FEBRUARY 2013
MONTHLY ONLINE MAGAZINE FOR PEOPLE WHO GROW THEIR OWN FOOD INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
A Peek into Grow Food Gardens What to do in the Edible Garden in February Pruning Fruit Trees & Edible Shrubs Bill Herring’s Advice on What to Plant in February Planting Seeds by Robin Sturley Rosalind Creasy keynote speaker review The Dirty Dozen Contaminated Foods Events and Upcoming Courses including Grow Food with JOY classes Seedy Saturday Listing
FOOD FOREST
The gardens at GROW FOOD began in a 40’ x 10’ greenhouse because of the families of deer that roamed the property. A year later, my partner Walter and I installed a 260’ fence off one side and the back of the greenhouse to accommodate the outside garden.
The garden was designed using a perma-culture concept called a “Food Forest.” Perennial foods are planted similar to how a forest grows. The tallest trees are in the back, my fruit trees, the raspberries were planted in-front of them, currents and gooseberries were planted in-front of them and the low growing perennial foods such as rhubarb and sorrel in the foreground. This way, the sun reaches all the plants and the wind travels up over the entire planting. Some raised beds were built to accommodate those foods that require special care such as strawberries and asparagus. Some of the garden area is saturated with water in winter months and required raised beds to grow blueberries that like moisture but can’t be submerged in water.
SHEET MULCHING Beneath the grass, the soil was heavy clay so a Perma-culture technique for building soil was used called sheet mulching or lasagna gardening. Layers of soaked cardboard were laid down with compost from the kitchen, manure, leaves, grasses, coffee grounds layered on top as if you are making a compost pile on location. Soil covers all the compost and a seed-free mulch is placed on top. Most of the beds had a winter to decompose, but some of the beds were planted into directly. This method works best for above ground crops such as salad greens verses root crops because the decomposition can burn the roots. A few raised beds were built and filled with soil we brought in to accommodate those crops that like deep sandy soil such as carrots.
Growing food is a passion for me and I wanted to share what I was learning with others so I began teaching gardening classes called “Grow Food with JOY!” Not everyone can attend a class, so I decided to publish an on-line magazine to share with a wider base and GROW FOOD Network Magazine was born. As you will see from the photos in the slide show, I am not a perfectionist with perfectly manicured weed-free garden beds. I let weeds grow, in-fact I encourage them because I have learned that many of them are the most nutrient rich plants I can grow. I eat the chickweed, the dandelions I compost (minus the flowers heads) and comfrey I grow to make compost tea and mulch with. I still have a lot to learn and as I do, I hope to share it with my fellow food growing friends. IN-JOY Link for slide show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyvVDVZ52Jo 2
GROW FOOD
with……………...
What to do in the Edible Garden in January Seeds to Start Indoors
Artichoke Asparagus Fennel Leeks Sweet onions Parsley Celery Celeriac
Direct Seed
Broad Beans/Fava Peas Potatoes Parsnips
Pruning Fruit Trees ( from Clay Whitney) February - March is the time to do your winter pruning for the basic framework or structure of the fruit tree. If your tree is mature and you don’t want to create more branching, don’t make heading cuts at this time. This is the time to prune back to a crotch (ie remove the entire branch or limb) to improve the structure of the tree. Also remove any dead, diseased or damaged branches at this time. Once the structure of the tree is established, summer prune to control vigorous growth and decrease “water sprouting” Figs: Prune in March
In the Greenhouse
Pac Choi Radishes Lettuce - in pots until 2” high then move outside but off the ground, once established transplant into garden beds Onions in pots then move outdoors when 1” high, grow outside but off the ground until pencil size.
Grafting Time February is the time of year to make grafts on your fruit trees.
