The Bees Need Our Help

For every three bites of food you take, one was pollinated by honey bees. Last winter, beekeepers reported losing over 40% of their hives. Bees are more than just the “canaries in the coal mine”, warning us of a frightening threat to our food. Bees are a critical link to the future of our food production.

You may have heard that pests, disease, and climate change are the main causes of the bee die off. A growing body of evidence points to one of the world’s most popular class of pesticides neonicotinoids. These “neonics” are designed to kill pest, but they don’t distinguish between harmful insects and beneficial ones, like bees. Neonics are used on over 140 commercial crops! As a result the bees that are needed to pollinate organic crops are on the brink of extinction.

Bees are responsible for pollinating many of the crops making up our food supply. Today multinational companies have come up with a plan to do away with the need for a pollinator by having farmers buy new GMO seed every year from these large companies. The touted advantages of using GMO seed: 1. guaranteeing identical herbicide resistant crops year after year, 2. reduce crop damage from weeds, pest, and insects by using this herbicide resistant seed, 3. increased yields on the same acreage. These claims are debatable.

This increased application rate of herbicides has affected the ability of the honey bees to survive. Without honey bees organic gardeners and farmers are seeing decreasing yields from their heirloom seed crops. Here are some ideas of what you can do to help the plight of the honey bees.

1. Plant any of the flowers below in your garden using organic starts or heirloom seed to provide a good food source and a safe haven for bees. Plant at least three different types of flowers to ensure blooms through as many seasons as possible.
• Summer time: cosmos, echinacea, and snapdragons
• Spring time: Crocus, hyancinth, and calendula are great for providing the bees with great blooms to  feast on.
• Fall time: asters, zinnias, and goldenrod are late bloomers.

2. Use alternative pest control methods like landscaping with certain plants to attract beneficial insects.
• Basil will help repel thrips, flies, and mosquitos
• Artemisia repels most insects and even some small animals
• Garlic when planted near roses will help repel aphids
• Marigolds are the most known plant for repelling insects

3. Use natural organic pest control products.

4. Read the labels on products (herbicides and pesticides) and steer clear of ones containing neonicotinoids.

5. Tell your friends and fellow gardeners about the importance of bees and what they can plant to help them.

If you appreciate organic food products, steer clear of processed foods, and buy ingredients that are clearly labeled “USDA Certified Organic”, or buy from a local grower that doesn’t use herbicides.
Grow as much food as you can without the use of chemicals and your efforts to keep you and your family healthy will pay off. You don’t have to use chemicals in your garden to control weeds. It is an ongoing process however that can be done successfully by hand weeding, hoeing, and then applying a thick layer of organic mulch (seed free hay, grass clippings, or leaves work well) will help you avoid using any kind of chemical weed control product. Larger plants such as tomatoes, peppers, melons, squash, chard, and kale will shade weeds once they are 6-8 weeks old. Happy Gardening!

5 Great Veggies to grow in the winter

Don’t let your garden stand empty this winter. With a little help, most of us can grow the vegetables mentioned below. In the northernmost states, a greenhouse, a high tunnel, a row cover or a small hot frame might be needed. Most southern areas of the US are well suited for growing winter crops outdoors if a thick layer of mulch (hay, dry leaves, straw, compost, or grass clippings) or a row cover is used. There are advantages of planting at this time of the year: less weeds, fewer insects, very little irrigation needed, and most of all, fresh vegetables.

Onions
 Late fall or early winter are prime time to plant onions as long as the ground has not become solid yet. Winter onions are hardy enough to grow in a variety of conditions, but they prefer to soak in full sun. Onions do best in loose, well-drained soil. Mix some organic matter to the soil. Plant each set a few inches deep, and gently pack the soil around the set. Plant each set 4-6 inches apart. Cover your sets with a heavy layer of mulch. Water the onions three of four times the first two weeks and weed regularly if necessary.

Garlic
Garlic is best planted from the first day of autumn through November and is ready for harvest by the end of June. Ensure that your planting area is in full sun and the soil is well drained. Garlic does best in well amended soil using compost and manure. Clay soil is not good. All you need to get is some fresh garlic from a local nursery or there are many good sources online.  Plant only the large cloves from each head. The cloves should be planted 6-8 inched apart for best results. Cover them with mulch. Water them deeply once a week the first few months.  
             
Kale
Choose a kale variety that bests suits your growing climate. Most kale varieties are ready to harvest in 45-75 days. An area of full sun is best to grow kale. When planting kale for a winter crop, I always get kale starts from a nursery. It’s too late to start kale from seed. Dig a hole 12” deep and wide and add fresh compost. Keep the soil around your plants moist for the first month and add some fertilizer each month to produce a fast growing, healthy, and sweet tasting crop. Pick off any discolored or withered leaves when they appear. You can start harvesting the leaves once the plant is a few feet tall to use in stir fry dishes, omelets, or to add with other fruits or veggies for smoothies. 

Asparagus
Do you love asparagus and have plenty of space in your garden for a permanent bed of asparagus, now is a good time to start. It takes a few years to establish, but the reward will be getting about 25 tender spears from each plant for a lifetime (25 years) of harvests. Sometimes, asparagus is planted in rows by digging a 1’ deep and 1’ wide row as long as your space allows. Fill it with good soil and compost. Asparagus is available a nurseries at this time of year in bunches of 25 and should come with planting instructions.

Pak Choi
Also called Bok Choy, is a mild flavored oriental vegetable, can be eaten raw but is usually stir fried or steamed and served with soy sauce. It can be grown in partial shade in warm regions or in full sun in northern zones. It can be planted in early autumn or late winter for a spring harvest. Buy starts from a nursery for planting in October to get a harvest before the first hard frost. A fairly rich soil or just soil from last summer’s garden would be fine. Use a row cover for late fall harvest.
Remember, some thick mulch or row cover will “baby” your late fall plantings. Give them good south exposure and plant in an area away from the strong north winds. The fresh veggies in late autumn and early winter will be a nice addition to your meals.