There will be a Container Gardening Class held in Linden at New Salem Farm on Tuesday July 31st at 6:30. This class will be held in educational partnership with the Buckeye ISA program but is also free and open to the public.
Summer Garden Walk @ Howard Recreation Center on Monday July 23rd, 2018
Winter Cover Crop Class at Bexley Community North Garden Tuesday August 21st @ 6:30 pm
There will be a cover crop class on-site using demonstration plantings at Bexley Community North Garden on Tuesday August 21st @ 6:30 pm. Multiple varieties of cover crops will be planted and discussed on their benefits for soil health building over the fall and winter. The event is free and open to the public.
2018 Master Urban Farmer Workshop Series
Master Urban Farmer Workshop Series
Registration is now open for the 2018 Master Urban Farmer Workshop Series. This 11 week course is designed to help individuals learn how to produce and market all kinds of food products in an urban environment, so that they can develop urban farms or food based businesses. A complete list of course topics is listed on the brochure at this link.
Registration is required by August 15, although the class typically sells out before the registration deadline. To register, go to: go.osu.edu/MUF2018.
CLICK HERE to download and print brochure to register
2018 Fall Vegetable Planting Timeline
It can be an unusual concept for the backyard grower, community gardener and urban farmer to think about as we have barely started harvest of fresh tomatoes, but now is the time to start planning and planting for production in late summer, through fall and into a winter harvest.
Things to start now: Under the lights
- Basil – Start from seed under the lights or by direct seeding into the garden. This will provide the grower with a stream of fresh, tender leaves to use or preserve.
- Brassicas – cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and asian cabbages can be started now under the lights. Transplant into cell packs after about two weeks in the flats. They will be ready to transplant into the garden in 6-8 weeks.
- Lettuce – small amount now, start more every two weeks until October.
The seed start grow station had been taken offline for a period of three weeks after spring vegetable production. This was done to sterilize the area and break the life cycle of any pests present.
Most of the varieties started now are brassicas. They will germinate in 3 days, be ready to be transplanted into individual cells in 2 weeks and be ready to plant in about 6 weeks total. That puts them in the garden in early August with maturation in late September and early October during the cooler weather
A small amount of lettuce will be started now. This lettuce has a good chance to mature in hot weather. The chance for cooler temperatures in late summer plus the use of shade cloth will attempt to control bitterness or bolting to seed. There is a good chance of failure to mature an edible product so only a small amount of starts will be attempted now. More will be started with an every two week timeline.
Things to Start now – Direct seed in the garden:
- Green Beans
- Cilantro
- Green Onions
- Potato – a second crop of potato can be started now if you have a plot that has not come off Solanaceae Family in the last three years so that a later harvest is possible, but does not affect good crop rotation.
Things to start in a few weeks – Direct Seed in the Garden
- Green Beans – if a short maturing variety can be used green beans can be planted up until early August
- Radish – can plant again 2 weeks after this planting up until September 1st
- Beets
- Carrots
- Lettuce – can be planted on two week rotations until September 1st – 15th.
- Snap Peas
- Summer squash – same as with green beans
- Cucumber – same as with green beans
Ohio is a true four season growing environment. Some of the above may need season extension in order to survive. We will keep a close watch on the ENSO predictions. Make sure that you observe crop rotation of families as best as possible.
Cover Crops for Weed Control in the Community Garden – Cereal Rye
One of the most common problems encountered by the backyard grower, community gardener and urban farmer is how to effectively deal with weeds in the growing space. Weeds propagate in two general ways, either through vegetative growth such as rhizomes and lateral root growth or through the production of seeds. There are several ways of controlling weeds available to the grower including herbicides, mowing, mulching, cover crops and tillage. Understanding weed life cycles is critical in the fight for weed control. A combination of methods using Integrated Pest Management strategies has the greatest chance for success.
Weed numbers can reach severe levels when control measures are not implemented. Noted in this picture are cocklebur, thistle, morning glory, smartweed, pigweed, comfrey, lambs quarters and bindweed.
A seedbed was produced by mowing and then tillage of the residue into the soil after a few days of decomposition.
Cereal rye (Secale cereal) was chosen due to its ability to rapidly germinate and tolerate occasional mowing. While normally used as an over-wintered cover crop, it is ideal for this usage as it allows germination of weed seed and will regrow after several mowing passes allowing larger numbers of annual weeds to be eliminated.
The seed bank for weeds in this community garden plot is vast. Quick germination of many species of weeds including pigweed and smartweed were noted among the rye.
Mowing is one of the easiest and most effective strategies for weed control. When an annual weed is mown as it matures but prior to setting seed, that plant has been killed. When a perennial is mowed prior to seed set the plant is weakened and valuable root reserves must be used to produce new top growth.
Passes with a lawn mower were made when the growth reached about 12 – 16″ tall, but before any weeds were allowed to go to seed. A mulching mower was used to keep the organic matter present in the plot. Weeds can bring large amounts of nutrients from the subsoil and their organic matter should be kept in the soil profile unless they are invasive root fragments or have gone to seed.
After several mowing passes a large amount of annual weeds were removed from the weed seed bank. While some perennial weeds remain, the repeated mowing has weakened the plants allowing for easier control via herbicide if desired.
The winter rye being cold hardy will be able to persist over the winter. It will control erosion and use its profuse root system to hold on to the nitrogen and other nutrients that were scavenged by the weeds and mulched as green manure from mowing during the season.
Rye also has the effect of suppressing weeds allelopathically similar to a natural herbicide and has noted effects on both dandelions and canada thistle, two very common and difficult weeds to control in vegetable gardens.
With or without a cover crop added, mowing is a simple and effective strategy to assist in control of weeds for the backyard grower, community gardener or urban farmer. It will kill annual weeds and weaken perennial weeds and prevents them from adding more weed seed into the soil seed bank.
SAVE THE DATE!!: Tuesday September 11th, 6:30 pm
Over-Wintered Cover Crops
Details TBD.
2018 Columbus Urban Farm Tour Series
2018 Columbus Urban Farm Tour Series Kicks Off
The 2018 edition of the Columbus Urban Farm Tour Series will feature six different urban farms and food production sites throughout Columbus and Franklin County. All tours are free, open to the public, and require no advance registration. The tour brochure is available online at go.osu.edu/urbanfarmtour.
The schedule of tours is as follows:
Tuesday, July 10, 4:00 – 5:30 pm – Harriet Gardens, Merion Village
Saturday, July 14, 10:00 – 11:30 am – Magic House Farm, Franklinton
Thursday, July 26, 10:00 am – noon – Freshtown Farms, Merion Village
Sunday, August 19, 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm – Friends of the Homeless Garden, Near Eastside
Thursday, August 23, 10:30 am – noon – Project Aquastar at St. Stephens, Linden
Saturday, September 1, 2:00 – 4:00 pm – Jedidah Farm + Studio, Westerville
For more information about the tour series, contact Mike Hogan at Hogan.1@osu.edu.
CLICK to download PDF of Tour Flyer –> 2018 Columbus Urban Farm Tour
Central Ohio Summer 2018 Update and El Nino Predictions for Winter
This challenging growing environment has persisted with above normal temperatures and variable rainfall as was predicted by NOAA/NWS last month. This has affected spring vegetables which have bolted from the heat or matured in poor condition. Blossom drop in tomatoes and peppers from the extreme heat may affect production amounts later in the summer.
Two updates for backyard growers, community gardeners and urban farmers are provided:
1.) Weather predictions for the summer months of 2018 indicate higher than normal temperatures and the chance for greater than normal rainfall. This can put pressure on summer vegetable production as well as predispose to fungal disease like powdery mildew or blight. Careful scouting for signs of disease as well as monitoring for adequate rainfall using a rain gauge is critical.
2.) This past winter the climate in central Ohio was affected by the La Nina weather phenomenon. Recently a watch was issued for the El Nino weather phenomenon with chances of the occurring at 65% for winter 2018-2019. What does this generally mean for central Ohio growers if it occurs? El Nino winters in the central Ohio area average warmer than normal temperatures and lower than normal snowfall amounts. This is important long range data for growers as it can affect plans for season extended plantings in low tunnels under row cover or using high tunnels as different varieties tolerate different temperature ranges.
