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This is a weekly look at what is happening in the school garden to assist teacher educators engage their students in agriculture. It can be used by garden students of all ages however!
Send me some pics! I know we have some growing going on right now!
First up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:
Hopefully you had a chance to plant and harvest last week. We have some colder weather this week. I do not recommend any outdoor work this week unless it warms up better than the prediction says. Lots of opportunity next week to plant and harvest.
Once we get to the 50 degree days and the plants start to increase their growth rate, we will need to fertilize using either the Shake and Feed or the pink crystals that mix in with water that you got from Katie, not the Aerogarden fertilizer. Make sure to follow the label instructions. Check for your fertilizers now, and if you do not have any, then contact Katie.
This week:
Once the warmer weather gets here, plus the extra sunlight, we anticipate fast growth of the outdoor veggies.
Have questions about how your plants are doing or if they are big enough to harvest? Just send me questions and pictures to mcdermott.15@osu.edu
All of the seedlings we are planting now can will be able to be transplanted outside later on, or if you want to let them grow indoors until they are harvested you can do that too. Collard greens may get too large under the lights so plan on a later transplant date.
Hopefully your tomatoes are doing great. Let me know if you have any questions or problems. CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden tomato planting guide. If you need tomato pods then contact Katie.
I have heard that some schools have tomato plants that are growing very slowly. If you have a slow growing tomato plant, gently lift up the tray of the Aerogarden to check on root growth. Take a picture of the roots to email to me and Katie, then gently replace the tray back onto the Aerogarden. We are trying to investigate why some tomato plants are growing slower than others. One other thing to do is make sure that you shake your fertilizer bottle before you add fertilizer so that the fertilizer is mixed before you add some to the reservoir.
Basic Aerogarden Tomato Planting
If you started in January you should have some tomato seedlings coming up. Make sure to thin to one tomato plant per pod and with the Aerogarden Harvest, it is best to only have one in the system although I have seen some teachers do two. Keep in mind if you keep two growing, they will use up water twice as fast and you will need to check and add water twice as much!
The Aerogarden website has a tremendous amount of content to assist with maintenance of the units, troubleshooting problems, or how to take care of the plants in the system.
Do you need seeds or seed starter for your project? Contact Katie.
Any questions about your growing? Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu
It may be a bit of a drive from Franklin Co. but there will be a ton of useful information for small farmers, or those who are looking to start a small farm.
OSU Extension will host the Eastern Ohio Small Farm Conference on April 6, 2024, at the Mid-East Career Technical Center Buffalo Campus, in Senecaville, Ohio! This is an incredible opportunity to hear from a vast selection of producers, professionals, and peers all in one place and just a short drive away.
Conference session topics are geared to beginning and small farm owners as well as to farms looking to diversify their operations. There will be five different conference tracks including: Horticulture and Produce Production, Business Management, Livestock, Natural Resources and new this year- The Farm Kitchen.
Some conference topic highlights include:
Anyone interested in developing, growing, or diversifying their small farm is invited to attend including homesteaders, gardeners, farmers market vendors, and anyone with a general interest in small farm living.
Attendees will have the opportunity to browse a trade show featuring the newest and most innovative ideas and services for their farming operation. The conference provides an opportunity to talk with the vendors and network with others.
The Conference will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, 2024 at the Mid-East Career Technical Center Buffalo Campus (57090 Vocational Rd. Senecaville, Ohio 43780). Registration to attend is $100 and includes light breakfast and catered lunch by Hog Hollow BBQ, due by March 28, 2024.
For conference and registration information call OSU Extension Morrow County 419-947-1070 or OSU Extension Knox County 740-397-0401. You can also register for the conference online at: https://go.osu.edu/2024osusmallfarmconference
I will be speaking on hydroponics! I hope to see you there!
This is a weekly look at what is happening in the school garden to assist teacher educators engage their students in agriculture. It can be used by garden students of all ages however!
Send me some pics! I know we have some growing going on right now!
