GOING Green chateau montelena J U LY / AUGU S T 2 0 1 3 53 Helping your garden grow and prosper in the heat of summer by Michael Lauher Education Director Connolly Ranch Education Center The dog days of summer are upon us, and harvesting your hard work from the spring feels and tastes great! At this point you may even be growing tired of zucchini or cucumbers and you are ready for something new in your garden. So what’s next? Looking ahead and planning the next garden move is always on the mind of a year-round gardener, but finding space in the garden can be difficult. A trick I use in the spring, instead of filling every inch of growing space, is to leave a spot open for a late summer planting. Or even better, sow a quick cover crop like buckwheat in June that will be ready to turn under for planting in late July or early August. Another method that’s fun, but a little tricky, is double planting under your summer crops that are already established. For example, under your trellis of cucumbers or melons, sow some snap peas that can begin growing while the summer crop finishes. Under tomatoes, prune all the bottom branches and sow a crop of lettuce or carrots. When the summer plants are done, instead of ripping them out of the ground, cut them down so as not to disturb the young late summer seedlings. What’s nice about starting new seeds in July or August is the soil is nice and warm so anything you put in the ground sprouts quickly and takes off growing fast! This is also a great time to plant more summer crops such as beans or sunflowers. A few more of my easy favorites are kale, spinach, beets and broccoli. Either way, get some of these veggies or flowers in now for a bumper fall crop. Remember to amend your soil well with good compost and water well, especially during a hot spell. This is also a perfect time to plant nectar sources such as marigolds, oregano and thyme for honeybees and other pollinators, getting them ready for the winter months. NAPA VALLEY BUSINESS SPOtLIGHT by the Napa County Green Business Program Chateau Montelena provides charging stations for electric cars Chateau Montelena Winery has been a pioneer in sustainability for over forty years. Much of the reason the Barrett Family fell in love with Chateau Montelena came from the “back to the land” philosophy of the 1970s, and they have never wavered in their love of the land and duty of being careful stewards of it. Over the decades they have extended and refined that stewardship to all aspects of their business, from farming to wine production to sales and marketing. This philosophy guides how they farm, the products they purchase, the construction and operation of the winery, and how they handle the winery’s waste. Whether it is their 220 kilowatt solar array or simply composting coffee grounds, Chateau Montelena believes that sustainable business practices are an integral part of all good business practices. From the original 1886 construction of the Chateau, nestled in the hill to control wine temperature, to their extensive use of naturally cooled caves and modern energyefficient systems, respect for the environment has always been a part of Chateau Montelena. Sustainability is not just a goal or target they are trying to achieve—it is the philosophy that is woven into everything they do. They believe that in doing so, they bring the highest quality product to their customers. To learn more about Chateau Montelena visit www.montelena.com. For more information on the Napa County Green Business Program visit www.greenbusinessca.org or Connolly Ranch | 3141 Browns Valley Road, Napa contact Danielle Schmitz at dschmitz@nctpa.net. 707-224-1894 | www.connollyranch.org J U LY / AUGU S T 2 0 1 3 53
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