Upcoming Cobb County Extension Events

The following events are available through Cobb County Extension.

http://cobbextension.blogspot.com/

Bluebird Trail Tour

Saturday, October 4, 10:00 a.m. –Noon. Free and open to the public. Cobb Master Gardener and Bluebird expert Jim Bearden will conduct a guided walk of the 2.3-mile Bluebird Trail at Green Meadow Preserve Park, at 3780 Dallas Hwy., Powder Springs, GA, 30127. Follow the Bluebird Trail blog at bluebirdtrail.blogspot.com.

 

Thyme to Read Book Club

Friday, October 10, 10:30 -11:30 a.m. Book club sponsored by Cobb County Master Gardeners will meet at the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.). This month’s book is The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton. November’s book will be The Founding Gardeners, by Andrea Wulf.  Schedule and information can be found at www.cobbmastergardeners.com. Free and open to the public.

Landscaping and Septic Tanks

Friday, October 10, noon-1:00 p.m. Presented by Cobb County Extension Horticulture Agent Neil Tarver, as part of the ongoing Lunch & Learn series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Trees of Our Lives: Small Native Trees for the Landscape

Tuesday, October 14, 7:00-8:00 p.m.  Presented by Master Gardener Dawn Hines, as part of the ongoing Gardeners Night Out presentation series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at South Cobb Regional Library, 805 Clay Road, Mableton, 30126.

Free Onion Sets - Back by Popular Demand!

I thought it might be nice to kick off the official start of the fall season with some free onion sets.  That's right; they're back by popular demand!  Onions do so well at Green Meadows and are among the variety of crops requiring very little care and maintenance.

Get them while they last!
Fresh off the truck!

This wonderful member of the allium family is suitable for planting in either the spring or the fall.  However, planting the sets in the fall will yield substantially larger bulbs vs. those that are planted in the spring.

Onions do well with all of the leafy greens and root crops.  They are especially good neighbors for members of the brassica family, as they are known to repel many of the pests that affect these plants.

About the only bad companions are members of the legume family which includes your peas and beans and some references do make mention of sage.  If legumes are in your plans for the spring and early summer, it is important to locate the onions in an area away from where you plan to put these.

Squirrels can become problematic at Green Meadows for digging them up so any defensive measures to prevent their actions will serve you well.

All three varieties in the shed are good for scallions and dry storage onions.  They are also well suited to indoor growing.  The link below is to the Old Farmer's Almanac with some nice planting tips and if we can do anything to help, just let us know.  In raised garden beds, they can easily go 4 inches apart in all directions.  It is important to note that the spacing between rows mentioned in the article is for those directly planting into the conventional garden.

http://www.almanac.com/plant/onions - link to The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Happy Fall,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29

Building your soil and grub removal

I have been talking and emailing with Denise about soil building and she had some excellent advice I want to share with you. It was one of those AH HA! moments. Actually there were several AH HA!! moments because it explained things I was subliminally aware of not knowing (grin).

It has never been really clear in my head at what depth I should add the various soil amendments nor how to calculate how much to add back to the bed after I took out my tomato dirt.

What is tomato dirt?
That is the soil that was UNDER your tomato plants during the spring/summer gardening season. In a small 4' x 8' bed it is very difficult to rotate your vegetables very effectively to lower your disease pressure. To increase the chance of successfully growing tomatoes in the same bed the next year, we highly recommend you remove the tomato dirt and then plant the tomatoes at the opposite end of the bed.  EVERY YEAR.

In the fall you are replacing the volume of the tomato dirt that was removed as well as replenishing soil nutrients. In the spring you are adding in amendments to replace the nutrients your plants used during the fall, winter and early spring. In other words, the amount you add in the spring is less than in the fall - usually.

What level your soil amendments should be incorporated:

Our beds are 12 inches deep. You need a base level of 8 inches of soil before you start incorporating any amendments.

