More Sunseed Farm Gardening Topics:


  1. •Season extension--Gardening is a gamblers life, it’s true.  We share some thoughts on simple ways to make lengthening the planting and harvesting seasons a little more reliable.


  1. •Tomato growing --The 2009 summer was a good one for tomatoes, but it’s not always a guaranteed crop in the Puget Sound area.  We share some tips from our market farm production.


  1. •Basil growing--Learn the three keys to a great basil crop.


  1. •Coming soon:  Frequently asked gardening questions, succession planting and more.


Organic Gardening Links:


Seattle Tilth


Diggin’ Food


Organic Gardening Guru


Wikipedia “Organic Gardening”


ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service


Suppliers:


Peaceful Valley Farm Supply


Evergreen Growers Supply- Beneficial Insects


Cooking:


Houseboat Eats


Epicurious


VegCooking


Simply Recipes




Some Great Books:


Growing vegetables west of the Cascades : Steve Solomon's complete guide to natural gardening

by Solomon, Steve.

Seattle, WA : Sasquatch Books, 2000.



Water-wise vegetables : for the maritime Northwest gardener

by Solomon, Steve.

Seattle : Sasquatch Books, c1993.



How to grow more vegetables : and fruits, nuts, berries, grains, and other crops than you ever thought possible on less land than you can imagine : a primer on the life-giving sustainable grow biointensive method of organic horticulture

by Jeavons, John.

Berkeley, Calif. : Ten Speed Press, c2002.



The self-sufficient suburban garden

by Ball, Jeff.

Emmaus, Pa. : Rodale Press, c1983.


Teaming with microbes : a gardener's guide to the soil food web

by Lowenfels, Jeff.

Portland, Or. : Timber Press, 2006.



 

Transplanting Tips


  1. BulletPlant soon:  In order for your new plants to stay healthy, they need to grow, and in order to grow they’re going to need more room.  Starts should generally be transplanted into the garden, or at least a bigger pot, within one week of purchase.  If they can’t be transplanted immediately, keeping them moist and between 55-65 degrees F will help them to hold  healthfully.


  1. BulletPrepare the soil:  Ideally, soil preparation begins well before planting time.  This is a large subject covered well in some of the books listed above.  In brief, the soil should be forked, shoveled or tilled to break up clods and work in compost, manure, minerals, etc., at least two weeks prior to planting.  If your garden is already relatively weeded and fertile--lucky you.  Uncomposted manure is best applied the previous fall to assure it has plenty of time to break down.  Amending the soil is crucial to the health of the garden.  Think of the garden soil itself as a long term crop you’re tending.


  1. Space them out:  Make sure to take different crops space needs into account.  Most plants should have some info on the tag about spacing.  If not, feel free to email us, or ask your favorite garden center worker.  Deciding on spacing can be tricky because, while we should be wary of overcrowding things, we all know that the slugs may find one or two tasty morsels.  Many of our starts are a bit over seeded, and should be thinned at the time of planting.  Again, tags should give some guidance here.  One possibility is to plant them out unthinned, and then, once they have made it through their smallest most vulnerable days, thin them out later if the sluggos didn’t do it for you.


  1. Tuck them in: When planting, make sure to get the entire root ball and even the top of the block of potting mix thoroughly covered with garden soil.  Put your hands to each side of the plant and give it a good firming into place.  These two steps are very important in helping your plants get established in their new home.  The warmer and drier it is out, the more important these steps are.


  1. Made on a MacKeep an eye on them:  Make sure they stay moist, but not soggy.  Dusk, dawn and rainy days are the best time to scout for slugs.  Your garden will repay you many times over for all the love you’re putting in.

 

Our recommendations for planting dates in the Puget Sound area:

  1. Bullet Don’t forget, planting means plants--seeds get sown, and sowing dates may vary significantly from those listed here.

Color code:

Not recommended

Caution--May require protection for best results

Plant with wild abandon!

Down and dirty tips for gardeners...

    We’re here to help, and we’ll keep adding new info over time, so if you think of a good topic let us know.  Obviously, the library is stacked with whole books about gardening, and these pages will only be able to provide quick tips and overviews, but we’ll pack them as full as we can before we need to get back out weeding.  Our goal is to help area gardeners tap into a some of the techniques and plant varieties that small, organic farmers have found over the past couple of decades.  It’s that sweet spot that emphasizes quality and flavor while also resulting in reliable, intensive food production.  We continue to be amazed at how much food people are growing in their home gardens, and want to do what we can to support it.


On this page you’ll find:

  1. •Links to specific Sunseed gardening tip sheets

  2. •Links to other gardening and food websites

  3. •Some book recommendations

  4. •Planting date recommendations for the Puget Sound area

  5. •General planting tips