october gardening tips
October 2013 Newsletter
Make Your Own Cold-frame A cold-frame is one of the easiest ways to extend your growing and harvest season. (Here is just a portion of an article--the rest of the article with specific directions on making cold-frames can be found at organicgardening.com .)
Set Your Site
If possible, orient your cold-frame to the south, with the top angled about 25% to 30% from front to back. If that isn’t possible, at least make sure your cold-frame is in a sunny spot. And angle the top enough for rain to run off.
If you garden in an area with severe northern exposure (such as in Alaska), you’ll need to angle your cold-frame a bit more steeply because of the sharp angle of the sun during spring and fall at those longitudes.
What’s in for Cold-frames?
What can you grow in your cold-frame? Anything you grow in your garden: In many areas, you can sow seeds of spinach,lettuce, kale, choy, and other salad greens in fall to enjoy in winter. Or, transplant heads of lettuce, cabbage, and cauliflower inside the frame. Consider transplanting a short pepper plant or two for extended production through another month or two.
In areas with an extra-short growing season, a cold-frame may be the only way to grow warm-weather crops. High-altitude gardeners and Alaskans use cold-frames through summer to raise tomatoes, green beans, and cucumbers.
Make Your Own Cold-frame A cold-frame is one of the easiest ways to extend your growing and harvest season. (Here is just a portion of an article--the rest of the article with specific directions on making cold-frames can be found at organicgardening.com .)
Set Your Site
If possible, orient your cold-frame to the south, with the top angled about 25% to 30% from front to back. If that isn’t possible, at least make sure your cold-frame is in a sunny spot. And angle the top enough for rain to run off.
If you garden in an area with severe northern exposure (such as in Alaska), you’ll need to angle your cold-frame a bit more steeply because of the sharp angle of the sun during spring and fall at those longitudes.
What’s in for Cold-frames?
What can you grow in your cold-frame? Anything you grow in your garden: In many areas, you can sow seeds of spinach,lettuce, kale, choy, and other salad greens in fall to enjoy in winter. Or, transplant heads of lettuce, cabbage, and cauliflower inside the frame. Consider transplanting a short pepper plant or two for extended production through another month or two.
In areas with an extra-short growing season, a cold-frame may be the only way to grow warm-weather crops. High-altitude gardeners and Alaskans use cold-frames through summer to raise tomatoes, green beans, and cucumbers.
October 2012 Newsletter
Overwintering Crops
By Lynn Byczynski
(Lynn Byczynski is the editor of Growing for Market and the publisher of The Hoophouse Handbook).
Spring weather can be highly variable, too rainy or hot or cold, and you may not be able to start crops when you would like. Overwintering is a strategy that provides a bit of insurance. With certain crops, you can seed in fall under Quick Hoops' tunnels or in a hoophouse. The plants will either germinate in fall and go dormant, or
the seeds will sit dormant over the winter. But, when conditions are right, they will come to life and grow rapidly. Overwintered veggies can be several weeks to months ahead of spring-sown crops.
Spinach is one of the best-understood crops for overwintering. It germinates well in cool soil, 45-75°F/7-24°C, so it can be planted several times in autumn. Depending on the weather, some plantings may reach a harvest-able size in fall and then go dormant until spring. Other plantings may not germinate in fall but wait until late winter to start growing. Spinach is hardy down to 20°F/-6.7°C, which means it can be grown in the field in the South or in a hoophouse under an inner layer of row cover in many other places. The short days of winter may cause the spinach plants to stop growing, but if the plants are mature before short days arrive,
it's possible to harvest spinach all winter. Cold makes spinach incredibly sweet and succulent. The best varieties for winter production are 'Tyee', 'Red Cardinal', and 'Python'.
Many other cold-tolerant crops are good candidates for fall planting and overwintering. They include arugula,
beets, carrots, lettuce, onions, peas, and scallions. Always look for the most cold-hardy varieties of each crop. Direct seed in fall and watch them to determine whether they germinate then or in late winter. If they germ-inate and grow quickly, they may be killed by winter cold; in that case, seed later next year.
