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top 5 for the October Garden
It’s the end of the summer harvest season here in Oregon. While fall crops like cabbage, carrots and winter squash are still coming in, it’s a good time to batten down the hatches for the winter.
In the rainy PNW it’s often not the hard frost that will damage the garden but the return of heavy rains, that can mold and rot crops still in the earth. October is a great month to take advantage of the last warm sunny days and prepare for next spring!
My top five for the garden in October:
Harvest: This is the month to harvest remaining crops in the field that were spring or summer planted. Get those last zucchinis, pole beans, tomatoes, potatoes, winter squashes, fresh herbs and brassicas out of the field and into dry storage, a freezer or canning jars. Collect and clean any seeds you can from flowers, herbs and non hybrid veggies and place into a dry, cool dark space for storage.
Compost: You are going to have lots of debris in the garden as your summer plants die back for fall. Trim back your perennials (like mints and flowers) and pull your annuals up to add them to your compost pile. If you don’t have a compost pile now is a perfect time to make one. You can simply pile things up making sure you layer in some straw or fall leaves to balance out the nitrogen of the decaying garden plants. If you can cover your pile with a tarp or create a 3 sided pallet structure with a simple cover on top that will help your pile to not get overwet by the winter rain. You want the compost to stay moist but not soaking wet so that the microbes that turn your old plants into rich compost have the right working conditions.
Cover Crop: Once you have harvested and cleared out your old garden annuals and trimmed your perennials you don’t want to leave the earth bare to the elements. Mother Nature abhors bare soil and will quickly cover any spots left open in a bandage of weeds to protect the ground from rain erosion. If you plant a cover crop you get to beat out weeds, protect your garden soil and also grow nitrogen rich fertilizer that you can use in place next spring! Thanks to the magic of the Nitrogen fixing legume family of plants (peas, vetch, clover, alfalfa) which pull Nitrogen from the air and fix it into the soil on their roots- you can end your growing season by planting a crop that will give back all the nutrients that you took from the garden and get it ready for next spring. Order a cover crop mix for fall sowing (my favorite is red clover, oats and peas) and sprinkle the seeds on your cleared garden beds. Rake in gently and let the fall rains to the rest. In the spring you will get an early show of red clover blossoms which the bees will love and the oats will die back giving you a rich carbon layer to mix with your nitrogen.
Plant: It may be the end of the line for some plants but others do much better when started in the fall. This is a great time to plant garlic and spring flowers that need a time of cold stratification for germination (like poppies and love in the mist). It is also one of the best times to plant orchard trees, bushes and other perennials that are cold hardy. The deep watering in they will get over the winter season helps them establish roots while not having the pressure of also having to grow and produce right away. This is also the time to plant spring bulbs like daffodils and crocus for the flowery show they will give you in early spring!
Protect: If you are growing late into the season or even year round (as we can on the temperate Oregon coast) it’s a good idea to bring in your more tender plants to give them some kind of cover. If you have south facing windows you can often bring in your basil plants and other herbs/lettuces and keep them going for a few months in the warmth of your house. If you have unheated green house or high tunnel space then pulling in plants to give them cover from the rain and wind helps them survive the winter. I pull in my new lavendar and lemon verbena plants that are in pots and let them grow slowly or die back in protection of my high tunnel hoop houses as they would die from overwatering if I left them in the rain. Row covers can help protect crops in the field from frost but I have found that coastal winds demand that you give them very secure bindings to keep them where you want them! Instead of row covers I mostly cut back what plants I can, pull in what is still growing in pots and plant out what is big enough to survive in the ground and doesn’t mind a deep watering. If you do pull in your plants make sure to water them much less than you normally would. They are not growing and so don’t need water like they do in the spring and summer months. Too much water will cause root rot and death in the winter season.
Now you have my top 5 tips for the October garden.
The farmers almanac states that whatever is still in the fields after Halloween is left for dead! Take advantage of the time you still have to get those apples harvested, tomatoes roasted, seeds collected and plants tucked in for winter!
Happy fall gardening,
Farmer Ginger
Garden videos from North Fork 53
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Communitea Resilience Guide for COVID 19
First, wherever you are reading this I hope you, your family, and loved ones are safe. Brigham and I are staying put on the coast and working on growing our medicinal herbs and tea blends for this spring. We’re prepared to stick to the farm for the next 4-6 weeks, or as long as needed to help stop the spread of this virus.
I am hoping this blog post will help to:
Tune into the resilient and nurture culture things that are happening right now .
Share resources that can help you or someone you know get through this safely.
Get grounded so you can help stop the spreading of stress, fear, panic, and anxiety.
This is an unprecedented moment in history and one that people will be reflecting back on for generations to come. Let’s make it the story of how we all stayed in our hearts, helped each other through, shared resources and decided together to create a healthier more equitable and peaceful world going forward. Peace begins with a healthy, and calm YOU. Your energy now has a powerful effect on those around you. The deeper we ground into our mental, emotional, and physical self-care, the more resilient we will stay. And the more resilient we stay, the stronger we’ll be for our families, friends, coworkers, and community at large.
“And The People Stayed Home
And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.
And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.
And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.”
- Kitty O'Meara
Not every section below will apply to your situation. Take what works for you and leave the rest. I borrowed this whole format from MarieForleo.com (one of my fave coaches) and added to it with things that inspire me and I find useful so please check out her website for lots more info and guidance!
Herbal Resources
The DragonTree Apothecary and Dr. Peter Borton video blogs on COVID 19
Vital Ways Herbal School Page on COVID 19
Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine Immunity pages
Recipe and Home Cooking Resources
Oregon Businesses Help and Support
COMMUNICATION MATERIAL:
In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, Governor Brown released an Executive Order “Stay Home, Save Lives” on March 23. This new policy orders Oregonians to stay in their homes whenever possible and includes stronger language around approved activities and business operations.
Check the Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 page daily for new messages, new social tiles as well as social tiles that have been translated in eight languages.
BUSINESS RESOURCES & ASSISTANCE:
Tell Travel Oregon your story.
Online form to capture recent impacts on destinations and businesses.
Share your immediate needs, as well as any special promotions or inspirational stories happening during this challenging time.
Please fill out the form and submit your information by March 27 to be included in upcoming content pieces and marketing and communication recovery efforts.
Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association – resources for businesses in the restaurant and lodging industry
Oregon Community Foundation Grant Information (for non-profits impacted by COVID-19)
Small Business Administration Disaster Resources
BOLI – The State of Oregon has many resources available for businesses and employers. Employers can call the Technical Assistance hotline at 971-673-0824 or email bolita@boli.state.or.us.
Small Business Advocacy – Businesses without employees or with fewer than 100 employees can contact the Office of Small Business Assistance via email at business.sos@oregon.gov or by calling toll free 1-844-469-5512
Oregon Work Share Unemployment Program – This program allows employers to arrange for unemployment benefits for employees who they may need to furlough or experience reduced hours. Visit the website to learn more about this program.
RESOURCES FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION:
TRAVEL RECOMMENDATIONS:
Travel Oregon’s Travel Alerts
Check the CDC for countries with current travel restrictions
How To Manage Coronavirus-Related Stress, Fear & Anxiety
Here are some Marie Forleo TV episodes on fear, stress, and anxiety that will help you cultivate a calmer, stronger, healthier mental state.
If you’re struggling with the negativity around you, watch:
Stressed out about life, kids, money, work, health and… everything? Watch:
Marie’s Personal Meditation Practice – free audio download!
Virtual therapy/counseling:
Meditation apps:
Funny, Inspiring, and Feel-Good Responses During the Coronavirus
Did you know that research shows laughing is proven to reduce stress and improve your immune system?
Here are some IG posts that are brightening my day:
Some people are taking group workouts to a whole new level in Spain.
This group sing-along in a Copenhagen apartment complex is… EVERYTHING.
Doctors and nurses dancing to keep spirits high in Tehran.
Neighbors play music together from balconies in Sicily.
After her performance was canceled, Lizzo did a 30-minute mass meditation on Instagram, her mantra for the day being, “Fear does not exist in my body. Fear does not exist in my home. Love exists in my body. Love exists in my home.”
Miss the treadmill at your gym? This guy has it figured out.
And… saving best for last — we are in love with this kitchen “DJ” genius. Can we please talk about those hip thrusts?
If you’re looking for feel-good accounts to follow, here are some great resources:
How to Stay Active & Keep Exercising Without The Gym
Staying physically active and getting regular workouts is critical right now. Working out keeps your immune system strong and your state of mind clear, calm, and stress free. I cannot stress the importance of staying active and strong enough! Here are a few resources to make sure you stay moving.
DownDog App has made all their apps completely free until April 1st. You can choose from hundreds of at-home yoga, HIIT, Barre, and 7-minute workouts.
