– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension

Woven wire compost bins are easy to construct and economical. Photo by Pixabay.

One of the key elements of healthy soils is the presence of organic matter. Organic matter is the decayed residue of living things. Adding organic matter to the soil in your garden, lawn, or crop field can improve water infiltration and water holding capacity, nutrient access to plants, loosen dense soil texture, and lead to healthier plant growth on the surface. Every citizen has the ability to contribute organic matter back to the soils in their community in some scale through composting organic wastes.

There are many methods of composting that can be employed depending on the amount of waste generated by the household or business. Composting reduces excess deposition of organic wastes in landfills and recycles nutrients naturally by promoting speedy decomposition of organic tissues into soil media. From a coffee can on the counter to composting with worms in a vermiculture box to a 3-foot by 3-foot bin in the backyard, there are options to fit your rate of waste accumulation and site.

Yard waste like grass clippings, leaves, and pine needles can be Continue reading Compost is a Gardener’s Friend →

– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension

Allow crowns or seedlings time to establish before harvesting. Photo: birgl, Pixabay

Asparagus is one of the first spring vegetables ready to harvest in Ohio. The enticing green stalks begin to pop out of the ground in early April and asparagus lovers start to get excited. Harvest time typically stretches through June. Did you know that a successful patch of asparagus can produce a crop for up to (and beyond) 20 years? However, getting it established can be tricky.

Asparagus is picky about the soil it grows in. It does not tolerate soils that are acidic and it prefers well-drained sites. Planting crowns (which are segments of plant roots and emerging stems) in your garden is quicker and easier than starting asparagus from seed. It is important to give the crowns or seedlings time to establish before harvesting the stalks. One-year old crowns should not be harvested until they have been in the garden bed for at least a year and seedlings need two years. The reason they need this time is that the Continue reading Anticipation of Asparagus →

– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension

Chanterelles are bright yellow to orange and found from June to September under hardwood trees. Photo courtesy of B. Bunyard.

Every spring questions ring in about some of the most desirable and delicious wild foods you can find in Ohio- morel mushrooms. Foraging for wild edibles is a topic that I find incredibly challenging to address with clientele because proper identification of a plant or fungus can be the difference between a gourmet dinner and a grueling stomachache or worse, an untimely death.

Fortunately, morels are one of the easiest mushrooms to identify, but if you have any doubt that the mushrooms you have found are not true morels, you should not consume them or prepare them for others. There are false morels that appear in the same timeframe and habitat that are poisonous. Proceed to Continue reading Morel Time →

‘American Gold Rush’ Photo: Intrinsic Perennial Gardens

Inside this issue:

• Perennial plant of the Year
• Connie’s Corner
• Give back hours recap
• Upcoming MG events
• February updates
• MGV efforts at Wagnalls
• This years’ All America flower winners
• Cooker Lunch & Learns scheduled
• Angiosperm & Gymnosperm
• A Tomato Tale
• Planting at the right soil temperatures
• Spring cleaning pesticides and fertilizers
• Plant damage in March
• Gardening with Less Water by David A
• The rose garden at the Palace of Gold
• See what’s happening in and around the garden

Find it all linked here (PDF)