Organic Gardening Info from Peaceful Valley

Here at Peaceful Valley, we are in the throes of bare-root sales. However, the terms and restrictions for what can and cannot be planted can be confusing, especially for the first time grower.

The first thing to consider is your growing zone. This is a general description of how warm or cold your temperatures get year round. Where people tend to get confused, even experienced growers, is that in the US, there are two different forms of zone charting: The USDA and Sunset Magazine, possibly more. For simplicity, Peaceful Valley employs the USDA chart exclusively.

How, then, can you find, with any certainty, what USDA zone are you in? You can find zone maps in many locations, but even those cannot be as specific as you need. Fortunately, the good folks at the National Gardening Association have put together a searchable zone chart! Simply go here, and enter your zip code. You will get not only your USDA zone, but links to articles pertaining to growing conditions in YOUR area!

Another question many people have is “How many chill hours do I have? What is a chill hour, anyway?” According to Dave Wilson (the company that has supplied the majority of our bare-root trees for nearly a decade, and services many other nurseries around the nation) a chill hour is defined as one hour under 45 degrees Fahrenheit. However, its not always that simple. For every hour over 60 degrees, you have to subtract one hour. There are other, more specific rules (search for Utah Model Chill), but this is a good general guide.

Now, most people don’t sit out with a clipboard and a thermometer every day, calculating chill data. So, to get your approximate number of chill hours, you would go to your local Ag department — they usually have that data. If you are lucky enough to live in California, our wonderful UC system actually has monitoring up and down the state, with not only recent data, but in some cases, going back 5 years — you get a great picture of trends. The website, broken down by county, can be found here.

As always, we are here to help. Our catalog features many different icons to give you an idea of what grows well in warm climates (ideal for areas like Los Angeles), and what grows well in frigid areas, like Nebraska. But remember, we cannot hold shipments until it gets warm enough for you to plant. There is a method called “heeling in”, which allows you to care for your bare root plants until you are able to plant them in their permanent home. The literature we send out with our plants includes that information, but it can be viewed by downloading the .pdf file on the description page of all our bare-root stock.

Good luck, and Happy Planting!

Now up on our Freshman Farmer website, applications for next year’s first year farms.

Check it out here, and spread the word if someone you know is interested!

Consider these customer reviews:

Organic German White Garlic:

“Unpacking last September’s shipment, I was somewhat concerned to note only 4 cloves to a bulb. Very large cloves, but still, since I grow garlic to sell at Farmer’s Market, I have to be concerned about yield. A pound of German White produced only 32 plants, as opposed to 50 or more for California White or Spanish Roja.

Well, those 32 plants were the largest, stoutest and healthiest garlic that has ever grown here, in North Central Kentucky, (Zone 6, well-tilled, well-drained clay soil). Some bulbs were as large as my fist, and each had 6 or 7 enormous cloves. I will be saving the best for seed, which will quadruple the yield from my original investment. Customers are impressed with the smooth, perfect bulbs, large cloves and great roasted flavor.“

Organic Music Garlic:

“This is a MUST garlic for anyone who grows their own garlic. Every year I harvest nice big heads with 5-6 big cloves each. Yum, yum!”

It’s not too late! Hurry and get your garlic growin’!!

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!

From the Sacramento Bee:

“In the pilot project, the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers will be eliminated and weed-pulling and mulching will be used instead. In addition, grass will be allowed to grow higher before mowing so that weeds are choked out.”

Read the story on their website here.

A kind PV customer sent us a message recently:

“Cranberry Red and All Blue varieties (1 lb.) purchased from Peaceful Valley and planted in March. Resulted in close to 100 lbs. of potatoes from a 4X8 bed.”

Harvested just in time for 4th of July! Thanks Bill, and enjoy!

If you haven’t gotten your potatoes in the ground you’re late. I always have the last of them in by Passover. Here’s the quick fix. Lightly till a patch of ground, spread out some bone meal or soft rock phosphate in spots about 1.5 ft. apart, sprinkle some Biozome to decompose things quickly, set potatoes on those spots, cover with compost and soil and sprinkle with Nutri-Rich.

I bury mine 8-10 inches but this time of year you may want to do that in stages so the soil warms more quickly at the seed point, then run a line of soaker hose. As plants emerge begin covering them with straw until you have a good six inches of straw mulch. The little spuds will grow in the straw with just the right amount of moisture (not too soggy) at the seed potato. Never let the new spuds see the sun. They turn green and un-eatable.

And if you want your long season heirloom tomatoes to come in early get them in the ground now with Walls O’ Water. You’ll be amazed.

Stay tuned for the 2009 Chicken Watch updates.

Read our “How to grow potatoes” page here.

There has been some concern surrounding the “Food Safety Modernization Act” (HR875) several blogs, and YouTube videos have been criticizing the Act as “The Death of Organic Farming” and “…making it illegal to have a backyard garden”. The criticisms site the support of large agribusiness (like Monsanto) and reason to be skeptical of the Act.

We here at Peaceful Valley received several questions and emails with links to various takes on the Act and it’s implications in the organic agriculture industry. While we are not directly involved with any legislation or political movements, the sustainability of the industry and the organic movement at large is obviously of great concern to us… and has been since 1976.

I did my own research and asked for the opinions of industry groups. All of my investigation leads me to the conclusion that The Food Safety Modernization Act contains no language that would put organic farming or gardening at risk.

Many of those who were originally very concerned about this Act have been relieved by the “Myths and Facts about The Food Modernization Act” memo released by Congresswoman DeLauro’s office (see Below).

Some have apologized for causing a “False Alarm”. I would like to say that there is no apology necessary, the uprising of concern and interest is an important element of our democracy. The flurry of questions, emails, calls and concern that we saw from our staff, vendors, customers and peers shows that we are an aware and active community that is not afraid to stand up for what we believe in. For that I would like to applaud the community at large and encourage you all to stay alert and to continue to defend what you believe in!

Links to more information on this:
Myths and Facts about The Food Safety Modernization Act
HR 875 on GovTrack.com
Summary of HR875
Restructuring the FDA
Full text of HR 875
Congresswoman Rosa Deluro (HR 875’s Sponsor) web site

Thanks and best wishes on your organic growing season!