School Gardening – Page 8 – Center for Urban Agriculture

Your Garden Mission – Eliminate Squash Bug Eggs

July 27, 2016 by Becky Griffin

This week’s garden mission – eliminate squash bug eggs before they become squash bugs!

Scouting for pests in your garden on a regular basis is a MUST. Scouting alerts you to problems before they get out of hand. This time of the year as you scout among your squash plants you may see squash bug eggs. They are not too hard to spot and should be in a cluster:

Your Garden Mission - Eliminate Squash Bug Eggs — Squash bug eggs appear in a cluster.

If you find an egg cluster congratulate yourself because you can now stop this pest cycle. There are several ways to do this. You could remove this leaf. Or, flick the eggs off the leaf with your fingernail but you run the risk of just moving a viable egg that could eventually become a squash bug. There is an easy way to get rid of these eggs and keep the squash leaf intact.

First, cut a short length of tape. Clear packing tape seems to work very well:

Next, press the tape on top of the eggs. Press firmly and move the tape around a bit. The eggs stick to the tape:

Finally, remove the tape and fold it. Crush the eggs within the folded tape and your potential pest problem is removed. Notice the squash leaf is intact.

If you miss scouting and missed finding the squash eggs, the eggs hatch and these squash nymphs become squash bugs:

An easy chemical-free way to take care of your garden! For more information on growing squash successfully see UGA’s Home Garden Series: Homegrown Summer and Winter Squash.

Wishing you a squash bug-free garden.

Happy Gardening!

July Gardening Chores for Your Georgia Garden

July 22, 2016 by Becky Griffin

UGA’s Vegetable Garden Calendar gives us an idea of what we should be doing in our gardens in July.

Lettuce is a wonderful cool-season crop.

July’s Garden Chores

Start planning the fall garden.
Keep grass from going to seed.
Fallow soil to conserve moisture for germination of fall crops and to help reduce the nematode population in the soil..
Clean off harvested rows immediately to prevent insect and disease buildup.
Plant the following vegetables not later than July 20 to allow time to mature before frost: tomatoes, okra, corn, pole beans and lima beans. Also plant cucumbers, squash and snap beans.

Get that last planting of beans planted. - Woodstock Community Garden — Get that last planting of beans planted. – Woodstock Community Garden

Water deeply and less often — as needed to prevent drought stress.
Plant that big pumpkin for Halloween.
Be sure to make arrangements for neighbors to harvest and water your garden while you are on vacation.
Make sure the garden is well mulched to prevent weeds and conserve moisture.

Happy Gardening!

National Pollinator Week 2016

June 22, 2016 by Becky Griffin

It is National Pollinator Week 2016. Events are going on all across the nation to draw attention to pollinators and pollinator health. What are you doing to celebrate?

We have been excited to see all of the pollinator gardens across Georgia that are being created as part of the Pollinator Spaces Project.

In Rockdale County, ANR agent Steve Pettis led a group in creating the Rockdale Community and Garden, including a pollinator space. This garden will be a great asset to the Rockdale community.

National Pollinator Week 2016 — Perennial shrubs are the bones of this pollinator space in Rockdale County.

Rockdale Community and Education Garden.

Heading Southwest from Rockdale, in Coweta County Brooks Elementary School planted their school pollinator garden in late April. Principal Amy Harrison headed up a group that planned and organized for months before they installed their new space. Coweta County ANR agent Stephanie Butcher helped the group get off to a great start. We look forward to seeing more photos as the garden matures.

Brooks Elem 3 — Parent and Teachers created Brooks Elementary School’s pollinator garden.

Traveling South from Coweta, the Riverquarium in Albany, Georgia, created a beautiful pollinator space. Butterfly weed (Asclepius tuberosa), Meadow Blazingstar (Liatris ligulistylis), and Bergamot (Monarda fistulas) are just three examples of over twenty varieties of pollinator plants used in the creation of this garden. This space will be a joy to Albany residents and visitors. James Morgan, Doughtery County ANR agent, is an on-going resource for this group of gardeners.

Creating a pollinator space of your own aids in pollinator conservation, can increase food production, and brings joy as you watch the pollinators at work. For resources on creating your own space and to be included in Georgia pollinator history visit the Pollinator Spaces Project webpage. Your local UGA Cooperative Extension agent can also assist you in planning your garden.

