School Gardening

Walk Georgia While in Your Garden

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Walk Georgia is a free UGA Extension web-based program that encourages Georgians to get out and move. As gardeners we know all about moving (and bending and lifting and pulling…). Participants create an account and log their activity on the website. As you log activity you virtually travel through Georgia learning about areas as you go. It is a great way to be accountable for your health and to learn more about the state.

Of course, gardening is listed as an exercise activity. This could be a fun way to compete with other gardeners in a friendly exercise competition. You may spur each other on to being more active. The weeds won’t stand a chance!

With many, many exercise apps on the market this one stands out because it is so simple to use, it is free, and it is Georgia specific.

Also on the Walk Georgia webpage are exercise tips and recipes. For gardeners who grew potatoes this year, try this recipe from Walk Georgia for a great meal on a cold day.

Potato Leek Soup

¼ cup olive oil

5 cups chopped leeks

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 cups cubed potatoes

2 quarts chicken stock, low sodium

2 cups canned skim evaporated milk

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick Dutch oven and add the leeks, celery, and onion. Cook slowly for 10 minutes until golden and soft. Do not let the mixture brown.

Add potatoes and chicken stock; cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 20-40 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.

Mash the vegetables. Heat the milk and add to the soup. Salt and pepper to taste.

Six Servings:

Calories: 314 | Carbohydrate: 45 grams | Fat: 10 grams | Protein: 14 grams | Sodium: 635 milligram with low sodium broth, 869 milligrams with reduced sodium broth | Fiber: 3 grams | Cholesterol: 3 milligrams | Exchanges: 3 starches, 1 lean meat

For more information on Walk Georgia contact your local UGA Extension agent or visit the Walk Georgia website.  They also have a Walk Georgia Facebook page.

Happy Gardening!

Being Thankful in the Garden

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We asked a few people in the local food movement to tell us what they are thankful for during this Thanksgiving holiday.  Here is what they told us:

Fred Conrad at work!
Fred Conrad at work!

Fred Conrad, the community garden coordinator for the Atlanta Community Food Bank, is well known throughout the metro Atlanta area.  You may have seen Fred riding his tractor down the street of Atlanta.  He writes…

I am thankful that I was able to distribute 100% of my summer harvest to families in need through the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program. It is so rewarding to hand the crops that I worked very hard to raise to families who need it and who are very happy to have fresh local produce. We share recipes and family stories and they get to choose the vegetables they like. Seeing the children, meeting the families, and knowing that you just made their life a little easier. It means a lot, service is a blessing to the giver as well. And don’t believe that people don’t know how to cook, they really do.

Bobby Wilson is the co-founder and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Urban Farm.   He has spent a busy Fall training new gardeners.  Bobby shares…

I am thankful for community gardeners that we have and the ones to come in 2017

Bobby Wilson of the Atlanta Urban Farm.
Bobby Wilson of the Metro Atlanta Urban Farm.

Jeff Miller is the new Urban Program Development Coordinator for UGA Extension.  Jeff has been busy the last several months getting to know the metro Atlanta Extension agents so that he can better assist them in meeting the needs of metro Atlanta.  You can connect with Jeff at his UGA Extension Metro Atlanta page.  Jeff is thankful for:

…the local food movement gaining traction in Atlanta – supplying healthy fresh produce from urban gardens and farms in the metro area.

Jeff Miller from UGA Extension
Jeff Miller from UGA Extension

We all have much to be thankful for this holiday season.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving meal with family and friends.  Hopefully, some of the food on the table is grown by YOU!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Orange Bulldog Pumpkins to the Rescue

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Do you want to grow beautiful orange pumpkins for Halloween?  But, after years of seeing your crop succumb to disease you have become discouraged.  And, after learning that most of the pumpkins you see for sale at church pumpkin patches are grown in New Mexico (think LOW humidity), you have given up.  Well, I have great news for you!

University of Georgia researchers have developed and released a new pumpkin variety bred especially to handle Georgia’s summer climate.  Orange Bulldog was developed by UGA researchers from germplasm collected in South America.  It shows greater resistance to viruses than conventional pumpkins.  The vines show resistance to powdery mildew and downy mildew.  This is really great news for Georgia gardeners!

Orange Bulldog Pumpkin. Photo credit: UGA
Orange Bulldog Pumpkin. Photo credit: UGA

The pumpkins average about 10 pounds.  Most have an internal cavity which is perfect for carving.  The color ranges from a salmon color to a burnt orange.  And, seeds were readily available for 2016 and should be for 2017.

Experts recommend following good growing practices.   Commercial Production and Management of Pumpkins and Gourds contains great information from UGA.  North Carolina Extension also has some good information in Growing Pumpkins and Winter Squash.

So, as you enjoy this year’s Jack-o-Lanterns make your growing plans for next Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Don’t Leave a Weedy Mess!

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Many community gardeners don’t take advantage of our Georgia winters and finish their garden as the temperatures get cool.  As you get ready for the garden break, don’t leave a weedy mess!

