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Goodbye Winter…Hello Spring?

 Let’s face it, the Wasatch Front does not have a terribly long growing season so its sometimes necessary to take advantage of every single possible growing day before harvest to ensure our garden plants are a successful investment of our blood, sweat and tears.  I was reading the most recent Utah Pests IPM advisory which…

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Edible Demo Garden

Contain Yourself!

 I recently taught a class at the Jordan Valley Conservation Garden Park on container gardening and raised bed gardening and, upon doing some research, rediscovered some really wonderful online resources that I want to make sure to share with everyone! I promised I would upload my slides so you can find them below. Container Gardening…

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How to Grow Gorgeous Garden Onions!

 Spring gardening fever has set in for thousands of gardeners along the Wasatch Front.  I can hardly wait to share my own excitement over our newly delivered ‘babies’, also known as Walla Walla onion sets, destined to be planted at Wheeler Historic Farm for our 2019 Senior Center Farmers’ Markets!  Onions can be grown from…

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Time to Get “Grafty”!

 Do you have a favorite fruit tree that you would like to clone?  Do you have a favorite tomato you can no longer grow because it is not disease tolerant?  Or do you think it might be neat to brag to your family and friends that you grafted your own fruit trees in your yard? …

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blossoms on fruit tree

Pruning Fruit Trees: Clip with Confidence!

 Correctly pruning fruit trees can lead to healthier trees that produce more quality fruit! Who doesn’t want that? Here at the Organic Forecast we want share tips on how to correctly prune as far and wide as possible.  We promise pruning doesn’t have to be complicated! You can clip with confidence with some simple resources…

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Days to Harvest

‘Days to Harvest’ Demystified

 As you flip through seed catalogs or look at the growing requirements on the back of a seed packet, you will see a number (typically in parenthesis).  This number, called ‘days to harvest’ or ‘days to maturity’ tells gardeners how many days it takes for a germinated seed or transplanted start (small plant) to produce…

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Teaching Bees to Do Math – No Kidding!!!

 I’m always amazed by science surrounding bees, but to be honest, this recent story ‘buzzed’ me away with amazement.  Scientists can teach bees to add and subtract – seriously?!  Check out a link to the story below and note the research article is linked at the very end of the story in case you want…

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Starting seeds in doors can relieve cabin fever

Cabin Fever Reliever

 Here in Utah we’ve recently experienced a small bout of warm weather inspiring many to get outside, breathe some fresh air and look for signs of spring. Unfortunately it’s still only February and if you believe the theory of the groundhog, we have a few more weeks of winter before we can seriously consider getting…

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Honeybees Get a Shot in the Arm!

 Honeybees may soon get a new form of healthcare – a vaccine – to immunize them against a lethal bacterial disease called American foulbrood.  This is great news for beekeepers and an exciting discovery for continued research that aims to improve honeybee health.  Check out the NPR article here.

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holy snow with flakes

Holy Snow!

 Wow, what a wet, wonderful winter we have had so far in the Salt Lake Valley!  Skiers and snowboarders love it, but homeowners sometimes loathe it – shovel after shovel load of winter wonderland!  Streets can be difficult to maintain and driving/walking conditions slippery which brings up a concern for gardeners – deicing salts.  Salts…

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The Art and Science of Arachnids!

 Are you looking for a fun, family friendly indoors activity this weekend?  Check out the “Art and Science of Arachnids” exhibit at Swaner Eco Center in Park City, Utah.  This exhibit ends Monday so now is your last chance to see the spooktacular exhibit!  Click on the link below for more details! Swaner Eco Center…

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spider on leaf in the garden

Don’t Get Spooked Over Spiders! – Redux

 Some things are erringly predictable; as the nighttime temperatures dip; spiders start showing-up inside the house and in protected areas around the garden.  Although spooky to some, it is important to remember that spiders are great generalist predators of common garden insect pests and are therefore considered beneficial in the garden. It is important to…

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mower with leaves

Leave Your Leaves!

 If you are like me, you have been inundated with leaves of late – and with cold wet weather moving in, getting out to rake them is starting to sound less and less enticing.  I’ve always found great humor in the fact that many gardeners rake up leaves and pick to sticks to ‘donate’ to…

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