Overwintering Crops
By Lynn Byczynski
(Lynn Byczynski is the editor of Growing for Market and the publisher of The Hoophouse Handbook).
Spring weather can be highly variable, too rainy or hot or cold, and you may not be able to start crops when you would like. Overwintering is a strategy that provides a bit of insurance. With certain crops, you can seed in fall under Quick Hoops' tunnels or in a hoophouse. The plants will either germinate in fall and go dormant, or
the seeds will sit dormant over the winter. But, when conditions are right, they will come to life and grow rapidly. Overwintered veggies can be several weeks to months ahead of spring-sown crops.
Spinach is one of the best-understood crops for overwintering. It germinates well in cool soil, 45-75°F/7-24°C, so it can be planted several times in autumn. Depending on the weather, some plantings may reach a harvest-able size in fall and then go dormant until spring. Other plantings may not germinate in fall but wait until late winter to start growing. Spinach is hardy down to 20°F/-6.7°C, which means it can be grown in the field in the South or in a hoophouse under an inner layer of row cover in many other places. The short days of winter may cause the spinach plants to stop growing, but if the plants are mature before short days arrive,
it's possible to harvest spinach all winter. Cold makes spinach incredibly sweet and succulent. The best varieties for winter production are 'Tyee', 'Red Cardinal', and 'Python'.
Many other cold-tolerant crops are good candidates for fall planting and overwintering. They include arugula,
beets, carrots, lettuce, onions, peas, and scallions. Always look for the most cold-hardy varieties of each crop. Direct seed in fall and watch them to determine whether they germinate then or in late winter. If they germ-inate and grow quickly, they may be killed by winter cold; in that case, seed later next year.
October 2012 Newsletter
Johnny's Top Five Tips for Extending Your Growing Season in Cool Weather
by Lynn Byczynski
1. In a high tunnel, direct seed spinach, lettuce, and greens as soon as day length exceeds 10 hours (January in the South, February in the North.) Cover the beds with row cover on hoops for extra frost protection. If you don't have a high tunnel, make a low tunnel of hoops covered with greenhouse poly and plant spinach, Asian greens, mache, and onions as soon as the soil can be worked.
2. In January or February, seed leeks in a greenhouse or cold frame. When the plants are about 10 inches tall,
transplant them to a low tunnel covered with greenhouse poly or row cover. Using a dibble, make holes about 6 to 8 inches deep, six inches apart, and drop in the leek plants. Don't firm the soil, but let rain or irrigation wash into the dibble holes.
3. Keep a wide piece of heavy row cover on hand in case of early frosts on unprotected crops. A single piece can be pulled over multiple beds quickly. Once the crop has been harvested, roll or fold the row cover, put it in a plastic bag with a drawstring, and hang from rafters to keep mice out.
4. In the hoophouse, plant spinach and carrots to harvest all winter. Spinach will keep growing even in the short days of winter, so the young leaves can be picked repeatedly. Carrots will grow to maturity in fall, but can be left in the ground to harvest as needed. Both will be crisp and sweet from the cold weather.
5. Plant a crop of overwintering spinach in low tunnels covered with row cover and, later, with poly. Seed spinach before the first frost and the plants will reach 3 to 4 inches in diameter before winter cold stops their
growth. They will resume growth in late winter and be a month earlier than spring-sown spinach.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Johnny's Top Five Tips for Extending Your Growing Season in Cool Weather
by Lynn Byczynski
1. In a high tunnel, direct seed spinach, lettuce, and greens as soon as day length exceeds 10 hours (January in the South, February in the North.) Cover the beds with row cover on hoops for extra frost protection. If you don't have a high tunnel, make a low tunnel of hoops covered with greenhouse poly and plant spinach, Asian greens, mache, and onions as soon as the soil can be worked.
