End of May

Just to give us some hope that winter will go away, here are a couple of pictures from May 30th, 2013 at the garden. Now true, it was a WARM winter last year so everything started growing faster. But soon, we'll see similar sights at the garden.

We might even be wishing it for it to be cooler too!

Check your engines, errr Onions

Notice how the thumb is mushing INTO
 the onion bulb. It should be firm
and hard, not mushy.

Unfortunately for us, all the rain that we continued to get at the end of 2013 has contributed to another problem in the garden. It isn't obvious because it looks like the onions are doing good. Healthy green bits are above the ground.

But...below the ground, the bulb is in a sorry state. In fact, the onions are demonstrating what happens if you over water them.

I know John and Denise both checked and found they had mushy onions. The best thing to do is to dig an onion up (or down to the onion bulb) and test to see if it is mushy.


The onion on the left  is still full, plump and firm.
The onion on the right is the one that is mushy.

If it is mushy you have two choices. Dig it up and then remove the mushy bits and use it as you would a green onion. Or, leave it to grow and see what happens.

If you let it continue growing, it may bulb but it won't have good keeping qualities. You would need to eat them right away when you harvest them. (Just remove and toss any mushy bits. The remaining part is fine to use..)

At this point, why not just remove them and have space for more plants this spring.  Or you can replant onions and get another change of growing a nice sized onion. Maybe this is the last of the nasty side effects of too much rain in 2013!

The onion sets in the shed have been removed as they too were past their prime for planting.  Denise is going to put some fresh ones in the shed early next week if you are thinking about planting onions this spring.  Spring planted onions will do very well however the bulbs will be somewhat smaller compared to those planted in the fall. Small size but still great tasting!! Mmmmmm....

                     Vicki

Daffodils or Jonquils?

Do you call them Daffodils or Jonquils? Actually they are Narcissus but who really cares as they are so cheery, hardy and make everyone happy when they bloom.

There are two words of warning about them, don't eat the bulbs as they are toxic and some varieties may cause a rash from the sap after the flower has been cut. However, it is very easy to keep the sap from dripping on you when you cut the flowers. And once you plant the bulbs no one is likely to eat them.

The potential problems are more than made up for by how long daffodils last as a cut flower and in the yard. The flowers will actually dry in the vase if you ignore them and then you'll have daffodil flowers for months. (Ask me how I know....)  Some varieties even have a lovely smell. But best of all they have that wonderful, cheery yellow color that is so welcome when it is still cold and dreary and you don't think spring will ever, ever get here.

 If bad weather comes along and bends or breaks any stems, you can cut the flowers (as well as any buds.) Bring them in the house, put them in a vase and the buds will open. One year we had quite a bit of bad weather and I ended up with many bent/broken stems. I figured I had nothing to lose so I cut the stems with buds just above the bend, stuck them in a vase and 99% of them opened. Those that didn't they weren't even close to opening when I cut them. But I figured why not try. I had nothing to lose and a lot to gain. 

Daffodils come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes, bloom times, doubled and single flowers. I have one clump that tends to bloom several weeks before any others have buds starting to swell. If you want to learn all about the different bloom times ,Gibbs Gardens  up in Ball Ground has a magnificent planting of daffodils. Actually, more than magnificent as they have 50 acres planted with 20 million daffodil bulbs and they used 60 different cultivars in their plantings. Right now is prime time to go visit and marvel.

The daffodils in these pictures are from my yard as I went on a daffodil binge 15 or 20 years ago and planted them everywhere. I really enjoy looking out at this time of year and there is a spot of color out every window.

Soil Temperatures for Peas!

Hey Everyone,

I have had some very good questions in relation to the best time to plant peas.  The key to growing a good set of peas in the spring is to get them up and out of the ground quickly to prevent the seeds from rotting in soils that are both cool and wet.  It is also imperative to get them in the ground early as once daytime temperatures reach into the 80's their production completely shuts down.

