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The Coeur d'Alene Coop

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Home » CdA Coop Blog
garlic bulbs with a blue ribbon from a fair

August 29, 2025 By Candace Godwin Leave a Comment

Garlic isn’t just a kitchen staple—it’s a touch of garden magic wrapped in papery skin. Whether you roast it until buttery-sweet, mince it into a zesty pasta sauce, or braid it into a rustic display, garlic deserves its superstar status. But here’s the thing: once you taste homegrown garlic, you’ll see that the grocery store version is like a faded…
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deformed tomato green on the vine

August 15, 2025 By Candace Godwin Leave a Comment

Tomatoes may be the highlight of the summer garden, but beneath their shiny red skins lies a world full of strange, wonderful, and truly surprising facts. Today, we’re going to uncover all the juicy details about the tomato’s secret life—where hairy stems, massive blooms, and sticky plant “tar” make an appearance. Useless facts? Hardly. Next time you’re at a garden…
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shovel in soil

August 1, 2025 By Candace Godwin Leave a Comment

“How the heck do you plant a garden without digging?” A fellow gardener brought up this question during a recent discussion about the no-dig gardening method. The question makes sense because, on the surface, no-dig gardening doesn’t seem logical. “Yes, you’ll need to do some digging in a no-dig garden,” I replied. However, the goal is minimal disturbance to the…
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August 1, 2025 By Candace Godwin Leave a Comment

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just dipping your trowel into the dirt for the first time, some plants have a magical ability to lift your spirits. These ten easy-to-grow flowers, herbs, and vegetables require minimal attention and reward you with vibrant blooms, soothing scents, or a delicious harvest. Each mood-lifting plant brings its beauty, calm, and joy to any…
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The Coeur d'Alene Coop The Coeur d'Alene Coop is at 2nd Street Chicken Ranch.

10 hours ago

The Coeur d'Alene Coop
Let's talk light as it relates to seed starting. Here, a volunteer sunflower is growing along with a propagated rosemary plant. Note how the sunflower is long, leggy, and stretching for light. That's because the windowsill can't provide enough light, and the plant is heliotropic -- turning and stretching (begging) for light. Then, compare that with the second image: another volunteer sunflower that popped up in onion starts.This seedling germinated under lights and remained there. Note how stocky and vibrant it is.Which do you want to grow?Seedlings need 14 to 16 hours of light each day. Something even a south-facing window can't provide during seed-starting season.🌱 What are the best light options for home seed starters? I cover lights, heat, fertilizers, and much more about seed starting in my class: Seed Starting for the Home Gardener, A Deep DiveSaturday, March 14. 👉 Details & registration here: bit.ly/3Nvn6jBP.S. My soil is located very close to my hen's scratch grains, hence the occasional volunteer sunflower! 😂🌼#thecoeurdalenecoop#seedstarting#heliotropic#growlights ... See MoreSee Less

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Heirloom tomatoes 🍅🍅
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& Urban chickens! 🐔🐓

Let's talk light as it relates to seed starting. H Let's talk light as it relates to seed starting. Here, a volunteer sunflower is growing along with a propagated rosemary plant. Note how the sunflower is long, leggy, and stretching for light. 

That's because the windowsill can't provide enough light, and the plant is heliotropic -- turning and stretching (begging) for light. 

Then, compare that with the second image: another volunteer sunflower that popped up in onion starts.

This seedling germinated under lights and remained there. Note how stocky and vibrant it is.

Which do you want to grow?

Seedlings need 14 to 16 hours of light each day. Something even a south-facing window can't provide during seed-starting season.

🌱 What are the best light options for home seed starters? I cover lights, heat, fertilizers, and much more about seed starting in my class: 

Seed Starting for the Home Gardener, A Deep Dive
Saturday, March 14. 

👉 Details & registration here: bit.ly/3Nvn6jB

P.S. My soil is located very close to my hen's scratch grains, hence the occasional volunteer sunflower! 😂🌼

#thecoeurdalenecoop
#seedstarting
#heliotropic
#growlights
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