Month: February 2023

School Garden Week of February 27th, 2023

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!

Next up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:

It looks like next week will have a patch of great weather to transplant seedlings outdoors.  If you cannot get transplants done this week on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday we may have a chance next week. Just like the past several weeks, the warm weather during the week gives way to a cold Friday.  Make sure your row covers are tightly covering your raised beds before you leave. 

Outside in the raised beds:

So we finally have a little nice weather to pop open the row cover and see what we have growing.  Feel free to send me pics!   It is best to open the covers closer to the middle of the day when it is a little warmer, and then close the covers up tight after you view plants or take a harvest in order to build the heat back up under the cover to protect the plants.  You will need to make sure the row cover is in place Friday for sure as we get cold again this weekend.  Make sure you do not have plastic over your row cover if you were using that to provide extra protection as we will have needed rainfall for the plants and the rain will pass right through row cover, but not plastic.  If you have extra spinach and kale seeds and did not have a chance to plant last fall, you could direct sow some seed outside under the row cover this week as well.  That will give you a chance at a spring harvest to share with your kiddos.

If you have leftover radish, lettuce, and pea seeds keep watching future emails as we will be looking for a window of opportunity to plant them outside under the row cover!

 

Inside in the Aerogarden:

Last month we planted tomatoes in the Aerogarden.   Follow the instructions for tomato planting carefully.  Make sure you are checking water levels and fertilize as needed.  Make sure you check water levels each Friday before you leave school so that the water level does not drop too low over the weekend.  CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden planting guide.

I check the water every other day right now as the tomatoes are growing fast. I need to move the lights similarly. I pollinate and prune according to the Aerogarden tomato care guide linked below.

Tomatoes are growing fast in the Aerogarden right now. Make sure to check your water level and fertilize as needed to keep the plants healthy. Keep your lights about 1-2″ from the leaves to avoid leggy plants.  Remember If you started two plants in your Aerogardens, you will need to thin to only one plant or they will overwhelm the Aerogarden eventually. You will need to start pollinating your tomato flowers once they appear.  You will also need to do some pruning of your tomato plants to keep them growing correctly.  All of that is detailed very well in the Aerogarden Planting Guide linked below:

Aerogarden Tomato Guide  –> tomato_planting_guide

 

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. Make sure to check your water level every week one or two times and add as needed.  Add fertilizer when needed according to the directions.   Email me if you have questions about that.

Hey Tim!  What if I want to keep two tomato plants in my Aerogarden?  Just realize that you will need to water more frequently since two plants use water up twice as fast. Check the water everyday, and make sure to check and add water before you leave school on Friday.

 

Inside under LED lights:  Review the video below to make sure you are thinning your seedlings under the LED lights as well as for the planting technique for broccoli if you need a refresher.  

This month’s seed starting under LED lights is broccoli.  Hopefully you have had a chance to start some, but if not, I still recommend that you plant some indoors under the LED lights. You start it the exact same way as you did the other seeds indoors.  Plant 2-3 seeds then thin to one per pot.  Review the seed starting video below. Let Katie know if you need more seeds or seed starter mix or fertilizer.

The lettuce started last month is looking good.  You can harvest the larger leaves off the plant to taste with your students,  you can harvest the whole baby head of lettuce to taste with students, or you can let it grow a little bit longer.  Make sure you continue to fertilize every two weeks as they grow.  The bigger they get the more you will have to water. You could also transplant your lettuce outside under row cover in your raised bed.  See the paragraph below for hardening off.

If you have kale, spinach, or bok choy in the little pots and they have a few true leaves growing, you could potentially transplant them outside this week since we have a nice little period of warm weather.  They need hardened off, or acclimated to the colder weather a little bit before transplanting.  You could place the plants outdoors for a few hours each day and then plant on  Wednesday or Thursday.  Friday make sure your row cover is covering your bed as we get cold.  You could potentially plant your lettuce plants outside under the row cover, but we do have some cold left this winter and lettuce is not as cold hardy as spinach, kale, and bok choy. Make sure to harden off your lettuce transplants before you plant them for at least 2-3 days.  If you need some space under your lights you may want to try planting a few out in the raised bed however.

It looks like next week will be great weather to transplant seedlings outdoors.  

