Organic vs. Conventionally Farmed Produce

There's always a lot of controversy out there about the pros and cons of organic produce. Is it healthier for you? Does it last longer? What are you paying for? I'm not sure there will ever be one definitive answer that we can all agree on. But, if you are reading this, there's probably a good chance you like to garden and prefer organic gardening practice, so I'll share with you the results of a taste test we held in the UC Davis Good Life Garden last April, to encourage you to continue in your practice. We're not trying to convert anyone; we're just letting you know what happened in a biased, non-scientific kind of way!

On Picnic Day, a UC Davis campus tradition, the Good Life Garden hosted a taste test to see if visitors could taste the difference between organic/locally-grown asparagus and conventionally farmed/non-local asparagus. Visitors knew which was which before tasting--so it was definitely not scientific or blind--but the results were overwhelming in favor or the organic asparagus. It had 'more flavor' and was 'sweeter.'

Maybe it was because it was local or maybe it was because it was organic, or maybe it was because people wanted the organic to taste better so they could justify their spending. Whatever it was, organics won the taste buds of our visitors that day. I was a even a skeptic and I'm now a convert--not only because of taste, but because organic produce seems to last longer in storage--and, in a household with just two people like mine, that saves money too!

Give Thanks! FREE Herb Harvest Thursday November 19!

The UC Davis Good Life Garden would like to "give thanks" to all our past, present and future herb harvest attendees! We enjoy having you out in the garden and hope that you'll harvest some herbs to enjoy at your Thanksgiving meals.

Join us at the Good Life Garden Thursday, November 19, anytime between 9:30AM and 2PM to harvest any type of herb we have growing in the garden including rosemary, marjoram, lavender, sage, thyme, chives, and mint!

If you are interested, please RSVP to goodlifegarden@ucdavis.edu so we know how many people will be attending. Directions to the garden can be found here.

The harvest is free to attend; we just need you to bring the following items:

• scissors or pruning shears
• a bag to hold your herbs
  
• wet paper towels to put in the bag with the herbs (if you don't have a refrigerator to keep them in for the day)

BE SURE TO WASH ALL HERBS WELL BEFORE ENJOYING THEIR FRESH TASTE!

Our gardener Arlene will be there all day to answer your questions about the different herbs and the harvesting process, as well as to direct you to the correct plants. We ask that no one remove entire plants or remove more than half of the leaves or flowers from any particular plant.

Olive Harvest in the UC Davis Good Life Garden

Introduction
It's that time of year, and, although the small trellised olive trees we have planted in the garden are small, they have produced quite a few good looking olives. Now what do we do?



UC Davis Olive Center
Arlene learns from campus olive expert Dan Flynn, Executive Director of the UC Davis Olive Center, to assist in the garden's olive harvest. The UC Davis Olive Center is the only center of its kind in North America conducting outreach and research on olives and olive oil. To find out more about who they are and what they do visit their website.




About Our Olives
In the UC Davis Good Life garden we grow Arbequina olives using a trellis system. This type of olive and high-density method is the future of olive farming in California which is why we've chosen to demonstrate it here!




When Are Your Olives Ready to Harvest?
Dan Flynn goes over with Arlene the tell-tale signs of when olives are ready to harvest.




Good for Olive Oil and Table Olives
Arlene asks Dan whether she could also cure the olives and make table olives rather than harvest the olives for olive oil.



Methods to Use for Safely Curing Olives
Here Dan discussed with Arlene the main methods for curing olives and refers her to this free publication from the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources called Olives: Safe Methods for Home Pickling.



Organic Methods for Controlling Olive Flies
Arlene and Dan discuss orgnanic methods for controlling olive pests by using a spray called GF120 (It doesn't sound organic, but it is!) or by using of fly traps.

Survival of the fittest: thinning your crops for a robust harvest

It has been about two weeks now since Arlene has planted various seeds in the garden, and it's time to begin thinning the plants. Thinning is important because it prevents plants from competing for nutrients and allows the plants that remain to grow more vigorously. It also helps to improve plant health by allowing more air circulation which helps prevent fungal diseases. Why even sow the seeds so close together? Read our previous post about planting seeds; Arlene sows many seeds in each line to ensure lots of germination.

