Spring is in the air, and the thoughts of many have turned to gardening.
A pair of recent workshops took place to help prepare area green thumbs for planting season.
Those attending “The Ins and Outs of Growing Vegetables” at the Chikaming Township Center in Harbert on Saturday, April 6, heard a lot about dealing with plants as well as unwanted things that show up in a vegetable garden such as pests, mildew and raccoons.
Although spring wasn’t quite in the air on March 21, it was on the minds of the group gathered at Bridgman Public Library where the focus was on community gardening, rain barrels and native plants.
Reports on the two events follow:
BRIDGMAN
The March 21 program in Bridgman, co-sponsored by the Bridgman Library and the Berrien County Conservation District, began with the news that the Bridgman Community Garden was awarded a $4,145 grant from the Berrien and Calhoun Conservation Districts. Funded by the People’s Community Gardens of Southwest Michigan, the grant will enable the garden to expand from 16 to 48 beds, including three raised beds for those who have difficulty bending or need walkers or wheelchairs.
Garden Coordinator Teri Sue Wines invited all to help construct the new beds on Saturday, April 20. She said plots in the garden are $10 for the season that runs from May 13 to November 1.
Collecting rain water in barrels was the next topic, beginning with the fact that one inch of rain water collected from a 1,000 square-foot roof area can yield 600 gallons of water collected in a rain barrel.
Berrien County Conservation District Administrator Nancy Carpenter continued with the “whys” and “hows” of rain barrels. In addition to helping the environment by reducing runoff, rain barrels can save money, provide a source of non-chlorinated water and be a convenient “faucet” in remote sections of a garden.
Carpenter discussed the use of downspouts, bug screens, hose links and pedestals for the barrels. She cautioned that the water collected should not be drunk and should be used to water the soil only, not the plants themselves.
The district sells re-purposed food container barrels from $75 and recently added oak barrels from $165.
The focus then shifted to the use of native plants in landscaping presented by Chad Hughson, owner of Hidden Savanna Nursery in Kalamazoo, who told the group he was there to get them “ready for spring, if it ever comes this year.”
Although he holds a degree in chemical engineering from Michigan Tech University, Hughson said he never really entered that field, choosing instead a full time occupation managing his 33-acre nursery located on a former Christmas tree farm that has been restored to its pre-settlement oak savanna/dry prairie habitat.
“Using native plants increases bio-diversity,” he told the group, native plants attract insects and spiders and that moves up the food chain to attract birds and other wildlife. He cited a study that showed a single baby chickadee was fed 1,000 insects by its parents before it began to fly.
Houghson said he encourages the use of native plants because it fosters environmental diversity and stability, reduces or eliminates the use of chemicals, conserves water and preserves the land’s natural heritage. Beauty was another reason on Houghson’s list which he illustrated with slides of several species found in his “yard.”
Gardeners should evaluate the history of their site in terms of soil, moisture and existing native and invasive species, Houghson said, adding the need to set goals and expectations in terms of size, appearance and maintenance.
“Some native plants will outlive everyone in this room and even my three-year-old son,” he said.
In response to one listener who said she felt overwhelmed by all the information he had presented, Houghson advised, “Start small. Take a patch and do a little at a time or maybe start with a trouble spot.”
The Berrien Conservation District will hold a native plant sale at the Bridgman Library, 4460 Lake St., on Saturday, June 4, from 1 to 4 p.m. Deadline for advance orders is Friday, May 17.
CHIKAMING
Guest speaker Ron Goldy, Michigan State University Southwest District vegetable extension educator, tailored his comments during the April 6 event at the Chikaming Township Center in response to questions from the community submitted in advance. Adding to his professional expertise were the home gardening experiences shared by audience members.
In response to a question about what companion plants work well together, Goldy said there is no scientific knowledge about what plants go well together but said there was a lot of anecdotal evidence, a lot of it centering “around herbs because of their essence” He said stressing plants would increase the essence, fostering stronger companions.
As for corn crop predators, Gould said raccoons are the most destructive culprits. He explained that birds are mostly interested in the top tassels and deer are “browsers. They eat a little here and nibble a little there. Sometimes I wish they would just finish the whole stalk.”
He suggested using multiple rings of electric fencing, powered by a car battery, to thwart the raccoons.
“Raccoons come with a lot of friends. They soon learn that what is on the other side of that fence is worth the little shock from the fence so put it at nose level,” Goldy said.
Goldy said the best time to spread fresh manure is the fall prior to planting to make sure it is properly aged. He also stressed the importance of proper compost practices.
“The thing that concerns me most with home growers is their use of compost. It’s okay if you can guarantee that every single inch of that compost gets up to temperature for the length of time needed to kill the bacteria and diseases. Otherwise you may be just incubating last year’s diseases,” Goldy said.
Goldy said one of the worst diseases is phytopthera capsici, which both attaches to the roots and the fruits of a plant.
“The best way to control it is through rotation but it is hard to practice good rotation in the limited areas of many home gardens,” Goldy said, suggesting sectioning a home garden plot into quadrants.
“It’s the best you can do in a small area. You are moving soil on your feet and are the biggest disseminator of disease,” he said, adding that compost might be best put on flowers and other crops, not back on the vegetables.
Goldy said he warns people asking about heirloom gardening to “know what you are getting into. They are heirlooms for a reason,” including susceptibility to disease, short harvest times and soft fruit that doesn’t ship well. The positive, he says, is their wide range of colors and flavors.
Goldy said the bean plants he remembers from his childhood that could be picked all season don’t exist any longer. He said today’s beans are bred to be harvested in concentrated periods and picked mechanically.
He recommends planting several bean crops a season, one after the other.
“I just pull up the whole plant and sit in the shade to pick the beans. Otherwise you are just picking tough beans. No one wants tough beans.”
The event was organized by The Planting Field, Chikaming Township’s Community Garden Program, in cooperation with the township’s Park Board and the River Valley Garden Club.
The Planting Field Community Garden offers 20- by 20-foot garden plots for a $40 donation per season. The garden is located in the Chikaming Township Park and Preserve on Warren Woods Road between I-94 and Lakewood Estates. Persons with questions should contact Marianne De Angelis, (269) 469-0305.
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