The Value of Taking Stock

In our fast-paced world, it’s often easy to put off the time to reflect on the year’s successes and failures as we plow ahead into the holiday season. But now is a great time, while memories are still fresh, to look back at the gardening year and see what worked and what can be changed.

In my own garden, we had a bountiful crop of tomatillos, tomatoes, leeks and cucumbers. The squash patch, unfortunately, was decimated by wet spring weather and hordes of slugs. Next year, I will start my squash plants indoors and transplant them, to get a jump on the season if it’s wet again, and I’ll diligently patrol the patch for slugs, at least until the plants are established.

Our summer was hot and dry so many of the fungal diseases we normally get didn’t appear until much later in the fall, when most of the harvest was already in. We did, however, get many visitations by imported cabbageworm butterfly whose caterpillars gobbled up my young cabbage, kale, and bok choi seedlings. A note to self: place the floating row cover over the nursery area as well as in the garden, to prevent damage from happening in the first place.

One nice habit that I put in place this year was using an Excel spreadsheet to note the dates I planted and transplanted my seeds and seedlings. I was then able to note when the first harvest came in as well as any other comments such as “seed ran out!!”

I’m already receiving requests from seed companies to start putting orders in for 2013 so having these records on hand is very helpful. If you’re like me, I often have stashes of seed all around so now is the time to amalgamate, take note of what’s missing, and then plan for the next season without doubling up on seed that’s already on hand. Most seed lasts for 3-5 years so it’s not necessary to buy new every year.

One nice thing that I like to do at this time of the year is visit farmer’s markets and see what kind of produce is still around. If you like a particular squash, the person who grew it is right behind the table and you can ask them what variety it is. Most farmers are very forthcoming. They know that although most gardeners like to grow as much as they can, there’s a limit to what can be grown in an urban setting and they’ll continue to be able to sell produce.

So, as the days shorten, and wonderful stews are bubbling on the stovetop, take a moment to reflect and take stock of the year. I love the winter for re-charging my inner batteries. By the time February comes around, I’m itching to start planting and the season starts again.

Low Cost Season Extension

When the days start to shorten and night temperatures dip, do you often look over longingly at your neighbour's greenhouse, wishing you too could keep plants producing into the fall? Investing in a greenhouse, especially a heated one, is an expensive step. For those of us who aren't quite ready to make the leap, there are a number of inexpensive options to protect plants from wintry weather. 

Cloches and cold frames can help extend the harvest of summer crops into fall, keep cool season crops growing through the winter, and help plants get a good start in the spring. They can protect plants from moderate frosts, and increase daytime temperatures by 5-20 degrees F. 

Cloches 

Originally, cloches were constructed out of glass bell jars and were used to protect individual plants. However, glass is fragile and expensive. You can make similar cloches out of plastic pop bottles or milk jugs. Cut off the bottoms, take the lids off, and place them over individual plants.

If your plants are too large or you have just too many you can adapt this method. A cloche can also be constructed using ½" PVC pipe and sheets of plastic at least 5 feet wide and about 10 feet long. Cut 4 pieces of pipe into 5-foot lengths (angle the cuts) and bury each end into the soil at least 6 inches so that you have what looks like a series of crochet hoops. Space each pipe about 3 feet apart and then drape the plastic over them. You can secure the plastic by weighing down the ends with bricks or rebar or clip the plastic right to the pipe with large bulldog clips. Alternatively, you can use 10-gauge wire instead of the PVC pipe. 

Cold frames 

Cold frames are very much like mini greenhouses but with solid sides. They can be constructed using storm or sash windows and a simple wooden box or bricks for the base. No bottom is required which enables you to just lift the cold frame and move it around your garden. One trick to keep in mind is to make sure that the back of the box is about a foot higher than the front so that you can angle the lid and take advantage of as much sunlight during the winter and early spring. 

Floating row covers 

Floating row covers, often sold as Reemay or Agrofabric, are made of spun-bonded polyester or spun-bonded polypropylene. The fabric allows light, water, and air to move through but enables you to have 2-8º of frost protection. The row covers are available in a variety of weights but for frost protection, 0.5 ounces per square yard is the minimum requirement.

Although the fabric is light enough to "float" over your plants, winter winds can cause abrasion so the cover should be supported with wire hoops or short stakes. To prevent the cover from blowing away, the ends should be weighed down with stones or buried right into the soil. Remember to leave enough slack to allow room for your plants to grow. 

