It’s time once again to get your hands dirty and start growing! The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and Ohio State University Extension offices are kicking off the third year of the Ohio Victory Gardens program. Seed sample kits with lettuce, carrots and sunflowers will be available for free to the public to get people planting.
Seeds packets are now available for pick up at OSU Extension in Fairfield County. Just stop by the Fairfield County Agriculture Center located at 831 College Avenue in Lancaster to pick up your seed packet. Each packet contains a sample packet of lettuce, carrots, cucumber and sunflower seeds. OSU Extension in Fairfield County is open M-F from 7:30am until 4 pm daily. Be sure to pick up a Free OSU Garden calendar when picking up your seeds and maybe even consider purchasing a Soil Thermometer. Soil thermometers are great tools to keep in your garden toolbox to get your garden off to a good start each year. Vegetable seeds will have a better germination rate if you know the soil temperature. For example, most of those cool season vegetables like spinach, lettuce, peas and onions, beet seeds will germinate at soil temperatures in the mid 40’s. Those tomatoes, cucumbers and pumpkins prefer soil temperatures in the 58-60 degree soil temperature range. The cost of the soil thermometer is $10.00 with all proceeds benefiting the Fairfield County Master Gardener Program. OSU Extension in Fairfield County is located in the Fairfield County Ag Center at 831 College Avenue, Suite D, Lancaster, Ohio.
Start your growing season off right. Check soil temperatures before opening your first packet of seeds to plant in your garden.
