops of various produce. After months of hard work and tender care, when it’s finally time to reap the rewards of your vegetable garden, it helps to know when it is best to harvest your vegetables. This knowledge can be as important as knowing how to grow them. The following tips might just help you somewhat in picking your produce at it’s prime:
· Early morning is always the best time of day to pick your produce before it becomes stressed from the sun and the heat of the day depleting some of the moisture in the fruit and vegetables.
· Small is beautiful, tasty, and tender, too! (Size does matter for vegetables, usually smaller is even better)
· Keep picking! Don’t let plants go to seed.
· Asparagus: Snap off spears when they are 6 to 8 inches tall. Bend the spear from the top toward the ground, it will snap at the point in the spear where it is tender and not too fibrous. Only harvest spears for about 8 weeks before letting the plant grow to the “flower stage” as this will allow it to “feed” properly for the next spring harvest season.
· Bush Beans: Pick when 4 1/2 to 6 inches long.
· Broccoli: Harvest when the buds are compact but before they turn yellow or open into flowers. Leave 5 to 6 inches of stem attached. Leave the plant in the garden after you cut it and the broccoli plant will produce additional heads.
· Carrots: Pull or dig when ½ to 1 inch in diameter and before the plant begins to produce a seed flower.
· Corn: Harvest when silks turn dry and brown, don’t pull back the husks to peek at the kernels. The kernels should be bright, plump, and milky when pricked with your fingernail.
· Cucumber: Harvest before cukes begin to turn yellow, unless they are the “lemon” variety. Pick when 4 to 6 inches in length for pickling varieties and when 6 to 10 inches for the slicing varieties.
· Eggplant: These are ready when they turn dark and shiny.
· Green onions: Harvest when their tops are about 8 inches tall.
· Summer Squash varieties: Pick when you can easily dent the rind with your fingernail. Smaller is certainly better for zucchini especially.
· Winter Squash varieties: Harvest when the rind is firm enough so that you cannot easily dent the rind with your fingernail.
If you would like to have fewer troubles with your tomatoes, consider these tips:
o Choose the right location. Tomatoes need at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. Leave plenty of space between plants for good air circulation, staking or otherwise supporting plants also helps.
o Rotate crops. Many disease spores can live in the soil for years. Don’t grow tomatoes or related plants like peppers and eggplants in the same spot year after year.
o Improve soil. Get your tomatoes off to a good start by planting them in well-drained, weed-free soil that is enriched with organic matter like well-rotted manure.
o Water correctly. Deep, slow watering encourages good root formation and is better than short, frequent irrigation. Use soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems to avoid wetting foliage, which can lead to fungal diseases. Water early in the day so plan ts dry before evening hours. By keeping moisture levels consistent, you will help prevent problems like blossom-end rot and leaf curl.
o Mulch. Reduce weeds and maintain consistent moisture levels by spreading mulch around plants. Leave space around the stem. Mulching reduces the spread of early blight and other diseases by preventing spores from splashing onto plants.
o Keep it clean. Remove garden debris, leaf litter, and weeds to keep pests and pathogens away. Sterilize garden tools periodically in a solution made from one part bleach to nine parts water to lessen the spread of diseases.
o Encourage beneficial insects. Praying mantises, predatory wasps, lady beetles, and toads are all natural predators that reduce tomato pests. Keep them happy in your garden by avoiding use of pesticides as much as possible.
o Plant the right variety of tomato. Select the types of tomatoes that grow well in hot arid areas. Your garden centers or the local cooperative extension service will have recommendations for our valley. When selecting plants for transplanting, look for healthy green leaves and stems. Avoid plants with roots coming out of the bottom of the pot, as this indicates they have been in the container too long. Also look for signs of pests or diseases on the plant to avoid introducing them into your garden.
o Tomato varieties marked with these codes have built-in resistance to these diseases:
F – Fusarium wilt T – Tobacco mosaic virus A – Alternaria leaf spot N – Nematodes
FF – Fusarium Race 1 and Race 2 L – Septoria leaf spot V – Verticillium wilt
Gardening Tips for July
July Gardening Article
by Neil DeWitt
If all is going well in your garden, you are enjoying the harvest of your labors. Hopefully it is a sweet harvest for you. The time and effort you have been putting into your garden is surely well worth it when you can enjoy fresh vegetables direct from your garden to your table. I have to admit to eating directly from my garden all three meals of the day, as well as enjoying sweet snacks in-between meals, such as melon, tomatoes, and carrots. Don’t you just love summer!