Forcing Rhubarb can be forced to produce early by placing a terra cotta pot over the crown. Rhubarb is best divided in fall, but if you divide now, plant it with lots of manure and give it year to develop it’s root system without harvesting
Edible Shrubs Blueberries: Prune while dormant. Remove crossed branches, broken and weak branches. Shape the bush to be narrower at the base with a wider top. Thin out crowded branches to make open center. Gooseberries: Prune to keep an open center and remove canes low to the ground. Currents: Plants produce most fruit on last years canes. Cut out older stems that are darker with loose peeling bark. Vines Grapes: prune in March Kiwis: When the vine is dormant, prune out older branches o keep as much 1 year old wood (what grew last year) as possible. Remove crossing and crowded shoots to leave next years fruiting arms about 1 foot apart 3
Bill Herring is a self sufficient gardener who grows food all year round. Whenever I have a question, I ask Bill. You can too. Email your questions to growfood@shaw.ca
Hi Bill, What can I be planting in February to get ahead start on the season? “In February, I always plant what I call the 3 P’s. Peas, Potatoes, and Parsnips. Peas prefer the cool season to grow, early potatoes are what you want to plant and parsnips like a long season to get to their full size. My soil is sandy loam so I can work my soil early, if you have a clay soil, you will want to wait until it dries out a little before working it. I hope this helps.” Bill
Try this…. If you found your storage onions growing tops and you thought about planting them, they would just produce a seed head. Unless they were a superior variety with good size and flavour you may be better to plant them in a tray of soil like these ones and grow them on for their green onion tops. Snip them as you need them and then eat them.
Avalon Design CUSTOM NEW HOMES, RENOVATIONS , ADDITION PLANNING & Garden Projects
250 743-0414 avalondesign@shaw.ca www.avalondesign.info
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Speaker Summary by Joy Story Rosalind Creasy was the main speaker at the “Mixing it Up” conference in Sidney hosted by the Master Gardeners Association of Victoria. She is a pioneer in the edible gardening movement and has been replacing front lawns with gardens since the 80’s. In her presentation, Rosalind showed a series of beautifully sculptured edible gardens before flashing a picture of a house with a fence and corn growing behind the fence. She stated, “This is not edible gardening, this is corn growing in the front lawn.” Rosalind is a master at designing gardens with visual appeal and edible practicality. It is inspiring to see her slide show of gardens where she incorporates edibles into ornamental settings using both edible flowers and nonedible flowers to bring it all together. While she flipped from one incredible image to another, she also gave her audience plenty of useful tips and here are just a few: Plant flowers in your vegetable gardens to bring in the beneficial insects. Plant alyssum everywhere. Incorporate chickens into your garden design for their delicious eggs, their fertile excrement and their ability to dig up a garden bed. In her own front lawn garden, she removed the turf with a bobcat, double dug the area and added 7 loads of compost. 100 days later, in her 2000 sq ft garden, she had 100 different varieties of food plants When asked, “Don’t people steal your food?” she replies, “Nobody takes the zucchini!” Rosalind lives in an upscale neighbourhood where people greatly value curb appeal, but she has learned that when she plants a boxwood hedge, or roses she can get away with murder. A black climbing cherry tomato looks stunning growing on a red painted trellis. Espalier apples make a great fence Use currents or blueberries as an edible hedge Scattering calendula seeds in an orchard grass planting looks cheery.
To discourage raccoons, she sprinkles cayenne hot pepper powder A great thorn-less blackberry to incorporate is called ‘black satin’ Hardy Kiwi’s come in red and green seedless varieties. There is a new columnar perennial Basil called ‘pesto perpetua’ that needs to be brought in for winter. It’s from Australia. Rosalind uses a lot of red and blue Salvia in her display gardens with great affects Red Basil makes colourful vinegars but ugly pesto. Use different textures of plants such as fennel and sages, especially purple Use variegated varieties Plant paprika peppers, dry and grind them and taste what Paprika is suppose to taste like, then throw away that stuff in your cupboards, that’s brown dust. Use scarlet runner beans on red painted bamboo poles A good gold climbing tomatoes is called ‘sungold’ Plant brown speckled Lettuce Plant in colourful pots, lemon cucumbers and artichokes, both of which grow well by the ocean. Do not plant in straight rows, zig-zag your plantings, “This is not your grandmother’s garden.” Mix up the plantings, use collards and kales Plant Broccoli in pots Use different textures with different colours At the end of her talk, one gardener asked, “What about the Deer?” Rosalind bowed her head and said, “I’m sorry!” The room broke out into laughter. Rosalind continued, “In deer infested areas you need to fence off an area for edibles.” During her slide show she did show a garden design where 2 deer roamed and she planted lavender, herbs, grasses, irises and 5 penstemons.
