Join Us In Community

Sitting here in February searching for hope as the news drummed on with financial disaster stories I could only be thankful that I am a gardener - one, I had a great pile of seed catalogues to warm my vision and memory, two, I knew that I could grow my own food, and three, I have great clients who allow me to explore my creativity in their soil, and with their palates - I love dreaming up new Kitchen Gardens for these people.

Having trained innumerable young gardeners for 20 years now, I am also aware of how little most people know about growing - food or flowers, and I recall my great enthusiasm that first kitchen garden I planted - and what a miserable failure it was!  I celebrate ignorance - it leads me to wonderful new things - so I decided to call on various friends and gardening associates on island to see if we couldn't put together a reverse "county fair" - nothing to show for our efforts like traditional county fairs held in the fall, but a fair, a fete to celebrate spring and our desire to bring forth a harvest.

We are all engaged in conversations of late about how to bring a sense of community back to our island - I believe community happens when people join together to share their skills for the common cause - in this case a healthy source of food and a means of stewarding our land.

Please look at the various blogs on this site for information on our first annual organic gardening festival, who will be leading workshops, how to register, the wonderful people who are giving their time, talent, skills and money to share with their community.  And then ...

Mark your calendar for     May 9             Register            and join us.

Schedule for May 9 Workshops: and directions to 84 Egan 

Please register for these workshops : 

eatyourgarden@hotmail.com / 228-2093

We decided due to so many late registrations and time limits on my part that the blog will need to be your guide for hand out materials - refer back to this site for information on the workshops you participated in, and if you have questions please email me at eatyourgarden@hotmail.com

If the $15 fee is keeping you from joining us, don't let it - we can waive it, this is about Community joining to share skills, and to enjoy being a community.

You might want to consider bringing a picnic if you plan to spend some time, Annyes is providing some food and drinks - but you know best what you like.

10 am:  Raised bed building - Dane. Materials to use, construction pointers.

11 am:  "Lasagna Gardening" - Claudia Butler, Dylan Wallace - a method for building soil using layers; planting tips for lasagna gardens

12 noon:  Filling the Raised beds - Chapin Kline & Cinda Gaynor - soil mixes, proportions of compost, peat, native soil, fertilizers.

1 pm: In Ground Gardens - A Slosek or 2! working with native soils, amendments, fertilizers; planting techniques.

2 pm:  Square Foot Gardening - Natalie -  a planting technique for maximum production in minimum space

 

3 pm:  Container Gardening - Ellie Huyser -  Grow carrots in a pot?  Tomatoes in a tire? soil mix, fertilizers, planting techniques for containers

The Garden Gams will be ongoing throughout the day.

Directions: Old South Road toward the airport, left on Egan lane - go thru the large "S" curve - there will be a straight-away in front of you - The Gardens is the first on right on the straight-away - look for our poster.

Garden Gams: This is the unscheduled informal part of Saturday - these resources will be here at different points - Laura Simon and  A-Z seed information; Jim Gross is bringing a hive and is certainly our Mr Bee on Nantucket - they are expecting to spend the day with us; Jason Sullivan will be here  at noon with information on Organic Lawn Care; Caroline Ellis is bringing her "girls" the  chickens and will be available to discuss the joy of fresh eggs  ; Ashley Mott from Pumpkin Pond Farm  will be here in morning and will present beneficial insects.  We have generous donations for Organic Gardening magazines, seed catalogues from great organic seed companies, and a special treat for the young gardeners - Surprize! is the best way I can describe it. Those Mushroom guys will be joining us to show and tell about this new growing enterprise on Nantucket

Look for our poster. Kudos and gratitude to Anne Butler Sutherland for allowing us to use this wonderful painting of carrots, and thank you to Jack Weinhold for putting it all in a great graphic design.

Also huge thanks to Nantucket Land Council for assisting with the advertising that more people  will know about us and be able to take advantage of "growing school"

Laura Simon of the most beautiful organic garden on island has also been very generous with both her time in obtaining seed catalogues from her special companies for us, as well as donating funds to help pay for poster printing and other materials we will be needing. 

