Seed Definitions 2014

As I sit here writing this, I am looking at no less than seven different seed catalogs that have come in the mail during the month of December. For me, January is seed purchasing time. Sometimes the terminology that describes seed can be confusing to a new gardener, especially one lacking a Bachelor of Science degree. Here are some simple definitions for common terms used in most catalogs to describe the breeding of the seed or its heritage. This can be of importance when choosing seed best suited to your needs.

Heirloom Seed- This refers to an old or traditional variety that is still grown in gardens today. Oftentimes it is a variety not suited for large scale commercial production and is seed that is kept from year to year and passed on from person to person. Heirloom seeds are open pollinated; see next definition!

Open Pollinated- These are seeds that are pollinated (fertilized) via wind, birds, insects or other natural means. It is an uncontrolled form of breeding that often gives rise to genetic variation seen in the offspring. For example, perhaps 99% of the offspring of an open pollinated broccoli variety will have green leaves similar to their parents, but 1% will show a purple color tint not seen in the parent generation. Open pollination tends to increase biodiversity and is a great way to watch plants adapt to their environment, especially if you start to save seed from year to year. However, a gardener should not expect all plants of an open pollinated variety to look exactly alike (or even taste alike!).

F1 Hybrid- This seed is relatively consistent and true to form with little variation between individuals. F1 Hybrids are created using traditional, controlled breeding techniques where parents with known, desired traits are carefully crossed with each other, often via hand-pollination by humans, to create offspring (seed) that show the same traits as the parents. F1 Hybrids, unless otherwise labeled, are not Genetically Modified Crops.

Certified Organic-This is seed that has been raised under conditions consistent with organic practices and is grown without the use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers. Certified Organic seed can be Heirlooms, Open Pollinated or F1 Hybrids and cannot contain genetically modified material to receive certification. Certified Organic has a distinct legal meaning and can only be used for seed growers who are in compliance with the rules set aside by the USDA’s National Organic Program.

Happy Seed Shopping!

Small Space Gardening 2015

Not everyone has the luxury of 50 acres to spread out on when planning their home garden. Urban agriculture is a hot topic these days. It takes on many forms; from roof top gardens to patio planters. One of the largest challenges to gardening in an urban environment is working with less than ideal conditions and limited space. Gardening in tight spaces requires a different mindset and often the goals and milestones are measured on a different scale from their rural counterparts.

Probably the most common constraint is the desire to garden while living in an apartment. A south or west facing balcony is a garden waiting to bloom. Container gardening is the preferred method for this situation. Oftentimes, people do not consider 5 gallon buckets to be suitable containers for gardening but they have a sufficient soil volume for growing tomatoes, cabbage, kale and other veggies that would otherwise not be possible in this environment. They also have the added advantage of mobility. It is possible to move them from one place to another as the sun migrates with the changing season. Your garden has the luxury of always being located in full sun. If you do not have a balcony and are limited to countertop space, consider recycling milk jugs or grocery store salad containers into countertop gardens. Salad mix, micro-greens, pea shoots and watercress are a few of the plants that do well in a countertop garden. Although there is some concern about utilizing plastics for planting containers, #1 and #2 plastics have been studied and found to be the least likely to breakdown over time and leach chemicals during use (other plastics tend to be too soft and can degrade or crumble).

Many city lot owners may only have a 4’x 8’ space to garden in. Curbside gardens can still be successful and are an excellent way to become more involved with your neighborhood. Understanding the physical space needs and rate of maturity of the plants you are working with can help you maximize your yield in a tight location. This technique is known as inter-planting. For example, radishes and carrots can be inter-planted within the same row. The radishes can be used to space out the carrots, helping to limit the amount of thinning necessary as the carrots mature. Typically the radishes will mature within a few weeks and will be harvested, leaving space for the carrots to fill in and finish their development.

Utilizing vertical spaces will also help to increase yield per square foot. Runner beans, peas and cucumbers can all be trellised to grow vertically. These plants should be located at the back of the garden so that they do not shade the shorter veggies. Alternatively, when living in a hot environment such as the Wenatchee Valley, salad mix, spinach and cilantro can be planted in the shade created on the backside of a vertical planting. This shady space will help to prevent bolting and should extend the season for these cold loving crops.

