KRAUTTER’S KORNER NEWSLETTER – JAN 2017
We would like to wish you a very Happy and Healthy New Year. We will be closed during the months of January and February and will open again in early March.
‘Krautter’s Year Round Organic Vegetable Garden’ is into its third year. We tested it with great success during last year’s cold winter where temperatures dipped down to minus 10 degrees. This for me was the real test. I planted this year’s vegetables over a month ago and so far have not had to add any water. I am so impressed how beautifully my plants are growing that I am convinced this is technology we need to develop of how to grow plants in arid or drought areas. With global warming water is going to become scarce. I am working on a new book ’12 Steps To Reverse Global Warming’. With a new administration that doesn’t believe global warming exists I felt I had to make my voice heard. Last year we grew and harvested vegetables all winter long. The compost bins produced rich compost that we spread to enrich our flower and vegetable beds. We removed the plastic in the spring and grew vegetables in our raised beds. The crop yield was great and the animals were not able harvest our crops as our structure was animal proof. Our beautiful garden located in the foreground made this a focal point of beauty and the mixture of Deer proof flowers attracted beneficial insects. I am convinced the most nutritious vegetables you can consume are ones you grow on your own using the formulas I developed in ‘12 Steps To Natural Gardening’.
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THE OUTDOOR GARDEN
January can be a very difficult month for plants. Make sure that everything is well mulched, particularly when snow cover is lacking. Alternate freezing and thawing can cause root balls to heave and create severe winter damage. Mulching will prevent this. During warm or windy weather, plants lose moisture and can dehydrate causing winter injury and in severe cases, death. If there is adequate moisture in the soil and the ground thaws, the plant is able to absorb that moisture. One of the great advantages of mulching is that it prevents the soil from drying out and protects the soil web life in the soil. We have lots of mulch in stock and even though we are closed if you give me a call I will help you. Anti Dessicants such as Wilt-Pruf play an important part in your winter protection program. On a warm winter day, spray some Wilt-pruf on your broad leaf evergreens to reduce the water loss from your plants. Greens from the Holidays or Christmas tree branches can be used to cover perennials. Pruning of deciduous shrubs, trees and evergreens can be done in the winter time. Refer to chapter 8 ‘Pruning’ in my book “12 Steps To Natural Gardening” for detailed information. Evergreen branches that might break under heavy snow loads should be reduced in size. In case of heavy snows, shake the snow off. This is particularly important with evergreens. When applying ice melters to walks, avoid over using salts that are toxic to plants. Use Jonathon Green Melt-A-Way. If you are in deer country, apply repellents once a month. During January, deer get desperate for food and your garden contains some of their favorites. Just prior to a big snow fall, apply grass seed to your bare lawn areas. We stock grass seed all winter long. This is called dormant seeding. With a snow covering, birds can’t get at the seed and the seed is conditioned for early spring germination. Don’t forget to feed the birds. They are especially good friends to the organic gardener.
Indoor Plants: Fill your house with plants and purify the air. Without plants the air in tightly sealed houses can be unhealthy. Plants through the photosynthetic process remove CO2 from the air and convert it to oxygen. This is the same principle that I am utilizing to develop my “12 Steps To Reverse Global Warming’ It is important at this time of the year to read my chapter on “Indoor Gardening”. It covers everything you need to know about growing house plants as well as the health benefits they provide. As the weather gets colder, the heat turns on more often and the humidity in the house drops. Low humidity and hot blowing air ducts are difficult on plants. Anything done to increase humidity will be beneficial. Humidifiers, misting the foliage frequently, oversized pans with 2 inches of gravel and one inch of water set below the plant, as well as grouping plants together are all methods of increasing humidity. African Violets, Streptocarpus called the Cape Primrose and other gesneriad like it warm and should be kept out of cold drafts. Flowering house plants should receive as much sun as possible. The light intensity in January is low. On a sunny day in the winter the maximum is 2,500 foot candles compared to summer when it reaches10, 000 foot candles
Insects thrive in a hot dry environment. Keep an eagle eye out for Red Spider Mite, Scale and Mealy Bug. Treat these pests with an organic control as soon as you see any indication. Plants close to a window may form condensation on their leaves and could be prone to disease problems such as Mildew or Botrytis. Treat as soon as any symptoms develop. When you water your house plants, water them well. You never overwater by watering too much at one time. You over water by watering too frequently. In the’ Indoor Gardening” chapter you will find cultural information on all the plants we use to grow. Use this as a guide. Foliage plants are not only aesthetically pleasing but they create a healthy environment. Foliage plants help purify the air, removing many of the toxins that are so prevalent in today’s modern houses. Flowering plants give you a lift psychologically during a time of the year when many people experience the midwinter blues.
PLANT FEATURE
Cyclamen: The Cyclamen is probably my favorite flowering house plant. In the old days it required a very cool environment but the new hybrids are very adaptable to ordinary room temperatures. Cyclamen need a sunny location and should be cleaned once a week removing any spent flowers or yellow leaves. Feed them with Natures Source, an amazing organic fertilizer, on a weekly basis. The results are incredible. New flower buds are initiated in the crown of the plant. These buds keep the plant blooming all winter and in many cases throughout the spring and into the summer. The trick is to keep the crown clean of any dead material which may cause rot and lead to Botrytis. When removing spent flower buds or leaves, pull to the right or left not straight up and make sure the full petiole is removed completely from the crown. Watering is one of the most critical requirements in growing a good Cyclamen. They need a lot of oxygen in the soil and should not be waterlogged. Clay pots are preferable to plastic because they allow an exchange of oxygen into the soil. The best method for watering a Cyclamen is to give it a good drink, filling the pot up to the rim with water then allowing it to dry out before watering again. A customer told me that after all these years he finally learned the secret to watering a Cyclamen. He waits until the plant starts to wilt and the plant tells him “I need a drink.” He then waters it thoroughly and by the next morning it is perky and rigid. He has them in flower until the heat of summer. Miniature Cyclamen are f-1 hybrids and are gaining in popularity adding another dimension to the Cyclamen world. They are grown in 4 inch pots, have a smaller flower, are more prolific and often can bloom throughout the year. They lend themselves to planting in window boxes at the same time as pansies. They withstand some cool temperatures and give a dramatic display of color. They are a great windowsill plant and add a lot of color to any home.
Vegetable gardens are gaining in popularity and will be big again in 2017. If we convert our land to the organic approach, we can grow fruits and vegetables any place on our property as well as taking carbon out of our air. . Our food supply has been contaminated by modified seed and by the chemical methods used by most big farms. In an attempt to increase production and reduce costs of growing food most Agricultural Universities still advocate the use of chemical instead of natural methods. Chemical fertilizers although they may be effective kill the microbes in our soil. A healthy supply of microbes are the key to a good food web. A good food web will not only grow great plants but will clean up the toxins in your soil. Microbes will work for you day and night why would you kill them in our attempt to control nature, increase production, increase shelf life and process and market our food we have inadvertently created a serious health problem for our country. We are now talking about drones becoming the wave of Agricultures future by applying more chemicals with greater ease. This will undoubtedly lead to more contamination of our soils and our food chain. More people are realizing that we need to turn to organic food for quality and good nutrition; that we need to eat healthy un-processed food. Food direct from the vine to the dinner table is your best source of healthy food. Developing an organic vegetable garden in your yard makes sense. Hedging against shortages and eating healthy are steps anyone owning land can take. In time of crisis each family needs to know how to become self sufficient. Organic vegetables grown in your garden are a source of great nutrition and will provide substantial savings. The vegetable garden can be a place for the family to work together. The younger generation can become involved and realize that we all need to work in harmony not only with each other but with nature. The fruits of your labor are in the harvest of your own food. Understanding the steps of how you got there, the conditioning of your soil, the selecting of your plants and the role that the sun and rain play, is essential to understanding how important it is to do things the natural way. “The Vegetable Garden” is a chapter you will want to read in my book “12 steps to Natural Gardening”. It will provide you with all the information needed to plan for your very own Vegetable Garden.
Gardening is a great activity for us all to partake in. It is challenging, rewarding and enlightening. Working with plants and creating beautiful designs has made gardening the number one pass-time in America. . This activity, for those who are not yet hooked, will create changes in life styles. Working in the garden provides fulfillment where one never expected it. Gardening promotes health and builds character. We need to work with nature; combine aesthetics with practical needs and integrate it all into an exciting style of living.
MY NEW BOOK ’12 STEPS TO REVERSE GLOBAL WARMING
is based on the premise that photosynthesis will take the carbon out of the air and sequester it in the soil if we grow our plants organically and not chemically. Global warming has reached a critical stage and we as organic gardeners can do something about it. I will keep you posted on my progress as I try to get some funding and some publicity on this approach. The answer to CO2 extraction lies with nature.
MOST ASKED QUESTION
Why are leaves dropping on my Ficus tree? Why are the edges of leaves turning brown? Why are the lower leaves of my foliage plants turning yellow? As the heat goes on in our houses, the humidity drops and plants suffer. Increasing humidity will improve this situation. Plants will often need more water as the heat goes on; and lower light intensity will cause additional leaf drop. Feed your plants with Natures Source, a great organic fertilizer.
Scale, mealy bugs and red spider are prevalent on plants during the hot dry conditions caused by winter heat. Scale are sucking insects protected by a hard shell that exude a sticky substance. Spray with superfine oil. Mealybugs are cottony white substances siphoning sap from the axils of the leaves and protected by a waxy, fluffy white substance. Control with Insecticidal soap. Red Spiders are microscopic red mites that thrive in hot dry conditions and multiply rapidly. They puncture the undersides of the leaves causing discoloration of the leaf. Spray with Earth-tone Insect Control.
EDITORIAL
This is the time of the year to spend your gardening time reading and planning. ‘Teaming with Microbes’ is a great book that will help you understand the importance of the food web. And is a worthwhile read for any organic gardener. All the new gardening catalogues are coming out. Study your vegetable seed selections, add some new ones and plan your 2016 vegetable garden. Before you place any orders do germination tests on last year’s seeds. Place a dozen or more seeds between two sheets of moistened paper towels and place it into a baggie. Place it in an area where warmth will speed up the germination process. Check on germination daily and if germination is poor buy more seed.
outlines, they will work. If you have a problem, we are here to help. We want to be your partners as you venture into the natural way of doing things in your garden. Have a Happy New Year and Happy Organic Gardening.