Until I can figure out how to link - go to: www.annesutherlandart.com to view more of Annes wonderful paintings.  She is exhibiting at  South Wharf Gallery on India this year.

Coast of Maine has most generously donated product that they sell at Bartlett Farm

 - Lobster compost, potting soils, and untreated mulches.

Thanks to Greg Maskell and Chapin Kline of Maskell Landscape  for a whole truck full of locally grown compost - unloaded even!

Lindsay of Atlantic Landscape is not only lending us Natalie for the day, but thoughtfully donated soil amendments to use in our Raised Bed garden

My friend Margaret has just won a coveted award from James Beard Society - I've attempted to link her blog here - look for the other Sunset blogs in their "one block diet" series - could we do a "One Island Diet"??

 

Organic Vegetable Gardening Fete - May 9. 2009

Our first annual (?) Organic Vegetable Gardening Fete!  May 9, 2009 10 am - 4 pm

Hosted by The Gardens - Nantucket Wildflower at 84 Egan Lane ( off Old South Rd)

This will be a series of formal workshops (see list below) to give hands-on experience in organic gardening to non-gardeners, and new information to non-organic gardeners.  We will also have informal "Garden Gams" on going through the day.

Gardeners experienced with growing organic vegetables and the various specific soil and planting techniques on Nantucket will be leading each workshop.

Formal workshops: you will need to register for these

Raised Bed Gardens - check out This Old House video, 3 part workshop

Square Foot Gardens - book, and on-line info

Lasagna Gardens - book, and on-line info

In Ground Gardens

Container Gardens

The informal Garden Gams will cover subjects ranging from Bees, Compost, Fencing, Seed an Seeding, Perennial crops, Chickens, Organic Lawn care, Beneficial Insects

For those who might be new to Nantucket, "Gam" is an old Nantucket word for a talk e.g.. " had a good gam with Janet at the post office today"

Watch this blog for updates, information on organic kitchen gardening.

We are asking that you register so we can keep groups a workable size, and we will need to  have handouts printed - also why we are charging an admission fee, to help cover some of the

 costs.

Registration:  eatyourgarden@hotmail.com,  or call: 508-228-2093 expect to leave a message, you will be called back with a confirmation.  Fees will be paid on admission.

Many great thanks to the Nantucket Land Council - just for being themselves - but also for picking up the advertising costs for this event that more Islanders might know about the event, and be able to attend.

Workshop leaders:

Raised beds : Dane from Seaside Gardens will build the frame, tips on what wood to use, how to secure the frame.  Chapin Kline will be demonstrating how to fill the new raised bed,  we will show how to mix native soils with composts, manures, organic fertilizers ( what to  use, how much, what it should look like when you are finished) Natalie will be leading the planting of the  Raised beds in The "Square Foot Gardening" method -  this workshop will be in 3 sections to allow time for question and answer times. Just in, Winnie of Graves Fencing is going to build a classic "square foot garden" frame - but for seniors - a 4'x4' frame 30 " high. 

Lasagna Gardening: This workshop will be lead by Claudia Butler and Dylan Wallace.  Known as "Native Gardeners" they have been focused on organic gardening for some time as many of you know, their pickup even runs on vegetable oil! Lasagna refers to a method of layering materials to build a great organic soil

In Ground Garden:  We are fortunate to  have  several Sloseks, of Moors End Farm, who have volunteered for  this workshop -  essentially this program will demonstrate what you do with native soil - the good, the bad and of course the ugly.  We enjoy mostly sandy soils here, but there are varieties of that, and then there are those clay pockets.  How to identify what your soil is, what amendments do you need, how much?  what fertilizers to use, how to apply it, how much to apply - what should your mix look like when it is ready to plant

Container Gardening:  Ellie Huyser, the cheery soul who persons the check out counter at Valeros grew all her vegetables in containers last year - and had great success, so she will share her experiences with this workshop - what soil to use in a container, what fertilizers, how much to apply, when to apply.

