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Plants and your garden

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September 29, 2010

Moon gardening

Posted by whnscc under Plants and your garden
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For moon gardening purposes, the twenty-nine day moon cycle is divided into four quarters. Each quarter, specific garden chores are preformed:

In the first quarter, when the moon is in its waxing phase from new to half full, plant annuals, herbs, and green vegetables. During this time lunar gravity pulls moisture up from water tables and the levels of moonlight increase daily. These factors promote balanced root and leaf growth.

In the second quarter, when the moon is in its waxing phase from half full to full, the strong moonlight promotes leaf growth so plant fruit and vegetable bearing crops.

In the third quarter, when the moon is in its waning phase from full to half full, plant root crops like radishes and beets, perennials and bulbs. At this time the strong gravitational pull draws more moisture into the soil, but moonlight weakens daily. These conditions are ideal for active root growth.

The fourth quarter, when the moon is in its waning phase from half full to new, is a good time to harvest, weed, prune and fertilize the garden.

If you would like to try out lunar gardening, the phases of the moon can be found in most calendars and farmer’s almanacs. Who knows you might just get moonstruck by lunar gardening!

Provided by Diane Flowers, SOL Inspirations

September 29, 2010

Santa Cruz winter vegetable garden ideas

Posted by whnscc under Plants and your garden
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While most of the United States is feeling the cold crispness of fall with temperatures falling until the frost of fall kills the summer harvest, here in Santa Cruz we can relish in the joy of being able to plant vegetables that do not like the dry summers. What is referred to as cool season crops across the nation or plants like lettuce, spinach, broccoli and chard, which commonly go straight to seed in mid summer, will grow and produce wonderfully in winter here.

During the coldest part of winter some protection will be needed for overnight frost, a simple sheet put out in the evening and taken off when the sun is up will keep even the most tender leaf viable for a fresh winter salad or warm stir fry.

As with all plants there are windows of preferred planting, the moon cycles being a great reference, also the correspondence of the first fall rains. The new moon this fall is on October 7th, from that day to the 14th plant herbs and leafy greens. This includes lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, chard, bok choy, parsley, and dill. After the 14th of October when the moon is past the first quarter heading towards full, it is best to plant peas and strawberries. After the full moon, root crops prosper as strong gravitational pull encourages root growth, a perfect time for onions, garlic, radishes, beets, and carrots.

Plants like tomatoes, peppers, squash, and beans don’t do as well in winter since they prefer the hot dry sun. For those treats we’ll have to wait for next year.

Happy gardening.

Presented by Diane Flowers, SOL Inspirations

January 15, 2010

Winter weed control in Santa Cruz

Weeds have evolve to colonize bare soil

The first line of defense is organic matter, fertile soil is relatively weed resistant. Compost is the best nutrient for all plants from small plants to enormous trees

Secondly, especially in perennial beds, lay down a thick layer of organic mulch. Use a weed whacker or pruner’s to cut the weeds to the ground if they are really tall, and then put down cardboard to smother out the crab grass, oxalis, and other persistent weeds. One of our m embers suggested that Cosco has sheets of cardboard from in-between the pallets if you don’t want to tear up boxes.

Ideally use mulch materials already at your home such as grass clippings, fallen leaves, pine needles, or even dried weeds that you have already pulled out. Pine needles are also great for azaleas, hydrangea, rhododendron, and camellias, and for your strawberries and blueberries since they acidify the soil. And slugs don’t like pine needles.

Weed seeds can lie dormant under thick layers of soil and mulch so avoid tilling beds; just add organic matter on top. See there is a reason to not dig up that old soil.

RoundUp alternatives are vinegar, rubbing alcohol, boiling water, and cabbage … cabbage???? Cabbage, Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous plants contain thiocyanate, a chemical toxic to newly germinated plants. Blend those Brussels sprouts or a few cabbage leaves in the blender with water and pour in the cracks of you sidewalk to get those seedlings.

Vinegar and rubbing alcohol work on sunny days if you pour it directly on a weed.

