All the Dirt on Gardening

Below is another terrific resource for planning your fall garden from Bountiful Gardens . However! Please note that they are in Willits CA which is USDA zone 8B and their advice is based on their soil, temperatures, etc. My garden is in Northeast Oklahoma zone 7 and while I often give advice for other zones I'm specific about it. I'll be starting peas, beans, lettuce, chard and kale soon but our soil temperature is still too high. I learned that by putting in seeds 2 weeks ago -they just sat there. This is worth a read just for the reminders so we'll succeed with fall veggies. Garden Tips For Now: Fall and winter gardening is easier than summer gardening in lots of ways-- there are fewer w e eds, fewer pests, no glut, and a slower pace that makes keeping up easier. Anything you grow is so appreciated when the days are cold. The hard part is knowing when to start those fall crops. In most places, most plants won't grow much in winter--they need to be ...

This year the catalog list includes several new seed sellers, many of which produce their own seeds in open pollinated fields. Every year I buy seed to try, testing the germination rate, so I can recommend sources you may not have tried in the past. Most of the companies listed below charge under $5 shipping for small orders. Hopefully, this list includes some that are new to you.   Bountiful Gardens - heirloom seeds including Creasy Greens medicinal and culinary herbs. The Cold Comfort collection includes Echinacea, mint, yarrow, horehound, catnip, chamomile and hyssop, $11. www.bountifulgardens.org and 707-459-6410. Chiltern Seeds, England - unique flower and vegetable varieties for U.S. gardeners, including Pumpkin Nuts, a peel-less pumpkin grown for its seeds which can be eaten without peeling. Request the vegetable catalog www.chilternseeds.co.uk and 44-1229-581137 Fedco has 4 divisions: Seeds, tubers, organics, trees and bulbs. Vegetables include Poona Kheera cuc...

The Bountiful Gardens 2010 catalog lists Phacelia tanacetifolia - 1250 seeds for $2.25. Lavender flowers, forms dense carpet, helps soil hold moisture, prevents weeds between plants and rows AND attracts beneficial insects. Plus, makes good compost. Anything to attract pollinators gets my eye. I ordered the seeds this morning. Do you grow Phacelia Purple Tansy? I'm asking because the cultivation information is contradictory from site to site. Small Farm Success says it is planted widely in California vineyards. Grows quickly, one of the top 20 bee attracting plants, high quality nectar for a long period with abundant flowers. It's native to the southwest U.S. and Mexico, needs dark and cool soil - 37 to 68-degrees to germinate, spring planted seeds flower 6 to 8 weeks after germination, and requires 13 hours of light to flower. AND - if you want your crops pollinated, plant purple tansy to bloom at a different time because pollinators will avoid your crop in favor of tansy...