Square Foot gardening is another approach to small spaces. In this method, the garden bed is divided into 12”x12” squares. Each square is planted with a different type of vegetable. Larger plants such as broccoli or tomatoes are allocated to a spacing of one plant per square while spinach or lettuce can be planted much denser. This method of planting is great for new gardeners as it encourages experimentation with a wide variety of different plants in a small area.

Whichever method you choose to use for your small space, Happy Gardening!

Soil Testing 2015

The world has woken up again. Phoebes are building their nests and owl chicks are fledging. The garlic is poking through the mulch and the soil is dry enough to work.  As we begin to make our way back into the garden, it is time to consider the list of spring ‘To Dos’ that we are confronted with. For me, the one that has often slipped through the cracks is attaining a professional soil test. It is pretty easy to roll from one season into the next and assume that the growing conditions should remain the same. The problem is, over time the soil changes, and it is important to collect some baseline data now and again to be sure you are on the right track both with your amendments and also your rotation.

Soil tests offer up some valuable information that often explains patterns you may already be seeing within your garden. Have you ever planted beets in one location and watched them flourish and then planted them in a new location where they languish and refuse to size up? Beets are very sensitive to soil chemistry. Often a small Boron deficiency can be the difference between a successful crop and a near failure. Although through observation, you can pose plausible guesses as to the problem (after reading a myriad of articles on the subject) it is much wiser to throw down a little bit of money and have a professional soil analysis done. This is especially true if you intend to garden in the same place for an extended period of time.

There are several forms of soil test available. Some are more intensive and offer up a broader zone of information on trace mineral content including Boron, Zinc and Arsenic. Some are more specific to the most common deficiencies such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Percentage Organic Matter and Soluble Salt content. The soil test will tell you the amounts (often in parts per million) present in your garden soil. It will also clearly lay out if more of a specific nutrient should be added for optimal plant growth and will give a recommendation on how much remediation is needed to reach optimization. The broader of the tests is more expensive but should be done at least once to understand the basic soil chemistry of your gardening soil.

Contact the WSU Chelan/Douglas Master Gardener Diagnosis Clinic for recommendations on where to have your soil test performed. There are several options.

Happy Spring!

Growing Strawberries 2014

Today my family officially started moving back into our ‘summer home’....better known as The Farm. With the nice weather and the lack of snow, the yearly maintenance work of the garden beds begins.

The task for the week is the remaking of the strawberry beds. Strawberries bear best on 2 year old plants. With yearly division and replanting, your strawberry beds will remain highly productive. This type of planting requires some forethought and planning. Ideally, you have made space for one mature bed of strawberry plants (2 year old bed) and a second bed prepped out for spring transplanting of last year’s runners from the strawberries in your mature bed. The runners from last year can be clipped and separated from their parents and planted into this empty, spring bed.

When creating a new strawberry bed, several factors are necessary for the success of the planting. The most important prep work is the thorough weeding and de-grassing of any new area that is being planted to berries. Strawberries are relatively resilient plants and can handle a minor amount of abuse and neglect but the one thing they cannot tolerate is competition with grass. Please take the time to remove all grass roots before planting your bed, you will be thankful for your attention to detail later on. If you are starting new beds and are removing sections of lawn to do so, the best approach is to dig out the section of lawn for planting a year in advance. The optimal time of year for killing grass is mid-summer. Step one is shutting off any irrigation to the site to be de-grassed. Once the irrigation has been turned off, the grass can be cut into strips and flipped over to bake in the sun using a flat bladed shovel. After several weeks, the grass should be brown and dry and the soil can be shook loose. The grass clods can then be moved to your yard waste bin. Weeding of this new bed should be done again in the spring before planting to remove any grass roots you may have missed the previous summer.

Since strawberries are heavy feeders, your bed should be properly fertilized before planting. In addition, fruit set cannot occur without regular and consistent irrigation.  Simple irrigation can be created using ½” or ¾” poly tubing with a dripper placed at each strawberry crown.  Make it easy on yourself and hook the irrigation system up to a timer so that watering is predictable and regular. Happy Gardening!

Weeding 2014

As the soil begins to warm up, it wakes up both the seeds in the garden that are sown  intentionally and also the ones sown for you by nature. Controlling weeds can be a big job for any gardener. Here are some ideas and tools that can make weeding a more pleasurable and rewarding experience.

1.       Learn to identify the weeds around your garden and learn about their reproductive or propagation strategies. Some weeds need the entire root system to be removed (such as grass or morning glory) to be controlled effectively. Others can be controlled with regular cultivation and simple hand tools.