Happy Gardening!

Corn Controversy in the Community Garden

June 15, 2016 by Becky Griffin

To plant corn in your community garden plot or to NOT plant corn in your community garden plot?

Fresh corn is one of the joys of summertime. The serious corn connoisseur will have you boil the water first and then pick the ears to make sure corn flavor is at its peak.

However, growing this crop can be controversial in the community garden. Here is why:

Corn is Wind Pollinated

You will not get much corn with a few stalks. Corn is wind pollinated and each kernel of corn is formed from one grain of pollen. It takes a large amount of pollen at just the right place on a corn plant to give you nice full ears of corn. Larger stands will produce a higher quality crop than a smaller stand.

If you really want to have fresh corn of your own think, about planting corn in blocks and not rows. This will increase pollination. Also, as the corn tassels you could help pollination along by gently shaking the stalks.

This small stand of corn will not yield a satisfactory crop.

Corn is Tall and Subject to Wind Damage

Corn is a tall, thin plant with a somewhat shallow root system. That means any thunderstorm with a windy component could really damage your crop. If you are a corn farmer with many acres of corn, wind from our afternoon thunderstorm might take out a few stalks at the perimeter of the corn stand. If you are growing only 10 stalks, that damage could really affect your dinner plate.

Some community gardens like to stake each corn plant, like you would a pepper plant. This adds extra support for those afternoon storms.

Corn at a Park Pride CG — Each corn stalk is staked for added support.

Corn Can Shade Out Other Crops

Corn is a tall crop and may shade out the rest of your plot or even your neighbor’s garden plot. There are shorter varieties which might be more appropriate for your garden but even shorter varieties like Golden Bantam or Sweetness Hybrid grow to 5 feet. Growing Home Garden Sweet Corn has information on varieties recommended for Georgia.

Tom Thumb popcorn only grows 3-4 feet. Popcorn is not quite the same, I know.

Think about asking for a plot on the perimeter of your community garden so shading won’t be a factor. Growing only corn for one season may improve your chances of a higher quality crop.

There are so many aspects to consider just to get fresh corn on your plate. Who knew it could be so controversial?

Happy Gardening!

June Chores for Your Georgia Garden

June 8, 2016 by Becky Griffin

It is June, the official start of summer and a very busy time in the vegetable garden. We have complied a list of chores to add to your list to keep your garden in peak condition. According to UGA’s Vegetable Garden Calendar:

Harvest vegetables such as beans, peas, squash, cucumbers and okra regularly to prolong production and enjoy peak freshness.

June Chores for Your Georgia Garden — Bean trellis at the Stone Mountain Community Garden at VFW Park

2. Eat “high on the hog” this month and in July and preserve enough to last during the winter months ahead.
3. For best results, harvest onions and Irish potatoes when two-thirds of the tops have died down. Store potatoes in a cool, dark place and onions in a dry, airy place.

4. Clean off rows of early crops as soon as they are through bearing and use rows for replanting or keep them fallow for fall crops.
5. Water as needed.
6. Plant sweet potatoes and a second planting of Southern peas.

Your School Garden, STEM, and UGA Extension

June 2, 2016April 27, 2016 by Becky Griffin

The Georgia Department of Education’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) day is May 6th. In anticipation of that day we want to make sure that schools know what STEM resources are available to them through UGA Extension.

According to information from Gilda Lyon, state STEM coordinator, there are 28 STEM certified schools in Georgia at this time. There will be many, many more applying for certification. The certification process is very involved and once a school is certified it will need to be recertified every five years.

Earth Week 2016

June 2, 2016April 20, 2016 by Becky Griffin

Happy Earth Week 2016. How are you celebrating?

I am celebrating with the butterflies and bees! As the force behind the Pollinator Spaces Project I decided I needed to step up the pollinator habitat in my own garden in time for Earth Week 2016. In one part of the garden I added three baby sage (Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’) plants. I have always loved the bi-colored flowers and they really attract butterflies.

April Gardening Chores for Georgia

April 13, 2016 by Becky Griffin

It is that time! Spring planting for summer vegetables. Before planting check your soil temperatures. Are they 60-65 degrees F and rising? Look at the medium range weather forecast. Any frost or temperatures below freezing predicted?

