"Where Fillmore County News Comes First"
Online Edition
Saturday, May 18th, 2013
Volume ∞ Issue ∞
- 5:56:33, May 18th 2013 - modgudur - I guess the child is anti-gun control since Obama went to all that trouble ... [Read More]
- 9:27:41, May 16th 2013 - caal girl - Nice outfit on you. I loved some of the dresses but am holding my breath ... [Read More]
- 2:03:34, May 14th 2013 - - Thanks for sharing the trip with us! ... [Read More]
- 4:12:01, May 9th 2013 - Amanda Ziebell - Wow! Thanks to the Fillmore County Journal for this kind story. For a ... [Read More]
- 11:47:30, May 7th 2013 - EW - ramble.....ramble.....ramble..... ... [Read More]
- 10:25:25, May 7th 2013 - Thunder6 - Great article! I love to see the Youth of Fillmore County receiveing acco ... [Read More]
- 6:52:10, May 6th 2013 - Jason Sethre, Publisher of Fillmore County Journal & Olmsted County Journal - Maryh, ... [Read More]
- 7:29:56, May 5th 2013 - maryh - Where are OCJ's available for pickup...other than at the new office? ... [Read More]
- 2:41:47, May 3rd 2013 - Remark1976 - Mrs. Buckbee, I just looked up Senate File 796 and in it there are said p ... [Read More]
- 2:22:20, May 3rd 2013 - Remark1976 - Mrs. Buckbee, how do you come up with $1.1 billion that trout fishing bri ... [Read More]
Plan Now for Fall Vegetables
Comments
Monday, July 10, 2000
It’s not too late to sow seeds of many short season vegetables. Many gardeners want to get all their seeds in and then just let it grow! But staggering planting dates will give you a longer harvest season. This week there is still time to plant snap beans, beets, basil, carrots and kale. Lettuces may still do well if it doesn’t get too hot.
Many garden centers and nurseries have great sales on annuals and herbs to tuck in where the radishes and spinach were. These pot-bound treasures will really take off if given good soil and plenty of water. Be sure to pull apart the roots if they are root-bound.
For fall harvest of kohlrabi, leaf lettuces, radishes, spinach and turnips plant seeds in early to mid-August.
Companion Planting
Planting a diverse mix of plants is not only beautiful but can create a healthier garden as well. Companion planting mates plants together for several good reasons including:
• Companions help each other grow. Tall plants, for example, provide shade for sun-sensitive shorter plants. Plant flowers such as cosmos, spider flower (cleome), or flowering tobacco (nicotianna) in your lettuce patch.
• Companions use garden space more effectively. Climbing plants cover up the ground, upright plants grow up. Native Americans commonly planted pole beans and squash with corn. Beans climbed up the corn and everything shaded the squash.
• Companions prevent pest problems. Plants like onions repel some pests. Other plants can lure pests away from more desirable plants. Leaf miners prefer pigweed or ragweed to peppers. Onions, garlic or chives planted with roses will repel many rose pests. Nasturtiums repel cucumber beetles.
• Companions attract beneficial insects. Every successful garden needs plants that attract the predators of pests. Dill is a great companion for cabbage, brussels sprouts and broccoli. Cabbages support the floppy dill while the dill flowers attract tiny beneficial predator wasps that control cabbage worms
So what have you got to lose? Try companion planting as a way to increase your yields with out compromising your health with petrochemical sprays. Many successful organic gardeners maintain special hedgerows of plants that attract beneficial insects. These plants include: Anise, Basket of Gold (Aurinia), Bee Balm, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Dill, Fennel, Feverfew, Golden Marguerite, Lovage, Painted Daisy, Sweet Alyssum, Tansy, Yarrow and Zinnia.
To make your garden even more hospitable to beneficial insects give them a source of water during dry periods. You can make a simple ‘bug bath’ by keeping a saucer of water in your garden. Adding a couple of small rocks gives them a place to drink without drowning.
Now, we don’t want our gardens to be full of just any bugs. The beneficial insects we are talking about here include: Ladybugs, parasitic mini-wasps, tachinid flies, hoverflies, bees, spined soldier bugs, lacewings and ground beetles.
Don’t just throw down the bug book and grab the spray, if you don’t know what that bug is, call a Master Gardener, that’s what we’re here for!
Virginia Cooper, Community Program Assistant at the Fillmore County Extension Office gardens and writes from her farm in Mabel. She is a Master Gardener and can be reached via the Extension Office at (507) 765-3896 or email virgcoop@ yahoo.com
It’s not too late to sow seeds of many short season vegetables. Many gardeners want to get all their seeds in and then just let it grow! But staggering planting dates will give you a longer harvest season. This week there is still time to plant snap beans, beets, basil, carrots and kale. Lettuces may still do well if it doesn’t get too hot.
Many garden centers and nurseries have great sales on annuals and herbs to tuck in where the radishes and spinach were. These pot-bound treasures will really take off if given good soil and plenty of water. Be sure to pull apart the roots if they are root-bound.
For fall harvest of kohlrabi, leaf lettuces, radishes, spinach and turnips plant seeds in early to mid-August.
Companion Planting
Planting a diverse mix of plants is not only beautiful but can create a healthier garden as well. Companion planting mates plants together for several good reasons including:
• Companions help each other grow. Tall plants, for example, provide shade for sun-sensitive shorter plants. Plant flowers such as cosmos, spider flower (cleome), or flowering tobacco (nicotianna) in your lettuce patch.
• Companions use garden space more effectively. Climbing plants cover up the ground, upright plants grow up. Native Americans commonly planted pole beans and squash with corn. Beans climbed up the corn and everything shaded the squash.
• Companions prevent pest problems. Plants like onions repel some pests. Other plants can lure pests away from more desirable plants. Leaf miners prefer pigweed or ragweed to peppers. Onions, garlic or chives planted with roses will repel many rose pests. Nasturtiums repel cucumber beetles.
• Companions attract beneficial insects. Every successful garden needs plants that attract the predators of pests. Dill is a great companion for cabbage, brussels sprouts and broccoli. Cabbages support the floppy dill while the dill flowers attract tiny beneficial predator wasps that control cabbage worms
So what have you got to lose? Try companion planting as a way to increase your yields with out compromising your health with petrochemical sprays. Many successful organic gardeners maintain special hedgerows of plants that attract beneficial insects. These plants include: Anise, Basket of Gold (Aurinia), Bee Balm, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Dill, Fennel, Feverfew, Golden Marguerite, Lovage, Painted Daisy, Sweet Alyssum, Tansy, Yarrow and Zinnia.
To make your garden even more hospitable to beneficial insects give them a source of water during dry periods. You can make a simple ‘bug bath’ by keeping a saucer of water in your garden. Adding a couple of small rocks gives them a place to drink without drowning.
Now, we don’t want our gardens to be full of just any bugs. The beneficial insects we are talking about here include: Ladybugs, parasitic mini-wasps, tachinid flies, hoverflies, bees, spined soldier bugs, lacewings and ground beetles.
Don’t just throw down the bug book and grab the spray, if you don’t know what that bug is, call a Master Gardener, that’s what we’re here for!
Virginia Cooper, Community Program Assistant at the Fillmore County Extension Office gardens and writes from her farm in Mabel. She is a Master Gardener and can be reached via the Extension Office at (507) 765-3896 or email virgcoop@ yahoo.com