Ringmaster:  Cinda Gaynor, thats me - I'll be around adding my advice, direction, tips from my experience, filling in where needed - and encouraging the Garden Gam with various people who will join us through the day with great experience in all sort of garden related information: beekeeping, compost,  Caroline Ellis is bringing her "girls" ( chickens) to share their tales of life in Quaise Pasture,  Ashley Mott from Pumpkin Pond Farm is taking about beneficial insects. ,  Laura Simon will be here to discuss seed issues - she has several companies who have sent their catalogues to share, fencing issues, Jason Sullivan will give us an overview of Organic Lawn Care - the Gam is wide open for garden talk - join in!

I do not know who created this delightful poster,

I wish I did so I could thank them.  Hope you enjoy it

as much as I have

Workshop highlights

Square Foot Gardening

The Square Foot Gardening technique is more a planting style, and we will be covering this in our workshops - you can go to their website at any time and get tips and information.

For the May 9 Garden Fete  this workshop will be the 3rd part of the Raised Bed section - our raised bed will be filled in part 2, and then planted out in this style for part 3

These are  the "bullet" point sheets we will give you May 9 - basics we will cover in the demonstration.

Raised Bed construction:

Preparing the site/considerations

Is the site level?

Is the site an existing garden space or will it be constructed on a lawn area?

Amount of sunlight and irrigation

Existing garden space:  Level approximate area and set frame level with stakes installed every 4' inside of the frame.  Loosen soil with in frame with a garden fork and or shovel.  Fill bottom with 2-4" of well rotted compost, cover with a layer of cardboard or 3-6 sheets wet newspaper and fill remaining 8" or so with composted garden soil, fertilizers, leaf mold.

Lawn area:  Cut turf out within the dimensions of the frame with a metal edger and shovel saving the sod.  Break up the soil with a garden fork or shovel and level area with a rake.  Set frame level using stakes installed every 4' inside of frame.  Lay sod upside down inside frame and cover with cardboard or wet newspaper.  Fill remaining *" or so with your garden soil.

Construction:

Materials ( for a 4' x 12' raised bed)

  - (2)  12', 2x10

  - (2)  3'9" , 2x10

  - (4)  18" - 24" corner braces with a 45 degree angle cut on ends

  - (1)  3'9"  2x4 mid-support

  -  3 1/2 " nails or screws - galvanized or stainless

  - (4-6)  2-3'  2x4 stakes

Description:

 - Nail together frame "upside down" next to prepared site.

 - Square frame using 3' 4' 5' triangle method, or by measuring diagonally both ways making    sure to have even measurements.

 - Attach corner braces when frame is square

 - Install mid-support at center

 - Flip the frame over into prepared soil and level by driving stakes every 4' inside and          attaching to frame using nails or screws.

 - Fill the frame as described above, plan your garden, and Happy Planting!

Questions? - Ask for Dane at Seaside Gardens Inc. - 165 Hummock Pond Road or call: 508-228-1732

Square Foot Gardening:

Planning

–      Grow only what you will use

–      Draw a map and use it (don’t forget to save it for next year)

–      Rely on succession planting to extend the growing season

–      Practice crop rotation

Benefits of Raised Bed Gardening

–      Better production per square foot

–      Easy to amend and fortify soil

–      Advantageous for water conservation

–      Easier on the back

–      Less difficult to control pests

–      Warms up faster so seeds and seedlings can be started earlier

Basic Rules of Square Foot Gardening

–      Don’t walk on the growing soil. (easier to accomplish with a raised bed)

–      Keep replanting each square as it is harvested.

–      Cover newly planted seeds and seedlings to protect them.

–      Water with sun warmed water.

–      Add humus (organic matter) to the soil every time you plant a crop.

–      Plant only 1-2 seeds in their final spacing.