Growing Franklin will continue to monitor the climate prediction center to assist the backyard grower, community gardener and urban farmer plan accurately to maximize production.
Climate Prediction Center El Nino/La Nina FAQ page.
IPM – Insect Pest Scouting and Management – Late May 2018
These insects, some pests, some beneficial were noted from scouting efforts in central Ohio from mid-May to early June 2018.
Imported Cabbageworm
One of the most common predators of the brassicacea family of vegetables is the larval form of the cabbage white butterfly, called the imported cabbageworm. The butterfly is a constant presence in Ohio as our most common butterfly species. It lays eggs on cabbage family plants and the larval forms feed on the foliage. They can be difficult to spot due to coloration but feeding damage and frass (fecal material) can be observed via scouting.
The focus is on the cabbageworm fecal material, called frass, at the base of the leaf in the bottom of the picture. The cabbageworm can be difficult to locate due to camouflage but the frass and pattern of leaf damage indicates to keep looking to locate the predator.
The butterfly lays very tiny eggs a single egg at a time on the leaves using her ovi-positor.
Egg size with penny added to picture for reference.
Control is by scouting for eggs, which can be difficult, or for by early recognition of larvae and damage. Hand removal is very effective for small plantings. Organic control (check the label carefully) is possible with spinosad products.
Virginia Fact Sheet on Spinosad
Imported Cabbageworm Fact Sheet
Cucumber Beetles
Cucumber beetles are a major pest in vegetable plantings. The adults have emerged from their over wintered areas to start feeding on plants and laying eggs in the soil at the base of cucurbit family plants.
Feeding damage to the cotyledons and early true leaves of the cucurbit family from over-wintered cucumber beetle adults prior to egg laying.
Cucumber beetles are a serious pest of cucurbit family plants due to feeding on foliage, flowers and fruit. Control can be difficult. They also vector a devastating bacterial wilt disease that can quickly kill plants and has no treatment.
Egg Scouting
A good habit to use when scouting for insect pests on plantings is to look at the underside of the leaves for eggs. Many of the insect pests lay eggs singly or in clusters on the underside of leaves, where if undetected, will hatch into larvae that will feed on the foliage. This egg cluster was noted on oregano. I suspect these eggs to be from Box Elder bugs, which do not normally feed on oregano. Both a Box Elder and related Sugar Maple are in the vicinity of the oregano planting.
Slugs
Slugs will be more numerous in production areas that have high organic matter content. They can feed and damage foliage. Early control is critical to avoid build up and infestation of a production area during a growing season.
Control of slugs can be achieved with organic products containing iron phosphate. Slug Factsheet from PSU
Cutworms
This is the larval form of a night moth. It curls up around the stem of a plant and feeds until the stem is cut in half and the plant has been killed. They feed at night commonly so a grower would notice a dead plant that looks cut in half. Digging around the base of the plant can sometimes find the causative agent.
Dusky Cutworm. Found when digging around base of dead cucurbit plant.
Ground Beetle – Beneficial
Not all insects are pests, some are beneficial and are feeding on pest and assisting the grower. Proper identification will allow the backyard grower, community gardener and urban farmer to know what to keep and what to treat.
Ground Beetle Fact Sheet Ohioline
There will be a class on Integrated Pest Management on June 26th at 6:30 at Gye Nyame Place,
If you have questions about a pest, disease or weed affecting your plantings, send questions with pictures to mcdermott.15@osu.edu
Integrated Pest Management Class in Linden
There will be a class on Integrated Pest Management on Tuesday June 26th at 6:30 pm at Gye Nyame Place, 2830 Cleveland Ave. Columbus, OH 43224. The class is free and open to the public with free parking on site.
Some topics discussed will include scouting for pests, common diseases and how to manage pests, weeds and disease for the backyard grower, community gardener and urban farmer. Bring your friends and your questions.
