Faced with all the August garden tasks, many of us feel like throwing in the towel – because we’re also having to harvest, cook with and preserve all the abundance that we planned for.

This time of the summer is when the pace of modern life (kids’ sports, fun events, friends and family) and trying to ‘get it all in’ before school starts again collides with spending time in the garden. It is a  reminder of how farmers ad people tied more closely to the land and seasons have probably always felt- but for them it was a matter of survival to harvest and preserve as much as possible.

For almost all of us today, that is not the case.

So, let’s take a breath and lay out a plan so that, come mid-winter we can look back on this time with pride, over a meal with veggies from the garden.

1. Harvest Often (Almost Every Day!)

August is one of the busiest—and most rewarding—months in the garden. Chances are, you’re picking fresh produce almost every day!

Keep an eye out for:

• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini / summer squash
• Beans
• Peppers
• Basil
• Dill
• Parsley

The more often you harvest, the more many plants will produce. Herbs along with zucchini and beans especially appreciate regular picking, so try not to let them sit too long.

2. Water Deeply and Consistently for a Thriving Garden 

Hot August days can be tough on your garden, so keeping plants well-watered is essential. In normal conditions (not a heat wave) most garden veggies want about an inch of water per week. Having a rain gauge in my garden (ok, like 4 of them) helps me with watering.

A few simple tips:

• Water deeply 2–3 times a week rather than giving plants a little water every day.
• Water early in the morning whenever possible.
• Add or refresh mulch (straw/dried grass clippings) to help the soil stay cool and hold moisture.

If you’re growing in containers, be prepared for daily watering, and don’t forget to add mulch to your containers too.

3. Watch for Garden Pests and Disease

Warm weather means your plants aren’t the only ones enjoying the garden! Warm and humid weather means more chance of early blight, powdery mildew and anthracnose. But catching these early can save some plants, and more harvests for you.

Take a quick look every few days for:

• Aphids on peppers and leafy greens
• Squash bugs and vine borers
• Cabbage loopers and moth larvae on brassicas (those little green guys)
• Cucumber beetles on cucumbers and squash
• Powdery mildew on cucumbers and squash
• Tomato hornworms

Catching problems early makes them much easier to handle before they spread.  For an in depth read look at how I deal with pests in the garden organically.

4. Do a Mid-Season Garden Cleanup

Your garden will be healthier if you clear out finished plants. Most early-season crops are reaching the end of their life. Pruning any yellowing or diseased leaves, especially lower tomato and squash leaves improves airflow. But instead of yanking plants out, roots and all, cut at the soil surface to keep roots in place. Practicing No Dig Gardening at the clean-up stage keeps your soil more active.

Go ahead and cut these spent plants at the soil surface:

• Bolting lettuce
• Peas
• Bush Beans
• Early brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages)

In general, clearing out spent plants makes room for fall crops and helps reduce pests and disease.

Your plants have been working hard all season, and a little extra nourishment can go a long way. Consider adding compost around heavy feeders like tomatoes and squash. Or apply a balanced organic fertilizer if your plants need it, I always like getting a soil test every few years to see where my nutrient levels are at.

5. Plan for Fall: Vegetables to Plant in August

It may still feel like summer, but even in Minnesota there’s still time now to start a few veggies for your fall garden. While I start many of my fall brassicas around the summer solstice (we have a shorter rowing season up here in MN) there’s still time for some quick maturing veggies.

In our zone 4/5 growing zones, at the beginning of August you can still direct sow:

• Lettuce
• Arugula
• Spinach
• Turnips
• Radishes
• Cilantro
• Beets

All of these can be directly sown. The greens you can starts them indoors for transplanting later if you prefer, or start them in pots in the shade outside.

6. Enjoy and Preserve Your Harvest

This is the month when your hard work really starts paying off—and sometimes there’s more produce than you can eat fresh. You can always give to neighbors or food shelves, but preserving the harvest is part of the fun of growing your own food. And don’t forget that seeds for next year are part of the harvest as well!

A few ideas:

• Freeze tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and berries – these do not need to be blanched first
• Freeze, beans, corn, kale – after blanching.
• Pickle using water bath canning is a great way to make zucchini relish, dilly beans and so many other treats that make great gifts.
• Preserving herbs by drying, freezing and other ways keeps you enjoying them all winter long.
• Saving flower seeds and vegetable seeds

Preserving just a little now means you’ll get to enjoy your garden long after the growing season ends.

August is all about finding the balance between harvesting today’s bounty and getting ready for the fall garden, and even next season. With a list of August garden tasks like regular harvesting, consistent watering, and a little TLC, your garden can keep producing well into fall.

Most importantly, take a moment to savor your garden, weeds and all. When I take a moment to remember that a few months ago, this was mostly bare, frozen soil, it helps me appreciate it, weeds and all.

After months of planting, watering, and tending your garden, this is the time to revel in all that hard work—and maybe savor a few sun-warmed tomatoes right off the vine, too.

Peas,
Michelle

The post August Organic Garden Checklist: Keep Your Garden Thriving appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) sometimes called catmint as it is in the mint family, is probably best known as a stimulant for cats, inducing euphoria and friskiness. Interestingly, its action in humans is exactly the opposite.

While I’ll add a few flowers to a general calming tea, or an herbal bath sachet, one of my favorite uses for this plant, flowers and all is in an Herbal Bug Spray.

The herbal bug spray recipe is detailed below.

Growing Catnip in Your Garden

Easily grown in a sunny garden (if safe from free-roaming cats who will roll over it and kinda trample it into submission), catnip is a perennial in the mint family that produces a considerable harvest in just one season with flowers that attract butterflies and other important pollinators. Harvest leaves and flowers just when they begin to bloom, shade-dry thoroughly, and store away from light and heat for upcoming cold and flu seasons.

Catnip’s Herbal Properties

Lemony-minty tasting and smelling something of ‘ditch weed’ but in the best possible way… catnip is a cooling, gentle, and relaxing herbal nervine, mellow enough for children. It has been shown to soothe things like hyperactivity, colic, fever, constipation, stomachache, and insomnia.

Catnip also helps relax the smooth muscles of the intestines and is an anti-catarrhal (which dissolves and prevents formation of mucus and prevents mucus membrane inflammation).

Is Catnip an Effective Natural Mosquito Repellent?