All the same, pulling those new sprouts out of the earth can be sad! In some cases, such as with the mizuna shown here, the small plants can be eaten, so you aren't just thinning, but harvesting too! And in the long run, however wasteful it may seem, thinning is important for the overall health of the mature plants. Interested in learning more about the importance of thinning? Check out Jane Tunks' article from the San Francisco chronicle. She talks about her own experiences with this important gardening step, and also has more detailed instructions.

So how does one go about thinning?

Step One
Know when to begin to thin. You don't want to thin your plants when you see the first leaves sprouting; these leaves are called cotyledons and are actually part of the plant embryo. Wait until the second set of leaves sprout; these are referred to as the "true leaves." In the case of the radishes, shown here, the cotyledons sprouted after about five days, and the true leaves emerged about 2 weeks after that. Radishes grow very quickly, however, so the times may vary depending on the type of plant. On this radish plant, shown to the right, you can see the smaller cotyledon leaves toward the base of the plant, and the larger true leaves sprouting higher.

Step Two
Once you recognize the true leaves, go through and pull out plants by hand; a little research online can tell you how much space should be left between plants depending on the variety, and this space is usually dictated by the size of the mature plant. Here is another useful article that goes into more detail about what plants should be thinned and by how much.

Step Three
After you've finished thinning, go back through the clumps of plants again, as is shown here. Arlene demonstrates how she finds the strongest looking plant, and removes the rest around it.

Step Four
After that, go back and replace soil around the base of the plant in case the plant was disturbed during the thinning process.

So next time you are looking at your full and lush row of newly-sprouted veggies, don't despair! Thinning is critical for plant health and productivity, and chances are if you have an edible garden, you can eat the plants too!

Harvest Sage and Serve it on Thanksgiving!

Come to the next UC Davis Good Life Garden herb harvest on Thursday, November 5 from 9:30 AM-2 PM and pick some sage that you will be able to dry and showcase by Thanksgiving!

Here is a great article from eHow.com explaining the process.

Join Ed & Arlene for another FREE HERB HARVEST!

Join us at the Good Life Garden Thursday, November 5, anytime between 9:30AM and 2PM to harvest any type of herb we have growing in the garden including lavender, sage, thyme, chives, and mint!

If you are interested, please RSVP to goodlifegarden@ucdavis.edu so we know how many people will be attending. Directions to the garden can be found here.

The harvest is free to attend; we just need you to bring the following items:

• scissors or pruning shears
• a bag to hold your herbs
  
• wet paper towels to put in the bag with the herbs (if you don't have a refrigerator to keep them in for the day)

BE SURE TO WASH ALL HERBS WELL BEFORE ENJOYING THEIR FRESH TASTE!

Our gardener Arlene will be there all day to answer your questions about the different herbs and the harvesting process, as well as to direct you to the correct plants. We ask that no one remove entire plants or remove more than half of the leaves or flowers from any particular plant.

Chive Talkin'--How to divide and transplant this perennial favorite

Here Arlene talks about prepping your chives for transplant to other areas of your garden. Chives are a perennial herb. When they get a little too big you can divide them and replant them--it's a two for one deal! You'll be sure to always have a supply, or you can give some to your family, friends or neighbors. These tips don't apply to chives only. This technique can be replicated on many different types of perennials.


Once the large clump of chives has been removed. The next step is to divide it. In this video Arlene talks about how she completes this step and the type of tool that she uses. First of all she looks for a natural break in the plant, then she uses a garden saw to separate the two areas.


Now that you have your chives separated, you can transplant them to another area of your garden or into someone else's yard! In this video Arlene goes over the steps necessary to prepare the soil for the transplants by first, digging the hole and getting the soil nice and moist.


Fear not if your transplants look as if they have seen better days in the weeks ahead. They are okay, but they are in recovery mode because they have had an operation. As Arlene says, "When you get home from an operation you don't look so good, but you bounce back!" That is what will happen in a month or so after your transplants have had time to adjust.