CLICK HERE for April 2nd, 4:30 – 6:30pm
CLICK HERE for April 11th, 4:30 – 6:30pm
First up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:
This is a good week to both harvest some produce, and fertilize. Once we get to the 50 degree days and the plants start to increase their growth rate, we will need to fertilize using either the Shake and Feed or the pink crystals that mix in with water that you got from Katie, not the Aerogarden fertilizer. Make sure to follow the label instructions. Check for your fertilizers now, and if you do not have any, then contact Katie.
This week:
If you did not get a chance to plant spinach and kale last fall, you will have an opportunity to plant this week. If you need spinach and kale seeds please contact Katie.
We have been getting some questions about hardening off seedlings. Check out this video that discusses the process. Lots more great videos in the GTS Online modules at THIS LINK
Have questions about how your plants are doing or if they are big enough to harvest? Just send me questions and pictures to mcdermott.15@osu.edu
All of the seedlings we are planting now can will be able to be transplanted outside later on, or if you want to let them grow indoors until they are harvested you can do that too. Collard greens may get too large under the lights so plan on a later transplant date.
Hopefully your tomatoes are doing great. Let me know if you have any questions or problems. CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden tomato planting guide. If you need tomato pods then contact Katie.
I have heard that some schools have tomato plants that are growing very slowly. If you have a slow growing tomato plant, gently lift up the tray of the Aerogarden to check on root growth. Take a picture of the roots to email to me and Katie, then gently replace the tray back onto the Aerogarden. We are trying to investigate why some tomato plants are growing slower than others. One other thing to do is make sure that you shake your fertilizer bottle before you add fertilizer so that the fertilizer is mixed before you add some to the reservoir.
Basic Aerogarden Tomato Planting
If you started in January you should have some tomato seedlings coming up. Make sure to thin to one tomato plant per pod and with the Aerogarden Harvest, it is best to only have one in the system although I have seen some teachers do two. Keep in mind if you keep two growing, they will use up water twice as fast and you will need to check and add water twice as much!
The Aerogarden website has a tremendous amount of content to assist with maintenance of the units, troubleshooting problems, or how to take care of the plants in the system.
Do you need seeds or seed starter for your project? Contact Katie.
Any questions about your growing? Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu
There is an upcoming webinar on pruning that should be of interest to growers of fruit trees, grapes, and raspberries. The event is free but requires registration to access the zoom link.
Click here to view, download, and print the flyer –> Pruning 2024
Please direct questions to sherman.1473@osu.edu
This is a weekly look at what is happening in the school garden to assist teacher educators engage their students in agriculture. It can be used by garden students of all ages however!
Send me some pics! I know we have some growing going on right now!
CLICK HERE for April 2nd, 4:30 – 6:30pm
CLICK HERE for April 11th, 4:30 – 6:30pm
First up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:
This is a good week to both harvest some produce, and fertilize. Once we get to the 50 degree days and the plants start to increase their growth rate, we will need to fertilize using either the Shake and Feed or the pink crystals that mix in with water that you got from Katie, not the Aerogarden fertilizer. Make sure to follow the label instructions. Check for your fertilizers now, and if you do not have any, then contact Katie.
This week:
If you did not get a chance to plant spinach and kale last fall, you will have an opportunity to plant this week. If you need spinach and kale seeds please contact Katie.
Have questions about how your plants are doing or if they are big enough to harvest? Just send me questions and pictures to mcdermott.15@osu.edu
All of the seedlings we are planting now can will be able to be transplanted outside later on, or if you want to let them grow indoors until they are harvested you can do that too. Collard greens may get too large under the lights so plan on a later transplant date.
Hopefully your tomatoes are doing great. Let me know if you have any questions or problems. CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden tomato planting guide. If you need tomato pods then contact Katie.
I have heard that some schools have tomato plants that are growing very slowly. If you have a slow growing tomato plant, gently lift up the tray of the Aerogarden to check on root growth. Take a picture of the roots to email to me and Katie, then gently replace the tray back onto the Aerogarden. We are trying to investigate why some tomato plants are growing slower than others. One other thing to do is make sure that you shake your fertilizer bottle before you add fertilizer so that the fertilizer is mixed before you add some to the reservoir.
Basic Aerogarden Tomato Planting
If you started in January you should have some tomato seedlings coming up. Make sure to thin to one tomato plant per pod and with the Aerogarden Harvest, it is best to only have one in the system although I have seen some teachers do two. Keep in mind if you keep two growing, they will use up water twice as fast and you will need to check and add water twice as much!
The Aerogarden website has a tremendous amount of content to assist with maintenance of the units, troubleshooting problems, or how to take care of the plants in the system.
Do you need seeds or seed starter for your project? Contact Katie.
Any questions about your growing? Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu
Spring Gardening is here! We are getting some sun and some nice weather. Right now is the time to start thinking about planning and planting. What seeds can we put outside and what do we need to start indoors under lights for transplanting? What about soil testing? What can we do right NOW! All this will be addressed at The Urban Farm Church on 3/20 at 6pm. This class is free and open to the public but does require registration (so they know how many snacks to make!) so bring your friends and your questions! If the weather is nice we can do a little garden walk too!
You can also use the QR code to Register
You can learn more about The Urban Farm Church HERE plus find directions to the class (lots of free parking!) HERE
This is a weekly look at what is happening in the school garden to assist teacher educators engage their students in agriculture. It can be used by garden students of all ages however!
Send me some pics! I know we have some growing going on right now!
First up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:
What an odd Ohio weather weekend. Snow on Saturday, Sun on Sunday! The good news is that the future predictions look pretty darn good for growing. Once we get to the 50 degree days and the plants start to increase their growth rate, we will need to fertilize using either the Shake and Feed or the pink crystals that mix in with water that you got from Katie, not the Aerogarden fertilizer. Make sure to follow the label instructions. Check for your fertilizers now, and if you do not have any, then contact Katie.
This week:
If you did not get a chance to plant spinach and kale last fall, you will have an opportunity to plant next week. I will add that to next weeks email. If you need spinach and kale seeds please contact Katie.
Have questions about how your plants are doing or if they are big enough to harvest? Just send me questions and pictures to mcdermott.15@osu.edu
This month’s seed starting under LED lights is collard greens. If you and your kiddos really liked the bok choy and you have the space under your lights and have some bok choy seed left then you can plant that as well. It can be a little crowded under the lights right now! Make sure you have some space to start your collard greens however as they will need started indoors now for a spring harvest. Email questions to me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu
All of the seedlings we are planting now can will be able to be transplanted outside later on, or if you want to let them grow indoors until they are harvested you can do that too. Collard greens may get too large under the lights so plan on a later transplant date.
Hopefully your tomatoes are doing great. Let me know if you have any questions or problems. CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden tomato planting guide. If you need tomato pods then contact Katie.
Basic Aerogarden Tomato Planting
If you started in January you should have some tomato seedlings coming up. Make sure to thin to one tomato plant per pod and with the Aerogarden Harvest, it is best to only have one in the system although I have seen some teachers do two. Keep in mind if you keep two growing, they will use up water twice as fast and you will need to check and add water twice as much!
The Aerogarden website has a tremendous amount of content to assist with maintenance of the units, troubleshooting problems, or how to take care of the plants in the system.
Do you need seeds or seed starter for your project? Contact Katie.
Any questions about your growing? Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu
One of my favorite local partners that I do programming with is Mt. Carmel Healthy Living Center in Franklinton. I have a class on Seed Starting coming up on February 27th, 2024 @ 2pm at the center. While the class is free and open to the public, they do ask for registration to ensure enough space. They offer a ton of other programs as well.
Click HERE for the registration link for their classes, you will need to scroll down a little bit to click on the Seed Starting class.
Here is the address of the center plus contact information if you have questions about the program.
Click HERE for a map to the center, note the parking garage right next door for easy parking.
Thanks and hope to see you there!
This is a weekly look at what is happening in the school garden to assist teacher educators engage their students in agriculture. It can be used by garden students of all ages however!
Send me some pics! I know we have some growing going on right now!
First up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:
Well that was an unexpected snowfall! The good news is that the future predictions look pretty darn good for growing. Once we get to the 50 degree days and the plants start to increase their growth rate, we will need to fertilize using either the Shake and Feed or the pink crystals that mix in with water that you got from Katie, not the Aerogarden fertilizer. Make sure to follow the label instructions. Check for your fertilizers now, and if you do not have any, then contact Katie.
This week:
If you did not get a chance to plant spinach and kale last fall, you will have an opportunity to plant next week. I will add that to next weeks email. If you need spinach and kale seeds please contact Katie.
Have questions about how your plants are doing or if they are big enough to harvest? Just send me questions and pictures to mcdermott.15@osu.edu
This month’s seed starting under LED lights is collard greens. If you and your kiddos really liked the bok choy and you have the space under your lights and have some bok choy seed left then you can plant that as well. It can be a little crowded under the lights right now! Make sure you have some space to start your collard greens however as they will need started indoors now for a spring harvest. Email questions to me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu
All of the seedlings we are planting now can will be able to be transplanted outside later on, or if you want to let them grow indoors until they are harvested you can do that too. Collard greens may get too large under the lights so plan on a later transplant date.
Hopefully your tomatoes are doing great. Let me know if you have any questions or problems. CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden planting guide. If you need tomato pods then contact Katie.
Basic Aerogarden Tomato Planting
If you started in January you should have some tomato seedlings coming up. Make sure to thin to one tomato plant per pod and with the Aerogarden Harvest, it is best to only have one in the system although I have seen some teachers do two. Keep in mind if you keep two growing, they will use up water twice as fast and you will need to check and add water twice as much!
The Aerogarden website has a tremendous amount of content to assist with maintenance of the units, troubleshooting problems, or how to take care of the plants in the system. CHECK IT OUT if you are having problems.
Do you need seeds or seed starter for your project? Contact Katie.
Any questions about your growing? Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu
This is a weekly look at what is happening in the school garden to assist teacher educators engage their students in agriculture. It can be used by garden students of all ages however!
Send me some pics! I know we have some growing going on right now!
First up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:
I am out of the country on my laptop and my snipping tool is not working! For a look at the ten day for Columbus check out THIS LINK.
It looks like the weather is good for growing, but not so much for harvest. Were you able to get a harvest last week with your kiddos? If so, send me some pics!!
This week:
Have questions about how your plants are doing or if they are big enough to harvest? Just send me questions and pictures to mcdermott.15@osu.edu
This month’s seed starting under LED lights is collard greens. If you and your kiddos really liked the bok choy and you have the space under your lights and have some bok choy seed left then you can plant that as well. It can be a little crowded under the lights right now! Make sure you have some space to start your collard greens however as they will need started indoors now for a spring harvest. Email questions to me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu
All of the seedlings we are planting now can will be able to be transplanted outside later on, or if you want to let them grow indoors until they are harvested you can do that too. Collard greens may get too large under the lights so plan on a later transplant date.
Hopefully your tomatoes are doing great. Let me know if you have any questions or problems. CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden planting guide. If you need tomato pods then contact Katie.
Basic Aerogarden Tomato Planting
If you started in January you should have some tomato seedlings coming up. Make sure to thin to one tomato plant per pod and with the Aerogarden Harvest, it is best to only have one in the system although I have seen some teachers do two. Keep in mind if you keep two growing, they will use up water twice as fast and you will need to check and add water twice as much!
The Aerogarden website has a tremendous amount of content to assist with maintenance of the units, troubleshooting problems, or how to take care of the plants in the system. CHECK IT OUT if you are having problems.
Do you need seeds or seed starter for your project? Contact Katie.
Any questions about your growing? Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu