Sweet Orange

According to Cindy McNatt, a columnist with the Orange County Register, Orange County’s first frost date is “sometimes never, but occasionally around Dec. 1.” Based on this date, Peaceful Valley, an organic gardening company, recommends the following general fall planting schedule for the Orange County.

When you scan down the list, you will see that according to the guide if you live in Orange County (at least most O.C. locations) and haven’t already planted, you missed most direct-sow and start-in-tray dates. However, these things are not written in stone, so you can always give it a try anyway. Or tuck the information away for next year and plant from seedlings that you buy locally or online. I like the list because it gives you an idea of what is possible for a fall produce garden.

• Beets-direct sow in the beginning of September
  varieties: Chioggia, Cylindra, Detroit Dark Red, Early Wonder Tall, Golden, Bull’s Blood, Green Top Bunching
• Broccoli-start in trays in August and transplant a few weeks later
  varieties: Di Ciccio, Calabrese, Rapinni
• Cabbage-start in tray in late August or early September then transplant a few weeks later, some varieties direct sow in early September
  varieties: Napa, Express Red, Pak Choi
• Carrot-direct sow in late July to mid-August
  varieties: Danvers, Kuroda, Little Finger, Scarlet Nantes, Chantenay
• Cauliflower-start in trays in late August and transplant a few weeks later
  varieties: Snowball
• Chard-direct sow in September
  varieties: Red Ruby, Fordhook Giant, Rainbow Beet, Yellow
• Endive-direct sow in August
  varieties: Batavian, PV Org Endive Tres Fine
• ArugulaGreens-direct sow in September
  
• Mustard-direct sow in September
  varieties: Giant Red
• Mizuna-direct sow in September
  varieties: Mizuna
• Tatsoi-direct sow in September
  varieties: Tatsoi
• Mesclun-direct sow in September
  varieties: Spicy Mix
• Spinach-direct sow in September
  varieties: Bloomsdale
• Dandelion Greens-direct sow in June
  varieties: Catalogna
• Mustard-direct sow in September
  varieties: Southern Giant Curled
• Mesclun Mix-direct sow in September
  varieties: Organic Mesclun Mix
• Kale-start in trays in August and transplant a few weeks later
  varieties: LacinatoKale, Red Russian
• Lettuce-direct sow in August to mid-September
  varieties: Royal, Sunset, Tango, Flame, Freckles, Little, Red Deer Tongue, Speckles, Black Seeded Simpson, Buttercrunch, Gourmet Mix, Merveille Des 4 Saisons, Parris Island Cos, Rouge D’Hiver, Green Salad Bowl, Red Salad Bowl, Dark Lolla Rosa, Red Oakleaf, Rubin   Organic Lettuce, Silvia Red Romaine, Summer Bibb, Iceberg Superior
• Onion-start in trays in June and early to mid-July and transplant a few weeks later
  varieties: Valencia, Rossa Di Milano, Torpedo Red Bottle, Walla Walla, Evergreen Bunching,
• Leek-start in trays in late June and transplant a few weeks later
  varieties: Varna
• Pea-direct sow in August
  varieties: Mammoth Melting, Oregon Sugar Pod, Progress #9, Sugar Snap
• Radish-direct sow late September to mid-October
  varieties: White BeautyRadish, Cherry Belle, China Rose, French Breakfast, White Icicle, German Giant, Pink Beauty, Sparkler, Easter Egg Mix
• Turnip-direct sow in late August to early September
  varieties: Purple Top, Seven Top, Golden Globe
• Kohlrabi-direct sow in early September
  varieties: Purple Vienna
• Rutabaga-direct sow in July

For more detailed information on the planting dates, the various plant varieties, and growing conditions for each plant, click on the Peaceful Valley Fall Planting Guide Calculator. Also, if you don’t live in Orange County, you can find the planting guide that is suitable for your area by entering the anticipated first-frost date for your location.

Graphic courtesy Peaceful Valley

Summer is over and summer garden produce is mostly a thing of the past. For many, fall is a time to let the garden go fallow. Not a bad idea, but a fall garden is entirely possible.

