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Archive for March, 2009
Tomatoes May Be Future Economic Indicator
Smart gardeners should plant extra tomatoes for canning or freezing this year.
I haven’t heard much about the continuing drought in California, but what happens there this year, will have a lot to do with the price of canned tomatoes next year. That’s why smart gardeners should add a few extra tomato plants to their gardens this season.
California has a $35 billion agriculture industry and consumers in the U.S. rely on the state for half of our fruits and vegetables–including tomatoes. The continuing drought may make it difficult to plant and grow tomatoes this season, which could lead to fewer and more expensive canned tomato products next year.
This is the third year in a row for California’s water woes which is causing produce problems. Without water farmers won’t be planting crops like tomatoes.
Stand an Egg to Celebrate Vernal Equinox 2009
Eggs enjoy standing at attention to signal the Vernal Equinox.
At precisely 7:44 am, EDT, on March 20, 2009, the Spring or Vernal Equinox will occur. This is when the sun sits directly above the equator and gives us equal amounts of day and night. This equinox marks the end of a long winter and the first day of spring–so let’s celebrate!
As a gardener, the equinox means it’s time to get back outside and get growing. One of my favorite ways to recognize nature’s pull on me is to stand an egg on its end at the moment of the equinox.
Despite the lack of a scientific explanation for this feat, I still believe it’s the earth’s gravitational pull that makes an egg stand up and salute the changing of the seasons. In fact, I’ve felt that gravitational pull as an egg has stood upright on its own.
St. Patrick’s Day in the Greenhouse
One day soon, these tiny geraniums will be blooming in Denver’s parks.
St. Patrick’s Day morning found me in Denver’s City Park Greenhouse filling pots and planting pepper seeds to fulfill part of my master gardener volunteer requirements. The pepper plants will be grown in the greenhouse and sold this spring as a fundraiser.
My planting efforts were just a small part of the hum of activity in the greenhouse. Even though Spring hasn’t sprung quite yet, inside the greenhouse preparations are well underway for the planting season. There weren’t any shamrocks in sight, but there was plenty o’ green. Each year more than 300,000 plants are grown in the greenhouse to plant in 650 beds in Denver’s parks.
Rows and rows of colorful Canna plants, in various stages of growth, lined the concrete benches. Cannas add a vertical dimension to the parks’ flower beds and their leaf colors range from bronze to green to a Tropicana-striped leaf.
Worm Composting is Frugal Gardening
Worm composting is a frugal way to create a rich soil amendment.
Just about every article on going green recommends composting kitchen and yard waste as a way to help save the planet. This is great advice because not only does composting reduce the greenhouse gas methane (that contributes to global warming) but it also provides an excellent source of nutrients for the garden, which reduces the need for synthetic chemical fertilizers.
Most discussions about composting start with the compost bin or pile that’s outside near the garden. Seldom do you hear about the compost bin located under a sunny window in the kitchen.
But that’s exactly where Todd Neff and his family have placed theirs. The Neffs have a worm bin that produces some of the richest compost you’ve ever seen.
Todd, a Denver writer, started the bin full of worms and muck after seeing how intrigued his two-year-old daughter was with the worms moving through the bin. “They became our pet worms,” he says.
Spring Gardening Starts with Spring Planting
Even though there’s a light dusting of snow and the thermometer reads 24 degrees, it’s time to start thinking about spring planting. Really.
March 17 typically signals the day to plant cool-season vegetable crops like lettuce, spinach, peas, radish, broccoli, cabbage, onions and turnips.
These hardy vegetables can tolerate a light frost–and some can survive a hard freeze. Most of these can be planted anytime from 2 to 4 weeks before the average last spring frost.
Soil temperature plays an important part in planting these early crops, so check to make sure the soil has warmed and is fairly dry. I’ve had good luck in the past, planting a variety of leaf lettuce in containers on the patio.
This works well for me for several reasons: I can move the container into the sunniest spot on the patio, monitor the lettuce more closely, toss a cover on the pot if the weather turns especially cold and the lettuce isn’t taking up any valuable garden real estate.
Dry Garden? Time to Water
All Western landscapes benefit from winter watering.
If your landscape and garden are as dry as mine, it’s definitely time to water. Even if it seems too early to pull out the hose, trees, shrubs and lawns need winter watering. The general rule for winter watering is to apply water twice a month from October through March, especially if there has been no measurable precipitation and the temperature is above 40 degrees.
The temperature today is well above 40 degrees here in Denver and other parts of the West. In fact, we’re coming off our driest February on record. Even if you’re trying to conserve water in the landscape, it’s important to give plants a drink to prevent permanent damage.
To make the most of your water budget, you can prioritize your watering zones.
Foodshed Challenges Require New Thinking
Wes Jackson and Kernza™ 
The second day of the International Water Conservation Conference focused on the foodshed challenges of the future–from large-scale agriculture to individual efforts.
