There will be another pruning workshop tomorrow (Monday, July 26). If you want to participate, contact Trina at OCN.
It's been quiet here, but I assume that everyone is busy in the garden. I've been trying to find the room to plant winter veggies and had to sacrifice some huge cabbage that were taking up too much real estate. I've been harvesting broccoli, peas, potatoes, carrots, a few tomatoes, and I still have lots of greens that haven't bolted, which is nice of them. (A beautiful green and red streaked lettuce (forget the name), deer's tongue, which is a beautiful red, and the West Coast Mesclun mix.) They're all still far from bolting. The cascade berries are ripening as are the blueberries and it seems like the rhubarb has stopped sulking after that wet June. What's up in your garden?
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Sharesies
I have too many Brussels sprouts and cabbage seedings if anyone wants them. They are pretty healthy, about 3-4" tall so they need to go in soon. Let me know!
Food For Thought
Some food for thought this morning. I enjoyed this read from a prof. of mine and I thought you might like it too. The part about small towns and community is relevant to us, I think. It's an ongoing discussion here. How do we build community and keep people here? Thanks for all you volunteers out there who are trying to do just that. (Now send me some news of your garden. What are you harvesting? What are you planting for winter?)
Monday, July 5, 2010
Time for Winter Carrots, Beets and Other Rooty Things
It's amazing how little time I suddenly have for the blog now that the sun is out (and so is school). More time in the garden, on the beach, at the lake. (And, sadly, at my desk.) I'll do my best to keep it up, but please remember I'd love to see photos and hear stories of YOUR gardens, too. This is for all you wet coast gardeners out there.
If you're going to plant a winter garden, it's time to get more carrots, beets, turnips and other root veggies in. We've started to eat carrots out of our garden, but I started them very early (and under glass). Remember to plant them in well-drained soil. (And if it starts to deluge again, I'd suggest covering them with plastic or reemay to keep the rain off the seeds. The seeds don't like to be swamped. Thanks Trina, for that gardening tip.)
As for the root crop pests — carrot rust fly and cabbage root maggot — here's what Linda Gilkeson suggests:
Take steps to protect this late crop of carrots from carrot rust fly and turnips from cabbage root maggot (they are similar insects, but attack different crops). The late generation of these root pests can attack as late as September and once in the roots, the larvae keep right on boring all winter. Cover the beds before the seedlings come up with floating row covers or use 1-metre-high window screen fence around the bed (most of the adult insects fly below 1 metre). Support the fence on stakes with the bottom edge buried in the soil and allow the top 20 cm to flop outward away from the crop to make an overhang. So the flies zipping along close to the ground hit the fence, fly up, do a loop under the overhang and find they are heading the other way. And of course, make sure there were no carrot family crops or weeds (Queen Anne's lace) in the carrot bed or any cabbage family plants in the turnip bed, before you plant the winter crop. Any root maggots in the soil from a previous crop would be trapped inside the cover or fence with your new crop.
If you're going to plant a winter garden, it's time to get more carrots, beets, turnips and other root veggies in. We've started to eat carrots out of our garden, but I started them very early (and under glass). Remember to plant them in well-drained soil. (And if it starts to deluge again, I'd suggest covering them with plastic or reemay to keep the rain off the seeds. The seeds don't like to be swamped. Thanks Trina, for that gardening tip.)
As for the root crop pests — carrot rust fly and cabbage root maggot — here's what Linda Gilkeson suggests:
Take steps to protect this late crop of carrots from carrot rust fly and turnips from cabbage root maggot (they are similar insects, but attack different crops). The late generation of these root pests can attack as late as September and once in the roots, the larvae keep right on boring all winter. Cover the beds before the seedlings come up with floating row covers or use 1-metre-high window screen fence around the bed (most of the adult insects fly below 1 metre). Support the fence on stakes with the bottom edge buried in the soil and allow the top 20 cm to flop outward away from the crop to make an overhang. So the flies zipping along close to the ground hit the fence, fly up, do a loop under the overhang and find they are heading the other way. And of course, make sure there were no carrot family crops or weeds (Queen Anne's lace) in the carrot bed or any cabbage family plants in the turnip bed, before you plant the winter crop. Any root maggots in the soil from a previous crop would be trapped inside the cover or fence with your new crop.
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