All the Dirt on Gardening

Martin Bebb who lives close to downtown Muskogee, sent an email with an offer for anyone in who might want some sunflower seed hulls to add to their compost pile or to use as a mulch. The sunflower seed hulls are the collection of several years of feeding birds. You can contact me or email Martin directly at martinrb@swbell.net if you would like to have them.

St. Lynn's Press just published "Tomatoes Garlic Basil" the latest book by gardener and garden writer Doug Oster. List price is $19 and the online price is $12. It's a lovely read and I was able to go through it today from back to front because the stories were delightful. In honesty, it could have been called Mostly Tomatoes with a Pinch of Garlic and Basil. Tomatoes are the bulk of the story - to page 159. Garlic is pages 159 to 197 and basil is pages 197 to 227. Oster's writing style will carry his readers along, with nostalgic remembrances, up to the minute gardening tips and recipes for savory dishes. Since it's a tomato growing book, let's start there. You will find gardening information on seed starting, pruning, staking, seed saving, pests, diseases and soil. Plus, heirlooms vs hybrids, tomato varieties past and present. And, future tomatoes as well, since Oster explains how to hybridize your own tomato variety to get the characteristics you seek....

Gardening Basic Training 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday St. Paul United Methodist Church Activity Center 2130 W. Okmulgee AV Muskogee This half-day class is organized by the Muskogee City Wellness Initiative and will bring together several experienced local gardeners and educators to introduce participants to the wonderful world of growing food. In these times of super-sized everything — from meal servings to TVs and waistlines - gardening offers a plateful of fun and fulfillment for any and all who partake. Some of the hot topics and featured speakers will include: • Choosing a garden site and growing backyard fruit, Sue Gray, Tulsa County OSU Extension. • Earth-friendly gardening, Doug Walton, Muskogee Farmers Market. • Selecting vegetable varieties, Matthew Weatherbeee, Blossoms Garden Center. • Seed starting and transplanting, Martha Stoodley, Master Gardener. • Irrigation and weed control, Kim Walton, Waltons Farm. • Kitchen garden herbs, Sharon Owen, Moonshadow Herb Farm. Free Gar...

Potatoes are thought to originally be from Peru because pictures of them are on ancient pottery from the area. They were prepared for storage by stomping on them and drying them for future use. Potatoes came to North America from Europe in the 16th Century. Today, each American eats 65 pounds of potatoes every year. In our area, potatoes are a cool season crop grown in spring and harvested in summer. Since well-drained soil is important to prevent rotting, small crops can be grown above ground in containers layered with straw, compost and soil. Buy seed potatoes in February, so you have time to prepare them for planting. Planting time is between Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day, depending on the weather. One expert recommends waiting until it is warm enough for dandelions; another says plant when it is 50-degrees. John Harrison of Harrison Fruit Stand said that potatoes can rot in a heavy spring rain. "I don't plant mine until March," Harrison said. ...

Sheri Ann Richerson is a best selling author. She teamed up with Delilah Smittle to produce The Complete Idiot's Guide to Year-Round Gardening. Richerson's website, here doesn't say much about the book so let me tell you what I've found. It is a very upbeat presentation of the many ways to extend your growing season. For example, row covers, cold frames, bubble wrap, and tunnels. The chapter on start with the soil, explains micro and macro nutrients such as nitrogen, the qualities of healthy soil, and how to improve what you have. Compost is explained, fertilizers recommended, and seed starting is covered. Some of the unusual ideas include placing heating cables at the bottom of a raised bed to get the temperature up when needed. One of the authors wraps her greenhouse in bubble wrap in the winter. And, she keeps finches in the greenhouse. Aspirin water is recommended for greenhouse plants. Dissolve 3 aspirin (80 mm) in 4 gallons of water and spray. If you are in the ...

Noble County Oklahoma native J. C. Raulston was a modern plant hunter who became an educator, horticultural ambassador and plantsman at North Carolina State University. Now, there is an 8-acre arboretum in his name. Here's a link to the Raulston Arboretum so you can take a look and maybe plan a visit. The book is available at author Bobby J. Wards's site here . On a recent trip, I had time to read the entire 350 pages and loved every minute of it. We have all read about the Brother Gardeners, Bartram, Fairchild et al from the 1790s. Lancaster was a modern day version with an equally complex life. It's interesting isn't it that most of us know less about Raulston than we do about those historic figures? Ward was a friend of Raulston for 10 years before J. C.'s death in an auto accident in 2006. Biography, plant history, botany, Oklahoma, institutional politics, sociology - it's all here.

"Dirt! The Movie", produced by Independent Lens is nothing short of remarkable in its scope and approach. Inspired by "Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth" by William Bryant Logan, the one-hour PBS documentary will be an eye opening and inspiring watch for millions of Americans. Here's a link to the YouTube trailer. There is a list of community showings and a discussion guide so you can help people in your community become active. This is the discussion pdf link . Pages 7, 8 and 9, of the pdf provide references and plenty of links you can use to keep the conversation going. The history of soil and its importance to animal life is demonstrated from the beginning of time to the present. The role we can each play to maintain and improve the health of our life-giving soil is illustrated in interviews with activists around the world. It's unfortunate that there are a few portions in this otherwise well-rounded production that are inappropriate for young viewer...