A Harvesting Gospel
· When there is something big enough to eat, go after it!
· Small is beautiful, tasty, and tender, too! (Size does matter for vegetables, usually smaller is even better)
· Cut your greens so they’ll come back - - - again and again. (Even cabbage and broccoli will produce additional heads)
· Keep picking! Don’t let plants go to seed except for a few select ones that you may wish to use for seeds for the future!
· For canning and freezing, always harvest only the best---and at the right time of day! (Early Morning)
This is the month when you often find you have more of a harvest than you can eat or give to neighbors, staying up with all that is coming from your garden. This is when you reap the special rewards of being able to “can” or freeze your excess to enjoy in those months when the garden has quit providing you with fresh produce. July is also a time to make a decision about a “fall garden.” We are so lucky in our little valley to have a growing season that allows us to have a second season of summer crops such as tomatoes, sweet corn and peppers. So, if you haven’t already done so, now is the time for a second planting of sweet corn. And, this month is the time to get some tomato and pepper seeds started for transplanting for a late fall crop at the end of July or the first week or so of August. Besides planting new seeds for tomato plants, you have the option of pruning your tomato plants back if they have quit all fruit production. These pruned plants will produce a new fall crop, however new plants from seeds almost always will out-produce these pruned plants. One final option is to start new plants from cuttings from your favorite tomato plants. These root cuttings will generally perform equally well against new plants grown from seeds.
Pumpkins and winter squash should be planted this month to be ready for harvest in mid-October. You may consider planting some ornamental or decorative corn, or perhaps some popcorn at this time to include with your Halloween displays. Decorative gourds are another possibility. You can make some neat table centerpieces with these ornamental crops.
Cool weather crops such as cabbage, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, onions and beets do well in our mild winters. I like to sow cabbage, broccoli, onion and lettuce seed into a row in my garden to produce transplants that I will thin and set-out in the garden in September. Carrots, beets and even onions can be sown into rows for your winter garden at the end of July. You just need to remember to keep your soil quite moist while your seeds are germinating at this time of year to keep the soil cool enough to allow the germination process to take place. I even try to “engineer” some type of shade for these rows to keep the afternoon sun from baking the soil. Mulching the soil with a couple of inches of compost up next to where the seeds are sown also helps. Just make sure you don’t cover the seeds with the compost or they will not be able to find their way to the surface when they germinate.
If you have herbs planted in your garden, you need to monitor their water carefully on these hottest of days. They need deep watering at least a couple of times per week to prevent them from wilting in the hot sun.
Pruning and fertilizing are not a good idea in the hot month of July, with the exception of pruning a few tomato plants back for a second crop from these plants.
Planning for a Fall Garden
Timing is important for a fall garden. Most folks put their gardens to bed too early. You will be amazed at the quantity and quality of your fall crops as productivity and flavor are enhanced by perfect growing conditions in our area. The cooler weather provides for additional moisture, less intense-over-the-top sunshine, less competition from weeds and insects/soil pests, and even plant diseases and above all else, the cooler temperatures of the desert area promote tender, tasty growth.
A Little Planning Now Will Help! Fall Planting Dates for Crops: (Safford Avg. = November 1)
Crop Weeks to plant before avg.first frost Crop Weeks to plant before avg.first frost
Green beans 7 - 10 Beets 8 - 12
Broccoli 6 - 8 Cabbage 6 - 8
Carrots 8 - 12 Cauliflower 6 - 8
Head Lettuce 8 - 10 Kale 4 - 10
Lettuce 4 - 6 Peas 6 - 10
Spinach 4 - 6 Tomatoes/Peppers 8 - 12
by Neil DeWitt
If all is going well in your garden, you are enjoying the harvest of your labors. Hopefully it is a sweet harvest for you. The time and effort you have been putting into your garden is surely well worth it when you can enjoy fresh vegetables direct from your garden to your table. I have to admit to eating directly from my garden all three meals of the day, as well as enjoying sweet snacks in-between meals, such as melon, tomatoes, and carrots. Don’t you just love summer!
