Beagle Ridge Herb Farm Mid July Newsletter

Issue No.5 Mid July 2008

Beagle Ridge News from the Farm

In This Issue
Natural fertilizers and what does NPK really mean?
August Schedule
Quick Links
www.beagleridgeherbfarm.com


I hate to open this newsletter with sad news but I just wanted to share the passing of Gregg's mother Eleanor. Many of you have met Gregg's parents at one of our open houses and if you met her you loved her. She has been ill for several years and is finally at peace and our focus shifts to making sure Harry, my wonderful father in law, is taken care of. I have been blessed with wonderful inlaws and thanks for all the prayers in this trying time.

We had planned to be closed in August to spend some time up in Ohio with his parents and now this is even more important. We will be open until this Sunday, July 27 and then will close until Sept 4th. unless you have made previous arrangements for a visit. We have classes scheduled in August and several groups on the calendar, so call if you would like to have your group visit at the farm and we will see if we can accomodate. We will then reopen Thursdays- Sundays until Garlic Thyme Oct 4th.and hope to see you then.

I just wanted to let everyone know we finally go the new web store up and running. As of this time I am still only running paypal for those of you who use credit cards, but am hoping to change that shortly. Almost all of our products are featured with pictures, a couple of the pictures show my lack of photographic skills, but I am working on it. So be sure to check out the store/products page on the website. www.beagleridgeherbfarm.com

We also have a couple of new products which will be available August 1st. Be sure to check out what is new.

Natural Fertilizer-Comfrey
If you haven't met Comfrey yet- you don't know what you are missing.
I am often asked about the type of fertilizer we use at the farm. Most of you know we do not use ANY at the farm. Well then, what do I use? Comfrey. Plants will deplete the soil, using up the nutrients, so a top dressing of mulch, leaf mold, manure or compost needs to be added yearly. We add new mulch or compost to some plants, and Comfrey to everything else.

Comfrey is a perennial, a bio-activator for the compost pile, a metabolism booster and a great fertilizer. We fertilize the gardens once a year with a Comfrey tea, Yes once and only once. If we had vegetable gardens, I would probably do it monthly, since vegetables do require a lot of fertilizer. The comfrey is high in potassium and magnesium (one of the necessary trace minerals) and makes the plants hardy against disease and drought. Now ther is a down side to this amazing plant, if you take it internally it can lead to miscarriages, this includes feeding it to animals. Do not feed it to your sheep, etc. while lambing!!!

The wonderful blooms in June are attractive to bees, and the large foliage makes a statement in the garden. This is when we cut the leaves and begin to make our compost tea. Here are the steps: Fill a 5 gallon bucket with Comfrey leaves (the new foliage will grow back in a couple of weeks; it will not however, rebloom). Now fill the bucket with water and lay it out of the way where the odor will not affect anybody. In a couple of weeks it will be ready to use. This brown gelatinous mess is fabulous. Add one cupful to 2 gallons and water your plants. I just happen to have a 2 gallon watering can so this is my measurement- not very scientific but it has worked for us for years.
We repeat this procedure until every plant has received a dose of tea. The remaining residue may be thrown into the compost pile. For those of you who would rather not go through these steps there is an alternative. Cut the leaves and throw them into the compost pile- they will speed up the decomposition of the pile, thus making rich compost quicker. Either way your plants will benefit.

The nice thing about this is that you can not burn your plants the way you can with a chemical fertilizer. That for me is a good enough reason, it is safe, it is natural and it is organic. So much for my Comfrey lecture!! Comfrey is available at the farm, two types, a Russian and a smaller creeping variety. I have only used the Russian for my Comfrey tea as it produces so many more leaves. Russian will get to 3' wide by 3' tall, blooms a bluish purple hanging bell shaped flowers, while the other variety is about 12" tall, spreads to 36"wide and blooms with a white bell shaped flower.

What NPK means? understanding chemical fertlizers

Plants need 16 nutrient elements to grow. There are the main elements NPK, which are usually required in large dosages and trace minerals, required in minute amounts. Unfortunately these elements are not always readily available in soil. That's why fertilizers usually contain these elements, listed as N-P-K. The N stands for nitrogen, the P for phosphorus, and the K for potassium.
They all serve a different purpose and together provide the necessary components for plant growth. Nitrogen helps plant foliage to grow strong. Phosphorous helps roots and flowers grow and develop. Potassium (potash) assists plants in forming starches and proteins, thus promoting plant hardiness, disease resistance, and a tolerance to drought and cold.
The three numbers listed on bags of fertilizer equate to the total weight (amount) of each substance contained in each bag. The first number tells you the percentage of Nitrogen present, the second the percentage of Phosphorus, and the third is the percentage of Potassium. The three numbers represent the weighted total of each element per bag. For example, a 100-pound bag of 30-10-10 fertilizer has a ratio of 3:1:1; where 30 percent of the 100 pound bag (30 pounds) is nitrogen, 10 percent (10 pounds) is phosphorus, and 10 percent (10 pounds) is potassium. The additional 50 pounds are filler ingredients often used to help you apply the product. These various element combinations help create the optimal blend for each purpose. Typically for most garden vegetables, well-balanced fertilizer with equal amounts of N, P, and K, such as 10-10-10, is all you need. Specific plants, such as grass, will appreciate more nitrogen in the spring.

August schedule

As you can see the gardens are in bloom. This picture of the habitat garden shows the butterfly bush in the foreground as it just beginning to bloom.



Our August schedule is as follows: As I mentioned earlier in the newsletter we will be closed except for classes and group tours.

August 16th we will have several classes: we will have the rain barrel class at 10 and a class on Harvesting and preserving your herbs at 1:00. Lunch will be available for those of you who will be staying all day, it will be a cookout lunch and cost $7.50.
Registration is required for classes and lunch.

The rain barrel class will include information on how and why they are important, how much water a barrel will collect and most importantly you will make and take home a completed rain barrel. Cost will be $50.00 and additional barrels will be available.
At 1:00 we will have the Harvesting herbs class which will run until approx. 2:30. Come and spend the day and walk the gardens, watch the wide variety of butterflies and be sure to bring your camera.

Speaking of cameras, I am working on a Photography in the Garden Class. Any interest out there? Let me know if I should pursue it, I for one am very excited and I hope you will be too.

Plants will be on sale this Saturday and Sunday. Since we will be closed I figure why not give you a price break and give me less to water while we are closed. Come see what kind of a discount is available. Roll the dice for your discount.
Be sure to mention this newsletter to get the dice.

Sincerely,
Ellen
Beagle Ridge Herb Farm
1934 Matney Flats Rd
Wytheville, Virginia 24382
276-621-4511

Beagle Ridge Herb Farm | 1934 Matney Flats Rd | PO 419 | Wytheville | VA | 24382