Many cool-season vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, produce their best flavor and quality when they mature during cool weather. In North Carolina, the spring temperatures often heat up quickly. Vegetables, such as lettuce and spinach, tend to bolt or develop bitter flavor when they mature during hot summer weather.

Growing a productive fall vegetable garden requires thoughtful planning and good cultural practices. July and August are the main planting times for the fall garden. Table 1 provides recommended planting dates. Vegetables that have a 60 to 80 day maturity cycle should be planted around August 1 in the piedmont. Planting of quick maturing vegetables, such as turnips and leafy greens, can be delayed until September. Keep in mind that the planting dates can be as much as 7 to 10 days earlier in western North Carolina and 7 to 10 days later in the eastern North Carolina. Be sure to adjust the planting dates for your specific location. For a more accurate planting schedule, consult Figure 1 to determine the average date of the first killing frost in the fall. Count backwards from the frost date, using the number of days to maturity to determine the best time to plant in your area.

Preparing the Site

Before preparing the soil for a fall garden, you must decide what to do with the remains of the spring garden. In most cases, the decision is not difficult because the cool-season crops have already matured and the warm-season vegetables are beginning to look ragged. Remove the previous crop residue and any weed growth. Prepare the soil by tilling or spading to a depth of at least 6 to 8 inches.

If the spring crops were heavily fertilized, you may not need to make an initial pre-plant fertilization. Otherwise, 1 to 2 lb of a complete fertilizer such as 10-10-10 may be applied per 100 ft2 of bed space. Thoroughly incorporate the fertilizer.

Planting the Fall Garden

Direct seeding (planting seeds rather than using transplants) for crops such as broccoli, cabbage, and collards is often used in the fall. However, the success of this planting method depends on having adequate moisture available to keep the young seedlings actively growing after germination. If you do not have an irrigation source available, you would be wise to buy vegetable transplants from a local garden center.

Seeds should be planted deeper in the fall because the moisture level is lower in the soil and the surface temperature is higher. In many cases, the planting depth may be 1 1/2 to 2 times as deep as for spring planting of the same crop.

Our summers can be hot and dry. Soils may form a hard crust over the seeds which can interfere with seed germination, particularly in heavy clay soil. Seeds of lettuce and spinach will not germinate if the soil temperature exceed 85 oF. You may need to cover the seeded area with burlap cloth, newspapers, or boards to keep the soil cool and moist. Shading the soil or using a light mulch over the seed row will help keep the temperatures more favorable for germination. The shading material must be removed as soon as the seeds begin to germinate. Another useful technique is to open a furrow, seed, and cover the seeds with potting soil or vermuclite. Young transplants may also benefit from light shading for the first few days after transplanting.

Watering/Fertilizing

Most vegetables require 1 inch of water per week. It’s best to make a single watering that penetrates deeply rather than frequent shallow applications. Young seedlings and germinating seeds may need more frequent, light waterings. Do not allow seedlings to dry out excessively. New transplants may also benefit from frequent light waterings until they develop new roots.

Many fall maturing vegetables benefit from sidedressing with nitrogen just as do spring maturing vegetables. Most leafy vegetables will benefit from an application of nitrogen three and six weeks after planting.

Insects and Diseases

It is not uncommon for insects and diseases to be more abundant in the fall. Most problems from insects and diseases result from a buildup in their populations during the spring and summer. There is hope of keeping these pests at tolerable levels, however, if a few strategies are followed. Strive to keep fall vegetables healthy and actively growing; healthy plants are less susceptible to insects and diseases. Check the plants frequently for insect and disease damage. When sufficient damage is detected, use an approved pesticide. You may decide not to grow vegetables, such as squash, corn, and cucumbers, that are specially insect and disease prone during late summer and fall.

Frost Protection

You can extend the season of tender vegetables by protecting them through the first early frost. In North Carolina, we often enjoy several weeks of good growing conditions after the first frost. Cover growing beds or rows with burlap or a floating row cover supported by stakes or wire to keep the material from directly touching the plants. Individual plants can be protected by using milk jugs, paper caps, or water-holding walls.

Most of the semi-hardy and hardy vegetables will require little or no frost protection. Semi-hardy vegetables should be harvested before a heavy freeze. Root crops such as carrots and radishes should be harvested or mulched heavily before a hard freeze. The harvest of mulched root crops can often be extended will into the winter. During mild winters, harvest may continue till spring.

For a full  Fall Vegetable Planting Guide check out http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8001.html

Source: North Carolina Cooperative Extension

Instructions:

1) Take sensible precautions in using any mosquito repellent. Many experienced outdoor people suggest putting insect repellent on clothing. The repellent lasts longer and is not washed away by sweat. Test the repellent on a small area of clothing to be sure it does not stain. If you do use it on skin, test a small area such as inside an elbow to see if your skin has an allergic reaction. Always apply sparingly, especially on young children.

2) Grow catnip plants in your garden or indoor planter. Take off a leafy stalk, crush the leaves and rub them on skin or clothing. Wear catnip leaves crushed in a handkerchief or bandanna around your neck. If you are not sensitive to catnip, try rubbing a fresh catnip leaf on pulse spots such as behind ears, inside elbows and wrists, behind knees and at ankles.

3) Chop a handful of fresh catnip leaves and stems in a food processor. Put the chopped catnip in a pot. Pour 2 cups boiling water over the catnip and let it steep like tea. Strain the leaves out and refrigerate the liquid. Pour it into a spray bottle. Spray on clothing just before going outdoors.

4) Use catnip oil to make a spray. Mix about a half-teaspoon of essential oil of catnip with 1 cup isopropyl alcohol and 1 cup water. Shake well and spray lightly on clothing, arms and legs. Do not use on children, pets or people sensitive to catnip.

5) Brew a catnip and vinegar spritz. Crush 2 cups catnip leaves and add to 3 cups white or rice vinegar in a quart jar. Seal and store in dark cupboard. Shake every day for 2 weeks. Strain mixture into clean jar and refrigerate. Use as a light spritz on clothes, arms or legs. Some say the vinegar keeps the mosquitoes away, other say the catnip does the work.

6) Gather 2 cups catnip and 1 cup rosemary leaves. Crush the leaves by using a rolling pin or scrunching them with your hands. Put the leaves in a clean jar and cover with 2 cups unscented body care oil or vegetable glycerin. Store in a cool dark cupboard for 2 weeks. Shake the jar lightly every day. After 2 weeks, strain out the leaves and pour the oil into a clean jar. Refrigerate and use the catnip body oil as needed.

By Phyllis Benson, eHow Contributing Writer

FYI: Catnip is a natural repellent to cockroaches as well. The active ingredient is nepetalactone, which is non-toxic to humans and pets. Small sachets of catnip can be left in areas of cockroach activity. Catnip can also be simmered in a small amount of water to make a “catnip tea” which can be used as a spray to apply around baseboards and behind counters. This natural repellent should only be used in homes without cats!

Parents, babysitters and daycare centers, listen up. Lots of kids still get hurt by household cleaners and chemicals each year.

The good news is that injuries from household cleaning products dropped by almost half to about 12,000 in 2006 from around 22,000 in 1990.

The decrease surprised the researchers. While they welcomed the drop, they were also careful to note that the overall decline isn’t the whole story.

Accidents from chemicals in spray bottles increased. And the researchers think that there could be many more injuries out there because their study looked only at cases reported in emergency rooms.

The results will be published in the September issue of Pediatrics and are currently available online.

Kids between 1 and 3 years old accounted for almost three-quarters of the cases. More than half of the injuries were from kids eating or drinking the toxic products. The No. 1 problem: bleach, the chemical culprit nearly 37 percent of the time.

The risk to kids is greatest when they start to crawl or walk, and are still at an age when they spend most of their time at home, says lead author Lara McKenzie of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.  She says younger children are especially attracted to the bright colors and fresh scents of many cleaning products from the house.

To understand what your kids see, toxicology expert Dr. Heath Jolliff says just sit on your kitchen floor and look around.  And, remember that kids act fast. Dr. Jolliff treats children at the Central Ohio Poison Center where he often hears parents say, “I was only out of the room for 10 seconds.” His told Shots, “Yep, that’s all it takes.”

Jolliff explained that kids like to imitate adults. They might climb on stools to open cabinets that their parents didn’t think were accessible. A can of insecticide can look like cooking spray, and a powdery sink scrubber can look like grated parmesan cheese.

Data from poison control centers around the nation suggests that the number of injuries in kids associated with household cleaning products increased slightly in the last decade, according to Jolliff.  It’s not clear, however, whether that increase reflects more accidents or parents turning more often to poison control centers than emergency rooms for help.

Experts’ advice to parents remains largely the same: Lock cabinets containing toxic chemicals and keep products in original containers. For questions, try the local poison control center, which you can reach at 1-800-222-1222.

Jolliff suggests keeping the number in your cell phone.

Source: Chao Deng on NPR.org

But in recent years, Japanese architects have turned necessity into virtue, vying to design unorthodox and visually stunning houses on remarkably narrow pieces of land. In the process, they are also redefining the rules of home design.

Few Americans would consider a parking-space-sized lot as an adequate site to build a house. But in Japan, homes are rising on odd parcels of land, some as tiny as 300 square feet.

Yet the term “house” doesn’t really do justice to these eye-catching architectural gems, fashioned from a high-tech palate of materials like glittering glass cubes, fiber reinforced plastic and super-thin membranes of steel.

More With Less

The need to do more with less space has sparked a boom in house designs that are as playful and witty as they are livable. One of Japan’s leading designers of kyosho jutaku, or ultra-small homes, is Tokyo architect Yasuhiro Yamashita.

“People tend to think of homes simply in terms of floor space. We architects think in 3-D.” Yasuhiro Yamashita, Tokyo architect

“If you tried to build a normal house on a super-small plot of land, it would end up being really cramped. So in order to make the house as roomy as possible, we have to think up new structures and assembly,” Yamashita says.

Ultra-small homes conserve space by dumping conventional elements like entranceways, hallways, inner walls and closets.

Windows, in a variety of shapes and sizes, are scattered across a wall, or concealed near the base. A bathroom is separated by just a curtain. Furniture can be folded into the wall, allowing a single room to serve multiple purposes.

Designers indulge in fantasy, like asymmetrical walls, cantilevered floors, or cover their houses in a translucent skin, in order to exploit all available natural light.

Yamashita built a long, skinny, cathedral-like futuristic home on a sliver of land just 40-feet wide, and named it “Lucky Drops.”

“‘Lucky Drops’ was built on an extremely long and narrow space. So light could enter only from the ceiling,” Yamashita says, speaking in Japanese. “All the light comes in from the top. So the whole house becomes like a Japanese paper lantern.”

The boom in quirky small homes was fueled by new design and materials technology, which have slashed the price of a custom-built home by as much as two-thirds, making these homes affordable for singles and middle-class couples.

Minoru and Aki Ota, a couple in their 30s, reside in a home that sits on fewer than 500 square feet. The walls, floors and even the kitchen table are made entirely of precast concrete.

“We weren’t interested in a big house in the suburbs. We were happy to have a comfy place downtown. It’s not that we wanted to live in a micro-house, but it’s turned out to be plenty of room for two and convenient,” Minoru Ota says.

The home features narrow windows at ground level, strategically placed to reveal bits of scenery, and flood the house with light.

Washing dishes at the counter — it’s also made of concrete — Aki Ota says the house has proved warmer than they expected, but the novelty hasn’t worn off four years into their residence. She says it’s like living in an art museum.

Azby Brown, author of The Very Small Home: Japanese Ideas for Living Well in Limited Space, says the phenomenon’s impact on Japanese popular culture has been huge.

“Where the forms of these houses is very unusual, asymmetric, seemingly unbalanced or lopsided, it’s because there’s a room or certain functions that need to be accommodated,” Brown says. “And rather than make everything be symmetrical and line up, they just said, ‘Well, if this living room is just going to have to stick out, over the parking space, so be it.’”

The real genius of ultra-compact homes is the use of visual tricks that make tiny spaces appear roomier.

Thinking 3-D

“People tend to think of homes simply in terms of floor space. We architects think in 3-D,” Yamashita says. “Using all three dimensions, we can make a space look larger, and more functional. It becomes easier to devise ways of bringing in more light and air.”

“It’s kind of a psychological jujitsu,” Brown says. “That changes your sense of perception from the things that would make you feel claustrophobic perhaps, and rather focusing on the life and the people that you’re with.”

Bigger is not better for a growing number of homeowners who live in, or use, tiny homes.

Jay Shafer’s entire house is just 70 square feet, and he’s encouraging others to live that way, too.

Super-small luxury houses might seem counter-intuitive to most Americans, who measure their floor space in the thousands of feet, not hundreds.

But Brown, who has lectured on the subject for New York City planners, says the techniques in Japan could offer lessons on how to comfortably house residents in other teeming cities.

“We are larger people physically than the Japanese, we do tend to need more space, we’re less comfortable in some sitting positions, like sitting on the floor, than most Japanese are. But I think we could also accommodate ourselves to it,” Brown says.

As for the Japanese, who have updated their small-house design based on traditions such as the teahouse, they haven’t just accommodated to ultra-tiny homes — they now revel in them.

Source: Lucy Craft on NPR.org

Through the 2025 Integrated Transit/Land Use Plan, many improvements have been made including the enhancement of customer amenities, expanded bus routes, improved services and advancements in the rapid transit program and construction of the LYNX light rail line.

In 2006, the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) adopted the 2030 Transit Corridor System Plan, furthering the vision outlined in the 2025 Integrated Transit/Land Use Plan. The 2030 Transit Corridor System Plan will help focus future growth along five primary transportation corridors, linking our area’s key centers of economic activity. In other words, transit is once again taking us into the future.

For more information and images check out CATS website

To ship your holidays gifts the smart way, consider these tips that will help reduce what ends up in our landfills:

1. Instead of throwing away the shreds you get when using a paper shredder, use them to fill packages you send in the mail. It doesn’t cost anything, it can be recycled and it’s an environmentally safer product than Styrofoam.
2. Save cash by reusing. Boxes can cost a few bucks each. Avoid buying new ones by reusing the ones sent to you.
3. If you don’t have old boxes to reuse, insist on mailing boxes that use 10% to 30% recycled paper.
4. Ship early to avoid shipping by air. Energy costs for sending a package for next day delivery are four times higher than the cost of ground shipping.
5. Lighter means more energy-efficient (and cheaper), so make sure you’re using the right size box for the job.
6. Consider using cornstarch packing peanuts. They are made from corn starch and dissolve in water leaving no toxic waste. Organic fill is static free, economical, fast and easy to use. Place them outside and they will either disappear when the birds take them to make their nests or they will melt in the next rainstorm.
7. Use recycled plastic bubble wrap to cushion the contents of your package.
8. Reuse plastic shopping bags or shredded newspaper and pack it around breakables.
9. Try gummed paper tape made from recycled Kraft paper.
10. For holiday packing materials, try dry pine cones and air-popped popcorn. They’re virtually free, festive and can be fed to the birds or put in the back yard after use.

Source: Shoplet Blog

Canning is an important, safe method for preserving food if practiced properly. The canning process involves placing foods in jars or similar containers and heating them to a temperature that destroys micro-organisms that cause food to spoil. During this heating process air is driven out of the jar and as it cools a vacuum seal is formed. This vacuum seal prevents air from getting back into the product bringing with it contaminating micro-organisms.

Safe Canning Methods

There are two safe ways of processing food, the boiling water bath method and the pressure canner method:

The only way to destroy these spores is by pressure cooking the food at a temperature of 240°F, or above, for a specified amount of time depending on the type of food and altitude. Foods that are low acid have a pH of more than 4.6 and because of the danger of botulism, they must be prepared in a pressure canner.

High acid foods have a pH of 4.6 or less and contain enough acid so that the Clostridium botulinum spores can not grow and produce their deadly toxin. High acidic foods can be safely canned using the boiling water bath method.

Certain foods like, tomatoes and figs, that have a pH value close to 4.6 need to have acid added to them in order to use the water bath method. This is accomplished by adding lemon juice of citric acid.

While researching this post, I ran across a great post that pretty much covers comparing wheat free vs. gluten free and explains when and why you should be on either diet:

WHEAT
What contains wheat?
Foods containing wheat are anything made with white or whole wheat flour, such as: cookies, cakes, breads, tortillas, pizza, pasta, pancakes, waffles, most fried food, tempura, dumplings, wontons, etc.; anything made with bulghur such as tabouli; wheat berries; cous cous; sauces that are typically thickened with white flour; soy sauce (although San-J has a wheat-free option).

Why should someone want avoid it?
Sensitivity to wheat typically results in gastrointestinal distress such as bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, reflux; skin issues such as rashes; and allergies/asthma such as congestion and wheezing.

If a person is symptomatic and eliminates wheat, typically after a week symptoms should start to improve. It can sometimes be dramatic.

What are some alternative to wheat?
Don’t worry, there are plenty of great alternatives to wheat containing foods including: breads, tortillas, pasta, pancakes, waffles, etc. Just make sure to read labels. Most products that are wheat-free will say so on the package. Also, anything that says gluten-free is also wheat-free (even if it doesn’t say so).

GLUTEN
What is Gluten-free?
Gluten-free means that a person avoids all foods containing gluten. Gluten is the general term used to describe the protein found in many grains including wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, oat, triticale, semolina, pumpernickel, and farro.

Why avoid Gluten?
The absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by gluten resulting in malabsorption of carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals, all of which are needed for good health (see the Gluten Free Diet by Shelley Case). This condition, called Celiac Disease (or Celiac Sprue), is an autoimmune disease that can be very difficult to diagnose as symptoms can range across everything from diarrhea and constipation to chronic fatigue and depression. Celiac is a serious disease that can be diagnosed through blood tests and intestinal biopsy. Should you suspect that you have, seek medical attention immediately.

Please note that there is a large population of people who are sensitive to gluten though don’t have full blown celiac disease. These people also benefit from a gluten-free diet. Again, seek medical attention if you suspect you are sensitive to gluten.

What are alternatives to Gluten?
There are many amazing products on the market that are gluten-free including breads, pastas, cookies, cakes, pancakes, waffles, etc. It is VERY IMPORTANT to read labels. Take note that a product that says “wheat -free” only is NOT necessarily gluten-free.

Article by: Kyle Eslick

Gardeners can also use neem oil to control or prevent many common plant pests and diseases (see the list below). It biodegrades quickly and, in small doses, is nontoxic to mammals, so it’s a good choice for using around the house. Neem product manufacturers list dozens of insects that can be effectively controlled with neem. It is effective against some of the more common caterpillar pests, and Japanese beetles, June beetles, and scarab beetles will not feed on neem-treated plants. Neem will also control the larvae of a number of lawn pests usually lumped together as “white grubs.” Sprays will also help to control disfiguring foliar diseases like mildews and black spot.

What events can indicate a need for more high-chromium foods?

Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of chromium while onions and tomatoes are very good sources of this mineral. Other food sources of chromium include brewer’s yeast, oysters, liver, whole grains, bran cereals, and potatoes. Many people do not get enough chromium in their diet due to food processing methods that remove the naturally occurring chromium in commonly consumed foods.

What is chromium?
This essential mineral, required by the body in trace amounts, was first discovered in 1797 by a chemist in France named Louis- Nicolas Vaquelin. Many years later, a physician and research scientist in the U.S. named Walter Mertz, discovered that chromium played a key role in carbohydrate metabolism, possibly by participating in formation of a special compound which he named “glucose tolerance factor,” or GTF.

Researchers are still not clear whether GTF is an actual chemical compound or not. But they are clear that the nutrients related to GTF – even though they may not be assembled into a single chemical structure – play an important role in blood sugar balance.

These chemicals include chromium (which may be the most active component), nicotinic acid (a version of vitamin B3), and the amino acids that make up glutathione (glutamic acid, cysteine, and glycine).

How it Functions
What is the function of chromium?
Controlling blood sugar levels

As the active component of glucose tolerance factor(GTF), chromium plays a fundamental role in controlling blood sugar levels. The primary function of GTF is to increase the action of insulin. Insulin is the hormone responsible for carrying sugar (glucose) into the cells where it can be used for energy.

After a meal, blood glucose levels begin to rise, and, in response, the pancreas secretes insulin. Insulin lowers blood glucose levels by increasing the rate in which glucose enters the cells. To accomplish this, insulin must be able to attach to receptors on the surface of cells. GTF is believed to initiate the attachment of insulin to the insulin receptors.

Metabolizing cholesterol & nucleic acid

Chromium may also participate in cholesterol metabolism, suggesting a role for this mineral in maintaining normal blood cholesterol levels. In addition, chromium is involved in nucleic acid metabolism. Nucleic acids are the building blocks of DNA, the genetic material found in every cell.

Food Sources
What foods provide chromium?
Although chromium occurs naturally in a wide variety of foods, many foods contain only 1 or 2 micrograms (mcg) of chromium per serving. In addition, food processing methods often remove the naturally occurring chromium. As a result, obtaining a sufficient amount of chromium in the diet can be difficult.

Furthermore, determining the chromium content of foods is problematic due to inadequate analytical tools. Consequently, currently available food composition databases do not contain accurate information about the amount of chromium found in various foods. While our food rating system qualified romaine lettuce as an excellent source of chromium and onions and tomatoes as very good sources, the following foods are also believed to provide a significant amount of chromium: brewer’s yeast, oysters, liver, whole grains, bran cereals, and potatoes. Beer and wine can accumulate chromium during fermentation and are therefore considered to be dietary sources of the mineral.

Source: www.whfoods.com