Crawford County Ohio Master Gardeners

Unger Farms Demonstration gardens in bloom

2009-06-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

Community Gardeners have a sense of whimsy

2009-06-13T06:06:00.000-07:00

I found this adorable planting at the corner of one plot, I think it was plot #44. Some have planted bird houses, and a pair of purple finches have moved in to one already.

Check out plot 17 for a pair of hands reaching out of the garden, and stroll through looking for whirlygigs marking some plots, and American flags marking others.

A number of clever trellis systems have been installed. Take a look and see how creative they are!

Top 10 Vegetable Garden Mistakes

2009-06-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Vegetable Garden Mistakes – by Brenda Fish, Master Gardener
One of the most rewarding parts of beginning a vegetable garden is the experience we gain. All gardeners have made mistakes, it is often said that we learn more from our mistakes than from our successes. Some gardeners talk about planting mint in their garden and then pulling it out like weeds for the next ten years, others mention that they planted their first garden in the shade because that was where space was available. I’ve selected the top ten mistakes that may affect community gardeners at OSU Unger Farms in Crawford County, Ohio. Many may be applicable to home gardeners, as well. Read through and see how many mistakes you’ve avoided!
Mistake 1: Planting too closely together
This is very common. When plants are small, they look better if they are closer together – and the needed space around them seems wasted. It’s human nature to want to use all the available garden space. Unfortunately, when the plant matures, it can be a sprawling monster or tangle of vines that can be hard to work around.
Probable result if not corrected: Reduced yield, small or no fruits, poor root development
How to prevent: Consult the seed package or information tag on plants for recommended spacing. You can use a reference such as “Square Foot Gardening” by Mel Bartholomew or Extension resources such as http://www.ohioline.osu.edu/ or check with local Master Gardeners for specific crop recommendations.
How to correct: Remove extra plants, find them a new home if possible. Otherwise, compost them. If desired, plant other quick-growing plants that you can harvest as larger plants mature. For example, if you plant a row of radishes early in the spring in the same block as your tomatoes, the radishes will be grown and harvested before the tomatoes reach their mature size.
Mistake 2: Disregarding the best season for the plant.
All plants have a best “season” for optimum growth. The temperature and day-length combination, and even the amount of moisture the plant receives, can affect growth. Some plants such as peas, potatoes, lettuce, cole crops like kale, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower; radishes are “cool season” crops. They do best if planted early (Mid-March) so that they can mature before the hot weather in June and July force them into bolting and producing seed. Other plants like tomatoes, peppers, and curcurbits are warm-season plants that just don’t grow if it’s not warm enough. Onions are extremely sensitive to day-length, with the leafy growth changing to bulb growth at a certain point in the year. Radishes can take as few as 30 days to produce a crop, but pumpkins might take 110.
Probable result if not corrected: Some warm-season crops may become excessively hardened if they are exposed to cold temperatures too early in the season and yields may be reduced.
Lettuce and cole crops will bolt (go to seed) in hot weather and leaves may turn bitter. Radishes may not form bulbs.
How to prevent: The early-season plants do best if planted early (Mid-March) so that they can mature before the hot weather in June and July force them into bolting. They can also be planted later in the year, in mid-late July, so that they mature in the cooler fall weather.
How to correct: You can go ahead and let cool-season crops grow out, or remove and compost. They can also be planted later in the year, in mid-late July, so that they mature in the cooler fall weather. Some commercial growers have found they can lower the air temperature by applying misting systems for evaporative cooling, however, this may not be cost-effective in a home garden.
Mistake 3: Choosing overly mature or leggy plants at the garden center.
Seeing that first tomato on the vine is exciting, and it seems that you will be assured of success if you choose a plant that is already bearing fruit. What could go wrong?
Probable result if not corrected: When you transplant that plant into the garden, it will experience transplant shock. If there are blossoms, they may fall off, or the plant will put its energy into vegetative growth, roots and leaves, instead of forming more fruit.
How to prevent: Choose plants that are young and tender. The root ball should just fill the pot to the edge; you should not see roots trailing out the top or bottom of the container.
How to correct: For plants in the Solanaceae family (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants), trim or pinch the top of plants when transplanting, and rough up or disturb the root ball, especially if the container is root-bound, to stimulate new root growth. Plant these plants deeper than they were in the original container. Vine crops like pumpkins cannot be trimmed.
Mistake 4: Planting transplants for short-season, heat-loving plants -zucchini, cucumber, or melons - instead of seeds.
Probable result if not corrected: These plants are sensitive to transplant shock, and growth may be delayed while they recover.
How to prevent: Plant these plants from seed, direct-sown in the garden. Planting in mid-May often yields fruit by mid- to late- July.
How to correct: If you planted transplants, no correction is necessary unless plant appears to be struggling. Eventually the plant may recover and begin growing again. If it’s not too late (very early June), remove and replace with seeds.
Mistake 5: Overwatering (or underwatering)
Most vegetable plants should have about an inch of rain a week. It is important to water deeply and less often, rather than shallowly on a more frequent basis. Frequent shallow watering means roots will not grow deep. It is better to water in the morning to avoid fungal disease that can occur when watering at night.
Probable result if not corrected: If the plant gets too much water, the soil can become waterlogged, the roots will fail to get enough oxygen, and the plant may die, or not develop a deep root system that will pull up water and nutrients. If not enough water, the plant will wilt. If wilting proceeds too far the plant may die.
How to prevent: Buy a rain gauge so that you can monitor how much water your garden is receiving. Be relaxed about this, even if the garden doesn’t receive an inch of rain in one week, the soil may contain enough moisture to supply the plant if the drought is not extended. Use a trowel to determine how far down the soil has dried out.
Choose appropriate varieties of plants for your climate or microclimate, cactus do not often survive next to a stream. Many herbs prefer dry soil.
How to correct: If there is a period of extended drought or dryness, water the plants if they are showing obvious signs of distress, such as wilting or leaves curling.

