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!

This weekend we watched Food Inc. and I must say I have never been so glad that I am a vegetarian.  Throughout the hour and a half of this informative documentary I vacillated through feelings of: shock, anger, sadness, disgust, and hope.  I have always known the food industry in this country is bad – I mean this is the main reason I eat organics and work with an organization that has sustainability in its forefront of awareness.  But seriously – if the mistreatment of animals, people, and the natural world in general displayed in this movie is even half true, these massive food corporations are utterly despicable.

Now more than ever it is imperative for each one of us to excersize our power in this country by influencing the production of food in this nation by every means possible.  We need to not only vote appropriately – but as the movie says “vote every time we go to the market.”  Buying organic products and local produce – and even better, growing your own garden, is a direct way to let these massive food producers know that individually we do care about the quality of our food, and we do insist that the means by which it is produced is viable and not damaging to the natural world.  Where you spend your money – determines how the environment is treated.

I will not lie to you watching this movie is a bit depressing, however, I suggest that everyone (especially those who consume foods that contain corn or soy products – which is most everyone because 80% of food and non-food items at the supermarket contains some of these derivative substances) watch this movie.  Depressing can be good if It inspires us to all take a look at where and how we get our food, because the truth has been hidden far to long, and responsibility is necessary if we want to turn this all around.  The motto of PVFS has never rang so true – Grow Organic! For life!

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!

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.

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:

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.

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

PVFS Customer question – Staff Response

Question:

I have a question regarding flowers we purchased last year. The flowers are 10 Ranunculus Tecolote. I planted they in the late fall, but only one has appeared so far. I wondered what I should do to get the others to come up. If you can help me I would appreciate it. Thanks Paula

Answer:

I would gently dig the area to see if the bulbs are still there, trying not to disturb any new root hairs. Of course, they may have rotted or a rodent could have eaten them. Did you soak the bulbs first? If they are still there and hard little nuggets, you could soak them for a couple of hours and replant once they’ve swelled.

Hope this helps

Also Take a Look at our Fall Bulb Planting Guide here.

A PVFS Customer Question – Staff Response:

Question:

Hi,
I love your website and all the information you provide…I love your catalog too (call it a dream book). Up here in hot/dry/gardening-challenged Reno, my little experimental raised bed (first-time square-foot veggie garden here) has failed miserably. In spite of all my efforts to get good soil (Gardner & Bloome), good compost, daily hand-watering, nothing but the chives survived. Just today I discovered that the only tomato that emerged from my brandywine plant looks really weird on the bottom (a paler green plus a sort of lattice-looking). Each time a little zucchini blossom appeared, by the next day it had withered and there hasn’t been any hint of a little squash. Sigh. At first I thought the ‘pillbugs’ had gotten to everything, but as I patiently depleted that population by hand-picking, everything still failed to thrive. Double sigh. I don’t know whether to give up completely forever (what’s that famous Indian slogan: “I shall fight no more forever”?), OR try to succession-plant something like lettuce and chard, or just wait til next year?

Sorry to ramble on, but just wondered if you had any ideas?
Thanks – no emergency to respond, since the damage is already done.

Answer:

Thank you so much for your good feedback and support! We sure appreciate your business. Reno is really a hard place to garden and I’m sorry you’ve had such a difficult experience so far. But please, don’t give up yet! Gardening is all about trial and error, experimentation, and learning (there’s ALWAYS more to learn, even for the 20 year gardener!).
I’ll address your problems and offer possible reasons, as well as resources for you to look into for further information.
1.) Weird Brandywine bottoms-heirloom tomatoes often have lattice-looking bottoms, as well as funky ridges, it’s normal. If the bottom develops a rot, it could be a disease called Blossom End Rot. Here’s a good website for common tomato problems:

http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4dmg/Pests/Diseases/tomaprob.htm

2.) Zucchini blossom wither-it could also be Blossom End Rot, or maybe poor pollination. Here’s a good discussion: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf48032930.tip.html
3.) I say “yes” to planting cool season crops like chard, kale, and lettuce. Those crops are a bit easier to deal with, and they just might boost your confidence and joy for next Summers’ gardening endeavors.

I’d also like to add that square foot gardening has both pros and cons. As far as I understand, it is a more intensive system, requiring more input and attention (yes, you can grow a lot in a little space, but only if you do it just right!). The root systems are more crowded, and the plants are competing for resources since they are so close together, causing some extra stress. Here’s what seemed like a good, balanced testimonial on the subject: http://www.beginner-gardening.com/square-foot-gardening.html

There are many resources and forums online, this one is specific for square foot gardening:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/sqfoot/

Organic gardening shouldn’t be viewed as a “fight” or a “war” as our conventional counterparts would have you believe. It’s a chance to observe the patterns of nature and the cycles of growth. It’s finding the balance between human intervention and natural systems in order to achieve both abundance and health for all involved. Sure there are “successes” and “failures”, but the journey should bring joy to your heart. If you find that it doesn’t, maybe then consider doing something else that will.

Hope that helps and thank you for growing organically!

I have always wanted a greenhouse. I live in the Bay Area on the east side of the Berkeley Hills. We have a few days to a week of frost in our area. My (very hilly!) lot is filled with old oak trees, some of which are deciduous. Shade is plentiful. Sunlight hard to come by. My primary purpose in getting a green house is to start seeds in December and January, when frost is likely, and again in July, when things are hot.

So I have some questions.

1. Where will the greenhouse go? I am thinking a corner of the lot which is shaded by deciduous trees would make the most sense — light in the winter, cool in the summer.

2. Will the unheated greenhouse provide sufficient warmth in the winter? It would be on the slope of a hill, most likely,
possibly near the house. We don’t see much frost there.

3. Is on the north side of a redwood, close to the house, under a huge deciduous oak a good choice? Or should I pick a sunnier spot?

4. Would I have enough frost protection to grow something tropical?

5. Will seeds sprout in the shade in the summer and develop normally without being leggy from lack of light?

Any advice about greenhouses would be greatly appreciated! I do see one or two around the neighborhood, so I think it is possible.