By Renee Loux
The "dirty dozen" are the most commonly and highly contaminated foods with pesticides and chemicals, even after washing and peeling. The research used to compile this list is from extensive independent tests run by the FDA and the USDA from more than 100,000 samples of food. The chemical pesticides detected in these studies are known to cause cancer, birth defects, nervous system and brain damage, and developmental problems in children. In other words, panic if it isn't organic. 7. Spinach and Other Greens 1. Beef, Pork and Poultry 8. Coffee 2. Milk, Cheese and Butter 9. Peaches and Nectarines 3. Strawberries, Raspberries and Cherries 10. Grapes 4. Apples and Pears 11. Celery 5. Tomatoes 12. Red and Green Bell Peppers 6. Potatoes To read why these foods are considered the Dirty Dozen read this article:http://www.prevention.com/ food/healthy-eating-tips/12-commonly-contaminated-foods
By Robin Sturley, Edible Earth Seeds
Most gardening advice is focused on the growing needs of plants. But what about seeds? To grow strong, healthy plants, you need to get them off to a good start in life. And that starts with seeds! Before any of your seeds go into the ground, consider the quality of the seed you’ll be starting with. How old is it? Was it stored properly? Is it untreated? Was it grown in your bioregion? The more you know about your seed, the better you can tell its quality, and thus your chances of success! Although seeds do provide enough energy for the seedling to begin its life, those food reserves run out quickly and soon that tiny seedling will begin seeking out nutrients in the soil around it. Remember to provide nutrients for your seedling early on, so that your plants will benefit from continuous, steady growth: they will be much stronger for it. Work some good compost into the soil before you plant. Many gardeners believe it is best to use a sterilized potting mix to start seeds in. While this does ensure that your seedlings do not come into contact with potentially harmful fungi and bacteria, it also creates a ‘bubble child’ effect. Sooner or later, those seedlings will have to go into
the ground, where fungi and bacteria abound. If you start out with an environment that prepares your seedlings for the garden bed, you’ll have greater success with transplanting later on. Until your seedlings have an established root system, they will be vulnerable to water stress. Some seeds take up to a month to germinate, and drying out during that time will likely kill the seed. It is very important to keep the soil moist, but not drenched (seedlings need air too!). If you are concerned with keeping the soil moist in the garden, you can use some ‘remay’ fabric to help slow down surface evaporation. Experiment with early spring planting dates. Although most seed packets tell you when to start your seeds, their advice usually applies to the most common garden conditions. You may be one of the lucky ones, with different microclimates in your garden that will allow you to start things 1 to 2 weeks earlier than most. It takes some experimentation to figure these dates out, and weather of course varies year to year. But those extra-early radishes, peas and salad greens will be well worth it!
Happy seed starting!
