Kasvimaalla (Finland)

Q What steps should I take to begin growing my vegetables organically?

A First, stop using chemical pesticides and fungicides. When you garden organically, you won’t ever use those products, and even approved “organic” pesticides will be your last resort. There are lots of effective pest-control methods that don’t involve spraying, but you can also try homemade sprays using such ingredients as baking soda and dishwashing liquid. These may solve all, or nearly all, your pest problems. More and more organic products are available at garden centers these days, so this switchover is a lot easier than it once was.

Keep in mind, though, that there also are homemade remedies that will eliminate problems, and there are effective preventive steps to take long before you bring out a sprayer. The following tips and techniques are a key part of avoiding pest and disease problems in an organic garden:

-Build healthy soil by applying compost, mulch, and natural fertilizers.

-Ask experts as well as friends and neighbors who garden which pests and diseases pose the biggest problems in your area. Find out how they control these problems organically.

-Walk through your garden daily - or every other day at minimum - to check for pests as well as signs of diseases or other problems. Catching problems early allows you to step in and correct a problem before it becomes severe.

-Keep plants well watered and fertilize regularly if you suspect your soil is not yet up to par. Plants that are healthy and growing vigorously are far less subject to problems than ones that are struggling.

Reprinted from The Veggie Gardener's Answer Book
Copyright 2008 by Barbara W. Ellis, with permission from Storey Publishing.

Creative Commons photo credit: Toban Back

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By Jean English, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Look to leaves! Leaves that drop in the fall can supply all the nutrients needed in a vegetable garden. They'll even supply a wider range of essential nutrients than a bag of 10-10-10 synthetic fertilizer, because tree roots draw over a dozen plant nutrients up from the soil and deposit them in leaves. Bags of synthetic fertilizer, on the other hand, often contain just three essential plant nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

So, instead of thinking of leaves as waste that needs to go "away," think of your yard as a source of nutrients, a green manure crop, for your garden.

The University of Florida found that "good yields of such crops as cucumbers, tomato and greens can be expected after 2 to 3 years of applications of at least 20 tons [of oak leaves] per acre annually." That's a little under 5 pounds per 100 square feet.

Some people worry that adding leaves to the garden will tie up nitrogen that crop plants need. This won't be a problem if you add leaves as a mulch in the fall (especially if you've shredded the leaves by running over them with a lawnmower), so that soil organisms and weather move them into the soil slowly. Also, including grass clippings with leaves adds nitrogen to the mix, further reducing the chance of nitrogen deficiency, as does mulching the garden with additional grass clippings throughout the summer.

If you don't have a garden to receive leaves, or you don't have a lawn mower that catches clippings and leaves, just leave the leaves on the lawn, mowing them a few times during the fall to shred them. Denise Ellsworth of Ohio State University Extension writes, "Research has shown that lawns can absorb many pounds of shredded leaves with no detrimental effects." She says that Purdue researchers mowed 2 tons of leaves per acre into turf grass annually for five years. They saw no increase in disease or weed problems and no pH or nutrient-availability issues. Microbial activity did increase-a sign of improved soil quality. ("Leaves benefit gardens as compost and mulch," Akron Beacon Journal, Nov. 10, 2007).

Decomposing leaves improve soil structure so that it absorbs more moisture during rains and holds that moisture better during dry spells. Your lawn will stay greener longer in the summer.

If you don't want to mow and shred leaves, you can rake them into compost piles and make leaf mold-a good substitute for peat moss in the garden and in potting mixes.

Article copyright of Jean English, 2006.This article is provided by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. MOFGA is the oldest and largest organic farming association in the United States and is recognized as a national leader in the promotion of local and organic agriculture.

Creative Commons photo credit: Harold Lloyd

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By Barbara Damrosch, published Thursday, October 30, 2008 in The Washington Post

Some fruits flaunt their lusciousness. Red apples have a come-bite-me appeal. Purple grapes beckon from the vine, honey-dripping figs from the tree. But other equally fine edibles keep their charm a secret. The beautiful orange flesh of butternut squash is clothed in basic beige, the khaki trench coat of food.

