Garden Wisdom Blog — organic

Through April and May we enjoyed a very robust display of lupins planted around our farmhouse and over the septic berm. The blue and purple flowers were visible from the nearby overpass and painted a streak of colour across the property. These perennial flowers begin to bloom just after the last frost date, and usually finish just before the end of spring. Lupin flowers are rich in nectar, so they’re great for feeding domestic and wild bees. Like other members of the family Fabaceae, they fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil that will feed other plants, including food crops. Some...

It’s tempting to imagine, when planting a row of spring radishes, that they will be ready in perfect shape at harvest time, free from blemishes, and wholly uniform in size and shape. Typically, though, this is not the case. There are a number of common radish problems that can result from environmental impacts and a handful of garden pests. And there are some practical measures the home gardener can take to minimize them. Uniformity A commercial radish grower who contracts with grocery store distribution might opt for one of the hybrid varieties that have been bred for uniform growth. These...

Planting for fall & winter harvests has to start in the summer and fall. Just like we sow summer harvest crops in the late winter and spring – it’s the same concept. Did you know that many crops can be harvested from the garden fresh, even after the end of summer? Root crops like carrots and beets, and leafy greens like kale and scallions, even lettuce! View the West Coast Seeds Fall & Winter Gardening Guide here. Download the pdf (7MB) In our mild coastal climate we can grow some vegetables all winter without protection. You can eat these plants...

The bean is an annual plant of the family Fabaceae. This is a huge plant family, with over 19,000 species, so there are many interesting facts about beans. Only orchids and asters outnumber the members of this botanical group. Among the bean plant’s many close relatives are peas, runner beans, broad beans, soya beans, peanuts, alfalfa, clover, lupins, and sweet peas. All these plants are grouped botanically based on the common structure of their flowers and other characteristics. All of them can be considered “Legumes,” although most of them are inedible and many are even poisonous. The particular species we...

“Green manure” is the name given to cover crops that are planted for the purpose of adding nutrients and organic matter to the soil. These plants can be as effective as animal manure in producing humus, thereby increasing soil fertility and structure. Green manure cover crops are inexpensive to plant, and serve multiple purposes. Best of all, they can be put to work during times of the year when growing food crops is not feasible. A central concept of organic gardening is the notion of feeding the soil. We literally add organic matter to the soil to provide food for...