Peas take 4 - 5 weeks to germinate at soil temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit, about 13 days at 50 degrees, and just 7 - 10 days when the soil warms to 60 degrees.   They will actually germinate with ground temperatures anywhere from 40 F to 85 F with their optimum falling around 75 F.  We are definitely in the ground temperature range to get them planted, STAT!

Sugar Sprint Snap Pea

For spring planting look for varieties that have a little heat tolerance built in.  Lincoln and Wando are two wonderful old time shelling varieties that do very well in the spring. Plants stand about 30" tall and they bear prolifically being able to take some of the early warm temperatures without shutting down their production.  However, these two varieties do require pro-active preventative maintenance for keeping powdery mildew at bay.  For those who like the snap peas, Sugar Sprint and Super Sugar Snap are wonderful varieties with incredible flavor that have excellent disease resistance to powdery mildew built right in.  My favorite snow pea is Oregon Sugar Pod II.  I cannot say enough good things about this snow pea variety.  The production is incredible as it produces two pods per each node on healthy disease free plants.  I have grown these for years with much success and they do extremely well in our community garden setting.

Green Meadows Healthy Garden Tip:

As with most vegetables avoid working with your pea plants when they are wet and try to keep foliage as dry as possible by watering at the base of the plant.  If picking peas in the morning, it is wise to make sure all dew is off the plant first.  These simple steps go a long way in preventing disease.  Decide if you will be pro-active or re-active with your pest protection and keep an eye out for aphids.  These are usually the first pests to arrive in the spring garden and pea plants provide good cover for them.  Compost teas, Actinovate, and AzaMax are wonderful organic approaches for promoting health, preventing disease, and keeping insects at bay.

As a special note - plants in the allium family such as onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots have a tendency to stunt the growth and production of pea plants.  For this reason, it is wise to plant them at the opposite end of the bed.

For those who would like additional information on planting and growing peas a link to Burpee is below for your convenience.  Its information is very straightforward and it contains the proper method for freezing any excess that some may find useful as well.  I have also placed a link to a very nice article on the differences in productivity between different varieties of snow peas.  This is excellent information for those who like getting the most bang for their buck out of their gardens.

http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/peas/all-about-peas-article10250.html - link to a straightforward article from Burpee on growing peas as well as instructions for freezing them after harvest.

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/snowpeas?page=0,0 - link to a very nice article on snow peas and the differences in productivity between varieties.

Happy Gardening,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29

Signs of Spring

This winter has been quite a ride weather wise. Not like a merry-go-round, but like a roller coaster. It is a wonder we don't have whip-lash as we've gone from freezing Polar Vortex lows to sunny late spring like temperatures in a matter of days. This year, we had the 2nd Polar Vortex come to visit us at the same time there was a pollen alert out. How mixed up is that!

 

I have a love/hate relationship with red maple flowers. Love to see them because it means winter is getting closer to the end. But I hate them because I get hay fever. Because this year was so cold, I actually was watching and hoping for the flower buds to swell and pop open. (If you look at the trees right now, maples have a red haze to them which is what their flowers look like from the distance.) 

But I ONLY have a love, love, love relationship to the sights and sounds of sandhill cranes as they migrate through. Even though some years they start heading north in January, they still are a sign (to me) that spring is coming.


How do I know these are sandhill cranes, not geese? In Georgia, Canada Geese are non-migratory. The geese that you do see flying are generally low to the ground and in very small V's.  Sandhill cranes (unless they are coming down for a landing or taking off) fly very high above the tree line.



Hal Massie got a great picture of a large V plus a mass of swirling birds. The mass of cranes are "swirling" up in the sky to catch a better thermal to fly in.  (Thermal's are good because it gives migrating birds a boost, like a tail wind behind a plane.)  It is fascinating to watch them swirl up, up, up in the sky and then suddenly shoot out into a new thermal and form up into V's.