The keynote address was presented by Wes Jackson, president and founder of the Land Institute in Kansas. In an entertaining and enlightening way he explained the need for developing an agriculture system that’s more sustainable and based on perennial grains instead of annual monocultures like corn.
Wes advocates for a new paradigm for agriculture that’s based on natural systems agriculture that operate more like a natural prairie.
He cited data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that shows more than 854 million people around the world are food insecure; 100 million because of the rising price of commodities like corn, wheat, rice and soybeans. “Now we have global warming to contend with,” he said. The combination of these two problems will lead to an increase in food supply problems.
Eggs enjoy standing at attention to signal the Vernal Equinox.
At precisely 7:44 am, EDT, on March 20, 2009, the Spring or Vernal Equinox will occur. This is when the sun sits directly above the equator and gives us equal amounts of day and night. This equinox marks the end of a long winter and the first day of spring–so let’s celebrate!
As a gardener, the equinox means it’s time to get back outside and get growing. One of my favorite ways to recognize nature’s pull on me is to stand an egg on its end at the moment of the equinox.
Despite the lack of a scientific explanation for this feat, I still believe it’s the earth’s gravitational pull that makes an egg stand up and salute the changing of the seasons. In fact, I’ve felt that gravitational pull as an egg has stood upright on its own.
St. Patrick’s Day in the Greenhouse
One day soon, these tiny geraniums will be blooming in Denver’s parks.
St. Patrick’s Day morning found me in Denver’s City Park Greenhouse filling pots and planting pepper seeds to fulfill part of my master gardener volunteer requirements. The pepper plants will be grown in the greenhouse and sold this spring as a fundraiser.
My planting efforts were just a small part of the hum of activity in the greenhouse. Even though Spring hasn’t sprung quite yet, inside the greenhouse preparations are well underway for the planting season. There weren’t any shamrocks in sight, but there was plenty o’ green. Each year more than 300,000 plants are grown in the greenhouse to plant in 650 beds in Denver’s parks.
Rows and rows of colorful Canna plants, in various stages of growth, lined the concrete benches. Cannas add a vertical dimension to the parks’ flower beds and their leaf colors range from bronze to green to a Tropicana-striped leaf.
Worm Composting is Frugal Gardening
Worm composting is a frugal way to create a rich soil amendment.
Just about every article on going green recommends composting kitchen and yard waste as a way to help save the planet. This is great advice because not only does composting reduce the greenhouse gas methane (that contributes to global warming) but it also provides an excellent source of nutrients for the garden, which reduces the need for synthetic chemical fertilizers.
Most discussions about composting start with the compost bin or pile that’s outside near the garden. Seldom do you hear about the compost bin located under a sunny window in the kitchen.
But that’s exactly where Todd Neff and his family have placed theirs. The Neffs have a worm bin that produces some of the richest compost you’ve ever seen.
Todd, a Denver writer, started the bin full of worms and muck after seeing how intrigued his two-year-old daughter was with the worms moving through the bin. “They became our pet worms,” he says.
Spring Gardening Starts with Spring Planting
Even though there’s a light dusting of snow and the thermometer reads 24 degrees, it’s time to start thinking about spring planting. Really.
March 17 typically signals the day to plant cool-season vegetable crops like lettuce, spinach, peas, radish, broccoli, cabbage, onions and turnips.
These hardy vegetables can tolerate a light frost–and some can survive a hard freeze. Most of these can be planted anytime from 2 to 4 weeks before the average last spring frost.
Soil temperature plays an important part in planting these early crops, so check to make sure the soil has warmed and is fairly dry. I’ve had good luck in the past, planting a variety of leaf lettuce in containers on the patio.
This works well for me for several reasons: I can move the container into the sunniest spot on the patio, monitor the lettuce more closely, toss a cover on the pot if the weather turns especially cold and the lettuce isn’t taking up any valuable garden real estate.
Dry Garden? Time to Water
All Western landscapes benefit from winter watering.
If your landscape and garden are as dry as mine, it’s definitely time to water. Even if it seems too early to pull out the hose, trees, shrubs and lawns need winter watering. The general rule for winter watering is to apply water twice a month from October through March, especially if there has been no measurable precipitation and the temperature is above 40 degrees.
The temperature today is well above 40 degrees here in Denver and other parts of the West. In fact, we’re coming off our driest February on record. Even if you’re trying to conserve water in the landscape, it’s important to give plants a drink to prevent permanent damage.
To make the most of your water budget, you can prioritize your watering zones.
Foodshed Challenges Require New Thinking
Wes Jackson and Kernza™
The second day of the International Water Conservation Conference focused on the foodshed challenges of the future–from large-scale agriculture to individual efforts.
The keynote address was presented by Wes Jackson, president and founder of the Land Institute in Kansas. In an entertaining and enlightening way he explained the need for developing an agriculture system that’s more sustainable and based on perennial grains instead of annual monocultures like corn.
Wes advocates for a new paradigm for agriculture that’s based on natural systems agriculture that operate more like a natural prairie.
He cited data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that shows more than 854 million people around the world are food insecure; 100 million because of the rising price of commodities like corn, wheat, rice and soybeans. “Now we have global warming to contend with,” he said. The combination of these two problems will lead to an increase in food supply problems.
One day soon, these tiny geraniums will be blooming in Denver’s parks.Rows and rows of colorful Canna plants, in various stages of growth, lined the concrete benches. Cannas add a vertical dimension to the parks’ flower beds and their leaf colors range from bronze to green to a Tropicana-striped leaf.
Worm composting is a frugal way to create a rich soil amendment.
Just about every article on going green recommends composting kitchen and yard waste as a way to help save the planet. This is great advice because not only does composting reduce the greenhouse gas methane (that contributes to global warming) but it also provides an excellent source of nutrients for the garden, which reduces the need for synthetic chemical fertilizers.
Most discussions about composting start with the compost bin or pile that’s outside near the garden. Seldom do you hear about the compost bin located under a sunny window in the kitchen.
But that’s exactly where Todd Neff and his family have placed theirs. The Neffs have a worm bin that produces some of the richest compost you’ve ever seen.
Todd, a Denver writer, started the bin full of worms and muck after seeing how intrigued his two-year-old daughter was with the worms moving through the bin. “They became our pet worms,” he says.
Spring Gardening Starts with Spring Planting
Even though there’s a light dusting of snow and the thermometer reads 24 degrees, it’s time to start thinking about spring planting. Really.
March 17 typically signals the day to plant cool-season vegetable crops like lettuce, spinach, peas, radish, broccoli, cabbage, onions and turnips.
These hardy vegetables can tolerate a light frost–and some can survive a hard freeze. Most of these can be planted anytime from 2 to 4 weeks before the average last spring frost.
Soil temperature plays an important part in planting these early crops, so check to make sure the soil has warmed and is fairly dry. I’ve had good luck in the past, planting a variety of leaf lettuce in containers on the patio.
This works well for me for several reasons: I can move the container into the sunniest spot on the patio, monitor the lettuce more closely, toss a cover on the pot if the weather turns especially cold and the lettuce isn’t taking up any valuable garden real estate.
Dry Garden? Time to Water
All Western landscapes benefit from winter watering.
If your landscape and garden are as dry as mine, it’s definitely time to water. Even if it seems too early to pull out the hose, trees, shrubs and lawns need winter watering. The general rule for winter watering is to apply water twice a month from October through March, especially if there has been no measurable precipitation and the temperature is above 40 degrees.
The temperature today is well above 40 degrees here in Denver and other parts of the West. In fact, we’re coming off our driest February on record. Even if you’re trying to conserve water in the landscape, it’s important to give plants a drink to prevent permanent damage.
To make the most of your water budget, you can prioritize your watering zones.
Foodshed Challenges Require New Thinking
Wes Jackson and Kernza™
The second day of the International Water Conservation Conference focused on the foodshed challenges of the future–from large-scale agriculture to individual efforts.
The keynote address was presented by Wes Jackson, president and founder of the Land Institute in Kansas. In an entertaining and enlightening way he explained the need for developing an agriculture system that’s more sustainable and based on perennial grains instead of annual monocultures like corn.
Wes advocates for a new paradigm for agriculture that’s based on natural systems agriculture that operate more like a natural prairie.
He cited data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that shows more than 854 million people around the world are food insecure; 100 million because of the rising price of commodities like corn, wheat, rice and soybeans. “Now we have global warming to contend with,” he said. The combination of these two problems will lead to an increase in food supply problems.
Even though there’s a light dusting of snow and the thermometer reads 24 degrees, it’s time to start thinking about spring planting. Really.All Western landscapes benefit from winter watering.
If your landscape and garden are as dry as mine, it’s definitely time to water. Even if it seems too early to pull out the hose, trees, shrubs and lawns need winter watering. The general rule for winter watering is to apply water twice a month from October through March, especially if there has been no measurable precipitation and the temperature is above 40 degrees.
The temperature today is well above 40 degrees here in Denver and other parts of the West. In fact, we’re coming off our driest February on record. Even if you’re trying to conserve water in the landscape, it’s important to give plants a drink to prevent permanent damage.
To make the most of your water budget, you can prioritize your watering zones.
Foodshed Challenges Require New Thinking
Wes Jackson and Kernza™
The second day of the International Water Conservation Conference focused on the foodshed challenges of the future–from large-scale agriculture to individual efforts.
The keynote address was presented by Wes Jackson, president and founder of the Land Institute in Kansas. In an entertaining and enlightening way he explained the need for developing an agriculture system that’s more sustainable and based on perennial grains instead of annual monocultures like corn.
Wes advocates for a new paradigm for agriculture that’s based on natural systems agriculture that operate more like a natural prairie.
He cited data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that shows more than 854 million people around the world are food insecure; 100 million because of the rising price of commodities like corn, wheat, rice and soybeans. “Now we have global warming to contend with,” he said. The combination of these two problems will lead to an increase in food supply problems.
Wes Jackson and Kernza™