Mistake 6: Over-treating with insecticides.
Probable result if not corrected: Overuse or misuse of broad-spectrum insecticides can lead to death or illness of species other than the intended plant pests – namely, beneficial insects may be affected, or so could pets, children and people. When pesticides are over-applied, they may wash off with the rain, or drift off with the wind, and become pollutants to the water supply. In addition, just as with human antibiotic treatments, insects may become resistant to some products.
How to prevent: Use only as directed on the label, or find alternative controls. Use integrated pest management – meaning use only the least amount needed for effective control, and apply it at only the appropriate time in the insect’s life cycle to have the maximum impact.
How to correct: Observe your garden plants carefully. Look at underside of leaves as well as the tops and stems to find evidence of damage or potential damage such as insect egg sacs. The first step in controlling any pest is to correctly identify the pest. If you are unable to identify it, bring to OSU Extension office for help. Never randomly apply any product to a pest (weed, insect or disease) without identification otherwise you may be using the wrong product and could cause damage to vegetable plants and the environment. Educate yourself on pest biology to determine how and when the pest can be controlled. This information is available at http://ohioline.osu.edu/. Sometimes less-toxic alternatives such as diatomaceous earth, neem oil, pheromes, and beneficial insects can be effective, if applied at the correct insect or disease state of growth. Newer forms of traditional products are available, such as Sevin with bait (Adios)TM that allow you to use less of the toxic chemical. Always thoroughly read and follow pesticide label directions. Consider the use of floating row covers or mulch to provide a physical barrier against the insect or disease.
Mistake 7: Choosing the wrong varieties
Probable result if not corrected: Disappointing results. For example, if you plant pole beans instead of bush beans, you may not be prepared with a bean teepee when they start climbing into the air. Or if you plant Seven-top turnips, you may be disappointed to find that the bulb is not as big as a Purple Globe variety would have been. Some varieties of tomatoes are ready in 60 days but others may take 80 or more days to produce a vine-ripened, juicy tomato.
How to prevent: Research varieties through seed catalogs or garden magazines or the internet. Go to http://crawford.osu.edu/ online for varieties that have done well in Crawford County, or ask Master Gardeners for varieties that have done well in your area. One indicator of a popular variety that others have had success with all across the U.S. is the All-America selection winner designation.
How to correct: Pick different varieties next time.
Mistake 8: Allowing plants to go to seed or grow too big
When a plant reaches the stage of producing blossoms and fruit, and then producing seed, it is reaching the end of its life and trying to reproduce. If the seeds become mature, the plant has fulfilled its purpose in life, and releases hormones that make it produce less and eventually die.
Probable result if not corrected:
Reduced yields resulting from early plant decline.
How to prevent: Pick early and often. Zucchini and cucumber, especially, can double in size in a day, or hide under a leaf for a day or two beyond their prime. Observe the size of the zucchini in the produce market at your local grocery and aim for picking them at that size. If possible, check twice a day.
How to correct: It is not a sin to pull up a zucchini plant and put it in the compost pile. Then you can put in some more beets and still have time to have them by October.
Mistake 9: Not keeping up with the weeding
Probable result if not corrected: Garden plants compete with weeds for sunlight, soil nutrients, water and air circulation. You may have reduced yields or you may just not be able to find your cucumbers! No one likes to work in a messy garden, and as the weeds grow you may find yourself avoiding the garden to avoid the mess. As weeds go to seed you have just set yourself up for more problems in the next garden cycle.
How to prevent: Hoeing and mulching are recommended techniques for reducing weeds. Weeds are much easier to hoe when small. Be sure to use an appropriate mulch for your plants. Remember that if you use an organic mulch like hardwood, you may need to add additional nitrogen since the breakdown of the mulch does use soil nitrogen. Also be aware that slugs and snails like mulch, too. You might also try planting in wide beds instead of rows, so that the garden plants shade out weed seedlings and prevent them from developing.
How to correct: Hoe, Hoe, Hoe! Catch weeds when they are small and easy to hoe out, don’t wait until they are big and you have to pull them.
Mistake 10: Under-fertilizing (or over-fertilizing)
Many people think that growing vegetables “organically” or naturally means not using fertilizer at all. In fact, for people choosing to avoid chemical fertilizers, organic fertilizers are available, and the soil can be fertilized by amendment with compost and composted manures. Other alternatives may be available. At Unger Farm Community gardens, we have Bucyrus City Sludge, a fertilizer that AFTER TRAINING will be made available to gardeners.
Probable result if not corrected: Plants will show signs of nutrient deficiencies if the soil does not have essential nutrients. Yellow leaves at the bottom of the plant signal a nitrogen deficiency, while “burnt”-looking leaf tips can sometimes signal a phosphorus deficiency. New leaves that are reddish or purplish in color, if not typical for the plant, can also signal a phosphorus deficiency. Yellowing of the leaves between the veins can signal a potassium shortage, and the edges of the leaves may look brown or scorched. Nitrogen affects vegetative growth, phosphorus supports strong blossom and bulb development, and potassium affects water movement in plants. Typically, in this area, nitrogen is the most common deficiency because it is easily lost from the soil. Less common are the micro nutrient deficiencies in other essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc; or trace minerals such as molybdenum, copper, boron, or selenium. Minerals like calcium can alter the soil’s pH and this can also affect plant growth.
Too much fertilizer can also be harmful and can burn the leaves: the plants are reacting to a salt toxicity. These symptoms can mimic the effect of some deficiencies. How do you know whether you have too much or too little? See “how to prevent”!
How to prevent: Have soil tested before starting to garden and amend the soil only as indicated by the test results. At our community garden in Bucyrus, the soil has been tested and found not to have any deficiencies in micronutrients, phosphorus, or potassium.
How to correct: Side-dress with appropriate fertilizers. Be careful not to burn the roots of the plants by applying too heavily. The community gardeners at our garden in Bucyrus should only apply Nitrogen fertilizers such as urea, which has been made available and will be available.

Conclusion: So, what’s your score? Don’t despair, many of the mistakes can still be corrected. Mother Nature is nothing if not forgiving. Relax, enjoy the sunshine and fellowship, have fun, and try again, there’s plenty of gardening season left, and always next year!

Community gardens under way

2009-05-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

Last night at Unger farm there was a LOT going on. The Master Gardeners worked on the culinary herb garden, while several of the community gardeners were planting their plots, and our beloved county extension agent passed on a lot of gardening lore to the eager community gardeners and this year's master gardener class.

It was noted that much work had been done the night before to clean up the perennial beds and work in the demonstration gardens and get them ready to "open up" for demonstrations to the public.

There will be another work night tomorrow night at Unger farm, stay posted to email for more information.

Community Gardens are OPEN!

2009-05-05T18:27:00.001-07:00

The plots have been marked, and the gardens are open! Follow the path marked by blue flags from the parking lot to the community gardens area. The plots have been marked with red flags to outline the four corners of each plot and orange stakes with the plot number and assigned gardener.

Look at the big smiles on the faces of these Master Gardeners who are reaping the benefits of asparagus planted several years ago! The right way to harvest asparagus is to cut it, on the diagonal, just below the soil line. The right way to plant asparagus crowns is to first, pick the right variety. Jersey Giant all-male hybrids are a good choice. Then dig a 12-inch trench, fill it with composted manure for a few inches, and plant the crowns. As the shoots grow, continue to fill in the trench with rich soil, compost or composted manure, a little each week, until the trench is filled in. Asparagus may grow for 40 years or more, and success really depends on how it is planted.

Unger Farms - future site of Community Gardens

2009-04-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

Beautiful soil - it is ALMOST ready. Unfortunately there was an equipment breakdown and the final tilling was not completed before the rain set in. It will be a few days before the ground is dry enough to finish, and for the gardeners to enter.

Work at Unger Farm

2009-04-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Work to be accomplished at Unger Farm, according to Dr. Prochaska at last meeting

1. Lay out of garden plots - I will contact when soils dry (this may be on short notice dependant on weather).
2. Repair of grape arbor: Bruce, Craig and Steve will repair soon.

3. Pick of apple/peach brush and placement on pile (do not step on asparagus and rhubarb that is coming up).
4. Pruning of blackberries - prune out last years canes and cut to live wood (significant winter kill).
5. Hoe around perennials and jostaberries.

Dr. Prochaska also mentioned that the red twig dogwood at the parking lot needs to be cleared out.

I went to the farm tonight and took some pictures: Here is the base of the dogwood. Think it needs some help?

Community Garden kickoff meeting

2009-04-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

NewsLine:

Community Gardens:

We have almost 50 families signed up! Just waiting for some dry weather (hopefully this weekend) to allow us to mark the garden plots and open the gardens to the gardeners. White flags will be posted at the garden entrance when the garden is open.

Last night was the "makeup" kickoff meeting. Seeds donated by a fourth grade class at Lincoln Elementary were distributed to gardeners. The picture above is of the Master Gardeners looking through the seeds after the meeting to see what remained!

There seemed to be a lot of excitement about the possibilities for the gardens this year. Steve and the Extension Office have obtained many benefits for the community gardens including donations of fertilizer and seeds. Community gardeners will be given a "HEALTH KICK" tomato plant - high in lycopene - Stay tuned for more information!

Please remember: The most important rule for successful gardening is STAY OUT OF THE GARDEN WHEN IT IS TOO WET!