 

Another way to tell whether you are watching  cranes versus geese is to listen to their calls. They sound completely different! Here is a link to listen to the Sandhill crane call . The first sound is what you frequently here in the sky above you. If you are a sandhill aficionado, the mere hint of their call will cause you to drop what you are doing, race through the house, tripping on everything, to stand outside and scan the skies trying to see them in the air.

 

Not that I love weeds but after such a hard winter, I'm even glad to see the winter weeds popping up in the mulch layer even though I know they need to be pulled sooner than later.

There are smells to the signs of spring too - daphne and winter blooming honeysuckle are delicious if you get a hint of them.

And we mustn't forget watching, watching, watching, impatiently watching and waiting for that darned daffodil to FINALLY open. By the time this post is done it will hopefully have opened!

Vicki

Work Day - Saturday March 8th

We would like to welcome all our new gardeners and look forward to rekindling our old friendships from the past couple years. Saturday March 8th  from 10 am to 12 noon is the first workday for 2014. Hopefully we will have beautiful weather and a huge mulch pile to spread.

If you have a few extra minutes this week, it would be greatly appreciated if everyone would work on removing weeds and those pesky wild onions in the common areas (under the pecan trees and the two big paths). That way we'll be more efficient when we spread the mulch on Saturday. Even without spreading mulch, we still have a lot of other tasks to accomplish!

What  are the goals for Saturday?

• Clean out the shed
• Mulch Common Areas....
• Dig holes for the blueberries and plant them
• Dig  the iris out and pot them up
• Weed in the orchard besides in the common areas, pollinator & sunflower beds
• Weed around the beds in the Special Needs area
• Work on the compost bins and turn them
• Mulch Common Areas....
• Rake out all the loose leaves in the border with the apple trees
• Cut back the herbs in the sunflower beds
• Deadhead and cut off dead foliage on the pansies
• Mulch Common Areas....
• Cleaning up the bed under the sign

Be sure to bring your own hand tools and a weeding bucket. If you have a stiff tined rake (like the person in the picture) that would be useful too as we only have a couple and it is easier to spread the mulch with them.

Don't forget to bring water and sunscreen also.

      Mike and Vicki

Gardening Classes Offered this Spring

Cobb County Extension and the Cobb Master Gardeners are offering a wide selection of classes to the public this spring in a variety of locations. (See partial list below.) The best way to keep up with what is offered year round is to check the Cobb County Extension Blog

Green Meadows Community Garden will continue their Bed Time Stories education series in the spring and fall as well. (A short gardening related talk followed by a brief walk through the garden.)

Also, the Cobb County Library offers a free online vegetable gardening class that I found quite good when I took it last year.  Link and Course description

Culture of Fruits & Berries

Tuesday, March 5, 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Free and open to the public.  Presented in the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.). Please preregister by calling 770-528-4070.

Spring Vegetable Gardening and Early Disease Management

Saturday, March 8, 11:00 a.m. – noon.  Free and open to the public. Presented by Amy Whitney, of UGA Extension/Cobb County, at Crossroads Community Garden, Chestnut Ridge Christian Church, 2663 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta, 30062. Please preregister by calling 770-528-4070.

If Plants Could Talk – a Cherokee Relationship

Friday, March 14, noon to 1:00 p.m. Free and open to the public. Presented by Master Gardener Tony Harris 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.). Learn how the Cherokee used plants for food, medicine, tools, weapons, shelter, and ceremonial purposes. Please preregister by calling 770-528-4070.

Tomatoes 101

Tuesday, March 18, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. Presented by Renae Lemon, of UGA Extension/Cobb County, at the Powder Springs Library, 4181 Atlanta Street, Powder Springs, GA 30127. Please preregister by calling 770-528-4070.

Seed Saving for the Vegetable Garden

Thursday, March 20, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Free and open to the public. The class will be presented by Amy Whitney, of UGA Extension/Cobb County, in the second floor classroom at 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Please preregister by calling 770-528-4070. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. 

