The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that more than 60 percent of our children do not eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables they need. Gardening is an excellent way to encourage and increase your child’s consumption of these vitamin-rich foods.

Gardening is fun, plain and simple. The process involves dirt, water and digging; it yields hours of fun; a lifetime of memories; and most importantly, fresh and tasty treats that nourish growing bodies—so much more than just plants are grown in a garden. Gardening also gives your child ownership of the fruits and vegetables they consume.

Families bond and grow together working toward a common goal; children grow and strengthen gross and fine motor skills while exercising and staying active outside; the love of learning grows through this hands-on science experiment; a healthy appetite grows by watching, understanding and appreciating the process behind the food on their plate; a sense of pride, ownership and responsibility grows inside the child that is learning to appreciate nature; and most importantly, a healthy body is grown through increased activity and access to fresh, local, healthy foods.

So, how do you start a garden with your family?

Start small by planting simple seeds.  Seeds can be started in small pots or you can get creative and use lemon rinds, egg cartons or toilet paper rolls.  Planting seeds allows children to see the very beginning of a plant and get to the root of their food, literally.

Create an herb garden and experiment with flavors. A gateway to trying new foods is often experimenting with the flavors and cooking techniques of old favorites. You can plant some basics like parsley, cilantro and basil or get creative with fun tastes like stevia and mint, which are yummy to enjoy right off the stem.  Involve your child in choosing which herbs to use with your meal.

Use fun containers for your plants. Anything with drainage (you can always drill holes in the bottom) can be a planter. Old work boots, rain boots, toy boxes, wading pools, sand buckets, coffee cans, old sinks, watering cans, tires and ice cream containers are some idea of fun containers to use for your garden. Let your children get involved and get creative.

Let your child wear the overalls in the family. Allow him to choose the plants that will be grown, harvested and eaten by your family.  Encourage a variety of old favorites, new things to try and of course, a rainbow of flavors.

A rainbow garden plan includes:

Red –  Grape Tomatoes and Strawberries
Orange –  Sweet Orange Peppers
Yellow –  Crookneck Squash
Green –  Sugar Snap Peas, Lettuce, Chard and Cucumbers
Blue –  Blueberries
Purple –  Eggplant

Facilitate the fun. Give your child ownership in their garden by allowing them to lead the way. Standing back may mean you have to sneak out and help with some garden maintenance, but the pride they’ll take in the ownership of their garden is worth it.  Encourage fun in the process by allowing them to dig in the dirt, water the plants, push their own wheelbarrow, pull the weeds and even (pretend) to mow the lawn. Older children may delight in keeping a scrapbook or journal to make their progress and success. You can regularly snap some photos too monitor the progress too. The process of gardening is just as much fun as reaping its harvest.

Celebrate the work. Cook your harvests with simple preparations to bring out the fresh flavors and encourage your child to be a part of that process as well.

Cheryl Tallman is the founder of Fresh Baby (www.FreshBaby.com). For more than 10 years, Fresh Baby helped has helped parents foster their children’s healthy eating habits and proactively respond to the childhood obesity epidemic that plagues our nation. Cheryl is the author and designer of the company’s award-winning cookbooks and nutrition education products that support many stages of family life including: pregnancy, breastfeeding, introducing solid foods, and feeding toddlers, preschoolers and school-aged children.

Buying locally grown produce is a popular trend that helps support local farmers plus gets food on the table soon after it is harvested.

Think about if you could grow just a few items in the landscape for a source of instant food from landscape to table in a matter of minutes. Placing home-grown food on the table at meal time provides a great feeling of satisfaction and also gives bragging rights that “I grew this in the garden.”

Now is a great time to plant and grow warm-season vegetables. Some gardeners get an early start planting around March 1, but mid-March is usually a safer date to plant warm-season vegetables.

WHAT TO PLANT NOW

The first step to successful gardening is to select vegetables that you like to eat. Don’t waste your time planting eggplants if your family won’t eat them because a single plant can be prolific. Warm-season vegetables and herbs to grow now include basil, beans, Cuban oregano, cucumbers, cilantro, eggplant, lemon grass, lemon verbena, Mexican tarragon, okra, peppers, pumpkin, southern peas, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes and watermelon.

