THE OPTIMISTIC FARMER-January 2025

2025 January Edition

Tall and (Small) Tales from the Great Basin of Northeast Nevada

Happy New Year we are almost a quarter of the way through 2000, but who is counting? As older gardeners always say, if I knew I was going to live this long I would have planted more trees and stuff! There is some good news to report, the days are getting a bit longer and seed catalogs are starting to come in, so....

News from the garden

Ok it is cold, the ground is likely frozen solid, January is not really the busiest month in the gardener's life, but there is some work to be done. As mentioned, the seed catalogs are starting to roll in, so imagination opportunities abound, or if you are a seed saver, this month may be a good one to review your stash and start visualizing what you may want to try this year.

Innovations and Ideas

This idea falls under the KISS category, Keep It Simple Sweetie, and it has to do with the pH balance of your soil. The pH measures the acidity or alkalinity of your soil and January (or anytime) is a good time to test your soil. Remember some plants prefer a more acid soil and others like the alkali, so plan and amend accordingly. The pH value, which is a number between 0-14, with zero being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkali, is an important number to get to know. Now for the simple part, although there are many different ways to amend and improve your soil, here is a quick and easy method, you can add some baking soda to make your soil more alkali and you can add vinegar to make your soil more acidic. Soil pH testers are also readily available online or at your favorite nursery!

Inner Work

Intentions, what do they mean, do they matter? The definition of intention is a determination to act in a certain way...an intention is like shooting the arrow in the bullseye! New Year's resolutions all start out as intentions; however, it is a good idea to start every day and focus on what your intentions are for the day! The road to hell is paved with good intentions the old saying goes, which some believe means we can have all the good intentions in the world, but if we do not act on them, well you know. Remember to always set your intentions with gratitude and a smile in your heart, it may make them easier to follow up on that way!

NEW FEATURE!!

Dear Optimistic Farmer:

To submit questions to The Optimistic Farmer, click here: theoptimisticfarmer@outlook.com

Inquisitive Reader: I have recently moved to a new property, and I am wondering when the best time is to plant a tree?

The Optimistic Farmer: The best time to plant a tree is yesterday, the second-best time is today! Ok that is the standard answer, but to best answer your question more information is needed. Many times, the best time to plant a tree is in the fall or early winter, so read up on the trees you want to plant, and you may even be able to find a sale or two! Click the link below for more info!

Planting Trees in Northern Nevada Landscapes | Extension | University of Nevada, Reno

Plants in Science:

Ice melt is something that usually comes in handy right about now and in the coming months! Unfortunately, many ice melt products on the market have chemicals that may harm pets and plants! Rock salt is an old standby for melting ice, but too much salt may cause damage to concrete, so the hunt is always on for natural and non-toxic ways to melt ice and nature has several ways to help in this area!

Did you know that alfalfa meal can be used for ice melt? Alfalfa meal can be purchased in most hardware or gardening stores, and it is all natural, it also contains small concentrations of nitrogen which can help in the fertilizer department and still be safe. The alfalfa meal can also help with traction since it is dry and grainy, so you may want to keep a bit in your car truck in case you get stuck!

Coffee grounds being used as a deicer is a rumor that has been debunked, unless you pour hot grounds on the ice! All joking aside, they may not be the best option for melting ice, but they can be used to add traction to slippery walks, and they are beneficial to your soil.

One interesting natural deicer is the juice from sugar beets, it helps to lower the freezing point of water, and it is odorless, virtually colorless, and is completely harmless to humans, animals, plants, cars, fabrics and water systems. It may be the gold star of deicers, and it sounds like more and more communities are getting the memo and are using beet juice mixtures for their deicing needs! No, you can't just buy some beets and pour the juice on your sidewalk, but it can be purchased online or perhaps at your favorite gardening center. Love the name on this one: Beet it!

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/how-to-melt-ice-naturally-10792-2-2

Last, but Not Least:

Long story short January can be as busy or as chill as you decide! Finding that all importance balance between the planning and execution of your gardening dreams can be difficult! Trial and error dictates that a little more thought on the planning side can actually help improve the success rate on the making your dreams come to life! If you do find some spare time on your hands below are a few things to check or consider. If you like shopping, now may be the time to find some good bargains in the gardening section, but "seasoned" gardeners and "well maybe I can try a plant or two" gardeners will be popping out of the woodwork in the coming weeks, so chillaxing now can be helpful for the energy reserves needed for the future work later.

For times of boredom in January: