2010 January

January was a great month for very little work and a lot of harvesting.
We had a lot of rain so we didn't have to water much.

Harvesting: Chard,onions,cabbage,lettuce,white ice-cycle radish,parsley,cilantro,carrots. We dried a lot of cilantro, cayenne and parsley and put into bottles. We picked a head of cabbage and made a nice batch of sauerkraut.

Activities: Racking leaves,mowing them to assist decomposition, adding to compose pile

Planting: 15 January planted in cups: Tomatoes,banana squash, merigold, egg plant, and coriander. This picture is after 1 week. Everything came up. I will put into the ground February 15.

We also canned 12 dozen quarts of pinto beans. Having them already canned makes for quick meals.

We ground up a lot of cayenne pepper from our harvesting this year. Even with plastic gloves and a mask, my eyes were burning and I had a hard time breathing. I finally went outside to finish the job. We have a LOT of cayenne pepper powder!

I discovered the "SOUTHERN EXPOSURE SEED EXCHANGE" company. They have over 700 open pollinated varieties. They do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants. Quoting them: "The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families, and kingdoms poses great biological risks, as well as economic, political and cultural threats. We wish to support agricultural practice that encourages healthier soils, genetically divers agricultural ecosystems, and ultimately, people and communities."

They encourage people to save their own seeds for replanting and give instructions how to do it, They also encourage seed exchange between the backyard gardener and small farmers. They also have interesting tidbits about the history of heirloom seeds; where they originated, etc. I am excited to get some seeds from them and start my own heirloom seeds.

I am now keeping track of the seeds I purchase to preserve the pedigree of the seeds I use and save. You can look under "Seeds" of the opening page of this blog to get links to the seeds I am keeping track of.

Activities for next month:

Vegetable Beds: It’s time to prepare the beds. Turn under 3”-4” mulch, compost or well-rotted manure then add per 100 sq. ft. 3-5 lbs. soil sulfur or 6-10 lbs gypsum, and 3 lbs ammonium phosphate (16-20-0). Water the area well.

February Vegetable Planting: Sow Seeds: asparagus (Martha Washington), beets, carrots, Swiss chard, leaf lettuce, onions, cantaloupe, corn, potatoes, radishes, spinach, watermelon. Set Plants: peppers (California Wonder, Yolo Wonder, Sweet Bell Boy), tomatoes (Early Girl, Better Boy, Champion, Celebrity, Columbia, Pearson Improved, or Rowpac

Trees & Shrubs: February is the last month for pruning fruit trees. It’s fertilizing time for fruit trees, nut trees, shade trees, shrubs, vines. Fertilize citrus with 21-0-0 ammonium sulfate or other citrus food formulas.

Mildew: powdery mildew may appear on new rose growth, grapes, cucumbers. A fungicide or sulfur powder will help protect new leaf growth. For control, try a mixture of 1/3 tsp. baking soda, a dash of dish soap, and 12 oz of water. Spray every 3-4 days.