Author: Timothy McDermott

School Garden Week of May 22nd, 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!

Thank You Teachers!  You are Awesome!  I have enjoyed this past school year tremendously working with you and seeing the amazing job you are doing with your kiddos.

CCS GTS Teachers!  It is time to get a last harvest and get your growing spaces cleaned and put to rest for the summer. 

Closing Up Your Garden

Please be sure that all of your garden systems are closed up before you leave for the summer. We are getting closer to the last day of the year and now is a good time to engage your students to assist you with garden clean up.  Here is some helpful information from Katie.

Outdoor Raised Bed:

  1. Harvest all of the remaining produce from the outdoor raised bed.
  2. Remove any weeds that are present.
  3. Cover with black plastic and use landscape pins to pin down the ends, middle, and sides of the plastic.
  4. Add some pavers or large rocks on top of the plastic to keep the wind from pulling the landscape pins out.
  5. If there is an issue with vandalism at your site, you may want to take your white hoops off of your bed and store them in your classroom.
  6. The black plastic is important because it will keep your garden free of weeds and pests over the summer.  Then in August, all you will need to do is roll back the plastic, mix up your soil, and you are ready to plant.  Please be sure to fold up this black plastic and store for use the following May.  This item will not be replaced each year. 
  7. Be sure to clean and fold up your fabric row covers and clips and store them for the following year. These items will not be replaced each year.

 

Row Cover Cleaning:

Row cover can be washed by hand in a sink or large tub of hot soapy water and then rinsed a few times in clear water. Or you can wash it in a washing machine on the gentle or delicate cycle. It’s best to dry it in the sun as it will also help disinfect it and brighten it.

Indoor Grow Stations : Cleaning your AeroGarden

Start by dismantling your garden and cleaning out your indoor plants and any leftover roots. Roots can grow into the filter, so be sure to clean it out and reinstall after you’ve finished cleaning the bowl. If the filter looks too worn, replace the filter to prolong the life of your pump. Be careful not to throw away your filter by accident! It’s easy to do when removing plant roots.

After clearing out the roots, you should clean and sanitize your AeroGarden® hydroponics growing system to help prevent the growth of root pathogens that can destroy your live plants. There are various ways to clean your garden:

If you have a dishwasher:

  • Put your grow deck and bowl in the top rack of the dishwasher.
  • Run through a warm or cold water cycle (do not use a hot water or heat dry cycle).
  • Reassemble to start your next round of gardening.

If you don’t have a dishwasher:

  • Fill the bowl with either water and a ¼ cup of chlorine bleach OR 5 cups of distilled white vinegar (no need to use water if you’re using the vinegar). Vinegar also helps prevent and clean up mineral deposits in your garden.
  • Let the water pump or aerator circulate the solution for 5 minutes.
  • Empty the solution, rinse well, and then fill with clear water (no bleach).
  • Allow the pump or aerator to circulate the clear water for 5 minutes.
  • Empty and rinse once more to ensure that all solution is rinsed from the bowl.

Cleaning the Grow Deck:

Sometimes roots will grow through the nozzles on the grow deck and prevent proper water flow. Separating and cleaning the grow deck of any stray roots can help keep the water flowing efficiently. The grow deck can be separated on almost all AeroGarden® models.

First, remove the grow deck from the bowl of your AeroGarden® and place it upside-down on a flat surface. Locate the tabs on the underside of the deck and push the tabs inward and down. The tabs are flexible and designed to be separated. Use a scrub brush or similar cleaning tool to remove the roots and any other debris from the grow deck. Snap back together in place.

 For your LED light and seed starting trays: 

  1. Clean trays and potting cups with soap and water (they are also top shelf dishwasher safe).
  2. Remove the sides of the LED light and place back into the box with the light panel.
  3. Store all of the potting cups, the timer, plug, and extension cord, trays and lights in a cabinet or storage tote.  If you have any extra potting mix, fertilizer, or seeds please store them with these other supplies.

