Nineteen days and counting until that vernal equinox, aka SPRING! With a mild winter, we can expect the bugs to be out in full force this spring. It hasn’t been cold enough long enough to take the bug population down a notch. Two products I recommend are food-grade diatomaceous earth and garlic pepper tea. Diatomaceous earth is like shards of glass to the insect world. If hard-bodied insects run though it, they are cut. Used in the bed prep phase, plants take up diatomaceous earth into their cell structures making it less tasty to bugs when they chomp down on leaves. Garlic pepper tea has, well, garlic and pepper in it. Bugs have a very high sense of smell and will fly elsewhere to dine. Check out the “What’s Bugging You” photo album in the Oak Cliff Organics Facebook page for up-to-date bug sightings this season.
What to plant in March: Fruit trees and bushes.
This Week — Finish planting your cool-season crops (the plants recommended for January and February)
Beans — You know the saying… “Beans! Beans! The more you eat ’em, the more protein you get.”
Cantaloupe — Lots of Vitamin A and potassium.
Cucumbers — Beneficial for hair, skin, and nails.
Eggplant — Low in fat and rich in soluble fiber.
English peas — Pass the peas please for a good dose of folic acid.
Kohlrabi — Slightly sweet, this spaceship-looking veggie is packed with vitamin C.
kohlrabi
Peppers — High in capsaicin, which is said to have anti-diabetic properties.
Summer squash — 8-ball, sunburst, star ship and flying saucers are just a few of the fun varieties you can grow to get a serving of soluble fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Southern peas — Great taste, great protein, and great with jalapeno cornbread!
Tomatoes — Plant an heirloom variety for a taste blast from the past.
Watermelon — Protects against cancer and alleviates depression.
Winter squash — Gets an “A” for being packed with vitamin A, good for vision.
Zucchini — Low in calories makes it a good choice for weight loss and cholesterol control.
Green dates to remember:
March 3, 11 a.m., Garden Talk at Repotted
March 3, 1 p.m.-3 p.m., AOP Health Awareness Day at Repotted
March 3, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Bishop Arts Saturday Market
April 19, 6 p.m., A Community Cooks at the We Over Me Farm at Paul Quinn College
