Organic Gardening Info from Peaceful Valley

A lot of our earliest and most vibrant reminders of Spring are bulbs.  But what happens after the flowers have gone and the leaf material has turned brown and wilted?  If they are inter-planted with other perennial plants or late blooming bulbs your beds will look wonderful through summer.  Then Winter hits and we sometimes wonder where the bulbs went and will they make it through our typical winter freezes?  The good news is that most of our favorite bulbs are in the hardy plant category that can over winter underground even where frost penetrates deeply into the soil.  Crocus, Daffodils, Tulips, Lillies and Hyacinths fall into this category.  Bulbs will benefit greatly from a 2-4″ deep mulch of shredded bark or hardwood, leaves or compost.  Mulch prevents the ground from alternately freezing and thawing, which can heave bulbs right out of the ground during winter.  In summer, mulch conserves moisture and keeps the weeds at bay.  Wait until the ground freezes to apply a winter mulch to fall planted bulbs.  Check your local Master Gardeners County Extension for more information in your area.

A PVFS Customer Email – With Staff Response

Question:
Hi,

I’m thinking of ordering a couple of fig trees (Desert king / Osborne Prolific), persimmon (Fuyu) and grapes (Interlaken). Do you know long it will take for them to start fruiting?

Thanks

Answer:

Regarding the Fig and Persimmon trees, it’s possible that they will fruit the 1st year for the Fig and 2nd for the Persimmon. It is better for the trees if you do not allow them to fully fruit out the first couple years so the tree will use it’s resources to establish a healthy root system. If they put out very much fruit the first couple years pick most of it off.

The grapes will possibly fruit by the 2nd year, again you want the first couple years focused on the root system for longevity and higher, healthier yields later on. Plus all this has variables related to the health of your soil and placement of the trees and vines. Southern exposure with full sun will fruit out the grapes faster.

Hope this helps. Thank you for your interest.

Here at Peaceful Valley Farm Supply it’s raining and raining quite hard.  Hopefully any cover crop seed that’s been planted in recent weeks has some roots holding those little guys down so they don’t wash down into your neighbors drainage ditch.  Otherwise, after this storm passes it should be prime time to put in that cover crop.  The soil should still be holding above 45 degrees being warm enough for the seeds to germinate and now that the ground will be nice and moist… PERFECT!  So don’t wait to get that soil builder mix in this month and you will be pleasantly surprised how well your vegies grow and produce next year.  Not to mention loaded with nutrients provided by all the cover crop goodies left after breaking down in your soil.

Read about it here:

Cover crops cover a lot of ground. They hold, shield and replenish soil. They also choke out weeds and attract beneficial insects.

Growing grasses, oats, vetches, buckwheats, peas, beans, mustards and other plants through the winter has long been a practice of organic farmers, but more home gardeners are catching onto the concept.

“It definitely applies to the backyard gardener,” said Mark Fenton, new product development manager for Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply, a retail and online organic business in Grass Valley. “It’s a real good way to build the soil.”

Read the rest of the article by Laura Christman at redding.com by clicking here.

If you haven’t been to Peaceful Valley Farm Supply nursery you really must come and check it out.  There is a plant here that is my new “favorite” plant!  They are carrying a Silverberry Fruitlandii (Elaeagnus pungens) that has the most surprising fragrance.  In fact it’s hard to tell where that smell is coming from!  It actually reminds me of Hawaii!  The flowers are small and somewhat hidden at the base of the shrub.. probably the last place you’d look for flowers, but that SMELL will keep you looking!  The leaves have the two tone leaf color, gray/silver undersides and olive green top.  It’s in it’s prime now so you have one last summer hold out that makes you lift your head and breathe deep… ummmmm!  It can be pruned to various bush type shapes or allowed to go wild and shoot up toward the sky, well anywhere from 6 – 12 feet high that is. This is a hardy shrub that stands up to very dry conditions.  So plant it in places your hose can’t reach.  Plant it now and the fall and winter rains will help get it established in it’s new home.

