Eco Gardeners

Here it is late January and those of us living in the northeast are seeing forsythias and cherry trees in full flower. My girls and I went for a walk yesterday in t-shirts and as we strolled through our Richmond, VA neighborhood it felt like the start of spring as we encountered daffodil after daffodil with their flower buds ready to pop open. Its the neighbors with the heart wreaths on their front doors that remind us we are approaching February.

So how does this disappearing winter affect the gardens of those of us living in areas including those 21 states that have had more than 300 record high January temperatures? In a nutshell, it will mean fewer nuts on our nut trees, less blossoms on our perennials, decreased flowers on our trees/shrubs, and not as much fruit on our fruit trees. This upcoming spring and summer will show signs of the winter stressed plants but most should acclimate okay.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the extremes yet that would cause a lot of long-term damage to trees and shrubs,” says George Good, professor in Cornell University’s Department of Horticulture. “Some flower buds will be killed. So we may see fewer blooms on flowering trees and shrubs this spring. ” This has commercial growers concerned as their harvests will be affected.

David Wolfe, scientist at the Department of Horticulture, is studying climate change and states that chances are good that we will continue seeing more warm winters, caused in part by increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere which is affecting agriculture, especially in the Northeast.

For more information, visit the Cornell University at

www.gardening.cornell.edu

Dahlias are tender perennials, hardy only to Zones 9 to 11, and must be dug out of the ground and stored over the winter.  Here’s how to overwinter dahlias:

• Allow a week for the tubers to adjust to dormancy after the first frost has blackened their foliage. Cut them back to within 6 inches of the ground.
• Gently lift tubers from the ground using a spade.
• Clean the soil off the tubers, and allow them to dry for a day. They can be left in the sun but must not be allowed to freeze.
• After drying, shorten old stems to about an inch.
• Place the roots in crates or boxes, and cover with slightly moistened sand, peat moss, or sawdust to keep them from drying out. Store in a cool but frost-free place, such as a garage or unheated basement (40° F to 50° F is ideal).

Diets in Review.com has compiled a nice list of alternative fundraising programs that are designed to eliminate the sweet treats and expensive giftwrap.

Included are The Happy Gardener’s Eco-Fundraising Programs which allow schools, groups and organizations to raise necessary funds while educating families and communities on healthy living methods.  Products include flowering bulbs, organic bug repellent, chemical-free cut flower/holiday tree preservatives and “Just Add Dirt” Eco-Grow Kits for veggies and herbs!

Read the entire article by visiting http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/09/guilt-free-school-fundraisers-are-replacing-candy-pushers/

Shopping for fresh veggies at the Charlottesville, VA Market

Choosing to support and eat local food ensures that the family farms within our communities will continue to thrive, and that healthy, flavorful, plentiful food will be available for future generations.

Though “buying local’ has been gaining exposure and trust with ‘conscious consumers’, we must not neglect the importance of consumer education. As farmer’s markets and CSA’s become more widespread, remember that just because its “local” doesn’t mean its necessarily healthier.  It is our responsibility to ask questions of our local suppliers:

Is the farm certified organic and/or working towards an organic certification?

If the farm is not certified organic, what pesticides/herbicides/fertilizers are used to maintain crop production? How often are they applied? Do they use animal by-products/manure to fertilize?

Asking questions will inform you, the consumer, of the quality of produce you are buying and will provide you with the trust to continue working with your local farmers.

FoodRoutes.org provides a list of benefits to supporting local farmers:

• Exceptional taste & freshness:  Local food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped long distances from other states or countries. Local farmers can offer produce varieties bred for taste rather than from shipping and long shelf life;
• Strengthen your local economy:  Buying local food keeps your dollars circulating in your community. Getting to know the farmers who grow your food builds relationships based on understanding and trust;
• Support endangered farms:  There’s never been a more critical time to support your farming neighbors. With each local food purchase, you ensure that more of your $$ spent on food goes tot he farmer;
• Safeguard your family’s health:  Knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown or raised enables you to choose safe food from farmers who avoid or reduce their use of chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or genetically modified seed in their operations.
• Protect the environment:  Local food doesn’t have to travel far. This reduces carbon dioxide emissions and packing materials. Buying local food also helps to make farming profitable and selling farmland for development less attractive.

-published on econewsnetwork.com

Instead of sending Dad on yet another grocery store trip, send him out to the garden to grow and pick his own organic fruits, herbs and veggies with the help of The Happy Gardener’s “Just Add Dirt” Eco-Grow kits!

June is the perfect month for growing vegetables, and these kits are a great gift idea for dads who love to play in the dirt, garden and grow their own produce. The “Just Add Dirt” kits include everything needed for growing organic, nutritious edibles in 100 percent compostable pots. With simple instructions and containers that allow for small-space gardening, even Dads with little experience and little space can reap the benefits of gardening in their own backyard.

The kit also includes organic seeds, SeaResults ™ Organic Plant Food, soil conditioner and water retaining mats, so all Dad really has to do is add dirt!

“Our focus is to help families grow nutritious food while saving money,” says The Happy Gardener’s founder and product developer, Annette Pelliccio. “Growing our own berries, salad mix and a variety of vegetables saves my family of three an average of $380 during the summer months alone,” she says.

With the current economic state, the number of edible gardening projects is expected to rise this year to supplement household food supplies. But saving money isn’t the only reason Dad should start growing his own organic produce. Organically grown fruits and veggies have been shown to retain an increased number of nutrients than those grown commercially.

For more information about the “Just Add Dirt” Eco-Grow kits visit www.thehappygardener.info.

Japanese beetle season is right around the corner and for those of us who love our roses, crepe myrtles, and ornamental fruit trees, we can only wait to see the detrimental effects made from these disgusting pests.

The key to controlling the quantity and continuous visitation from Japanese beetles is to stop the cycle early. Japanese beetles start out in small quantity- you may see just a bunch of 5-10 on a rose bush. Don’t ignore them! Japanese beetles emit a scent that will keep attracting more and more beetles. Ever wonder why your beetle bags fill up so quickly? The scent draws more and more in from all over your neighborhood.

Organic Japanese beetle control is not as hard as you may think. Here are a few suggestions to help you stop the Japanese beetle cycle so you can enjoy the summer blooming months:

• As soon as you see the first signs of Japanese beetles on your plants, get rid of them immediately so they cannot attract more.
• Work on your Japanese beetles early in the morning so they do not attract more throughout the day.

Ways to get rid of Japanese beetles organically:

• Pick the beetles off of the plants and drop them into a pail of soapy water;
• Choose a non-toxic, natural and safe beetle control. Spray beetles daily for a week until the cycle has been broken. We recommend The Happy Gardener’s Outdoor Foliar Feed- it is 100% vegetable based and will get rid of the beetles on contact, plus it is an effective foliar fertilizer.
• Use a Japanese beetle bag- if you choose this method, place the bag as far away from your gardens as possible since the bags do attract more beetles.
• Use Companion Planting- adding chives and/or lavender to your rose garden will repel the beetles;
• Don’t plant too many Japanese beetle tasty plants together- having 1 or 2 rose bushes or crepe myrtles amongst other plant varieties will help control infestation.
• You may choose to apply a grub control to your lawn such as Milky Spore to stop the grubs before they emerge as beetles.