Catnip contains a naturally occurring compound called nepetalactone. Instead of merely masking your scent, nepetalactone actively irritates insect receptors upon contact, which causes them to flee.

Researchers in Uganda, where malaria poses life threatening risks, tested lotions containing either 2% or 6% catnip oil against a commercially available lotion containing 15% DEET. During evening field trials in, volunteers applied one of the lotions to their skin before researchers counted the number of mosquitoes that landed on their legs.

The 6% catnip lotion performed as well as the DEET product, while the 2% formula offered nearly the same level of protection.

The project was designed with affordability in mind. Commercial mosquito repellents are often too expensive for many rural families in Uganda, making regular use unrealistic despite the risk of malaria.

I like that something I’ve seen work is being tested and proven effective, and that we can make this ourselves. Harvesting time can affect potency so do pay attention to some basic harvesting tips.

The Uganda research team developed a lotion that can be produced locally using catnip grown in the region.

You too can make your own HIGHLY effective bug spray with wild catnip growing in your yard or foraged nearby.

When I start noticing mosquitoes in the garden, I’ll just rip off a few leaves from the nearest catnip plant and rub some onto my exposed skin. This works great for a short time, but when I don’t have a catnip plant nearby, like when at the baseball or football field or for a longer lasting effect, I make the spray below.

How to Make Catnip Bug Spray

Step 1: Make the Catnip Tincture

Just like with making herbal salves, making this bug spray is a two-part process: making the catnip tincture, and then making the full bug spray by adding to the tincture.

Crafting herbal tinctures makes me feel a little witchy in the very best way. I learned ages ago from a wonderful neighbor (thanks Tory), and then many library books –remember when we had to go to the library to check out books to learn things!?

Funny Memory* I had to get special permission from my parents to play with Vodka as a teenager!

When I want to reference herbal concoction making today, I go to the Mountain Rose herbs or Herbal Academy websites.

Making tinctures is simple, but a specific process. And you have to wait for the alcohol to draw out the goodness from the herbs. Waiting is always the hardest part.

Step 2: Make the Natural Bug Spray

1. Gather your herbs, and let them wilt overnight to avoid any possibility of extra moisture in the leaves or blooms, it also gives any tiny bugs some time to move on out
2. Then I remove flowers and leaves from the stems, chop and add to a glass jar.
   Fill 2/3 full
   Cover with 80-90 proof Vodka. You can use a different alcohol; I just find Vodka easy and consistent to work with.

Make sure the herbs are fully submerged, tightly cover and give the bottle a good shake.

• Keep it in a cool dark place and shake daily/regularly for 4-8 weeks. (But sometimes you forget that jar in the pantry for an extra month… it happens).

• Then you can strain out the now infused alcohol. You’ll want to get a cheesecloth or jelly bag set over a glass jar set with a funnel. Then pour into the cloth, let drip through and then to get all the remaining goodness out, squeeze away!
  
  
• You can then move this into a smaller glass bottle and you, my friend, have made a tincture.

I prefer to keep tinctures in amber/dark colored glass. I have found these amber glass spray bottles work great.

Homegrown Bug Spray Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 oz catnip tincture
2 oz witch hazel

You can stop there and find big relief from bug bites. But if you want wider protection, or a better smell you can add essential oils.

Adding roughly 10-20 drops of lemon eucalyptus, lemongrass, lavender, citronella or lemon essential oil is adequate for the 4 oz. of bug spray mixture.

Catnip FAQ

Does catnip come back every year?

Catnip is a perennial so yes, it does come back ever year. Most stands of Nepata will last for many years, and it does spread via seeds if you leave the seed heads to fully ripen.

Does catnip repel mosquitoes?

Some really intense research has been done in Uganda and has proven it to be as effective as Deet.

Give This Catnip Bug Spray a Try

Growing catnip is one of the easiest wins in the garden. It comes back year after year, the pollinators love it, and it does double duty as a natural mosquito repellent. Between the science backing up nepetalactone and my own experience of ripping off a leaf and rubbing it on before I head outside, I’m convinced this is one of those old-school remedies that actually holds up.

If you’ve already got catnip growing (or spot some wild patches nearby), you’ve got everything you need to make your own tincture and bug spray. And if you’re new to growing it, it’s a forgiving plant to start with. Check your yard first before buying starts, because it has a habit of showing up uninvited once it’s happy somewhere.

Catnip isn’t the only plant in my garden doing  pest control duty, either. Lemongrass, lavender, and citronella all pull similar weight. There are so many other benefits to the common herbs growing all around us. Read more about my favorite plant friends in Harvesting, Preserving + Using Herbs.

Let me know if you try this DIY insect repellent or have other favorite ways to use catnip!

Peas, Michelle

The post Growing Catnip: Natural Mosquito Repellent + DIY Bug Spray appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

But there are some obvious reasons to skip buying lettuce at the grocery store.

2026 is the year of the cyclosporiasis outbreak. It is a disease transmitted by a microscopic parasite and gives people extreme diarrhea. The number of reported cases of cyclosporiasis is nearing 12,000 in 30 states, according to Johns Hopkins.

I have the article Local Food For Thought and have been helping people grow more of their own food and creating ways to know your farmer as parts of the solution. Also, we need better working conditions for those growing and harvesting food on large scale commercial farms. But I digress…

So, over the years I’ve come up with what works for me in my garden to keep enjoying salads all summer long. Adding even one of these lettuce alternatives will help you eat fresh crisp salads into the dog days of summer!

But also, these crop alternatives can’t be too fussy about things, because while I LOVE salad, late summer is also absolute go time for all the things on our small homestead- from harvesting and preserving, and trying to keep up with weeding, so I do not have time for fussy plants that don’t produce!

Let’s start with the exception first…

Slow-to-Bolt Lettuce Varieties

Canasta makes it into mid-July in my zone 4 Minnesota garden when planted in part shade or under another taller plant. Canasta along with Winter Density are the varieties that have consistently held their sweet, crispy crunch the longest in my gardens. You can take a deep dive and read my article on Growing Great Lettuce.

Leafy Greens that Hold Up in the Heat

Kale

Sturdy and still small and tender during the summer months, I like ‘Darkibor’ and ‘Marrowstem’ varieties for adding to greens mixes. They do get tougher as the season goes on, and they get sweeter once a frost hits them. But they’re a solid sub for lettuces during the dog days of summer!

Napa Cabbage

These are often very mild, and do not bolt nearly as early as lettuce. I especially like the variety ‘Bilko’ as a stand in for greens. You can cut out the thicker rib if you want, but I like the added crunch and heft it gives to salads. The inner leaves also make wonderful ‘scoops’ to place other cold salads onto. (think egg salad and chicken salad). I especially love using the purple Napa variety Merlot for Asian-inspired lettuce wraps. I mean come on, how beautiful is that!?!

Baby Beet Leaves

When harvested young, beet greens are mild, sweet and oh so tender. I plant beets thicker than recommended, and a little later in the season in order to harvest out lots of beet leaves to replace other greens. Try Avalanche, an all white variety that has the mildest beets and leaves I’ve ever tasted.

Baby Swiss Chard

Timing is everything when looking to lettuce alternatives.

Swiss chard is unbelievably tender and enjoyable raw in salads when the leaves are still small, slightly shiny and curled. It also adds beautiful bursts of color and a flavor contrast to other salad ingredients.

Bonus points for growing rainbow varieties to up the color fun factor.

Malabar Spinach

I think Red Malabar (shown in photo) taste a little earthier than beet leaves, but make the cut because they keep producing right through July and August.

They are also beautiful vining plants that adorn my arching trellises and fill in where diseased bean and tomato leaves have been cut back. They get a late start here in Minnesota but comes through when everything else is wilting.

Both red and green varieties are available; I’ve only grown the red.

Quick-Growing Options: Microgreens

Always an option and ready in two weeks, easy to grow indoors even in the hottest weather. From arugula, cabbages, broccoli and pea shoots- lots of flavor options and texture benefits. While I don’t usually have time or energy to do this in late summer, I do love growing microgreens in the winter.

Garden Vegetables that Work as Lettuce Alternatives

Zucchini

File this under “Use What You’ve Got.” 

Now here me out, using a mandolin ‘small shred’ to make mini-sticks of zucchini leaves enough crunch to be a great base layer of many salads and completely takes the place of lettuce in many of my late summer salads. Making ‘zoodles’ is another easy way to sub in zucchini. Slicing it thin into discs can also work for layering on sandwiches.

Obviously, go for the smaller zucchini’s here, and scoop out the fleshy core and larger seeds. Or you can use the big guys for Zucchini Sweet Relish, Fritters, or one of my other Zillion Ways to Zucchini.

Shredded or Sliced Cucumber

Same as Zucchini, but even more crunch and lightness. And I know cucumbers can stand on their own as a salad, like the viral tiktok @logagagm showcases.

I recommend using a mandolin ‘shred’ or ‘slice’ not a cheese grater, and if the cucumber is large, scoop out the seeds.  I suggest only shredding what you want to use right away because cucumber tends to go limp quickly.

Once the weather starts cooling a little, I’ll replant lettuce, arugula, spinach, etc., usually under a shade cloth to keep them from getting too hot…

I hope these lettuce alternatives help get you through the late summer slump- AND far away from any Cyclosporiasis outbreaks.

Dig In,
Michelle

The post Lettuce Alternatives: AKA- Keep Eating Salads Without Risking Cyclosporiasis appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

America’s expansion on the continent has flipped this script, at least so far.

But I see change happening and hope rising all around me as people realize the they are part of nature.

Land Acknowledgement

I focus on land and ecology issues in this piece but am aware that the land I grow food on was tended by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Both genetic and archaeological data point to an inhabitation range of 23,000 to 30,000 years.  And in that time Indigenous people slowly populated the land. When the first Europeans made their way to North America in the 1500’s they found tribes growing food, foraging, hunting and managing the land in truly sustainable ways. I am repurposing our land acknowledgment statement from our book, Small-Scale Homesteading here:

We acknowledge that we’re writing on Indigenous Dakota and Lakota lands. By offering this land acknowledgement, we affirm tribal sovereignty and express respect for Native peoples and nations. We are on the ancestral lands of the Dakota people. We want to acknowledge the Dakota, Ojibwe, the Ho Chunk and other nations of people who all called this place home. We are grateful for the knowledge Indigenous peoples have gathered and continue to share with us. We urge you to explore the rich history and current Indigenous activism of your local community.

The Artificial Ecological Climax

Real ecological succession matures into a self-sustaining ecosystem. The American model replaced a deeply rooted, self-sustaining mostly wild, yet also managed (Indigenous farmland) climax community with a fragile, highly managed monoculture (like endless fields of corn and concrete cities) that requires constant inputs of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and fossil fuels to survive.

Nutrient Strip-Mining

Instead of creating soil, early American agriculture and expansion treated centuries of accumulated wild nutrients as an infinite bank account. They broke the prairie sod, farmed it intensely until the nutrients were spent, and then moved further west to repeat the process. Leaving a dust bowl and species decline of both plants and animals in the crumbling soil paths.

The Aggression of the Invasive Species

If plant pioneers build soil and invasives destroy balance, the American history aligns heavily with the invasive model. The American Homesteading Act of 1862 granted 160 acres of public land to any US Citizen (or intended citizen). This chopped up roughly 10% of the entire land into 160 acre chunks and transferred it from the government to anyone over 21 who could last 5 years on it. The way of looking at land like a commodity instead of a gift set Americans down a very narrow path.

Removing the Natives

Just like kudzu or garlic mustard, the new European immigrants didn’t integrate; they monopolized resources (water, light, space). They grew what they wanted, without learning what the land knew how to grow best. European settlers altered the entire chemistry of the environment to make it unlivable for the native species that had spent millennia adapting to that specific biome.

The Illusion of Virgin Soil

Invasive plants often thrive because they enter a system where they have no natural predators. Pioneers claimed the land was “virgin” or “vacant” wilderness, ignoring that it was already a finely tuned, actively managed human and wild ecosystem. They treated a mature garden as if it were bare mud.

European gentry started the “Enclosure Movement” of fencing off communal fields as early as the 16^th century. The results were poorer yields, and poorer peasants. This history is discussed in Kate Browns’ book, Tiny Gardens Everywhere. But for some reason the European immigrants thought the same system would have different results with the lands and people of North America. Or maybe they just didn’t care.

Nature Heals

In botany, weeds are nature’s band-aids. If you scrape skin, you get a scab; if you scrape the earth, you get weeds to hold the dirt down and prevent erosion. Most weeds have crazy fast germination and growth, and tend towards shallow, fibrous root systems. Think of plantain, which is called ‘white man’s footprint’ by Indigenous people because of how it sprung up wherever they disturbed the soil.

Failing to Heal: Americans acted like a weed layer that refused to let the skin fully heal. By continuously clearing forests, overgrazing plains, and damming rivers, the “pioneer” phase was artificially prolonged. The Dust Bowl of the 1930’s is the ultimate historical proof of this—the soil was stripped so bare of its native holding mechanisms that the wind simply blew the climax community’s foundation away. And yet, in other parts of the world, people are using planting techniques to create the Great Green Wall and hold back the Sahara Desert. And dams keeping salmon from spawning grounds are being removed and fish numbers are bouncing back. Americans just need to think in terms of nature’s timelines instead of our own.

Cultural / Ecological Mirrors

• Root Depth: Many native prairie plants have roots that go 15 feet deep into the earth. The annual food crops brought by pioneers have shallow, weak roots. This mirrors the cultural shift from deep, multi-generational, localized knowledge of the land to a transient, fast-moving, short-term economic mindset.
• Weed Mentality as “Grit”: The very traits celebrated as American virtues—rugged individualism, high adaptability, rapid growth, and tough resilience—are the exact biological definitions of weedy, opportunistic species.

The Next 250 Years

So how do we move forward with our depleted land, a government that keeps making it harder for people to make better long-term choices?  Again, we learn something old. Indigenous teachings say to think seven generations ahead when making big decisions. While 7 generations might not get us to 250 years, it gets us Americans much further than the next paycheck.

We again look to nature for answers.

Seeking out your own Ecological Observations

As humans are remembering we are in fact part of nature and not separate from it, we’re beginning to see self-care includes earth-care.

Look into your local Indigenous run farms. One of mine is Dream of Wild Health

Nature and plants tell us to adapt more than rebel. We work within the system and dig our own roots deeper. We communicate with each other, like plants use far underground immense fungal networks to communicate. These unseen systems keep revealing more depth and strength the more we research them. And that’s what will get us through this together – taking time to learn and love this earth and each other, in all our differences.

Diversity is our strength.

And Nature is on our side, because We are Nature.

With love to you all,
Michelle

The post Ecological Observations on the 250th Anniversary of America: Pioneers vs. Exploitation appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Between unpredictable grocery prices and supply chain hiccups, it’s easy to feel a bit powerless when walking through the supermarket aisles. But what if the ultimate security system wasn’t something you bought, but something you grew? Growing your own food doesn’t have to be complicated, and you don’t need to grow everything. Just start with something!

Taking back your power starts with planting a few plants, using whatever space you have.

Growing your own food is about more than just fresh flavor. It’s about self-reliance, building food security, and putting nutrient-dense ingredients directly onto your table. Best of all, you don’t need acres of land to make a massive impact. Whether you have a spacious backyard plot, a community garden bed, or just a sunny patio with a few pots, you can dramatically cut your grocery bills.

If you’re ready to dig in and maximize your return on investment, focus on these backyard superstars.

Best Bang for Your Buck: Herbs and Lettuces

If you want to see an immediate drop in your grocery receipt, skip the grocery store lettuces suffocating in plastic clamshells (the waste and environmental impact from those is astronomical) and head to the garden center instead.

Culinary herbs like basil, cilantro, parsley, and rosemary are also incredibly expensive at the store, often rotting in the fridge before you can use them all. In a pot outside your kitchen door, they thrive on neglect and can be harvested on demand, week after week.

Pair those herbs with a continuous supply of salad greens. Leaf lettuce, spinach, and arugula grow incredibly fast from seed. Because you can use the “cut-and-come-again” method—harvesting just the outer leaves while the center keeps producing—a single packet of seeds will yield a summer’s worth of gourmet salads for pennies.

At this time of year (early June) it’s best to focus on heat-tolerant varieties, and succession sowing arugula, cilantro, and basil. I’ve got lots of specifics in my article, Growing Great Lettuce.

Maximizing Small Spaces with Vertical Gardening

If you think you don’t have enough room to grow your own food, it’s time to shift your perspective and look up. Vertical gardening is the ultimate game-changer for small spaces, patios, and balconies. Instead of letting plants spread outward and take up precious ground or floor space, you train them to grow upward.

For comparison, if you grew bush beans and cucumbers on the ground, it would take roughly 240 square feet, but growing pole beans and having the cucumbers trained up a trellis would take only 20 square feet.

You can easily transform a blank wall, a deck railing, or a sunny corner into a vertical farm. Vertical planters, stacked pocket systems, and hanging baskets are perfect for keeping a continuous supply of herbs, strawberries, and leafy greens right at eye level.

By going vertical, you not only multiply your growing area but also improve air circulation around your plants, which naturally keeps pests and diseases at bay.

Pole Beans and Bush Beans

When it comes to vertical gardening, pole beans are absolute champions. By training them up a simple trellis, teepee, or cattle panel, you utilize vertical height while leaving your ground soil or pots free for low-growing herbs. They produce heavily and continuously all summer long until the first frost.

If you don’t want to use a trellis, bush beans are an excellent alternative. They stay short, compact, and thrive beautifully in fabric pots, window boxes, or vertical pocket planters. Because bush beans mature quickly and are generally all harvested within a few weeks from the first to the last bean, they are perfect for succession planting. Even in northern climates with shorter growing seasons, you can easily get two full plantings of bush beans in a single year by sowing a second round of seeds in mid-summer.

Best Storage Crop: Winter Squash

True self-reliance means eating from your garden long after the summer sun has faded into memories. That is where winter squash shines. Varieties like Butternut, Acorn, and Delicata are remarkably low-maintenance during the growing season, and they excel at long-term storage. They do sprawl, but can be grown from containers, trained up trellises and arches, or left to take over a patch of lawn. These squash are generally not eaten by critters either, so they don’t need to be grown in a fenced-in area.

Once harvested in the fall and properly cured, these tough-skinned beauties will sit happily in a cool, dark pantry or basement for months. No canning, freezing, or dehydrating required. When the snow is flying, you will have a reliable, hearty source of vitamins and carbohydrates ready for cold-weather soups and roasts.

Get Growing Your Own Food and Take Back Your Power

The world feels unstable right now, but the rhythm of nature and her soils remain constant. If you really want to make a long-term change, consider planting some edible perennials into your landscape!

And, when you’re ready to grow enough to have ‘extras’ consider learning some of the ways to preserve your harvests with some of these gardener friendly recipes.

Remember- You do not have to become completely self-sufficient overnight to make a difference!

Start small.
Plant what you love.
Enjoy Growing Your Own Food!

By growing even a fraction of your own groceries, you save money, reduce your environmental footprint, and rediscover the unmatched satisfaction of feeding yourself.

Plus, I’ll guarantee you it tastes better!

The time is right to take matters into your own hands. Grab some soil, choose your plants, and dig in!

Peas,
Michelle

The post Growing Your Own Food: Regardless of the Space You Have appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Let’s dig into soil temperatures for early season success.

Climate Change in the Garden

While specific years will always fluctuate, the country and Northern world is experiencing a long-term trend of warming winters. Minnesota’s average annual temperatures have increased by 3.2°F between 1895 and 2024.

Spring soil temperatures in Minnesota show significant year-over-year variability, heavily influenced by snow cover, spring precipitation, and air temperature, with a long-term trend toward earlier warming. Minnesota is recording earlier spring soil warming temperatures overall.

In recent years, soil temperatures have varied from early-season warm spells to late-season “nosedives,” with 4-inch deep soil temperatures commonly reaching 50°F in April. But we still get anomalies like April readings of 33°F in 2014 and 60°F in 2012.

How to Measure Soil Temperature for Seed Germination

This spring in my Minnesota garden in mid-May I still had soil temps dip down below 50°F in the early morning, and we’re still having frosts this May. In recent years this temperature was higher.

Planting in protected growing areas like Low Tunnels or a Cattle Panel Greenhouse can increase soil temperatures by 10–15°F compared to open ground, promoting faster, healthier growth. These consistent few degrees warmer means so much for good germination early in the season.

• Use a simple soil thermometer
  (I actually have a few of them) and test roughly 4-6 inches deep to get my readings.
• To know the low temperature you have to check it before the sun starts warming it for the day.
• Leave the thermometer in the soil for at least 5 minutes before reading so it can level off

Each seed has its own ‘happy place’ temperature range. And trying to push the season by planting out a seed before the soil is warm enough means that seed will likely rot in place. So be patient for your soil to warm up, or help them along with covering.

Seed Germination Temperature Chart

Minimum Soil Temperatures for Germination

• Beans – 60°F
• Beets – 40°F
• Broccoli + Cauliflower – 45°F
• Cabbages – 55°F
• Carrots – 45°F
• Corn – 55°F
• Cucumbers – 65°F
• Lettuce (most greens) – 40°F
• Melons – 70°F
• Onions – 40°F
• Peas – 40°F
• Peppers – 65°F
• Tomatoes – 60°F
• Spinach – 35°F
• Squash/Zucchini – 70°F

Direct Sowing Versus Starting Indoors

This above graph information combined with which plants to direct sow versus which to start indoors can help you get your garden rolling as early as possible- giving many more harvests throughout the seasons.

It also means I can stagger my planting times, so beans will be going into the soil in about a week, while radishes and spinach were direct sown weeks ago.

Depth matters – deeper soils hold warming easier, shallow (over rock) cool quicker. The amount of sand and how damp the soil is overall also has a real impact. In general soil still warms and cools the most in the first inch.

While damp soil holds more heat than dry soil, evaporation of that excess moisture consumes heat which is a cooling process. Avoid bone dry soils AND oversaturated soil for optimal warming of non-covered soils in spring.

It also matters how deep you’re planting that seed. Smaller seeds like lettuce and carrots usually are planted closer to the surface, which is warmer than 6” down. But can also cool off more. But this cooling is easily moderated by adding a layer of fleece or plastic row cover to the seeds.

Learn more about Starting Seeds.

Soil Temperature FAQ

What temperature do seeds germinate at?

Seeds vary widely in their preferred germination temperature range. From soil temperatures starting at just above freezing at 35°F to 75°F depending on where the seed naturally developed. So when northern gardeners want to grow warm weather crops, we need to trick seeds into germinating by raising temps inside.

Can I use a meat thermometer to measure soil temperature?

While you can use a meat thermometer to measure temperatures, it is best to use a tool meant for outside if you plan on keeping it outside. The soil thermometers also have a different range of temperatures and larger font.

Does soil temperature matter more than air temperature?

Short answer is yes, but really, it depends… In general, seeds know what the soil temperature should be to germinate. Remember, they only have one shot. They are not reading the air temperature because they are in the soil.

But (there’s always a but), if you’re raising the soil temperatures by growing undercover, you need to be more aware of late spring cold snaps that can kill off above-ground plant greens. But if you start with the cool weather crops, you should be safe.

Air temperatures do matter, and most states gather this data and make it available online. In Minnesota our DNR hosts an interactive map with frost and freeze date probabilities that I find invaluable.

All of this is to say…

Know what your soil temperature is.
Know what temperature your specific seed prefers.

You’ll have better germination, less plant stress, and a happier overall gardening experience…

So, when the time is right–
Dig In,
Michelle

The post Understanding Soil Temperature for Seed Germination appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

These taste like if Sour Patch® had a kid with simple ingredients + kept the fiber. I like the big flavor coupled with the little chew. I get to help out at our local elementary school, and the kids go crazy for them every year!

It is a great, simple way to use up some of the rhubarb and not make yet another crisp… but if you’re looking for tips on growing rhubarb or other recipes, I have you covered.

Rhubarb Sour Candy Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4-5 stalks of Rhubarb
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

Directions:
Slice the rhubarb lengthwise on a mandolin (I use my thin setting) leaving them as long as you can. This is the putzy part, and I usually save the extras pieces that don’t make nice long strips for making rhubarb sauce or something.

Mix a 1:1 sugar/water solution into a medium sized sauce pan so the rhubarb slices fits easily.

Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until you notice the stalk strips becoming much softer. Then, using a pair of tongs, gently pull out the strips and lay flat on either a dehydrator tray or parchment paper.

Set dehydrator to 140F and let them go for 7-8 hours, or set your oven at the lowest setting (usually 225F) and watch closely after 15 minutes. Remove from dehydrator or oven and let cool completely.

Chop into desired sizes, and store in airtight container for up to 1 week. (But they will be gone before that!)

Let me know if you try this fun “nature’s own” rhubarb sour candy recipe and what you think of it!

Enjoy!
Michelle

The post Rhubarb Sour Candy Strips appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

It can feel like a superpower to be eating from your land as early as May, especially when all you did was rake back a few leaves…

Why Grow Edible Perennials in Cold Climates?

We have an extremely short growing season in Minnesota, under 150 days! So we need plants that can take the freezing cold and then warm up fast, and early spring perennials make it happen.

• Edible perennials make the most of the spring shoulder season here in the north, because even when our air temps are still chaotic and dipping below those freezing points, the soil is slowly, steadily warming. And the roots of perennials use that as their sign to start growing, not the cold above ground air temps.
• Choosing the right location is key to the success of the plant’s life and your harvests. Because these plants will thrive for years to come, think about other trees that will grow and shade in 20 years, or if you’ll be adding onto a deck, patio etc.…
• They are lower maintenance because there’s no need for annual tilling, planting, seed starting, transplanting, etc.
• You’ll get much earlier harvests compared to any annuals you’ve started inside. I know this can seem counter intuitive, but I’ve seen it happen year after year.
• Leaving the roots in the ground for years has huge benefits to the soil health. It of course reduces erosion but also increases the overall count and diversity of the soil microorganisms, which help grow healthier plants.

What Are Edible Perennials?

In this article we’re talking specifically about Herbaceous Edible Perennials. These are plants that come back year after year but die down to the ground every winter. Distinct from all the delicious berry bushes and trees that also produce for years.

Edible perennials that take our colder winters in Zone 4 include asparagus, rhubarb, some varieties of perennial sorrel, kale and spinach, sunchokes, herbs like thyme, oregano, chives, garlic chives, and strawberries. Find your Growing zone in this Interactive Map from the USDA.

Best Early Spring Edible Perennials for Northern Gardeners

Asparagus

One of the first perennials to be harvested from gardens, sometimes as early as late April in my garden. And since these plants can produce steady for over 15 years, you want to be picky about choosing the right location. Plant once for years of nutritious, fresh harvests.

Learn all the planting tips and tricks, plus my favorite ways to eat asparagus in the full length article: Growing Asparagus: Long Lasting Perennial Vegetable

You can actually interplant asparagus with strawberries, another edible perennial listed below…

Rhubarb

You know when almost every old farmyard has a patch still growing it must be hardy, right!

Rhubarb plants can last up to 100 years, but typically more like 20 years and then they need dividing. But other than that, give them sun and decent soil, and they’ll give you years of easy harvests. With over 100 distinct varieties of rhubarb, red does NOT always equal ripe.

Learn how to grow great rhubarb and some of my favorite recipes (from crisps, to savory chutney, in rhubarb shrub mocktails + cocktails, to our new obsession Sour Rhubarb Candy Strips in this article, Growing Rhubarb: Plus My Favorite Rhubarb Recipes

Strawberries

Strawberries mean summer has arrived in my growing zone, as we start harvesting just as school gets out.

Planting a patch of bare root crowns in May is the way to get this crop off the ground.  And speaking of up off the ground, what should you put around your STRAW berries? Straw, lots of straw! That way the berries don’t get dirty, and the runners can root into the loosened soil. There are 3 main kinds of strawberries depending on how and when you want to harvest, June Bearing, Ever Bearing and Day Neutral.

Find out more about varieties and best planting practices, plus my favorite recipes in my deep dive article, Growing Strawberries.

*Combine these perennials to make my favorite freezer jam, Strawberry/Rhubarb!

Perennial Herbs + Greens

There is such a huge diversity of cold hard herbs and greens, especially varieties that can be harvested early in the spring, yes even up north!

From foraging for nettles or cattails, or planting perennial spinach or a perennial kale or sorrel, there are vast amounts of native and cultivated spring greens.

For perennial herbs, remember that basics like chives, garlic chives, oregano, thyme, mint and lemon balm.

Tips for Growing Perennial Vegetables and Fruits Successfully

• Take your time choosing the best location before you plant these long-term investments. Choosing the right location is key to the success of the plant’s life and your harvests. Because these plants will thrive for years to come—long-term investments = big rewards!

• Also, take time to prepare the soil well before planting. I’ll usually weed well and then add in a layer of organic compost to help start off the plants on the right root.

• Know your yard’s microclimates.  I like to think about where the snow melts first in a yard and use that microclimate to plant these earliest perennials. They are driven more by soil temperature and will give you a week or two earlier harvests if you pay attention.

Which Edible Perennials Should You Start With?

With gardening you should always grow what you love, and leave the other plants for someone else…

That said, rhubarb is one of the hardiest plants and a great one to start off with. Strawberries and quite easy to grow once they’re established, so they will take a little extra love and watering that first season. All the perennial herbs are great additions to any modern homestead. You’ll be amazed how often you head outside to grab a few sprigs of thyme or oregano to add to a salad or pot of soup…

And that’s really the goal, to get you planting foods that are easy to grow while giving you a big return for your time, garden space and growing season.

Edible perennials just check all the boxes.

Have fun and Dig Into Perennials!

Michelle

The post Best Edible Perennials for Northern Gardens appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

This guest post is brought to us by the legend, Bob Dahm. Many of my Midwest garden friends will know him as “Organic Bob,” which is how I knew him when we first met about 5 years ago.

He has guided our family on our own home lawn re-seeding (with tougher native grasses) and bee lawn areas with great success. This is because he sees our yards and gardens as integral parts of the natural world, not separate from them.

Take it away, Bob –

Why Turf Should Be Replaced

The acreage of lawn in the US is equal to the size of Texas! 63,000 square miles of turf that requires fertilizer, mowing, pesticides and water. In fact, more thank half of our drinkable water is used to irrigate grass. Pesticides, fungicides and herbicides are typically applied at a greater rate than agricultural fields.

These statistics are from Pesticide Action Network and they are one reason many people are looking for alternatives to the traditional Kentucky bluegrass lawn. Most of our grass species in our lawns originated in Europe and Asia. Kentucky bluegrass is from northern Asia! These species evolved in climates like England, where they don’t have our temperature extremes and get twice the rainfall as we do in our climate. Our native plants evolved to thrive in our climate and are much better equipped to care for our pollinators.

Read more on Creating a Wildlife Habitat in your Yard + Garden

Pollinator habitat loss is of very real concern as pollinator populations are at an all time low. A nice, manicured lawn is as a desert to a pollinator. No food, no water, no habitat and long distances between pockets of appropriate habitat are threatening many species of important insects, birds and other pollinating species.

The Rusty Patch Bumblebee (RPB) is one of these species that struggle with habitat loss and decline. In fact, the RPB is on the Endangered Species List because their populations are so low. This designation has called attention to the plight of all pollinators and resulted in the RPB being named the MN State Pollinator, which created a call to action to protect our insect friends.

Turf Alternatives Evolution

The University of MN Bee Lab answered the call by creating the concept of a bee lawn, because many tiny bees and other pollinators could not cross the vast distances to meet up with others of their kind. This lack of connection isolates populations until they lose genetic diversity or simply die off because their habitat is eliminated or contaminated with lawn and landscape chemicals.

The bee lawn introduces flowers into the seas of lawn grass, so that pollinators can move across the landscape. It modestly expanded the food and habitat and made measurable differences in pollinator populations. It also ushered in a new awareness of the serious issue of pollinator decline.

Along with that new awareness came more conservation activity. The MN State Legislature set aside significant funds to educate the public about solutions to pollinator decline and grants to enact these in the ground changes. The program was called “Lawns To Legumes” and over several years, it educated thousands of people in turf alternatives and the benefit of native plants. The grant program enabled hundreds of homeowners to install native plant gardens and alternative turf lawns. Sadly, the program has been defunded, but Lawns To Legumes inspired many more people to install gardens and bee lawns. That trend is continuing despite the funding setback.

One of the ways that momentum is being carried forward is in the explosion of different kinds of bee lawns and pollinator lawns. Twin City Seed, the foremost supplier of bee lawn seed was receiving pushback on the Dutch white clover in the original bee lawn. Conservation groups and supporting scientists discovered research that Dutch white clover was a place where domesticated honeybees interacted with wild bees and transferred diseases to which the native bees had no natural resistance. This was seen as a further stressor on an already troubled group of insects. Twin City Seed came out with bee lawn mixes that included native species and no Dutch white clover.  Now there are many different types of bee and pollinator lawns.

Turf Alternative Options

Alternative turf can mean many things. Some include the typical species of grass in our lawns, while others use native grasses and sedges, (a grass-like plant) and straight up native plant gardens all the way to mini meadows and prairies. The goals are the same for all. Increase habitat for pollinators and reduce the amount of conventional turf grass lawns, that burn up energy and water and contaminate the environment with toxic maintenance chemicals. The amount of change can be small or large, depending on the type of alternative selected.

Bee Lawns

Can be created simply by overseeding and existing lawn with bee lawn seed mix. One and done and you have created a lunch counter for traveling bees. You can also remove you existing lawn and start over by seeding your bee lawn from scratch. This is more work but is a good option if the existing lawn is a weedy mess.

No Mow Lawns

Are a blend of fine fescue grasses that are often found in existing lawns, especially in the shade. In fact, the blends of grass seed that are sold as “shade grass” are made up of these species. The No Mow part comes when the lawn isn’t mowed. The grass grows to about 6” long and lays over in beautiful swirls reminiscent of waves on water. This is the base grass for bee lawns which makes up about 92% of the bee lawn mix. No mow grass can be mowed like a regular lawn, but if left alone, it requires very little water or fertilizer. This is a popular option for steep slopes or out of the way parts of the lawn.

Tall Fescue

Is also growing in popularity for an alternative turf. Like fine fescue, it requires less fertilizer and water than Kentucky bluegrass, mainly because its roots grow up to 30” deep! Kentucky bluegrass roots only make it to about 8”. Tall fescue has runners on its roots and this feature enables it to grow back after heavy traffic or wild child stampedes. It is often used in sports fields for this reason. It can be overseeded into an existing lawn to toughen it up and make it lower maintenance.

All Native Grass Lawns

Usually consist of buffalo or blue grama grass or both together. These are native species that evolved to flourish in our climate. Because they have evolved in our climate, they are much lower maintenance. The amount of rainfall we receive is just the right amount for them to thrive, once established.

These native grasses don’t need to be mowed, watered or fertilized. This really decreases the carbon foot print of the lawn. In fact, because they have such deep root systems, they will sequester more CO2 from the air and store the carbon in the soil. These deep root systems are why native plants are so low maintenance.

All Native Pollinator Lawns

Use the same grasses, buffalo and blue grama, along with low growing native flowering plants. Blue eyed grass, violets, pussytoes, and many other flowers offer great benefit to pollinators.

Mini Meadows

Are small areas where the lawn has been removed and replaced by seeding native plants. You can also transplant starter plants into this seeded area, either before or after seeding. The best time of year to seed many native plants is when the landscape is dormant, usually November or later. Native seeds need soil temperatures to be below freezing for a number of weeks before they can germinate. Not all of the seeds will germinate in the first or second years. Some may never germinate successfully and may require re-seeding or starter plants. These kinds of meadows are dynamic and maintenance is important while getting them established.

Maintenance will consist of supplementing water when needed and weed control. The best method for weed control is to mow the area a few times per year for the first 2 years. The deep roots of native plants enable them to survive mowing, while weeds cannot tolerate the cutting. There is a saying in native plant circles; “The first year they sleep. The second year they creep. The third year they leap”! Natives spend 2 years growing roots to incredible depths and volume. This supporting infrastructure is key to the success of the plants and provides an incredible advantage over weeds. It’s a bit of up front work to get a mini meadow and can be frustrating but stay courageous. It will become a personal prairie before you know it.

Prairies

Are similar to Mini Meadows, just larger. The existing vegetation is usually killed with herbicide and then seeded. Another method involves seeding into the existing vegetation and mowing it for 2 years and stopping at the third year, much like the Mini Meadow methods. There is an organic herbicide that is effective in killing vegetation without the toxic chemicals. This product can be used to kill grass before any kind of planting.

Pollinator Gardens

Are small native gardens that are used to re-purpose areas of lawns where it is difficult to get good lawn growth. Areas in this category are deep shade, hot patches, slopes, low wet places, shady and sunny boulevards, and unused sections of lawns. Some soils, like clay or sand can be challenging for turf grass, too.

There are native plant communities that will thrive in all of these conditions. There are many pre-designed gardens through organizations like Wild Ones, Metro Blooms and native plant nurseries.

All of the above alternatives to turf will reduce lawn space, especially the weedy parts. They will also create food and habitat for the hundreds of species of pollinators that are teetering on the edge of catastrophe. One small garden or a patch of flowering lawn can make a significant difference for pollinators and the environment, especially if we build a grassroots movement of people who care about pollinators.

Reach out to Bob for guidance on pursuing a sustainable haven for pollinators and shrinking the size of that lawn that is so difficult to maintain.

Contact Bob for your consultation!

Resources

Metro Blooms
Grants, educational resources, pre-designed gardens and more! https://metroblooms.org/

Alt Lawns of Richfield and Bloomington
A Facebook group that is very active locally with lots of expertise.

Wild Ones
A nationwide conservation group with local chapters. Lots of great people and resources.
https://wildones.org/chapters/minnesota/

That is a LOT of great info on making our lawns work for all of us in nature. I love that there are so many turf alternatives that fit different needs. Thanks, Bob!

What takeaways can you use from this info?

Keep Digging In,
Michelle

The post Turf Alternatives: From the Organic Professional appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Growing under the cover of a low tunnel is the answer to jump start your spring vegetable garden. These temporary structures are basically ‘low to the ground’ greenhouses, hence the ‘low’ tunnel. The simple, arched structures are efficient at trapping passive solar heat and holding it in the soil. In Minnesota we often get snow into April, so the reinforced arches are key to keeping plants happy during spring storms.

Inexpensive and easy to build, low tunnels can be popped up anywhere, so they’re perfect for small space gardens. They also work well with crop rotation, as you can move where you’re growing your earliest crops each season.

Most of the veggies shown here were started under a DIY low tunnel.

Learn about Succession Planting – replanting more crops into the same place, something you can also accomplish when you start earlier.

Of course, you’ll also need to start with the right seeds. Many plants will start germinating at temperatures around 40–45F. For more information on my favorite crops to start early in the season, check out my Substack article on Starting Seeds Earlier.

Low tunnels extend the growing season both in the spring and fall. They can be put up again in the fall to keep cold hardy crops in the garden longer.

You can easily remove all the plastic on planting day once the soil has warmed up, giving you easy access to the soil for better planting.

Soil Temps

Let’s talk about the difference between air and soil temperatures. It is soil temperature that you need to pay attention to for germinating the earliest plants. Luckily for seedlings and plant roots, soil temperatures are way more consistent than air temperatures.

Having a dedicated soil thermometer to track soil temps will help you keep a handle on things. I actually have a few soil thermometers so I can keep them in the soil (which gives more accurate readings) in different places. This helps me track my soil temperatures in different garden beds.

Even after a spring snowfall, the sun can still warm the soil under the clear plastic!

Growing Under Cover

Covering right on the surface of the soil will help hold in a little heat, but bringing that covering up off the ground so the sun’s rays get trapped inside helps even more. Angling the plastic towards the sun or having it arched will allow in the most heat. The thickness of the plastic (called poly in these applications) makes a difference as well. The thicker the poly, the better insulation value it has, but it might reduce the percentage of light coming through.

Building a DIY Low Tunnel

First: Gather Materials

Remember to use what you have on hand and only buy what you need.

• 18”-24” sections of ¼” Rebar or any solid ¼” stake (I use 6 in my 4X8 beds)
• 8-10’ sticks of ½” PVC (I use 4 in my 4X8 beds) $3/piece
• 3-6 millimeter thick plastic sheeting usually called Poly (I use roughly 10’ X 16’ sheets for my 4X8 beds) (10’x100’ 4 mil poly $31)
• Large Binder clips or PVC Clamps
• Scrap wood or logs to secure plastic snug to ground
• Hammer
• Twine or zip ties

Next: Instructions

1. Start by finding the dimensions of what you want to cover, and pound in ¼” rebar every two to three feet along the perimeter, angling it into the bed just slightly. You’ll want it to stick out a few inches above the ground.
2. Then slide the ½” PVC over the rebar, arching from one side of the bed to the other. If you want a little lower tunnel, you can usually bury the PVC into the ground a bit, or cut off a few feet to make extra low depending on what your needs are.
3. Secure an extra piece of PVC (or a bamboo stake, etc.) along the length of the top to stabilize the low tunnel and help keep it from collapsing after heavy snow. Tie with twine or secure with zip ties.
4. Cover with 3-6-ml poly; I usually use 4 mil. Rolls of plastic typically come in 8-10’ wide rolls. The width of your bed and how tall you want the tunnel will determine how wide your poly needs to be. For our 4’ wide beds, the 10’ wide works great as we make our low tunnels pretty tall.
5. You can use binder clips or specialized PVC clamps to keep plastic in place along the top of the arched PVC. You can also dig the poly into the soil or use anything handy like scarp lumber or landscape bricks to hold it down along the bottom.

*This structure does bring plastic into your garden, but it can be reused for many seasons to come. We’ve been using the same materials for six years now. Also, it completely removes the plastic you would be using if you bought the produce in a store instead of growing it at home—not to mention the carbon cost of shipping the produce, etc…

Using a DIY Low Tunnel Throughout the Season

The basic structure can be used throughout the season to support insect netting (like below) and shade cloth as needed. I find myself popping these up in different formations all the time.

You will have to watch temperatures closely, especially on sunny days, as low tunnels are quite effective at collecting and trapping the sun’s heat. I’ve had air temps jump to over 100F by mid-morning even with outside temps in the 30s F. So, remember to vent these structures as needed. Opening one or both ends is very effective at quickly reducing temps.

**And if you don’t have time/interest in building a low tunnel, try turning a clear plastic tote upside down. They work wonders for warming a little space for planting early lettuces or peas!

Cheers to growing more food in the same space, and getting in an earlier succession and harvests just by growing under a DIY low tunnel!

Dig In,
Michelle

The post DIY Low Tunnel appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.