2.       Keep the weeds surrounding your garden from going to flower or seed. This is the first line of defense in protecting your garden from the ‘green carpet of death’ every spring.  Even if you do not have time to remove all of the weeds from the edges of your garden by hand, make time to remove the flowers and seed heads. This can be done by keeping the area around the garden mowed or weed whipped regularly. If the weeds around the garden have already put on seed heads, rake up and remove the debris after mowing or whipping and add them to your garbage can or yard waste can. Do not compost weeds in your household compost. Most people do not keep their compost piles hot enough to kill seed heads or grass rhizomes.

3.       Find hand tools that you enjoy using and hand weed or cultivate your garden beds regularly. A favorite tool for working around sensitive plants is a light weight cultivating knife or hoop hoe. The knife slips under the surface of the soil and kills weeds at the roots. Hoop hoes (or hula hoes) are a tool that can be used while standing and are another way to kill weeds at the roots, below the soil surface. These tools are most effective for weeds under 3 inches in height. Keep your hand tools sharp by filling the edges regularly and avoiding rust build up.

4.       If possible, cultivate in the morning and do not water the area that has been cultivated for at least 24 hrs.  If you water the area that has just been cultivated, those weeds that are lying on the soil surface have a chance to re-grow. Allow the weeds to wilt and dry out in the sun for the day or rake up the cultivated weeds and remove them from the garden entirely.

5.       If mulching, use weed-free straw rather than hay. Hay is full of seeds that will happily make themselves at home in your garden.

Happy Weeding!

Holiday Plant Care 2013

The holiday season is upon us and with it comes the beauty of both boughs and bouquets. We may be given the gift of a beautiful centerpiece, gorgeous poinsettia or amaryllis bulb. Our porches, doors and mantelpieces may be graced with evergreen wreaths and garlands.  All of these require a different method of care to keep them fresh and festive and oftentimes homeowners struggle with falling needles, wilting leaves and a general lack of ‘shelf life’ for these living holiday decorations.

When caring for evergreens that are indoors, the following tips will improve their overall longevity.

·         Mist wreaths and garlands with water on a daily basis, wetting both the stems as well as the needles. Use a general household spray bottle for this task and be sure that you are misting the wreath or garland in a location where the water will not cause any damage to walls or furniture.  Do not mist when the greenery is exposed to direct sunlight, whenever possible.  Another option is to apply an antitranspirant once a week. This is a clear, odorless liquid that dries to a film and slows the loss of water from the needles. Antitranspirants are available through floral supply outlets.

·         Keep greens away from direct heat sources such as furnaces, fireplaces, space heaters and very sunny windows. Exposure to additional heat and drafts will speed the drying process and decrease the life of your greenery. If you start to see areas of your wreath or garland that are becoming dry or brittle, consider removing these pieces from the arrangement to keep a fresh appearance.

For Poinsettias:

·         Check soil moisture daily. If the soil feels dry to the touch just under the soil surface or the container feels ‘light’ when lifted, add water until some liquid runs out the bottom drainage hole of the pot. If using a saucer to collect excess water, drain the excess so that the poinsettia pot is not kept in standing water. Standing water will cause root injury and stress to the plant.

·         Poinsettias prefer to be kept at 65-70 degrees F and like to be put in a sunny location (such as a South, East or West facing window) free from drafts. Do not let the foliage touch the cold glass of the windowpane as damage can occur to the leaves.

·         Although poinsettias can be kept and forced to re-bloom, it is a complicated process and may be beyond the scope of most home gardeners.

Happy Holidays from Chelan County Master Gardeners!

Dirtbags; a guide

*An edited version of this essay will be appearing in The Good Life Magazine in May of 2015

Becoming a well-seasoned dirtbag is a skill acquired over years of intentional fun-seeking away from the boundaries of the urban corridor. Although it is best to start at a young age so that the intricacies of living on the road become second nature, anyone has the potential of aspiring to future dirtbag status (just look at Fred Becky).

**A Quick Word of Advice: Avoid calling yourself a dirtbag  in public until you are at least 17 years of age. Avoid calling your parents dirtbags too....especially  in front of figures of authority....like your teachers....even if they are. This is a term of endearment that some people don't understand.**

The following is an easy step-by-step guide to the conversion of a sane, high IQ individual on a promising career path into a low-wage earning, high velocity, free spirited, dirtbag. Results will vary among individuals.

Step 1-Develop a love for a sport or activity where destination travel is a key component. The love of travel is not a prerequisite but it does aid the transition process from responsible student/adult into carefree adventure seeker. Suggested activities and/or careers that will gain you dirtbag experience points include snowboarding/back country skier, climber/mountain guide, mountain/dirt/adventure biker, surfer, kayaker/rafter, long distance hiker/runner, fisherman, anything involving a sail, park service employee,outdoor ed. major, nature photographer/writer, geologist, biologist, and journeyman anything.

Step 2- Be (and remain) idealistic.Idealism makes up for the lack of working capital (i.e. cash) that upholds the self esteem of the responsible folks. When cash fails, ideals blossom. Have ideals about politics, religion, the environment, society. Have ideals about love and family, war and peace, and good literature.

Step 3-Be comfortable around dirt. This means, be comfortable around your dirt, other peoples dirt, being dirty and plain old dirt. Be able to lie in the dirt, without a blanket. Be able to brush the dirt off of an item and think of this as 'cleaning'.

Step 4-Cook out of a can or be able to craft gourmet meals using free and/or scavenged ingredients. This may mean opening a can and eating the contents with your fingers or a modified utensil (crackers) with or without heating up the contents of the can before consumption. Some items to consider ingesting include tuna fish, ramen noodles, ketchup soup, dried fruit, blocks of cheese,chocolate chip cookies, coffee with cocoa packets and salami sticks. When in doubt, be able to identify the local bakery or  brewery to fill in where your personal talents fall short. Add +5 to your experience points when your Jet Boil meal incorporates vegetables and possibly, chopping.

Step 5- Be able to Tetris your under-sized, under powered Toyota Camry with all equipment necessary for a multi-week excursion with or without pets/co-pilot. This usually requires the purchase of multiple Rubbermaid roughneck totes that have been black sharpied with Duct Tape labels such as: Clothes, Camping, Food, Cooking, Gear and Emergency. Or skip the bins and the Tetris and aim for the 'scatter and dig' approach, maximizing the entire storage capacity of your trunk but requiring excess parking lot space for actually finding that last red cam. Add to your life's goals: purchase all-wheel drive Subaru (or possibly Toyota Tacoma with modified bed turned sleeping compartment/gear storage). If dirtbag is only a persona you don on weekends due to job constraints where personal appearance and mode of transportation invite judgement from co-workers and neighbors,  consider the Honda Element as a more suitable urban substitute.

Step 6-Practice improvisation and creativity. As a dirtbag you will be called upon to improvise such necessary items as tent poles, shelters, splints or slings, can openers, and any number of items that may be missing, broken, lost or forgotten. It is your ability to think creatively that will keep you cozy, dry and safe in nearly any conditions presented.

Step 7- Don't forget some reads, a journal and a good camera. Travel with a compendium of obscure publications and dog-eared maps. Old guidebooks, copies of the Alpinist, Frequency or Taproot are always welcome companions when wifi service becomes non-existent. Develop an eye for natural beauty or that perfect descent and capture it on film. Draw, paint and create on your rest days. Art always scores chicks.

Step 8-Love yourself. You became a dirtbag because of your passion for the interesting and beautiful places in this world. Be comfortable being you, even when those around you are not comfortable with you being you. Learn to convey your passion to others through words, photos and essays. You may be surprised how many other people secretly long to be dirtbags too.

Step 9-Raise future dirtbags. Fill your kids' heads with propaganda like 'Camping is Fun!' or 'Jump around and you'll warm up.' Make rhetorical statements like 'Well, we could go out to eat but wouldn't you rather stay here and have a fire?' Bribe them with marshmallows and their very own headlamps. Let them choose the hike out of the book. Stack the family tree; introduce your dirtbag friends to your kids as 'aunt' and 'uncle'. Be prepared for these future dirtbags to grow up to become tax attorneys, investment bankers or fashion editors instead.

And, if dirtbagging it just isn't for you anymore, there are alternatives.There's always the home in the sprawl, the lawn to mow, 15 lbs of potato chips and beer hoping to join your midsection and a full  televised sports schedule waiting to engulf you. If you have found yourself inadvertently stalled out on this side-adventure, remember that it is never too late to get back out there. The dirtbag life is always calling and the rest of us will still be here, waiting for you.