Of course, there’s lots more to see and choose from.  Native plants, vegetable starts, trees, bulbs, annual and perennial flowers even cacti.  Come see what’s growing here at Peaceful Valley Farm Supply just waiting for a happy home to live out it’s life.

It’s feeling a bit like Fall here in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Time to start thinking about Fall and Winter proofing your gardens, cleaning and putting up your tools and harvesting those last but not least vine ripe tomatoes. It’s also a great time to get those cover crops and wildflower seeds in the ground while the soil is still warm enough to get the seeds to germinate and put some roots down to hold them in place for the winter. Then they are ready to “take off” when the warmth of Spring wakes them up again. Then you’ve got a great start on your garden soil building, and wildflowers will be mature enough to put on some flowers for beautiful spring and summer color! Don’t forget to plant your greens, brassicas, garlic, onions and potatoes too!

We are sorry to announce this Class has been canceled!

A small group will join Scott Chadd in the creation of a maple bonsai (pronounced bone-sigh). All materials for the workshop will be provided: trees, pots, soils, wire and screen. Each student is expected to bring their own tools (pruning sheers and fine-bladed scissors or snips and gloves).

The workshop will cover Asian philosophy as it relates to bonsai, plant physiology, the language of “living art”, concepts of line, form, texture and color that govern access to beauty in bonsai and a general overview of this ancient art form.

Scott Chadd got his first bonsai in 1972. He has been collecting, growing, styling, and caring for bonsai for over 35 years. Scott owns and operates the Lotus Bonsai Nursery and Gardens near Coloma in El Dorado County. He has served as the president of several bonsai clubs and sits on the Statewide and National associations for bonsai.

If you plan to attend, you must register soon! Class is limited to 10 people. Call 530-272-4769 x106

The cost is $20. Participants will also receive a 10% off coupon for use in the store.

There is strong evidence that organic-farming systems, which are usually a mix of diverse-plant communities—the furthest thing from the plains of monocultures that are the mainstay of American agriculture—are both more resistant and more resilient than other types of planting systems.

Read the full article by Max Ajl, SolveClimate.com, September 22, 2009 on the Organic Consumers Association’s website.

The summer crops are still coming on strong at this time of year, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the bounty. Rather than chucking it in the compost, it’s a great time to try your hand at preserving the harvest. Canning, freezing, drying, and fermenting are all ways to make the winter months just a little bit sunnier. Some interesting things I’ve tried this season are drying sungold tomatoes, the little yellow, super-sweet cherry tomatoes. I cut them in half and lay them out on screen drying racks or use a dehydrator. Once they are dry you can store them in airtight containers, or in jars of olive oil for an extra special treat. I’ve also dried pears, figs, apples, apricots, peaches, and tomatoes in the past. The trick is to get the slices the right thickness so that they dry fairly quickly, but still retain some chewiness. You don’t want to dry them too long. We sell a selection of great dehydrators that will help you in your quest for the perfect hiking snack.

Pickling has also been full-0n this summer. I’ve pickled the traditional pickling cucumbers, but also lemon cucumbers, green beans, snow peas, and peppers. It’s fun to try different spices and vinegars and ratios of vinegar and salt. One of my favorite spices to use is turmeric. It adds a beautiful golden hue to the jars.

Canning tomato sauce and whole tomatoes is another great way to use up the prolific tomatoes this time of year. Jams and fruit sauces are also easy canning options as the acid and sugar in fruits make it safer for home canning. My favorite right now is pear ginger sauce. Just cook up the pears with some fresh or powdered ginger, a dash of vanilla, and a cinnamon stick. I don’t even add any sugar the pears are so sweet on their own.

Some books that we carry to help you preserve the harvest include: Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning, Country Wisdom and Know-How, and How to Store Your Garden Produce.

Trombocino

If you are already placing seed orders for next summer’s garden, try these. In my opinion, the best summer squash in the whole world is Trombocino. It’s tender, firm & nutty and quite novel too. My favorite pole bean is Spanish Musica with outstanding flavor and quite tender even when large.