A garden plot left full of weeds is not just an eyesore that is unfair to your fellow community gardeners, it can be detrimental to your future crops.

The Weed Seed Bank – don’t make deposits

Weed scientists have a saying:

One year’s seeding means ten years weeding!

If a weed is allowed to produce seed those seeds will happily deposit in your plot to germinate at another time.  In weed science terms, you have added to the dreaded weed seed bank.   Plant seeds are tough and are a plant’s mechanism for long-term survival.

Some seeds from a legume collected beneath permafrost in the Yukon germinated.  The estimated age of those seeds?  10,000 years old!

A sample of seeds dated 237 years old from a British museum herbarium germinated.

Garden Debris Can Create a Welcome Over-Wintering Spot for Pests

Pests like Mexican bean beetles can overwinter in garden debris waiting for your spring planting of bush beans.  Don’t give them that extra edge.

What are some alternatives?  If you aren’t growing cool-season vegetables, try growing a cover crop.  Or, cover your plot with plastic and do some winter solarization.  At the very least, clean your plot and add a cover of mulch.

Give next year’s warm-season crops a good start while being a good community garden neighbor.

Happy Gardening!

 

 

October Chores for Your Georgia Garden

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The checklist for October gardening chores according to UGA’s Vegetable Garden Calendar:

October Garden Chores

  1. Choose the mild weather during this period to plant or transplant the following: beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collards, lettuce, mustard, onions, radishes, spinach and turnips. Plant your second planting of fall crops such as collards, turnips, cabbage, mustard and kale.  For variety recommendations see the Vegetable Planting Chart.
There is still time to plant lettuce and other cool-season greens.
There is still time to plant lettuce and other cool-season greens.

2.  Refurbish mulch to control weeds, and start adding leaves and other materials for the compost pile. Store your manure under cover to prevent leaching of nutrients.

3. Water deeply and thoroughly to prevent drought stress. Pay special attention to new transplants.

Seedlings will need water during October, which is usually one of our driest months.
Seedlings will probably need supplemental water during October, which is usually one of our driest months.

4. Harvest mature green peppers and tomatoes before frost gets them — it may not come until November, but be ready.

5. Harvest herbs and dry them in a cool, dry place.

Happy Fall Gardening!

Know Your Pest!

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What is the number one way to combat an insect problem in the garden?   Know your pest.  The answer is that simple.  Correct identification of the pest is essential in any type of garden management.

Know Your Pest
Aphids on lettuce

Step #1 Correct identification

Sadly, I have often seen gardeners find signs of a pest and immediately reach for an overall insecticide without properly identifying the problematic insect.   This can be detrimental to your garden.  Insecticides can kill insects that are beneficial to your garden, like pollinators and insect predators.

Know Your Pest
This praying mantis is beneficial to your garden.

Step #2 Learn about the lifecycle and biology of the pest

Once the pest is correctly identified, a major part of growing organically or using integrated pest management (IPM) is learning about the insect to develop a plan of control.  Learn about the life cycle and biology of your pest.  Knowing all you can about a pest so you can manage that pest is just common sense.

For example, Mexican bean beetles lay their eggs in garden debris.  Knowing that, you can help lessen your bean beetle problems by cleaning up your garden at the end of the summer.

Know Your Pest
Mexican bean beetle larva

Planting early, using netting, and choosing resistant varieties are all effective strategies that work in pest management IF the pest is known.  Too much science for you?  Your local UGA Extension agent is the resource to help you.  Use his/her entomological skills to make your garden better!

And, remember that when using any insecticide the label instructions are the law!

Happy, pest-free gardening!

 

Level 1 Drought Declared in Georgia

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Level 1 Drought Declared in Georgia

Level 1 Drought Declared on September 9th

On September 9th the Georgia Environmental Protection Division declared a Level 1 drought for 53 Georgia counties.  This includes the Northwest part of Georgia which is experiencing severe and extreme drought conditions.

A Level 1 Drought Response declaration means you will be hearing more from your local water authority about water conservation.

What does this mean to community and school gardens?

At this point, not much.  As always, we need to use best management practices in watering our gardens.  According to the Georgia Water Stewardship Act of 2010 irrigation of personal food gardens is allowed at anytime.  It allows daily outdoor watering for “purposes of planting, growing, managing, or maintaining ground cover, trees, shrubs, or other plants only between the hours of 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. by anyone whose water is supplied by a water system permitted by the Environmental Protection Division.”

You may want to make sure your irrigation system, hoses, and faucets are not leaking.  Does your garden have a rain barrel?  Find additional watering tips below:

Happy gardening!

The Importance of Soil Temperatures in Your Garden

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It is the time of year when Georgia gardeners think about their Fall, cool-season gardens.   Leafy greens like spinach, leaf lettuce, and kale are all popular cool-season crops.  They don’t require the time necessary to make a “head”, you can eat the thinnings, and the varieties available are endless.

