How to Conserve Water in Your Garden

In summer, it can seem like all the water in the Mississippi River still couldn’t keep your garden’s soil perfectly moist and plants happy. You carefully water in the cool mornings and evenings, yet your garden’s soil still seems to dry out too quickly. This challenge has more to do with water loss, and it's important  to understand the three ways that plants and soil lose water.

EVAPORATION
Water evaporates from the soil surface on hot, windy and sunny days, and because of capillary action, evaporation from the surface can also draw water up from deep beneath the soil, depleting that as well. The best way to offset this is to place a three inch layer of organic mulch like compost, hay, leaves or grass clippings on the surface of the soil. A drip irrigation system buried a few inches below the soil surface will further reduce evaporation from the surface because it places water right at the root zone of each plant. Overhead sprinkler systems and hand watering with a hose are much less efficient because they wet a much larger area of the soil surface, allowing faster evaporation.

PERCOLATION
Organic humus actually attracts and holds water, and working plenty of it into your garden’s soil will reduce the amount of water that percolates, or flows down through the soil out of reach of plant roots. Water percolates fastest through sandy soil types, much slower in heavy clay based soils.

TRANSPIRATION
Plants lose water through their leaf tissue by transpiration, and misting certain varieties on hot, dry days can reduce the amount of water lost and reduce stress. Always mist plants in the morning or evening, never in the heat of mid day as the water can heat up and damage or even kill the plant. Alternatively, allowing plants to wilt for a few hours in the hottest part of the afternoon can also reduce the amount of water lost through transpiration.

5 Leafy Greens That Love Summer

It can be a little heartbreaking when a week of hot weather sends arugula and lettuces spiking for the sky. One day you’re clipping delicate salad greens, and the next day spiky stalks and flowers are swaying above bitter greens in the garden.

But not to worry – you don’t have to devote your summer garden entirely to the popular warm season varieties like tomatoes and squash, because there are some famously cold tolerant leafy green cultivars that can also stand up to even the sultry summers of the Southeast.  Here’s are a list of  leafy greens that are perfectly happy nursing a cup of hot cocoa or a cold glass of iced tea...

KALE (Brassica oleracea)
This non-heading member of the cabbage family famously produces even in harsh Russian winters, but is quite content in warm weather. Harvest the outer leaves a few at a time throughout the season, and water regularly to improve tenderness.  Space plants 12”-18” apart and rotate crops to avoid common soil borne diseases, and companion plant herbs to help control insect pests like the cabbage worm. Recommended cultivars: Red Russian, Hanover Spring, Blue Curled Scotch, Lacinato.

CHARD(Beta vulgaris cicla)
A relative of the beet that has been developed for its tender, nutrient packed leaves, Chard is often used as a heat tolerant substitute for spinach.  Space plants about 8” apart in rich soil amended with plenty of compost and an organic source of potash like green sand or wood ash. Suggested cultivars : Rainbow Chard, Ruby Red.

MALABAR SPINACH(Basella Alba)
Native to Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent, this heart loving perennial climber has no problem with the steamy summers in the Southeastern US. “What hot weather?”, it asks as this perennial climber methodically overtakes anything it can climb onto, producing thick,  heart shaped leaves that , while not technically spinach, are milder and loaded with Beta Carotene, iron and vitamin C.

COLLARD GREENS(Brassica Oleracea)
What this reliable, hearty garden producer lacks in aesthetic beauty, it makes up for in consistent yields of nutrient packed leaves in any season. Every bit as cold tolerant as it’s cousin kale, collards are even more content in the steamy days of summer.  Recommended cultivars: Georgia, Green Glaze, Champion

MUSTARD GREENS(Brassica Juncea)
Depending on the variety, the spicy flavor of mustard greens can vary from a fun dash of flavor to a salad mix to something more reminiscent of a chunk of wasabi, they  don’t mind hot summer weather one bit.  Recommended cultivars include Giant Southen Curled, Red Giant and Ruby Streaks

Finally Free to Garden

Don and Barbara recently found themselves with more free time on their hands. A lot more free time actually. Their youngest was  settling into his new dorm room, and Don had just  retired from a  demanding  and decorated law career.  Even when things were busy, the couple had still made time for healthy eating, including lots of green vegetables with most meals. And while the pace at house is more relaxed now, the focus on fresh organic produce hasn’t diminished one bit.

In fact, the couple decided that an organic garden would give them the steady supply of produce for the kitchen, and a hobby that they can enjoy together.

Don Caldwell's Organic Garden from Microfarm Organic Gardens on Vimeo.

After researching raised bed designs they decided what they needed was a taller style that would give them a place to sit and garden comfortably, and they insisted on untreated red cedar for durability and beauty. The couple was excited about gardening, but not at the prospect of bending over all the way to the ground, and certainly didn’t want to begin their new adventure by using treated wood. Our  Kitchen Garden design fit the bill perfectly, and we placed it just outside the couple’s kitchen window.  We created an L shaped design measuring 3’ wide and 8’ on the long sides, with a 3’x3’ square bed. The garden sits about 19” high - about the same height as the typical chair or bench – and is tall enough for some really comfortable gardening, as well as keeping out rabbits and pets.

Don and Barbara have a few trips on the calendar this summer, and so we installed a drip irrigation system and connected it to a battery operated timer at the hose bibb on the back of the house.  Those tomato, squash and pepper plants will never even know they left.

All those sunny mornings glimpsed through the window of the law office are a thing of the past. There’s no more rushing around. Don and Barbara can take as long as they want together, working in their new organic garden.

Queen's Coop Tour + Yardbird Fair on Saturday May 2nd

Your organic garden is dialed in. Herbs are thoughtfully companion planted among edible crops. Your compost pile churns out steam like a locomotive when you turn it. You’ve had your eye on backyard chickens for a while now. You’ve seen the bright orange yolks in the pan. Friends won’t stop raving about how much fun their hens are.

But you still have a few reservations.

What would a coop look like in my backyard? What would it smell like? What would the neighbors think? How difficult is it to care for chickens?

Now is  your chance to see firsthand at the Queen’s Coop Tour + Yardbird Fair presented on May 2^nd by Four Dogs Pet Supplies.

The day kicks off at 8:30am with breakfast provided by Heist Brewery, followed by a class from 9:30a-10:30a on raising backyard chickens, presented by Jeff Mattocks. Jeff is a chicken expert, and author of Feeding Pasture Raised Poultry.

Tickets are $10, but the class is limited to 20 people, so be sure to buy tickets now at Four Dogs Pet Supplies. The class fee also includes a map to the ‘Free Range’ Coop Tour which begins at noon. Jeff will stick around until around 11:30a for questions & answers, and copies of his book will be available for $8.95 during the class. 

The Microfarm team will have a mobile Garden Ark Coop on display at Four Dogs Pet Supplies during the event, so be sure to stop by and say hello to Miriam and Loddy Doddy, the spunky Silver Laced Wyandotte hens.

The ‘Free Range’ tour of local chicken coops begins at noon and ends promptly at 4pm, so be sure to plan accordingly so you’ll have time to visit all of the coops.  Queen’s Coop Tour Tickets are $10 and can be purchased either in advance, or the day of the event, from Four Dogs Pet Supplies. Tour maps will be available beginning at 11:30am on the day of the event.

Remember, your vote counts! Prizes will be awarded for the most eco-friendly coop, funkiest/best decorated coop, and also to the “Chicken ala Queen” for the people’s favorite.

Purchase your tickets early and join us for a fun-filled day of all things chicken.

Raising backyard chickens is a laid back affair, but to make the tour fun for everyone, please observe these guidelines:

- Please be respectful of coop owners.  Do not arrive prior to noon or after 4pm.

-Foot tubs and vinegar will be placed at each coop to help prevent cross contamination between coops. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and will work to kill the bacteria hiding in your shoes as well as combat unpleasant odors.

-Please leave companion animals at home. Not all dogs are chicken savvy – nor are all chickens dog savvy.

Queen’s Coop Tour Event outline

• 8:30:  Breakfast at Four Dogs by Heist Brewery
• 9:30am  Chicken Nutrition lecture by Jeff Mattocks, Limited seating.  $10 includes admission and a map.
• 10:30am  Sqawk about all things Chicken with friends, neighbors and our expert nutritionist.  (FREE)
• 11:30am  Live Birds, Coops, Coop Design by Microfarm Organic Gardens
• Noon:  ‘Free Range’ Coop Tour Begins
• 4pm : ‘Free Range’ Coop Tour Ends

Thanks for the Kind Words

Much can be accomplished with good advertising. Vivid colors, clever copywriting, memorable design, and striking photos tug at our emotions like an old home movie. A smart web presence and elegant printed collateral can certainly get the phone ringing, but none of it can hold a paddle hoe to a personal endorsement. A neighbor sharing a positive experience over the fence. A friend at work raving about  unexpected, and delightful customer service. A happy (and talkative) customer will add ten times the shine to a company's image, and we're thrilled to have some of these  loyal customers behind our brand. While each customer's story is a little different,  the end result has been the same. Delight. Joy. Satisfaction. Visit the links below to see photos of each customer's project. We think you'll like what you see, and hope you'll find the inspiration to create a Microfarm story of your own.

Country Day School Greenhouse

charlottecountryday.org

Blackhawk Garden Center's Organic Garden

blackhawkhardware.com

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden's Organic Garden

dsbg.org

Vyne on Central's Organic Garden

vyneoncentral.com

Luna's Living Kitchen's Cedar Planters

lunaslivingkitchen.com