Per The Old Farmer’s Almanac, there are many names for the snow that comes unexpectedly, late in winter or early spring, and melts the next day. “Onion snow” was named by the Pennsylvania Dutch farmers. It often arrives just as onion sets are planted in the cool soil of early spring. The snow does not kill the onions, happily!…
Keep up with harvesting vegetables and herbs Pick yourself a bouquet Pull any spent summer crops and sow seeds of spinach, arugula, kale and lettuce for fall harvesting Sow cover crops this month on any bare ground in the vegetable garden Order seed garlic for planting in October Continue to weed and deadhead Keep watering…
Nothing beats a walk through your garden, noticing new buds and by-chance color combinations, and providing a chance for general oohing and ahhing over the beautiful scene. You can now also use this time to notice tell-tale signs of drought: drooping or twisting leaves on trees, shrubs or perennials, wilting annuals, and off-color foliage. Some…
In late fall after leaf drop, we test the garden soil of our compost tea clients to determine the level of active soil biology. That means the quantity of microscopic organisms that do so much good all season long. We are looking for a minimum level of 600 parts per million on the microorganism count. We’re…
The white powdery mildew sometimes seen on phlox, helianthus, lilacs, dogwoods, and the like at this time of year is rather unsightly. This fungus spreads, so be sure to avoid working with these plants during wet weather. Do not handle the leaves at all if you can help it! We have had success with soil…
I was working in my garden over the weekend and noticed that the small shrubs I planted last year showed the first signs of wilting! Sure enough, dry soil lay under the leaf mulch. So I got out the watering can and made the rounds, filling up the well around each plant. Please keep an…
Speaking of soil testing time, one result that we often find in soil tests that come back from the lab is bound-up, high levels of Phosphorus. This mineral is very hard to unlock, so this work is undertaken over several seasons. The ideal level of Phosphorus is 75 ppm (parts per million). We often find…
Our compost tea program is now segueing into the summer season with applications of Summer Foods. This means we are quite literally providing food for the large colonies of microscopic life in your soil through the hot weather. These “good guys” are actively seeking sustenance so that they can fulfill their role as predators of…