UGA Extension’s Vegetable Gardening Calendar give us this advice for April:

Plant your choices of the following “warm-season” or “frost-tender” crops: beans (snap, pole and lima), cantaloupe, corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, okra, field peas, peppers, squash, tomatoes and watermelon.
Plant tall-growing crops such as okra, pole beans and corn on the north side of other vegetables to avoid shading. Plant two or more rows of corn for better pollination.
Make a second planting within two to three weeks of the first planting of snap beans, corn and squash.
Within three to four weeks of the first planting, plant more lima beans and corn. Remember: for better pollination, plant at least two or more rows.
Be sure to plant enough vegetables for canning and freezing.
Cultivate to control weeds and grass, to break crusty soil and to provide aeration.
Maintain mulch between rows.
For the crops planted earlier, side-dress as described above.
Plant tender herbs.
Remember: Do not work in your garden when the foliage is wet to avoid spreading diseases from one plant to another.

Happy Gardening!

Add Organic Matter, Water Deeply for Healthy Tomato Plants-A Guest Post by Michael Wheeler

April 6, 2016 by Becky Griffin

This week we are happy to have UGA Hall County Extension Agent, Michael Wheeler, as a guest blogger to give us a refresher on growing tomatoes. Michael writes….

Homegrown vegetables are a must have for many Southerners during the summer.

The one vegetable, well technically a fruit, which makes everyone’s mouth water in anticipation is the tomato. The folks I know always say the first tomato of the season is the best.
It is a known fact that homegrown tomatoes are much better than anything you can buy from the grocery store. Nothing can beat it.
Whether or not you are trying to grow tomatoes for the first time, or this is your 30th season, there are some tips to follow to make sure your harvest is plentiful.

Add Organic Matter, Water Deeply for Healthy Tomato Plants-A Guest Post by Michael Wheele — Tomato seedlings ready to go in the ground.

Before you plant, incorporate four inches of new organic matter. This will encourage the plants to explore and get established quickly.

Plant your tomatoes deep. At planting, remove the leaves from the bottom of the plant and bury about two-thirds of the stem. This deep planting causes the plant to grow roots up and down the stem that is in the ground. This extra root system will make the plant stronger and more stable as it matures.
As a UGA Extension county agent, I always tell my clients to use mulch when you plant anything. Well the same goes for veggies.
A good 2- to 3-inch layer of wheat straw will go a long way to hold back weeds, keep the plants clean from rainfall and keep the soil moist in the middle of summer.
Speaking of rain and moisture, what if we don’t get any during the summer? This is where many of the problems in growing vegetables come from — improper watering.
Water your plants so the soil stays fairly evenly moist, avoiding the extremes of it being parched and then flooded. When you do water, keep the water at the base of the plant. Wetting the leaves will only encourage diseases.
Give your tomatoes fertilizer when they are first planted. After that, they do not need much fertilization until the first tomatoes are the size of a dime or so.
Pushing your tomatoes to grow will only encourage the growth of leaves and stems, but not much fruit.
If during the summer you have problems growing tomatoes, stop by your local UGA Extension office for help identifying pests or diseases.

Thanks, Michael! Happy Tomato Gardening!

How much soil do you need to refill your raised beds?-A Guest Post by Steve Pettis

March 30, 2016 by Becky Griffin

This week we are excited to have Steve Pettis, UGA Extension Agent for Rockdale County, join us for a math lesson on raised bed gardening! Steve writes….

If you have have raised beds eventually you will need to add more soil. Over time soil compacts, organic matter dissipates, and soil erodes. So, what was once a box full of soil can end up half empty.

Bagged soil is sold by the square foot. How do you determine how many square feet of soil you need to refill the beds?

I would suggest using the formula for determining volume of a rectangular prism –

vol. of rectangular prism = a b c or length x width x height

Multiply the width, height and length in inches. Divide that by 12 inches to get cubic feet. Bags of soil will say how many cubic feet of soil are in the bag. Divide the number of cubic feet in a bag into the cubic feet of your space and you have the number of bags needed.

Thanks, Steve! Happy Gardening!

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