CLICK for a PDF of the CLOSING THE GARDEN instructions –> Closing Up Your Garden

Outside in the raised beds:

Hopefully you are harvesting and tasting with your kiddos.  Only a short time left in the year!  Make sure to enjoy the harvest.

We have had very little rain lately so water if your plants need it.  You do not need to fertilize any longer.  This week is good to get a harvest of plants to enjoy with your kiddos and then follow the clean up instructions to put your indoor and outdoor grow spaces to rest for the summer. 

Inside in the Aerogarden:

Hopefully you are getting a harvest!  I had some delicious pizza made for me last week during a school visit.

Tomatoes are growing 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.

Keep your lights about 1-2″ from the leaves to avoid leggy plants.  Remember If you started two plants in your Aerogardens, you might 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.  Check the Aerogarden site for guidance on pollinating.  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 Tomato Guide  –> tomato_planting_guide

 

Inside under LED lights.  

Make sure to harvest any remaining plants or transplant them outdoors as you will want to get your indoor LED lights, pots, and trays cleaned and stored before summer break.

Want to grow over summer in your own garden at home?

Check out the Full Year of Growing page that has 33 videos, webinars, fact sheets, and articles designed to assist the new to intermediate growers of produce and poultry.

If you need to contact me over summer feel free to email to Tim McDermott.15@osu.edu

School Garden Week of May 15th, 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!

Thank You Teachers!  You are Awesome!  I have enjoyed this past school year tremendously working with you and seeing the amazing job you are doing with your kiddos. 

 

We had questions at the focus groups on how long seeds remain viable.  I have a link on Growing Franklin with Seed Viability Information for you to learn about how long veggie family seeds are good for. 

CCS GTS Teachers!  It is time to get a last harvest and get your growing spaces cleaned and put to rest for the summer. 

Closing Up Your Garden

Please be sure that all of your garden systems are closed up before you leave for the summer. We are getting closer to the last day of the year and now is a good time to engage your students to assist you with garden clean up.  Here is some helpful information from Katie.

Outdoor Raised Bed:

  1. Harvest all of the remaining produce from the outdoor raised bed.
  2. Remove any weeds that are present.
  3. Cover with black plastic and use landscape pins to pin down the ends, middle, and sides of the plastic.
  4. Add some pavers or large rocks on top of the plastic to keep the wind from pulling the landscape pins out.
  5. If there is an issue with vandalism at your site, you may want to take your white hoops off of your bed and store them in your classroom.
  6. The black plastic is important because it will keep your garden free of weeds and pests over the summer.  Then in August, all you will need to do is roll back the plastic, mix up your soil, and you are ready to plant.  Please be sure to fold up this black plastic and store for use the following May.  This item will not be replaced each year. 
  7. Be sure to clean and fold up your fabric row covers and clips and store them for the following year. These items will not be replaced each year.

 

Row Cover Cleaning:

Row cover can be washed by hand in a sink or large tub of hot soapy water and then rinsed a few times in clear water. Or you can wash it in a washing machine on the gentle or delicate cycle. It’s best to dry it in the sun as it will also help disinfect it and brighten it.

 

Indoor Grow Stations : Cleaning your AeroGarden

Start by dismantling your garden and cleaning out your indoor plants and any leftover roots. Roots can grow into the filter, so be sure to clean it out and reinstall after you’ve finished cleaning the bowl. If the filter looks too worn, replace the filter to prolong the life of your pump. Be careful not to throw away your filter by accident! It’s easy to do when removing plant roots.

After clearing out the roots, you should clean and sanitize your AeroGarden® hydroponics growing system to help prevent the growth of root pathogens that can destroy your live plants. There are various ways to clean your garden:

If you have a dishwasher:

  • Put your grow deck and bowl in the top rack of the dishwasher.
  • Run through a warm or cold water cycle (do not use a hot water or heat dry cycle).
  • Reassemble to start your next round of gardening.