A Harvesting Gospel
· When there is something big enough to eat, go after it!
· Small is beautiful, tasty, and tender, too! (Size does matter for vegetables, usually smaller is even better)
· Cut your greens so they’ll come back - - - again and again. (Even cabbage and broccoli will produce additional heads)
· Keep picking! Don’t let plants go to seed except for a few select ones that you may wish to use for seeds for the future!
· For canning and freezing, always harvest only the best---and at the right time of day! (Early Morning)
This is the month when you often find you have more of a harvest than you can eat or give to neighbors, staying up with all that is coming from your garden. This is when you reap the special rewards of being able to “can” or freeze your excess to enjoy in those months when the garden has quit providing you with fresh produce. July is also a time to make a decision about a “fall garden.” We are so lucky in our little valley to have a growing season that allows us to have a second season of summer crops such as tomatoes, sweet corn and peppers. So, if you haven’t already done so, now is the time for a second planting of sweet corn. And, this month is the time to get some tomato and pepper seeds started for transplanting for a late fall crop at the end of July or the first week or so of August. Besides planting new seeds for tomato plants, you have the option of pruning your tomato plants back if they have quit all fruit production. These pruned plants will produce a new fall crop, however new plants from seeds almost always will out-produce these pruned plants. One final option is to start new plants from cuttings from your favorite tomato plants. These root cuttings will generally perform equally well against new plants grown from seeds.
Pumpkins and winter squash should be planted this month to be ready for harvest in mid-October. You may consider planting some ornamental or decorative corn, or perhaps some popcorn at this time to include with your Halloween displays. Decorative gourds are another possibility. You can make some neat table centerpieces with these ornamental crops.
Cool weather crops such as cabbage, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, onions and beets do well in our mild winters. I like to sow cabbage, broccoli, onion and lettuce seed into a row in my garden to produce transplants that I will thin and set-out in the garden in September. Carrots, beets and even onions can be sown into rows for your winter garden at the end of July. You just need to remember to keep your soil quite moist while your seeds are germinating at this time of year to keep the soil cool enough to allow the germination process to take place. I even try to “engineer” some type of shade for these rows to keep the afternoon sun from baking the soil. Mulching the soil with a couple of inches of compost up next to where the seeds are sown also helps. Just make sure you don’t cover the seeds with the compost or they will not be able to find their way to the surface when they germinate.
If you have herbs planted in your garden, you need to monitor their water carefully on these hottest of days. They need deep watering at least a couple of times per week to prevent them from wilting in the hot sun.
Pruning and fertilizing are not a good idea in the hot month of July, with the exception of pruning a few tomato plants back for a second crop from these plants.
Planning for a Fall Garden
Timing is important for a fall garden. Most folks put their gardens to bed too early. You will be amazed at the quantity and quality of your fall crops as productivity and flavor are enhanced by perfect growing conditions in our area. The cooler weather provides for additional moisture, less intense-over-the-top sunshine, less competition from weeds and insects/soil pests, and even plant diseases and above all else, the cooler temperatures of the desert area promote tender, tasty growth.
A Little Planning Now Will Help! Fall Planting Dates for Crops: (Safford Avg. = November 1)
Crop Weeks to plant before avg.first frost Crop Weeks to plant before avg.first frost
Green beans 7 - 10 Beets 8 - 12
Broccoli 6 - 8 Cabbage 6 - 8
Carrots 8 - 12 Cauliflower 6 - 8
Head Lettuce 8 - 10 Kale 4 - 10
Lettuce 4 - 6 Peas 6 - 10
Spinach 4 - 6 Tomatoes/Peppers 8 - 12
Self Reliance Tip # 21 Eggcalent Storage!
Goal this month: Wash one batch of laundry by hand (if it be by a clean plunger or old fashioned elbow grease - have fun with it!)