2. In January or February, seed leeks in a greenhouse or cold frame. When the plants are about 10 inches tall,
transplant them to a low tunnel covered with greenhouse poly or row cover. Using a dibble, make holes about 6 to 8 inches deep, six inches apart, and drop in the leek plants. Don't firm the soil, but let rain or irrigation wash into the dibble holes.
3. Keep a wide piece of heavy row cover on hand in case of early frosts on unprotected crops. A single piece can be pulled over multiple beds quickly. Once the crop has been harvested, roll or fold the row cover, put it in a plastic bag with a drawstring, and hang from rafters to keep mice out.
4. In the hoophouse, plant spinach and carrots to harvest all winter. Spinach will keep growing even in the short days of winter, so the young leaves can be picked repeatedly. Carrots will grow to maturity in fall, but can be left in the ground to harvest as needed. Both will be crisp and sweet from the cold weather.
5. Plant a crop of overwintering spinach in low tunnels covered with row cover and, later, with poly. Seed spinach before the first frost and the plants will reach 3 to 4 inches in diameter before winter cold stops their
growth. They will resume growth in late winter and be a month earlier than spring-sown spinach.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
October 2012 Newsletter
Using Shredded Leaves
Make the Most of One of Nature's Free Soil Builders
If you have an abundant source of leaves in the fall, shred them. Your garden will benefit in a big way. Here is how to use them:
**Insulate Tender Plants: A 6-inch blanket of leaves protects tender plants from winter wind and cold. Cover cold-hardy vegetables*such as carrots, kale, leeks and beets*and you'll be able to harvest them all winter.
**Boost Your Compost Pile: Carbon-rich leaves balance high-nitrogen compost ingredients such as fresh grass clippings.
**Improve Your Soil: Mix shredded leaves right into your garden. Next spring, your soil will be teeming with earthworms and other beneficial organisms.
**Make "Leaf Mold": Simply rake the leaves into a big pile. If you shred them, they will decompose faster, but you can still make leaf mold without shredding. After one to three years, fungus will have broken the leaves down to a special compost that smells like a walk through the woods. Leaf mold is high in calcium and magnesium and retains three to five times its weight in water - rivaling peat moss. Think Before You Shred.
**Be careful with some kinds of leaves. Walnut, eucalyptus and camphor laurel leaves contain substances that inhibit plant growth. It's best to compost these leaves before using them in your garden.
**Be sure to chop or shred leaves before using them as mulch. Whole leaves can form a mat that water
can't penetrate.
**If you add shredded leaves right to the soil, add some slow-release nitrogen fertilizers to help the leaves decompose and to ensure that soil microbes don't use all of the available nitrogen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Using Shredded Leaves
Make the Most of One of Nature's Free Soil Builders
If you have an abundant source of leaves in the fall, shred them. Your garden will benefit in a big way. Here is how to use them:
**Insulate Tender Plants: A 6-inch blanket of leaves protects tender plants from winter wind and cold. Cover cold-hardy vegetables*such as carrots, kale, leeks and beets*and you'll be able to harvest them all winter.
**Boost Your Compost Pile: Carbon-rich leaves balance high-nitrogen compost ingredients such as fresh grass clippings.
**Improve Your Soil: Mix shredded leaves right into your garden. Next spring, your soil will be teeming with earthworms and other beneficial organisms.
**Make "Leaf Mold": Simply rake the leaves into a big pile. If you shred them, they will decompose faster, but you can still make leaf mold without shredding. After one to three years, fungus will have broken the leaves down to a special compost that smells like a walk through the woods. Leaf mold is high in calcium and magnesium and retains three to five times its weight in water - rivaling peat moss. Think Before You Shred.
**Be careful with some kinds of leaves. Walnut, eucalyptus and camphor laurel leaves contain substances that inhibit plant growth. It's best to compost these leaves before using them in your garden.
**Be sure to chop or shred leaves before using them as mulch. Whole leaves can form a mat that water
can't penetrate.