The lifespan of the row cover is usually 2 seasons. When the fabric becomes a bit too ratty, use it to help germinate seeds. Placed over bare soil, row cover fabric acts as a mulch, keeping the soil moist and raising the soil temperature slightly. Seeds germinate very well in these conditions. 

There are few points to keep in mind before deciding which method of season extension to choose.

1.    Temperature differences - plastic will raise temperatures much higher than row covers. While plastic is great for winter lettuce, cool season crops like cabbage and kale don't need such high temperatures.

2.    Materials - not all plastics are alike. Make sure the material you use is UV treated and at least 3 mil. thick. Non-treated plastic will degrade and crack within just one season.

3.    Moisture - If you use glass or clear plastic over your plants, remember that water doesn't come through and they will need watering from time to time. Floating row covers don't have this problem.

4.    Ventilation - On sunny days in the early fall, it's easy for temperatures within cloches and cold frames to go up more than 20 degrees over ambient temperatures. Ventilation will not only keep temperatures moderate, but it will also help bring down humidity. 

Be Pesticide Free-Managing Dandelions NaturallyWhat did one dandelion say to the other dandelion? Take me to your weeder! Have a problem with dandelions? Weeding them can be easy!
Preventative ControlsSometimes you just have to give it some elbow grease. Digging is key since dandelions have a simple yet deep tap root system.

1. Weed early in the spring. If you get them when they first pop up, the roots will not be very extensive and you can get them before they spread too far. Extract the whole root.
2. Be consistent. Don’t let the roots take over- you will have to dig throughout the season.
3. Regularly mow, rake or pick the heads off (before they go to seed) of your dandelions throughout the season to prevent maturation and distribution of weed seeds.
4. Be sure to discard the roots in a bucket and throw into the garbage. This plant can take root everywhere and the compost may miss it in the decomposing process, which means you will plant it all over again.
5. Use some good digging tools to access the roots and don’t require too much bending.

Organic ControlsThere are many pesticide-free alternatives that can be used to combat those pesky yellow blooms.

1.     Maintain a healthy, enriched soil.2.     Pour boiling water over the affected areas to kill the plant then remove the dead plant so that it does not re-bloom.
3.     Spot treat with a 5-10% solution of vinegar.
4.     Sheet mulching: If dandelions are covering a large area in your yard, you can cover the plants to prevent the photosynthetic process needed to sustain the plant.
5.    Corn Gluten Meal (CGM) is a protein produced from the by-product from the corn milling process that can be found at most garden centres. When spread over a lawn or garden area, CGM will suppress germination.
6.    If the above solutions do not work, you can always try a weed burner torch or a blowtorch to burn the dandelions away.

To learn more about managing your dandelions naturally, please visit: http://www.environmentalsociety.ca/main/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Fact-Sheet-Dandelions.pdf

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Don’t sweat the small stuff

By now, warm weather has cranked the garden in high gear. Plants are growing, flowers are flowering, and vegetables are making their way into the kitchen. It’s the time of plenty but it can also be a time when all the tasks in the garden seem overwhelming.

With so much to do, gardening can easily turn from pleasure to chore. But, it doesn’t have to. Focus on the priorities – cut flowers for bouquets, gourmet meals to serve family and friends – this is what gardening should be all about.

I was reminded about how easy it is to panic about things that pop up in the garden unexpectedly when a friend sent me a picture of a strange fungus that appeared around her squash. It looked horrible and was surrounding the poor seedlings!

Turns out, it was totally benign. Dog Vomit Fungus. Yes, that is the actual name of the fungus. It only grows on decaying material (lots of compost in the garden) and although it grew around her squash, the seedlings were showing now sign of stress and were growing through it quite happily.

Ants seem to inspire a similar reaction in many folks. Even though they are amazing soil aerators (up there with earthworms) and help naturally rototill the subsoil in the garden, as soon as they appear above ground, some gardeners go nuts! Although they have been known to farm aphids for their honeydew, ants themselves do not pose a threat to living plants and are also quite benign.

Of course, if you have carpenter ants or fire ants, there is reason to be concerned and if that is the case, reach for your borax and icing sugar. Mix them in equal parts and either sprinkle or leave in a shallow container where the ants cross. The borax will be taken back to the queen and ant numbers should decrease within a few days.

