OGT Fall 2014

Food for the Soul, Planning your Pantry, Saving Vegetable Seeds, Why I Garden, Fall Color, And Much More!

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Organic Gardens Today is a publication dedicated to gardeners who strive to garden the organic way. Articles are property of their respective authors. Views expressed in the articles are not necessarily those of the Editor or magazine. Please contact the writers directly for reprint permission.

Organic Gardens Today Magazine Š David Daehnke 2014

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From The Editor Welcome to the Fall edition of Organic Gardens Today I hope that you had some time during the summer to enjoy what you have created during the spring and early summer. August is a time to relax on your porch, grab your favorite beverage, and give yourself a pat on the back for all of your hard work in the previous months. As we head into fall, there will be plenty to do in our gardens and properties. Garden cleanliness takes a high priority because most diseases will over winter in the garden if you don’t complete a thorough cleanup. A great example is black spot on roses. If you don’t clean up every leaf, that one leaf can spread black spot again next year during a heavy spring rain. Add to this the cutting back of perennials, the fall of leaves from deciduous trees, and the final harvests from your vegetable garden. This is also our last bit of time to “play in the dirt”. If you see a bare spot in the garden, you can split your perennials now and fill that bare spot, so next spring it will be full of flowers!

If you like what we have accomplished with Organic Gardens Today,

with your

family, friends, coworkers and fellow gardeners. and I thank you in advance for sharing us. If you go to our website, www.organicgardenstoday.com and you can click the “Share” button to share the website with your friends on any social media platform. If you already have, I thank you. We have grown more than I could have ever expected.

This fall issue is filled with useful and interesting information. Richard McCoy’s article, particularly hit home with me. For many years I had my own landscape business, and what Richard is describing was what my business was about twenty years ago. The good news is that this type of business mindset is slowly becoming the norm. It’s tough to convince your customer that the right way to take care of their landscape is by working with the landscape, not blasting it with chemicals or commercial fertilizers to make it what you want it to be. Richard and landscapers like him should be applauded for taking these steps. Thank you Richard! Also of note is Daisy Luther’s article on . I haven’t figured out why the term “prepping” has gotten such a negative connotation. It is something we all should be doing on a regular basis, whether or not an EMP, zombies, financial meltdown or radioactive fallout happens. There are many people (including myself) who went weeks without power after Hurricane Sandy. When the conveniences of modern life are taken away, what will you do? Maybe we should change the name to “PLANNERS” and people will feel good about planning what if scenarios. To me it only makes sense.

Have a great fall and we will see you in December!

David Daehnke, Editor

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MEET OUR WRITERS DAVID DAEHNKE, THE GARDENING GURU, EDITOR David is a seasoned gardener and lecturer, helping both the novice and experienced gardener. His fun and informative lectures are widely requested throughout the Northeast. Over the past 12 years, David has successfully managed three public gardens as Executive Director, but his true love is communicating proper gardening practices and creating gardens of beauty. He received his B.S. Degree in 1984 in Ornamental Horticulture at Delaware Valley College. David is widely known from his radio show “The Gardening Guru” on WGHT 1500 AM, beginning it’s 20th season in 2014. He is a horticultural consultant on his Internet Web page, www.thegardeningguru.com.

MAUREEN FARMER Maureen Farmer is master gardener and the founder of The Farmer’s Garden website (www.thefarmersgarden.com). The Farmer's Garden is an online place to make in-person connections between gardeners across the US. Gardeners and want-to-be gardeners can search and post free classified ads to share excess homegrown produce, tools, or gardening space with people in their area. Food banks can post wanted classifieds for surplus food. She is an avid gardener and also a former Board member of Urban Oaks Organic Farm in Connecticut.

DAISY LUTHER Daisy Luther is a freelance writer and editor who lives on a small organic farm in the Pacific Northwestern area of the United States. On her website, The Organic Prepper, Daisy writes about healthy prepping, homesteading adventures, and the pursuit of liberty and food freedom. Daisy is also a staff writer at The Daily Sheeple, where she helps to “Wake the Flock Up”. You can follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, and you can email her at daisy@theorganicprepper.ca

LUCIANE MACALAN Luciane was born and raised in Brazil. She left her hometown, Porto Alegre in 1988 to live and travel around Europe. She then moved to Hawaii for two years, where she learned about and experienced a healthy attitude towards life and food. In 1995, Luciane opened Café Colonial in New York City. After 15 successful years, she declined to renew Café Colonial’s lease due to the increase on her rent, but opened Porto Alegre Café in Ramsey to continue to share her healthy cuisine with others and to be closer to home. Porto Alegre is inspired by the cafés of Paris, Madrid and Lisbon. Most recently Luciane is also sharing powerful testimonies of life teaching experiences that she learned from her travels, business and a divorce; she loves to inspire people with food for the mind and body.

RICHARD McCOY Richard McCoy is the principal owner of Mercer county New Jersey based company Richard A. McCoy Horticultural Services Inc. Offering environmentally responsible fine-gardening design and organic lawn care that promote a healthy ecosystem at your home or business. Richard is a member of the Rutgers Organic Land Care Working Group and Board of Directors of the New Jersey Organic Land Care Association (NJOLA). Richard holds a certificate of organic land care through the Rutgers five day certificate course and is a certified Natural Turf and Landscape Manager through the New Jersey DEP.

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MEET OUR WRITERS CLIFF WILLIAMS Cliff Williams has worked 20 years in the frozen vegetable processing industry. He has been involved with everything from the dirt to the package you get at the store. He has also worked seasonally for 4 years in the fertilizer industry, as well as growing up gardening and gleaning. When you add in all the supporting research that went into creating Urban Crofting to his experience, you will find that few people have the unique insight into our food that he does.

CINDY MEREDITH Cindy Meredith is the owner of The Herb Cottage, a rural nursery in Lavaca County, Texas. In business since 1998, Cindy has a wide range of knowledge about gardening with herbs and adapted plants. The dynamic web site for herb and plant lovers is a handy source for growing information. Not just for Texans and other folks who live in hot, humid climates, the web site addresses all aspects of gardening.

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can become accustomed to the house conditions before Winter sets in. * Wisteria vines that have refused to bloom may be root-pruned at this season. This may not prove to be successful on every plant, but it is worth a try. * Daffodils should be planted in September if possible.

They need to develop a good root system before the Winter sets in. * Tulips need not be planted for several weeks, but it is wise to place your orders now for the bulbs before they are out of stock. * Crocuses, snowdrops, chionodoxas, scillas and other small bulbs should be planted as early as possible. * Hyacinths and daffodils to be forced for Winter color should be potted and plunged into a cellar or trench for root making.

* This is also a good time to set out plants of the Christmas Rose, in a partially shade area. * If radishes are started in a cold frame at this time, they will be ready to eat before snow comes. * Many ornamental trees may be planted successfully in the Fall, with the exception of magnolias and tulip trees.

Larches and other trees that start their growth early in the Spring should always be set out in the Fall. Fall is also the best time to plant lilacs. * Don’t forget that newly planted trees need an abundance of water, especially heading into the Winter. This applies to evergreens as well as deciduous trees.

* Reseed bare spots in your lawn as soon as possible in * Strawflowers or everlastings should be picked just as September so the will be established before the Winter the bud begins to open, tied loosely in bunches, and per- sets in. mitted to hang head down for several weeks while they * Ornamental figures in the garden can be cleaned of dry. lichens by washing them with soap and water and a * Plant a tree peony for a change. The best time to set brush. Make sure to thoroughly rinse the statue afterwards. them out is during the next few weeks. Bone meal is a good fertilizer for them. Remember to give them a little bit of cover for the Winter. * Gourds for Winter decoration should be picked before the first frost. The stem should be cut two inches above the fruit which then can be brought in the house to dry. * Bleeding heart can be safely divided in the Fall. * Divide and plant peonies this month so they will have time to become established before the first frost. Again, a handful of bone meal is just what the plant ordered. * The herbaceous border can be remade at this time of year, with the exception of the Fall flowering perennials.

Make sure you add organic matter to the hole before replanting. * Purchase ferns and other house plants now so they

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* Marigolds, calendulas, and nasturtiums may be dug up and planted in pots and brought inside for indoor blooming. * Take in houseplants promptly, repotting them if needed in a good compost mix. Move them in stages as not to stress them during the transition. * Give evergreens, rhododendrons and newly set out perennials a thorough soaking of water, but do not water newly planted bulbs. * Amaryllis plants that have been growing outside all Summer should be allowed to dry out (their dormancy period) then placed in a dark place until the new growth starts.

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Home Grown Gardening Tips (continued) * Tulip planting may be started as soon as the bulbs arrive, although mid-October is early enough. * Bulbs planted this month should be mulched lightly, but not until after the ground freezes. * All roots and bulbs that need Winter storage, such as dahlias, tuberous rooted begonias, caladiums, cannas and gladioli, need to be taken in when the frost has cut the tops down. * When they gourds have dried, they should be washed and then may be painted, waxed or decorated to suit your needs. * For early Spring blooms in the garden or rock garThe yelden, plant Winter aconite, low buttercup-like blossoms will open two weeks ahead of crocuses. * Warm season ornamental grasses are in full bloom at this time of year. Note which ones you like now for Spring planting.