If you don’t have a dishwasher:

  • Fill the bowl with either water and a ¼ cup of chlorine bleach OR 5 cups of distilled white vinegar (no need to use water if you’re using the vinegar). Vinegar also helps prevent and clean up mineral deposits in your garden.
  • Let the water pump or aerator circulate the solution for 5 minutes.
  • Empty the solution, rinse well, and then fill with clear water (no bleach).
  • Allow the pump or aerator to circulate the clear water for 5 minutes.
  • Empty and rinse once more to ensure that all solution is rinsed from the bowl.

Cleaning the Grow Deck:

Sometimes roots will grow through the nozzles on the grow deck and prevent proper water flow. Separating and cleaning the grow deck of any stray roots can help keep the water flowing efficiently. The grow deck can be separated on almost all AeroGarden® models.

First, remove the grow deck from the bowl of your AeroGarden® and place it upside-down on a flat surface. Locate the tabs on the underside of the deck and push the tabs inward and down. The tabs are flexible and designed to be separated. Use a scrub brush or similar cleaning tool to remove the roots and any other debris from the grow deck. Snap back together in place.

 For your LED light and seed starting trays: 

  1. Clean trays and potting cups with soap and water (they are also top shelf dishwasher safe).
  2. Remove the sides of the LED light and place back into the box with the light panel.
  3. Store all of the potting cups, the timer, plug, and extension cord, trays and lights in a cabinet or storage tote.  If you have any extra potting mix, fertilizer, or seeds please store them with these other supplies.

CLICK for a PDF of the CLOSING THE GARDEN instructions –> Closing Up Your Garden

 

Outside in the raised beds:

Hopefully you are harvesting and tasting with your kiddos.  Only a short time left in the year!  Make sure to enjoy the harvest.

We are generally getting good rain but it can be hit or miss depending on where your garden is located.  Make sure to check your beds this week to see if they are dry or if the rain provided enough water for them.  We are about done with the need to fertilize.  You could try one more application of the pink crystal fertilizer in water if you have not fertilized in the past week or so. 

Inside in the Aerogarden:

Hopefully you are getting a harvest!  I had some delicious pizza made for me last week during a school visit.

Tomatoes are growing 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.

Keep your lights about 1-2″ from the leaves to avoid leggy plants.  Remember If you started two plants in your Aerogardens, you might 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.  Check the Aerogarden site for guidance on pollinating.  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 Tomato Guide  –> tomato_planting_guide

 

Inside under LED lights.  

Make sure to harvest any remaining plants or transplant them outdoors as you will want to get your indoor LED lights, pots, and trays cleaned and stored before summer break.

Want to grow over summer in your own garden at home?

Check out the Full Year of Growing page that has 33 videos, webinars, fact sheets, and articles designed to assist the new to intermediate growers of produce and poultry.

If you need to contact me over summer feel free to email to Tim McDermott.15@osu.edu

 

 

School Garden Week of May 8th, 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!

CCS GTS Teachers!  Make sure you are checking your inbox for emails from Lauren about the focus groups. 

Closing Up Your Garden

Please be sure that all of your garden systems are closed up before you leave for the summer. We are getting closer to the last day of the year and now is a good time to engage your students to assist you with garden clean up.  Here is some helpful information from Katie.

Outdoor Raised Bed:

  1. Harvest all of the remaining produce from the outdoor raised bed.
  2. Remove any weeds that are present.
  3. Cover with black plastic and use landscape pins to pin down the ends, middle, and sides of the plastic.
  4. Add some pavers or large rocks on top of the plastic to keep the wind from pulling the landscape pins out.
  5. If there is an issue with vandalism at your site, you may want to take your white hoops off of your bed and store them in your classroom.
  6. The black plastic is important because it will keep your garden free of weeds and pests over the summer.  Then in August, all you will need to do is roll back the plastic, mix up your soil, and you are ready to plant.  Please be sure to fold up this black plastic and store for use the following May.  This item will not be replaced each year. 
  7. Be sure to clean and fold up your fabric row covers and clips and store them for the following year. These items will not be replaced each year.

 

Row Cover Cleaning:

Row cover can be washed by hand in a sink or large tub of hot soapy water and then rinsed a few times in clear water. Or you can wash it in a washing machine on the gentle or delicate cycle. It’s best to dry it in the sun as it will also help disinfect it and brighten it.

 

Indoor Grow Stations : Cleaning your AeroGarden

Start by dismantling your garden and cleaning out your indoor plants and any leftover roots. Roots can grow into the filter, so be sure to clean it out and reinstall after you’ve finished cleaning the bowl. If the filter looks too worn, replace the filter to prolong the life of your pump. Be careful not to throw away your filter by accident! It’s easy to do when removing plant roots.

After clearing out the roots, you should clean and sanitize your AeroGarden® hydroponics growing system to help prevent the growth of root pathogens that can destroy your live plants. There are various ways to clean your garden:

If you have a dishwasher:

  • Put your grow deck and bowl in the top rack of the dishwasher.
  • Run through a warm or cold water cycle (do not use a hot water or heat dry cycle).
  • Reassemble to start your next round of gardening.

If you don’t have a dishwasher:

  • Fill the bowl with either water and a ¼ cup of chlorine bleach OR 5 cups of distilled white vinegar (no need to use water if you’re using the vinegar). Vinegar also helps prevent and clean up mineral deposits in your garden.
  • Let the water pump or aerator circulate the solution for 5 minutes.
  • Empty the solution, rinse well, and then fill with clear water (no bleach).
  • Allow the pump or aerator to circulate the clear water for 5 minutes.
  • Empty and rinse once more to ensure that all solution is rinsed from the bowl.

Cleaning the Grow Deck:

Sometimes roots will grow through the nozzles on the grow deck and prevent proper water flow. Separating and cleaning the grow deck of any stray roots can help keep the water flowing efficiently. The grow deck can be separated on almost all AeroGarden® models.

First, remove the grow deck from the bowl of your AeroGarden® and place it upside-down on a flat surface. Locate the tabs on the underside of the deck and push the tabs inward and down. The tabs are flexible and designed to be separated. Use a scrub brush or similar cleaning tool to remove the roots and any other debris from the grow deck. Snap back together in place.

 For your LED light and seed starting trays: 

  1. Clean trays and potting cups with soap and water (they are also top shelf dishwasher safe).
  2. Remove the sides of the LED light and place back into the box with the light panel.
  3. Store all of the potting cups, the timer, plug, and extension cord, trays and lights in a cabinet or storage tote.  If you have any extra potting mix, fertilizer, or seeds please store them with these other supplies.

CLICK for a PDF of the CLOSING THE GARDEN instructions –> Closing Up Your Garden

Let’s check out the forecast.

Outside in the raised beds:

Hopefully you are harvesting and tasting with your kiddos.  Only a short time left in the year!  Make sure to enjoy the harvest.

We are generally getting good rain but it can be hit or miss depending on where your garden is located.  Make sure to check your beds this week to see if they are dry or if the rain provided enough water for them.  We are about done with the need to fertilize.  You could try one more application of the pink crystal fertilizer in water if you have not fertilized in the past week or so. 

Inside in the Aerogarden:

Hopefully you are getting a harvest!  I had some delicious pizza made for me last week during a school visit.

Tomatoes are growing 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.

Keep your lights about 1-2″ from the leaves to avoid leggy plants.  Remember If you started two plants in your Aerogardens, you might 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.  Check the Aerogarden site for guidance on pollinating.  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 Tomato Guide  –> tomato_planting_guide

 

Inside under LED lights.  

Does anyone have any plants under the LED lights indoors?   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 plants under LED lights then there are some good days for transplanting this week.

This week in transplanting:

  • All days are good for transplanting if you still have any plants that need to go outside.
  • If you are done with plants under the lights then clean all your materials (warm soapy water, dish soap is fine) and pack them up very carefully, including the cords, timers, etc… and label the box with your name, so that they will be ready for you next year.