The Importance of Soil Temperatures in August
Lettuce in the Trustees Garden Savannah, Georgia

Often at the beginning of cool-season planting time, germination rates can be an issue.  “I have purchased new spinach seed and my germination rate is only about 50%.”  Or, “My arugula just did not come up at all.”  The problem might not be the seed quality but the soil temperatures, especially in a hot summer like we have been experiencing.  Seeds require a specific range of soil temperatures for best germination.

This chart from Cornell University shows optimum soil temperatures for germination of popular cool-season crops:

Crop Soil Temperatures needed for Germination Comments
Arugula 40 – 55° F May fail to germinate in warm soils
Lettuce 40 – 85° F Best germination below 70° F
Spinach 45 – 75° F May fail to germinate in warm soils
Kale 45 – 85°F
Collard Greens 45 – 85°F
Mustard Greens 45 – 85°F

If soil temperatures are close to the range extremes, the germination rate will definitely be affected.  These temperatures not only affect the germination rate but how quickly the seeds emerge.  For example, at 50°F spinach seed can take as much as three weeks to emerge.  At 70°F you could see emergence in just days.

Here are soil temperatures being reported by the University of Georgia Weather Network as of Tuesday, August 30th at 9:30 a.m.

Location Soil Temperature at 2″ depth
Ellijay  73.5 °F
Dallas  79.6 °F
Jonesboro  77.3 °F
Statesboro  83.0 °F
Tifton  78.9 °F
Valdosta  80.4 °F

Using the information shown, gardeners will have a difficult time growing spinach at this time in most parts of Georgia.

The lesson, be patient and monitor your soil temperatures.  Cool conditions are coming, I promise!

Happy Gardening!

August Gardening Chores for Your Georgia Garden

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It is hot but there is work to be done in the garden!  According to UGA’s Vegetable Planting Calendar  :

Plant the following no later than the dates given:
—August 18: Snap beans and Irish potatoes (seed can be sprouted two to three weeks before planting).
—August 31: Cucumbers and squash; plant varieties resistant to downy mildew.

In order to calculate the planting date, determine the frost date and count back the number of days to maturity plus 18 days for harvest of the crop. If snap beans mature in 55 days and your frost date is November 15, you should plant on or before September 3.

August Gardening Chores for Your Georgia Garden
Chamblee Senior Center Garden

Start plants for broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale and onions in a half-shaded area for setting out in September.
Prepare soil for September to October plantings of “cool-season” crops. Apply fertilizer and prepare seeded so rains will settle the rows and make it easier to get seeds to germinate when they are planted.
If watering is necessary to get a stand, open the furrow for seed, pour in water, plant seed and cover. Use starter solution on the transplanted crops.
Water the garden as needed to prevent drought stress.

Enjoying Your Fresh Tomatoes Vingenzo’s Style

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As gardeners we know that fresh is best.  Not much beats a fresh tomato picked right from the garden.  Chef Michael Bologna would agree with us.  His restaurant, Vingenzo’s in Woodstock, Georgia, is based on freshness.  And, he loves a really ripe, fresh tomato.

Enjoying Your Fresh Tomatoes Vingenzo's Style
Chef Michael Bologna leading a cooking class.

Located in downtown Woodstock Vingenzo’s has won many, many awards including one of Atlanta’s Top 50 restaurants (Atlanta Magazine 2012).  The restaurant features traditional Southern Italian fare.  Sausage, mozzarella, pasta, sauces, and desserts are made fresh on-site.

Chef Bologna comes from an Italian family and he is very, very passionate about food.  He truly delights in seeing people enjoy his cooking.  He also enjoys teaching others how to prepare wonderful, fresh meals.

Enjoying Your Fresh Tomatoes Vingenzo's Style
Chef Bologna giving me a cooking lesson.

Chef Bologna has been invited and cooked at the famed James Beard house – twice!  Happily, he has agreed to share one of his favorite recipes with us.  It features garden ripe tomatoes, something we all have a surplus of right now.

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Chef Bologna’s Fresh Tomato Sauce

2 T olive oil

4 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered or 4 roma tomatoes, diced

4oz olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

5 fresh basil leaves

 

1. Heat 2T oil up until almost smoking.

2. Add garlic and stir.

3. When garlic just starts to show color add tomatoes and stir.

4. Simmer until juices are released from tomatoes and add 4oz olive oil.

5. Simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Remove from heat.

7. Season with salt and pepper and torn basil leaves.

8. Serve with spaghetti or angel hair pasta.

 

Enjoying Your Fresh Tomatoes Vingenzo's Style
Delicious meals don’t need many complicated ingredients.

If you haven’t grown tomatoes before, this recipe alone should inspire you.  You could try growing some late season tomatoes or visit your local farmer’s market.

Thank you, Chef Bologna, for sharing your talents with us.  And just for you…

Buon giardinaggio!  (translation:  Happy Gardening!)

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