All posts by Jordan Charbonneau

Events

Support Seed Diversity: 2019 Southeast Organic Seed Summit

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At Southern Exposure Seed Exchange we strive to promote organic gardening, sustainable agriculture, and everyone’s right to save seed. That’s why we’re proud to be part of the 2019 Southeast Organic Seed Summit team. This event features workshops on seed production, plant breeding, variety trials, and seed enterprise development.

Why do Organic Seeds Matter?

Some research shows that seeds grown on organic farms are better adapted to dealing with pest and disease issues than their conventional counterparts. This could be because on organic farms plants aren’t given the benefit of synthetic protection from these problems. They cope with them or die. Preserving the diversity of organic seeds available to both farmers and home growers could be key to finding varieties that will cope with a changing climate.

Gather & Learn 

We encourage everyone to join SESE at this awesome event! Gather together with current and potential seed growers, organic seed companies, and allies with the goal of developing long-term strategies and collective actions to build seed systems in the Southeast. Take workshops on seed production, plant breeding, variety trials, and seed enterprise development and join in on farmer-to-farmer information sharing, networking, and listening sessions.

Mark your calendars, the summit is Friday morning, November 1st through Sunday morning, November 3rd. Check out the summit agenda for more workshop details. Tickets are on sale now so get yours soon. We can’t wait to see you there!

Come See Ira Wallace

SESE’s Ira Wallace will be at the Summit. Come see her as she co-hosts a couple workshops:

  • Regional pest, disease and climatic factors in seed development
  • Growing vegetable seed in the Southeast

Scholarships Available – Apply by September 7th

Limited scholarships are available to participate in the summit. Awards are prioritized for farmers and financially limited or socially disadvantaged attendees. The application period closes at midnight Pacific Time on September 7, 2019. Apply here.

 

Garden Advice

Colonial Gardens

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Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello Gardens

Modern English or cottage gardens tend to favor the natural look. Somewhat untidy selections of flowers and vegetables, clustered together, following naturally curved lines are prominent features. However, English gardens of the past were quite the opposite. They favored neat and tidy, fenced rows of vegetables and flowers in rectangular or geometrically arranged plots. American colonists brought this affinity for order with them and this style of gardening persisted well into the 1800s.

In these gardens, colonists cultivated a mix of flowers and vegetables from the new world and old world favorites they brought with them. They used plants for food, medicine, brewing, and beauty.  Staple crops that required larger fields like maize, beans, pumpkins, wheat, and barley were typically grown separately. Sometimes people also had a small “kitchen” garden located near there door with frequently used plants. 

An introduction to growing diverse pest-free fruit trees like Quince, Persimmon, Paw Paw, Medlar, & Sea Buckthorn. For more information on proper tree care get in touch with the Tree Service Pros who can advise on the best solutions for both tree removal and maintenance.

Old World

Colonists brought with them seeds, bulbs, and roots of their favorite plants to start new gardens. Here are a few of the “old world” plants that you may have seen in a colonial garden.

  • Yarrow 
  • Daylily
  • Tulips
  • Cabbage
  • Leeks
  • Onions
  • Carrots
  • Peas
  • Turnips
  • Radishes
  • Lavender
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Parsley

New World

Colonists were also fairly quick to adopt plants from the New World, learning to cultivate corn, beans, and squash varieties that had been developed by Native Americans. They also quickly brought wildflowers like black-eyed Susans and asters into their gardens. They also adopted plants like tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and peppers. Interestingly these South American plants passed from Native Americans to Spanish and Portuguese explorers who brought them to Europe and then to colonists who brought them to North America. Here are a few plants native to the Americas that you may have seen in a colonial garden.

  • Black-eyed Susans
  • Goldenrod
  • Asters
  • Echinacea
  • Maize
  • Beans
  • Squash
  • Pumpkins
  • Tomatoes
  • Potatoes
  • Peppers
  • Sweet Potatoes

Heritage Harvest Festival

If you want to know more about historical American gardens join Southern Exposure at this year’s Heritage Harvest Festival. This event, located at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello celebrates his agricultural legacy as well as the contributions to American cuisine by enslaved workers. Come explore Jefferson’s 1,000 foot long vegetable garden and ornamental mountaintop landscape. Learn about organic gardening, seed-saving, southern recipes, and American history. We can’t wait to see you there!

Resources

Garden Advice

Organic Pest Control: Japanese Beetles

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A species of scarab beetle, these iridescent insects can be a nightmare for gardeners. Japanese beetles or Popillia japonica skeletonize the leaves of many plant species leaving just the veins. As the females eat throughout the early summer they lay eggs in the ground, eventually producing 40-60. Around midsummer, these eggs hatch into larvae which feed on grass roots until fall when they burrow 4-8 inches into the ground and go dormant for winter. In late spring they become pupae and eventually beetles which emerge from the soil and begin the cycle anew.

Solutions

If you struggled with Japanese beetles in your garden this summer, fall is the perfect time of year to take care of them. Here are a few ways you can control Japanese beetles in your garden.

Beneficial Nematodes

Beneficial nematodes or Steinernema feltiae are worm-like parasites that move through the soil and feed on Japanese beetle and other larvae. When beetles are in their larvae stage spreading nematodes on your lawn or around your fruit trees and garden can be effective.

Milky Spore 

Milky spore or Bacillus popilliae is a bacteria that attacks Japanese beetles in their larval stage. It can be spread on lawns and gardens. Apply before the ground freezes.

Chickens

If you have chickens giving them free rein of the garden or around fruit trees during fall and winter can help. Chickens actively forage for insects in the soil. While their incessant scratching can be a problem around your plants in the middle of summer it can be extremely helpful in the fall. They’ll dig up and eat the larvae. During the summer they’ll also enjoy eating the beetles but you’ll want to limit their time in the garden and fence off small plants that can be easily damaged.

If free-ranging your chickens even for a bit isn’t an option for you, consider putting up moveable fencing. A plastic deer netting will work in a pinch or you can invest in something electric netting which is easy to move, allowing you to rotate your chickens’ pasture.

Welcome-to-the-Garden Pollinator Collection

Wildflowers

Some studies (like this one from 2015), have indicated that wildflower plantings can increase insect biodiversity and the number of beneficial insects in gardens and reduce pest issues.

Floating Row Cover

While not necessarily the easiest solution, adult Japanese beetles can also be kept at bay with floating row cover.

Neem Oil

Some folks have also had success using neem oil to protect plants from adult beetles. It’s an organic pesticide and fungicide that’s used for a variety of garden problems and is available in many garden supply stores. It’s generally sprayed directly onto the plant. Multiple applications may be necessary throughout the season.

Crop Rotation & Cover Cropping

As always we recommend keeping your soil and therefore plants healthy by employing crop rotation and cover crops. Healthy plants are much less susceptible to pest problems. Fall is the perfect time of year for a soil test as well.

Sources