Look forward to peak flavor and performance of many crops that do not prosper in summer heat. Lower temperatures are ideal for producing crisp lettuces, without the bitterness or bolting that can occur in hot weather. Frost-kissed kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage have a special sweetness. Carrots, beets and turnips also thrive in the fall garden and, after harvest, can be kept in a pantry or root cellar so you can enjoy their goodness well into winter. Collards, mustard and other greens also like cool weather.–Vicki Mattern, “Top Tips for Great Fall Gardens,” Mother Earth News

Note: In a few days, I will post some fall planting guide information that is specific to Orange County. Also, the Orange County Great Park is currently offering free fall gardening workshops, now through November 5.

Photo courtesy Seeds of Change, a company that specializes in many things organic

Fed and Be Feed–the motto for St. Paul’s Sunday Supper program

Sunday Supper is an outgrowth of the AngelFood ministry. It now provides a free meal to anyone who wants one [as well as take-home provisions for the coming week], every Sunday evening at 5:30 pm in our Parish Hall. This ministry started in July 2010 and now is both ecumenical and inter-faith with support from our neighbors, Aldersgate Methodist Church and Congregation B’nai Israel [as well as Trinity Episcopal Church and Tree of Life].–St. Paul’s Episcopal Church website

In my last post, I wrote about AmpleHarvest.org’s attempt to help gardeners share their surplus produce. I could not leave the subject without mentioning one of my favorite programs, St. Paul’s Sunday Supper in Tustin. The video tells the story. (Click here to view the video by Jeremy Stebens on Vimeo.)

Currently, St. Paul’s, located at 1221 Wass Street in Tustin, can accept your produce on Fridays and Sundays. For any questions on donating your surplus garden fruits and vegetables (or other supplies) to the Sunday Supper program, send an email to lesiriani@gmail.com, or call  Wayne Kemp at 714-544-3141.

Additional information: “Church groups gather to serve Sunday dinners: Five congregations come together to provide free weekly dinners at a church in Tustin.”–Elysse James, The Orange County Register

Photo courtesy The Orange County Register

An estimated 100 billion pounds of food, enough to totally eliminate hunger, is thrown away annually in the United States. It does not have to be this way - and you can help.

Your support of the AmpleHarvest.org Campaign helps many more food pantries receive fresh produce - improving community health while also helping the environment.—AmpleHarvest.org

In my last post, I wrote about the abundant compassion and caring that we all showed each other, in spite of differences, immediately after 9-11. I also asked if it was really necessary for us to experience a major collective heartbreak to bring us back together. I’m thinking the answer is NO!

There must be a hundred ways—some big and some small–that each of us can find in our everyday life to bring back that sense of connection. The Ample Harvest program is one of these.

Here is the scenario: You have a vegetable garden or maybe some fruit trees in your yard. The harvest is usually more than you and your family can eat, so you give some away to friends and neighbors. But still you have more than you can make use of. So what do you do? Let it go to waste? Of course not!

Instead, you glean the extra produce from your garden, and then bring it over to your local food pantry, community organization, or house of worship that has a food distribution program. These organizations will gladly accept your extra produce (or other supplies like peanut butter, rice or pasta that you pick up at the grocery store) and put it to good use. Where ever you might be in the country, you can find one of these pantries at AmpleHarvest.org.

When it comes to overcoming the divisiveness and hostility that is prevalent now, the AmpleHarvest program shows us one way we can light a candle instead of curse the darkness. There are many more. I am sure you can think up some yourself.

I was watching a Frontline documentary (Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero) recently that talked about how some people were affected by the events of 9-11. One woman who went down to Grand Zero to help said she was struck by how much kindness and tenderness everyone was showing each other. I experienced a similar feeling after the 1989 San Francisco earthquake. Consideration and caring were everywhere; selfishness and intolerance of fellow citizens were nowhere to be found.

Now it is ten years later and that consideration and caring are difficult to find. Vitriol and division have taken their place. We only have to look at the U.S. Congress for a glaring example. Republicans and Democrats can’t find common ground. Instead, they are much better at accusation and name calling.

This brings up some questions: Do we really need a major collective heartbreak to bring us together? Can’t we get back to our better natures that we found immediately after 9-11? Not by insisting that everyone thinks and acts the way we do, but by allowing for differences while keeping our own beliefs.

9-11 is the date of a terrible tragedy in the United States. But to honor those who gave so much that day, let the anniversary of 9-11 be a call to return to our better natures—that better nature that we found immediately after the tragedy. Let it be a call to come together as fellow citizens in spite of our differences. And let’s reward our government representatives when they find common ground, not when they bring division. It would be the patriotic thing to do!