 

Tomatoes 101

Tuesday, March 25, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. Presented by Renae Lemon, of UGA Extension/Cobb County, at the Sweetwater Valley Library in the Threadmill Mall Complex.  5000 Austell-Powder Springs Rd., Suite 123, Austell, GA 30106.  Please preregister by calling 770-528-4070.

 

Vegetable Garden Basics

Thursday, March 27, 6:30 - 8:00 pm. Free and open to the public. Presented by Amy Whitney, of UGA Extension/Cobb County in the second floor classroom at 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Please preregister by calling 770-528-4070. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. 

 

Moving to Organics in the Vegetable Garden

Tuesday, April 8, 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Free and open to the public. Presented by Amy Whitney, of UGA Extension/Cobb County at Mt. View Regional Library at 3320 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta, GA 30066. Please preregister by calling 770-528-4070.

 

Beauty of Bulbs

Friday, April 11  noon to 1:00 p.m. Free and open to the public. Presented by Master Gardener Debra Stockton as part of the ongoing Lunch & Learn series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, in the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).  Please preregister by calling 770-528-4070.

 

For more information, please contact Cobb County Extension at (770) 528-4070, visit www.cobbextension.com, or email uge1067@uga.edu.

 

 

 

 

Harvesting the carrots

Vann and Aiden collecting the reward for all their hard work.
Wow! Look at how big the carrots are!  And the carrot tops weren't that big.
 



Carrots for dinner tonight. YUM!

Cobb County Library Book Sale

It is that time of year again! The Cobb County Library Sale will be held at Jim R Miller Park  (the Fairgrounds) in Exhibit Halls A & B.  The street address is 2245 Callaway Road, Marietta, GA 30008, right off of Powder Springs Road.

Hours for the sale are:
Friday March 7 - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday March 8 -  9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday March 9 -  1:00 to 5:00 pm.

Materials for sale include books for all ages in both hardcover and paperback, DVDs, Music CDs, Books on CD and Audiocassette, and magazines. Prices range from 10 cents to $5.00.

There is plenty of free parking. Acceptable forms of payment are cash and checks only. (No ATM in the building.)  On Friday electronic devices are not permitted until after 1:00 pm. While we hope you will buy lots of materials, we are only able to sell up to 2 boxes of items at a time. Please plan to pay and take items to your vehicle before coming in to shop some more. On Sunday we will be working to sell out the exhibit halls so please come to buy, buy, buy.

All profits from this sale go directly to buying more items for the 16 libraries in the Cobb County Public Library System.

If you have questions or would like to volunteer please call Patty Latch at 770-528-2345 or email latchp@cobbcat.org.             

Things Are Heating Up At Green Meadows!

Hey Everyone,

Well one week of nice weather and we probably all want to get out the bikinis and speedos.  It's not quite that warm yet, so keep those clothes on for a while longer.

As if I needed an excuse to run over to the garden, I thought it would be a nice time to take a temperature reading after the warm weather this week and the rain last night.  This would provide an accurate account of just where things stand.

Things are definitely heating up...............................

Soil Temperatures - Spring 2014 - Friday 2/21

All temperatures were taken between 4:15 and 4:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon. The sampling included 20 beds, five from each section.

Of the beds checked, our coolest was number 22 with a temperature of 54.3 degrees Fahrenheit.  As anticipated, this bed would be somewhat cooler in temperature compared to others in that section due to the nice mulch layer of pine bark nuggets.  The bed next-door (number 23) was a full 5 degrees warmer without any evidence of mulch on top of the soil. 

Our warmest bed is number 43 in the process of preparing to improve soil structure.  The temperature in this bed was 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit.  It is too early to tell if one area of the garden is warmer than another as at this point readings are well mixed in each section.  

