natural, organic, fair, Health, Industries, equipment, accessories, containers, storage, wooden, hippie, soil, compost, fertilizer, mycorrhiza, maxicrop, metanatural, juice, living, soil, pottery, black, gold, windbell, bird, bath, bird, feeder, furniture, hammock, iron, pesticide, mosquito, trap, watering, tool, can, shovel, rake, hoe, down, earth, distributor, eugene, oregon, dte
| Healthy Soil, Healthy Plants Improving the soil is the foundation of organic gardening and farming. Strengthen the soil and plants will thrive because, like plants, soil is also a living organism. |
Nutritional Problems Nutritional disorders arise when a plant variety has particular needs or when too little or too much fertilizer is used. |
| Transplanting Tips Make sure you are not putting your plant in harm's way when moving it from one place to another. |
Gardening, Month to Month A list of tips that can be done each month. |
GARDENING CALENDER
March- Spread compost over garden and turn soil.
- Divide hostas, day lilies, chrysanthemum, lupines and daises.
- Grafting can now be started.
- Bring geraniums, fuchsias and begonias from storage and fertilize lightly with Down To Earth's Rose, Flower and Bulb Mix.
April
- Prepare garden soil for planting.
- Incorporate organic materials and other amendments as needs are shown by soil analysis. Prepare raised beds in areas where cold soils and poor drainage are a continuing problem.
- Place compost or well decomposed manure around perennial vegetable plants.
- Spread compost over garden and landscape areas.
May
- Fertilize maturing plants with fish emulsion and liquid seaweed on the soil as well as foliar spraying the leaves.
- Mulch beds with straw to keep soil cool and moist.
- Hill up leeks and potatoes.
- Harvest the outer leaves of spinach, lettuce, and greens for early salad. Flavor with thinnings of root crops.
- Gradually harden off cukes, eggplants, squash, pumpkins, and mid to late season tomatoes. Gently transplant on a cloudy day or evening and apply row covers. We recommend Reemay.
- Take cuttings of perennials and softwood shrubs, dip in a rooting compound and trim lower leaves to prevent evaporation. Keep cuttings moist and out of sunlight.
- Water newly planted trees deeply once a week. Fertilize with compost. Liquid sprays also help.
- Kelp sprays helps fruit trees by suppling potassium for increased sugar production and boron, a mineral deficient in Willamette Valley soils.
- Prune out suckers and waterspouts from fruit trees. Thin apples after June drop; one apple every six inches.
- Pick faded blossoms from Rhododendron & Azaleas by carefully snapping to one side. Be careful not to break off new growth underneath.
- Bleeding Heart, anchusa and oriental poppy can be divided if dormant.
- Daffodils can be divided if too crowded. Wait until tips die and turn yellow before digging.
- Blueberries - Vigorous canes, which grew several feet this year, should be cut 4 to 5 inches. This produces lateral branches that will bear next year.
- Water deeply to encourage deep rooting and so you won't need to water as often.
- Remove diseased leaves from roses and rose beds.
- Groom, feed or replant container plants.
- Order spring-flowering bulbs.
- Remember to moisten compost piles.
- Sow lettuce, mustard greens, turnips, radish, kale, peas, Walla Walla onions and spinach.
- Plant garlic, peas and turnips.
- For something different, 'Chinese Misato Rose' radishes, nicknamed "watermelon radishes" for their beautiful red hearts, can be planted late August through September.
- In the vegetable garden, pull up bygone or heavily diseased plantings, and take down pea trellises and bean poles. Once tomatoes are frosted, remove stakes, brush off soil thoroughly, and store in a dry place. next year, dipping stakes in a weak bleach solution can help avoid diseases such as bacterial canker.
- Continue to remove weeds, especially mature ones that have been hiding under the foliage of crop plants.