Last, but not least, the lowly dandelion seems to instill an irrational ire in some folks, especially when their yellow heads poke out above the lawn.  In my own experience, dandelions grow where grass is either cut too short or where there is a nutrient deficiency. The taproot of the dandelion is a fantastic nutrient accumulator and will allow the plant to flourish where grass can’t.

How did I conquer dandelions in my own garden? I began eating them. Sautéed greens with onion, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar are to die for. Once I started wanting them, the greens soon disappeared. I never had enough!

So when the summer months have you rushing indoors for fear of work, don’t sweat it. Focus on the positive, enjoy the pleasures of the outdoors, and have a relaxing drink. Roasted dandelion root makes a mean coffee substitute, I hear.

The photo provided by Ms. Sharon Hanna, author of The Book of Kale

Check this out! THERE ARE HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES TO COSMETIC PESTICIDES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC2c1-ad8HA&feature=plcp

Be Pesticide Free-Pesticides and Human Health
Have you heard? Pesticides aren’t needed for a beautiful lawn!

What is a Pesticide?A pesticide is a chemical or microbiological substance that is designed to kill pests. Pesticides are by definition are toxic because they poison the pest. Pesticides include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and rodenticides.  Common examples are RoundUp, Killex, Weed and Feed, and 2,4-D.  Lawn pesticides do not prevent pest problems, they only try to control them once they are present.

ExposurePesticides are all around us. They can be found in our soil, air, food, and even mother’s breast milk.  If a pesticide is being applied to a lawn, it can be detected 15 metres away. Anyone living in an urban area in Saskatchewan breathes air with measurable quantities of 15-19 herbicides in late spring. Pesticides are also found in water. Drinking water in six Saskatchewan communities was tested and found to be contaminated with an average of seven pesticides.

Human HealthThe Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has identified acute health effects in humans including nausea, eye, skin, respiratory and throat irritation, muscle spasms, and even death. Repeated exposure to pesticides has been linked to neurological problems, brain and lung cancer, immune suppression (which creates environmental hypersensitivity), leukemia, Parkinson’s disease, kidney damage, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and reproductive disorders, including endocrine disruption, low sperm count, and sterility. Children are most at risk as they typically play in grass and dirt, and put toys and hands in their mouths, activities that significantly increase their exposure to pesticides.

How to Protect You and Your Family·       Do not use pesticides on your lawn and garden.·       Pesticides are toxic. Be aware when they are being sprayed in your neighbourhood. ·       Keep kids and their toys indoors when pesticides are being applied and afterward, clean exposed surfaces. ·       Do not spray your pets (flea powder).·       Use pesticide-free insect repellent like citronella.·       Buy local organic food.·       Wash all produce with a mild detergent.·       Work with local school boards, daycares and sporting complexes to go pesticide-free.·       Avoid pressure-treated wood.

To learn more about alternatives to using pesticides, please visit: http://www.environmentalsociety.ca/main/resources/publication/pesticide-publications/

 

Gardener’s Top 5 Must-Haves for Toxic-Free Gardening

For any gardener who still hasn't been convinced about the need to garden organically, here are some statistics that may help change your mind. In March of 2001, the American Cancer Society published a report linking the use of the herbicide glyphosate (commonly sold as Round-up) with a 27% increased likelihood of contracting Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. John Hopkins University also revealed that home gardeners use almost 10 times more pesticide per acre than the average farmer and that diseases caused by environmental illness, exposure to chemicals etc., is now the number one cause of death in the U.S.

With the EPA's recent phasing out of common pesticides such as Dursban and Diazinon, we are now realizing that many of the chemicals that we thought were "safe" were never actually tested to see what their affect on children, women, and the elderly could be. The time has come to reassess our dependence on pesticides. For anyone contemplating the switch to organic gardening, here are a few ingredients that should be in every gardener's toolkit:

1. Garlic

Many cultures around the world have used garlic as a natural antibiotic and antifungal remedy. When garlic is combined with mineral oil and soap, it becomes a very effective pest control product. However, when it is sprayed, it is not a selective insecticide. It can be used to control cabbageworm, leafhoppers, squash bugs, whitefly, but will also affect beneficial insects so be careful where and when you apply this product.