Check out the transplanting video below to help with the process:

Living Your Best Garden Life: Summer! Webinar Recording is Live

I had a great time last night partnering with The Nature Conservancy talking about how you can Live Your Best Garden Life this Summer!  For those who missed the recording you can find it below.

Did you miss the Living Your Best Garden Life: Spring! webinar?  Here you go!

The third webinar recording will be Living Your Best Garden Life: Fall! and will take place on Wednesday August 9th @ 6:30.  Attendance is free but required registration.  The link is below.  Bring your friends and your questions!   Register for Living Your Best Garden Life: Fall!

School Garden Week of May 1st, 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!

CCS GTS Teachers!  Make sure you are checking your inbox for emails from Lauren about the focus groups. 

Let’s check out the forecast.

Outside in the raised beds:

We have some cold nights this week,  make sure your row cover is covering your raised beds before you go home each day.  We are generally getting good rain but it can be hit or miss depending on where your garden is located.  Make sure check your beds this week to see if they are dry or if the rain provided enough water for them.  We have great harvest windows toward the last half of the week. 

Make sure that you let the beds warm up before you pop the top.  The best time will be around mid-day to early afternoon.  Then re-cover the beds before you leave for the day because we have some cold nights. 

We are pretty much done with the need to use plastic but do not throw it away.  Let it dry out and then fold it up and store it so that you can use it next year. Keep using your row cover.  If you uncover your beds during the day,  place the cover back over the beds before you leave.  It will help with the temperature as well as protect your crops from nuisance wildlife. I have gotten some reports about bunnies eating the crops.

If you are using the pink crystal fertilizer (not the Aerogarden fertilizer) then make sure that you fertilize your outside plants every two weeks mixed in water according to the label.  Contact Katie if you need more fertilizer.

If you have some Shake and Feed or Nature’s Care from prior years that would be a good choice. I had pictures of them in last weeks post for reference. With there only being a month left in the school year, you would only need to apply either Shake and Feed or Nature’s Care once.

Here is a picture shared by Eastmoor.  They have some mushroom growth in the raised bed, which is not unusual this time of year.  Some mushrooms can be poisonous so make sure if you encounter mushroom growth in your beds you take the time to address this with your students as it is a great learning opportunity.

Inside in the Aerogarden:

Hopefully you are getting a harvest!  I had some delicious pizza made for me last week during a school visit.

Tomatoes are growing 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.

Keep your lights about 1-2″ from the leaves to avoid leggy plants.  Remember If you started two plants in your Aerogardens, you might 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.  Check the Aerogarden site for guidance on pollinating.  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 Tomato Guide  –> tomato_planting_guide

 

Inside under LED lights.  

Does anyone have any plants under the LED lights indoors?   Make sure you continue to fertilize every two weeks as they grow.  The bigger they get the more you will have to water.

I got a question about transplanting basil from the Aerogarden to the outside raised bed.  Basil is very cold intolerant and would likely not survive, even under row cover. You could plant it in a pot and keep it under the LED lights with occasional trips outdoors.

If you have plants under LED lights then there are some good days for transplanting this week.

This week in transplanting:

  • Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: Too chilly and windy.
  • Thursday, Friday:  Good days to plant outdoors under row cover,  Replace the row cover over the beds when you are done. Great days to check plants and to harvest.
  • Be sure to re-cover your beds after you transplant.
  • Use only row cover and not the extra plastic layer so that the plants get watered when it rains.
  • If you are done with plants under the lights then clean all your materials (warm soapy water, dish soap is fine) and pack them up very carefully, including the cords, timers, etc… and label the box with your name, so that they will be ready for you next year.

Check out the transplanting video below to help with the process:

Coffee in the Garden: A garden walk at Franklin Park Conservatory Community Garden on Sunday May 7th, 2023 from 8 – 10am. (Plus a Plant and Seed Swap @ 2pm!)