Boiling water in the cracks works too, especially for established weeds and grasses, it is also recommended for poison oak and bramble roots, and is useful to rid an area of ants.

Other odd ways for weed control, Nick at Iowa State says cornmeal inhibits seed germination and fertilizes as well with its 10 percent nitrogen. He says just sprinkle it over the area before the growing season.

My new favorite read for garden and household ideas, using things you have at home, is ‘Slug Bread and Beheaded Thistles’ by Ellen Sandbeck; a $10 humorous approach to gardening.

July 18, 2009

Bringing back the victory garden

Posted by whnscc under Plants and your garden | Tags: local gardens |
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My favorite plants to deter garden pests are sage, mint, onions, and nasturtiums. All have wonderful edible qualities whether in a salad or a refreshing tea.

My sage plant keeps the cabbage moth away and those pesky flea beetles, many flying insects do not like it smell. What doesn’t get sent away with the sage is turned away by my peppermint which cut down on my ant problem and therefore the aphid problem and keeps the whitefly and mites from my favorite plants.

My onions and garlic repel ants and aphids too but more importantly ticks and fleas even better than my marigolds. And the nasturtiums are the best host attracting all the aphids, flea beetles, and white flies to it leaving my vegetables all alone and giving my ladybugs a wonderful place to live.

Onions repel ants, aphids, flea beetles, mosquitoes; Garlic repels ants, aphids, flea beetles, mosquitoes, ticks, onion flies.

Mints: Catnip controls aphids, earworms, squash bugs, cucumber, Japanese, & flea beetles. Pennyroyal repels ants & fleas. Is generally beneficial to any herb or vegetable garden. Peppermint (& other Mentha sp.) controls ants, aphids, cabbage loopers, cabbage grubs, flies, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, squash bugs, whiteflies, mites.

Nasturtium will attract aphids, flea beetles & black fly to itself & away from desirable plants, like tomatoes. Repels potato beetles, cucumber beetles.

Sage is a wonderful companion crop for many other plants. It will repel cabbage moths & looper, carrot flies, flea beetles, a large number of harmful flying insects, especially those around vines & predators of rosemary.

Contact Diane Flowers, Sol Inspirations, 877-377-9347

July 17, 2009

Household help in the Garden

Posted by whnscc under Plants and your garden | Tags: coastal zones, environmentally safe, gardens, non toxic |
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There are many non-toxic easy ways to keep your garden happy and healthy.

First thing is to understand that a few pests are okay and even the strongest of chemical sprays, liquids, and powders will not kill off every single pest in your yard. In fact, most sprays in the end work against your idea by killing off all of the insect predators, leaving your yard wide open to all the critters from the houses around you. As a mom, I want to feel safe that what I’m doing to keep my vegetables happy is not hurting my children or my pets. Here are a couple of my favorite mixes:

Aphids and other crawling insects:
First method – spray plant with water, yes just water. With any infestation there will be some beneficial insects, the water will knock everyone off and they will have to crawl back up to do any more damage. Also if ants are present they are the ones putting aphids all over you plants in the first place. Keep ants off of the plant by putting something sticky, like Vaseline, on the plant where there are climbing on.

Second method – add 2 spoonfuls of plain dish soap to a large spray bottle of water. Wait for evening or foggy conditions and soak the plant top and bottom. Rinse off with fresh water in 20 minutes. This will also kill beneficial insects so use for heavy infestations to get things in control. Also washing the soap off is important since any left on the plant will clog the pores on the leaves and cause leaf drop.

Powdery mildew, rust, and black spot:
These common fungi love the foggy conditions of Santa Cruz and are common in every garden I tend to. Keeping them at bay first involves cleaning up any leaf drop that could contain the spores. Next is to spray with this basic household solution: 1 tablespoon of each baking soda, white vinegar, and canola oil, mixed in 1 gal of water. Add to spray bottle and coat leaves top and bottom in the evening or foggy conditions. In direct sun the oil will cause leaf burn. This also does a number on aphids and other pests.

Tune in next time to how to attract beneficial insects.

Contact Diane Flowers, Sol Inspirations, 877-377-9347