**If you add shredded leaves right to the soil, add some slow-release nitrogen fertilizers to help the leaves decompose and to ensure that soil microbes don't use all of the available nitrogen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
October 2009 Newsletter
Rosemary Isn’t Just For Remembrance
by Florene
Rosemary is a great herb and has been used for centuries. Over time it has been used for everything from keeping away evil spirits to being used as an important medicinal herb. During the sixteenth century
wealthy men would pay perfumers to come into their houses and scent the air with rosemary incense. It has been used in wedding ceremonies to signify undying love and at funerals to insure remembrance of the
departed.
Medicinally, rosemary has long been included in many herbalists stores of remedies. Herbal physicians have prescribed an infusion of the leaves as a tonic, astringent, diaphoretic, stomachic, expectorant and treatment
for depression, headaches and muscle spasms. The flowers and leaves contain a volatile oil, which is responsible for the plant’s pharmacological actions. This oil is an ingredient in rubefacient liniments to
aid in the joint discomfort from rheumatism, sores, eczema, bruises and wounds.
As late as World War II, a mixture of rosemary leaves and juniper berries was burned in the hospitals of France to kill germs. It has been found that rosemary leaves do indeed have some antibacterial effects. To use it medicinally you must be careful and follow directions such as those in “The Honest Herbal”, but for cooking it
is perfectly safe to use. Try freezing both the flowers and leaves for garnishing and cooking. Crush or mince the spiky leaves before sprinkling over or rubbing into foods. Remember, the frozen rosemary is stronger than fresh. There seems to be no end to the way rosemary can be used. Its piney scent can be added to soaps, creams, lotions, perfumes, toilet waters and sachets.
It is a bold beautiful plant that is great for the summer herb garden but will not survive our winters. If you have rosemary in your herb garden now is the time to start “reverse hardening” it. Bring it in at night and back out during the day for a few weeks before you bring it in permanently. Once you get it inside try
watering a couple of times a week with a handful of ice cubes to keep it moist but not too wet. Try making a pesto of rosemary for seasoning a steak, chicken, lamb, or pork.
Rosemary Isn’t Just For Remembrance
by Florene
Rosemary is a great herb and has been used for centuries. Over time it has been used for everything from keeping away evil spirits to being used as an important medicinal herb. During the sixteenth century
wealthy men would pay perfumers to come into their houses and scent the air with rosemary incense. It has been used in wedding ceremonies to signify undying love and at funerals to insure remembrance of the
departed.
Medicinally, rosemary has long been included in many herbalists stores of remedies. Herbal physicians have prescribed an infusion of the leaves as a tonic, astringent, diaphoretic, stomachic, expectorant and treatment
for depression, headaches and muscle spasms. The flowers and leaves contain a volatile oil, which is responsible for the plant’s pharmacological actions. This oil is an ingredient in rubefacient liniments to
aid in the joint discomfort from rheumatism, sores, eczema, bruises and wounds.
As late as World War II, a mixture of rosemary leaves and juniper berries was burned in the hospitals of France to kill germs. It has been found that rosemary leaves do indeed have some antibacterial effects. To use it medicinally you must be careful and follow directions such as those in “The Honest Herbal”, but for cooking it
is perfectly safe to use. Try freezing both the flowers and leaves for garnishing and cooking. Crush or mince the spiky leaves before sprinkling over or rubbing into foods. Remember, the frozen rosemary is stronger than fresh. There seems to be no end to the way rosemary can be used. Its piney scent can be added to soaps, creams, lotions, perfumes, toilet waters and sachets.
It is a bold beautiful plant that is great for the summer herb garden but will not survive our winters. If you have rosemary in your herb garden now is the time to start “reverse hardening” it. Bring it in at night and back out during the day for a few weeks before you bring it in permanently. Once you get it inside try
watering a couple of times a week with a handful of ice cubes to keep it moist but not too wet. Try making a pesto of rosemary for seasoning a steak, chicken, lamb, or pork.