Tamil Nadu has just celebrated the harvest festival of Pongal a time when we enjoy the bountiful produce of crops such as rice, lentils and sugarcane. Pongal marks the end of the month of Margazhi, our winter, and welcomes the month of Thai, the start of spring when the sun starts its journey in the northern hemisphere and the days become longer.

As one growing season ends, another starts. Chennai has one more growing season till the scorching heat of summer begins, the heat that is natures signal that its time to let the soil rest. So what can we grow from January to April?

Cool weather crops like cabbages, cauliflowers, carrots, spinach will continue to grow until February. Tomatoes do well in this season too. But this is the time to sow things that are light to cook, eat and satisfy your thirst in the summer. Its time to start planting gourds, greens and melons.

Gourds such as bottle, snake, ridge, bitter, ash, pumpkin, and cucumber, and melons such as watermelon and musk melon can be started now too. These need well-drained soil and space to trail or climb, and are great plants for fences and sunny balconies with grills. And if you let them trail on your terrace floor, they also help cool the house. Heres a quick growing guide.

Soil

Its all about soil and seeds. Gourds do incredibly well in permaculture soil. Weve grown 3.5 foot long bottle gourds in the Cancer Institutes permaculture-raised beds. You can also use regular potting mix. Ensure the soil is loose, well-drained and well-mulched.

Seeding

Gourds and melons are sown directly. If you plan to start them in a different location, start them in containers that can be planted along with the sapling and will compost. Gourds dont do well with transplanting. There are many DIY, recycled or store-bought seed trays that you can start the seed in. When the seeds sprout and the true leaves emerge, plant the contents directly into the ground. At the Cancer Institute, weve started gourds in bamboo baskets and theyve done very well. Ensure there is enough space for the vine to run or climb.

Support

For bottle, snake, bitter and ridge gourds, try to ensure a pandal or trellis of some sort. This can be a fence, a simple trellis using poles and rope, or even a broken ladder. Its easier to spot the fruit in a pandal, but a fence or balcony railing will do just as well. Weve used ladders and even the sides of a broken baby cot to support gourds.

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Gourds in your garden

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Q: I was pretty successful forcing several hyacinths this past holiday season but now they have finished with the bloom. What can I do with them now? I hate to pitch them! S.H., Albuquerque

A: You can plant the spent bulbs outdoors, just not yet. Since these treasures gave you their all they would crumple if you set them out now in this cold weather.

This is what you can do to save them:

First, cut out the spent bloom stalk. Next, plant them all together in a pot with fresh potting soil. Set the pots in a spot indoors where theyll get bright light and maybe a smidgen of actual sunlight daily. Then continue to treat them as you would any houseplant, making sure they get average waterings but dont stay too soggy. Thats it for the time being.

As the season advances and the majority of winter weather passes, late March at the soonest, plant the saved bulbs outside.

Since hyacinths tend to stay short, remember to plant them in places where theyll be seen next year. Paperwhites are a bit more fragile and can easily be beat up by our windy springtime weather, so keep them a bit more tucked up when you plant them. Be sure to watch the weather to offer protection from any surprise frosts.

The existing leaves will re-feed the bulb and, if all goes as planned, theyll acclimate and bloom again for you in spring 2016!

Q: I have several bare spots in my lawn and want to reseed them. Can I do that now? N.G., Albuquerque

A: Wow! You are way too early to be thinking about seeding a lawn! The soil is far too cold to support any germinating seed. Dont waste your time or money on this project yet.

View original post here:
Give forced hyacinths a rest and they will reward you

The worst smog of the year so far swept into Beijing this week, coating the city in a grainy, deep grey murk on par with what the city endured in 2013, pictured above (though you'll see it's popping up again today). China is trying, hard, to get its air quality problem under control, and is considering some seriously wacky ways to do it. Unfortunately, the only one that will work is also the most difficult.

If you're in Beijing right now, here's what you're dealing with: Extraordinary levels of a small particulate called PM2.5, which is great at hanging out in midair for long periods of time. PM2.5 comes from industrial sources and wood-burning fires, and it's as dangerous to human lungs as it is good at staying put. The World Health Organization recommends that the max amount of the stuff we can breath is 25 micrograms per cubic meter. Beijing hit 568 today.