–      Use spacing rules for 12” square

Spacing and Planting

–      One plant per 12” grid

·      Vine tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, corn, eggplant, musk melon, peppers

–      Four plants per 12” grid

·      Swiss chard, leaf lettuce, parsley

–      Nine plants per 12” grid

·      Bush beans, spinach

–      Sixteen plants per 12” grid

·      Beets, radishes, carrots, onions

Reference Material

Bartholomew, Mel. Square Foot Gardening. The Rodale Press, 2005.               

www.squarefootgardening.com

And another from Natalie who will be demonstrating Square Foot planting techniques May 9

Square Foot Gardening Bullet Points
1. What Is the square foot method?
 -squares Instead of rows
 - plant only what you desire to harvest
 - reduce material and water waste
 - reduce maintenance ie. weeding, thinning etc
2. Climbing/ VinIng plants
 -vertical structures
 - space saving and easier on the back to harvest
3. Companion planting
 - pest deterrent crops ie. onions, garlic, marigolds and nasturtiums
plated In alternating squares.
 - legumes In the garden and as cover crops such as red clover
NITROGEN FIXING
4. Crop rotation
 - prevent nutrient deficiency
 - prevent pest attraction
5. Succession Planting (kind of like companion planting but different
because It deals with timing)
 -always have a continuous harvest-- don't get stuck with 56 carrots
all at the same time!
 - quick maturing vs long season crops (Inter sowing In the same
space) ie. radishes and carrots or arugula and peppers
6. Planting
for this I will show how to direct sow and also how to transplant
seedlings I will also go through the logistics of buying,storing and
planting: seed potatoes, onion sets and garlic cloves
 - placement of full sun and partial sun vegetables
7. Harvest

Don't treat your soil like dirt!

This is part of the "bullet points" for soils - in general, but specifically for the raised beds workshops. - from Natalie 

Soil filling/ mixing bullet points:

Importance of healthy soil:
 -high organic matter
 -high rate of microorganisms and bacteria
 -how synthetic fertilizers and excessive and unnecessary
pesticides/fungicides will set soil health back
2. Soil Structure-
 -sand, silt and clay plus at least 8%-12% Organic matter
 -drainage
 -how soil should feel In the hand/ the clumping test
3. Amendments for sandy Nantucket soil
 -peat moss/ vermiculite
 -green sand
 -compost
 -well rotted manure
 -leaf mold
  -humus and how It works (don't worry I wont go Into cationic exchange
capacity)
 -Importance of earthworms!
4. Fertilizers
 I don't really use fertilizers often I rely on healthy soils
 -organic vs. synthetic
 -slow release vs quick release
DON'T FEED THE PLANT FEED THE SOIL
5. PH
 -Importance of PH being right for the plant
 -plant cannot access nutrients unless PH Is right
 - Nantucket PH, soil tests and amendments like lime and wood as

Lasagna Gardening

This book was given me one hectic Thanksgiving weekend.  I set it aside thinking it was about growing a garden for a Mediterranean diet - interesting, but not pressing.

When i finally got to it mid-winter reading time I had a very pleasant surprise!

Yes, she does a great job on "how to grow" most vegetables one would want , but the book is about a system of "no-till" no digging, method of building healthy, deep fertile soil.  

A Winner!

At our gardening fete in May, this is one of the methods of soil preparation that will be demonstrated.

Beginning with sod and working up - sod, heavy layer of wet newspaper, peat moss, compost, peat moss, compost, peat moss, grass clippings, peat moss, chopped leaves, pat moss, topped with wood ashes - with bone meal, blood meal, and maybe some lime sprinkled between the layers -  as you can see uses peat moss between each of the layers. - This is the "Lasagna" of this method - the layering.

What you plant is basic:  what you eat, what grows in your region, etc - it is not limited to Italian cuisine.  

Other than creating a very easy way to build soil, this book also take you through various plant selections, is filled with information on growing each of them,  and  various ways of applying this method.

Patricia Lanza is an experienced Gardener, Chef, Inn keeper,radio show host - her experience has enriched mine. 

"Lasagna Gardening"  Rodale Gardening Books, ISBN# 0-87596-962-3 in paperback

This from Claudia Butler and Dylan Wallace - the "bullet" points for their workshop.Lasagna Gardening Basics Workshop May 9^th, 2009“One year I was so busy that I didn’t have the garden tilled at allI plied it high with the contents of all the compost piles, several bales of peat moss, and lots of aged barn litter.  I bought plants, plunked them in holes, and gave them a rough mulch of grass clippings each time I mowed.”

·      Based on commonsense approach w/ readily available natural materials

·      Saves work, energy, time and money.

·      After the initial installation you simply mulch each spring-no tilling or digging required!

·      Layers keep garden bed cool and damp, requiring less watering

·      Recycles household wastes on site into fertilizer and mulch & keeps it out of the landfills.

• Chemical free, healthy for your family and the environment.

* Planting Basics:

·      Soil Test; ask for “organic” recommendations.

·      “Charge” existing soil with water, amend to adjust pH if needed

·      Smother grass & weeds with thick pads of black & white News Paper or clean Cardboard, making sure to over lap edges by 3-4 inches

·      Next add 2-3 inches of peat or pine duff, for paths add wood chips instead.

·      Then spread 4-8 inch layer of organic mulch.

·      Repeat peat/mulch layers until 18+ inches.

• Each bed will be different depending on your materials.

* “Cooking” the Bed; reduces height & creates a loose, crumbly soil quickly.

·      Use 4X as much brown (carbon) material such as peat moss, hay, straw,  & chopped leaves, small twigs-as you do green (high-nitrogen) materials such as kitchen scraps, and fresh manure.  ** Use a compost thermometer to check that the temperature of the beds reach 150F when using fresh manure.

·      Apply material in 4-6 inch layers while at the same time sprinkling organic soil amendments such as wood ash (clean), sea weed (washed), oyster shells (crushed), bone meal, as well as lime or sulfur to adjust pH.

·      Be sure to check all the products you purchase have an OMRI (Organic Materials Review) seal on the packaging to be sure it is completely “organic”.

·      When the bed is18-24 inches high, cover with a dark material such as plastic, or cover with a thick layer of old straw that is weed seed free.

·      With the right amount of sun, moisture and temperature the bed will break down into beautiful soil in 6-8 weeks, with the help of billions of living organisms in the soil.

Lead by Dylan Wallace & Claudia Butler

NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals

Nantucket Native, specializing in Edible and Medicinal Plants

Contact: nantucketnative@gmail.com

           www.NantucketNative.net

Sources

*      LASAGNA GARDENING: A NEW LAYERING SYSTEM FOR BOUNTIFUL GARDENS: NO DIGGING, NO TILLING, NO WEEDING, NO KIDDING! By Patricia Lanza. St. Martin’s Press, 1998.

*      OMRI web site has current products lists and publications,http://www.omri.org/.

     *   NOFA information & handbook, http://www.nofamass.org/pubs/index.php. 

Container Gardening

If you have a sunny space for a pot on your patio,deck, windowbox, you have room enought to grow summer veggies.  For some varieties it is best to choose compact varieties, expect to train vining crops like bean, pea, squash on supports.

Containers: Large - from 18 to 24 inches wide and 12-16 inches deep will keep roots from drying out quickly and give them room to grow.  Plastic, terracotta, wood - with drainage holes.

Potting Soil: I use a commercial mix that includes pine bark and is not too fine - there are organic potting soils but I don't have experience with them yet.

Fertilizers:  aged chicken manure 3 parts potting soil to one part chicken. I would also add 1/2 cup of bone meal in a 24 inch pot - less for smaller.  The liquid organic fertilizers are good - especially if you are noticing deficiencies - yellow leafs, yellow margins on your leafs - I use fish based products  and foliar feed as well - spray or pour over leafs - Neptunes Harvest claims it repels deer..

http://www.sunset.com/garden/fruits-veggies/best-crops-for-pots-00400000012139/  Sunset Magazine has great advice on everything - go to this site for Best Crops for Pots - and hundreds of other ideas - do remember it is a West Coast Magazine, so the weather patterns are different - it's generally warmer year round.

Organic Gardening magazine

The Rodale people who publish this wonderful magazine have just sent me a whole box of their current issue to hand out at our Gardening Fete May 9 - is that great or what?

I do encourage you to go to their site frequently as everything you ever wanted to know is within their archives.

Happy learning!

April Fools!

Check out the Swiss Spaghetti Harvest!

Risky food

You can look on any number of websites for these lists,  I've tried to limit them to things that grow well on Nantucket.  I encourage you to look at these other sites for information on fruits and other foods so you can make sound decisions when shopping. 