If you have limited space, get the most bang for your buck by forgetting space hogs like watermelons/cantaloupes, sweet corn, sweet potatoes and pumpkins. Instead, try cucumbers (select compact varieties or have them go up a trellis), eggplant, herbs, okra, peppers, squash and tomatoes to economize space and to receive multiple harvests.

CRITICAL NEEDS

Sunlight and water are two critical requirements for a successful garden. Fruit-bearing vegetables need six to eight hours of full sun, whereas leafy vegetables can get by with four to six hours of sun and some will tolerate light shade.

Morning sun is preferred to reduce disease problems, and a little shade in the heat of the day is a plus. Position the garden close to a water source because supplemental water is a must. Although we get a lot of rain, it’s a feast or famine scenario.

SOIL PREP

If you are planting in the ground, the first step is to prepare the soil. Remove sod, weeds, or any debris and then cultivate or turn the soil to a depth of 6 to 12 inches. At the same time, add organic matter to enrich the soil. If using composted animal manure, add 25 to 100 pounds per 100 square feet.

Do not add fresh manures to the garden because they should be composted for 90 days for above-ground crops to 120 days for below-ground crops before harvest. Instead of manures, compost is also a great organic amendment and can be added at the rate of 1 pound per square foot. In addition, mix in 2 pounds of a 10-10-10 or comparable fertilizer per 100 square feet.

Organic fertilizers are gaining in popularity because most include some beneficial microbes that encourage root development, plus plants have exhibited increased resistance to some diseases. The fertilizer rates vary based on the analysis, so refer to the label for the amount to add.

Another option is to use a slow-release fertilizer (like Osmocote) to avoid adding additional fertilizer (side dress) to plants throughout the growing season. If drainage is a problem, make rows 12 inches higher than the existing soil to help the plants survive standing water. Rake to make sure the soil is fine and free of clumps.

Don’t add lime without first knowing the soil pH. Use a garden trowel to take a slice of soil about 6 inches deep from 10 to 12 spots in the garden, mix together, air dry and place a pint of soil in a container.

Call your county extension office to see if they test soil for pH, or consider sending the sample to the Soils Lab in Gainesville for a more comprehensive test for just $7: soilslab.ifas.ufl.edu/ESTL_files/SS18700.pdf.

Vegetables like a slightly acid soil with a pH between 5.8 and 6.3.

TRANSPLANTS OR SEEDS?

Many vegetables can be purchased as transplants, which give you a head start on the growing season, while others are best directly seeded into the garden.

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and many of the herbs are typically purchased as transplants. Place transplants level with the existing soil, no deeper. The exception is tall, leggy tomatoes, which should be planted a little deeper.

Sweet potatoes are planted from cuttings (slips), but all the rest can be directly seeded in the garden soil. Check seed packs for specific planting information. For example, okra must have warm soil (70 degrees) to germinate and should be planted half an inch deep and 2 inches apart, later thinning to 12 to 18 inches apart. This isn’t included on the packet, but okra has a hard seed coat, so try soaking the okra seed in water for a few hours to overnight before planting.

Select varieties that are proven for our area. For a list of these varieties, refer to the vegetable gardening guide at edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021.

GARDEN CARE

At planting time, side-dress with 4 ounces of 10-10-10 per 10-foot row or refer to label rates if using a fertilizer with a different analysis. Apply fertilizer in bands 1 inch deep and 2 to 3 inches away from the seed row or plants.

If a slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote was incorporated during garden prep, you can skip side dressing. Otherwise, plants will need extra fertilizer several times during the growing season to encourage continued production.

Water new plants frequently for short intervals to get them established. It’s best to use low-volume irrigation, like a soaker hose or a drip tubing, to keep water off fruit and leaves.

Once plants are established, water less frequently but for longer intervals. Once seeds have germinated, apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch to conserve water and reduce weeds.

Pine straw, pine bark, or leaves (oak, maple, etc.) are all good sources that can be used as mulch now and worked into the soil at the end of the growing season to increase organic matter. To cut down on weeds, try putting down two to four layers of newspaper (black-and-white print) along the rows, moisten the newspaper, then cover with an organic mulch.

Some plants get tall and need stakes for support to keep fruit off the ground. Add the stake at planting to avoid disturbing the root system. A good example is indeterminate tomatoes, which continue to grow in height and often reach over 6 feet tall.

