When I lived as a market farmer in Washington State, Saturday afternoons were a celebration of sorts. After a busy week of tending and harvesting up to 200 different herbs and vegetables, I’d invite the community to a weekly farmstand. I’d begin preparations early and by 11am the vegetable display was primed with puffed bags of lettuce and tall, carefully stacked pyramids of freshly picked tomatoes. It was a relief to open the farm gates and finally be able to sit and chat with friends and neighbors.

Backyard gardeningAcadia TuckerJuly 15, 2019acadia tucker, Ask Acadia, Green America, Stone Pier Press, victory garden, mulch, soil, compost Comment

Can I fertilize my garden organically?

There's a thin line between fertilizing and over-fertilizing your food crops. Too few nutrients and your tomatoes and corn never really take off. Too many and your artichoke and broccoli can suffer. Since I tend to favor deep-rooted perennials, which are low-maintenance and more resistant to weather extremes, my particular challenge is making sure I don't overdo it. So, I use fertilizer strategically, boosting plant growth largely by feeding my soil. I test my soil every other year, so I know the nutrients my soil needs. And I rely on timing, knowing the right mix of fertilizer, and the best sources.

Backyard gardeningAcadia TuckerJuly 15, 2019Ask Acadia, acadia tucker, organic fertilizer, using organic fertilizers on vegetables, green america, stone pier press, mulch, how to fertilize vegetables, gardening with organic fertilizersComment

How can I improve the health of my soil?

When I first started growing food, the farm I managed in the Pacific Northwest had patches of sandy, dry soil interspersed with waterlogged, hard packed clay. During the scorching hot summers, my thirsty plants shriveled. When the skies dumped rain the water pooled, flooding my crops. Those first couple of years on the farm were my first experience dealing with climate extremes, and my soil was not equipped for the job.

Soil-mulch-compostingAcadia TuckerJuly 11, 2019acadia tucker, Ask Acadia, Stone Pier Press, Green America, Soil Health, soil improvement, mulch, test your soil, feed your soil, growing foood, good soilComment

Everything you need to know about mulch.

Spreading mulch is one of my favorite farm chores. I love the way mulch smells and feels and looks. That moment my pitchfork pierces the heaping mound of leftover grass and leaves and steam spirals up into the cool morning air. The way the strong, lingering scent of cedar follows me home after a day spent spreading wood chips. The satisfying look of a tidy, weed-free field after I’ve laid down a sea of straw to cover the endless rows of potatoes and garlic. I even appreciate the sogginess of cardboard left out in the rain before it’s used to fight weeds along my garden paths.

Soil-mulch-compostingAcadia TuckerJuly 11, 2019acadia tucker, green america, mulch, when to mulch, how to mulch, benefits of mulchComment

When weeds are your friend

I really hate weeding. There are days it requires all the strength I have to get out there and pull these tough tufts of green from between my rows of carefully tended beans and peas. But there are reasons to like weeds, or at least respect them.

Backyard gardeningAcadia TuckerJune 4, 2019Perennial Gardening, Carbon Gardening, Perennial Root Systems, Humus, Soil Health, Perennials Reduce Soil Erosion, How To Reduce Soil Erosion In the Garden, mulch, soil carbon, wood chips, straw, garden, Acadia Tucker, Nimbus farm dog, organic weeding, weeding without chemicalsComment

Why I’m a soil farmer

When I got out of bed this morning I checked the weather report. It’s the first thing I do every day. When you grow food, the weather assumes a make-or-break urgency that defines your life. It also forever changes the way you relate to a forecast. I never hear “early frost” without worrying it could interrupt my ripening tomatoes, or “heat spike” without fretting over wilting spinach.

Soil-mulch-compostingAcadia TuckerJanuary 16, 2019Perennial Gardening, Carbon Gardening, Perennial Root Systems, Humus, Soil Health, Perennials Reduce Soil Erosion, How To Reduce Soil Erosion In the Garden, mulch, soil carbon, wood chips, straw, garden, soil farmer, carbon soil cycle, climate victory garden Comments

Getting rid of weeds without herbicides

Nobody likes to weed. It’s easy to romanticize growing your own food until you try scrubbing the dirt out from underneath your fingernails after a long afternoon pulling little weeds from in between your radishes, only to see them sprout up again a week later. But there’s no way to avoid them, and with a few quick tips you can at least minimize how much time you spend weeding.

Backyard gardeningAcadia TuckerApril 1, 2018Perennial Gardening, Carbon Gardening, Perennial Root Systems, Humus, Soil Health, mulch, soil carbon, wood chips, straw, garden, organic weed control, herbicides, getting rid of weeds, getting rid of weeds organically Comments

How to start composting

When I was growing up I often spent muggy afternoons with my grandmother after school tucked away in the back of her garden, cutting twigs into small pieces for the compost pile. I never grasped the importance of what we were doing as a kid but loved chatting with her until the sun dipped below the horizon. As I grew older, I grew to appreciate my grandmother's productive garden. Her hydrangeas always bloomed, her plump tomatoes grew on sturdy vines, and weeds were never a problem. The secret to her success was the compost we made from those twigs, plus garden clippings, leaves and food scraps.

How to mulch your garden

Spreading mulch is one of my favorite farm chores. I love the way mulch smells and feels and looks. That moment my pitchfork pierces the heaping mound of leftover grass and leaves and steam spirals up into the cool morning air. The way the strong, lingering scent of cedar follows me home after a day spent spreading wood chips. The satisfying look of a tidy, weed-free field after I’ve laid down a sea of straw to cover the endless rows of potatoes and garlic. I even appreciate the sogginess of cardboard left out in the rain before it’s used to fight weeds along my garden paths.

Soil-mulch-compostingAcadia TuckerFebruary 13, 2018Perennial Gardening, Carbon Gardening, Perennial Root Systems, Humus, Soil Health, How To Reduce Soil Erosion In the Garden, mulch, soil carbon, wood chips, straw, garden, mulch materials, how to mulch, how much mulch to spread, what is mulch Comments

ORGANIC & SUSTAINABLE GARDENING