Check out the sample garden plan at http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/WcmDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10551&catalogId=10001&contentName=/tractorsupply/magazine/current/spring_09_plant+a+vegetable+garden

This plan approximates the size of our plots and was developed by a Master Gardener.

Master Gardener classes for 2009 are underway - there are 9 Master Gardener trainees this year. The bulk of the training hours will take place during late summer and fall.

Volunteer hours can be obtained by helping to mark the community garden plots as soon as the weather allows. This could be at short notice - watch your email for updates from Steve.

Wow!

2008-12-10T12:37:00.001-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas party we had last night. A wonderful potluck meal in a beautiful setting. So nice to enjoy the fellowship of like-minded people! The activities of the Master Gardeners this year were summarized, and future plans for the community garden were discussed. We decided, based on manpower, to limit the number of plots to no more than 50, at least for 2009.

Thanks so much to our host and hostess for having us!

I've posted the proposed community gardens rules here - please comment before January 1. http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow/rules.doc

Program at Unger Farm tomorrow

2008-09-12T10:45:00.001-07:00

There will be a program at Unger Farm tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. Please join, open to the public, no charge.

Program at Chadwick Arboretum

2008-08-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State University's Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens and the Perennial Plant Association will offer a daylong workshop on incorporating perennials into the home garden.The event will take place on Sept. 11 from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Kottman Hall auditorium on OSU's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences campus, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, Ohio. Registration fee is $75 and includes lunch, snacks and parking.The workshop will cover the following topics:• The Influence of 20th Century English Gardening on 20th Century North American Gardening by John Elsley, Song Sparrow Nursery in Greenwood, South Carolina. Elsley will present a personal perspective on how English people, places and plants have influenced North American gardening during the 20th century.• Matching House and Garden by Sabrena Schweyer, Salsbury-Schweyer, Inc., in Akron, Ohio. Schweyer will share her experience on selecting colors in the landscape to unify and enhance the overall look of the property. • Color Combinations for Shade by Gene Bush, Munchkin Nursery & Gardens in Depauw, Indiana. • Ornamental Grasses -- Old Friends and New Trends by Art Cameron, Michigan State University. Cameron will discuss some old and new ornamental grasses that can be used in gardens.• Real Gardeners' True Confessions by Pat Stone, GreenPrints in Fairview, North Carolina. Stone will share garden mistakes collected from dozens of gardeners.• Knockout Newbies by Laura Deeter, Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, Ohio. The latest plants you can't live without. Deeter will introduce new plants and a few that have been around, but are not in many gardens.For more information, contact the Perennial Plant Association at (614) 771-8431 or log on to http://www.perennialplant.org .

Demonstration

2008-08-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

Tonight we demonstrated how to post to this blog. There were 10 master gardeners in attendance, and we snacked on apples and peaches from the Unger Farm. Delicioso!!

We demonstrated how to add photos to the blog. One of the Master Gardeners brought in a CD with photos from their visit to Secrest Arboretum on Tuesday.

Meeting Thursday

2008-08-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

Please don't forget the meeting at the courthouse Thursday night (tomorrow) at 7:00 pm. Topics to be covered are how to set up an ID and post to this blog. See you there!

Ohio State Master Gardener Conference

2008-08-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars for October 4-5, then go directly to the registration page at http://www.ohiomastergardener.com/omg/registration.cfm to register for your attendance.

Twilight walk - August 14th

2008-08-24T09:57:00.001-07:00

The Twilight Tour of Unger Farm was a huge success! Thanks to all who participated. Everyone raved about the fresh blackberries and raspberries, as well as the peaches and the Redfree apples.

We demonstrated the vegetable gardens, the berry gardens and the annuals and perennials.

Weeding to be done

2008-07-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

Note from Steve:

(One of our volunteers) has the east sector done, however the west sector of the
annual and perennial demo needs some work. With many of you needing
hours, I would suggest some time working from the rose planting back
to the sign ( working west).

Master Gardeners only

2008-07-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

There will be a meeting of the Crawford County Master Gardeners on Thursday, Aug 28 at the courthouse at 7:00. The purpose of the meeting is to demonstrate how to sign up for and post a blog entry.

Local Event August 14

2008-07-25T20:06:00.001-07:00

The Crawford County Master Gardeners will be hosting a Horticultural Twilight Tour at Unger Farm on August 14 at 7:00 p.m. The farm has demonstration plantings of disease resistant fruit trees, a vegetable garden, and many annuals and perennials in bloom. Master Gardeners and Ohio State University Extension personnel will be on hand to present topics of interest to local gardeners and to answer questions. Some of the topics covered will be Japanese beetle control, troubleshooting apple and peach production, raspberries and blackberries, composting, herb garden, annual and perennial flowers, and the potential community garden being planned for next year. The program is free and open to the public. Contact the Extension office at 419-562-8731 for more information.

Piketon

2008-07-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

PIKETON, Ohio Discover the latest research on fruits, vegetables, flowers and more at the Horticulture Field Day at the Ohio State University South Centers at Piketon, 6 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 14.