* After the hardy chrysanthemums are through flowering, most gardeners cut them back to within a few inches of the ground, but you can also leave them standing for winter interest. * Plant paper white narcissi about November 15 for bloom on Christmas Day. If there is not much sunshine in their growing location, they will bloom later. * You can put a little covering on the perennial beds if the ground freezes hard. If the ground is not frozen, wait until December. * Clean away all dead foliage from around the rose bushes and hill the soil around tender types such as hybrid teas and polyanthas. * Hyacinths to be forced should be potted by the end of November. Be sure that the soil is well soaked before they go into the cellar; otherwise the roots will not start to grow. An occasional watering may be needed, so keep a watchful eye on them.

* Clean all foliage from around peonies and delphini* Cull apples and wormy fruits that are lying under the ums where disease has been present to help prevent the trees. Dispose of these in your trash, not your compost, disease from reoccurring next year. to get rid of insects and diseases next year. * Garden ferns are readily divided and transplanted at * All trees and shrubs should receive plenty of moisture this time of year. before the ground freezes. * Lift tender summer perennials from the garden and * Make sure to start your own compost pile this season. store in peat moss in the cellar.

Don’t waste the leaves, recycle them into compost! * For a succession of tulip blooms next spring, you can plant the bulbs at different levels in the soil. * Finish planting tulips, at least in the northern part of the country. * All classes of rose bushes can be set out in the next few weeks. Plant them with the “knuckle” an inch or two below the ground. Protect the roots from drying before planting, and water well once they are planted. * Work a trowel full of bone meal around old rose bushes before they are covered for the winter.

* The flavor of parsnips is improved by letting the roots stay in the ground until spring. * A surface application of composted cow manure around rhubarb will help keep older plants producing. * The vegetable garden should be turned over in the fall, especially before a cold night, to freeze any hibernating insects. * The strawberry bed should be covered with straw, pine needles, or peat moss once the ground has frozen.

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keep in mind that most doctors, pharmacists and members of the mainstream media continue to stage an elaborate lie that claims mercury has "already been removed from vaccines."

Mercury tests conducted on vaccines at the Natural News Forensic Food Lab have revealed a shockingly high level of toxic mercury in an influenza vaccine (flu shot) made by GlaxoSmithKline (lot #9H2GX). Tests conducted via ICP-MS document mercury in the Flulaval vaccine at a shocking 51 parts per million, or over 25,000 times higher than the maximum contaminant level of inorganic mercury in drinking water set by the EPA.(1) The tests were conducted via ICP-MS using a 4-point mercury calibration curve for accuracy. Even then, the extremely high level of mercury found in this flu shot was higher than anything we've ever tested, including tuna and ocean fish which are known for high mercury contamination.

In fact, the concentration of mercury found in this GSK flu shot was 100 times higher than the highest level of mercury we've ever tested in contaminated fish. And yet vaccines are injected directly into the body, making them many times more toxic than anything ingested orally. As my previous research into foods has already documented, mercury consumed orally is easily blocked by eating common foods like strawberries or peanut butter, both of which bind with and capture about 90% of dietary mercury.

Here are the actual results of what we found in the influenza vaccine from GSK (lot #9H2GX):

Never mind the fact that the use of mercury is admitted right on the package containing the vaccine vial. And now, Natural News has scientifically confirmed the mercury content of flu vaccines using high-end laboratory instrumentation. The existence of high mercury in flu shots is irrefutable.

Anyone who claims mercury has been removed from all vaccines is either wildly ignorant or willfully lying. And anyone who would knowingly allow themselves to be injected with mercury is probably already a victim of the kind of brain damage well known to be caused by mercury.

Learn more at Natural News

On August 6 (2014), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), over the objections of 50 members of Congress, and more than 500,000 citizens, scientists, farmers and health professionals, moved one step closer to approving Dow’s new Enlist-brand soy and corn crops.

We have until September 8 to convince the USDA to reject Dow’s “Agent Orange” crops. Please sign the petition today!

Dow’s new GMO crops are engineered to withstand massive doses of Enlist Duo herbicide, concocted from a combination of 2,4-D (used to make Agent Orange) and glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup.

Aluminum: 0.4 ppm Arsenic: zero Cadmium: zero Lead: zero Mercury: 51 ppm All tests were conducted via calibrated, high-end ICPMS instrumentation as shown in these lab videos.

Doctors, pharmacists and mainstream media continue to lie about mercury in vaccines As you take in the scientifically-validated fact that mercury exists at very high concentrations in flu vaccines,

The USDA has admitted that approval of Dow’s new crops will cause the use of 2,4-D to skyrocket from 26 million pounds to 176 million pounds. Scientists predict worse.

Dow’s 2,4-D is already the seventh largest source of dioxins in the U.S. It’s been linked to a host of ills, including birth defects, infertility, allergies, Parkinson’s disease, endocrine disruption and cancer.

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the treatment on the first day of menstruation, with a dose every 6 hours. The researchers recorded the pain intensity before the treatment started and then an hour (Cont) disease, endocrine disruption and cancer. after each dose and 24 and 48 hours after they began It’s unconscionable that the USDA would approve these the treatment. The women were also asked to rate their crops. Yet the agency is is on the verge of doing just blood flow. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used that. Unless we stop it. to rate their pain intensity. The thyme essential oil group’s average pain scores went from 6.57 before Thanks for taking action! treatment to 1.21 during the first menstrual cycle tested - See more at: Organic Consumers Association and 1.14 during the second menstrual cycle. The ibuprofen group’s pain scores went from 5.30 to 1.48 in the first cycle and 1.68 during the second menstrual cycle. It proves that the results from the thyme show that while the thyme oil’s therapeutic effects continued for the women through the second cycle, the ibuprofen’s pain relieving effects lowered during the second cycle.

While the new study reveals it as an great solution for period pain it has generally been used to treat diarrhea, stomach ache, arthritis, colic, sore throat, cough, bronchitis, flatulence and as a diuretic.

Please be aware of the low concentration dose of thyme oil – 2%. We recommend that you always consult with You may want to hold off on pill popping for period your health practitioner before using essential oils interpain. Taking a few drops of thyme oil will ease menstru- nally. al cramps better than OTC drugs such as ibuprofen.

We are finding more and more that pharmaceuticals are Researchers from Iran’s Babol University of Medical having a decreasing effect, this is called drug tolerance.

Sciences has confirmed that thyme is not just a great This is due to the body’s detoxification and immune syspain relieving herb but it also reduces menstruation pain tems seeing the chemicals as foreign. Liver enzymes tarbetter than ibuprofen. The researchers tested 84 women get and break down the chemicals and eventually university students who had reported painful menstruadevelop a tolerance against the drugs. The cells could tion. The women aged between 18 and 24 years old all also become more resistant to the chemical, as the resuffered from primary dysmenorrhea, which is basically ceptors that allowed the chemicals initial access are painful cramping that may or may not come with other modified causing receptor down regulation. symptoms such as back ache, nausea, headaches and Natural medicinal herbs are not generally seen as fordizziness. Secondary dysmenorrhea usually indicates menses pain that is related to another underlying condi- eigners this is because they have a complexity which allows multiple therapeutic effects. Thyme has been found tion. Because painful menses is generally seen among to have antiseptic and antioxidant effects within the younger women within the first few years of the beginbody, the body does not reject these effects. Thyme conning of menses, the researchers added to the definition of primary dysmenorrhea, that it appears within 2 years tains multiple active ingredients and buffers. It also has vitamins and minerals, thyme contains thymol, a potent of the beginning of menses (menarche) and no pelvic antiseptic and antibiotic compound. Thyme also conpain during the other parts of the monthly cycle. The tains thymonin, naringenin, linalool, myrcene, cymene, students were divided into three groups of 28 each. luteolin and apigenin, all have distinct therapeutic propGroup 1 were given 200 milligrams of ibuprofen per erties that buffer and balance each other. dose plus 25 drops of a placebo essential oil. Group 2 were given 25 drops of a 2% essential oil of thyme Reference: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (Thymus vulgaris) plus a placebo capsule per dose.

Group 3 were given 25 drops of the placebo essential oil Image: Alice Henneman plus the placebo capsule. Each woman was told to begin Source: Natural Cures Not Medicine

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First let me begin by saying “FALL IS FOR PLANTING�. No matter what you are planting, either trees, shrubs, perennials and even grass seed, it is easier for the plants to adapt to the cooler weather than it is for the plant to adapt to the hot weather of summer. The philosophy is very simple. In the fall plants are naturally going into their dormant period, whether they are deciduous or evergreen, and just so long as you add organic nutrients, your plants will dedicate themselves to establishing theirs roots and storing nutrients before the ground freezes. One common misconception is when a plant is dormant, it is not growing. Even though there may not be visual growth taking place above the ground, the roots are growing at a slower rate than during the growing season, but are still growing. Since the metabolism of the plant has slowed down, there is not a desperate need for the plant to transport water and nutrients to the leaves. So no matter what you plant, fall is the season!

As for grass, the sooner the better in September. These new grass plants have to germinate, get established and store nutrients before the first heavy frost takes place.

Considering most types of grasses will germinate in one to two weeks (ryegrass will be quickest while Kentucky Bluegrass will take the longest), you want to make sure that the seeding gets optimal weather. Cool season grasses will grow the best when there is adequate rain (1 inch per week), warm days and cool nights, which happens in the spring and fall. With the weather this way, grass will grow without the use of fertilizers, so let it be!

If there is one thing I want you to do this upcoming season, its to stay away from commercial chemical fertilizers. If you must fertilize, use an organic 5-10-5 or 10-6-4. This will feed the lawn on a slow, consistent basis without excessive top growth, meaning less cutting for you. Lastly, grass seed needs good seed-to-soil contact, so a thorough raking before seeding will only increase the germination percentage.

If you purchase the chrysanthemums when they first come out for sale in September, there is the possibility that they will return the following year. Unfortunately if you plant them any later, the plants don’t have enough time to fully become acclimated to their new surroundings and to establish their root system. This tip has worked for many people over the years, and I am positive it will help you. Instead of removing the plant from the container it came in, plant the chrysanthemum, container and all, into the ground. The plant will not try to establish itself in the new surroundings, but be happy in its current container. Without wasting its energy adapting to the new surroundings, the plant will instead save its energy and food in its root system to get through the winter. Once spring comes around, you will see new growth starting from around the base of the old plant.

Now is the time to dig up the plant, remove it from the container, and replant into the existing hole. Try to stay away from fertilizing the mums this fall, as it will again create excessive top growth instead of saving its nutrients for getting through the winter.

You can use early spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils, snow drops and winter aconite to give you spring color. When planting, just scatter the bulbs and plant them where they land for a natural appearance.

For the rest of the growing season, plants such as cardinal flower, fall aster, American ginger, Solomon seal will all give you color as well as texture in you new woodland retreat. Remember to leave the leaves in the fall.

They will not only act as your mulch, but will also add nutrients as they break down. Remember the rule for poison ivy: I have seen large areas of poison ivy, but if it is a wild or native area, you may just have Virginia creeper, which is a great native perennial that has a beautiful red fall foliage.

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periods of time. With this method you will also note that those tubers with slender necks can be preserved.

Nothing is more sacred to an experienced dahlia grower than his/her method of storing tubers over the winter. Let me begin by saying there are many great resources on the web (www.dahlia.org – The American Dahlia Society – where some of the following information was found) or join New Jersey’s only dahlia society - www.newjerseydahlia.org ).

In any storage method, the ultimate goal is to preserve the tubers. This method is devoid of any storage medium—no peat moss, vermiculite, sand, wood shavings or cedar chips. This method was first stated in the ADS Bulletin in 2001, and many dahlia experts swear by this method. Use Saranwrap or other plastic wrap found in your local supermarket. The advantages we are: no bother with a bedding medium, no worry about contamination of vermiculite with asbestos, much less storage space needed for your tubers and ease in locating your tubers in storage. In addition, this method has a distinct advantage in that you do not have to check the tubers during the winter storage as is recommended for the vermiculite/plastic bag method.

First dig your tuber out of the ground in fall and wash thoroughly, removing all soil from the tubers. It is recommended to use a fungicide to reduce the numbers of fungal spores present on the tubers. There are two fungicides that are generally used: Daconil for liquid immersion and powdered garden sulfur for dusting.

Daconil and other liquid fungicides are fairly expensive and hard to find, whereas powdered sulfur is reasonable and readily available.

Should you decide to dust with sulfur, which is the most commonly used method, just add 8 quarts of vermiculite to one cup of powdered sulfur in a tall kitchen plastic trash bag and mix thoroughly. After the divided tubers have been washed and labeled, put a few in the mixture (they may be dry to slightly damp) and gently roll them around—very much like "Shake and Bake".

This will apply a uniform coating over the entire surface. More sulfur can be added as deemed necessary.

Also, extenders such as very dry peat moss or fine white play sand can be substituted for the vermiculite.

After the tubers are divided, washed, labeled and treated with a fungicide method, set them aside to dry overnight. Wrapping them as soon as they are sufficiently dry, since tubers tend to get spongy and subject to drying out if permitted to sit around in the open for long

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Tear off a sheet of plastic wrap about 20 or more inches long and lay it flat on a level surface. Place a tuber on one end and roll the plastic wrap over one complete turn. Lay another along side and roll again. Be certain that no tuber is touching another; plastic wrap must separate all tubers. You may wrap up to five tubers or so per package, but in the last 5-7 inches, fold over the side portions of the plastic wrap and continue to roll to completion. Fasten with a piece of masking tape that is labeled with the cultivar’s name and any other information.

The wrapped tuber bundles should be stored at 40-45 degrees F in corrugated boxes or other containers that you would ordinarily use. The tubers emerge very firm, and there is essentially no loss from shriveling or drying.

When you are ready to plant or pot your tubers, simply open the package, remove the tubers and check for eyes. The tubers tend to eye up earlier with this method, but some will be blind stock with no eyes.

You may have purchased all male hollies and never purchased the female hollies, or visa versa. Don’t worry, you are not the only person who has done this, nor will you be the last. Let me explain about the birds and bees of plants, along with some proper terminology so I don’t get in trouble with the editor.

Colorful fruits are important assets for ornamental trees and shrubs. Many ornamental plants decorate gardens and landscapes with red, orange, yellow, blue, purple, gray, black and white fruits, while adding another season of interest beyond flowers. These fruiting ornamentals are also a great attraction to wild birds. Unless the sex characteristics of the plant are known, however, you may be disappointed because there may be no fruit crop even though bloom occurs and the plant looks healthy.

Many species of plants such as roses and viburnums have flowers. Each individual perfect flower has and a (both sexes). Sexes are sepaboth rate in some other plants. When male ( ) flowers and female ( ) flowers are borne on the

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same individual plant, the plant is called .

Birches and pines are examples. In perfect flowered and monoecious plants, pollen is carried to the stigma of the same flower or of the female flower of the same tree by insects, birds or wind.

is advisable to plant only male ginkgo and mulberry trees because female trees might bear fruit, their flowers receiving pollen from distant trees.

plants, male flowers appear on one plant In and female flowers on another. Many gardeners complain that flowers do not set fruits on some of their trees and shrubs. In many cases, the reason for nonbearing is that those plants are dioecious. To have fruits on dioecious plants, male and female plants must be grown within a reasonable distance of one another. Although both sexes need not necessarily be grown side by side, the closer the male and female plants stand to one another, the better the fruiting that may be expected.

: Ash, Cork Tree, Fringe Tree, Ginkgo, Honey Locust, Kentucky Coffee Tree, Maple, Mulberry (unless growing for fruit) Osage Orange and Poplar.

Identification of sexes in dioecious plants is not difficult (just lift up the bottom of the lower branches and look – only kidding!). Fruiting plants are female. Fruitless plants are not necessarily male because even mature female plants fail to bear fruits without a supply of the right kind of pollen at the right time. To positively identify the sex of the plant, you would need to know the difference between the male and female flowers and have a strong magnifying glass to look at the flower, so use the general rule of thumb above.

Bayberry, Holly, Persimmon, Spice Bush, Bittersweet.

Remember, if you have female plants for the fruit, you still need to have at least one male plant in the area for proper pollination. A lot of the holly cultivars are named for their gender, ie., Blue Boy or Blue Girl, China Boy or China Girl, etc., so if you have an old label or sales receipt, that may point you in the right direction.

The next simplest thing to do is to go back to the place where you purchased the hollies, and buy one male plant and plant near your existing hollies. You may have all females, but no male in the immediate area to pollinate. I will keep my fingers crossed!

Ripe fruits of ginkgo have an objectionable odor, and mulberry fruits litter the ground when they ripen and fall. In these cases, knowledge of plant sex is helpful. It

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Kamut is a type of specialty grain derived from an ancient Egyptian variety of wheat. Consisting of large kernels that can be ground into flour, processed into flakes or cooked in the same manner as rice or barley, Kamut can be substituted for wheat flour in baked goods or added to soups, pilafs or stews. It is low in fat, cholesterol-free and higher in protein than wheat, with a 1cup serving of cooked Kamut providing 22 percent of the recommended daily allowance of protein for the average adult. Kamut is also rich in nutrients that are essential for good health, including dietary fiber, manganese, magnesium and niacin.

1 cup of short grain brown rice 1 cup of Organic kamut 2 table spoon of extra virgin olive oil Sea salt to taste 5 cups of water. Brown rice requires more water than white rice. Lower the fire and cook for almost 45 min. making sure to check as it cooks along. Different stoves, different gas pressure can cook it faster or slower. Add water as needed.

It is hard to believe that summer is almost ending, before too long the fall season will be at our door steps. At least for me, I will try not to rush to open the door despite the cruel reality that inevitably the summer will end with my approval or not.

We are still in August as I write this article. My family is just about to embark on a much needed vacation. It has been four long years that we don’t go away. My children and I are going to Costa Rica where I am looking forwards to eat some good fresh fish.

As I mentioned previously, I am originally from Brazil. I grow up in the southern part of Brazil where open fields, rolling hills and lush green grass is suitable for pasture. I will not deny that a good grass feed steak still is one of my favorite’s dishes. I seldom eat meat in United States unfortunately. It is just not as taste as in Brazil. However, a good well prepared fish has it place in my heart especially on those hot days.

We are going to South of America to eat “Snapper Veracruz”. You will also learn a simple light fruit salsa that goes well over Tilapia, grilled Mahi Mahi or Halibut.

I would serve both dishes with short grain brown rice mixed with Kamut.

Kamut is a great Egyptian grain.

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Get a few fillets of Snapper from a good source; season it with fresh squeezed lemon juice, cut a lemon in half and squeeze it over the fillet of Snapper with sea salt.

Sautéed in a non sticky pan with olive oil and before the fish is fully cooked pour it over the Veracruz sauce that should be cooked apart.

