OrganicGardening.com Monthly Almanac Newsletter - August 2002

[Guest guest]

OrganicGardening.com Monthly Almanac Newsletter - August 2002

Zone 9

 

 

 

_____

 

CONTENTS

Go Local

Sky Watch

The Future of Organic

Monthly Gardening Calendar

Keep Your Harvest Well

Join The OG Reader Panel

______

 

GO LOCAL

 

We all know that homegrown food is the tastiest, most healthful food we

can eat - that's one of the reasons we garden, right? But very few of us

have the garden space and the time to grow enough to feed our families.

The next best thing, then, is food fresh from a farm, a local farm.

Buying from local farmers also helps to preserve open space near your

home and supports hard-working families in your community.

 

Farmers' markets make it easy, convenient and even fun to buy from local

growers. Shopping at a farmers' market is also a great opportunity for

gardeners to ask the growers about varieties and techniques that work

for them. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a handy state-by-state

listing of farmers' markets - follow this link to find one near you.

 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/

 

Hope you're having a rewarding and problem-free gardening season. And

I'll meet you here again next month.

 

Scott Meyer

Editor

http://www.organicgardening.com

______

 

SKY WATCH

Last Quarter: August 1, 31

New Moon: August 8

First Quarter: August 15

Full Moon: August 22

 

August 12-13. Perseid Meteor Showers Peak. Best viewing between 2 a.m.

(no matter what time zone) and dawn.

 

______

 

THE FUTURE OF ORGANIC

 

While OG magazine is celebrating its 60th anniversary next month, we are

looking ahead to the future of the organic movement that was launched by

our founder, J.I. Rodale, in 1942. That's why the September/October

issue will feature the insights of some leading thinkers on the organic

movement. Be sure you get this commemorative issue to find out what

Eliot Coleman, Joan Dye Gussow and Willie Nelson (yes, the musician and

force behind Farm-Aid) believe lies ahead for the world's supply of pure

food. You'll also see what Robert Rodale predicted more than 15 years

ago! Follow this link to reserve your copy now:

 

 

https://commerce.cdsfulfillment.com/OG1/subscriptions.cgi?IN_Code=I2HW103

 

______

 

MONTHLY GARDENING CALENDAR

 

Not sure how to use the summer's bounty? Do you have more squash, cherry

tomatoes, and green beans than you can eat? Consider donating your

surplus to a local food bank or soup kitchen. I volunteer at a food

bank where fresh, homegrown produce is always in need. Call ahead to

find out when and where produce should be delivered.

 

* Be vigilant about WEEDING - pull or cultivate them before they form

seed heads or runners.

 

* WATER deeply two to three times a week. If you're going on vacation,

consider rigging up an impromptu drip system and asking a neighbor to

come turn it on a few times while you're gone.

 

* IRISES have reached their dormant phase; now is the time to divide

them. Use a fork to lift them carefully out of the soil; break rhizomes

apart with a sharp knife. Usually the middle part of the rhizome will

not have any leaves coming out of it; discard this part and re-plant the

rest. (And give a few away to neighbors and friends!)

 

* Shear back blooming plants like CATMINT, YARROW and OREGANO - you'll

enjoy another round of blooms in the fall if you do.

 

* Keep the COMPOST PILE damp and turn it regularly. Do you have

neighbors who bag their grass clippings? Ask them to leave the bags on

your front porch instead of dragging them to the curb - offer them in

exchange a bucket of compost next spring.

 

* Get rid aphids with a strong blast of water from the hose. (Even if

you don't see aphids, plants covered with ants and a sticky substance

are a sure sign of their presence.) If water isn't doing it, consider

insecticidal soap or a homemade blend of water, dish soap, and a couple

crushed garlic cloves. Follow this link to a safe, effective

insecticidal soap:

 

http://www.gardensalive.com/item_display.asp?ProductNumber=8141 & sid=13418

 

* Believe it or not, now is the time to think about vegetables for

Thanksgiving. Plant cool-weather crops like CABBAGE, BROCCOLI, BRUSSELS

SPROUTS and BEETS.

 

* Place a little rice straw or dried leaves under PUMPKINS and winter

SQUASH to prevent rot as they ripen.

 

* Every other week or so, water TREES deeply, especially in hot, dry

areas.

 

Amy Stewart

Eureka, California

 

______

 

KEEP YOUR HARVEST WELL

 

There are two ways to prepare your homegrown produce for storage in a

jar: raw pack and hot pack. When you raw pack, you put the produce into

jars when it's fresh and cold; hot packing requires pre-cooking the

produce. Snap and snow peas, for instance, are best raw packed.

Tomatoes, however, must be hot packed. You can either raw or hot pack

pole and bush beans.

 

To learn everything else you need to know to keep your harvest well,

follow this link to " Preserving Summer's Bounty, " a step-by-step guide

full of easy instructions and tasty recipes:

 

 

http://www.rodalestore.com/webapp/commerce/command/Rodale_LinkToRodaleStore?AdCo\

de=60002 & merchant_rn=15336 & prrfnbr=13137

[Guest guest]

Thx fraggle!

 

Perfect timing too, I accidently deleted mine rummaging through all

the dang emails that have been piling up this weekend!

