Organic Gardening Info from Peaceful Valley

We live up in Alturas, CA. A high desert kind of environment (5000ft) with annual rainfall at 12.42″. What kind of Native Grass/Grass would you recommend for our lawn that would be drought tolerant? Our current lawn takes much watering to stay green in the summer.

Thanks,

Anthony Hewitt

Our garden is blooming like crazy! Over the last few weeks, we’ve been harvesting Mizuna, Asian Greens, Romaine, Green Beans, Beets and Zucchini! We’ve had a few pest problems…and a few solutions.

First, we found a quick and easy aphid solution. Simply mix one part each molasses, soy sauce and vegetable oil, and put into a clean tuna can or other DISPOSABLE container (unless you like reusing a watery aphid graveyard). Put out at night, find dozens dead in the morning. We noticed a dramatic reduction in our damaged plants almost immediately, and have been practically aphid-free for weeks!

Additionally, we planted the Good Bug Blend when we started our garden, and found a surprise guest on our Asian Greens last night: lady beetles.

More to the point, we found dozens. These aren’t lady bugs, mind you — more like their big cousins who’ve spent some time working out. Nevertheless, proof that the mix works!

More to come as the season progresses…

A PVFS customer email – with reply from our staff.

Question:

I have 5 beds, 3′ x 8′ that are comprised of 6″ high cinder blocks.  The soil that the blocks are sitting on is clay and poor.  What cover crop seeds would you recommend for a 70 year old woman to be able to “turn under” by hand in the coming spring and that will not become invasive?

Answer:

Since you want to turn under your cover crop in Spring, I’ll assume you want a cool season seed that will be put out in fall. I don’t know where you live so you’ll have to check for appropriate hardiness zones. One of my favorite small clovers is Nitro Persian. It’s easy to work with and the flower smells wonderful. Foenugreek & Garbanzo Beans will be taller but also worth a try. If you cut the cover crop in spring before it makes seed, it shouldn’t become invasive.

Hope this helps,

I’m setting up an irrigation system using the poly tubing and emitters for my self watering deck planters.  The emitters will drip directly into the planter  base.  The deck is covered so I have to supply all water needs.  I want a simple system but most important a reliable one as I’ll be leaving them to their own devices for almost a month.  

I know Gardena have a good reputation, but the models shown look like much more than I need; however, one of the Gilmour models would be false economy if they aren’t reliable.

Appreciate advice.

I just pulled a number of volunteer garlic and I noticed small bulblets growing outside/under the larger cloves. Can I propagate from these?

A PVFS customer question received by email – Staff response.

Question:

I have a question regarding the Tough Turf Lawn Seed (and any other endophyte-enhanced seed in general), as well as the Herbal Lawn Mix or similar.  I notice you indicate that both of these are “not appropriate for pasture,” but what about it being used around dogs?  I realize dogs tend to graze on grass when their stomachs are upset, so I wondered if we should avoid using any endophyte-enhanced seed or herbal/wildflower mixes around them.  If so, could you recommend any of your other products (i.e., any Native Grass Mixes) instead?  We’re in Southern California (zip 91708 / zone 9), and we intend to plant a small lawn in mostly sun, with the hope of planting a shade tree in part of it.  Any guidance you can provide would be much appreciated!

Kind Regards.

Answer:

I have checked into your question with the folks at the seed company and they told me that the endophyte enhancement only affects ruminants like cows, it does not affect dogs.  If you are curious as to what “endophyte-enhanced” means, its just a fungus that forms a symbiotic relationship with the grass.  It’s been shown to improve the plants’ ability to retain moisture and nutrients.  Here is a really good explanation.

Hope that helps and thank you for growing organically!

Our son proudly marches off with a giant head of elephant garlic!

For having planted a garlic combo pack last Fall, I was very pleased with the size of our first-ever garlic harvest (there are some French Red Shallots in there too).

I have a lot of creeping fig vines. Is it ok to compost the vine and the pods?

Hi,

Can you suggest a ground cover for the summer for my five raised beds? I want to enrich weak soil and give the beds a rest for the rest of the year.

In the past I’ve used green manure for the winter for the soil on the ground. Is there anything like that for raised beds?

Thank You!

Think it’s bad having deer in your garden? Try a toddler!

The day we planted cosmos that my dad brought by as a gift, our toddler went to check out the beautiful booms. We said, “Smell, just smell the flowers,” hoping that he wouldn’t destroy the plants before we could get there to intercept, leaping over raised beds to come to the flowers’ rescue. Well, smell them he did. He took them by the stem, and yanked the cosmos out of the ground, root ball and all, and then smelled the flowers… and then put them under my nose for me to smell the flowers. How sweet.

Replant. Repeat. Replant. Repeat. Replant and give up gardening for the day!

That was a couple weeks ago now, and the cosmos are doing beautifully and no longer attract the attention of our toddler, for he’s found new, fascinating, tasty things in the garden….

Green strawberries! He loves strawberries. Loves them! At 16 months he’s never seen a strawberry grow on a plant nor has he ever seen a mini green strawberry, so how does he know that something the size of a blueberry, pale green in complection, and hidden by a leaf, is a strawberry?! He’s a smart cookie… and I can’t wait until he smartens up and decides that strawberries really do taste better when they’re red. We may never get to that stage though since he’s picked nearly every developing strawberry in the garden, never hesitating, and always stuffing it in his mouth before mom or dad can intercept.