Sauce - Diced 3 fresh tomatoes - ½ small red onions, diced - 1 garlic minced - ¼ of white onions diced - Slice ½ green peppers - 1 table spoon of pitted olives, preferably Kalamata - 1 cup of diced organic can tomatoes blended - 1 table spoon of minced parsley - Half jalapeño minced and added according to the degree of spicy you prefer Add to a pan, two spoon of olive oil the onions, garlic and peppers for one or two min. Add the can tomatoes that were blended previously, capers, olives, jalapenos and sea salt and let it simmer for a good 15 min in a low fire. Add at last the fresh tomatoes and parsley and pour it over

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the snapper that was sautéed in a different skillet and let I just don’t feel motivated enough to get several things it cook with the fish for another 5 min. Serve it with Ka- done that could and would definitely increase my selfesteem. In order to fill the gap I “escape” running out mut-brown rice. of the house to do mundane things, travel the internet and spending minutes reading stupidity, engaged in a - half a mango diced *make sure is very small cubes task of “finding a boyfriend” via online date sites -1 small red onions diced (gosh… it is so time consuming, distracting and self- Half a red pepper diced in small cubes as well esteem robber).

- 2 table spoon of minced cilantro - 1 small tomato diced In the mean time Jesus is seating and watching me go- Sliced jalapenos *I put very little since I prefer ing everywhere except to Him for help. slightly spicy I decided that procrastination is an animal-devil luring - Squeeze lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil us away from our happiness. Once we face our “Goli- Add more mango as needed and sea salt.

- The salsa needs a good balance between the sweet ath” we feel better about ourselves and consequently this “feel good” adrenaline propel us to keep going onto and spiciness different tasks bringing us to a state of joy and peace.

After three years of procrastinating, I went to the Brazilian embassy today in order to file my divorce within their law. Otherwise I would be divorced in United States but still married in Brazil. It seems like a small thing but I waited and postpone for three long years and there was not one week that I didn’t think about it.

As a business owner I always have lots of papers to file, papers to clean up, quick-books to do or bank account to reconcile. Not to mention my children’s school e mails to read, places to go and people to see.

My poor dog is always groomed later than it is suppose to. The list goes on with my OBGYN check up that gets delayed to the landscaper that I waited almost six weeks to call back to cut the grass that was consuming my house.

Off course I can give several reasons why I procrastinate and the most reasonable one is my financial situation.

My divorce followed by the lost of a previous business with a solid income brought me to a place of total chaos in which I think I live in “pain”. Yes, pain.

My embassy trip was a perfect example. I managed to get into the car and drive to NYC and finally get to the Consulate talking to the people in charge. I was shocked when the man said all I need is the American divorce paper from the court and a small fee. I delayed three years fearing what? I feared that the whole ordeal was going to take days and endless amount of paper work but in reality the whole thing didn’t take more than 30 minutes.

The beautiful part of the story is that: I am still struggle with certain aspects of my life, I am still rebuilding my finances from my divorce and I do still “escape” however the embassy trip gave me such a boost that I came home and cleared my file cabinet ( at least two years of procrastination), I updated my quick-books advancing one and half month, I reconciled my check book, I wrote some checks and paid some bills, cleaned the kitchen and still had time to make dinner.

By the way, the whole trip was not planned into details.

I drove to NYC and literally midway I thought about quitting. I persevere despite the desire to quit. Pick something to do this week and do it despite of your fears, anxiety and low self-esteem. Last, the glory and the credit of me conquering procrastination does goes to Jesus that I talk regularly.

God started to show me the connection with my procrastination- anxiety- low self-esteem. I always had some anxiety or somewhat tendency to struggle with low self-esteem. However it got seriously magnified with the Be blessed, loss of a steady income. I can perhaps say I have been in a slight state of depression in which I still operate and Luciane get many things done but procrastinate become the name of my game.

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have to do everything all at once – very few of us have the spare cash lying around for that. When you thoroughly understand the process, you can streamline the acquisition of your one year pantry. Last year, after a move across national borders and the continent, I had to rebuild my one year pantry from the ground up. I documented it in my series, The Pantry Primer. Following, you’ll find a summary of the steps I took.

Every journey starts with a single step, as they say, so I began by making a list and going on a shopping trip. I purchased enough basics to get us through a week, and made a few purchases that would increase my ability to cook from scratch (like flour, dried beans, baking powder, and peanut butter). Because I started out with no pantry basics, I had to get a few things I wouldn’t normally purchase, like boxed cereal, some canned organic soups, and ready-made crackers.

It’s National Preparedness Month, and the Professional Prepared Bloggers Association is celebrating by providing you with tons of information from some of the best writers in the niche in our 30 Days of Preparedness round-up!

One of the most important things you can do to celebrate this is to take some time to plan your pantry, so today, on Day 18, we will discuss this important aspect of preparedness. Whether you are brand new to a prepared lifestyle or have been working on it for years, it’s important to assess where you are to figure out how to get where you want to be.

With crises ranging from our crumbling economy, an encroaching police state, the devolution of civilization, possible grid-down scenarios and cyber attacks, and the risk of natural disasters, a one year preparedness pantry is no longer just something that Mormons and those crazy preppers do. It is a logical answer to the threats that we face every day. As prices escalate, the time to get it together is NOW. The goal for many preppers is a pantry that will sustain them throughout a year. But don’t panic! You don’t

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While building a stockpile, meal planning takes on a different focus. You have to break down your shopping into two categories: the stuff you need for the week and the additions to your stockpile. So, that bag of rice might serve both purposes, but the green pepper you’re getting will only serve one. Also remember that the meals you make right now can add to your stockpile.

Take, for example, a roasted whole chicken. After you enjoy a couple of meals from that, you can take the remaining meat and bones and make a homemade stock, then can that stock to add to your pantry. The same holds true for a huge pot of chili or soup. Be sure to stick to your budget! I used the envelope method to keep myself on track.

Lots of times you can find better deals on items that are fresh, but marked down. I often purchase meat and produce this way. By using simple home preservation methods like canning and dehydration, you can add these high quality items to your stockpile at a much lower price. Combine the bargains into soups and stews and pressure can them. Dehydrate vegetables and fruits to reconstitute for a boost of vitamins and minerals in your freshly made casseroles.

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Weekly grocery shopping is not the best way to build your stockpile. Once you’ve established a base of groceries, you can eat from this small stockpile for a few weeks to save enough money to make some larger purchases. Not only do larger purchases add more quickly to your supplies, but generally speaking, they save a great deal of money from those smaller packages that come from the grocery store shelves. Look at Amazon or Azure Standard to find high quality items at a good price. The bonus to those two outlets is that you don’t always pay for shipping for bulk items. Those 50 pound bags can really rack up the postage!

preserve the summer’s bounty for the winter ahead, but you should also come up with ways to add fresh greens outside of the growing season. Sprouting is an excellent option, so stock up on seeds to sprout, as well as the equipment you need to do so.

To be efficient, every pantry requires certain basics that allow for scratch cooking. A good pantry should have everything you need to whip together a pie, a loaf of bread, or a batch of biscuits with no trip to the store required. Many of these basics, like baking items, sweeteners, fats, and other miscellaneous staples, can be purchased in large quantities.

9.) Stockpiling Grains

People create food storage stockpiles for many different reasons, and because of this, there is no “one-size-fitsall” formula for doing so. You must figure out what your goals are and develop a road map towards achieving them. There are three basic types of food supplies: the Bunker Pantry, the Agrarian Pantry, and the Bargain Hunter’s Pantry. Learn about these food storage ideologies and then take the most applicable strategies and combine them to create your own version of the Ultimate Pantry.

Because meat is so perishable (and also expensive) protein is often the most neglected frontier of the one-year pantry. Particularly in a disaster situation, you may be called upon to perform much harder physical labor than you are accustomed to. It is a necessity to provide your body with the building blocks it needs to repair itself and become stronger. Consider vegetarian sources of protein, buy in quantity, and learn to preserve meat to build up your protein stockpile without resorting to all of the storebought canned minced bits and pieces..

A major challenge when living from your stockpiled foods is getting enough fruits and vegetables. Without produce, your family can be at risk for nutritional deficiency diseases like scurvy and their immune systems will be compromised. A minimum of 5 servings per day is recommended. Supplying your family with produce that will provide the necessary nutrients that their bodies need to thrive is a twofold process. Not only should you

Food storage calculators recommend 300 pounds of grains per person for a one year supply. For a family of four, that is a whopping 1200 pounds of grains that you should store if you are trying to build a one year pantry!

That sounds like a really daunting number until you remember that it is divided over many different items.

Most grains can be purchased in very large quantities at a greatly reduced price.

A very common question for preppers is, “Where on earth do you store all of that food?” Unless you have a pantry the size of a master bedroom suite, it won’t take long to exceed the limits of your available kitchen storage. But don’t despair! There are lots of little nooks, crannies, and storage areas around most homes that will allow you to discreetly put away a year’s supply of food for your family. It’s equally important to devise a system to help you find the items that you’ve stashed away.

Once your stockpile is built, you must maintain it. You don’t want to end up back at square one a year from now. You must rotate items into use in your kitchen, store them for the longest possible lifespan, and replenish them at the best prices available, which will entail tracking of sales cycles, couponing, and bulk purchasing. A careful inventory should also be maintained, so that you don’t drop too low in any one item.

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If you’ve followed these steps you should be well on your way to acquiring a one year supply of food by now.

