Organic Gardening Info from Peaceful Valley

The times, they are a’changin….

Looks like the USDA is working to make Local Produce more available around the nation. Take a look at the article here.

Also Hoop Houses at the White House!!  The White House has a winter garden using row covers as an alternative to a greenhouse.

2009 – just weeks before the impending future… 2010. As the cool morning air settles, the PVFS staff dons their yellow rain slickers and prepares to receive a massive truck packed full of bare root trees.

Only the “powers-that-be” know how many happy people will set their teeth into a piece of luscious fruit produced from one of these fantastic fruit trees within the coming years.

You have probably sat around on many occasions and wondered “what does it look like to pack 8,000 bare root trees into a cargo truck?” The truck is full of bare root fruit trees and bare root nut trees.  Well question no longer:

The general process for receiving these trees requires us to unload them, bundle them to their corresponding bin, count them, “heel them in” and then begin to fill orders. With a full crew down in the warehouse just unloading and “heeling-in” these bare roots will take the entire day – perhaps the first half of the following day.

We have already taken orders for about a quarter of these trees, they are selling fast. Place your order now to receive the varieties that meet your zone and chill hour requirements!

If you would like more information about Bare Root Trees see our literature here.

To Compare the beautiful weather we are having this year compared to unloading these trees last year click here.

Read our article below to help you with planting your bare root trees:

How to plant a bare root tree

50 Items at Blowout Prices! Take up to 40% off while supplies last! Click here.

Question:

Hi,

I can’t find enough information on your website or recent printed catalog to figure out which erosion control seed to use.

For three years I have tried the Santa Cruz County Erosion Control mix with poor results.

I am trying to seed the following conditions:

Santa Cruz mountains at 400′ elevation. South facing slope but in a valley with heavy shade in the winter. Steep slope eroded with thin soil on a silty mudstone. Trees overhead and/or just upslope are douglas fir and mixed hardwoods including Bay, Madrone, Tan Oak and other oaks.

I don’t intend to water at all and have put down rice straw on bare areas. The area stays moist for 2 months after the rain stops. Rainfall about 30″ / year.

I suspect that the douglas fir and/or oak litter is the problem for seed generation. Is there any ground cover that is known to work under oaks and douglas fir?

Would prefer plants that develop deep roots and provide complete ground cover.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks,
Santa Cruz

Answer:

This is a challenging situation.  I’m sure that oak litter would be a problem for germination depending on what time of the year you are seeding.  It’s heavy shade in the winter? Can I assume it’s shady when the trees are fully leafed out?  Do you get some sun in the spring/summer?  If the seeds are planted to deep or under to much mulch they won’t germinate.  You may have some luck with our Low Growing Clover Mix, the white clover tolerates shade and the strawberry tolerates heat.  These would provide erosion control and decent root systems.  They may die out without any water in the summer however.  One of the annual clovers may work too.  But with no sun and leaf material covering the seed you have a difficult growing situation.

I hope this helps.

We are busy, busy, busy, around here at PVFS. Besides working 24 hours a day (well some of that time is dreaming about working) on the 2010 catalog. Tomorrow we will be working 7 to 7 counting every item of inventory in the whole building! It is our yearly inventory marathon.

We are also doing all the germination testing of our Peaceful Valley brand organic seeds and packing seed with ferocity for the 2010 year. We created this video to show you our seed packing wonder!! The Ballard Brown Bag Seed Packing Marvel!!

Question:

Greetings and Such

We have a very old pie apple tree. It produces very well, but needs some care. Prunning for example; when should I prune and how much should I prune? When the leaves fall off should I spray, if so, what kind of spray do I need? We live in zone 5…. I think, northern Utah.

Answer:

Hi There Apple Pie Tree Owner
Sounds like you have a wonderful old tree that just needs a little loving care.   Now is a really good time to prune.  Take off any branches that shoot straight up-they are water shoots and don’t produce fruit.  Also thinning the interior is a good idea.  You can also summer prune to get a nice shape.  There is lots of information out there  on line, at your local library or your local farm advisor on fruit tree pruning for more  precise information.