Glo is offering free online yoga, meditation and pilates workouts to help deal with anxiety.
Fitness Marshall is my favorite dance fitness guru on youtube!
Yoga with Adriene offers amazing free yoga classes on YouTube, and is welcoming to all abilities and body types.
This article from Glamour lists 31 of the best free fitness apps to try.
Ryan Heffington, a well-known dance choreographer in LA, is leading scheduled dance parties on IG Live for folks who are quarantined.
How to Educate & Entertain Kids That Are Suddenly In Your House — All The Time!
Here are some at-home learning resources and activities:
Other Goose is offering its charter school-approved curriculum 100% free for the next 3 weeks.
PBS Kids Videos are offering on-demand educational videos and a livestream of the PBS Kids 24/7 channel free with no subscription. Also, check out their education game app!
Yummy Toddler created a great list of advice for feeding your family during a crisis, including how to freeze milk and greens, store produce so it lasts longer, recipes to make ahead, plus toddler activity ideas.
Some more fantastic tools for online learning: Scholastic Parents – Printables, Scholastic Parents – Activities, Seussville, TinkerLab, BrainPop, KiwiCo, and Khan Academy – Math.
Scholastic offers projects and at-home learning for kids of all grades. These are projects your child can do with you or on their own.
Drawing Resources: Art Hub for Kids and Hello Wonderful.
If your kids are asking you questions about the coronavirus, you’ll love this comic and podcast that NPR just released for kids to learn and enjoy.
When in doubt, turn to YouTube! There are channels for:
Educational songs: Singing Walrus, Jack Hartman Kids Music Channel, and Harry Kindergarten Music.
Science: The Dr. Binocs Show, SciShow Kids, and Crash Course Kids.
Movement: Cosmic Kids Yoga and GoNoodle.
How to Stay Emotionally Connected While Social Distancing
Social distancing during coronavirus doesn’t have to mean total isolation or feeling lonely. Technology offers countless ways to stay connected to your family, friends, and community.
NextDoor has quickly become an essential way to connect with your neighbors while you’re hunkering down inside. You can connect with others, check in on the vulnerable around you, and if you have extra supplies or an essential that someone else needs, you can drop them at your neighbor’s door.
Facetime, Skype, and Zoom hangouts: sounds obvious I know. But most of my dearest friends and family do not live in the same place. We have coffee dates, lunches and hangout time regularly.
Netflix Parties. This Chrome plugin lets you watch your favorite Netflix show in tandem with friends, making you feel like you’re at a slumber party from the comfort of your own home.
Take a virtual field trip! Watch sea animals at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, go on a tour of the Louvre, explore Yellowstone National Park, or hop on over to the Van Gogh museum.
This is a fantastic blog post written by a cancer survivor who spent nearly 9 months self-isolating last year and has some great tips on how to stay happy, healthy, and connected to the people you love.
Ways to Serve Your Community During the Coronavirus
At a time like this, we must keep the most vulnerable top of mind. Lots of communities have been hit extremely hard and we need to offer all the help we can. (And if you’re one of the people who needs assistance, please tell us in the comments how we can help. We’ll continue to update this blog post with resources as we get them.)
Donate to your local food bank. If possible, money is better than groceries. Why? Because local food banks can often buy food in bulk, helping them purchase more food at lower prices.
Keep paying people if you can. Can you keep paying your kid’s daycare or house cleaner? Or if not the full rate, perhaps a portion?
Post on Nextdoor offering to do grocery shopping for those in your neighborhood who are at-risk.
Buy gift cards from local businesses to support them now while they’re strained or at risk of closing for good.
Support your artists. Patreon held a Weird Stream-a-thon to raise money for artists financially affected by Covid-19. You can contribute to this fundraiser via PayPal here, or apply to receive support here.
Help out your local farmers by joining a CSA or ordering meat and dairy for delivery from a local producer. The closing of restaurants has hit farms hard and they are having trouble paying for labor during spring planting season. also: You could order teas from your local herb farm- hint hint.
Many thanks again to Marie Forleo and Travel Oregon for parts of this list. I have added my 2 cents and will keep adding resources as I come across them! Please do let me know in the comments if you have found a resource online that has inspired or helped you and I will be happy to add it here. We will get through this thing together! Sending so much love to you from our farm and retreat on the Oregon coast.
Drink tea. Be well!
love Ginger