This week timeframe for transplanting:

  • Tuesday – harden transplants outside for a couple hours, only during the middle of the day.
  • Wednesday – harden transplants outside for a few hours, could transplant this day if needed.
  • Thursday – Transplant outdoors – check out the transplanting video below. Be careful with the row cover if it is windy.
  • Friday – make sure the row cover is covering the bed securely before you head home at the end of the day. It gets cold over the weekend again.

 

Any questions?  Feel free to email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

School Garden Week of February 20th, 2023

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!

For GTS participants, keep an eye open for the January survey from Lauren.

First up is a grant opportunity for you to look at that might provide funding to create or expand your school garden.  Read the application over carefully!  There are a few metrics you need to meet to be eligible.  The application is due March 1st.    Whole Kids Foundation Grant.  

Next up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:

We have transplant days on Wednesday and Thursday. Check out the transplanting video below.

It looks like next week will be great weather to transplant seedlings outdoors.  If you cannot get transplants done this week on Wednesday or Thursday we will have a great chance next week. 

Outside in the raised beds:

So we finally have a little nice weather to pop open the row cover and see what we have growing.  Feel free to send me pics!   It is best to open the covers closer to the middle of the day when it is a little warmer, and then close the covers up tight after you view plants or take a harvest in order to build the heat back up under the cover to protect the plants.  You will need to make sure the row cover is in place Friday for sure as we get cold again this weekend.  Make sure you do not have plastic over your row cover if you were using that to provide extra protection as we will have needed rainfall for the plants and the rain will pass right through row cover, but not plastic.  If you have extra spinach and kale seeds and did not have a chance to plant last fall, you could direct sow some seed outside under the row cover this week as well.  That will give you a chance at a spring harvest to share with your kiddos.

 

Inside in the Aerogarden:

Last month we planted tomatoes in the Aerogarden.   Follow the instructions for tomato planting carefully.  Make sure you are checking water levels and fertilize as needed.  Make sure you check water levels each Friday before you leave school so that the water level does not drop too low over the weekend.  CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden planting guide.

 

Tomatoes are growing fast in the Aerogarden right now. Make sure to check your water level and fertilize as needed to keep the plants healthy. Keep your lights about 1-2″ from the leaves to avoid leggy plants.  Remember If you started two plants in your Aerogardens, you will need to thin to only one plant or they will overwhelm the Aerogarden eventually.  Email me if you have questions about that.

Hey Tim!  What if I want to keep two tomato plants in my Aerogarden?  Just realize that you will need to water more frequently since two plants use water up twice as fast. Check the water everyday, and make sure to check and add water before you leave school on Friday.

 

Aerogarden Tomato Guide  –> tomato_planting_guide

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. Make sure to check your water level every week one or two times and add as needed.  Add fertilizer when needed according to the directions.

 

Inside under LED lights:  Review the video below to make sure you are thinning your seedlings under the LED lights as well as for the planting technique for broccoli if you need a refresher.  

This month’s seed starting under LED lights is broccoli.  Hopefully you have had a chance to start some, but if not, I still recommend that you plant some indoors under the LED lights. You start it the exact same way as you did the other seeds indoors.  Plant 2-3 seeds then thin to one per pot.  Review the seed starting video below. Let Katie know if you need more seeds or seed starter mix or fertilizer.

 

This is 5 week old lettuce. I can harvest outer leaves to eat or wait until it gets bigger and harvest the whole head. It can stay in this pot for another couple of weeks, but I need to water pretty frequently since it is getting big.  This is a good size to transplant outdoors.

 

The lettuce started last month is looking good.  You can harvest the larger leaves off the plant to taste with your students,  you can harvest the whole baby head of lettuce to taste with students, or you can let it grow a little bit longer.  Make sure you continue to fertilize every two weeks as they grow.  The bigger they get the more you will have to water. You could also transplant your lettuce outside under row cover in your raised bed.  See the paragraph below for hardening off.