It would appear that this plant's strategy is to keep itself unnoticed until spring. That plain, firm skin guards the fruit from predation and rot until time for its ripened seeds to sprout, nourished by the garden of its own decomposition. This makes it a stalwart friend to the gardener-cook.

Easy to grow in a sunny spot with fertile, well-drained soil, the harvested squash last all winter long without the need for a root cellar. I recently picked mine in anticipation of frost, and they sit curing in the warm air atop a cabinet. Curing helps their skins to harden and the flesh to sweeten. In a few weeks I'll move them to a cool, dry spot, where they'll give me months of great eating.

If I were to grow only one squash it would be butternut. The fine, smooth, non-stringy texture of the flesh makes it ideal for soups and purees, for the filling in ravioli or for stirring into risotto. Whatever the recipe, I'm most apt to roast it, cut into oiled chunks or cut in half lengthwise and set cut side down on an oiled baking sheet. This yields an intense, concentrated flavor.

Butternut's size and shape are kitchen-friendly. I usually grow the classic variety Waltham, bred for a long straight neck. It ends in a rounded bottom, enclosing a seed cavity that is quite small relative to that of other winter squash. Individual fruits vary within a planting, some straight and clublike, others more curvaceous, with a narrow neck and a bulb-shaped bottom. I choose a straight one when I make one of my favorite dishes: rounds of neck cut into perfect half-inch-thick disks and fried in butter.
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The skin of a butternut can be removed without difficulty, with a vegetable peeler or knife, but I usually keep it on during cooking. It can then be easily peeled off or the flesh scooped out with a spoon.

This summer I grew a new mini-butternut variety called Honey Nut, bred by George Moriarty, a research support specialist in Cornell University's Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics. He crossed a butternut with a buttercup, a dark green type similar to acorn squash, with very bright, sweet, beta-carotene-rich flesh. Seeds for next season will be available from High Mowing Seeds in mid-November. The fruit has deep orange, flavorful, non-stringy flesh, and most weigh a bit more than a pound (as opposed to the usual four or five). I was thus able to train them vertically on the trellis fence surrounding my garden, where they dangled, looking very decorative, despite being beige.

Article copyright of Barbara Damrosch. Reprinted with permission.
Creative Commons photo credit: Romanlily

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Last fall, Kitchen Gardeners International began a partnership with Vanastree that is literally bearing fruits of all shapes, sizes and colors. Vanastree is a nonprofit group based in southern India which is working with women gardeners and subsistence farmers to help them save traditional, open pollinated varieties while increasing food and nutrition security within their community. KGI offered Vanastree a minigrant to help support their activities and hopes to be able to strengthen cooperation with them in the future. The photo album above was recently uploaded to our website by Vanastree Founder Sunita Rao. Please keep KGI in mind with for any year-end giving you might be planning. Our minigrants are funded by kitchen gardeners like you. Thanks.

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Q What kind of setup do I need to make compost?

A To start a compost pile, select a level spot that is convenient to your garden. While flower gardeners try to keep their composting operations out of sight, vegetable gardeners find it’s most convenient to make their compost right in the garden or right next to it. (It is best to look for a spot that is shielded from neighbors’ yards.) Stash a bale of straw next to your pile so you can easily cover up kitchen scraps whenever you bring them out.

You can compost in an open pile or contain your composting operation in a cage, bin, or other structure, either purchased or homemade. A structure makes your composting area look neater, helps keep the materials evenly moist, promotes faster decomposition, and discourages animals from rooting around in the pile. For fast, efficient composting, plan on a pile or enclosure that is 3’-4’/.9-1.2 m square. Two enclosures are best so you can fill up the second one while materials in the first are breaking down.

Reprinted from The Veggie Gardener's Answer Book
Copyright 2008 by Barbara W. Ellis, with permission from Storey Publishing.

Creative Commons photo credit: Daryl Mitchell

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