There will be a class on projects that can be done in the fall that will make your spring garden easier to start and more productive during the season. Topics will include soil health, composting, garden expansion, cover crops, soil testing and more. Bring your friends and your questions to this free event presented in partnership with The Grandview Heights Public Library.
Click HERE for flyer to download and print –> GV Library Fall to Spring Garden
The most recent edition of OSU Agronomy’s C.O.R.N. newsletter published by my Extension colleagues gave the September and October weather predictions that will impact harvest of agronomic crops. The backyard grower, community gardener, and urban farmer can use this data to make plans for season extended plantings by applying frost dates and predicted temperatures and rainfall amounts into the planting schedule.
September/October Temperature and Precipitation Forecasts
(credit Jim Noel, C.O.R.N Newsletter, 2018-28)
What does this mean for plantings?
El Nino Update (8/9/18)
El Nino winters in central Ohio average warmer than normal temperatures with less than normal snowfall. Current the National Weather Service has an El Nino Watch in place.
The 56th annual Farm Science Review is only about a month away. There are many activities, events, educational presentations and displays over the three days of activity that the backyard grower, community gardener and urban farmer can use in their production.
Below are the activities at the Small Farms Area as well as across Arbuckle at The Gwynne Conservation Center. Both educational programs are included in admission including a tractor ride over to The Gwynne.
Click on image to expand
Click on image to expand
The Gwynne Conservation area is a short shuttle down the road from the main site. This natural area has educational programming with workshops in multiple locations as well as food sales and restrooms. Shuttles run all day long of the review each day to take patrons back and forth to both locations.
Click on image to expand
Click on image to expand
CLICK for Printable Flyer of the Small Farms Area activities for 2018 Farm Science Review –> FSR-2018-Small-Farms
CLICK for Printable Flyer of Gwynne Conservation activities for 2018 Farm Science Review –> Gwynne FSR Brochure – 2018
Directions to Farm Science Review
Tickets may be purchased in advance for $7 dollars at The Franklin County Extension office or may be purchased online in advance at THIS LINK. Tickets purchased at the gate are $10 dollars.
There will be a garden walk to discuss weeds, pests, disease, fertilizers, cover crops, season extension and more on Wednesday August 22nd at Family Farms Urban Farm at 1269 Wilson Ave. @ 6:30 pm. The event is free and open to the public. Bring your friends and your questions!
CLICK HERE for printable flyer –> Summer Garden Walk SS 1269 Wilson
The one and three month temperature and precipitation projections for weather in central Ohio call for increased chances of above average temperatures and near normal precipitation. This is favorable for maturation of vegetables planted to take advantage of the fall growing season. The fall vegetable timeline indicates that right now is a good time to plant another round of multiple vegetables including cucumbers, zucchini, green beans, peas and potatoes. Keep in mind when planting potatoes, the flowering occurs before formation of the potatoes under the ground. This means that if the weather turns colder at night and the producer wishes to prevent frost damage to the leaves, a row cover can be applied without worry about inhibiting pollinators.
I gave an update on the ENSO/El Nino phenomenon last month in Growing Franklin. An update was posted on NOAA/NWS recently that has upgraded the chances for fall to 65% and for winter to 70%. El Nino winters in central Ohio have an increased chance of warmer weather. This is important for planning for over wintered vegetables under season extension as well as timing of cover crop plantings.
There are three classes upcoming on the west, south and east sides of Columbus that address winter cover crop selection and season extension:
Season Extension methods can be used in summer as well as to protect plantings from cold in cooler months. CLICK HERE for a link to Using Shade Fabric for Summer Season Extension of Cold Weather Crops.
Multiple problems have been reported by central Ohio growers regarding cucurbit family crops, specifically summer squash and cucumbers. Powdery mildew has become widespread in the area recently, showing up as white patches on the cucurbit leaves.
These patches can eventually cover the entire leaf surface. They are not generally fatal to the plant, but can kill the leaves, weaken the plant, and decrease plant productivity.
CLICK Here for OSU Veggie Disease LINK for Powdery Mildew on Cucurbits.
Another problem noted in cucurbits is squash bug nymphs are hatching from egg clusters laid recently and are approaching infestation levels on many plantings.
The adult was disturbed in the act of laying these eggs prior to the picture being taken. Eggs darken in color after being laid.
Extremely large numbers of nymphs are commonly noted. Feeding damage to leaf is evident
Do not let large numbers of squash bugs reach infestation levels trying to ripen a last, small amount of cucumbers or zucchini. Eliminating the infested plantings, not composting, can remove large amounts of squash bugs now to decrease the burden faced by fall planted cucurbits. Take care to factor in impacts to pollinators if pesticides are being considered for control.
Squash Bug Fact Sheet – Organic Systems
Squash Bug Fact Sheet – Penn State
There will be a class on using winter cover crops as well as season extension techniques with low tunnels to keep your garden growing over the colder months. The class will start in the McKinley Field Shelter House and then finish next door at Wallace Community Garden. The class is free and open to the public.
Click here for printable flyer –> GV Wallace Winter Cover and Season Ext
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.
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
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:
Things to start in a few weeks – Direct Seed in the Garden
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.
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.
OSU Extension, Franklin County, will be partnering with City of Grandview Heights, Parks and Recreation, to host a class for backyard growers, community gardeners and urban farmers on the use of Warm Season Cover Crops. The class will start with a brief lecture on cover crop basics and varietal selection in the McKinley Field Shelter House and then move over to next door Wallace Community Garden for an on-site demonstration of several varieties of warm season cover crops.
The class is FREE and open to the public. Parking is available at McKinley Field, at Wallace Community Garden and on street on Goodale Boulevard, Broadview Avenue and Urlin Avenue. The class starts at 6:30 pm on Wednesday June 20th.
Come learn how you can integrate warm season cover crops into your food growing system to address challenges such as weed management, increased fertility, soil compaction and soil erosion.