Join me at The Scott’s Miracle Gro Community Garden Campus at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens on Sunday May 7th @ 8am for Coffee in the Garden, a spring garden walk! Coffee and refreshments will be provided.  After 10am stay and enjoy community days, the 1st Sunday of each month with free attendance for residents of Franklin County and the City of Columbus from 10a – 5pm (Does not include special engagement evening hours, see flyer below for more details)

Hope to see you there, the event is free, check out the QR for registration, bring your friends and your questions!  Then enjoy the day at FPC including a Plant and Seed Swap @2pm.  See details below.

 

Here are some location maps for the garden and for parking.

Here is the community garden campus.

CLICK HERE to learn more about community days –> VisitFPC

Later in the day after the garden walk there will be a Plant and Seed Swap from 2 – 4pm. See the details below.

School Garden Week of April 24th, 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!

CCS GTS Teachers!   Focus groups start next week, there are only a few spots left and we will contact those who have not signed up yet. 

 Please check to make sure you have filled out the March survey as well as any surveys your may have missed earlier in the school year. 

 

Let’s check out the forecast.

Outside in the raised beds:

We have some cold nights this week,  make sure your row cover is covering your raised beds before you go home each day.  We did not get good rain over the past week.  I recommend that you water once or twice a week as well especially as we have no rain in the forecast until the weekend. Add fertilizer to your water if you are using the pink crystals every two weeks.

A good amount of water is to count to ten as you water with a watering can for each plant to make sure that you water deeply enough to get all the way down to the roots. 

Make sure that you let the beds warm up before you pop the top.  The best time will be around mid-day to early afternoon.  Then re-cover the beds before you leave for the day because we have some cold nights. 

We are pretty much done with the need to use plastic but do not throw it away.  Let it dry out and then fold it up and store it so that you can use it next year. Keep using your row cover.  If you uncover your beds during the day,  place the cover back over the beds before you leave.  It will help with the temperature as well as protect your crops from nuisance wildlife. I have gotten some reports about bunnies eating the crops.

If you are using the pink crystal fertilizer (not the Aerogarden fertilizer) then make sure that you fertilize your outside plants every two weeks mixed in water according to the label.  Contact Katie if you need more fertilizer.

If you have some Shake and Feed or Natures Care from prior years that would be a good choice. The pictures of those two fertilizers are below. They are granular fertilizers that are mixed into the soil according to the label instructions. If you would like some of these fertilizers, contact Katie to see what she has.

 

This can be added into the soil when you transplant, or sprinkled around the plants on top of the soil and then gently worked in to the soil before you water. This will feed plants for two months so you should only need to use this once the rest of this season. Follow the instructions on the label.

 

This can be added into the soil when you transplant, or sprinkled around the plants on top of the soil and then gently worked in to the soil before you water. This will feed plants for three months so you should only need to use this once the rest of this season. Follow the instructions on the label.

Inside in the Aerogarden:

Tomatoes are growing 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.

Keep your lights about 1-2″ from the leaves to avoid leggy plants.  Remember If you started two plants in your Aerogardens, you might 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.  Check the Aerogarden site for guidance on pollinating.  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 Tomato Guide  –> tomato_planting_guide

 

Inside under LED lights.  

Does anyone have any plants under the LED lights indoors?   Make sure you continue to fertilize every two weeks as they grow.  The bigger they get the more you will have to water.

I got a question about transplanting basil from the Aerogarden to the outside raised bed.  Basil is very cold intolerant and would likely not survive, even under row cover. You could plant it in a pot and keep it under the LED lights with occasional trips outdoors.

If you have plants under LED lights then there are some good days for transplanting this week.

This week in transplanting:

  • Monday: Too chilly and windy.
  • Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday:  Good days to plant outdoors under row cover, wait until mid-day when it warms up. Replace the row cover over the beds when you are done.
  • Friday: Scheduled to rain which will be great for the transplants.
  • Be sure to re-cover your beds after you transplant.
  • Use only row cover and not the extra plastic layer so that the plants get watered when it rains.
  • If you are done with plants under the lights then clean all your materials (warm soapy water, dish soap is fine) and pack them up very carefully, including the cords, timers, etc… and label the box with your name, so that they will be ready for you next year.

