The Environmental Working Group has released this year ’s list of the Dirty Dozen , the 12 fruit or vegetables unremarkably available in grocery stores that carry the most pesticide residue . Otherwise known asEWG ’s Shopper ’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce , the report calculates that USDA tests found a amount of 165 different pesticides on thou of fruit and veggie samples .
After expect at the muddied Dozen list , I counted 7 which I on a regular basis grow in my garden and rarely take from any other source . The others I purchase organically , and rather locally - grown , whenever possible . consume pesticide - devoid produce is especially important , as a unexampled account from the World Health Organization has determined that the most - used weed killer in the world , Roundup ( chemical name : Glyphosate ) , is a probable carcinogen . ( The EPA revealed this month that they may start test intellectual nourishment product for Glyphosate residues . )
fundamental findings from the Environmental Working Group ’s Dirty Dozen lean :
99 pct of apple samples , 98 percent of peaches , and 97 per centum of nectarine try positive for at least one pesticide residue .
The average potato had more pesticide by weight unit than any other garden truck .
A single grape sample and a sweet bell Madagascar pepper sample distribution contained 15 pesticide .
Single samples of cherry tomatoes , nectarines , peaches , imported snap peas , and strawberries showed 13 different pesticides from each one .
Which of these Dirty Dozen do you grow in your garden?
Apple tree are abundant at garden meat each spring . But growing Malus pumila successfully with constituent control is quite unmanageable unless you ’re blessed with everlasting weather conditions and few pests , admit airborne and waterborne fungal spore . The same goes for pear , which I spent years enjoying until fungous infections wiped out my three trees in two seasons .
Oh , how I love fresh peach . As a new nurseryman , I take my shot at growing peaches but gave up after three seasons . The straw that break the peach tree ’s back was aJapanese Beetle invasionwhich wipe the peach out , along with the tree ’s foliage in a matter of daylight . That , after in the end figuring out the intemperate way that thinning had to be done weekly while fruits were developing , and that pruning had to be done judiciously each wintertime . I figured it was easier to support my local organic James Leonard Farmer and purchase his / her lulu .
Nectarines have the same cultural concerns as peaches , although I never grew Necatriens due to my location ( too cold ) .
There are stacks of varieties of strawberry seedlings available at garden center and online every yr . And strawberry plants are easy to get if you play along a few wide-eyed guidepost and endow in boo netting ( because I ensure that our wing friend will drum you to the crop ) . strawberry can also be mature easily in containers , specially a strawberry pot , which provide more room in your garden for other things .
grapevine are mellow on my inclination of “ next food for thought craw to try out with ” . But I ’m cautious , as grapes require a perfect location , mickle of sunlight , argus-eyed pruning , and strict cultural ascendency .
I ’ve beengrowing celery organicallyfor years in my garden with no material difficulty or disappointments . In fact , each year I freeze many jolt 0f celery for use over the wintertime . Yet , I discover complaints from many nurseryman that celery is difficult to grow . The tonality is tostart seed indoorsover winter and plant well after yourlast frost day of the month . The key is water – the roots of Apium graveolens dulce plants are very shallow , so they dry out out very quickly . But if you stay on top of your irrigation schedule , and mulch the ascendent arena with compost , you should n’t see any problems .
Spinach could n’t be simpler to farm . embed a seed , urine it in , add compost to the soil and cut as many leave as you like as often as you like until freeze . Or harvest the entire plant at one time and plant another seed in its place . I get spinach seeds indoors over wintertime , flora in mid - April , and enjoy it later April into November . Grow a miscellanea acclimatise to your local weather and give it a little shade , as some varieties will go to seminal fluid in the heat of summer .
I lovegrowing my own sweet peppers . I go them indoors from seminal fluid the first or second calendar week of March and embed them in my garden around Memorial Day to stave off any late frosts which might terminate the plants dead . Sweet Peppers are one of those vegetables ( fruit technically ) that tastes sweeter and broad when it ’s newly - pluck and eat on immediately . Fresh Madagascar pepper just ca n’t compare to store - bought peppers .
There ’s nothing quite like cucumbers fresh off the vine . And there are so many assortment to grow which simply are n’t usable in stock ( but perhaps at sodbuster ’s markets ) . And the good news is , these are also comfortable - peasy . When you imbed Cucumis sativus seminal fluid , be sure to irrigate them daily until sprouting . They also like atrellis to go up on , which sustain the fruit out of the soil where it may molder or be eaten by insects . Cucumbers have it away sun , but the leaves are very susceptible to fungous infection , so irrigate the roots of the industrial plant only , and keep the leaves as ironical as possible .
skunk . Cherry Tomatoes grow like smoke . If you fail at spring up cherry tomatoes , then we ’ll have to annul your permit to garden . I do n’t think I ’ve ever planted one cherry tree tomato seed that did n’t germinate – I ’m not bragging , it ’s just that cherry tree tomatoes have an unbelievably high germination rate . engraft the seed , piss it , find out it rise , eat the tomato . Cherry tomatoes also mature well in wide of the mark and recondite container , as long as they have a trellis or other upright support to grow on .
Peas can be little finical to grow . It ’s a “ snap ” for some gardeners and unmanageable for others , as much look on local weather conditions , how tight your winter turns to spring , and how quickly your soil warms and prohibitionist in spring . In my garden , it ’s absolutely hopeless to start pea from seed in spring , as the territory is way too cold and wet . Even planting pea seedling is a challenge , as they just sit there waiting for the dirt to warm up and then all of a sudden it ’s 80 degrees in June and they bounce in horror and wilt . Peas are cool atmospheric condition crop and if you have stain which just wo n’t warm up up enough to found in March , it ’s best to start peas indoors in February and plant seedlings as presently as the snow melting . Or plant germ deep in the time of year for a fall harvest time .
Potatoes are a very low maintenance crop , once you get the knack of it . Buy seed potatoes ( basically slue potatoes , each of which has an “ eye ” ) , constitute them the appropriate space asunder , and harvest in the descent . The really cool affair aboutgrowing potatoesis that you could start harvesting and consume them when they ’re small . But they ’re unspoilt after they put on a little mass , ordinarily midway through summer . After that point , you could harvest potatoes as you want them . Come fall , and before frost , glean your white potato , let them dry , and then store them in good order to eat all wintertime .
Kale and Collard Greens are simple leafy green to maturate . Just be sure to buy varieties that are suitable for your mood . Some varieties of colewort will croak out as soon as the atmospheric condition turns a short chilly , and some will keep producing right up until it bamboozle . Others will slow down in the summertime heating plant . And all leafy green benefit from a little afternoon shade .
So which of the fruits and veggie on the Dirty Dozen list have you get in your garden ?
