10-24-09 Autumn is Here

In This Issue:

  1. October in the Garden
  2. Gardenerd Organic Gardening Series – Weekend Intensive
  3. Gardenerd Tip of the Month: Floating Row Cover
  4. Product of the Month: Fall Heirloom Seed Collection

1. October in the Garden

Halloween is right around the corner, which means the battle is on between Fun-Size Milky Way bars and healthy salads.  I like to think that there is room for both; you can harvest greens with one hand while deftly opening tiny silver packages of junk food with the other.  Pretty colors aren’t relegated to candy corn alone.  Just one look at a fall salad garden patch proves it.

In our test garden, the peas (nature’s candy) are almost a foot tall.  The first leaves of kale are nearly ready to harvest, and we’ll be planting a second round of lettuces this week.  We’ve been “dealing with” cabbage worms (see the Tip of the Month below), but for the most part, life in the garden is fantastic.  Garlic is planted, root crops are sprouting, and dreams of golden chard are abundant.  There’s still time to get a fall garden in the ground, click here for a list of what grows well in warmer climates this time of year.

Happy Gardening,

Christy


2. The Gardenerd Organic Gardening Series Weekend Intensive

As a break from tradition, we’re offering the 4-class course all in one weekend, rather than over a 4-week period.  If you’re enthusiastic and ready to get growin’, now is your chance to get all the information this course offers in record time.  For details and registration for the class, click below:

Gardenerd Organic Gardening Series – Weekend Intensive


3. Gardenerd Tip of the Month: Floating Row Cover

Those cute little white butterflies look so innocent.  What you might not know is that they lay their eggs on the undersides of all your brassicas.  Those teensy-tiny eggs turn into green cabbage worms that devour your kale, broccoli, and collards if they go unchecked.  What’s a plant to do for protection?

One answer is Floating Row Cover, A.K.A. Garden Fabric.  Garden Fabrics come in many thicknesses, ranging from those that simply protect your plants from insects to those that also insulate from the cold, extending your growing season.  Lay Floating Row Cover over your crops like a blanket – it’s light enough for water and sunlight to pass through.  Pin the corners down to keep it from blowing away.  Take the cover off after risk of infestation passes or as the plants flower to allow for pollination.


4. Product of the Month: 2009 Fall Heirloom Seed Collection

We’ve almost sold out of the 2009 Fall Heirloom Seed Collection!  Once they’re gone, they’re gone for the season.  Now is your chance to get all your fall seeds in one money-saving collection.  We’ve put together 12 cool-season veggies from Seeds of Change that will bring your garden to life:  organic lettuces, broccoli, cauliflower, chard, kale, radishes, turnips and herbs.  You’ll save 25% off individual seed packet prices.  Get your 2009 Fall Heirloom Seed Collection before we run out.

2009 Fall Heirloom Seed Collection

Also, don’t forget to enter the Climate Action Giveaway sponsored by We Add Up, where you can win one of hundreds of environmentally friendly prizes including the Ultimate Garden Bag and Gardenerd Flower Pot Mug.  Check out the Gardenerd Blog for more details:

Climate Action Giveaway


Stay tuned for more gardening tips and tidbits from Gardenerd.com. Happy Summer Gardening!