On the cheap, you can make your own stakes using 6-foot-long, 2-by-2-inch pieces of wood. Place the stake close to the base of the plant and, as it grows, tie the stem to the stake using soft cloth or Velcro strips. Wire cages, bamboo poles, or a trellis will also work.

Cucumbers are vining plants and can be trained to grow up a trellis to save space, or select compact varieties such as Space Master. If you don’t have space for a traditional in-ground garden, try growing a few plants in containers or add a few edible plants to landscape beds.

Large containers or grow boxes are excellent ways to grow many vegetables like tomatoes, pepper, cucumbers, or eggplants.

Large containers require less watering, so don’t skimp on the size; in this case, big is better. Select a good soil-less media that holds moisture (peat) that includes some bark to help with drainage in case we get heavy rains.

 

Terry Brite DelValle is a horticulture extension agent with the Duval County Extension Service and the University of Florida/IFAS.

It’s March, we are setting the clocks ahead this weekend and the daytime temperatures have reached above 50 degrees, but winter may still have a few last gasps before we can say spring has arrived and planting can start.

St. Patrick’s Day is a traditional day for some to plant potatoes and peas, but smart gardeners wisely check the soil temperature before planting their vegetable seed. If the soil is too cold, the seeds will sit there and may rot before sprouting and growing.

To check the soil temperature, invest in a soil thermometer. You can find one for about $10 to $15 at a local garden store or from an online garden supply company. Take the soil temperature in mid-morning by inserting the thermometer’s probe 2 inches into the soil for small-seeded crops (such as lettuce) and 4 inches into the soil for large-seeded crops (such as squash and beans). The probes of some of the soil thermometers have markings that indicate inches to make this easier.

Seeds of early spring cool-season crops can be planted when the soil temperature is 40 degrees or above. This includes lettuce, peas, kale, radishes, arugula and spinach. When the soil reaches 50 degrees, plant seeds of leeks, onions, Swiss chard and turnips. Wait until it reaches 60 degrees for planting beans, beets, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots and cauliflower, and 70 degrees for cucumbers, squash, melons and corn. The soil temperature should be consistent for several days before deciding these optimum temperatures have been reached.

Seed potatoes are best planted when the soil temperature is 45 degrees or above and daytime temperatures are consistently in the 65 degree range and nighttime temperatures in the 55 to 65 degree range.

If you are anxious to plant, warm up the soil faster by covering the garden with a sheet of clear plastic. To keep the wind from wreaking havoc with the plastic, lay it out smoothly and then pull it taut, firmly burying all the edges in trenches.

If you choose to keep the plastic in place, you can plant seeds and transplants by making holes in the plastic, but weeds will grow profusely under the plastic. In addition, the clear plastic will heat the soil to plant damaging or stressful levels during the sunny, hot part of summer unless your garden plants are big enough to shade the plastic by then.

Clear plastic works better than black plastic for warming the soil because it allows sunlight in during day and then traps heat that builds, much like a greenhouse. I recommend warming the soil with clear plastic, but removing it before planting. Gardeners also find that the soil in raised beds warms faster, and situating your garden so it receives full sun and faces south will also help.

The last average date of frost for our area is May 1. Keep in mind that tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans, cukes, squash and melons will need protection if frost is in the forecast. Row cover fabrics can provide several degrees of protection.

— Marianne C. Ophardt is a horticulturist for Washington State University Benton County Extension.

If you are making plans to amend garden soil with manure prior to spring planting, be aware of safety recommendations for manure. The key point is that fresh manure should not be applied to fruit and vegetable gardens during spring. If fresh manure is used, only apply it during fall.

Animal manures often contain microorganisms that are harmful to humans, such as Salmonella and E. coli. For this reason, the use of fresh manure is not recommended in vegetable gardens, especially during spring, where microorganisms could contaminate food as it is grown and harvested.

Composted or aged manure, which has been allowed to sit and begin to break down for at least one year, is a better choice for vegetable gardens. If fresh manure must be used, do not add it to garden soil within 120 days of the next harvest.

On vegetables with soil contact (carrots, beets, potatoes), fresh manure applications need to be made at least four months prior to harvest. On other fruit and vegetable crops, fresh manure applications should be made at least three months prior to harvest.