Specialists from the Centers will share their latest horticultural research results, including on wine grapes, blueberry pruning, trickle irrigation, edible landscape gardens and strawberry plug plant propagation.

Speaking will be Brad Bergefurd, horticulture specialist; Maurus Brown, small fruits specialist; and Shawn Wright, horticulture specialist. Admission costs $5, with pre-registration encouraged by Tuesday, Aug. 12.

Dinner is included. RSVP to Julie Strawser, (740) 289-2071 or (800) 297-2072, ext. 223, or strawser.35@osu.edu.

The Centers are at 1864 Shyville Road (State Route 93). Take State Route 32 to State Route 93 south about three miles, and find the main office on the left.Ohio State University Extension and Ohio State’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) are the event’s sponsors.

The program begins with wagon tours of the research plots followed by dinner and classroom-style research presentations.

OARDC and OSU Extension are the research and outreach arms, respectively, of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

New features

2008-07-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

I added a link to the Scaffolds Fruit Journal published by Cornell University Agriculture Experiment Station to the "Recommended links" box below. The article in the July 7 issue on beneficial insects is especially good.

There's another new link in that box to the Buckeye Yard and Gardening line.

I've also added a link at the top of the page for an RSS feed if your browser or other software supports it - you can get notification of new posts.

If you scroll all the way to the bottom, you'll also see that our blog now accepts an RSS feed from Ohio Master Gardeners - so we can get news articles published through OSU Master Gardener program right here.

Chadwick Arboretum Event

2008-07-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

Area residents are invited to stop and smell the roses -- and everything else at The Ohio State University Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens Open House, on Sunday, July 20, from 2-5 p.m.

The open house is free to families, homeowners or anyone interested in getting an up-close look at the colorful perennial gardens and extensive annual trials in the gardens. The gardens are located in front of Howlett Hall, 2001 Fyffe Court, just east of Rt. 315, at Fyffe Court and Woody Hayes Drive. Parking in adjacent lots is free.

Highlights of the open house include:

Guided tours of the gardens and the nearby Ornamental Plant Germplasm
Center.

Central Ohio Hosta Society plant auction.

Franklin County Master Gardeners diagnostic table.

Music and children's activities.

Idnat, a 10th century storyteller and herbalist.

Artists from the Worthington Area Art League.

Gretchen's Garden Store.

Free root beer floats.

In addition, garden tools will be sharpened and cleaned for nominal fee by Sharpening on Site

For more information or directions, see the Chadwick Arboretum Web site at
<http://www.chadwickarboretum.osu.edu/>http://www.chadwickarboretum.osu.edu/.
The Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens are part of Ohio State's
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

What's blooming at Unger Farm

2008-07-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

My husband and I stopped by Unger Farm on our way through Bucyrus on Wednesday, so I could show him the volunteer work the Master Gardeners have been doing on the demonstration plots there.

We were very careful to follow Steve's warning to "stay out of the garden when it's wet" by sticking to grassy or mulched areas.

Mid-summer blooming flowers such as this echinacea are glorious now. Many of the plants at the farm are labeled as to variety. There is also a kiosk with flyers displaying the named varieties of the perennial plants at the farm.

Can you name the plants in the photos below?
Feel free to leave comments on the blog.

Here is our demonstration vegetable garden. There are several tomato varieties, and cole crops such as cabbage, broccoli, and swiss chard.

The orchard has several varieties of disease resistant apples. Two that are especially recommended are Redfree and Gold Rush.

There are several varieties of annual flowers near the road.

There are also many perennial flowers.

There is a culinary herb garden with several out-of-the ordinary herbs.

Meeting Wednesday

2008-07-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

6:00 pm at the Farm

to clean annual and perennial plantings, discuss service assignments/hours, (training requirements for those not complete), the community garden and our county fair effort as well as Horticulture at Unger program in August.

I won't be able to be there- someone please email me with updates!

OSU to Host Master Gardener Field Day July 20

2008-07-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

Featuring talks, tours and demonstrations on growing backyard vegetables and more, the program takes place at the Franklin County Master Gardener Vegetable Varieties Trial Garden, part of Ohio State’s Waterman Agriculture and Natural Resources Lab, 2490 Carmack Road.

For more information see the OSU web site at http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/story.php?id=4713

More Urban Farming in the News

2008-06-26T18:44:00.000-07:00

I saw a short promo on WKYC TV yesterday on urban farming, but didn't get to see the actual news story. That's OK, they posted it on their web site here. The story mentions that assistance is provided by OSU Extension as well as the Health Department.

Community Gardens

2008-06-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

I was in Grand Rapids this weekend, opened the Sunday paper, and there was an article about community gardens in the Grand Rapids area. Here is a link to the article:

http://www.mlive.com/homeandgarden/index.ssf/2008/06/fresh_produce_and_community_cu.html

A source for the article was a spokesperson for Foodshed, http://www.foodshed.net/ Foodshed appears to be an organization that links in with various other agencies in a several-county area to ensure a sustainable food supply in the Grand Rapids area. Their community gardening activity is just one of many items on their agenda.

Tour of Gardens this weekend

2008-06-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

TOUR OF GARDENS

The Licking County Master Gardeners invite you to tour ten of Licking County’s finest gardens. Each home highlights a different style of garden. Gardening tips and information are available at each home plus unique gardening items are on sale at selected locations. Come and enjoy an educational and enjoyable afternoon! Tour date: Sunday, June 29, 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Tickets $10 - (call 927-4153, 587-4495, 763-0205 or 927-5784.($12 day of tour, available at all tour homes, except High School)For more information visit: http://licking.osu.edu/master_gardener/index.html

HOMES ON TOUR
Robert Powers & Randy Smith – An English Cottage Garden983 Buckeye Avenue, Newark OH

Norma Pickens – A Patio Garden1125 Wilmington Court, Newark OH

Gisela Parker – Containers in the Garden1135 Wilmington Court, Newark OH

Reese & Kaye Alban – The Butterfly Garden1155 Wilmington Court, Newark OH

Don & Sue Christian – Gardening for Low Maintenance1208 Meyers Drive, Newark OH

Dr. Warren & Connie Koontz – A Whimsical Garden1307 Granville Road, Newark OH

Judy & George Kaercher – A Garden in the Shade1299 Granville Road, Newark, OH

Granville High School – The Sustainable Vegetable garden248 New Burg Street, Granville OH

Sherry Gardner – A Garden for the Historical Home216 W Elm Street, Granville, OH

Annie Ogle – Using Color in the Garden1366 Chapel Way, Heath OH

Julie HuprichMaster Gardener CoordinatorOSU Extension, Licking County(740) 670-5322

Visit our Web Site at http://licking.osu.edu

Tomorrow

2008-06-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

Source:Roger Downer, OARDC, Entomologydowner.2@osu.edu330-263-3931WOOSTER, Ohio See what birds do, bees do, even great spangled fritillaries do when Ohio State University’s Secrest Arboretum in Wooster hosts “Habitats and Plantings for Pollinators” from 2-4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24 one of many programs scheduled nationwide in celebration of National Pollinator Week, June 22-28.The free public “walk-about” will search for and teach about creatures that pollinate flowers: honey bees, bumble bees, solitary bees, hawk moths, pollen wasps, flower flies, soldier beetles, butterflies, hummingbirds and a host of helpful others. What they need to survive and thrive, how they benefit people and ecosystems, and plants you can grow to attract them will be covered. Plants in the pollinator-friendly rose, aster, legume, buckwheat and salvia families, among others, will be seen close up and discussed.Roger Downer, an entomologist with Ohio State’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), will lead the program. It starts at the arboretum’s Landscape Gardens on Williams Road.The arboretum itself is on the OARDC campus, 1680 Madison Ave., about 30 miles west of Akron, 60 miles south of Cleveland and 100 miles north of Columbus. Signs on campus will direct you to the arboretum.Sixty to 80 percent of Earth’s flowering plants depend on animal pollination, Downer notes. So do some 87 of the 124 most commonly grown crop plants.“Pollinators also sustain wildland plant communities that provide food and shelter for other wildlife,” Downer adds. Bees in particular “provide a valuable service to humans when they pollinate our fruit and vegetable plants and wildflowers,” he says. To find out more, call (330) 263-3761 or go to http://secrest.osu.edu/.OARDC is the research arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.- 30 -Links: National Pollinator Week, http://www.pollinator.org/.

Richards' Gardens and Landscape Center

2008-06-21T12:47:00.001-07:00

We had class time on Tuesday night at Richards' Gardens and Landscape center in New Washington, Ohio.

They gave us a custom tour after their regular hours, leading us through the "island" gardens, where they display mature plants so that customers can get an idea of what their plants will look like after they have grown. We went through the butterfly house - a screened-in area with plants loved by butterflies including butterfly bush and butterfly weed, among others. They fed the fish as we passed across the bridge - there were some huge catfish in that pond! We went through the propagation houses, into the areas where they have container trees and shrubs being grown out, and finally through the retail areas, including the shrubs and also the annuals and perennials in the greenhouse.

They explained that many nursery-grown plants are patented and they have to purchase a license to propagate them. Many nurseries no longer do their own propagation, just purchasing plants and growing them on for resale.

What a fantastic tour! They gave us a lot of information concerning their annual cycle of propagation and what it takes to move all the plants around through the various stages of growth, showed us their potting medium (a soil-less mix containing compost, peat, and rice hulls), explained some of the details about their watering to conserve water on the property, and gave a lot of recommendations about various plants that do well in this part of the country, and tips for getting blooms off some nursery-grown plants the second year (hint: buy a variety that blooms on new wood. )

Work night at Unger Farm

2008-06-12T19:38:00.001-07:00

We had a pretty good volunteer night at Unger farm tonight. Some of us planted annuals, others worked on cleaning out the perennial beds, and others worked in the vegetable garden.

We saw damage on the eggplants from flea beetles, found a "huge" slug, and said hello to a friendly toad. We took a horticultural walk through the fruit orchard and noted that there was apple scab on some of the non-resistant trees. We saw evidence of peach tree borer on peach trees, and half-moon scars of plum curculio on the apples. There is an excellent photo of this type of damage on on the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture web site. Most of the trees are bearing a heavy load of fruit, and Steve demonstrated how to thin them by knocking the braches with a shovel handle.