This is your key to maintaining your independence in the midst of a crisis, whether it is economic, natural, or man-made. Whatever happens, you can feel confident that you will be able to nourish your family without waiting for a handout.

You can easily apply these principles to acquiring other preparedness items that you need. You’ll save money, prepare for crisis, and ensure your family’s independence.

put away keeps you a little bit safer from tyranny. Every seed you plant hardens you against threats and bribery.

Your self-sufficiency is what will keep you free.

Want to learn more? My book is now available!

Lots of us like to have hard copies of information that we’ve found helpful. Because of this, I’ve expanded on the information included in this series and put it all in one handy primer, available on Amazon: The Pantry Primer: How to Build a One Year Food Supply in Three Months.

Those of us who prepare for the difficult times ahead are the ones who stand between the total domination of the powers that be and the freedom that they would take away from us. By understanding how hunger can be used against us, and then taking the initiative to prepare for that grim day, we can’t be controlled as easily as those who have spent years accepting the handouts and trudging along with the herd.

By making intelligent choices to ensure our survival and that of our children, we can resist. Every meal that you

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- Practicing the law of return, such as returning grass clippings back to the lawn - Promoting soil health which translates to healthy plants - Fertilizing with naturally-occurring materials to supply essential nutrients as indicated by a soil test - Favoring cultural practices over chemical applications for managing pests and diseases - Avoiding the use of prohibited materials - Encouraging biodiversity and avoiding monocultures - Running an organic business with honesty and Integrity

Have you ever heard of organic land care? If you have, have you wondered what organic land care is? Have you ever questioned how organic land care is professionally implemented on a daily basis without the use of synthetic chemicals utilized in common landscape maintenance? Organic land care in its fundamental nature is based in science, observing overall best cultural practices, common sense and implementation of a project correctly. Organic land care is not a synthetic product swap for an organic product. It is a complete paradigm overhaul. Organic land care can have a significant learning curve depending on your existing landscape backThe Rutgers Cooperative Extension Organic Land Care ground and knowledge of organic systems and Working Group defines Organic Land Care (OLC) as enthusiasm toward learning. Organic land care is an “ ecological approach to landscaping. I would surmise that it was coined organic land care because it is probably the most recognizable for the general public. Any”. thing with the word organic in the label will hook people and raise awareness.

Expanding on the Rutgers definition when we refer to organic land care in the landscape, we look at the whole This is a broad brush look at a sophisticated, multi-laylandscape as a complete living system. Within this sysered landscape design and maintenance practice called tem, all living things are considered, from microorganorganic land care, the principles that guide organic land isms in the soil, planting native or care professionals and how these principals are applied non-native/non-invasive plants to attract natural/native in the field. I will briefly touch on how our company wildlife and pollinators, proper planting (refers to the developed our own systems and transitioned our core to right plant right place theory and observing the proper be completely and solely guided by the principles of orplanting depth of a plant), water usage/conservation ganic land care. You will begin to realize the complexity and appropriate cultural maintenance practices. and importance of soil and soil health as the cornerstone of organic land care. I will inform you of the groups If you are a professional currently using “conventional” who are leading the way in organic land care and offermeans (IPM, intergraded pest management or just a ing training, continuing education and certifications or completely old school synthetic program) to maintain accreditations in organic land care. Then finally in a few your landscapes or a concerned citizen just beginning to words discuss how the government’s involvement plays explore the idea of organics in the landscape, OLC will a role in this particular situation. be an eye opening journey. You will begin to see how we seemingly, without a second thought to the damage we cause as a society, adversely impact all living flora Ten highlights of organic land care*: and fauna that sustain us. I would suggest that.

Rutgers NJAES Organic Land Care website *Adapted from Rutgers NJAES The Soil Profile NewsThe problem stems from the general public seeing all letter and the NOFA Organic Land Care Standards. types of sub-par work on a neighbor’s property, in a shopping mall or business complex and assumes that - "Do no harm" by protecting the natural elements this is the way landscapes should appear and be mainof a site tained which couldn’t be further from the truth. It is - Treating the landscape as a whole living system extremely frustrating and difficult to understand that - Reducing energy, water, and material inputs how, in a residential neighborhood, someone could

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accept their plants struggling and barely clinging to life and trees dying after a year or two of there initial installation as being acceptable or normal. All the while the landscape next door is flourishing with healthy plants full of vibrant colors and trees three times the size as theirs and never ask themselves. Why? Or how? There is a lot of perception changing that needs to take place if organic land care is going to become the norm instead of exception.

Before considering the journey into becoming an organic land care practitioner or organic land care professional one should be willing to adapt to a no tolerance or extremely low tolerance use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers and only use them in extreme cases. This is critical that this philosophy is understood and strictly adhered to. There are companies that do claim to be organic or provide organic treatments and truly are not. Cutting corners under any circumstance is not acceptable. The application of a synthetic when used in OLC is presently termed a “rescue treatment” and is one that should only be considered when all other organic means have been exhausted and proven unsuccessful. There are many opinions that vary on whether or not rescue treatments should even be allowed at all. There is ongoing debate on how acceptable or not acceptable rescue treatments actually are and what parameters would deem that a synthetic application be appropriate.

Our Company Transition As a gardener, I never favored the use synthetic materials as means of insect and disease control. I have persistently paid close attention to plants and planting them in accordance with their cultural needs and suiting a plants cultural needs to a specific site to eliminate the stresses that would otherwise cause pest outbreaks or poor performance in the landscape. It has been about ten years since we changed our company’s maintenance practices from what was a sort of hybrid organic philosophy, to a completely organic maintenance philosophy which includes a more sustainable approach to design, plant heath care and organic turf care with a greater focus on soil and soil health. With a 30 year gardening background and a major emphasis on plants and their culture, the changes to the design and maintenance component of our company have been insignificant.

However, a much larger importance was placed on the use of native, non-native/non-invasive plants, incorpo-

rating edible plants into the landscape and the removal of exotic invasive plants. The largest learning curve was the development of our organic turf care systems. The decision to begin managing turf came about in 2005 when I came to the realization that we were doing all this great organic work in our perennial gardens all the while walking around in third party synthetic turf treatments. It just seemed like a natural progression. When we began exploring the idea of maintaining turf organically there was not as much information available as there is now, which in retrospect is a good thing. I had to have a complete understanding of how organic turf systems worked from soil to seed, to the continuing care that is needed. With some excellent mentors and many classes and seminars and most importantly some wonderful, very open-minded clients that let us use their properties for test plots, we have successfully offered organic turf programs to our clients. In the long run this absence of immediate information made our organic turf systems better and gave me a better understanding of what problems could occur and how to proactively handle problems when or if they arise. As a quick example of where we came from then to now, our original turf systems had corn gluten as a chief fertility input for our programs, and we learned quickly that corn gluten was not the panacea to organic turf care as it seemed to be touted. The reason being is that due to the excessive amount of nitrogen in one application and the amount of granular corn gluten needed to achieve the pre-emergent herbicidal affects that were desired, a number of problems arose from the use of corn gluten. I will hopefully explain in detail in another article. Now we use no corn gluten and rely on turf density and minimizing turf in shaded problematic areas. Fast Forward to 2014… information on organic systems is much more readily available now and organic/minimum risk 25b exempt products help make the learning curve less steep. However, organic/minimum risk 25b exempt products should be used sparingly and not solely relied upon as a problem solver. These products may aid as buffer while your turf transitions and your clients’ mindset and expectations are also transitioning. No matter what information or how much information is handed to you regarding OLC nothing can beat your field experience.

Take pride in your successes and more importantly learn from your failures and most of all don’t over sell what you are doing and perfect your systems before you put them into everyday practice.

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Initial consultation with prospective client - Be sure clients goals and expectations are in alignment with our OLC philosophies Appropriate site analysis - Testing of soil biology and chemical makeup - Invasive species identification - Perk test and at minimum a visual topography Inspection Design to do no harm - Avoiding monocultures - Encourage diversity by utilizing native/noninvasive plants - Identify water and wildlife management issues - Show respect to adjacent natural/native areas

Right Plant/Right Place - Procurement of plants from reputable sources - Observing site conditions and matching a plants cultural needs to the site - Proper Planting Techniques

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- Paying careful attention to planting height of the root ball or container plants and with container Plants be sure to loosen the root systems of container plants Proper Mulching Techniques - Avoiding over mulching keep mulch from root flares of trees and shrubs and the drown s of herbaceous plants Once the project has been completed, care and maintenance of landscape come front and center. It is the law

of return that if you observe proper cultural practices, limit inputs, manage turf organically, proper pruning techniques, use only natural mulches free from dyes you will reap the rewards of an organic system.

The Cornerstone of Organic Land Care If you were to pose the question of, “What is organic land care?” to ten people, you would more than likely receive ten different responses. Follow up that question by asking, “Have you ever considered what would be a more valuable resource, soil or water?” Then by asking, “Where would we be without healthy soil?”

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The cornerstone of organic land care is soil and soil health. For most people soil is called dirt. With that said, when I was beginning my career in horticulture one of my supervisors told me that “dirt is what gets under your fingernails and soil is what plants live in.”

After correcting me a few times and breaking the bad habit that I had unknowingly developed over the years, I began to understand the difference. Now my approach to soil is much different. Everything we do in our work now revolves around the soil and the health of the biology in that soil and fostering the growth of the microorganisms that live in the soil that make the soil work.

Ponder this: Where would we be without healthy soil?

Soil produces food, grows plants that filter the water we drink, cultivates plants that provides us oxygen and soil helps to sustain the plants that cool the earth by growing trees, woody shrubs and herbaceous plants and even turf grass to provide shade to the earth. The air we breathe and the water we drink are directly related to the soil under or feet, yet our soil is relentlessly bombarded by synthetic applications of pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers to lawns, gardens and farm land, effectively killing off or severely damaging the fragile ecosystem in the top eight to twelve inches of soil all over the earth.

Have you ever considered what would be a more valuable resource, soil or water? It’s a bit of the chicken or the egg scenario. If asked most people would say that water is more important and then look at you like you’re from another planet for asking such a foolish question. That is because we always hear of the very public and very important proclamation that we have water management issues such as water contamination or restrictions due to pollutants, overuse and/or drought so we must conserver water. There is no arguing that we need to pay close attention to our water usage and that we all need water to survive.

Once you begin to understand why soil health is so important and that you have to feed the soil by the incorporation of organic matter into the soil, then in turn the microorganisms do the heavy lifting to provide the plants with the necessary nutrients that they need at a given time to build the plants natural defenses as opposed to damaging effects of a conventional approach with synthetic product applications that bypass a plants natural defense systems and ultimately weaken plants leaving them susceptible to opportunistic pest and disease problems. Organic matter can be incorporated in many ways and forms all to the benefit of biodiversity

Are you a gardening ‘expert’ that would like to write for us and help share the organic principles the magazine conveys? Whether you have a gardening degree from a college or you are “dirt” educated, send me an e-mail with the subject and article you want to cover. I will review and see if we can use it in the next issue. Please remember that the magazine will be online on or about the first day of the new season, so please address your article for the upcoming season and make sure it is sent at least two weeks before the publication date for formatting.

Send your requests to editor@organicgardenstoday.com We look forward to hearing from you!

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Some examples of organic matter are well-aged compost, humates - humic or fulvic acids as well as humus and manures. All types’ of organic matter may be added in various forms such as liquid, granular or in the case of compost or manures in bulk quantities. When it comes to improving your soil this may be one instance where a little knowledge and understanding will go a long way in improving your soil health and your landscapes health. I encourage you to look deeper into the idea of soil health. There is an overwhelming amount of information and science to support this idea of fostering soil health.

Certifications and Government involvement Organic Land Care practitioners can obtain certificates, become certified or accredited from Independent groups that have emerged and developed their own organic land care standards. These groups have created OLC standards using the NOP (National Organic Program) as a basis for their standards. However, the USDA National Organic Program www.ams.usda.gov/nop, as it is indicated, relates to farming, food or other agricultural products and not landscapes. Examples of the more well-known groups are The Northeastern Farming Association (NOFA), Oregon Tilth and Society for Organic Urban Land Care (SOUL).

In New Jersey a working group was formed consisting of Rutgers University Professors and extension agents, NJDEP representatives, NOFA NJ members and organic land care professionals. This group will host its third, five day certificate course in the winter of 2015. At this time this group is also drafting a best management practices manual for organic land care. In time it is expected that the newly formed New Jersey Organic Land Care Association (NJOLA) will adopt these best management practices as their standards.

Once certified or accredited the OLC professional is on a type of honor system to follow one of these standards or a combination of any of these standards that suite their personal philosophies. As a certified or accredited OLC professional your morals, personal and/or adopted philosophies become your guide in the interpretation of the current standards for practical applications. In the absence of one clear organic land care standard OLC professionals are left on their own to develop their own organic programs. This clearly becomes problematic as currently there are no federal governing body(s)

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that have any formal definition of what OLC is, nor is there oversight into organics as it pertains to the landscape industry. This raises a few issues; it makes it difficult for the consumer to understand the value of OLC and what exactly they are paying for vs. conventional contractor. Marketing of organic landscape programs can also be difficult due to local laws and restrictions on usable verbage and terms when advertising. The general public is at the mercy of unscrupulous contractors seeking to capitalize on a growing trend by which the homeowners will be dissatisfied with the quality of workmanship and the be turned off to the idea of organics making it even more difficult for organic land care professionals working with integrity to reach a perspective organic land care client who has now soured on the idea.

I would caution one who might be interested and thinking of trying out organic land care, whether you are a professional or a homeowner. Organic land care is not a practice that you can just “try” short term. In cases such as this, where the thought process is “ Try it out and see how it works” the results are usually not favorable. I don’t say this to be discouraging. I say this to be sure that you are not disappointed in the outcome of your efforts and to be patient. It is extremely rewarding when it all comes together. Give yourself time to experiment with different things, within the organic land care parameters. Expect that there is a fair amount of trial and error in finding your way and discovering your systems for maintaining landscapes with organic land care methods. It takes great commitment to learn the processes of organics and although the idea of organic land care has a long history that dates back to the early 1900’s and has roots in organic farming it is relatively new to the landscape industry. Approach your new endeavor with an open mind and a willingness to try new techniques creatively attack problems with natural means and a sensitivity to existing landscape, widen your pallet of plants used in designs featuring components organic land care.

Perhaps you already live a more sustainable life style and this is just a way to extend sustainability in your life or you are new to the process, organic land care will spread into every part of life and can be a truly life changing experience. More than being an organic gardener alone, you begin to raise your awareness of the food you are eating with a more healthy diet of organic/ natural foods and utilizing less toxic cleaners or detergents around your home and office, it becomes more

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than just a part of your business. Organic land care can lead to a complete life style change that will change us all for the better.

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stick to a paper plate or newspaper. Don't forget to label the seeds, especially if you're saving more than one type or variety.

Cucumbers need to over ripen on the vine. You'll know they're ready when they change color and become soft. If you stop pickling cucumbers, the vine will stop producing, so wait until the end of the season to harvest cucumber seeds. Scoop out the seeds and either rub them gently or soak them in water for two days to remove their coating.

Save seeds from your healthiest plants. Other factors include taste, productivity and resistance to insects and disease. For example, save seeds from your lettuce plant that was slow to bolt or from the squash that didn't die after being exposed to powdery mildew. Reasons to save seeds include

Eggplant also needs to be left on the plant until they are very overripe and past the stage that you would pick them to eat. To save eggplant seeds, grate the portion that contains the seeds and place the grated pieces in a container of water. The seeds will sink and the pulp will float. Pour off the pulp and set the seeds out to dry in a single layer.

1. Free seeds for next year 2. Regional preferences 3. Consistent quality

Never save seeds from Hybrid or F1 plants because they are the offspring of two different parent varieties. Their seeds may not produce the same plant.

Always save seeds from open pollinated (OP) plants to ensure similar quality and type.

Tomatoes are self pollinating so the seeds should be pure even if they are planted close to another tomatoes variety. Other vegetables may be cross-pollinated by insects so keep different varieties at least 500 feet apart if you want to save the seeds.

Set seeds out to dry in a single layer on a glass or ceramic plate. Stir them twice a day to prevent clumping and encourage even drying.. They may 28

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Let some of the pods dry while still on the plant.

Either hand pick them or dig up the entire plant and thresh it in a bucket using a fan to separate the seeds from the dried stems and leaves. Crack open the pods to remove the seeds.

variety. Cover the container with a cloth, paper towel or other breathable cover. Let the seeds soak for a couple of days. Don't worry if mold starts to grow on the surface. It won't harm the seeds because the viable seeds will sink to the bottom of the container.

Let lettuce plants bolt, flower and produce seeds.

You can eat the outside leaves without harming seed production. Let the seed head dry for two or three weeks after flowering. After the seeds have dried completely, dig up the plant and shake it over a paper bag to separate the seeds. Rub the seed head gently with your fingers to remove any remaining seeds.

Melon seeds are very easy to save. Cut open the fruit, scoop the seeds into a strainer and thoroughly rinse them with water.

Pepper seeds are even easier to save. Cut the fruit open, remove the seeds and place them in a single layer to dry. Pepper seeds are dry when they break instead of bend when you try to fold them.

Summer squash need to be left on the vine until its skin can't be dented by a fingernail. Pick the squash, cut it open, scrape the seeds into a bowl, wash, drain in a sieve, and spread them out to dry.

Tomato seeds require the most work since they are enclosed in a gelatinous sac. Scoop out the seeds, place them in a wide container and cover them with a couple of inches of water. Make sure to label the container if you are saving more than one

After a couple of days have passed, pour off the pulp and add more water if all the seeds have not sunk to the bottom of the container. Discard any seeds that float. They're hollow and won't germinate.

When all of the seeds have sunk to the bottom of the container, carefully pour off the liquid. Rinse the seeds with plain water and place them to dry in a single layer on a labeled glass or ceramic plate.

After the seeds have completely dried, place them in labeled glass jars, small plastic bags or envelopes to be used in your garden next year or shared with others.

Keep seeds in a cool dry location. Seeds last longest when stored at a temperature less than 50 degrees F with low humidity. They can even be stored in your refrigerator.

If you're worried about the high humidly level where you store your seeds, you can add a desiccant. Wrap one to two tablespoons of powdered

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milk in a piece of cheesecloth and place it in the container with the seeds. Powdered milk will absorb excess moisture from the air for approximately six months.

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By Cliff Williams If you have been following my articles, you have learned of the deficiencies in our food because the human nutrients have been farmed out of the soil and not replaced. Most of the diseases faced by man are the result of this Nutrient Malnutrition. But by growing our own food, we are the only ones who have a chance of attaining perfection in food, and that is by fulfilling perfect food’s three main attributes. Once again they are: 1. Getting out the chemicals and man-made violations.

2. Replacing the necessary human nutrients that have been farmed OUT. 3. Eating your food fresh-picked and raw.

food it can be a slap in the face once fall arrives and you have to go back to the produce department. Some hard questions arrive at this moment that many just don’t ask. You know how long real food lasts once harvested, how old do you think that food in the produce department is? Some food is shipped half way around the world, what do you suppose they did to it to get it to you cart? You know real food doesn’t last that long.

Just saying!! There is definitely room for, and reason to, re-define some parameters where growing food is concerned.

The last piece in the search for the holy grail of food revolves around getting your home grown food all year long, so let’s conquer some of the issues that keep this concept out of the hands of so many gardeners. You need a custom designed greenhouse. Five chapters in my book are devoted to this, so you’re just getting the greatest hits in this article.

Number one is a given, my other articles were about number two, so let’s look deeper at number three. The very latest in health revolves around a vegetarian diet that is primarily raw, and when you are eating from your garden you are getting the very best. Right now most gardeners get to enjoy their fresh produce about 3 or 4 months per year, sure there are a lot of variables, but very few get the chance to enjoy the freshness all year long. To me that is an issue. For most, growing your own fresh food all year long is a very difficult task, but there are great benefits to be had.

For most of the world that means a heated greenhouse, and that creates some enormous problems, which is why you don’t see them very often. This article is about being able to design a greenhouse that can produce all year long, and do it without being an ecological disaster (i.e. using huge amounts of fuel and electricity). This is neither cheap nor easy, but neither is getting cancer from eating food that you thought was nutritious, but wasn’t.

Pretty much the whole world’s food supply is based on having that fresh food available all year which sounds good, but too often, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You are among the very few to even know that there is a difference between homegrown real food and the artificially ripened produce we buy. I call it Matrix food, if you remember the movie, all of life is based on illusion. Once you get used to eating real

This picture is of my first winter greenhouse built in the Pacific Northwest close to the Canadian border. First off, this is the greatest time-saver to come to gardening since the shovel! Right now all of your gardening is condensed into one big push that begins in late spring and ends in late summer.

One year my wife and I grew and preserved enough food to sustain our family through the winter and until summer when we could grow some more food. What a butt kicker!!! We put up over 1,500 pounds of canned, frozen and dried produce. There is only room for 7 jars in a canner, because any more is cruel and unusual punishment! We still have some of that canned food left, after all that effort, we could only live on it for a month. It wasn’t fresh and we could feel the lack of

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nutrition, most of it was fed to the chickens. That was the motivation for me to bend the conventional parameters of growing food and come up with a better plan.

Now you get to spread out the work over the whole year, gardening becomes a little part of your daily life, and not a big spike of energy. You will be able to plant and harvest in a perpetual crop rotation. I am planting right now, in the middle of August, for my winter crops.

So why don’t regular greenhouses work? Greenhouses fail because they lose too much heat at night. Think of them as season-extenders. Your greenhouse covering, be it windows, vinyl, or polycarbonate, will have an R value of 1; an R value is a unit of measure that describes the amount of resistance to the flow of heat. The R value of the wall in your house is probably 23 in a newer house.

The windows in your house probably lose more heat than the rest of the whole house. If you have a regular greenhouse that is 20 x 30, you would need to have up to 4 wood stoves to keep it from freezing if the temperature got below the low teens.

Many would stop here and go back to the grocery store, but let’s look at changing some parameters and design something that can withstand those temps. Six times last winter the greenhouse below withstood temperatures down to zero degrees F. In a regular greenhouse, everything would die or go dormant until spring, no food for three months or more.

First of all, we need to get rid of as much glass as possible and not lose the size of the greenhouse.

Just a quick note about size, even with a winter built greenhouse and artificial lighting, plants have less vigor in winter so you need more of them to compensate, so a good size for your greenhouse is 600 to 800 square feet. Reducing the glass requires that you know something about the angles of the sun in your area.

This is where it starts getting a bit technical, but the solar angles help determine how much glass we can eliminate. The tall arrows show the angle of the sun at noon during the summer solstice, and the short arrows show the sun at noon during the winter solstice. With both groups of arrows the most vertical are for the latitude of the southern parts of America; the least vertical arrow in each group shows the solstice sun angles for Juneau, Alaska; and the middle ones show the angles at the Canadian/American border. This unique drawing shows the possibility of building a greenhouse in your attic so your neighbor’s house wouldn’t shade the low winter sun from your greenhouse.

You don’t have to look at this picture very long to realize that you can eliminate 2 feet of glass on the low south side of the greenhouse, and that there is no reason to have the glass continue over the top to the north edge. With windows on each end, you can eliminate almost two-thirds of the glass and still have a greenhouse. We can go even farther in

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in preventing heat loss by heavily insulating the walls and ceiling that are not glass.

We are designing this greenhouse to grow in the worst of conditions. This will not perform as well as a regular greenhouse in the summer, but it still works well and growing in the summer is not the issue.

Without going into too much more detail, the primary need is to reduce the amount of glass by over half and to replace it with heavy insulation to help compensate for the loss. This is not enough though, and you will need a source of heat. One of the most economical ways to achieve this is to have the greenhouse attached to the house. The heat lost through the house walls is heat gained by the greenhouse, and you don’t have to build that heavily insulated wall on the north side of the greenhouse.

This is my new greenhouse in Tennessee and it is attached to the house. In this picture you cannot see the window fan I have, but in the cold I can blow heat from the house to help heat the greenhouse at night. During the day I open up the windows and let the greenhouse heat the house.

When you share the heat, you help offset the cost of heating the greenhouse. When it gets real cold I have a radiant propane camp heater that I use (propane also adds carbon dioxide to your sealed up greenhouse). This next winter I will have a wood stove.

This greenhouse is your new grocery store, and convenience is another reason to have it attached

to your house. When the weather is bad you don’t have to get all bundled up to go get your food, and are more likely not to skip that fresh salad with dinner. It looks kind of skimpy in the greenhouse because I didn’t get it finished until the end of October, and some of my sensitive plants froze. This next winter, though, you will not be able to see the ground.

Maybe in the next article I can get more into the growing tips and “how-to” aspects, but growing year-round is a radical departure from the “norm”.

Many really don’t see it at first, as it takes a while to sink in. I see this as modern homesteading. We all have our reasons for gardening. Mine is seeking perfection in the food my family eats. My homesteading is not forging out into untamed territories, but rather being able to insulate myself from the horrible effects that modern industry is inflicting on the people and this planet. I have patterned a lifestyle after an ancient people called the Essenes, and it is a simple life in which one grows their own food, is educated and makes use of science that is not dependent on the destruction of the planet. It is a spiritual life that is depends on purity in the earthly life. Purity and perfection in food are an absolute necessity in a world that is going off the nutritional deep end.

For more information on this, my website: www.urbancrofting.com contains a great introduction. There is a link to my book, “Urban Crofting: A New Circle of Life Without Oil” (at Amazon.com), and a link to a couple of simple videos I made about winter greenhouses and modern micronutrient malnutrition.

Cliff Williams has worked 20 years in the frozen vegetable processing industry. He has been involved with everything from the dirt to the package you get at the store. He has also worked seasonally for 4 years in the fertilizer industry, as well as growing up gardening and gleaning. When you add in all the supporting research that went into creating Urban Crofting to his experience, you will find that few people have the unique insight into our food that he does.

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In the end, though, they are the same ones we learn as adults when we garden.

Growing any type of garden involves many aspects of life: patience, learning, physical activity,sight, smell, taste, and risk are what comes to mind.

One learns patience by planting a tiny (or large!) seed and waiting for the seed to germinate, watching it grow, caring for the plant it becomes then enjoying the fruit of the plant whether it be a fragrant stalk of lavender or tasty leaves of thyme, a zinnia or an iris, tomato or cucumber, or a cherry or a peach. You can't hurry Mother Nature.

Learning all you can about gardening in general or whatever it is you like to grow may lead you beyond the garden into family history to learn whether your grandparents grew a garden, and if so, what kinds of plants they grew. You may become interested in the history and lore of herbs or the stories behind heirloom vegetables. You may turn to the very basis of gardening and begin to study botany, soil composition, organic growing or any of the many facets of the insect world.

There is no end to the avenues that are open to you when you begin to look at your garden as the start or continuation of an education.

Get into the garden and pull weeds, hoe your vegetable rows, spread more mulch, prune the errant branch, deadhead those marigolds (save the seed heads for next year, or just crumble them through your fingers to sow seeds for later in the season), dig a new bed, mow the lawn.‌ gardening is great exercise.

Why pay for an expensive gym or spend time indoors on a machine when you have the best of all gyms right out your back door?

Gardening involves weight training... just lift a few big bags of mulch or turn your compost pile. Gardening involves stretching... bend at the waist and keep your knees straight when you pull weeds to stretch the hamstring muscles. Then, do some squats and pull some more weeds or harvest those strawberries off the ground. Hoeing and raking are terrific aerobic activities.

And, after your workout, look at the results-- a weedfree herb bed, healthier vegetables with more mulch or a neatly trimmed lawn. Then, sit back with a cool beverage and admire what you've done. You've earned it.