Horse, cow, sheep, or poultry manure is fine to use, but do not use swine manure because of the higher potential for contaminants. When manure is used as a garden soil amendment, always wash hands after working in the garden and wash all produce prior to eating it.

Other disadvantages of manure include potential for salt build-up in soil, weed seed introduction, and possible burning of roots and foliage due to high ammonia. Burning is more likely with fresh manure, especially poultry manure, which should not be applied to gardens in spring. Following this safety rule will reduce the risk of burning.

Repeated or heavy applications of manure can lead to a salt-build-up in soils which can harm plant growth. Salt content may be high in fresh manure but will decrease over time with exposure to rains and irrigation which leach salts. Feedlot manure is often high in salts since a salt additive may be used in the livestock diet.

To help avoid salt problems, limit applications to one inch of composted manure per year tilled six to eight inches deep in the soil. If manure will be used as an amendment on a regular basis, test the soil for salt content before adding large amounts. Avoid use of manure on soils that are already high in salts.

Weed seeds will be introduced into the garden through manure. If weeds are well managed in a garden, and not allowed to go to seed, this should not be a major issue. If manure is composted prior to use, don’t assume weed seed will have been killed by this process. Weed seeds will only be killed if all seeds in the pile have been subjected to compost temperatures above 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

In place of manure from a local farm, bagged and composted manure is now available at garden centers. While more costly, composted and bagged manure has fewer odors. It may be easier to haul and store, and the composting process used for commercially bagged manure may be more likely to kill weed seeds.

However, salts can become concentrated during composting as moisture is lost and volume is reduced. Many bagged manure products can still be high in salts. Also keep in mind the nitrogen in composted manure is in an organic form that will be slowly released to plants. This is also true of aged manure right off the farm.

Source: Colorado State University Extension CMG Garden Notes 242.

Kelly Feehan is a UNL extension educator-horticulture. She can be reached at (402) 563-4901 or by email at kfeehan2@unl.edu.

into your South Louisiana garden this month (frost-wary gardeners can wait until mid-March to start planting): cantaloupe, collards, corn, cucumbers, cucuzzi, lima beans, mustard, mirliton, pumpkin, radishes, snap beans, Southern peas, summer squash, Swiss chard, watermelons, winter squash. Plant transplants of the following: eggplant (late March), kohlrabi, peppers and tomatoes. Mirlitons are planted using…
http://media.nola.com/food_impact/photo/12339843-thumb_square_large.jpg003/06/201403/06/2014
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Plant seeds of the following vegetables into your South Louisiana garden this month
(frost-wary gardeners can wait until mid-March to start planting):
cantaloupe, collards, corn, cucumbers, cucuzzi, lima beans, mustard,
mirliton, pumpkin, radishes, snap beans, Southern peas, summer squash,
Swiss chard, watermelons, winter squash. Plant transplants of the
following: eggplant (late March), kohlrabi, peppers and tomatoes.
Mirlitons are planted using the entire fruit with the sprouted end
buried in the soil about 3 inches deep.

More gardening tips:

• Clean out your aquatic garden. It is advisable to do this if there is a thick layer of gunk on the bottom. It is best to get this done while the weather is cool, the plants are dormant and the fish are less active. Pond cleaning is the best time to divide and repot water and bog plants that are dormant or semi-dormant. Do not divide those in active growth, such as Louisiana irises and calla lilies.

• Continue to plant roses purchased in containers. Bare root roses available at hardware stores, garden departments of chain stores and supermarkets should have been planted last month. They should be planted immediately at this point.

• Make notes on your spring-flowering bulbs over the next few weeks while they are blooming. Record when they bloom, how well they performed and other relevant information. This will help you plan for planting this coming fall.

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By Katie Marks
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Posted Feb. 20, 2014 @ 9:40 am

by Jack McKinnon

What is a garden anyway? Why do gardens make so much difference in our lives and why do we fall in love, raise our children and grow old together in them so much better than if we live our whole lives indoors?

Jack McKinnon, garden columnist. Photo by Nicholas Wright.

Gardens provide us with several things. They give us work to do that is different than any other work. They give us discovery and wonder. And they give us unparalleled beauty. We feel different in gardens than anywhere else in our lives. We feel relaxed on a warm spring day. We feel stimulated by the chores we need to do. We feel pride in sharing with someone special a garden they have never seen before. And we feel empowered when we learn a new plant or discover something horticultural that we didn’t know before.

