Winter Seed Sowing
Jan 05, 2008
As promised it’s time to write about ‘winter sowing.’ While you can garden somewhat in the winter by using a cold frame, winter sowing is more like getting an early start on spring gardening. It’s a way to feed your gardening appetite throughout the long winter. I started winter sowing about three years ago and have grown to love it! It appeals to me for several reasons. First, I’m not able to grow seedlings indoors and I didn’t want to use bunches of electricity trying to grow seedlings under growing lamps. Secondly, buying plants from a greenhouse can get expensive and there usually isn’t much of a selection to choose from. Thirdly, I love being able to get outdoors even if it is cold.
Here’s how I do winter sowing. I collect empty milk jugs from family and friends, cut them in half horizontally and poke holes in the bottom with an icepick (the lid can be thrown away). Then I fill them with potting soil to about an inch of where I cut the jug. After planting the seeds in the soil I water it and then tape the top lid to the bottom one to form a miniature greenhouse. I write the name of the seeds on the taped part of the jug and put the finished jug outside. Every few days I go outside to check on the seedlings and water them. The jugs can be rained on, snowed on and for the most part left alone. Then sometime in the late winter the seedlings will start to grow. The beauty of this method is that seedlings grown this way are often much hardier and less prone to disease than seeds grown indoors. Plus, it’s loads of fun!
For complete instructions on winter sowing visit Trudi Davidoff’s website, Wintersown.org. She developed the method and has a ton of information for you. She’s put together a very informative and fun website. You can even send her a self-addressed stamped envelope and she will send you free seeds to get started.
While buying seeds cost less than buying greenhouse plants, seeds can still get expensive. Seed trading is a way to pay less for seeds and still get a large variety. The trick is not to go overboard. Many people (including myself) get so excited about all of the many varieties available that we tend to sow too many and once they sprout are overwhelmed with seedlings! This isn’t always a bad problem however as you can share them with neighbors and friends. See my article on ”Seed Collecting and Trading” to get started!
Posted In: Gardening • Comments (0)
Fair Giving
Dec 06, 2007
Amazingly we live in a society where we can get whatever we want, whenever we want it and it doesn’t even cost much. The cost however is an illusion. Although the cost may not be much for us, what we buy often comes at a great cost to those making it. Working conditions overseas aren’t what they are here in the United States. Overseas workers barely make anything for their labor and are even sometimes mistreated, beaten or enslaved.
When you think about it this isn’t a good arrangement for anyone. Those who make the goods suffer and those of us who buy suffer (although not nearly in the same way). What do I mean by the consumer suffering? Well, when we can get so many things cheaply, it destroys our sense of value in them. Suddenly we find we don’t appreciate what we have because it was so easy to obtain and we have so MUCH of it! Try simplifying your lifestyle and see what happens! You might be surprised!
Maybe this Christmas instead of buying lots of cheap goods consider buying just a few items made using fair labor practices. How would the season be different if instead of stressing ourselves to find lots of “things” to give our friends and family, we just gave them one special gift from the heart? We can’t control how others respond to Christmas but we can control our own spending and our own attitude.
As a starting point, here’s one place I’ve found where you can purchase fair trade gifts but you can also just do an internet search for “fair trade” and that should give you loads of options.
Posted In: Activism • Comments (0)
Winter Gardening
Dec 06, 2007
Winter gardening, ever heard of it? I’ve heard of ‘winter sowing’ (I’ll write more about that in January) but not winter gardening. Strangely enough I found myself doing just that earlier this week. For some reason we had an unusually long fall this year so several of the fall plants continued to look nice even through November. This just isn’t normal for Michigan! Last year we had snow fall in October!
In addition to the unusually long fall, I must confess I’m a bit of a procrastinator. Needless to say I looked absolutely silly trimming perennials and digging up annuals underneath a layer of frozen snow and leaves! I had to just sit back and laugh at myself! I sure learned my lesson though! Next year I might just trim down the plants in October!
Posted In: Gardening • Comments (1)
Support Organic Farming
Nov 29, 2007
Now that the growing season is over I find I’m missing all the fresh produce from the local organic farm. Forced to scrounge the supermarket for something ‘fresh,’ I’m temped to give in and buy foods laced with heavy pesticides and grown in depleted soil just because they look appealing. It’s times like this that I need to remind myself of the reasons why I support organic farming.
When I first switched to buying organic I did so basically to keep my family from eating pesticides. So many pesticides have been linked with cancer and various other health problems that I wanted our family to be as far from them as possible! Since then my understanding of the organic process has grown and I’m even more committed! Buying organic supports a sustainable system that works in harmony with nature. The soil, air, microorganisms, insects, animals and humans all work together for the benefit of each other. While the organic system isn’t without flaws, I think it’s worth supporting. The most effective way we have of bringing about change in our food system is with our buying power.
While local, organic food is the best choice, buying local non-organic food is a close second. Buying from small, local farmers and farmer’s markets subvert the corrupt food empire. Let’s support our struggling small farmers whenever we can.
I highly recommend you check out these two video clips! They are very well done!
Supermarket Secrets 1
Supermarket Secrets 2
Posted In: Nutrition/Health • Comments (0)
Child Soldiers
Nov 29, 2007
It seems hard to believe that anyone would be so cruel as to force a child to kill. Yet the reality is this happens around the world on a regular basis. Nine different countries have been implicated. Out of those nine countries, eight of them receive U.S. military aid. Please support the Child Soldier Prevention Act.!
Check out this short video: Children in the Ranks
Posted In: Activism • Comments (0)