If you are starting with one of the beds that has been half emptied out (see picture to the side), fill it with the bagged topsoil until there are only 4 inches remaining (after grub removal and sifting - see bottom of this post for link and why you want to do this). I would mix the bagged topsoil with the soil from the original bed so it is blended well before mixing in any amendments.

You are making a soil cake here and want all your ingredients well blended!

For the healthiest production from soil that provides nutrients on a constant and balanced level, it is important to consider a few different concepts when adding amendments and at what depth to add them.  

1)  Consider the root structures (the main and feeder roots) of what you will grow to make sure food will be readily available at all levels.  For example - if you were growing radishes with short roots. If all your soil amendments were at a depth of 8 inches and below, the plant would be totally dependent on your fertilization practices above ground to thrive or the theory that your soil is already healthy and productive.

2)  Consider your additions.  For example, if you are adding items like leaves, coffee grounds and egg shells, they would be considered unfinished compost items. They need to be placed lower in the soil, closer to the reach of the earthworms.  This will speed their decomposition into available nutrients deep within the soil so when the plant roots get there the food is readily available.

3)   If soil life is already healthy, meaning full of life and visible activity (worms are excellent indicators), turning amendments into the top layers enhances the activity and appetite of earthworms, fungi, and bacteria.  They will all work in harmony to take matter deep within the soil wherever it needs to go. Nutrients will then be readily available at all levels for healthy root development and balanced plant nutrition.
    

Gardeners Math, Part 1

How to calculate how much to add to build up your bed
Our gardening beds are 4' x 8' = 32 square feet.

To replace a third of the bed - you need 10.67 cubic feet of amendments

To replace a quarter of the bed - you need 8 cubic feet of amendments

Jungle Grow  - 2 cubic feet

Mushroom Compost - 1.2 cubic feet

Black Kow Cow Manure  - 1.2 cubic feet

Worm castings (entire bag from Pike's) -  1 cubic foot

Bag of Top Soil   - 1 cubic feet

If you are building a bed from scratch you would need 21 bags to create your 8 inch base layer.

Vermiculite really doesn't take up that much space as it is more of a fine powder that is incorporated through out the bed when you mix it in. It is wonderful at absorbing and then releasing moisture and nutrients back as needed.

Chopped up leaves fluff the area up but don't keep much bulk in the bed after a couple of weeks. It just provides lots of good organic matter while decomposing and feeding the worms.

Coffee grounds and egg shells also don't provide much bulk but are very good additives because the worms utilize them. Whatever makes the worms happy, makes the plants happy.

If your soil has been depleted by heavy feeders you need to ramp up your additives to support growing tomatoes in the spring. And also so your fall and winter vegetables will do well. If your bed doesn't have many worms definitely add in the things that will make them happy because the more worms you have, the better your plants will do.

Compost Tea and Coffee grounds will help activate microbes and get your worms going in your bed before the cold weather arrives. This helps to build healthy soil which leads to healthy plants.  Compost Tea and Coffee grounds are also known to repel some insects and grubs are listed as one of them in the book, Teaming with Microbes, by Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis.

Approximate Cost of Amendments

Jungle Grow - $6.98

Black Kow Cow Manure - $4.98

Mushroom Compost - $3.96
Worm Castings (20 lb bag) - $20.99

Top Soil -$1.29

Coffee grounds - ask anywhere they brew and serve a lot of coffee if they will save it for you. You need 5 pounds of coffee (with filters) for your bed in the fall and again in the spring.  As for the filters, I just tear them into strips and then into smaller pieces before I dig them in my bed.

Grub Removal:
We highly recommend you work on removing the grubs before filling or refilling your bed with dirt. It makes a world of difference. There is a reservoir of grubs in the first 2 to 3 inches of the red clay that the beds are sitting on. They WILL work their way up into the bed.

Also, if your bed has never been sifted and you plan on growing carrots, now is the time to do it when you have LESS dirt in the bed! If you just got a bed and you don't know if your bed has been sifted, just ask us.  There is not a need for sifting amendments.  However, if you notice any rocks or large particles from their processing, you will want to pick those out.