This is a good time to begin your dormant spray regiment,  usually three times a season, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine’s Day.  Dormant spray help prevent such things as codling moth and other fungal problems.  You might want to look at

Organic JMS Sytlet Oil which one of our most popular organic dormant sprays.   To find out more about dormant sprays look at our website or in our catalogue.

Take a look at this article for more information on dormant sprays.

Take a Look at these videos about pruning fruit trees here.

Happy Holidays

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!

A PVFS Customer Email – Staff answer.

Question:

I am very ineterested in buying a couple Persimmon – Fuyu-Jiro (Standard) trees and I have a few questions.  Do these type of trees need pollination? Can they grow well in Southern CA? We live in San Diego County, 2 miles away from the ocean. Also, I would like to learn about Kiwwi. the same questions. Thank you!

Answer:

The Fuyu-Jiro Persimmon does not need a pollinator.  They grow within USDA zones 7-9 as long as you get 200 hours of chill time for them, they should do fine.

Also, the Kiwi doesn’t need a pollinator, both male and female flowers are on the same vine.  I’ve attached your local Master Gardener’s Extension office, they may have better information particular to your area then I have available to me.

Take a Look at the Master Gardeners National Website here.

Hope this helps.

A set of  PVFS Customer Emails with Staff Responses.

Question:

I received my fall 2009 catalog and see you carry Redhaven peach trees. I would like to know if they come on Citation rootstock or, if not, what rootstock do they come on?

Answer:

Yes, the Redhaven Peach trees come on Citation rootstock. The bare root trees are available for order now, but will not begin shipping until December. Please feel free to contact me directly with any further questions.

Thank you for your interest and happy Fall!

Question:

I have a few more questions.  I live in The Scott Valley In the Siskiyous, Sunset zone 1.  We get about 90 days between 3 day freezes. I would like to know if my selections will be alright.  1) Harcot on Citation, 2) Chinese on Citation, 3) Italian/Europ Plum on Citation, 4) Craig’s Crimson Cherry?   Also will Harcot or Chinese polinate Tomcot?

Answer:

Sunset zone 1 indicates that you are in a very northern hard freeze area?  I’m afraid I am unable to determine where you live?  The Harcot & Chinese recommends within zones 4-9.  The Tomcot is recommended in zones 7-9.  This would suggest that these trees would not survive the winters.  Do you have a local Master Gardener’s Cooperative in your county?  They could probably help with the local particulars.

Please write back with high and low average temps and your location so I can better serve you.

Question:

Thanks again for your help.

I live in Etna CA. US zone 7, sunset zone 1, but I buy all my trees for zone 4. We have vary short season so it can get pretty cold early in september. I already have a Tomcot apricot and need to know if Harcot or Chineese will polinate Tomcot? and will Italian/Europ Plum do alright here?

Answer:

Looks like the Italian/Euro Plum will do fine in your area, it’s recommendation is for zones 4-9, it blooms late (this is good), and does well in colder regions.

The Tomcot is semi self fruitful but will yield more fruit with any other Apricots in the area.  So you should see more fruit with either the Chinese or Harcot nearby.

The Cherry tree you inquired about may have some challenges with the freezing, if you can put it on a south side close to a building it may do alright, it is zoned for areas 5-10.  The Montmorency and the Van are the only Cherries zoned 4-9.  The Montmorency is self-fruitful, the Van needs pollination by any other sweet cherry.

See our Bare Root Planting Guide here.

Recently, I was asked what a CSA is and what these letters stand for. While I know what a CSA is, I  didn’t know what the acronym meant. So, I looked to the place where I find many answers, the internet search engine Google! I was able to find out not only what CSA stands for (Community Supported Agriculture) but I found a great website (http://www.localharvest.org/csa/) that gives a lot of information about CSAs and explains what they do, where they are, and how they function. Take a look at this site if you are interested in finding a local CSA in your area, want some great tips on what to expect when joining one, or on your own find out what “CSA” stands for, so you can use the term with confidence!

Have any tips to add about what to expect from a CSA, please respond to this post and share your stories.

Also take a look at our Freshman Farmer blog – filled with our Farmer fledglings most of which have created and are running their very own CSA farms.

Happy growing!