Organic Gardening in April Anxious For Asparagus... Want to grow asparagus from seed, but hate to wait the extra year to harvest? Try seeding the asparagus indoors in late winter to get two year's worth of growth in one season. Plant seeds 3/4 inch deep in flats. Sow them 1 inch apart in rows 2 inches apart. Provide as much natural light as possible and supplement it with fluorescent lighting. Fertilize the seedlings every three weeks once they have their true leaves. Growing Green Beans
The bean is a tender, warm season vegetable that ranks second to tomato in popularity in home gardens.
Spring Hydrangeas
Hydrangea shrubs are as sub/urban as the azalea and the SUV. But, did you know that of the 5 hydrangea varieties most popular here in North American, two are natives and only one (an Asian) turns color depending on the PH?
Spring Gardening Tips for Bedding Plants
Spring is a season of renewal. And of course, gardeners are especially excited about this season as they anxiously await the annual ritual of digging into the fresh earth to plant new things to create their own glorious green and colorful world.
REALLY COOL TIP! Love That Junk Mail! Make good use of all that junk mail! Shred it and layer it on top of soaker hoses and under a layer of straw. It will help your beds stay moist and weed-free. Priority List for April Soil Building for April
Perennials, Annuals, and Bulbs for April
If you want to plant an Easter lily outside, don't plant it near other lilies. Easter lilies may carry a virus that can infect other lilies.
Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs
Plant out peppers, cucumbers, aubergines and tomatoes in pots and growing bags in most zones by the middle of the month.
By the end of the month, sow runner beans, sweetcorn, marrows, courgettes, squashes, pumpkins and outdoor cucumbers, and fennel outdoors.
Trees, Shrubs, and Groundcovers Monthly Reminders
Trees help counteract the "urban heat island" effect. Urban areas with a high percentage of concrete, highways, glass, and other objects are hotter than rural areas. These urban heat islands have reduced ventilation and warm temperatures. This causes an increase in the amount of ozone pollution in the air. Rural areas with trees are less likely to have the urban heat island effect, resulting in less ozone pollution.
Tools and Equipment Monthly Reminders
If you take your own tools to work with in community gardens, you can "brand" wood-handled tools for quick identification. Paint your initials on the wood with nail polish then immediately ignite it. Repeat to make the marks deeper, if needed.
A panel of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that the maximum amount of fluoride currently allowed in the nation's drinking water can cause health problems and "should be lowered." The report concluded that children exposed to four milligrams of fluoride per liter, the highest allowable level, risk developing severe dental fluorosis, in which teeth become mottled, pitted and scarred. Because fluoride can weaken bones, people who consume water containing that much fluoride over a lifetime are likely to be at increased risk for bone fractures.Learn more... Community Gardening This month we spotlight a place that's been working on the community garden concept for quite some time...P-Patch Community Gardens in Seattle Washington. Over 1900 plots serve more than 4,600 urban gardeners on 12 acres of land. There are programs to serve low-income, disabled, youth and non-English speaking populations. Cultivating Communities goal is to help establish safe, healthy communities and economic opportunity through the development of community gardens and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) enterprises in Seattle Housing Authority public housing communities. It is a partnership between the Friends of P-Patch, a non-profit affiliate of the City of Seattle's P-Patch Program and the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA). The program also works closely with the respective SHA community councils to set priorities for garden development. The project was begun in 1995 to address a need by SHA to provide safe garden sites for residents and to help build a community among the residents. In the first year, seven community gardens were developed. During 1996 and 1997 the project added two income generating gardens, continued to build new community gardens, and worked with gardeners to develop leadership among the gardeners to help manage and operate the gardens. The program is primarily grant funded. It has a project manager and four quarter -time staff during the gardening season which serve as community organizers, interpreters, and garden coordinators. P-Patch gardeners show their concern for the value of fresh organic vegetables by supplying 7 to 10 tons of produce to Seattle food banks each year! (I know, WOW, huh?) Supporting a strong environmental ethic, the P-Patch Program allows organic gardening only. Kudos!
More links on food production and energy use: Interested in more? STARTING A SCHOOL GARDEN AND KITCHEN - HOW WE CAN HELP
Developing Ecoliteracy
A garden, whether at home or at school, is an example of a managed ecosystem. In a garden, the principles of ecology and systems thinking come alive. Through hands-on experiences students can gain understanding of cycles, from the life cycle of a plant to the nitrogen cycle.
Community Food Security: Definitions and Explanations Want to find one in your state?CommunityGarden.org
You don't HAVE a community garden where you live? Then START ONE! Until next month, remember the words of John Lucas, Backs to the Garden Wall... "All clays are pretty well unworkable with ordinary implements. For the melted toffee consistency of winter, you might prefer a large soup-ladle; for light working over summer, a hammer and cold chisel. Is the soil always too wet or too dry? No, there's a period - usually a day or two in May - when you can actually use a fork. More gardening quotes. Never underestimate the power of what you do! P.S. If you like to grow tomatoes, this is FREE must have information, Secrets for Growing Incredible Tomatoes | Share this email
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Gardening Quote
"Gardening is an exercise in optimism. Sometimes, it is a triumph of hope over experience."
- Marina Schinz
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