The really startling thing, of course, is that this isn't all that uncommon. The concentration has hit 993, almost twice as bad as this week's levels, before. Smog comes, you don a mask and stay inside as much as possible, and smog goes. China is actually pretty good at controlling it when it matterswhen world leaders were in town for APEC's annual summit in November, locals jokingly described the clear sky as "APEC blue." Pollution is so intense, it can be seen from space:

But temporary respites like the one APEC brought don't help actual residents all that muchwhich is why China has become a hotbed of smog-busting ad hoc design.

The big tool in China's smog-busting arsenal is cloud seedingSoviet Russia brought the concept to China in 1958, as QZ explained in a great story on artificial rain a few years ago. The idea is fairly simple: A plane (or rocket launcher) dumps chemicalsfrom potassium iodide, to liquid propane, to silver iodideinto an existing cloud, creating ice particles that get heavy and fall to Earth as "rain."

Rain "washes" the air of PM2.5 particles; the water molecules collect the toxic particulates and then bring them down to the ground. Technically, it's called "wet deposition," and according to QZ, China now makes 55 billion tons of artificial rain to aid in the process every year.

A rocket launcher used to seed clouds to induce rain is seen at a station of the Beijing Meteorological Bureau in Beijing. AP Photo/Ng Han Guan.

Read more here:
Four Ideas to Fix Beijing's Smog Airpocalypse, And One That Will Work

January 15, 2015 - By Roger Pugliese, Chair TASC

The TASC Board of Directors is generally inclined to resist removal of perfectly healthy trees in Topanga, but enthusiastically supports the North Topanga Canyon Fire Safe Council (NTCFSC) in its efforts to cut dead or certifiable dying trees.

TASC, however, feels that the upside of slightly increasing safety on the Boulevard is not compelling enough to justify the killing of healthy trees. Tree culling impacts water runoff, erosion, carbon dioxide, pollution control, animal habitats, temperature control and the general green scenic beauty of Topanga.

Removing live, healthy trees when the entire Boulevard is lined with creosote-soaked telephone poles that can burn, fall and drop live electric wires to the street is unreasonable. The killing of mature healthy trees will not even minimally insure that the Canyon will not be blocked by the poles. Trees that can impact the wires should be trimmed, not killed.

Additionally, TASC is aware that the removal of non-natives from the Canyon is a regional issue that requires a focused discussion. A gradual, natural replacement of dead and dying non-native trees with native trees makes much more sense then culling healthy non-native trees along Topanga Canyon Boulevard or elsewhere. Gradual replacement keeps the Canyon green as the process evolves and minimizes impacting the environmental issues mentioned above.

It is questionable to focus on fire safety programs to promote non-native tree removal. If so, one can argue that every plant, non-oak tree, flower, shrub, rose or garden vegetable in the canyon is a non-native. Indeed, we are ourselves non-natives. As previously stated, this is a complex issue that warrants community discussion and agreement.

An argument can be made that pine and pepper trees are not the main threat. Pines are not seeding themselves here. They do not multiply and invade like arundo, nor do they clog the streambed or threaten the riparian environment like certain invasive vines.

Fire Science literature recommendations and analysis changes all the time. It is now widely held that the cutting back of chaparral around homes is a bad thing. It leads to very flammable non-native grass invasions.

Yet, we, for decades, were forced to cut the chaparral to meet California Fair Plan insurance requirements. To kill living trees as a reaction to the latest popular hypothesis seems rash and counter-productive. Trees take many decades, not seasons, to mature and grow.

Here is the original post:
Remove Dead and Dying Trees, Leave The Healthy Ones

Plants should provide habitat, runoff absorption in future

January 11, 2015 | 8:02 pm

CEDAR RAPIDS An innovative program to plant native grasses in electric transmission line corridors in the Cedar Rapids area will help restore a dwindling Iowa resource native prairies.

