8-28-06 Dog Days of Summer
In This Issue:
- Joining the circus
- Gardenerd Product of the Month: Gardenerd Mouse Pad
- Gardenerd Tip of the Month: Fertilizer
1. Joining the circus
Some people dream of running away from home to join the circus. My dream lately has been to run away to join an organic farming project in Northern California. There’s something about the idea of watching over fields of new crops on a foggy morning, testing out new planting techniques, and sampling the harvest of newly discovered heirloom varieties that makes me want to quite the day job, don my overalls and hitchhike up Interstate 5 to beautiful, pine laden climes. With summer coming to a close, the days are starting to get shorter and we creep ever closer to our fall planting season. Who can blame me for wanting to experience it on a grand scale?
Now is the perfect time to begin preparing your soil for fall planting. In between the bliss of harvesting tomatoes and squash, remove plants that have withered and died. Loosen the soil and add a shovel-full of compost and a handful of organic fertilizer. Water it in and you’re done. Doing that now means you’ll be ready to plant again in no time. Then you can go back to daydreaming.
2. Gardenerd Product of the Month: Gardenerd Mouse Pad
Nothing says “Back to School” like a shiny new mouse pad. Okay, maybe sharp number 2 pencils do, but I’m not selling those, not yet anyway. Anywho… Why not send your little computer wiz back to school in style with this attractive, fashionable Gardenerd Mousepad? Heck, why should kids get all the new stuff this time of year? Treat yourself to this squishy expression of Gardenerd goodness. Your wrists will thank you. Here’s your link:
3. Gardenerd Tip of the Month: Fertilizer
One of the most common misunderstandings that I encounter when talking with people about organic gardening is the fact that not all fertilizers are natural. In fact, most people are shocked when I tell them that Miracle Gro is not organic. It’s a synthetic plant food, which means it is chemically produced with various properties that may create a desired effect on the plant, but in the end it is not nourishing the soil. As the folks at Whitney Farms say, “Feed the soil, not the plant.” By creating nutrient rich, loamy soil, your plants will thrive and resist diseases so there will be no need for pesticides. That’s the philosophy behind organic gardening. I’ve been using Whitney Farms organic fertilizers for years with great results. Check out their products and locate a retailer in your neck of the woods.
Link: http://www.whitneyfarms.com/
Stay tuned for more gardening tips and tidbits from the Gardenerd. Happy Gardening!
