Organic Gardening Info from Peaceful Valley

There’s been some interest of late in our Glaser Wheel Hoe’s.  These are worth taking a look at for the small garden or full production farms.  We carry two different styles and sizes.  One is the Standard and the other the Professional. Now for those of you that can remember sting ray bicycles you’ll recognize the same type of handles on the Standard Wheel Hoe.  You can ride that puppy through your garden making short work (and a whole lot less bending) of those new weeds that the recent rains have encouraged to grow.  The Professional is a little beefier and has wider coverage than the Standard, as well as more attachment options.  I have used the Standard and I must say they do take those young weeds out in a jiffy.  The blade sits on top of the ground and you push it along digging just underneath the soil line popping off weeds in one swift pass.  If they are bigger plants with bigger root systems it may take a couple passes.  The blades are designed so you can “rock” back and forth if you need to, they cut from both sides of the blade.  This long honored farmer’s tool has several blade sizes to fit most garden designs.  The Standard can take 5″ – 10″ stirrup hoe blades, center or offset.  The Professional can take 11″- 14″ stirrup hoe blades, center or offset, as well as hiller/furrower, goosefoot and 3-tine cultivator attachments.  This is one versatile tool.  Made of rust-protected steel hardware and galvanized tubular steel handles, which are exceptionally light and maneuverable.  If you are in the area stop by our store,  hold and touch one to see how it might feel out in your own field.   You’ll be surprised how light they are.  Happy Weeding!  I mean Happy Halloween!

This week from the Organic Consumers Association:

Quote of the Week

World Food Day – Organic Is the Answer to Food Security

“Organic agriculture puts the needs of rural people and the sustainable use of natural resources at the centre of the farming system. Locally adapted technologies create employment opportunities and income. Low external inputs minimize risk of indebtedness and intoxication of the environment. It increases harvests through practices that favor the optimization of biological processes and local resources over expensive, toxic and climate damaging agro-chemicals…in response to a frequently asked question: Yes, the world can be fed by the worldwide adoption of Organic agriculture. The slightly lower yields of Organic agriculture in favorable, temperate zones are compensated with approximately 10-20% higher yields in difficult environments such as arid areas.”

-International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements World Food Day, October 12, 2009

• Quote of the Week: World Food Day – Organic Is the Answer to Food Security
• Alert of the Week: Get Genetically Engineered Vaccines Out of Organic!
• Victory of the Week: Kucinich Secures Funding for Organic Farming Research
• Alert Update of the Week: Obama’s Biotech & Chemically Dependent Friends
• Movie of the Week: Meet the Farmer TV
• Book of the Week: The Raw Milk Revolution
• Organic News of the Week: MOOMilk Is Local and Organic
• Little Bytes: Go Locavore and Cool the World
• Planting Peace and Grassroots Netroots News

Read the full newsletter on their website.

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.

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.

Peaceful Valley and our very own Farmer Pricing Rep. Greg Lightfoot were recently sited in an article in the Monterey County Herald in an article about cover crops.  Take a gander an the article here.

Health, Justice and Sustainability News from the Organic Consumers Association

In This Issue

• Quote of the Week: Organic Can Save the World
• Victories of the Week: GMO Sugar & NOSB Appointments
• Alert Update of the Week: OCA Takes on Organic Fraud at Expo East
• Organic News of the Week: Online Calculator Measures Benefits of Organic Food
• Web Forum Posting of the Week: BPA Lies
• Little Bytes: Mandatory Vaccines, Garbage Becomes Compost, Saving the Bees
• Planting Peace and Grassroots Netroots News

Read full newsletter on their website.

A PVFS Customer Blog Entry – Moved here for visibility.

I order a blueberry bush and planted it as instructed in March .While the bush is alive and has grown leaves, I haven’t noticed any growth in height. Do they require alot of sunlight or water or how dcan I stimulate growth?

-Debra J. M

A PVFS Customer Question – Staff response

Question:

Howdy,

we live in the North Cascades Mtns. on the east side of the crest and are wondering if the Organic Soil Builder Mix would be appropriate for this climate in the winter.  In the past we have used buckwheat in the summer and winter rye in the winter.  For the winter cover crop we plant by mid-October.

Generally speaking we get snow on the ground by Thanksgiving and it melts off the gardens by March/April.  The coldest temps are usually down to 0 F and mostly in the teens and twenties.

thank you for your advice!

Answer:

Unfortunately the Soil Builder mix will not work for your area unless protected.  We do carry a “Cold zone” soil builder mix but it needs to be planted while the soil temp is pretty warm still (about 55) so the hairy vetch can germinate.

Hope that helps and thank you for growing organically!