 

nikki

 

, EBbrewpunx@c... wrote:

> OrganicGardening.com Monthly Almanac Newsletter - August 2002

> Zone 9

>

>

>

> _____

>

> CONTENTS

> Go Local

> Sky Watch

> The Future of Organic

> Monthly Gardening Calendar

> Keep Your Harvest Well

> Join The OG Reader Panel

> ______

>

> GO LOCAL

>

> We all know that homegrown food is the tastiest, most healthful

food we

> can eat - that's one of the reasons we garden, right? But very few

of us

> have the garden space and the time to grow enough to feed our

families.

> The next best thing, then, is food fresh from a farm, a local farm.

> Buying from local farmers also helps to preserve open space near

your

> home and supports hard-working families in your community.

>

> Farmers' markets make it easy, convenient and even fun to buy from

local

> growers. Shopping at a farmers' market is also a great opportunity

for

> gardeners to ask the growers about varieties and techniques that

work

> for them. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a handy state-by-

state

> listing of farmers' markets - follow this link to find one near

you.

>

> http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/

>

> Hope you're having a rewarding and problem-free gardening season.

And

> I'll meet you here again next month.

>

> Scott Meyer

> Editor

> http://www.organicgardening.com

> ______

>

> SKY WATCH

> Last Quarter: August 1, 31

> New Moon: August 8

> First Quarter: August 15

> Full Moon: August 22

>

> August 12-13. Perseid Meteor Showers Peak. Best viewing between 2

a.m.

> (no matter what time zone) and dawn.

>

> ______

>

> THE FUTURE OF ORGANIC

>

> While OG magazine is celebrating its 60th anniversary next month,

we are

> looking ahead to the future of the organic movement that was

launched by

> our founder, J.I. Rodale, in 1942. That's why the September/October

> issue will feature the insights of some leading thinkers on the

organic

> movement. Be sure you get this commemorative issue to find out what

> Eliot Coleman, Joan Dye Gussow and Willie Nelson (yes, the musician

and

> force behind Farm-Aid) believe lies ahead for the world's supply of

pure

> food. You'll also see what Robert Rodale predicted more than 15

years

> ago! Follow this link to reserve your copy now:

>

>

> https://commerce.cdsfulfillment.com/OG1/subscriptions.cgi?

IN_Code=I2HW103

>

> ______

>

> MONTHLY GARDENING CALENDAR

>

> Not sure how to use the summer's bounty? Do you have more squash,

cherry

> tomatoes, and green beans than you can eat? Consider donating your

> surplus to a local food bank or soup kitchen. I volunteer at a food

> bank where fresh, homegrown produce is always in need. Call ahead to

> find out when and where produce should be delivered.

>

> * Be vigilant about WEEDING - pull or cultivate them before they

form

> seed heads or runners.

>

> * WATER deeply two to three times a week. If you're going on

vacation,

> consider rigging up an impromptu drip system and asking a neighbor

to

> come turn it on a few times while you're gone.

>

> * IRISES have reached their dormant phase; now is the time to divide

> them. Use a fork to lift them carefully out of the soil; break

rhizomes

> apart with a sharp knife. Usually the middle part of the rhizome

will

> not have any leaves coming out of it; discard this part and re-

plant the

> rest. (And give a few away to neighbors and friends!)

>

> * Shear back blooming plants like CATMINT, YARROW and OREGANO -

you'll

> enjoy another round of blooms in the fall if you do.

>

> * Keep the COMPOST PILE damp and turn it regularly. Do you have

> neighbors who bag their grass clippings? Ask them to leave the bags

on

> your front porch instead of dragging them to the curb - offer them

in

> exchange a bucket of compost next spring.

>

> * Get rid aphids with a strong blast of water from the hose. (Even

if

> you don't see aphids, plants covered with ants and a sticky

substance

> are a sure sign of their presence.) If water isn't doing it,

consider

> insecticidal soap or a homemade blend of water, dish soap, and a

couple

> crushed garlic cloves. Follow this link to a safe, effective

> insecticidal soap:

>

> http://www.gardensalive.com/item_display.asp?

ProductNumber=8141 & sid=13418

>

> * Believe it or not, now is the time to think about vegetables for

> Thanksgiving. Plant cool-weather crops like CABBAGE, BROCCOLI,

BRUSSELS

> SPROUTS and BEETS.

>

> * Place a little rice straw or dried leaves under PUMPKINS and

winter

> SQUASH to prevent rot as they ripen.

>

> * Every other week or so, water TREES deeply, especially in hot, dry

> areas.

>

> Amy Stewart

> Eureka, California

>

> ______

>

> KEEP YOUR HARVEST WELL

>

> There are two ways to prepare your homegrown produce for storage in

a

> jar: raw pack and hot pack. When you raw pack, you put the produce

into

> jars when it's fresh and cold; hot packing requires pre-cooking the

> produce. Snap and snow peas, for instance, are best raw packed.

> Tomatoes, however, must be hot packed. You can either raw or hot

pack

> pole and bush beans.

>

> To learn everything else you need to know to keep your harvest well,

> follow this link to " Preserving Summer's Bounty, " a step-by-step

guide

> full of easy instructions and tasty recipes:

>

>

>

http://www.rodalestore.com/webapp/commerce/command/Rodale_LinkToRodale

Store?AdCode=60002 & merchant_rn=15336 & prrfnbr=13137