Ok, so I have some bad news and some good news concerning egg storage. The ones I had covered in beeswax and mineral oil ( I did both to see if one worked better than the other, mineral oil was sure easier and less messy) - they did awesome all winter long. I even checked them as late as May and they were snug as 60 dozen bugs in a tote ( it doesn't rhyme, I know). However...recently I discovered that we had a really bad fruit fly problem. It was my eggs....*weep*. (Refer to Tip #5 on April 12 found here:http://www.solomonvillereliefsociety.blogspot.com/search/label/self%20reliance?updated-max=2011-04-26T12:12:00-07:00&max-results=20&start=66&by-date=false
I called my sister and she told me that hers were still fine and had no problems. So, I chocked it up to the heat that doesn't get as intense in Northern Arizona as it does for us Gila Monsters...grrrr.
If you stored eggs, check them. If they are fine, you are likely to be better at keeping your home in a lower constant temp...like below 90 degrees...my house isn't so lucky :).
If getting chickens is still not do-able for you, don't fret my pet, there is a solution: Dehydrate your own.
When I called my sister with my "professional preparedness" (not really) tail tucked between my knees, she told me that they don't preserve eggs "that way" anymore anyway. They dehydrate them. Now before you roll your eyes and stick your finger in your mouth to gag yourself with a rubber spoon, hear me out.
How many fresh eggs can you put in a pint jar?: 3 (seriously, I tried it)
How many dehydrated eggs can you vacuum seal in a pint jar? : 20
Isn't that AWESOME!!!??? These eggs are way less likely to have a mishap leaving egg-white goo all over your storage space.
So this is the process in a nutshell:
Blend eggs in a blender (minus the shell :) )
Pour on dehydrator shelf
Dehydrate on high for 5 hours
Switch to low for two more
Take the "egg cake" and blend to powder in blender/ food processor
Vacuum seal in pint jars
That's it. There are no extra ingredients... and the best part??? These will make REAL scrambled eggs not the pretend kind that those OTHER dehydrated eggs makers make.
PS A note from Sister Juli on using a "Wonder Oven" for the first time:
Hey there! well, i was super excited to test this out.(I was able to find a used bean bag chair for $4.00, I just tore it apart & used the polyfiber fill out of it). I tested out oatmeal. I boiled it for maybe 3 min on the stove, then quickly put the lid on and put in in the wonder oven before going to bed. In the am the oatmeal was cooked. It was a little gummy, I think mostly due to the fact that I did not add enough water. I will try adding more water next time.
I am excited to try bigger things, such as roast, chicken, beans, etc. I have the pattern if anyone needs help in sewing it I'd be glad to help out.
Thanks Sister Juli!
PPS Drop me a line if you met your goal for last month!!!
And another thing....
From Heavenly Father's Medicine Cabinet
Comfrey...(say it again) Comfrey.... doesn't that sound comfortable?
Comfrey is a skin and bone helper. It promotes healing like...wow. I use comfrey root in a salve I make and it works AWESOME. I have used it on tons of stuff from diaper rash to stubbed/bleeding toes.
Did you ever see the movie "A Man Called Horse" ? In that movie there is a Sioux man who does what is called the Sun Dance. That is NOT comfortable. I have a friend who has done the Sun Dance and his mother would put fresh comfrey leaves over the wounds that are requisite to complete that "dance". He said that his wounds would be completely scabbed over in three days. Yeousers!
Monday, August 1, 2011
WorkShop!
This is a forward from Cindy Pearson...this sounds awesome!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Cindy Pearson
To: Cindy Pearson
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 1:13 PM
Subject: Grafting and Budding workshop
Grafting and Budding
Bill Cook is going to show us how to Graft and Bud
Fruit Trees, Rose Bushes,
and create a Fruit Cocktail Tree
We understand it is not time to graft or bud, but now is the time to learn. See you there!!!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 6:00 pm
Or
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at 9:00 am
There will be many hands to help you do your best.