Its a win for us, a win for wildlife and the environment and a win for the public, which owns the land, said Tom Petersen, communications director for ITC Midwest, the company whose electric transmission lines cross the properties.

Contractors for ITC Midwest earlier this month planted native prairie plants on 6 acres at Beverly Park, city property in southwest Cedar Rapids; on 30 acres of city property east of Cole Street SE near the Sac and Fox Trail; and on 6 acres near Squaw Creek Park, east of Highway 13, on land owned by the Linn County Conservation Department.

The plantings generally extend for several hundred yards along the 100-foot-wide easements allowing ITC transmission lines to cross the public properties.

We recognize that we have impacts on the environment and remain open to projects that help us improve that relationship, Petersen said.

The plantings, featuring native grasses, wildflowers and broad-leaved native plants, should take root next year and become more prominent with each succeeding year, he said.

The native vegetation will provide wildlife habitat, especially for ground-nesting birds, and make the land more absorbent to slow runoff from heavy rains, he said.

While he was watching the seeding contractors work on Dec. 6, Petersen said neighbors approached to thank the company for its consideration of the environment. It was cool to see the neighborhood appreciate the effort, he said.

Read the original here:
Company plants prairie grass to protect transmission lines

Question: I have noticed that some trees retain their brown leaves all winter. Why dont they fall off?

Answer: A majority of our deciduous trees shed their leaves in the fall. In late fall, the combination of cell changes and growth regulators form an abscission layer at the base of the leaf stalk or petiole to encourage leaf fall. However, as you have noted, some hardwoods retain their leaves throughout most of the winter season. To some, it is beautiful, while others hate the thought of raking leaves again in the spring. Our native American beech tree is the most common tree in our forest that retains its leaves throughout the winter. A forest full of American beech in winter is a beautiful sight to behold. Many young oak trees retain their leaves too. American beech and oak are related. They are in the Fagaceae family. It is only natural for family members to act the same way. The botanical term for winter leaf retention is called marcescence. The growth of new buds in the spring will push the old leaves off. I have noted that the leaves of American beech begin falling off the last week of February.

Question: All the leaves on my very expensive maple tree are brown and wilted. It has never done this before. Are they dead?

Answer: Japanese maples are slow to shed their leaves in the fall. It is not uncommon for the leaves to be green or red when we have our first hard frost. The damaged leaves will wilt and eventually turn brown. They will slowly fall off with winter rains and wind. I have one Bloodgood Japanese maple that finally shed its leaves during the week of Christmas. My green leaf Waterfall has yet to give up its dried leaves. I would call them tardily deciduous. You can use a leaf blower to hasten their departure.

Question: We planted beets this fall in our new garden. Why did so many of the leaves turn purple?

Answer: Purple leaves on beets and other vegetable plants usually indicate a low phosphorous level in the soil. Phosphorous is a major element in plant nutrition and is very low in our native soils. It plays a significant role in root development. Because phosphorous is very slow to move through the soil, it is important to till your fertilizer into the soil prior to planting. This spring use a fertilizer high in phosphorous such as 10-20-20 or 4-24-24. Apply 1 pound of this fertilizer per 100 square feet of garden and mix it thoroughly into the soil prior to planting. Return to your normal fertilizer schedule during the growing season. The purpling will soon disappear.

Question: I saw a landscape company sowing fescue last week. Isnt this a waste of money?

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Some trees retain their leaves all winter

IF you asked a cropper what their biggest issue was five to 10 years ago, they most likely would have pointed the finger at ryegrass.

However, the hot topic now at the forefront of many graingrowers' minds is how to tackle brome grass.

With brome grass a problem in many cropping areas, Mallee Sustainable Farming and the Vic Department of Environment and Primary Industries have teamed up to try and help farmers overcome the weed.

Vic DEPI's senior technical officer Mick Brady and technical officer Chris Davies are working in conjunction with MSF agronomist Michael Moodie to look at how the weed can best be managed.

"Work started this year as part of the GRDC-funded project Profitable Stubble Retention Systems in the Mallee," Mr Moodie said.