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FEBRUARY COURSES AND EVENTS UP-COMING COURSES Year Round Harvest With Linda Gilkeson 10 sessions on Sundays Horticulture Centre of the Pacific Contact: http://hcp.ca/commed-year-round-harvest/ $425.00 GROW FOOD with JOY! With Joy Story 3 sessions on Tuesday nights Starting Feb 26, March 5, 12 @ 6pm - 8pm Building Healthy Soil, Planting Techniques, and Growing Vegetables A - Z Community Farm Store, Duncan, BC Contact: growfood@shaw.ca $60.00 Backyard Orchard With Ryan Senechal Feb 23, March 2, 9, 16 @ 9 - 12 Horticultural Center of the Pacific More info: http://hcp.ca/courses/ Non members: $196.00 Spring Check List With Jane Tice Feb 24th @ 1 - 4 pm Horticultural Center of the Pacific More info: http://hcp.ca/courses/ Pruning Basics 101 Wed Feb 13 @ 7 pm Lush Valley Food Action, Courtenay More info: http://www.lushvalley.org/
February 20 - 24, 2013 2nd Largest Garden Show 6 acres of Indoor Gardens Washington State Convention Center, Seattle For more info: www.gardenshow.com
Seedy Saturdays Salt Spring Island, BC Farmer's Institute Saturday February 9, 2013 10-3 Friday Film Night, February 8th 6:30 TBA Seedy Saturday, February 9th, 10 am to 3 pm A full hall of Seeds, Plants, Farms, Food Vendors & Presentations TBA Admission $4 (kids free) Sunday, February 10th, 9:30 am to 3 pm Community Workshops TBA Seed Sanctuary AGM to follow at 3:30 Contact: ssiseedysaturday@gmail.com
EVENTS
Victoria, BC
Farmer 2 Farmer Conference: March 7th, 2012 More info: www.farmer2farmer.ca
Victoria Conference Centre, 720 Douglas St. Saturday February 16, 2013 10-4 Contact: Pat McGuire, (250)385-0485 patmcgu@telus.net
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Seedy Saturdays continued…
Cobble Hill, BC
Sooke, BC
Cobble Hill Hall Saturday March 9, 2013 10-3 Contact: Carolyn Webb email: cobblehillseedysaturday@gmail.com
Sooke Community Hall Saturday February 23, 2013 10-3 Sooke's fourth annual Seedy Saturday. Hosted by the Sooke Region Food CHI Society (check us out at sookefoodchi.ca/). The event will feature over 40 seed, food, and plant vendors and related community groups. Entrance is by donation. Contact: Jessica seedysaturday@gmail.com
Courtenay , BC Filberg Centre Saturday March 2, 2013 Comox Valley Growers and Seed Savers present ‘Sow a Seed: Grow a Gardener’ The event will feature the Community Seed Exchange, a Horticultural Trade Show, informative and educational speakers and panels and increased family and child activities for the same low cost as in previous years - $5.00.
CLASSIFIED ADS Garden Consultant Need help determining where to start Growing Your Own Food. Joy from GROW FOOD will help you draw up plan and discuss the needs of the garden. $60.00 for 1 1/2 hours 250-743-1352. Hedge Trimming call Walter for more details 250-743-1352 Wanted, small utility trailer for gardening in good repair. Approx. 4ftX6ft, with regular size tires. Call 250-743-1010 Thanks! rmburns@shaw.ca
Duncan, BC Saturday March 23, 2013 10-3 5th annual Duncan Seedy Saturday Si’em Lelum Gym 5779 River Rd. Duncan vanessa@cowichangreencommunity.org
Port Alberni, BC Collins Farm, 5955 Hector Rd Saturday April 6, 2013 10-2 Co-sponsored by the Women's Food and Water Initiative. Seed vendors, workshops, entertainment, food available. Seed savers and sellers, swap table, guest speakers: Composting with Heather Shobe, Spotted Wing Drosophila Fly with Cathy McDonald, Mason Bees with Ed Mitchell, Bigleaf Maple Syrup with Bob Collins, and more. Light lunch and refreshments available. Contact: 250 723-7948 or email info@arrowvale.ca
Horse Manure and Soil Mix available by the truckload. 3 yards starting at $45.00 and $70.00 call Don at 250-715-5168 in the Cowichan Valley area Alpaca Poo Available in Glenora, call Jennifer at 250748-5088 West Coast Gardening: Natural Insect, Weed and Disease Control. Everything a Pacific Northwest organic gardener needs to know to manage garden pests, diseases and weeds. Completely revised, expanded edition has over 140 detailed entries. $35 postpaid. PO Box 648, Salt Spring, BC V8K 2W2 or see: www.lindagilkeson.ca
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