Eastern Arizona College Open Dining Hall Room
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To register
Name ___________________________________
Address _________________________________
E-mail address _____________________________
Phone number _____________________________
Circle date wishing to attend
Tuesday, August 2nd --- 6:00 pm
Or
Wednesday, August 3rd --- 9:00 am
Cost
$5.00
To cover the cost of supplies
Make checks payable to:
Graham County Extension
Mail this registration form and check to:
Graham County Cooperative Extension
P.O. Box 127
Solomon, AZ 85551
928-428-2611
'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, But how to dance in the rain.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
("` -''- /" )._..--''"`-._
`6_ 6 ) `-. ( ).`-.__.`)
(_Y_.)' ._ ) `._ `. ``-..-'
_..`--'_..-_/ /--'_.' ,'
(il),-'' (li),' ((!.-'))
Cindy Pearson
Graham County Cooperative Extension
2100 S. Bowie Ave.
PO Box 127
Solomon, AZ 85551
928.428.2611 (Telephone)
928.428.8810 (Fax)
cpearson@cals.arizona.edu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Cindy Pearson
To: Cindy Pearson
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 1:13 PM
Subject: Grafting and Budding workshop
Grafting and Budding
Bill Cook is going to show us how to Graft and Bud
Fruit Trees, Rose Bushes,
and create a Fruit Cocktail Tree
We understand it is not time to graft or bud, but now is the time to learn. See you there!!!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 6:00 pm
Or
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at 9:00 am
There will be many hands to help you do your best.
Eastern Arizona College Open Dining Hall Room
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To register
Name ___________________________________
Address _________________________________
E-mail address _____________________________
Phone number _____________________________
Circle date wishing to attend
Tuesday, August 2nd --- 6:00 pm
Or
Wednesday, August 3rd --- 9:00 am
Cost
$5.00
To cover the cost of supplies
Make checks payable to:
Graham County Extension
Mail this registration form and check to:
Graham County Cooperative Extension
P.O. Box 127
Solomon, AZ 85551
928-428-2611
'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, But how to dance in the rain.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
("` -''- /" )._..--''"`-._
`6_ 6 ) `-. ( ).`-.__.`)
(_Y_.)' ._ ) `._ `. ``-..-'
_..`--'_..-_/ /--'_.' ,'
(il),-'' (li),' ((!.-'))
Cindy Pearson
Graham County Cooperative Extension
2100 S. Bowie Ave.
PO Box 127
Solomon, AZ 85551
928.428.2611 (Telephone)
928.428.8810 (Fax)
cpearson@cals.arizona.edu
Self Reliant Tip # 20 Use the SUN!
If you have met your goal for this month by cooking one meal with an alternative cooking source, let me know!
And this week's tip is......
The joys of the solar oven! We've got sun in Arizona, lets put it to good use! :)
To be honest, I haven't used a solar oven yet. I have talked to several people who have. I have observed several ovens while in use, and this is my unprofessional opinion:
There are two good ovens to choose from.
This oven #1: Solar sport http://www.solarovens.org/
And oven #2: Sun Oven http://www.sunoven.com/
Reasons I like the Solar Sport:
It is light
It is less likely to blow over (I've seen the Sunoven blow over more than once and get dented - ouch! That's gonna leave a mark!)
It can cook two pans worth of food at the same time
Less expensive than Sunoven
Reason I like the Sunoven:
The wings reflect well and give it a higher temp = food cooks faster
Here is a comparison video:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3005405n
They talk about not using charcoal to cook cookies in the video...that was actually the first thing I made in my cardboard box oven a few years ago - they could learn so much if they read our tips :). Solar ovens can also pasteurize water to make it drinkable, now that's awesome! You know it is ready by using one of these:
http://www.solarcookers.org/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=WAPI&osCsid=51364099edaa88abfaf568a7ce1efa79&x=8&y=10
Here are a few other solar "ovens" (including the ones I have already mentioned) to look at an think about.
http://www.solarcookers.org/catalog/solarcookerskits-c-1.html?osCsid=51364099edaa88abfaf568a7ce1efa79
A friend of mine named Deanna has been called the "Wizard of Solar Oven Cooking". Using her yellow brick road, she has actually used the reflectors for car windshields, a cookie pan and an oven bag to make a solar oven. How 'bout them cookies? :).
And another thing...
On July 5th and July 18th in the Mesa/ Phoenix area, there were huge dust storms that looked like it was a special effect from the movie "The Mummy". The first one left 25,000 people without electricity in the summer heat for several hours.
What are some ways to stay cool without the life-blood A/C unit we are so accustomed to in our blessed desert?
I found this article (ignore the ads) - and most of them do not require electricity.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-191204/20-hot-tips-stay-cool.html
HAVE A COOL DAY!!!
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