After some basic math, the garden average at this time is 59.6 degrees Fahrenheit.  In looking at the extended 10-day forecast, they are predicting four nights below freezing with one in the teens next week.  This will take our ground temperatures back a bit.  It will be interesting to see if we are able to hold on to any of the rapid gain from this week. 

Happy Gardening,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29   

Am I Ready For Spring Planting!

Hey Everyone,

All this wonderful weather is bringing us out to work on our beds and many are wondering when the right time to plant may be.  For the greatest success, it is important to look at several indicators other than just the weather or a date on the calendar before planting out.

Welcome to our garden Reagan!
Love your boots! 

While the sun is shining and the air temperatures have us chomping at the bit, the soil temperatures and workability are what is the most important.  Also, keep in mind how you will care for your seedlings and transplants once the cold weather returns.  Am I prepared for a frost and/or potentially a hard freeze?

Soil Temperatures - Spring 2014:

I took our initial baseline temperatures for spring planting last Sunday afternoon.  The soil temperatures in the garden are running between 39 - 48 degrees for all uncovered beds.  Those who have been diligent with their frost protection have temperatures currently in the mid 50's.  As one would expect the temperatures vary depending on how much sun and windbreak each bed receives.  We do have one exceptionally warm bed showing early signs of germination with a soil temperature of 58.9 degrees.  This bed will be the subject of another post.  Way to go Amy!

So what is the proper soil temperature for planting?  If you are direct sowing seed, each vegetable packet will list the optimum range for germination and the start of sustained growth. This is not the air temperature, but the temperature required of the ground.  You will also see a number for how many days it takes the seeds to germinate.  Take Redventure celery for example, the soil temperature needed to break dormancy of the seed is 55 -70 degrees Fahrenheit.  Germination will likely occur within 10 - 20 days.  This means if you plant the celery seed now, it will do nothing, wait until the soil temps rise to 55 degrees and it will probably take right around 20 days.  Let the soil warm a bit more and germination will occur more rapidly.  When the soil temperatures rise over 70 degrees, the higher end of the celery's spectrum, the rates for success at germinating the celery seed will then start to decline rapidly.  Also, keep in mind that many vegetables like celery will perform better as a transplant vs. direct sowing.

Mike, Sue, & Amy
Enjoying some time in the garden!

Most often, sowing seeds outside their normal temperature range leads to spotty germination, rotting, molding, and/or losing all viability within the ground.  If you are lucky enough for germination to occur, tremendous care will be needed to raise healthy plants as the environment is not yet conducive for sustaining the demand of their early growth.

What if I start with transplants?  If you start your garden with transplants that you have purchased or raised indoors, it is easy to follow the same guidelines.  If you utilize that same variety of celery as a transplant, it still requires the proper growing environment to do well.  This includes adequately warmed soil temperatures within the plants range to sustain that early growth.  There is nothing wrong with buying the plants now as you find them, however, it is beneficial to pot them up, prepare the garden bed with an environment conducive to your plant's needs, inoculate them to resist early pests and disease, and when soil temperatures are optimum, you are ready to go.

Green Meadows Healthy Garden Tip:

Planting in soils that have not properly warmed often sets the stage for the fungal attacks of many undesirable plant diseases.  It also weakens otherwise healthy transplants to the point they become vulnerable to assaults from a variety of pests.  This in turn fosters the use of additional pesticides and fungicides not only just for you but also for the community garden as a whole since disease and insects know no boundaries and will rapidly spread elsewhere.  Taking small steps to keep the garden healthy ensures we all get the most back from the time and effort we put in.

Definition of Soil Workability Explained:

Wonderful, workable soil with
a texture perfect for growing carrots!