If you have kale, spinach, or bok choy in the little pots and they have a few true leaves growing, you could potentially transplant them outside this week since we have a nice little period of warm weather.  They need hardened off, or acclimated to the colder weather a little bit before transplanting.  You could place the plants outdoors for a few hours each day and then plant on  Wednesday or Thursday.  Friday make sure your row cover is covering your bed as we get cold.  You could potentially plant your lettuce plants outside under the row cover, but we do have some cold left this winter and lettuce is not as cold hardy as spinach, kale, and bok choy. Make sure to harden off your lettuce transplants before you plant them for at least 2-3 days.  If you need some space under your lights you may want to try planting a few out in the raised bed however.

It looks like next week will be great weather to transplant seedlings outdoors.  If you cannot get transplants done this week on Wednesday or Thursday we will have a great chance next week. 

This week timeframe for transplanting:

  • Tuesday – harden transplants outside for a couple hours, only during the middle of the day. It is chilly this day.
  • Wednesday – harden transplants outside for a few hours, could transplant this day if needed. To take advantage of the rain.
  • Thursday – Transplant outdoors – check out the transplanting video below. Be careful with the row cover if it is windy.
  • Friday – make sure the row cover is covering the bed securely before you head home at the end of the day. It gets cold over the weekend again.

 

Any questions?  Feel free to email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

Living Your Best Garden Life! Webinar Series in partnership with The Nature Conservancy.

I will be hosting a free series of gardening webinars to help you live your Best Garden Life in 2023 in partnership with some of my favorite people, The Nature Conservancy.  There will be three online classes to help you Live Your Best Spring, Summer, and Fall Garden Life!

Classes will be held on three Wednesdays @ 6:30pm (Eastern) – Links to register are below. SAVE THESE DATES!

  • Wednesday March 22nd, 2023 @ 6:30pm
  • Wednesday May 3rd, 2023 @ 6:30pm
  • Wednesday August 9th, 2023 @ 6:30pm

Each class is free, but will require registration to get the link to enter the webinar.

Living Your Best Garden Life – The Spring Garden

The spring garden is getting started right now. Want to make sure you are Living Your Best Garden Life this spring?  We will talk site selection, preparation, and fertilizing strategies.  We will take a look at weather predictions and soil temperature to make sure it is planting time. Spring means cool season veggies like spinach, lettuce, peas, radishes and broccoli.  We are going to talk what to plant right NOW! outside as well as inside under grow lights.  I know you have questions so we will make sure to make time for them as well.  Registration link is below.

 

CLICK HERE for the link to register for the Spring Living Your Best Garden Life class on  Wednesday March 22nd, 2023 @ 6:30 (Eastern)

I will put out a new post on Growing Franklin as we approach each class but if you want to get registered for all three, the Summer and Fall links are below.

Living Your Best Garden Life – The Summer Garden

The summer garden provides many of our favorite veggies like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and beans.  We have spring veggies ready to harvest and summer veggies ready to plant.  Plus we are starting to have to deal with insect pests.  In this session we will be discussing when to plant you summer veggies outside, how to best fertilize for a healthy harvest,  how to deal with the upcoming threat of bug damage, and what our summer weather predictions are showing us.  Bring your friends and your questions to learn how to Live Your Best Summer Garden Life.

 

Click HERE for the link to register for the Summer Living Your Best Garden Life class on Wednesday May 3rd @ 6:30pm (Eastern)

Living Your Best Garden Life – The Fall Garden

Fall is one of the absolute best times to grow veggies.  The weather cools down, the bugs think about going away, and the rain comes back.  This is a busy time of year for the veggie gardener.  In this class we will talk about all the things you can do right NOW in the garden including harvesting summer veggies, planting fall veggies for a late harvest using season extension, what plants to start indoors for later planting, and what you can do to make sure that you are Living Your Best Fall Garden Life.

Click HERE for the link to register for the Fall Living Your Best Garden Life class on Wednesday August 9th @ 6:30pm (Eastern)

Bring your friends and your questions so they can live their Best Garden Life of 2023 as well!

School Garden Week of February 13th, 2023

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!

For GTS participants, keep an eye open for the January survey from Lauren.

First up is a grant opportunity for you to look at that might provide funding to create or expand your school garden.  Read the application over carefully!  There are a few metrics you need to meet to be eligible.  The application is due March 1st.    Whole Kids Foundation Grant.  

 

Next up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:

 

Outside in the raised beds:

So we finally have a little nice weather to pop open the row cover and see what we have growing.  Feel free to send me pics!   It is best to open the covers closer to the middle of the day when it is a little warmer, and then close the covers up tight after you view plants or take a harvest in order to build the heat back up under the cover to protect the plants.  You will need to make sure the row cover is in place Friday for sure as we get cold again this weekend.  Make sure you do not have plastic over your row cover if you were using that to provide extra protection as we will have needed rainfall for the plants and the rain will pass right through row cover, but not plastic.  If you have extra spinach and kale seeds and did not have a chance to plant last fall, you could direct sow some seed outside under the row cover this week as well.  That will give you a chance at a spring harvest to share with your kiddos.

 

The prediction models for the next three months are favorable for the school grower. Chance are for above normal precipitation and warm weather through April.

Inside in the Aerogarden:

Last month we planted tomatoes in the Aerogarden.   Follow the instructions for tomato planting carefully.  Make sure you are checking water levels and fertilize as needed.  Make sure you check water levels each Friday before you leave school so that the water level does not drop too low over the weekend.  CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden planting guide.

 

Tomatoes are growing fast in the Aerogarden right now. Make sure to check your water level and fertilize as needed to keep the plants healthy. Keep your lights about 1-2″ from the leaves to avoid leggy plants.  Remember If you started two plants in your Aerogardens, you will need to thin to only one plant or they will overwhelm the Aerogarden eventually.  Email me if you have questions about that.

Hey Tim!  What if I want to keep two tomato plants in my Aerogarden?  Just realize that you will need to water more frequently since two plants use water up twice as fast. Check the water everyday, and make sure to check and add water before you leave school on Friday. 

Aerogarden Tomato Guide  –> tomato_planting_guide

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. Make sure to check your water level every week one or two times and add as needed.  Add fertilizer when needed according to the directions.

 

Inside under LED lights:  Review the video below to make sure you are thinning your seedlings under the LED lights as well as for the planting technique for broccoli if you need a refresher.  

This month’s seed starting under LED lights is broccoli.  You start it the exact same way as you did the other seeds indoors.  Plant 2-3 seeds then thin to one per pot.  Review the seed starting video below. Let Katie know if you need more seeds or seed starter mix or fertilizer.

 

This is 5 week old lettuce. I can harvest outer leaves to eat or wait until it gets bigger and harvest the whole head. It can stay in this pot for another couple of weeks, but I need to water pretty frequently since it is getting big.  This is a good size to transplant outdoors.

 

The lettuce started last month is looking good.  You can harvest the larger leaves off the plant to taste with your students,  you can harvest the whole baby head of lettuce to taste with students, or you can let it grow a little bit longer.  Make sure you continue to fertilize every two weeks as they grow.  The bigger they get the more you will have to water. You could also transplant your lettuce outside under row cover in your raised bed.  See the paragraph below for hardening off.

If you have kale, spinach, or bok choy in the little pots and they have a few true leaves growing, you could potentially transplant them outside this week since we have a nice little period of warm weather.  They need hardened off, or acclimated to the colder weather a little bit before transplanting.  You could place the plants outdoors for a few hours each day and then plant on Thursday.  Friday make sure your row cover is covering your bed as we get cold.  You could potentially plant your lettuce plants outside under the row cover, but we do have some cold left this winter and lettuce is not as cold hardy as spinach, kale, and bok choy. Make sure to harden off your lettuce transplants before you plant them for at least 2-3 days.  If you need some space under your lights you may want to try planting a few out in the raised bed however.

This week timeframe for transplanting:

  • Tuesday – harden transplants outside for a few hours.
  • Wednesday – harden transplants outside for a few hours.
  • Thursday – Transplant outdoors – check out the transplanting video below.
  • Friday – make sure the row cover is covering the bed securely before you head home at the end of the day.

 

Any questions?  Feel free to email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

Spring Gardening Class at the Urban Farm Church on Tuesday March 7th, 2023 @ 6:30pm

I will be teaching a gardening class in partnership with the Urban Farm Church at Maize Manor United Methodist Church on Tuesday March 7th @ 6:30pm. We will be talking the basics of spring gardening, what you can plant now, and how you can get started growing.  The class will be targeted to beginner to intermediate level growers but seasoned gardeners are always welcome as well.   The class is in-person,  free, and open to the public but registration is required and spots are limited.  