"We've been able to link in to another project that has been funded by the Mallee Catchment Management Authority that is aimed at demonstrating integrated weed management systems and how they can help tackle brome grass."

Mr Moodie said that as well as tackling a current problem, the projects were also aimed at avoiding future issues.

"At the moment, brome grass can only really be completely controlled with Clearfield varieties, which involves the use of a group B chemical," he said.

"Clearfield can be applied over wheat, canola, barley and lentils and it does offer good control.

"But, the problem with that is if chemicals are overused, it will lead to resistance issues pretty quickly."

Read more from the original source:
Getting the jump on brome grass

Two farmland owners in the Fraser Valley have conducted wide-ranging remediation work and a third is under a provincial order to do so following a lengthy Vancouver Sun investigation into the environmental impact of farming on fish streams.

The Suns Minding The Farm series, published in June, probed several cases in which farmers had altered important fish habitat, and it also exposed the B.C. governments lax laws on farm manure runoff into fish streams compared with neighbouring Washington state.

More than six months later, The Sun has confirmed the following developments in the story:

A nursery in Aldergrove has completed extensive remediation work at Bertrand Creek, a critical fish stream in the Fraser Valley.

Landowners in Abbotsford have also taken steps to undo damage to the headwaters of the Salmon River.

An Agassiz farm family is under a provincial Water Act order to restore aquatic habitat converted to blueberry crops.

Washington is planning ever-tougher restrictions on manure applications, while B.C. continues to talk to farmers about the issue.

In Aldergrove, JRT Nurseries has completed numerous measures on Bertrand Creek, including riprap rock along a stretch of exposed shoreline, grass seeding and tree planting, page-wire fencing, silt fencing, and an irrigation system. The Sun investigation exposed alteration of fish habitat on the creek, including removal of riparian areas and the dumping of concrete blocks and plastic planting pots into the creek.

Biologist and Fraser Valley fish expert Mike Pearson assisted in the investigation of Bertrand Creek, which is home to the Oregon spotted frog, Salish sucker and Nooksack dace all listed as endangered under the federal Species At Risk Act as well as coho salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout.

During a recent revisit to the site, Pearson acknowledged JRTs measures to stabilize the banks and limit further erosion into the creek. It wouldnt have happened if The Sun hadnt shown interest in it, he said, emphasizing that many more such cases go unreported and without investigation.

See the article here:
Probe prompts some farmland owners to improve fish habitat (with video)

(Via @recordsANDradio)

Best and worst moments fromWashingtons 44-17 season-ending loss to the Cowboys at FedEx Field.

Worst embarrassment: The Cowboys were trying to run the clock out as the season expired. Instead they wound up with a 65-yard touchdown run from a backup running back as the visiting fans stood and cheered. Thats a rotten way to go.

Worst rut: The Redskins went 7-25 over the past two seasons. That equals their worst back-to-back stretch since the NFL schedule expanded to 16 games, a feat achieved just once, from 1993-1994.

Worst turnovers: Washington turned it over four times, and got one turnover back. For the season, Washington turned it over 31 times, and got 19 turnovers bad. Thats terrible.

Worst debut: Jay Gruden finished his first season 4-12. Thats worse than Mike Shanahan (6-10), worse than Jim Zorn (8-8), worse than Joe Gibbs II (6-10), worse than Steve Spurrier (7-9), and worse than Marty Schottenheimer (8-8). That makes this the worst coaching debut in the Dan Snyder era.

Worst quote: The first half was as bad as weve seen around here for a long time, Jay Gruden said, when asked about his defense.

Worst cheers: Probably those Lets Go Cowboys chants that were audible on Foxs broadcast several times on Sunday.

Worst stat: This one, from Boz:

Worst defense: The Cowboys had well over 200 yards of offense. In the first quarter. With virtually nothing to play for. Against a defensive coordinator that supposedly had their number. After the second quarter, they kind of stopped scoring, and the game was whatever, but when the Cowboys really wanted to score, the Redskins appeared helpless at best.

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DC Sports Bog: Redskins-Cowboys best and worst