Here is link to a previous post on how to sift, what to look for and what equipment to use
http://greenmeadowscommunitygarden.blogspot.com/2014/02/what-is-sifting-soil.html

When I dug down through my bed and into the red clay area in Fall 2012, I found 110 grubs. I did it again Spring 2013 and only found 30 grubs. Each time I find fewer grubs moving up through my soil because I've cleared out my reservoir of resident grubs. Unfortunately, you will always have some grubs because you miss a couple and because new ones are "deposited".  Denise's soil continues to remain grub free, with never more than a couple, through what we expect is due the use of compost tea on a regular basis.

Good luck building your soil for the fall/winter growing season!

Vicki & Denise 

Walkingstick Insect

Walkingstick Insect

Stick insects are some of the best camouflaged bugs in nature.  Lyndsay of bed number 11 found one hanging out on the shed door last Friday when she went to unlock it.  What a rare treat!

We can determine that this particular walkingstick is a male due to the pinchers located on the rear end.  The male uses these pinchers to clasp and hold the abdomen of a female while they breed.  Mating can last anywhere from several hours to over a day.  Yikes!

The female of the species is one of the few insects that are able to produce unfertilized eggs (if no male is encountered) that will hatch and grow into other females.  The eggs resemble tiny seeds and most often, she will either hide them in places that are very hard to get to or drop them one by one on the ground over a scattered area. Scattering them is her natural born instinct to keep predators from finding the eggs all in one place.

Much like a mantis, the walkingstick wears its skeleton on the outside of its body.  Their bones are unable to grow like ours and when the insect grows, the exoskeleton is shed and replaced by a new and roomier version.  They also have the ability to regenerate a lost limb and some in the species can even shoot a liquid to blind their predators when encountered.  It will take a walkingstick several molts to reach the size we see here on the shed door.

If you look closely at the head of the insect, you will see that he has extended his two front legs out parallel to his antennae.  This is a defense mechanism of the walkingstick to appear larger than it is and assist in its ability to mimic a twig through camouflage.  Many times you will also see them swaying as if they were moving with the breeze offering them one of the best natural camouflages and defenses we find in nature.

This little fella is completely natural to our area and will not cause any harm in the garden.  It has been a while since we have heard that one!  While they are night feeding herbivores eating a diet of plant leaves, their appetite prefers the leaves of brambles, deciduous trees and shrubs, with a preference to oaks and hazelnuts.  If found in the garden they can be left alone, although they may nibble a little, gently moved to the edge of the woods, or placed on a tree to send them on their way.

There are over 3,000 species of the stick insect and while not on the endangered list, walkingsticks do suffer from habitat destruction, pesticide use, and their collection for the pet trade.

A big thank you goes out to Lyndsay for pointing out this most interesting bug!

Happy Gardening,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29

Free Seeds - Radishes/Carrots

Chinese Watermelon Radishes

Located in the shed are seeds for Chinese Watermelon Radishes.  These heirloom seeds came from very healthy plants grown at Green Meadows last winter and spring.  They are incredibly unique and will be the spotlight of an upcoming post.

This particular type of radish grows to the size of golf balls without any loss of flavor or quality. They should be spaced on three to four inch centers in all directions to allow for their size and growth habit.

The pods need to be shelled to obtain the seeds inside and each pod does contain several seeds.

Also in the shed are individual packets of White Satin carrot seeds from our last "Spotlight On Something Unique" post.  These are a wonderful variety that do so well at Green Meadows.  For carrots, the spacing of three inches in all directions works very well for airflow and ease of hilling and harvesting.

As if this weren't enough, I noticed the picnic table also has some freebies.  Vann has been so kind to share some seeds for her Chinese Red Noodle beans and there are some extra collards there as well.  It's like Christmas in September!

Hope you enjoy,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29

Spotlight on Something Unique - White Satin Carrots!

White Satin carrots from
Denise's garden this past April.

It doesn't take much to look at these tender morsels to the right and sum the photo up with one word, YUMMY!  One of my favorite carrots to grow for their outstanding flavor and unique appearance is White Satin.  Very similar in growth to any of the "Nantes" type carrots, this variety performs to perfection in our garden.

History shows carrots as originating in Afghanistan and initially being purple, white, or yellow.  Nature took its course, wild varieties crossbred, and many mutations of colors were born.  During the 15th century Europeans mainly grew the white carrots for cattle feed.  Today we find them hybridized into gourmet varieties and happily at home in many gardens throughout the world.

Without the presence of any pigmentation in their roots, white carrots tend to have a very smooth and rich flavor.  They still contain the desired health promoting substances called phytochemicals, which are the naturally occurring compounds that protect the body against disease.  However, if one were comparing white carrots to their orange counterparts, those with color would have a higher presence of these disease fighting compounds within them.  There is a link below to the World's Healthiest Foods website that has a very nice write up on carrots.  It will have us all saying, "What's Up Doc?"
  

White Satin carrot tops

It can be hard to recognize White Satin for the showstopper it really is, as it appears to look like any other carrot variety when growing.  Strong tops and blunt tips make harvesting from the ground a breeze.  Once pulled, the distinctive white color would have many trying to determine if they planted a carrot or a parsnip due to their similarity in appearance. Nevertheless, after smelling the rich aroma that quickly fills the air and taking a bite, you readily see you have been witness to a little piece of carrot heaven.  

White Satin is easily appreciated for its ability to grow well at Green Meadows without the presence of pest and disease issues in either the spring or fall.  Last winter, with the unexpected weather conditions, it performed the best out of any of the carrots I grew.  Overwintering was easy and as soon as the days lengthened to where the plants could photosynthesize again, they happily finished their growth cycle.  I planted carrot seeds the second and third week of September and they finished their growth the last week of April and the first week of May.    

Green Meadows Healthy Garden Tip:

Carrots are one of the crops at Green Meadows that do extremely well with either spring or fall plantings. Rarely do we find any issues with insects or disease although aphids can become a problem if neglected when they strike.  The key to success with their growth is well prepared soil, proper spacing, even moisture, and nutrients rich in potassium and phosphorous.  Keeping nitrogen to a minimum will reduce forking and overly hairy roots.  Both planting alongside something from the allium family or very light dustings with wood ashes are excellent measures for preventing carrot rust flies.  These flies lay their eggs in the top of the soil around your plants.  Upon hatching, the larva, or maggots, tunnel into the soil and then feed on the carrot roots rendering them inedible.  Avoiding any excess moisture at harvest time prevents the roots from cracking.

Most carrots planted this time of year will need to overwinter and finish their growth cycle next spring as the ground temperatures warm, the days lengthen, and the plants have the ability to photosynthesize again.  This makes it important to have a garden plan in place that allows their longevity in the soil with good plant companions.  For those that hope to have some carrots for the fall and winter holidays, choosing an early maturing variety that requires less growth time or baby carrots is your best option.

Links:

The first link below is for those who would like to read about the additional health benefits of carrots.  It will take you to the website of the World's Healthiest Foods, which has a nice article posted.

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21 - link to the World's Healthiest Foods carrot page

The seeds for this wonderful variety are easy to find and the two sites below usually have them readily available.  I will also have some extra seeds in the shed either this weekend or the first of next week for those who may want to enjoy and try their hand at overwintering.

http://www.territorialseed.com/product/White_Satin_Carrot_Seed/carrot_seed - link to Territorial Seed Company

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-7094-white-satin-f1.aspx - link to Johnny's Seed Company

The last link is to Cornell University.  Cornell has one of the most comprehensive charts on the disease resistance of different carrot varieties.  Although White Satin does not have a spot on the list, I have grown them at Green Meadows several times and they continue to surprise me with their amazing production and ease of growth in a difficult environment.

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/Tables/CarrotTable.html - link to disease resistance of different carrot varieties from Cornell University

If anyone needs assistance with how to grow carrots, setting up an environment conducive for them to do well, or the proper way to space and hill, just let us know.

Happy Gardening,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29