FACES - a GREAT resource for us to use

FACES ? A resource? Yes, it is a great resource to use.

Georgia FACES is the online news service of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, including UGA Cooperative Extension and the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations. They publish all kinds of great research based articles and information.

Here is a link to the Spring Garden 2013 media kit. I haven't had time to look at everything in it but I've included links to three of the interesting articles in the kit.

Remove all blossoms on new fruit trees and bushes
I hate the idea of having to remove ALL the blossoms on my 3 blueberries that I just planted but I guess I'll be out there cutting them off this weekend. And I'm thinking we'll have to go up to the orchard at the garden and remove ALL the blooms that appear on our pears, plums, apples, & figs as well. Boo hoo hoo.

Adding Organic Matter and Growing Tomatoes
This article addresses the importance of adding organic matter to your garden as well as fertilizing and watering tomatoes to make them healthy.

Deadheading pansies
Why should you deadhead pansies? Because if you don't deadhead them, they convert their energy into making seeds versus blooms.

How many pansies do you see in this picture that have started this process? (By the way, after this picture was taken, they were cut off!)

This is actually important to remember all year round.  The purpose of a plant is to make seeds and fruit.

If you don't dead head flowers (zinnias, marigolds, etc.) or pick the fruit (tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, etc.) the plant says AH HA! I'm going to succeed and quits making new flower buds.

Once you've dead headed the plant or picked the fruit, the plant goes Dang It! and starts making new buds to make new flowers.