In this issue:
- April in the Garden – Spaceship Earth
- Video: How to Beat Beet Disease
- Gardenerd Tip of the Month: Strategies for Stewarding the Earth
- Gardenerd Product of the Month: Bolting to Seed – a New Novel
1. April in the Garden – Spaceship Earth
The world celebrated the Artemis II journey around the moon and back, where the astronauts got to see our Spaceship Earth from a distance. This unique perspective of seeing our planet hovering in space without borders, known as the Overview Effect, really frames Earth Day / Earth Month for me. Everyone who comes back from space has experienced it: the knowledge that we are all one, and our planet is precious – our only home. We need to take care of it and support environmental protections to maintain Earth as a safe, hospitable place for us to live.
Here at Gardenerd HQ, it’s spring in the Northern Hemisphere, working our way to summer. We planted basil and lima beans this week, and prepped a bed for melons and squash. Our dill, arugula, and cilantro have sprouted, and we’re watching corn grow taller, while pomegranates and dragon fruit flower and set fruit. We’re harvesting chard, kale, kohlrabi, celeriac, and believe it or not, the first volunteer tomatoes (note to self: they weren’t quite ready). Don’t forget to pinch the tops of your pepper plants to encourage side shoots if they are about 8-12″ tall. They will produce more peppers that way.
In this newsletter, you’ll find advice about cercospora disease that affects beets, chard and spinach crops. And ideas for how to tread lightly upon the earth. Let’s get growing to make the earth a better place for everyone!
Happy gardening,
Christy
2. Video: How to Beat Beet Disease
Spots on your Swiss chard? Bummer. Here’s a video explaining the problem and the solution:
How to Beat Beet Disease
3. Gardenerd Tip of the Month – Strategies for Stewarding the Earth
Help Keep Our Spaceship Livable
We all know that the earth will recover and be fine without us. We’re the ones who need clean air, water, and shelter to survive. Here are some ways to help steward the world around us:
Limit the Use of AI – yep, that’s right. Those data centers require more energy and water that the small towns that host them can provide. Even if they recycle the water, the discharge is generally too warm for the local aquatic life and their ecosystems. Use AI responsibly and advocate for renewable energy to power them.
Find a Buy Nothing near you – In my local Buy Nothing group I’ve found the tripod I use to shoot Gardenerd YouTube videos, a mini Cuisinart food processor, a vacuum cleaner, and so much more. Post a request for an item before buying it and you might be surprised what you find.
Get Friendly with Your Library – as an author, I don’t mind when someone checks my books out from the library rather than buying them. Libraries save resources, and provide services that make our world a more equitable place.
Vote for Earth – climate-friendly legislation needs support. Register to vote to make sure your representatives are supporting these crucial measures.
There’s so much more we can do to support the planet (and our continued existence). Get more ideas here.
4. Gardenerd Product of the Month – Bolting to Seed is Coming!
UPDATE: We completed our Kickstarter campaign with great success. Next we’ll send the book to press. Keep an eye out for pre-order offerings on Gardenerd next month.
In the meantime…
Get your copy of High Yield Small Space Organic Gardening at your favorite bookseller, or order an autographed copy for the gardenerd in your life (even if that’s you!). It will help you take care of your garden as well as Spaceship Earth.
Stay tuned for more tips and tidbits from Gardenerd.com.
Search our archives here.