Great Winds followed by Great Fires. What a tragic start to the new year! Friends have lost their homes and are feeling estranged from all they'd considered to be their regular everyday life. Even those of us who didn't have to evacuate are permanently anxious and alarmed at the merest mention of Red Flag Alert and lack of rain. Folks in "Impacted Areas" must rely on bottled water for all uses. Gardeners are wondering whether they can eat the produce in their gardens, washed with bottled water or not. We used to think of ash as somewhat of a fertilizer -- as in that third number on the fertilizer packages which indicated "potash". Now our cars, inside and outside, are sprinkled with the white-and-black flecks. And walking outdoors anywhere stirs up clouds of the lightweight stuff. Wear N-95 masks, and don't even think of sweeping it up! Even picking up branches stirs it up. What to do? How to deal with the garden? The University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program in Los Angeles County has provided an article, "Produce Safety After A Fire", that has some suggestions. It was produced by the Sonoma County Master Gardener Program as a result of that county's own past mega fires. I've posted it on the "News" page of my website = www.gardeninginla.net/news.html . As more information becomes available, I'll post it on my website's "News" page. In the meantime, do please enjoy the blooming and colorful plant that you observe, but don't breathe too deeply through your mask! |
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