Recipe: Allow 3 ounces of finely chopped garlic to soak in 2 teaspoons of mineral oil for 24 hours. Add 1 pint of water and ¼ ounce of liquid dish soap. Stir well and strain into a glass jar for storage. This is your concentrate.

To use: Combine 1-2 tablespoons of concentrate in 1 pint of water to make the spray. Do be careful not to make the solution too strong. While garlic is safe for humans, when combined with oil & soap, the mixture can cause leaf injury on sensitive plants. Always test the lower leaves of plants first to make sure they aren't affected.

2. Milk

Fungal diseases can be a serious problem for gardeners, especially in the heat of the summer. Powdery mildew and black spot seem to be the most common diseases that cause gardeners to reach for the spray bottle. Now, instead of reaching for a chemical fungicide, gardeners can open the fridge for an excellent fungal control - milk!

In 1999, a Brazilian scientist found that milk helped control powdery mildew on cucumbers just as effectively as a synthetic fungicide. Since the study was published, the news has traveled around the world and encouraged gardeners and farmers alike to try milk as a fungal control for a variety of diseases. So far, there has been success reported on the use of milk to control powdery mildew on a variety of different plants. In addition, it has also been found to be an affective control of black spot on roses.

Any type of milk can be used from full milk to skim to powder. However, the low fat milks have less of a chance of giving off any odour. The recipe calls for milk to be mixed with water at a ratio of 1 part milk to 9 parts water and applied every 5-7 days for 3 applications.

3. Beer

Slugs are attracted to chemicals given off by the fermentation process. The most popular bait has been beer. However, not all beers are created equal. In 1987, a study at Colorado State University Entomology Professor Whitney found that Kingsbury Malt Beverage, Michelob, and Budweiser attracted slugs far better than other brands.

Whatever the type of beer you use, you can create your own slug trap. Use cottage cheese, margarine, or similar size plastic containers. Put between 1/2 and 2 inches of beer in each container and place the containers around your garden, especially around plants prone to slug damage. Never, sink the containers with their rims flush with the soil level or you run the risk of drowning ground beetles, important slug controllers. The rims should be 1" above the soil's surface. You will probably need to empty the container of drowned slugs every other night. The range of slug traps is only a few feet so you need to supply a few traps throughout your garden.

4. Floating row cover

The easiest method of pest control is to prevent damage in the first place. Using a physical barrier like a floating row cover will prevent insect pests from reaching your plants and chewing them or laying their eggs on them. I find floating row covers a must when growing carrots to prevent carrot rust fly damage and when draped over my broccoli, I prevent imported cabbageworm from defoliating my plants.

Floating row cover is a fabric made of spun polypropelene fibres. The fabric itself is very lightweight and will sit on top of your plants without causing any damage. The fabric allows both light and water to penetrate it but prevents even the smallest insects like flea beetles from getting to your plants.

The fabric is sold at most garden centers under many names like Reemay, Agrofabric and Agribon and comes in a variety of different weights. The lighter weight fabrics are best for use during the summer. The heavier fabrics do hold in some heat and are best used in the early spring or late fall. The added bonus is that they can also help extend the gardening season by a few weeks!

5. Newspaper/Cardboard

Weeds are some of the hardest pests to control organically without resorting to physically pulling each one out. If your weeds are coming up in small clusters, it is easy to deal with them by pouring boiling water over them. However, if you've got a large area, the best way to control them is to smother them, also known as sheet mulching.

I prefer to use either newspaper or cardboard to smother my weeds instead of plastic. Both newspaper and cardboard degrade naturally and will, over time, add carbon into my soil, helping provide organic material. In addition, most newspapers are now printed with soy-based inks, which will also degrade in the garden.

If you decide to use newspaper, make sure you place it at least 4-6 sheets thick over your weeds. One layer of cardboard is usually sufficient to get the same effect. It takes at least a month to kill most weeds so I find the best way to use this method is to place the newspaper or cardboard over the weeds in the fall. Come springtime, the weeds are dead, the mulch has degraded, and I've got wonderful soil to work with.

For anyone who is concerned about the aesthetics of newspaper or cardboard, you can also cover the mulch with grass clippings, compost or bark mulch for a nicer look. Make sure whatever you use is free of weed seeds.

All about growing tomatoes naturally!