Local gardening expert Marianne Binetti will be giving several presentations in the area, including a free class on “Unthirsty Landscapes” at the Rention Water District on July 9 and a “Walk and Talk Garden Tour” at the Bellevue Botanical Garden on July 10.
Backyard Bounty Tips
For those looking to grow their own food, Binetti offers several tips. Plant leafy crops like lettuce and spinach in April and May, when the soil is still moist and the nights are cool. Protect seedlings and plant starts from slugs, which are active all year in Western Washington. Grow tomatoes in black plastic containers up against a hot south or west facing wall to increase heat and encourage early ripening.
Other tips include covering carrots to prevent carrot rust fly, using row covers to protect brassica crops from green worms, and harvesting produce into a plastic laundry basket and hosing it off before bringing it indoors. Binetti also recommends starting with raised beds or large containers, great soil, and already started plants of squash, zucchini, tomatoes, beans, and herbs.
Local Farmer’s Markets are also a great place to find fresh produce, with Enumclaw hosting a market on Thursdays and Auburn hosting one on Sundays.
Original reporting: Renton Reporter — read the source article.
