Grow It: It’s March!

By Katherine Hegemann

The first signs of spring are upon us; March is here. The daffodils, hyacinth, snow bells, crocus, and tulips are pushing up toward the sun. Gardeners of all types are itching to get their hands in the dirt and grow something, anything.

Early Spring Gardens

Did anything from your fall garden survive winter? If you are fortunate, you might be seeing collards, spinach, kale, lettuce, Swiss chard, or turnips. Since the snow fell early enough to cover the turnips and prevent them from freezing solid, you should be able to have some for dinner.

The vegetables that survived can form the basis for a very early spring garden. It is essential that you get a head start on weeds. Pull them and throw them on the garden compost pile. These weeds are still so tender and the roots so shallow that pulling them is a snap, and they will decompose easily.

You can plant beets and onions during March, but you are going to face the real probability that there will be another hard freeze and snow. Be sure to check the long-term forecast. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting some snow at the end of the month.

Old Farmer's Almanac: Long-Range Weather

It is very important to have a planting dates chart before you start out. The chart below is for the entire county; however, those at higher elevations need to adjust as needed. You should either plant a little later or protect new seedlings from the lower temperatures. Remember that what might work for someone else might not work for you.

Planting Dates for Johnson County, Tennessee
Crop	Start Seeds Indoors	Moon-favorable Dates	Start Seeds in the Ground	Moon-favorable Dates
Beans			May 10-24	May 10-17
Beets			Apr 19-May 31	Apr 19-May 2
Broccoli	Mar 15-29	Mar 15-19	Apr 19-26
Brussels sprouts	Mar 15-29	Mar 15-19
Cabbage	Mar 15-29	Mar 15-19	May 3-17	May 3-17
Carrots			Apr 5-19	Apr 18-19
Cauliflower	Mar 15-29	Mar 15-19	May 3-17	May 3-17
Celery	Mar 15-29	Mar 15-19
Corn			May 24-31
Cucumbers	Apr 12-26	Apr 12-17	May 17-24	17-May
Lettuce	Mar 29-Apr 12	Apr 3-12	May 3-24	May 3-17
Melons	Apr 12-26	Apr 12-17	May 24-31
Onion sets			Apr 12-19	Apr 18-19
Parsnips			Apr 19-May 10	Apr 19-May 2
Peas			Mar 29-Apr 12	Apr 3-12
Peppers	Mar 15-29	Mar 15-19
Potato tubers			May 10-24	May 18-24
Pumpkins	Apr 12-26	Apr 12-17	May 17-24	17-May
Radishes			May 3-17
Spinach			Mar 29-Apr 12	Apr 3-12
Squash, summer	Apr 12-26	Apr 12-17	May 17-24	17-May
Squash, winter	Apr 12-26	Apr 12-17	May 17-24	17-May
Tomatoes	Mar 15-29	Mar 15-19
http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/zipcode/37683

Old Farmer's Almanac: Garden Planting Dates

Ready?

Is it time to plant some seed? Not yet folks. The chart above uses the moon-favorable dates. It is really easy to use. If the moon is going from none to full or waxing, seed above ground harvest plants (kale, beans, broccoli). If the moon is going from full to none or waning, seed below ground harvest plants (potatoes, carrots, beets, turnip bottoms). The full moon and the no moon will last three days each.

From the chart, you can see that peas and spinach should be planted in late March. Carrots can be planted during the first half of April. From mid-April until May, you can plant beets, broccoli, onions, and parsnips. Everything else should be planted starting May 15.

Very important to the vegetable gardener are the hardiness planting zones. These have been redefined in the past ten years. Johnson County is in zone 6b; however, the eastern most part of the county is in zone 6a. For a detailed planting chart for our zone please consult the link given.

A Garden Planting Chart—Zones 5 and 6
Crop	Days to Maturity	Spring Planting Dates	Fall Planting Dates	Seed/Plants 100 ft.	Distance Between Rows	Distance Between Plants	Depth to Plant
Asparagus	2nd season	Apr 5 - 25		50 roots	3 to 5 ft.	1½ to 2 ft.	6 in.
Bean, bush	50-60	Apr 25 - May 30	July 25-Aug 5	½ lb.	3 ft.	2 to 4 in.	1-1½ in.
Bean, pole	65-75	May 10 - 20		½ lb.	3 ft.	6 to 12 in.	1-1½ in.
Bean, lima	65-75	May 10 -25		1 lb.	2 to 2½ ft.	3 to 4 in.	1-1½ in.
Beet	55-65	Apr 1 - 15	Aug 1 - Sept 25	1 oz.	2 to 2½ ft.	2 in.	1 in.
Broccoli	60-80	Mar 25 - Apr 5	Sept. 25 - 30	100 plants	2½ ft.	14 to 18 in.	-
Cabbage	65-80	Apr 1 - 20	Sept 20 -30	100 plants	2½ ft.	12 in.	-
Cantaloupe	80-90	May 10 - 20		1 oz.	4 to 6 ft.	3½ to 4 ft.	1½ in
Carrot	70-80	Mar 25 - Apr 10	Sept 20 -30	½ oz.	2 ft.	2 to 3 in.	½ in.
Cauliflower	55-60	Apr 1 - 20	Sept 20 - 30	100 plants	3 ft.	12 to 18 in.	-
Collard	55-70	Mar 20 - Apr 10		½ oz.	2½ ft.	8 to 16 in.	½ in.
Corn	80-100	May 1 - July 20		¼ lb.	3 to 3½ ft.	12 to 18 in.	2 in.
Cucumber	60-65	May 10 - 30		1 oz.	3½ to 5 ft.	3 to 4 ft.	1½ in.
Eggplant	75-90	May 15 - 25		50 plants	3 ft.	2½ to 3 ft.	-
Kale	50-70	Mar 25 - Apr 5		½ oz.	3 ft.	10 in.	½ in.
Kohlrabi	50-70	Apr 1 - 15	Sept 20 - 25	½ oz.	3 ft.	10 in.	½ in.
Lettuce	60-85	Apr 1 - May 15	Sept 1 - 15	½ oz.	2 to 2½ ft.	10 to 12 in.	½ in.
Mustard	40-50	Mar 25 - May 1	Aug 1 - 30	½ oz.	2 ft.	1 in.	½ in.
Okra	55-60	May 10 - 25		1 oz.	3 to 3½ ft.	6 in.	1 in.
Onion (mature)	100-120	Mar 25 - Apr 15	Sept. 1-Dec. 31	300 plants or ½ gal. sets	1 to 2 ft.	3 to 4 in.	¾ in.
Peas, garden	60-80	Mar 25 - Apr 10		1 lb.	2½ ft.	1 in.	1½-2 in.
Peas, southern	60-70	May 1 - 15	-	½ lb.	3 ft.	4 to 6 in.	1½-2 in.
Pepper	65-80	May 15 - 30	-	50 plants	2½ ft.	1½ to 2 ft.	-
Potato, Irish	70-90	Apr 1 - 15		1 peck	2½ to 3 ft.	10 to 14 in.	5 in.
Potato, sweet	90-150	May 15-June 5	-	100 plants	3½ ft.	12 in.	-
Radish	25-30	Mar 25 - May 1	Aug 1- 20	1 oz.	1½ ft.	1 in.	½ in.
Spinach	40-45	Apr 1 - 20	Aug 10 - Sept 20	1 oz.	1½ to 2 ft.	1 to 2 in.	¾ in.
Squash, bush	50-55	May 15 - 30		1 oz.	3 to 4 ft.	2 ft.	1½-2 in.
squash, winter	85-90	May 15 - 30	-	½ oz.	5 ft.	3 ft.	1½-2 in.
Tomato	70-85	May 15 - 30		50 plants	3 to 4 ft.	2½ to 3 ft.	-
Turnip	45-65	Mar 25 - May 1	Aug 5 - Sept 20	½ oz.	1 to 2 ft.	1 to 2 in.	½ in.
Watermelon	80-90	May 10 - 20		1 oz.	10 ft.	8 to 10 ft.	1½ in.
Note: Planting dates in this chart are approximate for North Missouri. Southern plantings should vary around two weeks earlier in the spring and later in the fall. http://www.thevegetablegarden.info/resources/planting-schedules/zones-5-6-planting-schedule

The Vegetable Garden: Planting Schedule by Zone

Next Up

  You have a few weeks before you should plant anything, so now is the time to prepare your beds. If you are going to till, now is the time. Make sure the ground is not too wet, but be sure to get this done by then last week of March. If you have permanent beds, you should be turning the soil and adding compost and decomposed mulch.

A good garden bed should be no less than eighteen inches and no more than four feet wide. You need to be able to reach to the middle with ease. The length depends on your garden size and design. Some beds might be four by six feet. Others may be eighteen inches by fifteen feet. It’s your choice.

Take a pitchfork and pull up a foot of dirt. Turn the dirt and loosen it completely. Add the compost and mulch then turn it again. You can use a small tiller for this if you have one or one you can borrow or rent. Now take your garden rake and mound up the soil to define your bed. Finish it off by dragging a lawn rake to flatten the top.

It is also a good time to clean between your rows and beds and lay down a thick layer of mulch. The mulch will make permanent paths and deter weeds.

Can’t Wait?

But what if you just can’t wait to grow something? It is possible to have a few plants in a container. As long as you have a way to protect the seedlings from freezing, you can do this now. One of the most important rules for container gardening is to be sure each container is large enough to handle root systems.

A good mix for a container is two parts good potting soil and one part vermiculite or sand. You can buy premade mixes or make your own. It is essential that whatever you use must not compact during the planting season. It has to stay loose or the plants will either be stunted or die from root rot.

Potting soil is often not soil at all but the elements nature uses to create soil. Here is a partial list of what can be in potting soil: sterilized soil, sand, compost, composted pine bark, peat moss, manure, alfalfa, sawdust, clay, and perlite (from volcanic rock). For a complete list of possible ingredients in potting soil, visit ATTRA: Potting Mixes.  

Table 1. A Selection of Organic Fertilizers for Use in Growing Mediaa
Fertilizer Material	Estimated N-P-K	Rate of Nutrient Release	Salt and pH Effects
Alfalfa Meal	2.5 – 0.5 – 2.0	Slow
Blood Meal	12.5 – 1.5 – 0.6	Medium-Fast
Bone Meal	4.0 – 21.0 – 0.2	Slow	Tends to acidify
Cottonseed Mealb	7.0 – 2.5 – 1.5	Slow-Medium
Crab Meal	10.0 – 0.3 – 0.1	Slow
Feather Meal	15.0 – 0.0 – 0.0	Slow
Fish Meal	10.0 – 5.0 – 0.0	Medium
Granite Meal	0.0– 0.0 – 4.5	Very Slow
Greensand	0.0– 1.5 – 5.0	Very Slow
Bat Guano	5.5 – 8.6 – 1.5	Medium
Seabird Guano	12.3 – 11.0 – 2.5	Medium
Kelp Meal	1.0 – 0.5 – 8.0	Slow	Possibly high-salt
Dried Manure	Depends on source	Medium	Possibly high-salt
Colloidal Phosphate	0.0 – 16.0 – 0.0	Slow-Mediumc
Rock Phosphate	0.0 – 18.0 – 0.0	Very Slow-Slowc
Soybean Meal	6.5 – 1.5 – 2.4	Slow-Medium
Wood Ash	0.0 – 1.5 – 5.0	Fast	Very alkaline, salts
Worm Castings	1.5 – 2.5 –1.3	Medium
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/potmix.html

There are people at all of our local gardening supply business who can help you find the right size container and the best growing mix for success. Gardener’s Supply Company  has a wealth of information online.

Step-By-Step

Take the container, which should hold at least twenty quarts of potting soil, wash it out with disinfectant and let it dry in the sun. New containers are sometimes sprayed with pesticides, and you don’t want that. Containers you are reusing can contain bacteria, mold, or fungus from the previous plants, and you sure don’t want that either. The combination of disinfectant and sunlight will clean the pot and kill off contaminants.

Fill the pot up to three inches below the rim with the potting mix. If you desire, you can add a very weak solution of fish emulsion. Just remember fish emulsion, even the deodorized, has some smell. You might not want your pot too close to entry ways or open windows.

Put the seeds on top of the soil then cover to the correct depth required. You can, of course, just poke the seeds down to the right depth. Thoroughly wet the soil to at least one to two inches deep. Be very gentle with this to prevent the seeds from being displaced.

You will need something to label the name of the vegetable or herb you’re planting and the date you plant. Popsicle sticks work well as do pieces of flat wood cut at least four inches long. Take a permanent, sharp-tipped marker to write plant name and date. Stick the stake down one side so you can keep up with germination time and date to expect mature plants. Place the pot near a south facing wall that will receive six hours of sun daily.

It is necessary to make some kind of cover to protect seedlings in case of a hard freeze or frozen precipitation. A removable wire cage that fits the pot and either clear plastic sheeting or light cloth will shield the plants.

Yes, March is when we start the time-honored process of gardening. Humans have been growing plants for thousands of years. The whole process is beneficial to you. You get exercise, time for reflection, and satisfaction in seeing the majesty of nature. It doesn’t matter if your garden is a four foot by four foot space or one of those 1200 square foot plots; it is your garden to enjoy.

© 2011, Katherine Hegemann

Money Miser: Simple Ways to Save Money around the House

By Katherine Hegemann

It is a lot easier to save money than you think. Using inexpensive items and mixing up your own home products will save you big bucks. Additionally, you will feel safer knowing exactly what is in the products you use at home.

Take proper precautions when using any home products, pre-mixed or homemade.

Baking Soda

Most people know about using baking soda to keep your refrigerator smelling fresh and relieving indigestion, but there are many other uses for this versatile product.

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and is an alkaline (base). In the refrigerator, the alkaline nature of baking soda neutralizes the acidic nature of odors. It does basically the same thing for indigestion; acid in the digestive tract is the cause of indigestion so taking baking soda makes the pH (acid or alkaline) level neutral. Before using baking soda for an upset stomach, consult your doctor if you have chronic indigestion or high blood pressure.

In cooking, baking soda is used as a leavening agent. Many people add a little soda to biscuits to make them rise even higher. Adding a pinch of soda when making iced tea keeps the tea from becoming too acidic and also prevents clouding. Many dried beans are acidic too, so adding a bit of soda to them during soaking or cooking cuts the acid and also softens the water. Make a rinse of one teaspoon of baking soda in a quart of water to pour over fresh vegetables – this will help remove pesticides and herbicides – then rinse with fresh water for another thirty seconds.

Many brands of toothpaste now have added baking soda to whiten teeth and freshen breath. About twice a week, rinse your mouth with diluted hydrogen peroxide then brush with soda: kill germs and whiten teeth at the same time. Other personal uses for soda are as an exfoliant for the face, deodorant, and shampoo. If you use it for an exfoliant, be very gentle. You want to get off dead skin, not end up with raw skin. Be sure to moisturize afterward.

Baking soda can be added to the rinse cycle of washing machines in place of fabric softener, and it also helps remove odors. In addition, it can remove heavy tea and coffee stains from cups.

One more household use of baking soda is to clean stainless steel sinks. It won’t scratch the surface but will help preserve the beauty of the steel.

For more information and an extensive list of used for baking soda:

Arm & Hammer at www.armandhammer.com/BakingSoda

The New Homemaker at http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/bakingsoda

Vinegar

Hot pepper vinegar is a southern staple for pork roast, greens, and dries beans. And what would homemade lime pickles be without vinegar? Vinegar can be used for much more than seasoning or part of pickling. All types of vinegar are derived from alcohol and are acetic acid.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has long been seen as a tonic and energizer. Mixing a little honey, apple cider vinegar, and club soda is often used as a spring tonic. Plus ACV is used in many natural weight loss products.

One tip that hair stylists used to give brunettes or redheads was to make a weak rinse of ACV and water. Pour it over the hair then rinse well. It makes it easier to comb out the hair and gives it shine.

ACV is useful for cleaning glass, coffee makers, and hardwood floors. It cuts grease and deodorizes at the same time.

White Vinegar (WV) used to be made from rice, but these days it is made from distilled corn alcohol. This type of vinegar is a great degreaser for appliances.

Pour about one fourth cup of baking soda followed by about one cup of white vinegar down a smelly or slow drain. Let it bubble and sit for about five minutes then flush with cold water. Your drains are now clean and fresh.

One of the most effective uses of WV is as a fabric softener. Just add one cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle. The pH in the vinegar makes the soap residue let go of the fabric and get rinsed out. This is especially effective for towels because commercial fabric softener binds with the fibers, making the towels less able to absorb moisture. For people allergic to commercial fabric softener, white vinegar is a great alternative.

There are so many uses for vinegar that are safe and natural. There are two great websites with extensive information:

Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits (http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/)

1001 Uses for White Distilled Vinegar (http://www.vinegartips.com)  

Disinfectant

A liquid disinfectant is an essential home product. Products like Lysol™, pine based disinfecting cleaner, or chlorine bleach help clean your home and help keep it a healthy place to live. All disinfectants kill many kinds of bacteria and viruses. If you’ve never gotten sick from a cutting board not being disinfected, you are fortunate – a scrubbing with disinfectant, hot soapy water, and a hot rinse will keep those nasty stomach problems away. An occasional addition of a disinfectant to the dish water can help keep the cold and flu viruses away from you and your family.

These products can be bought bottled and mixed up for daily use in a spray bottle. Of course, you can buy them already mixed, but you’ll save a lot of money mixing them yourself. Just be sure to read the label for proper mixing and use since they can be dangerous if not used correctly.

Two websites full of facts and ways to help you have a healthier home are:

Lysol (http://www.lysol.com)

Pine-Sol (http://www.pinesol.com)

Ammonia

Ammonia isn’t just for cleaning windows. Mixing up a little dish detergent, ammonia, and water does make a great glass cleaner. Try using a dry cloth or old newspaper to polish your mirrors and windows until they sparkle.

This old-time product is also a great degreaser. If a load of clothes headed toward the washer is extra dirty and greasy, add a cup of ammonia. Use ammonia when washing sheets and towels. They won’t smell like ammonia when dry, but they will be cleaner than if you use just detergent.

One use of ammonia you may have never heard of is on spider and other venomous insect bites. Why? The venom is an acid and ammonia is a base. By soaking a cotton ball with ammonia and taping it over the bite for about ten minutes, the venom will be neutralized. It may take more than one application; however, leaving the ammonia longer per application can slightly burn the skin. Ammonia is much cheaper than some of those bug bite sprays and gels. This will even work on the bite of a brown recluse spider. Although you may feel the venom is neutralized, you should have a bite by one of those arachnids checked out by a doctor. The venom of the brown recluse will degenerate tissue if not treated and can result in serious infection.

Bar Soap

There are basically two types of bar soap. One is based on animal fat (tallow) like lard or beef fat mixed with lye and water. The second (Castile) is made from vegetable oil products plus a sudsing agent like sodium laurel sulfate or sodium hydroxide.

Almost all of the bottled bath soap also comes in a bar, which is cheaper. You can make your bar soap last much longer. A simple trick is to buy a few extra bars of soap and cut off the top of the packaging so the soap is exposed to air. This will evaporate some of the water making the bar denser and harder. You can double the amount of time a bar of soap will last using this simple trick.

For more information and links:

Tallow: http://www.secretsofsuzanne.com

Castile http://www.drbronner.com

Powdered Borax

From killing roaches and carpenter ants to acting as a detergent cleaning enhancer, borax is very helpful in the home. It is made from the naturally occurring mineral sodium borate (boric acid). Two benefits of borax are it is inexpensive and less likely to aggravate allergies.

In the washer, borax helps with odor control and stain removal. Used with laundry detergent, it boosts cleaning power.

For rug and carpet odors, it can be sprinkled on the fiber; wait several minutes, then vacuum. A mix of borax and warm water will help remove stains in rugs and carpet when it is rubbed into the fibers, allowed to dry, then vacuumed. Additionally, borax sprinkled into trash cans helps prevent odors.

Borax is used as an all-purpose cleaner in the home. Some examples are rinsing dishes with a borax-water solution; cleaning countertops, refrigerators and stoves; scrubbing sinks and tubs with dry borax; and deodorizing toilet bowls.

For more information and links:

http://www.ehow.com/about_5070459_borax-powder-used.html

Hydrogen Peroxide

Oh, the good in that little brown bottle! This disinfectant and bleaching agent can do lots of different things around the home.

In the baking soda section, there was a discussion of using hydrogen peroxide to combat germs in the mouth and help whiten teeth. Peroxide should not be used daily for cleaning teeth as there are substances in the kind you buy at the store that can make your teeth overly sensitive. Once or twice a week is enough. If you are using it for mouth or throat infection, you can use it more often.

After each use of your toothbrush you can pour hydrogen peroxide over the brush and let it dry to help prevent bacterial growth.

Peroxide is especially useful for small wounds. After cleaning a wound with soap and warm water, you can saturate it with peroxide. The bubbling is oxygenating the wound, which kills germs and bacteria.

If you have a sore throat, you can gargle with half water and half peroxide solution. It kills the germs and soothes your throat. A couple of drops of peroxide in your ears can help loosen earwax and clear up an ear ache.

Would you like some highlights in your hair? In a spray bottle, mix half hydrogen peroxide and half water. Lightly mist your hair with the mix and rub your hands through it. Let it dry and the next thing you know, you’ll have highlights. You won’t need to do this but every couple of weeks to maintain your look.

Hydrogen peroxide can help remove stains. Use that same highlights bottle and spray a stain. Let it sit for about ten minutes then wash. Just be careful of colors since peroxide is also bleach. This works very well for sweat and older stains.

One use of peroxide you might not think about is sanitizing surfaces. From the kitchen to the bathroom this liquid can kill germs and odors. Spray a half and half solution on cutting boards, toilets, sinks, and tubs. Just let it dry and tell germs goodbye.

A final use for hydrogen peroxide is to mix one ounce with a cup of water to water house plants. The plants will become greener and lush; it adds oxygen to the plant.

To find out more about the uses of hydrogen peroxide:

http://www.using-hydrogen-peroxide.com/

Do you really want to save some money?

With a little research and willingness to try something different, you can save money around the home. Plastic spray bottles have multiple uses and aren’t very expensive. They last for years so they are a good investment. The best spray bottles are bought at a garden supply store or have on the label specifically saying they can be used in the garden. The sprayer is better constructed so it doesn’t clog as easily and keeps working for years.

Now you know. Go on and save some money.

© 2011, Katherine Hegemann