Note the schedule changes: We will be meeting next at Richards on Tuesday night at 6:00 pm. This will count as training hours.

Final exam OVER!!!

2008-06-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

For most of us, the final exam was Tuesday night, meaning that the "study" part of the master gardener program is coming to an end and the "volunteer" part of the program is beginning.

The schedule for the next few meetings:

Thursday June 12 - meet at Unger Farm - take-home final is due

Saturday June 14- CANCELLED - no meeting

Tuesday June 17 - Meet at Richards in New Washington - time 6:00 pm

I will be posting a list of community garden web sites in the sidebar.

Catch-up!

2008-05-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

Our Master Gardener training sessions are flying by! I haven't had time to post in between sessions, so I will try to catch up today.

Note: Volunteer hours will be counted as follows: Project as a group - 50-60% of total.

Individual hours are 25-30%, and community service with other groups can count as up to 10 hours.

On Saturday the 24th, we met at the courthouse and went on a plant walk around downtown Bucyrus. Steve pointed out the difference between Norway Maples, which can be identified by their milky sap, and are somewhat subject to vertmilicin wilt, and Silver Maples, which typically have poor branch angles and are subject to winter storm damage and limb breakage. The Sugar Maple behind the Norway picture in this photo appears to be in good condition.

Maples and oaks are stately trees, which is good for a permanent public building like a courthouse. Oaks can live up to 300 years.

Unless landscape plantings are to be in a very formal or symmetrical configuration, they should be planted in odd numbers. Some of the evergreens around the courthouse showed signs of damage. Taxus does not tolerate wet feet, but the site has adequate damage, it could possibly be a sign of salt damage from the snow removal.

Our walk took us past the Historical Society, which is housed in a beautiful old building. When the architecture is so fantastic, the landscaping should really enhance the architecture and not compete with it.

Steve pointed out an example of "volcano mulching" which is where the mulch is piled up around the base of the tree. This can be harmful, it allows insects to damage the bark. Mulch should be pulled away a minimum of 3 inches from the trunk.

After our walk, we grabbed shovels and spades and planted red, white and blue petunias in front of the veteran's monument for Memorial Day.

We discussed options for planting the back side of the memorial, it has full sun on one side and shade on the other. pH is high, drainage is excellent, and the plants must tolerate a lot of public traffic. One option for the shady side that was suggested was vinca minor; an option for the sunny side was Zinnia elegans.

Weeds in Turf Grass

2008-05-16T19:21:00.000-07:00

We identified a number of weeds in or near the turfgrass plots at Unger farm - this is creeping Charlie, or ground ivy - a member of the mint family.

Black Medic - looks like clover with yellow flowers - see //www.turf.uiuc.edu/weed_web/lookalikes/medic_oxalis_clover.htm

Speedwell -

Mouse ear Chickweed

Turf Grass

2008-05-15T18:42:00.001-07:00

We were at Unger Farm tonight for our lesson on Turf grass.

Steve pointed out that the conifers at the edge of the farm were Austrian pine and Scotch pine. The Scotch pine can be identified by the orange bark and the orange tips on the "candles" as well as the slightly twisted needles. If you need to prune a conifer, wait until the candles appear and then twist them off. If you cut the branches it will stop growing.

Turf grass - Steve pointed out that the Kentucky bluegrass had the best color, and the best condition, thoroughly crowded out weeds, and was expensive and time-consuming to maintain. The best grass for a family that uses their lawn might be a mixture of Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue - it is the easiest to maintain and has nice quality. Perennial ryegrass is quick to grow but doesn't keep the weeds out, and is subject to diseases such as rust mold and snow mold. It will out-compete other seeds in mixtures such as a commercial mix which is usually sold because it will grow in most conditions, sun or shade.

Cultural practices are VERY IMPORTANT for turf grasses - never mow more than 1/3 the blade. Mowing too short allows weed seeds to germinate and reduces the ability of the desired grass to photosynthesize. The most important fertilization is in the fall. Weed control is important. Corn gluten meal is expensive and only provides moderate control. 2,4-D is inexpensive and if you use it properly you only have to spot-treat in the fall. Nicer lawns use less pesticides.

We also reviewed the "how-to" for renovating a lawn, and Steve demonstrated the use of a soil probe for gathering a soil sample.

Note the change in schedule for June 3 to June 2 (Monday) and that there is a test on Saturday on Fertilizers.

Raised Bed Gardening

2008-05-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

Our topic for Tuesday was Raised Bed Gardening, with a guest speaker, Glenn Arnold from Putnam County. He shared a lot of his personal experience with raised bed gardens.

Some of his reasons for using raised beds:
- Less time needed
- Competition with retired neighbors!
- Space
- Family members don't enjoy gardening

He also shared some disadvantages of raised beds:
- Initial expense
- Repairs were required after 7 years
- Weed pressure along wooden frame
- more difficult to cultivate/incorporate residues
- weed trimming along the garden
- tough to dig in deep with the cultivator

He advised planting vegetables by type, for example, cool-season/direct seeded in one bed, and warm-season transplants in another. He also advised planting fewer vegetables that your family doesn't like to eat and more of the ones that they do!

