Fall crops started, clean-up after Irene complete, and going Urganic

Yesterday we started some of our fall crops. We cut down all of the sunflowers that were snapped in half after Irene passed through, trimmed up parts of tomato plants that ere damaged or not producing, and pulled up spent squash plants.

We planted our first round of sugar-snap peas, and started our fall salad boxes. In our boxes we have spinach (which we will also do outside and over-winter), lettuce, and a box of mesclun mix.

We are also going to do some root crops like carrots and radish and over-winter onions and garlic again.

I've coined a new word and concept and I want you to read it here first. Urganic - urganic is using organic methods, but allows for the use of properly applied non-organic fertilizers such as Miracle-Gro and Osmocote.

Organic is a wonderful ideal, much like enlightenment in Buddhism, but not necessarily achievable in one life time and definitely worth continuously working toward. We have been completely organic the last few years and this year went organic, and heirloom with many of our vegetables, and while production has been pretty good it could be a lot better. We also started completely organic micro-farms in containers on front porches in Belair-Edison and we have very healthy leaves and stems - and a bunch of hungry, frustrated farmers.

Feeding people while protecting the environment are both important ends. Non-organic fertilizers, properly applied achieve both and especially can help to maximize the feeding end.

So Urganic I go. No herbicides, no pesticides, but I am going to become good friends with Miracle-gro and/or Osmocote. I will continue to work toward organic and I am o.k. with not becoming an organic Buddha.