All the Dirt on Gardening

On the green front, California is considering a ban on all light bulbs that are not energy saving fluorescent. The ban would phase out all other bulbs by 2012. Of interest to organic gardeners and eaters, England proposed refusing to accept any produce that has to be flown into the country. The organic certification organization, Soil Association, cited the fact that air planes pollute the environment as their rationale. England and Canada are removing lawn pesticides to shelves behind the counter where purchase will require a prescription-type form. In the United States, organic growers and milk producers are having difficulty keeping up with demand. The industry as a whole is growing. In response, the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee designated Representative Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) to chair a new subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture. Think spring!

At Lowe's in Muskogee as well as other outlets, you will find late winter and early spring planted bare root plants. Here's what's in: Flowers: Forsythia, dahlia, peony, white and red honeysuckle, blue and peegee hydrangea, hosta, lily, caladium and elephant ears. Vegetables: several varieties potatoes and asparagus. Fruit: Grapes (concord, black monukka, red flame, etc); blackberries, raspberries (brandywine, latham red, heritage); and strawberries. Each of these plants has its own unique features and requirements. All bare root plants are drying out every day they sit in the boxes. Buy early. The roots can be soaked for an hour or up to overnight but you will have better luck if they have not been sitting around in a heated store for several weeks before you bring them home. In addition to the information printed on the packages, here are links to useful OSU fact sheets Home Fruit Planting Guide Vegetable planting tips Perennial Flowers for specific sites

Steve Upson at the Noble Foundation in Ardmore said he would send (at no charge) CD/DVD instructions for hoop house construction to anyone who emails him. Steve Upson email address is sdupson@noble.org

Cleaning out old emails, I found a few links of interest to those who would like a set of building plans for a small hoop greenhouse. Both provide photos, diagrams and list of materials with approximate cost to build. From North Carolina State University Extension services - 12 by 14 foot = 168 sq foot http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/postharv/green/small_greenhouse.pdf From Washington State University Extension services - 10 by 42 foot = 420 sq ft http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1825/eb1825.pdf And, the originating document about row covers and hoop houses is also a good read http://www.kitchengardeners.org/hoophouse.html

A new question came in about how to build a small green house inexpensively. A hoop house is usually recommended as a small project greenhouse. Take a look at the listings on this link at Build It Solar . Lots of possibilities there. Also, check the library. There are several do-it-yourself books with plans for basic greenhouses. Some long-time gardeners think that with global warming, a home gardener only needs a simple cold frame unless you have your heart set on a greenhouse. There is a set of instructions for a raised cold frame at Ron Hazleton's site. Click here to see them. If you can't find what you want at the library or online, The Noble Foundation in Ardmore has a DVD with instructions on how to build a $500 or $600 hoop house which is the minimum they cost to construct.

A reader asked about growing lavender and other herbs from seed and when to start them inside. For mail order seeds, two possibilities are Johnny's at http://www.johnnyseeds.com/ and Renee's Garden at http://www.reneesgarden.com . If you have a greenhouse you can start seeds now but if you are planning to grow from seed in the house you will need a florescent shop light type setup that hangs a couple of inches over the seed pots. One writer suggests lining the wall behind the seedlings with mylar to intensify the light. Renee's lavender seed package indicates that the seeds germinate at 60-to-70 degrees so they will need to be kept warm enough to get started. Or you will have to wait until the weather warms up above our current 30-degrees. You can click around Renee's site to read the packets on the others seeds they offer. Johnny's is very popular with local growers - here is the link to their lavender selection. http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/subcategory.a...

On the east coast, in Trenton New Jersey, a 19-year old started a gardening related business. He and his college friends gathered all the food waste from their college, Princeton University. They grew worms in the collected garbage and sold the resulting fertilizer in used soda bottles. The company, called TerraCycle , has grown 300 to 600 percent every year. They project $100 million in sales by 2015. Plants love worm fertilizer and retailers do, too. Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Home Depot and some WalMart locations stock it. Target is on line to carry the product next year. TerraCycle puts 30,000 gallons of worm fertilizer into 50,000 bottles a week. Look for this great, organic product. The full article is at http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/26/worm.fertilizer/index.html