So what does sow in early spring when the ground is workable really mean?  While we would like to think if the ground isn't frozen, it is workable.  Unfortunately, this isn't necessarily the case. Workable soil means the frost is completely worked out at all levels and no pockets remain.  The texture of the soil, although cool, is every bit as nice and easily amendable similar to what we would expect months from now.  Microbial life is coming out of hibernation and we see signs of its largest life form (the earthworm) being a little less sluggish.  The moisture content and soil temperatures are carefully balanced to prevent seeds from mold and rot and the environment is ready and conducive for young seedlings and transplants to thrive.  This is also a wonderful time to peek in on your pH and see if any attention is required.

It will be interesting to take another temperature reading this weekend to see how the warmer weather has affected things this week.  Over the next several weeks, we will be watching as things heat up for the planting season and once again be running our Chilly Nilly, Garden Hottie, and Average Joe/Jane contests for prizes.  I hope you will enjoy and follow along with us!

Happy Gardening,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29

Tool Safety and Garden Reminders

Just a few reminders for the garden

Trash those wild onions! Composting works but don't tempt fate with those wild onions.

Prevent tripping Hazards

Clean and put up any tools and equipment you use.

       Thanks!

What a big mess of wild onions someone removed when they weeded.
Only thing is...wild onions need to be trashed, not composted.



Uh oh.....this shovel is all dirty....
 

Now it is nicely washed and ready to hang up on the wall of the shed.
Less to sweep out of the shed next time it is swept.


  

Hmmm...someone forgot to put the tools up and sweep out the wheelbarrow.
 



An accident waiting to happen
 

Safety conscious - no one will trip over these tools.



A fork or a shovel - which is the best to use when turning the soil

Shovel and spading fork

Officially there is no "right" tool to use. But on a more personal level, everyone has a preference. I prefer using a spading fork because the tines are flat and broad. (Also it has a short handle which works great for short people.)

Taller friends of mine use a pitch fork because the handle is longer. The drawback is that the tines are thin and spiky though the tines are closer together than the tines of the spading fork.  My tall friends have used the spading fork but after awhile, it kills their back because the handle is too short for them.

You can  just use a shovel (long or short handled depending on your height) to turn the soil as well.

 Here you can see the progression of digging with the spading fork. The first forkful there is kind of a clump of dirt. The second forkful, it is falling through the tines. If you think your soil might be a little too wet, this is a great tool to use to prevent making clumps of dirt.

I also find that when I'm mixing in my amendments they tend to blend better when I use the spading fork. Kind of like a whisk works to blend flour and sugar in a bowl.  Shovels tend to make it harder for me to mix my amendments. But I do know people who only use a shovel and still have beautiful, to die for, soil.

 As you can see, when using a shovel, the first shovelful of dirt is a big clump. It will take more effort to keep from creating a bed full of clumping wet clods if the soil is too wet.

A compromise if you aren't certain about your soil moisture level is to turn/fluff your soil with the spading fork for as long as your back can handle it and then mix in your soil amendments with a shovel.

But really, it all boils down to what YOU like and what YOUR body can tolerate! As long as you end up with beautiful, healthy, fertile soil, it doesn't matter what you use to turn it.

What is Sifting the Soil?

A number of gardeners have asked "What do you mean when you say sifting when you talk about soil rejuvenation." 


Cheryle ready to sift the soil in her bed

That is really a good question and it isn't necessarily obvious. Sift? You sift flour and sugar together when making a cake to lighten the texture but how does that work with soil rejuvenation and bed preparation.

 In the garden we use a huge wheelbarrow as our "bowl" and have a piece of hardware cloth nailed into a wooden frame as our "sifter". Place the frame over the wheelbarrow, shovel dirt on top of it and then move the dirt around with your hands.

Sifting removes lovely critters like these grubs (Yuck).  Grubs are really bad critters to have in your vegetable bed since they eat the roots of your tender seedlings. The other bad bugs you want to look for are wireworms and centipedes.

Wireworms eat into root vegetables which spoils them and centipedes eat tiny earthworms. You want earthworms in your garden bed because they are beneficial to your soil structure. The earthworms aerate and leave behind worm castings which is highly desirable.