Check out the transplanting video below to help with the process:

School Garden Week of April 17th, 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!

Welcome Back!!  I hope that you had a safe and restful Spring Break.

 

CCS GTS Teachers!   Keep your eyes open on your email for an email from Lauren Preston to pick your times for end of the season focus group times (due this Thursday!)  and for the March survey. 

 

First up is Extension Today at Georgian Heights where the kiddos are planning, planting, harvesting, and tasting fresh school grown produce indoors and outdoors. I had a wonderful time filming this segment.  I am so proud of them, they did an amazing job!  All of you who engage your kiddos in agriculture are making a huge impact in their lives.  I appreciate you.

Let’s check out the forecast.

A little bit of heat mid-week and then it looks like normal spring weather for a little bit.

 

Outside in the raised beds:

We did not get good rain over the past week.  I recommend that you water as well as fertilize your outdoor beds, especially as we have some mid-week heat. 

We are pretty much done with the need to use plastic but do not throw it away.  Let it dry out and then fold it up and store it so that you can use it next year. Keep using your row cover.  If you uncover your beds during the day,  place the cover back over the beds before you leave.  It will help with the temperature as well as protect your crops from nuisance wildlife. I have gotten some reports about bunnies eating the crops.

Make sure that you fertilize your outside plants every two weeks mixed in water according to the label.  Contact Katie if you need more fertilizer.  It is the pink crystal one for indoor seed starting and watering plants outside,  not the Aerogarden fertilizer. If you have some Shake and Feed from prior years that would be a good choice.

Inside in the Aerogarden:

Tomatoes are growing 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.

Keep your lights about 1-2″ from the leaves to avoid leggy plants.  Remember If you started two plants in your Aerogardens, you might 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.  Check the Aerogarden site for guidance on pollinating.  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 Tomato Guide  –> tomato_planting_guide

 

Inside under LED lights.  

Does anyone have any plants under the LED lights indoors?   Make sure you continue to fertilize every two weeks as they grow.  The bigger they get the more you will have to water.

I got a question about transplanting basil from the Aerogarden to the outside raised bed.  Basil is very cold intolerant and would likely not survive, even under row cover. You could plant it in a pot and keep it under the LED lights with occasional trips outdoors.

If you have plants under LED lights then there are some good days for transplanting this week.

This week in transplanting:

  • Monday: Too chilly and windy.
  • Tuesday:  A good day to plant outdoors under row cover, wait until mid-day when it warms up..
  • Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Good days to plant outdoors.
  • Be sure to re-cover your beds after you transplant.
  • Use only row cover and not the extra plastic layer so that the plants get watered when it rains.
  • If you are done with plants under the lights then clean all your materials (warm soapy water, dish soap is fine) and pack them up very carefully, including the cords, timers, etc… and label the box with your name, so that they will be ready for you next year.

Check out the transplanting video below to help with the process:

Living Your Best Garden Life: SUMMER! Webinar in partnership with The Nature Conservancy on Wednesday May 3rd, 2023 @ 6:30pm.

How is your spring garden going so far?  Can you believe it is time to think about Summer!  I will be partnering with The Nature Conservancy for part two of our three part series to talk about how you can Live Your Best Garden Life this Summer on Wednesday May 3rd @ 6:30pm.  The class is free and open to the public, but does require registration, so bring your friends and your questions!

 

CLICK HERE to Register for Living Your Best Garden Life: SUMMER! 

Spring Vegetable Planting Class @ Grandview Heights Public Library on Tuesday April 11th, 2023 @ 6:30pm

There is a Spring Vegetable Planting class coming up at Grandview Heights Public Library on Tuesday April 11th @ 6:30.  The class is free and open to the public so bring your friends and your questions!

CLICK for directions.