 These are also the foods you might most want to plant in your own garden  - at least you will know what you are eating.

These are foods that are grown with sizable quantities of pesticides, herbicides, they are often "GM" foods (genetically modified).  The soils are usually laden with non organic fertilizers - I also have issues with the labor practices and health of laborers working with so many chemicals.

Apples

Bell Peppers

Celery

Spinach

Strawberries

Potatoes

Red Raspberries

Lettuce

Cabbage

Carrots

Apples can be a difficult crop on Nantucket - "Cedar-Apple Rust"  is a fungus transmitted from Cedar trees to Apple trees,  an  Apple tree should not be planted within 500 yards of a Cedar tree - good luck on Nantucket!  

You might consider "Espalier" trees - flat trees grown against a wall, fence, small so you can easily apply an organic fungicide

Pears do well here.

The Little Stuff

You shouldn't walk on the soil in your garden once it is prepared.  You can track in new diseases, you compact the soil.  Create workable beds that you can reach from all sides, lay some sort of pathway between them.  Lumber, Stone, Gravel, Landscape cloth, Mulch.

When you plant, don't press the soil around the plant/seedling - it can create air pockets, wait until you are finished planting, then "water" in so all the soil particles settle around the roots of your plant.

Critical when transplanting plants : that they go in no deeper than the level that they are now living.  If they are too deep, soil will cover stem, trunk, and rot the stem.  too high and they could dry out.  The only plant capable of adjusting itself in soil so it is at the proper depth is a true Lily - and I think that is truly awe some.

Some basic gardening terms

Soil - is what the good earth has given us to grow in.  Sandy, Clay, Loam, combinations of the same.

Soil amendments - are not necessarily fertilizers, but organic substances we incorporate into soil to adjust it to our crops needs, and to make a better soil. Compost, leaf mold, peat moss are the usual amendments - organic products that will continue to break down, add air to soil, act as sponges to hold water and nutrients.

Fertilizers - plant need basic nutrients to thrive.  The "major" nutrients are NPK - Nitrogen, Phosphors, Potassium - minor nutrients are also necessary. A plant will not survive with out sufficient quantities and proportions of Major nutrients.

Organic fertilizers -  are fertilizers derived from plants and animals.  Chemical fertilizers are derived through chemical processes.

Certified Organic - is a means of producing food, plants and animals that follow strict codes established by our governments.  We now have a national organic code that one must qualify to be certified.  Previously we had various states codes eg: Oregon Tilth, California Organic.  Most home gardeners ought not tie themselves up with certification. Practice organic methods, use organic products for healthy soils and healthy food, but certification is complicated, expensive and requires a lot of time.

Cover crops -  a crop one can plant to hold nutrients in the soil when a crop is not growing, or to hold soils over winter to protect from erosion and nutrient loss.  Good to turn the cover crop into the soil early in season so it becomes compost.

Frost dates - last date to expect frost in spring,  first date to expect frost in Fall.  Frost will freeze your plants, and kill them.  You can protect crops from frost by placing blankets and various crop covers when you suspect a frost is due.

Heavy Freeze - this is a crop killer.

Hardening off - plants raised indoors or in a green house are "tender"  they have not yet formed the tough cells to prevent sunburn, wind damage, light frost damage.  Plants need a protected period when the are placed outdoors, but under some sort of cover.  an unheated cold frame, a plastic hoop, under a table - especially at night.  A week or two will have them ready to move into permanent positions.

Crop covers - usually spun polyester floating blankets "Remay" is a brand name, holds in heat, protects from insects, prey, rain can pass through.  Winter blankets are heavy white fiberfill like blankets and protect plants over winter.  

Shade blankets - fabric woven to lightly shade crops like lettuce durning hot sunny days.

Bolt-  when a cool season crop , like Lettuce, Spinach get to hot, too much sun, they get very tall and start to set seed - "bolt" upwards  unless you want the seed, it is time to put this plant in the compost pile.