Some modifications to his raised beds were cold farms, bird netting, sub-surface irrigation, and gas heat.

He shared a hint about keeping cabbage heads from splitting - when they are just at the right size, break the ribs of the outer leaves, and the cabbage will keep in the garden for a long time (protect from insects!)

He uses 12-12-12 fertilizer, about 3 lbs per 100 square feet of garden, and incorporates 1-4 inches of organic matter per year.

He reviewed troublesome diseases and troublesome insects - and gave us Ohioline flyers for several of these, including striped cucumber beetles and squash vine borers.

Fertilizers

2008-05-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight's class at the OSU farm was re-located to the Courthouse due to rain. We may be able to have a class on May 15 (Thursday) to make up the turf grass class.

Steve did a fine job of presenting an alternate topic tonight - Fertilizers - on short notice.

Here are a few of my notes from class
16 Essential Nutrients
Macronutrients
The Big Three:
- Nitrogen
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
Adequately supplied in soil:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Sulfur
Micronutrients:
- Iron
- Manganese
- Zinc
- Copper
- Molybdenum
- Boron - very potent in large amounts, will kill plants and insects
- Chlorine - oxidizer

If there is a nitrogen deficiency, leaves will "burn" or turn yellow at the bottom of the plant
If the deficiency is phosphorus, the symptoms will be reduced growth and flowering, and browing or purpling foliage. A potassium deficiency will show up as reduced growth, shortened internodes, and leaf margin burn.

Fertilizer analysis - Percentage by weight of an element is present in a particular fertilizer mixture. The analysis is on the package of commercial fertilizer - in 3 numbers.
8-32-16 means 8 percent nitrogen, 32 percent Phosphorus (as P2O5) and 16 percent Potassium (as K2O).

Don't guess - soil test! We went over a sample soil test result and determined how to calculate how many pounds of fertilizer to apply to meet the soil test recommendations.

Class members are reminded to bring a container (like a cottage cheese container, no larger) to class next week.

Late-breaking news

2008-05-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight's session on turf grass is scheduled at the farm. Steve says that if we decide it's too rainy we'll retreat to the courthouse. Also, it's OK to bring folding or collapsible chairs to class at the farm.

OK, I'm on my way!

Curtis Young - Basic Entomology for Master Gardeners

2008-05-07T12:57:00.000-07:00

Whew! I took over 11 pages of notes on Monday night! Dr. Young was a great lecturer - we were so fascinated he could have run over his time and most of us would have stayed longer just to hear more about "bugs" that aren't really insects, like spiders or slugs.

He shared an entomologist joke with us - "All bugs are insects, but not all insects are bugs" - I think he was referring to "true" bugs.

Trivia about insects:
- Fossil records show 300 million years of bug life
- In any given day, 10 quintillion (that's 10,000,000,000,000,000) insects are alive
- 20 per cent of all crops grown are eaten by insects
- Approximately 1 in 6 people alive are currently affected by an insect-vectored disease

He assured us that, although it is possible to use dichotomous keys to positively identify insects, as master gardeners it is perfectly OK to make an educated guess about what family of insects a particular specimen may belong to and then go look at pictures to further identify it.

He went over the various pieces of insect anatomy - including the functions of the head pieces, thorax, and abdoment parts, and gave us much detailed information on each. Then we identified various common insects by looking at close-ups of their eyes. Fascinating! Deer flies have striped eyes!

Another interesting fact - if you are looking at an insect and it has wings, you can be SURE it is an adult. Most insect adults have two pairs of wings, except for those without any wings at all, like fleas, and the true flies - who only have one set. Immature insects are often wingless or have only embryonic wings.

Secrest Arbortum - Wooster, Oh

2008-05-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

It was cold, wet and rainy at the plant sale, but that didn't stop the determined gardeners. I was greeted by a couple of fellows trying to hawk their hardy banana trees, they said it would overwinter outdoors, even here! There were rare plants for auction - I saw one going for $425. Pretty steep just to get something unusual in your garden!

Indoors, there were annuals, perennials, and herbs for sale, as well as watercolors, stainless steel garden decorations and hand carved birds and birdhouses, all by local artists.

I spied an unusual feathery Lotus vine, but didn't buy it. I overspent my budget on a dogwood tree and some lavender plants, as well as a couple of anise plants.

There was quite a showing of ornamental trees. Some were labeled as to genus, species and varieties, and some were not.

The Wayne County Master Gardeners were selling "tufa" planters - a lightweight planter that looks like a heavy cement planter. They had 3 sizes, selling for $10, $20, and $30. I found a link to instructions for making tufa troughs in Fine Gardening at http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/how-to/articles/make-hypertufa-trough.aspx

if you missed the sale and want to make your own.

Getting Started

2008-05-03T06:28:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be a good idea to have a blog for the Crawford County, Ohio Master Gardeners - class of '08 to have a place to exchange ideas, questions, experiences and photos.

So, here is the blog! I'll post some photos from Secrest Arboretum later today.