Don't let the books, magazines and Internet take you so far from your garden and plants that you lose sight of why you started a garden in the first place. For it's there, walking through your garden in the early morning seeing the dew sparkle on the rose petals, touching the soft leaves of the lamb's ear, smelling the oregano and rosemary, eating those crunchy and sweet snap beans right off the vine, and, especially, getting your hands dirty with that wonderful, rich, loamy garden soil‌ don't you wish you actually had that kind of soil??... that you really experience the garden.

If you garden with children, the lessons are endless.

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It's why you spend so much time poring over seed catalogs, searching Internet gardening sites, combing nurseries for just the right plant. You've created your own little Eden right there where you and those you invite

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into your realm can see the best that nature has to offer.

You've tended and coaxed and weeded and pruned and watered and worried and even though the garden is never done, always in flux, you can see and touch and smell and eat the results of your efforts.

And, yes, there is risk in the garden, just like in life.

Your new seedlings can be eaten by grasshoppers or rabbits. Deer may come and dine on the new shrub you just paid too much for. Early blight may attack your tomato plants. Corn ear worms may spoil the succulent ears you've been waiting so patiently for. A hail storm may come and smash down the corn stalks. You can experience a drought, complete with water rationing, so your plants don't look their best. You have to pick and choose which to water. There are many risks in gardening... you may have chosen a poorly adapted variety of vegetable or flower, or planted a sun loving rosemary in the shade and it's just not doing well.

learning to make the best garden yet. Each new garden is the best garden yet! And, to me, that's why we garden!!

Until Next Time, Good Growing to You, Cindy Meredith, proprietor The Herb Cottage 442 CR 233 Hallettsville, TX 77964 email: cindy@theherbcottage.com http://theherbcottage.com/

But we learn by making many, many mistakes. It is said if you don't kill many plants, you're not gardening!! I don't know about that, but I do know that experimenting is part of the fun of growing and if you don't try, you'll never know what will grow in your garden. So, try a new tomato variety or a new flower that you have to purchase mail order because no one in your area sells it, or even grows it... yet. You may start a new trend. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.... Right?

Finally, the one aspect of gardening that encompasses all gardeners is HOPE... OPTIMISM. What is it other than hope that keeps us planting season after season?

We may think of last year's failures, but still plant for the future. Each gardening season is an opportunity for success, a little better than last time. As you plan your next garden, you bring all the skills you have or are

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they propagated the plant. All Franklin trees today are descendants of the Bartrams' specimens.

The Franklinia is a deciduous small tree or large shrub growing fifteen to twenty feet high and ten to fifteen feet wide, with elongated, dark green leaves that turn red, orange, or pink in the fall. Its most striking feature is its showy two- to three-inch snow-white flowers, with clusters of golden yellow stamens in the centers. The tree flowers from late summer until frost.

Franklinia can be propagated by seeds or by rooted cuttings and is grown by gardeners and horticulturalists in various locations in the eastern United States. In 2008 the Georgia Forestry Commission named a specimen in the Quarry Garden at the Atlanta History Center in Atlanta as the state champion, for being the largest of its species in Georgia.

Today efforts are being made to restore the tree to the wild by planting specimens near the site where they were originally discovered.

The Franklin tree or lost camellia (Franklinia alatamaha), once native only to Georgia, was discovered along the banks of the Altamaha River in the mid-eighteenth century and was last recorded in the wild by a nurseryman and plant collector in 1803. All known specimens today are in cultivation.

John Bartram and his son William discovered the Franklin tree growing along the banks of Georgia's Altamaha River near Darien, in McIntosh County, in 1765. In his book Travels, William Bartram describes it as a beautiful shrub that appeared to be related to Gordonia lasianthus (loblolly bay), but with larger and more fragrant flowers. They named the tree in honor of their friend Benjamin Franklin and the river beside which they had found it (the species name, alatamaha, reflects the Bartrams' variant spelling of Altamaha).

William Bartram again saw the tree in the 1770s and noted that the only spot where he had seen it in all of his explorations was on the two- to three-acre site along the Altamaha River, where it grew in abundance.

Since the last definitive sighting of the tree in nature in 1803, many have continued to search for the tree, and some accounts describe spotting it along the Altamaha River as late as the 1840s. Fortunately, the Bartrams had taken plants and seeds home to Philadelphia, where

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In 1969 a set of four U.S. postal stamps was issued, each bearing a plant associated with one of the four regions of the country. Franklinia was chosen to represent the South.

Franklinia alatamaha : Franklinia, Ben Franklin Tree, Franklin Tree Small deciduous tree 15 to 20 feet 5-8 Give Franklinia humus-rich acid soil, and water it during dry spells, especially when young. Good drainage is essential, so consider putting it on an elevated spot or artificial mound. It blooms most profusely in full sun, but in hot dry climates partial or dappled shade might give the best overall results. Sometimes this plant will try to grow as a shrub, but it can usually be trained into tree form. Franklinia is easy to grow from seed, and such a plant will often reach blooming size by the sixth year.

Note: This plant may not do well in the South.

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The end of the summer doesn't have to mean the end of your colorful garden. There are plenty of options for your garden with fall-blooming flowers to create a landscape just as colorful and bright as the falling leaves around you.

Naturally the mum is the first thing that comes to mind or chrysanwhen one thinks "fall flowers." The themum, is perhaps the quintessential plant of the autumn season and is available in an array of colors and varieties that will immediately brighten up any garden.

You can choose from a variety of flowers ranging across the spectrum from mums with long, narrow petals, to wider and more compact flowers, in many shades of yellow, pink, red, orange, purple, bronze and white.

There are plenty of options in plants besides the mum is considered to bring color to your garden. The the other classic autumn flower. Asters work well as a border in a garden because of the magnitude of color they offer when purchased in large quantities and planted in dramatic arcs. They come in such colors as white, lavender, blue, bright pink, purple with a yellow eye, and medium blue. Like the mum, the aster is a perennial that will come back and flower in the fall if cared for correctly. Together, mums and asters can form the backbone of an enduring, brilliant autumn garden to look forward to every year.

and reds), petite yellow-petaled Coreopsis (also available in deep burgundy and white), and Ceratostigma, a variety of Plumbago with lovely clusters of small flowers and shiny dark green leaves that turn red later on in the fall. For less traditional-looking blooms, there is Cimicifuga, with its tall slender dark stems and tiny creamy white flowers, Perovskia, more commonly known as Russian Sage, an herb but with stand-out deeply colored purplish to bluish flowers, and Sedum which offers unique, small star-shaped flower clusters in neutral white, yellow, pink, and burgundy tones. Sedum also works well as a ground cover.

Possibilities for an autumn garden do not merely include flowers. Think about incorporating tall, wispy whose neutral colors serve as a nice contrast to the vivid colors of the flowers. Decorative peppers also bring a nice variety to a garden, and come in bright shades of yellow, red, and orange. Other vegetables that give your fall garden a unique look are ornamental cabbages and kales.

Preparing a garden of fall perennials is worth the work and investment as it will last you year after year. As the weather cools off it's an ideal chance to get outside and work in your garden, and it's also an important time to prepare your plants for the winter and begin thinking ahead about your spring gardening.

The tough little is another great choice for a fall garden and will be left blooming after all the other flowers in your garden have died off. It will also be amongst the first to bloom again come spring. A lot of pansy varieties are biennial, and they will flower all fall into some of the winter and then bloom early the next spring. Pansies have been bred in a rainbow of colors, ranging from gold and orange though to purple, violet, and a blue so deep as to be almost black. They are quite a hardy plant, growing well in sunny or partially sunny positions.

Though these are the three most common flowers for the fall, there are still a variety of other kinds of flowers and plants available to light up the garden. For flowers in a variety of colors to add to your garden consider softly-hued Japanese Anemones (think whites, pinks,

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A one year food supply means freedom. It means that you are less subject to the whims of the economy. You can handle small disasters with aplomb. You aren’t reliant on the government if a crisis occurs. Being self-reliant begins with a pantry full of food. Learn how to build a pantry on a budget with this easy 12-week outline. Don’t be discouraged by all of the doom and gloom out there. You can take the most important step towards security today…the step of getting started. In this book, learn about the different types of pantries, how to expand your pantry with home canning, and how to develop a well-balanced, nutritious stockpile to see your family through difficult times.

This book sets a path to restoring our broken circle of life.

Through the web of genetically modified foods, oil and chemical driven degradation of our world, through the disgusting corporate greed and ignorant consumer willingness to hand over the basics of life, we have traveled just about as far as we can from the beautiful beginnings our creator gave.

Genetics is the end game. We have clowns in white lab coats playing God and there is no way for this to end but badly.

So most who have arrived at this conclusion are doing something about it and that involves some sort of organic sustainability. Inspired by an ancient people, Urban Crofting is another path away from the ills of society, and offers a little more advanced methods of sustainability and is uniquely focused on creating ultimate in food nourishment. At the end of the day, though, it comes down to If you want it done right you have to do it yourself.

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There is only ONE Gardening Guru, David Daehnke!

David has over 30 years of experience in the horticulture field, from running his own landscaping business, Executive Director of three botanical gardens, and having his own radio show for 18 years.

He wants you to be the best gardener you can, teaching simple, smart, organic gardening practices which are safe to you, your family, your pets and OUR environment. David is a well-renowned speaker, lecturing to garden clubs, civic organizations and businesses with a fun and informative style. To schedule David for your next event or visit to learn more about safe organic gardening practices, visit his web site at:

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