I can’t take you all out into a garden and show you these things nor would you want me to. They are there for you to experience and learn and share. What I can do is to point in directions that may be new or different in your garden or future gardens you may visit. I hope you visit many gardens.

Here are the tips:

1.Note new growth. Often buds open and leaves emerge and we see them only when they are mature. Notice flower buds forming and tendrils on vines, looking at how they face the sun or wrap around a nearby branch.

2. Look closely at the soil around the base of plants. See where it is in relation to the trunk of shrubs and trees and even ground covers. I see so many plants die because this relationship is out of balance. Remember that the flare of the roots is where the soil should start, not up the trunk. Rake it back with your fingers or a trowel if it is too high.

3. Look at lawns (either yours or others) and see what is growing there. Often there are many more species of plants than grass.

4. Stroll a few new gardens each month. Visit community gardens, public gardens and parks with simply strolling and looking as the goal. This may seem odd in this day and age; that’s why I am suggesting it.

5. Challenge yourself to learn a plant and its application that nobody you know can identify. There are thousands. Try Half Moon Bay Nursery on Highway 92 on the way to Half Moon Bay.

6. Grow a miniature garden alongside your big garden sort of like your own secret garden. Escape to it to challenge yourself and your imagination. Maybe even write a fantasy story involving your secret garden.

7. Grow something edible that you don’t usually buy in the market. Do some research on what that might be and how to use it. I just finished reading Michael Pollan’s new book “Cooked” and am now braising as a new way to cook. I am also making sauerkraut and will take up baking again, this time with herbs I grow myself for a savory nuance.

8. Count petals, anthers and florets as a habit. One of the keys to plant identification is closely looking at flowers and noticing what is unique. Start looking at flowers in a different way.

9. Grow some water plants, or visit a water garden, pond or stream and observe the life that is created with aquatic plants. Hakone gardens in Saratoga has an amazing pond.

10. Try growing a few species of air plants. Tillandsia is in the Bromeliaceae family and lives on the surrounding air. Make an arrangement of some in the low branches of a tree or on a fence. Spritz with water once in a while and they will grow for years with little additional attention.

Good gardening.

Garden coach Jack McKinnon can be reached at 650-455-0687 (cell), by email at jack@jackthegardencoach.com. Visit his website.

From the flow of the Portland Japanese Garden to the silence of the Portland Classical Chinese Garden, there is a garden for every visitor’s taste. … Public gardens»

St. Louis Master Gardeners and local experts present seminars that will help you discover how you can create the yard and garden you’ve always dreamed of. The St. Louis Master Gardener Speakers Bureau is a public service program dedicated to providing quality horticultural information to the gardening public. Speakers are volunteers who have completed the Master Gardener training provided by University of Missouri Extension and the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the programs they present reflect both their expertise and interests.

Seminars the Master Gardeners will be presenting include: Best Gardening Practices, Drought Tolerant Plants, Extend Garden Interest and Spring Preparation.

Nikki Schmith, gardener, author, photographer and speaker, has had a 20-year obsession with daylilies. Her garden in Worden contains more than 500 daylilies, along with other perennials and unique container plantings. She will present Garden Trends – Hybrid Daylilies are the New Black. Her seminar will show how hybrid daylilies can enhance any landscape and add a diverse dimension to the modern perennial garden.

Thursday

12:30, Best Gardening Practices, Master Gardeners

4:30, Garden Trends – Hybrid Daylilies are the New Black, Nikki Schmith

6:30, Extend Garden Interest, Master Gardeners

Friday

12:30, Spring Preparation, Master Gardeners

4:30, Garden Trends – Hybrid Daylilies are the New Black, Nikki Schmith

6:30, Drought Tolerant Plants, Master Gardeners

Saturday

12:30, Best Gardening Practices, Master Gardeners

2:30, Spring Preparation, Master Gardeners

4:30, Garden Trends – Hybrid Daylilies are the New Black, Nikki Schmith

6:30, Extend Garden Interest, Master Gardeners

Sunday

12:30, Spring Preparation, Master Gardeners

2:30, Garden Trends – Hybrid Daylilies are the New Black, Nikki Schmith

3:30, Drought Tolerant Plants, Master Gardeners