Cool season crops -  some plants grow well in the "cool season"  spring and fall, shorter day lenght, cool nights, cooler days  -Lettuce, Spinach, Peas are some of these.  You can manipulate growing conditions to a certain degree to prolong these crops - plant where they will receive more shade, use shade cloths.

Warm season crops - some plants grow best in hotter weather, will not grow in cool weather, they like longer day lengths and warmer nights Tomatoes, Eggplants, Corn, Squash, Sweet Potatoes are some of these.  You can manipulate growing  conditions to encourage some of these - crop covers, dark mulches, clear "cloches", grow in controlled green houses.

What is Organic?  Should I be certified? - Laura Simon

 Sometimes would be organic gardeners are daunted by the  word "certified" that so often precedes "organic" on food labels and in the press. It conjures up visions of endless forms, applications, and government intrusion, but this is true only if you are planning to sell your produce to Whole Foods. There is no certification process for home gardeners. Organic gardening is not about doing paperwork. It's about feeding the soil naturally, so the soil can feed the vegetables and flowers. It's about  banishing chemical fertilizers and poisonous insect sprays from your tool shed and your food. Organic gardening is about taking lessons from Nature. You pass the first time you bite into a sun-ripened, juicy tomato or a just-picked crunchy salad and know that you are eating pure, delicious food with no toxic seasonings. Good health. That's all the  certification you need.

Soils:  for now please go to my other blog - thegardens-nantucket - ( click at top of page) look in March for the soils blog - always being added to.

When to start seed on Nantucket

Sat down with Laura Simon a while back, Laura has the most beautiful organic vegetable garden I have ever seen.  She has such happy combinations of flowers, vines, fruit, vegetables, happy dogs who like to retrieve squash, chickens mulling about - it's idyllic.  

I asked her for help in determining seeding times, as she is the most dedicated vegetable gardener that I know here

I don't know how to post links yet, but go to the "farmers almanac" on google and look at their schedules.

in general , later than you think -but preparing the soil early is not a bad thing, especially as we get so busy here starting at least 2 weeks before memorial day.

Laura starts most of her seed indoors, she has set up a great space in what is normallly her guest room.  it's upstairs, war, south and west facing windows.  She  has an oil cloth on the floor, a table set up with more oil cloth to  set her trays on, and an upper frame so she can use grow lights if needed.  Nice to have it all indoors as these days are still so cold.

many of her seedlings she is able to set out into great cold frames when they have established roots, so there is room for the next round, and so those seedlings begin the" hardening off" process.. acclimating themselves to temperature fluctuations and building stronger systems (see garden terms blog).

I started mine yesterday 3/31  in the walk-in cold frame.  I have heat mats attached to a thermostat, placed on insulated material, and at first i use covers on the trays to keep heat and moisture in - the weather is very up and down. Bottom heat is consistent, but air temp fluctuates and could harm new sprouts.  On the other hand, leaving he clear lids on the flats too long and various fungal  diseases can set in in that nice warm moist place.

These are special mats developed for horticultural use - they are sealed, water cannot enter, do not use a heating pad!

This year I'm also covering the flats at night with some winter blanket I have on hand - I really loathe paying for the electric, so it's a conservation effort on my part.

A neighbor has a shelf by a window over his heating.  He adds a regular light bulb to increase light and add some warmth.

Read those packages, go on line, different seed germinates at different temperatures, and with different day lengths.  Also note the time of maturity - say 52 days for a squash,  what will you be doing in 52 days?  Maybe you should wait 2 weeds before you start your seeds.

A note on lettuce - easy to start, bolts when it gets hot, unless you have a customer who wants to buy lettuce from you, grow just as much as you can use in a given time, and plan to replace on a regular basis.  Lettuce is very pretty, so think of innovative ways to use it in containers, window boxes & perennial beds.

Organic Vegetable Gardening Fete and Teach-In May 2009

The First Annual (?) Nantucket Community Organic Garden Festival and Teach-in is on the road!

May 9, 2009  The Gardens will host an organic vege garden teach in, community exchange, resource sharing - "how to" for those who haven't and updates for those who do.

Bring the kids, tools, questions, clothing you want to get dirty.

To date we have some wonderful Nantucket gardeners joining us as workshop leaders: