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Healthy Gardening

how to's  & Tips for your garden

What Comes After the Harvest?

10/1/2022

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“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” - L.M. Montgomery
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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
The weather is beginning to change and with it our gardens. The warm season crops are ending, and our days of harvesting will soon be past. We will pick the remaining fruits, and vegetables for one more meal and hopefully one more pie. The herbs are brought in for dying to enhance our favorite soups and stews during the upcoming winter.
As we reflect on this past growing season and begin our fall preparations it is important to take time to reflect and take notes of what were your favorite varieties and were they successful where you planted them. What areas of the garden had ample shade and were overwhelmed by pests. These notes will help you plan and succeed even more next year.
Once this growing season has been recorded it is time to begin the end of season garden care. ​ 

This will provide your gardens with the support needed to create healthy and productive gardens with each passing year.
  • Start by removing all summer annuals that will not last through the winter and old plants from the garden area. Once the remaining fruits and seeds are removed from the plants you can add them to your compost pile. Any plants that show disease or mold place in the garbage.
  • Remove all support stakes and cages from the garden area and clean with alcohol to disinfect and prevent diseases during storage. Once the garden area is clear you will be able to see if any weeds were hiding under your plants and can easily remove them.
  • Perennial plants need proper nutrients to survive the winter and flourish the next spring. The basic rule for perennial vines is to cut them back leaving six of the healthiest, strongest canes on each plant and trimming the others to the ground. Perennials and ornamental grasses should be cut back to the ground. Cut back any thin or weak stalks and deadhead the wilted buds. It is important to fertilize your perennials for the winter add a layer of slow-release fertilizer like Wild Valley Farms Wool Pellets to the soil around the plants. This will hold the nutrients close and help support the root system during the winter months.
Once the garden plants are trimmed and the old is removed, it is the perfect time to replenish your soil. The herbs and garden plants that just finished their season relied on the nutrients that were in the soil leaving it depleted at the end of the season.
  • Creating and maintaining proper soil nutrient levels is vital in next year's growth and ability to produce. Compost and mulches are ways to replenish nutrient levels, retain moisture content and reduce weeds taking root in your garden
Compost is decomposed organic material derived from two main components: "Greens” & “Browns.” It is made up from the layering, mixing- to provide oxygen for microorganisms to breath and break down the materials, and heating over time to kill seeds and pathogens of these two component categories. Studies show that using compost improves color, helps tomatoes and other plants stand up to common diseases. While considered a soil conditioner rather than a fertilizer, compost helps feed soil with a slow release of beneficial nutrients over time. It is best to add compost to soil each year to improve the overall soil structure increasing fertility and nutrients for growing.
Healthy Gardening How To's and Tips for your garden: Are there differences in compost and what are they?
Mulch can be any matter, organic or inorganic, that you put down on top of your soil. Materials used for mulch include everything from crushed rock and plastic sheeting to wood chips, discarded newspapers, pine straw, grass clippings, leaves, and straw. Mulch can be laid down on top of compost or topsoil 1 to 2 inches deep, usually in late fall & early spring. Mulch can help to cut down on your gardening chores by helping suppress weeds and hold moisture in your soil. This sheltering layer also protects tender plants from frost and cold in winter, and from evaporation and heat stress in summer. In addition, mulch helps moderate soil temperature, keeping a porous surface to allow water to get to roots and prevent soil erosion.
Healthy gardening how to's and tips for your garden: What is the difference between compost and mulch?
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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Also adding cover crops for the winter will decrease nutrient runoff due to winter rains, help restore your soil and will feed pollinators. Borage, Canola, buckwheat, white lupine, alfalfa, and sweet clover all serve the dual purpose of enriching the soil while providing nutrients for pollinators during the lean winter months. For more information on dual purpose cover crops check out the chart at USDA’s National Resources Conservation Service 
​Once the gardens have been replenished and prepared to rest for the winter. It is necessary to make sure all your empty pots, watering cans, and tools are washed out and stored in a dry place. Extra seeds and bulbs that are not ready to plant are stored away from the elements, soil and fertilizer is properly sealed. ​
It is now the season to flip through seed magazines and start dreaming! 

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Soil Porosity

8/1/2022

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Photo by Jonathan Kemper on Unsplash
We all hope to create the optimal environment for our gardens but what does that mean?
It all starts with the health of the soil. Which is the combination of nutrients, texture, and porosity. These components will determine the soil’s ability to hold and regulate water and nutrients. Soil is a mixture of sand, silt and organic matter that supports plant growth.

Soil can have a variation of texture due to its solid particles. The three main physical textures are clay, loamy or sandy. Clay easy packs together and has fine particles. Loam is loose and will crumble while sandy soil will feel rough between your fingers due to the larger particles. 
The size of the soil particles will affect the level of porosity within the soil. Porosity is the pore space or small voids between the solid particles that contain either water or air. These pores or voids can be due to movement of worms, roots, expanding gases and soil additives.
Healthy Gardening how to's and Tips For your garden: How do I soften my soil?
There are two main categories of soil porosity: micropores and macropores. These categories are based of the pore size or spaces. Depending on the size we can predict the levels of oxygen, nutrients, and the ability to retain water. The optimal porosity for plant growth is a ratio of both micro and macro-pores.
  • Micro pores are smaller in size but are not affected by gravity and can retain water and nutrients longer. Due to the smaller pore size the movement of air and water is sometimes restricted making it difficult for the roots to extract both the nutrients and water. Clay soils have a greater ratio of micro-pores.
  • Macro pores are a large pore size which allows air and water movement enabling optimal oxygen for root growth. The larger pore size also creates an environment for gravity to decrease the nutrients more quickly. Sandy textured soils, have a greater ratio of macro-pores.​ 
Understanding the role that porosity plays in creating healthy soil will impact what we add to our garden soil. Porosity is vital for optimal growth. The plants will degrade and die without a combination of both micro and macro pores. Leaving the ground dry and depleted of nutrients or waterlogged and stagnant. Assisting the porosity of the soil can be as easy as mixing in organic material such as wool pellets, worms, and planting annual lettuces into your gardens. 
​
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Photo by Wild Valley Farms
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Photo by Jonathan Kemper on Unsplash
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Photo by Erda Estremera on Unsplash
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Wool pellets
expand as they absorb water creating a space. That not only increase oxygen but holds the nutrients in the soil for root development. As they begin to biodegrade that space is replaced by air, increasing soil oxygen levels.

Introducing worms to the soil will increase the porosity of the top inches of your soil. As they create deeper tunnels in the soil it will also help with drainage preventing root rot.
​
Consider adding lettuce that can be harvested at ground level and the root system left. Once harvested the roots will die off leaving spaces for water, oxygen, and other nutrients to fill their space.
Healthy gardening how to's and tips for your garden: Soil vs potting mix
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Summer Melons

6/1/2022

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​Summer and gardening are inseparable whether you are enjoying your garden or produce from the garden is enhancing that day’s adventures. Summer memories are filled with sneaking grapes from the grape arbor, picking sugar snap peas or seeing who could fill their bucket full of berries first. One of the best memories is the anticipation of the melons. Each day searching for the melons under the big leaves, watching it grow and hoping that today is the day.
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​When adding melons to the garden it is important to understand what they need to thrive. They require a lot of soil nutrients through each growing period to help the plants succeed providing you with a flavorful harvest. When first planting most melon plants need a high slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. This will provide the soil with the nitrogen needed to assist in the photosynthesis process.
Wild Valley Farms Wool Pellets have 9% Nitrogen and can hold up to 20% their weight in water increaseing porosity for optimal root growth.
 Also increasing the amino acids which are vital to protein synthesis and the producing of chlorophyll. Depending on your current soil nutrients once the flowers begin to form the plant will require higher levels of phosphorous and potassium. Phosphorous can help regulate the protein synthesis and energy transfer as the fruit matures. Potassium assists in the exchange of nutrients and water movement throughout the plant.  Even with great care and providing a nutrient rich soil melons will provide a greater yield and increase flavor profile when active pollinators are present. Create an environment that will entice pollinators by planting a variety of herbs and flowers in concentrated areas near by. This will provide nectar, pollen and areas for nesting and attracting the pollinators to your garden. 
​Many flowers and herbs will not only attract helpful pollinators but will shield the plants from pests. Using the companion planting approach our favorites to plant with melons to deter pests are Marigolds the strong aroma will deter whiteflies, cucumber beetles and aphids. Chives, onions, and garlic help to deter aphids, rodents, and deer. Herbs like basil, oregano and mint help to repel whiteflies. 
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Healthy Gardening How To's & Tips for your garden: Companion Planting
As we provide the critical nutrients for our melons, they will soon become one of our favorite things to harvest in our gardens. The only difficult part will be deciding on which variety to choose.

 3 that we recommend!
Watermelons come in so many colors, shapes, and seed options that it can get overwhelming quickly. Sometimes starting with the old true and tested varieties is the way to begin. In the 1830s a variety nicknamed “Gypsy” made us all fall in love with watermelon. It has the traditional green and white stripes and is a long, large melon and can weigh up to 30 to 40lbs. This heirloom variety is called the Georgia Rattlesnake. This watermelon has a thicker rind and crisp sweet bright red flesh.
When to Plant: after last frost
Days to Maturity: 85-90
Fruit Weight: 30lb
Mature Spread: 72-96in
Cantaloupe is the perfect pairing to almost any summer event. The heirloom variety, Hearts of Gold provides beautiful 3lb round melons, with thin rinds and sweet orange flesh. This variety is not only known for its intense rich flavor but how early it ripens. Roland Morill out of Michigan created this new variety by crossing the Osage and Netted Gem melon varieties.
When to Plant: after last frost
Days to Maturity: 80-90
Fruit Weight: 3lb
Mature Spread: 36 - 72in
Armenian cucumbers are a melon and not a cucumber. They are also referred to as a snake melon or yard-long melon. They are slender with thin skin that can have color variations from dark to light green depending on the specific variety. The skin can be eaten, and the flesh is mild, crisp, and sweet. This melon is a versatile fruit as they are not only perfect for slicing fresh but can be added to both cold and hot recipes. These melons have been around a long time believed to come from the 15th century in Armenia.
When to Plant: after last frost
Days to Maturity: 70 
Fruit Size: 24in
Mature Spread: 48in
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Save water while gardening this season

4/1/2022

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Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Water is precious and crucial because all life is dependent on it. The ecosystem relies on its abiotic components for success and balance while even at a cellular level most reactions happen when in the presence of water. As each year passes, we find our communities water supply decreasing and more water regulations put into place. This shortage of water is the result of many factors including excess use of water practices and pollution. 
As we garden, we can implement water saving methods. Applying these methods and practices will reduce water usage and decrease nutrient runoff. Leaving the benefits of the water to enrich the soil and bring life to all plants within the garden. The increased awareness in water conservation has brought us techniques and intuitive products to assist us as we continue to create a world of beauty.
​The health of your garden soil is the first component of creating conditions that will retain water and provide benefit to all the plants that are in it. A combination of living organisms, minerals, liquids, gases, and organic material are all required to create a healthy soil. These key elements of soil are important to understand as water will bind to organic matter, holding it in the soil and reducing runoff. Garden drainage is also a key element in your garden layout. If the soil allows water to drain quickly it will leave the ground dry and depleted or can hold the water to long creating a marsh environment and leaving your plants vulnerable to diseases. Discovering the balance for your soil will depend upon your growing environment. At the beginning of each planting season, you will want to incorporate organic material, such as compost into your soil. This simple addition will help with retaining moisture and enriching your garden soil.
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Photo by Gabriel Jimenez on Unsplash
The ability to keep the benefit of water in the soil is its natural binding abilities. Water also has the natural ability to evaporate and leave the soil. To assist the soil in retaining the moisture needed the answers simplest solution is mulch. When adding a thick layer of natural mulch in and around the garden it not only absorbs water but reduces evaporation. Mulch has beneficial qualities that assist with supporting strong root growth by conserving moisture and regulating soil temperatures
At Wild Valley Farms our mulch products are kiln dried so the color lasts longer and has no pathogens. Try ours today available for local deliveries!
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Photo by Wild Valley Farms
Understanding your plants and improving your garden layouts before you begin to plant can help you decrease unnecessary water usage. In addition to your favorite plants try adding drought tolerant varieties, which require low to moderate water needs. Placing your plants according to the recommendations listed is vital for conserving water. While planting your seeds and started plants add wool pellets. They will provide direct nutrients and hold water close to the root system for an ideal growing condition. If a plant requires shade but then placed in full sun it might live but to do so the stress of surviving the sun will require the usage of more water.​
When considering your layout, notice that plants require different water for optimal growth. Without taking this into consideration your watering schedule could leave some of your plants receiving more than they can use while others are depleted. Placing similar plants together can help you, focus on providing plants the perfect quantity needed. Placing herbs, spinach, and lettuces on a watering system that is less frequent. Where most of the cruciferous vegetables require a more frequent watering schedule will optimize your water consumption. 
As gardener’s we understand the importance of preserving the earth and the responsibility to learn and use methods that safeguard the earth's resources. We can protect and use water with respect for the life that it creates. Understanding, that water is the very source in which we can create beauty in a way that enriches both the soil and one’s own soul. ​
Wild Valley Farms Wool Pellets have a pH level 7.02 and are able to HOLD 20% THEIR WEIGHT IN WATER and INCREASE POROSITY supporting optimal root growth
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Companion Planting

2/1/2022

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​My Great Grandmother’s garden notebook was filled with flower sketches, garden layouts, and notes in the margins as she noticed through trial and error the relationship between plants as they grew side by side.  Finding that different varieties thrive when planted together as they provide mutual benefits to each as they grow.
As we explore this approach most known as companion planting, we will discover an increase in soil nutrients, see better yields, chase away pests, strengthen resilience against disease and attract pollinators. Remember that as always, the region in which you garden can influence the effectiveness of companion planting.​
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Photo by Wild Valley Farms
​As gardeners we know that the beauty and flavor of our gardens comes first from the nutrients that lie in our soil. If you are starting a new garden, we recommend having a sample evaluated for the biochemistry and microbial content of your soil. Knowing the nutrient level can make it easier to decide on the initial layout of your garden. But do not worry even if you do not get your soil assessed the plants will reveal signs of deficiency. For example, if your plants are deficient in Nitrogen the lower leaves will be shades of light green to yellow and show signs of stunted growth patterns. Calcium deficiency will cause rot in the blossoms of tomatoes and squash. Phosphorus deficiency will cause the plants stems to be slender and undersized. ​
​As we add companion planting into our layout, we can set our plants up to succeed knowing that corn, tomatoes, and rhubarb require more nitrogen. We can pair them with peas, beans, and clover which help fix the nitrogen levels in the soil.  ​​Another perfect partner for not only adding nutrients to your soil, but also absorbing water and decreasing nutrient run off, is using Wild Valley Farms Wool Pellets. This will help your garden grow stronger and more abundantly. ​
Wild Valley Farms Wool Pellets hold 20% their weight in water and increase soil porosity for optimal root growth.
Companion planting can decrease the amount of soil exposed to the elements which will provide protection and shade. This will increase soil moister content by lessoning water evaporation. For example, you can cover the soil under the tomatoes by planting lettuce and basil reducing the number of weeds and providing a nutrient dense mulch for the soil and preventing loss of water through evaporation.
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Photo by Kenan Kitchen on Unsplash
Planting varied sizes of plants together can also provide physical support and increase yield. Placing plants that thrive in partial sun and shorter in growth height, like lettuces and greens, will do great under taller plants such as peppers and tomatoes. Strong bushes can protect young bush beans and other plants from wind damage.
When using companion planting for pest control there are three approaches. The first is planting to deter certain insects away from the area protecting the susceptible plants. The second is attracting and catching the insects and third is attracting friendly insects to the area to manage the issue for you. For example, aphids love gardens and if you want to deter aphids plant garlic and chives with your lettuce. Alyssum will attract hover flies and other beneficial insects that can assist in controlling your aphids from harming the greens in your garden.
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Photo by Yoksel on Unsplash
One of our favorite herbs for companion planting for pest control is Calendula sometimes called pot marigold. It can allure pests including aphids and whiteflies to its stems and traps them with a sticky resin. The herbs collection of aphids along their stems will draw ladybugs to the area to help further control the aphids in your garden. The yellow flowers attract bees and butterflies to your garden increasing the pollination throughout your garden. Plant a Calendula by your cruciferous vegetables, cabbages, and see what happens.
​Garlic and chives are two of the top plants to help decrease the chance of disease. Although these plants help deter pests, they also have special characteristics that can protect ​from disease. 
HEALTHY GARDENING HOW TO'S & TIPS FOR YOUR GARDEN: COMPANION PLANTING for the 8 most popular plants in your garden
Most diseases are of a fungal origin, making garlic and its high sulfur content a natural fungicide. Chives can help protect your rose bushes from black spot and even decrease scab in apple trees.​
The presence of pollinators is vital for your garden. Creating an inviting environment for bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies will add to the beauty and health of your whole garden. Providing plants like sunflowers, honeysuckle, and a butterfly bush will attract them to the area. A wide variety of crops including melons need pollinators to produce a healthy crop. By adding herbs like fennel and dill near your melons it will not only add to the flavor buy will increase your crop yield.
​
As you experiment with companion planting and adjust the layout of your garden accordingly you will be amazed with the results. The relationship between two plants can easily form a successful ecosystem that supports each other and the complete garden. Whether your goal is to increase soil nutrients, see better yields, chase away pests, strengthen resilience against disease, or attract pollinators, companion planting can provide a balanced approach to your gardening needs.
Porch: Creating your own Edible Garden at home: Tips From the Experts

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Indoor Plants: Choose with purpose and care

11/1/2021

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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash


The plants that create our gardens are chosen with purpose and care. We might start our gardens with many varieties but once we have discovered our favorites, we are loyal to a fault.
This is true for our indoor gardens as well and the varieties to be discovered are endless.

​When gardening inside we can control the environment a little more than outside.  Don't be fooled though just because you can assure your plants that they will not have to survive a windstorm.  That does not mean the environment that you provide will be perfect.
 
​When starting your indoor garden, we suggest doing these 4 things before purchasing your
​first plant.
​
1. Walk around your space noticing the light and different temperatures around your home. Start with the area that gets the most sun or indirect sunlight.
2. Depending on what area you choose to start research the best plants for the light density in that area. Do not be discouraged if you suddenly realize that your home is lacking sunlight. There are species and varieties that can survive in lower light conditions.
3. Start small this is one of the main differences between your outdoor and your indoor gardens. The magic of your indoor space will evolve over time as you fall in love with each new plant. We suggest starting with 2-3 plants. Starting small provides you the opportunity to not only succeed but to learn and grow with your plants.
4. Be smart! All plants have unique qualities that are beautiful and sometimes dangerous. Please be aware of which plants are toxic to animals and children. 

​Here are some of our favorites:
The Peperomia plant family is an amazing choice for first time indoor gardeners. They are small plants, and most varieties grow slowly and rarely grow over a foot in height. Making them perfect for desktops, windowsill, and rooms with limited space. This plant family has more than 1500 species that have been recorded. Creating a diverse collection of stem patterns, colors, leaf shapes, and textures that are spectacular to enhance any space.
Caring for most Peperomia varieties is easy as they are very forgiving. They do enjoy bright indirect light but can adapt to lower light. They require less watering as you will need to only water them when the soil is dry. Peperomia are non-toxic to children and pets.
As we start into the winter months think about adding a peperomia to your home because the winter is when their growing season starts.
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Photo by Kelsey Brown on Unsplash
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Photo by Severin Candrian on Unsplash
​These next plants are not just for adding aesthetics to a space, but they have added health benefits.
All plants, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen during photosynthesis. The small openings on the underside of the leaves are called stomata and they help regulate the speed of photosynthesis. The larger leaves provide more surface area producing more oxygen.
These next three plants are no exception they have been a part of many scientific studies and the results have proven they are some of the highest producing oxygen plants. As we continue to go about our lives, we find ourselves indoors more than ever which has led to a greater need of providing fresh air. Products have been developed to help with creating fresh clean air. Although many of those products can be putting chemicals into the air that can be harming our health. There are a lot of plants that are not only helping to oxygenate the world, but they also can remove harmful chemicals from the air helping to purify our environment. Here are three of our favorites. Do not forget to click on the links for more information on the other plants.​
 Areca Palm formaldehyde, xylene and toluene
Snake Plant benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene 
Money Plant 
benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene

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Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash
  Photo by Xinyi Zhang on Unsplash
Love the garden infographic on ​The NASA guide to air filtering houseplants
Ted talk  by  Kamal Meattle How to grow fresh air


​The number 1 issue with our indoor plants is over watering. The root system not only needs water but great porosity for increased oxygen to survive. When a plant becomes waterlogged the root cells will rot creating an optimal environment for fungal and bacterial infections to thrive. Here are a couple of ideas to help your plants flourish in your home. 
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Photos  by Severin Candrian on Unsplash

Check what soil is best for each plant! Depending on what plant you decide to go with will depend on what soil media is best.
 
Make sure you pick a pot with great drainage! Do Not add rocks to the bottom of the pot to help with drainage it will not work.
Water has natural abilities to bind to itself and with other objects. The rocks will trap the water increasing the likelihood of root rot in
your plants.
 
Use Wild Valley Farms Wool Pellets!
 They are especially great for indoor plants because they can reduce the ​chance of overwatering.
​They absorb and retain water and nutrients keeping it in the soil and wicking the extra water away from the root system.  ​

Using  Intelli-Mulch or another high-quality  soil topper will protect the quality of your soil. It will increase moisture content by reducing evaporation and can also help regulate 

soil temperatures.

more great information on  houseplants
​by Melinda myers
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Are your gardens ready for the temperatures to drop?

9/2/2021

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​
​In the gardening world no character is more feared  than Jack Frost. 
All of our hard work and efforts to grow a beautiful and enjoyable garden can in one cold night turn black.  While all of us want to enjoy the cooler days of fall and bask in the glory of our harvest, the thought of Jack visiting keeps us up at night. 
Have we done everything in our power to protect our wonderful garden? 



 A few years ago after slipping on a nice warm wool jacket in the fall.  I thought to myself that I wish I had something warm to put around my plants.  The next spring we were contacted by a hat maker, asking us if we could use some of their rejected hats for our wool pellet fertilizer.  Upon receiving the first shipment we quickly realized that this wool had a different purpose.  At Wild Valley Farms, we have long asked ourselves, “How can we apply wool’s protective qualities to frost above the soil?” With the help of a friend who was searching for a purpose for her unusable wool hats we found the perfect answer.
Woolly’s Frost Guards were created to be the perfect warm wool jacket to protect our gardens when Jack Frost inevitably comes to visit.  


Woolly's Frost Guards
are 100% wool, making them

SUSTAINABLE,
BIODEGRADABLE, and
ECO-FRIENDLY.


Wild Valley Farms Tip! 
​Woolly’s Frost Guards can be placed in your gardens both dry or wet for protection.
On the colder nights to protect your plants from extreme temperatures we suggest creating a plant igloo.  To do this lightly spray your Woolly’s Frost Guard with water before placing it
​over the plants.
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Click here to READ MORE ABOUT Dr. Geoff Naylor and the Australian Commonwealth Scientific Research Organization’s study
​THE WOOL FIBRE AND ITS APPLICATIONS.
Did you know? A kilogram of dry wool placed in an atmosphere of air saturated with moisture releases about the same amount of heat as that given off by an electric blanket running for eight hours. This is because wool is Hygroscopic. Hygroscopy is the phenomenon of attracting and holding water molecules via either absorption or adsorption from the surrounding environment, which is usually at normal or room temperature. 
​
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Water and Wool are your answers for protecting your garden from
​Winter Weather!
​
​The National Gardening Association created a helpful tool to show the first and last freeze dates based on your zipcode.  To find out when Jack might be coming visit check out the  Frost Dates Calculator.  
check your local weather reports and know how your specific plants will be affected by the different temperatures. Most Gardeners frost days are based on 32 Degrees.
Thank you for reading!
​Use code
FROST for 15% off your next Wild Valley Farms order!
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The No. 1 Plant Family for a successful Fall Garden

7/22/2021

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“For man,  Autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.
​For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.”  -  Edwin Van Teale
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Though it’s mid-summer, there is still plenty of time to start on a garden that’ll produce well into the fall.  A majority of our Wild Valley Farms family are located in Utah, California, New York.  So, we’ve put together a list of fall vegetables perfect for growing in these states and their surrounding areas! The lists for each of these states are consistent in that they all include Leafy Greens.
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​

UTAH    
 -Leafy greens
 
-Carrots           
-Beets             
-Peas              
We suggest planting nursery seedlings in mid-July.

CALIFORNIA
-Lettuce        -Beets
  -Carrots        -Chard
             -Parsley        -Parsnips       
      -Broccoli      -Potatoes
-Cauliflower
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The hardiest vegetables for California weather include onions, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, spinach, turnips, radishes, and asparagus. 
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     Start seeds in mid-July in doors, plant in mid-August: 
-Broccoli      
-Cauliflower
 -Leafy greens
 -Squash            
​NEW YORK
​Plant direct seeds in
​mid-July: 

-Carrots
-Legumes
-Beets     
-Turnips   
-Radish  
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Thanks for reading! What are your favorite fall-time vegetables?
​

Check out our products!
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Sow the Seeds of Summer

7/9/2021

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Wild Valley Farms has a growing community of friends in Northern California! 

Gardening in the heat can be tough! Are you frustrated with what to grow on the sunny west coast? Now (early July)  is the perfect time to sow the seeds of those heat-loving vegetables. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and cucumbers thrive in the heat. Think of all the delicious late-summer meals to be made with these vegetables. YUM! Below, we’ll highlight each of these vegetables, the qualities that make them perfect for this time of year, and some great summer recipes. 

Tomatoes
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Tomatoes require at least 6 hours of sunshine a day, this is great news for our California gardners! The more solar energy tomatoes receive, the more fruit they produce. However, excessive heat waves are damaging to the growth of this fruit. We suggest planting your tomatoes in an area that receives morning sun.
Check out these gorgeous tomato recipes! We think that caprese salad looks so refreshing. https://www.eatwell101.com/summer-tomato-recipes

Peppers
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Peppers do best in 70-90 degree weather, also needing 6-8 hours of sun per day! The best peppers for growing in hot environments are California Wonder and Keystone. In fact, California is responsible for nearly 40% of all USA bell peppers! How great do some steamy fajitas sound for a summer dinner party?
​
https://www.cookingclassy.com/sheet-pan-chicken-fajitas/


Eggplants
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Eggplants are heat-resistant vegetables, perfect for harvesting in late-summer. They grow quickly, and need a sunny location with rich, well-draining soil. We recommend Globe Eggplants for your warm areas like California! So, any fans of Olive Garden’s Eggplant Parmesan? We’ve got you covered. ;) https://flavorite.net/copycat-olive-garden-eggplant-parmigiana/

​Cucumbers
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Ideal temperatures for cucumbers are between 50-95 degrees. They thrive in full-sun and heat! If you’re looking for the best heat-resistant cucumber, try the Olympic or Thunder! Here’s another refreshing summer salad!
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https://www.fivehearthome.com/tomato-cucumber-salad-with-olives-and-feta/


Thanks for reading! Readers in hot, sunny areas- what are your thoughts? Have you had success with any of these vegetables? Let us know!

Check out our products!

https://www.wildvalleyfarms.com/super-compost-tea.html
https://www.wildvalleyfarms.com/wool-pellets.html

​
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Keep your plants healthy while on vacation!

6/10/2021

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It happened again. You watered and prepped your plants, put them in the sunniest spot, sent them good vibes, and still you returned home to shriveled carcasses of what once was.  
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How do you set your plants up for success this summer? This is a highly searched question on the internet. Our answer? Wool Pellets!

If you’ll be away for a short enough time that you don’t want to hire a plant-sitter, leave them with all-natural, eco-friendly Wool Pellets from Wild Valley Farms. Wool Pellets fertilize and are designed to hold in 20% of their weight in water, helping you to reduce watering of your indoor and outdoor plants!
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You’ll never come home to dead plants again. 
Wild Valley Farms- Dedicated to helping you grow big, healthy plants- naturally.  
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Hours:
Monday - Friday  9:00AM - 6:00PM
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Phone:   435-400-4373

 6000 E. Croydon Rd.   Croydon, UT 84018
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