CLICK HERE to access the Registration Link.  Hope to see you there.

 

Directions to the Urban Farm Church

School Garden Week of February 6th, 2023

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!

For GTS participants, keep an eye open for the January survey from Lauren.

 

First up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:

 

Outside in the raised beds:

So we finally have a little nice weather to pop open the row cover and see what we have growing.  Feel free to send me pics!   It is best to open the covers closer to the middle of the day when it is a little warmer, and then close the covers up tight after you view plants or take a harvest in order to build the heat back up under the cover to protect the plants.  You will need to make sure the row cover is in place Friday for sure as we get cold again this weekend.  Make sure you do not have plastic over your row cover if you were using that to provide extra protection as we will have needed rainfall for the plants and the rain will pass right through row cover, but not plastic.  If you have extra spinach and kale seeds and did not have a chance to plant last fall, you could direct sow some seed outside under the row cover this week as well.  That will give you a chance at a spring harvest to share with your kiddos.

 

Inside in the Aerogarden:

Last month we planted tomatoes in the Aerogarden.   Follow the instructions for tomato planting carefully.  Make sure you are checking water levels and fertilize as needed.  Make sure you check water levels each Friday before you leave school so that the water level does not drop too low over the weekend.  CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden planting guide.

 

Tomatoes are growing fast in the Aerogarden right now. Make sure to check your water level and fertilize as needed to keep the plants healthy. Keep your lights about 1-2″ from the leaves to avoid leggy plants.

Aerogarden Tomato Guide  –> tomato_planting_guide

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. Make sure to check your water level every week one or two times and add as needed.  Add fertilizer when needed according to the directions.

 

Inside under LED lights:  Review the video below to make sure you are thinning your seedlings under the LED lights as well as for the planting technique for broccoli if you need a refresher.  

This month’s seed starting under LED lights is broccoli.  You start it the exact same way as you did the other seeds indoors.  Plant 2-3 seeds then thin to one per pot.  Review the seed starting video below. Let Katie know if you need more seeds or seed starter mix or fertilizer.

 

This is 5 week old lettuce. I can harvest outer leaves to eat or wait until it gets bigger and harvest the whole head. It can stay in this pot for another couple of weeks, but I need to water pretty frequently since it is getting big.

 

The lettuce started last month is looking good.  You can harvest the larger leaves off the plant to taste with your students,  you can harvest the whole baby head of lettuce to taste with students, or you can let it grow a little bit longer.  Make sure you continue to fertilize every two weeks as they grow.  The bigger they get the more you will have to water.

If you have kale, spinach, or bok choy in the little pots and they have a few true leaves growing, you could potentially transplant them outside this week since we have a nice little period of warm weather.  They need hardened off, or acclimated to the colder weather a little bit before transplanting.  You could place the plants outdoors for a few hours each day and then plant on Thursday.  Friday make sure your row cover is covering your bed as we get cold.  You could potentially plant your lettuce plants outside under the row cover, but we do have some cold left this winter and lettuce is not as cold hardy as spinach, kale, and bok choy. Make sure to harden off your lettuce transplants before you plant them for at least 2-3 days.  If you need some space under your lights you may want to try planting a few out in the raised bed however.

Any questions?  Feel free to email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

Food Systems Webinar Series from CDFA

Check out the upcoming CDFA Food Systems Finance Webinar Series! They are very excited to kick things off on Tuesday, February 28 at 2:00 PM ET with our first installment – Bonds & Food Systems. The series will consist of five free webinars featuring programs and case studies, as well as traditional financing tools available for food and agriculture-related businesses and projects. Each webinar is designed to complement our recently released CDFA Food Systems Finance Best Practices Guidebook by expanding upon the tools outlined in CDFA’s toolbox approach. Please feel free to share this series with your network. We hope you are able to join!

The webinars are free, but registration is required.

 

  • February 28, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern – Bonds & Food Systems

  • April 25, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern – Access to Capital Tools & Food Systems

  • June 27, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern – Targeted Tools & Food Systems

  • August 29, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern – Investment Tools & Food Systems

  • November 28, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern – Restoring Local Food Systems Through Finance