The other reason you sift the soil is to remove rocks and sticks as well as make the soil "fluffy". If you are trying to grow carrots the lighter and fluffier the soil the better. Also, if a carrot hits a rock or stick, it has to grow around or over it and you end up with carrots that aren't straight and perfect.

The good news is that once you sift your bed to remove "stuff" you don't have to sift it again unless you add amendments that have large bits of "stuff" in them.

Vicki

Soil Moisture - The Tree Bears Way

Too DRY - notice it is pouring out of my hand

Yes...the Three Bears are visiting the garden again! Before you work on your soil or try to plant, you have to look and determine, is the soil TOO wet, TOO dry or JUST right.

 If it is too dry, that is easily solved. Water lightly, wait a couple of hours and then the soil moisture content should be just right. If it is too wet you have to wait for it to dry out.

Too WET - notice it is a wet clump ready to bake

But what if we enter a rainy spell! You need the bed (soil) to dry out but you don't want the rain (or sleet and snow) to add more moisture to the bed than is already there. It can be very aggravating trying to get the timing right. See the previous post about covering your bed to keep OUT rainwater out.  Using plastic to keep water out

It is hard to describe what Too Dry, Too Wet and Just Right look like. Once you learn it, then you just know it. Hopefully these pictures are worth a thousand words!

Why does it matter? If the soil is too dry, it doesn't tuck around the roots of the plant easily. Too wet you create clumps that dry and make hard lumps.  Just right is when the soil stays where you want it and is loose and friable, a total delight to work with.



Just Right
 a clump but it is breaking apart easily

Why keep water out of your bed?

Greg just used a tarp and weighed it down with his bags of dirt
Notice the puddle of water in the back corner that collected
from a rain.

You've decided that now is the time to turn your bed and prepare it for spring. After looking at the weather forecast you see there is one day in the middle of the five day forecast that it is going to rain and put more moisture in your bed than you want. (Too much moisture in the soil when you are working with it destroys the soil structure.)

What to do, what to do.

Why you can do what Vann did and Greg, Cheryle and Dianne are doing. Put a lovely layer of plastic on your bed! That way when it does rain, it runs off and the soil is still workable.

Cheryle bought a roll of plastic to use. The remainder of the roll
is in the shed on the counter and can be used by anyone.

One other thing to remember, look at the hourly weather predictions each day besides just the 10 day forecast. Sometimes the hourly shows rain is likely while the 10 day doesn't show any rain. You don't want to have an unpleasant surprise when the hourly is right!

Be sure and cover your soil if you intend to plant and rain is predicted before you'll  be able to do so.  Otherwise, you'll have that pesky too wet to plant situation to wait out.

The extra effort really pays off!

Dianne used two shower curtains.

The Annual Cobb County 4-H Sale is here again

There is still plenty of time to support the Cobb County 4-H Club plant sale

Cobb County 4-H Club is having its annual plant sale and prepaid orders will be accepted through Friday, March 7th. This year’s assortment includes blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, figs, muscadines, Admiral Semmes azalea, crape myrtles, edgeworthia, heuchera, forsythia, viburnum, quince, ferns and loropetalum.

Plants must be picked up at Jim Miller Park on Saturday, March 15 (one day only) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information about the plants, including pricing and specific varieties available, pick up a copy of the 4-H Plant Sale flyer-and-order-form at the Cobb County Cooperative Extension office or download one from our website. To download, go to the homepage, then click on the button below the words

Two free seminars will be presented. The first one will be on Monday March 3rd, 6:30 - 8:00pm - Growing and Caring for Ornamentals.  The 2nd one is Growing and Caring for Fruit Plants which willl be presented 6:30-8 p.m., Wednesday March 5th.

Both classes will be held at at the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive , Marietta. Registration is required. For more information, visit Cobb County Extension or call 770-528-4076.

Photos Before the Big Melt Thursday, 2/13/14, ~11:00 AM