Season Extension

School Garden Week of March 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!

 

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. If you have not done the February survey, please fill that out this week as the last day is Friday March 31st.

 

Let’s check out the forecast.  It looks pretty good.

Best day to transplant is Thursday, you could harden off seedlings this week for a few hours a day on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

 

Outside in the raised beds:

It looks like we have a good window of opportunity to plant outside in the raised beds.  I would do my planting any day from Wednesday to Friday this week.  If you have leftover seeds from fall here is what you can plant:  radishes, peas, cilantro, lettuce, kale, and bok choy.   Any cool season vegetable can be planted now.  If you have some seeds in your classroom of other varieties let me know and I am happy to provide any recommendations or guidance. 

Please Note:  Plant your peas in the middle of the raised bed as they will get the tallest. Meaning down the middle in the tallest part of the raised bed.

If you have transplants in the raised bed growing right now, I recommend that you fertilize them every two weeks by mixing the pink Miracle Gro fertilizer in your watering can when you water.  If you need seeds or fertilizer contact Katie and she can check to see what she has.

Keep using your row cover,  we have cold overnight and while the spring plantings are cold tolerant,  they will appreciate a little extra protection.

 

Important to Note! This week and next are really the last opportunity to plant seeds outdoors in the raised beds with enough time to get a harvest so make sure you get any seeds in the ground that you need to plant!

 

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.

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

Start to plan what you will do with your Aerogarden if you are leaving town for Spring Break.  Take the unit home, find a babysitter, or perhaps a fellow teacher who can keep the water added and the tomatoes fertilized. 

Want to share a kid-safe video with your kiddos on what hydroponics looks like growing in a greenhouse?  Check out this Extension Today segment we filmed last year at Howlett Greenhouse on OSU’s main campus.

Inside under LED lights.  

How do your plants look under the LED lights?   Make sure you continue to fertilize every two weeks as they grow.  The bigger they get the more you will have to water.

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.

This week in transplanting:

  • Monday: A good day to harden off transplants for a few hours,  bring back in to your classroom overnight.
  • Tuesday:  A good day to harden off transplants for a few hours,  bring back in to your classroom overnight.
  • Wednesday: A good day to harden off seedlings for a few hours.  A good day to plant under row cover if this is your only option to plant.
  • Thursday and Friday: Good planting dates.  The predicted rain on Friday will be helpful to new 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.

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

School Garden Week of March 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!

 

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. 

 

Let’s check out the forecast.  It looks pretty good.

It looks like we will have some planting weather going forward! I will provide guidance below in this email.

 

The weather predictions for the rest of the school year look great for planting, transplanting, and harvesting outdoors.

This is a great prediction for a future harvest from the raised beds.

Outside in the raised beds:

It looks like we have a good window of opportunity to plant outside in the raised beds.  I would do my planting any day from Wednesday to Friday this week.  If you have leftover seeds from fall here is what you can plant:  radishes, peas, cilantro, lettuce, kale, and bok choy.   Any cool season vegetable can be planted now.  If you have some seeds in your classroom of other varieties let me know and I am happy to provide any recommendations or guidance. 

Please Note:  Plant your peas in the middle of the raised bed as they will get the tallest. Meaning down the middle in the tallest part of the raised bed.

If you have transplants in the raised bed growing right now, I recommend that you fertilize them every two weeks by mixing the pink Miracle Gro fertilizer in your watering can when you water.  If you need seeds or fertilizer contact Katie and she can check to see what she has.

 

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.

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 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.  

How do your plants look under the LED lights?   Make sure you continue to fertilize every two weeks as they grow.  The bigger they get the more you will have to water.

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.

This week in transplanting:

  • Tuesday:  Keep the raised bed covered to build up heat,  start the hardening off process by placing transplants outside for a few hours to acclimate to the outdoor world.  Bring them inside before you leave for the day.
  • Wednesday: A good day to harden off seedlings for a few hours.  A good day to plant under row cover if this is your only option to plant.
  • Thursday and Friday: Good planting dates.  Be careful about thunderstorms.  The predicted rain will be helpful to new 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.

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

 

I want to thank the students at Eastmoor Academy.  I had a wonderful time planting with them this morning.   They named a tomato after me which is much appreciated.

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

School Garden Week of March 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!

 

CCS 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. 

 

The end of the week looks like we should have an opportunity for planting and harvesting outdoors.

 

Outside in the raised beds:

It looks like we have some cold weather (for the garden,  normal for March) to start the week.  I think Thursday is a good planting day for direct seeding under row cover.   Take a look at your seeds: there is a chance to plant some of the things that we may not have gotten a chance to plant in fall like radishes, peas, spinach and kale seeds this week outside under row cover.  A good day for this would be Thursday before Friday rain. (You could also plant Friday before the rain if you are able)  That will give you a chance at a spring harvest to share with your kiddos. 

If you want to check your plants make sure it is a warmer day,  close to 50 degrees which is the last half of the week.  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 been using plastic as supplemental heat you will probably need to water as it may be dry in the raised bed. Make sure to fertilize when you water as the outdoor plants will need the feeding. 

IF you want to plant any extra peas this week, try to plant in the middle of the raised bed as they will be your tallest plant eventually. 

 

Inside in the Aerogarden:

 

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.

 

Make sure to cover up your unused holes in your Aerogarden. That keeps fungal disease from growing in the nutrient solution.

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.

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 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.  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.  

How do your plants look under the LED lights?   Make sure you continue to fertilize every two weeks as they grow.  The bigger they get the more you will have to water.

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.

This week the best day to transplant seedlings outdoors is Thursday. You would want to harden the plants off a little bit each day outdoors to acclimate them prior to transplanting. . 

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

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

School Garden Week of March 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!

CCS Teachers!   Send me pics of what you are growing, good and bad and let me know if is OK to publish them.  I want to share examples with your colleagues. 

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

It looks like we have some cold weather (for the garden,  normal for March) for the next ten days or so.  I will keep watch very closely to see when we can get a window of time to plant seeds outdoors in the raised beds.  Take a look at your seeds:  we will be looking to plant some of the things that we may not have gotten a chance to plant in fall like radishes and peas later on in March.

However, 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. They germinate well in cold. 

Outside in the raised beds:

If you want to check your plants make sure it is a warmer day,  close to 50 degrees.  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 been using plastic as supplemental heat you will probably need to water as it may be dry in the raised bed. Make sure to fertilize when you water as the outdoor plants will need the feeding. 

Here is my lettuce growing under cover. I direct seeded spinach about ten days ago and have good germination. I need to get out to thin the seedlings soon.

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.

 

 

Make sure to cover up your unused holes in your Aerogarden. That keeps fungal disease from growing in the nutrient solution.

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.

 

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.  Let me know if you are having any problems or if you have some great pics to share.  Start fertilizing using bottom watering technique once you have some leaves on the plant.

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.

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.

This week is not ideal for transplanting.  If you really need to get plants outside due to space issues under your lights then email me and we will come up with a plan. 

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

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

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

School Garden Week of January 23rd, 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, you should have gotten an email with a link to the December survey from Lauren.  Please respond if you have not yet done so.

 

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

 

Outside in the raised beds:

That weather report has cold temperatures all week.  I recommend that you leave the row covers alone and not try to get under to see the plants this week.  The snow cover is our friend,  providing a little more insulation and then watering the plants when it melts.

 

Inside in the Aerogarden:

This month we are planting tomatoes in the Aerogarden.  If you planted herbs in the Aerogarden last semester you will need to clean out the unit before you plant your tomatoes so you can start fresh with a clean Aerogarden.  Follow the instructions for tomato planting carefully.  CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden planting guide. If you need tomato pods then contact Katie.

When you start your Aerogarden with the tomato pods you will place the little clear plastic cap over the pod until it germinates.  Remove the plastic cap once the tomato seedlings have germinated.  The cap is like the cover for the LED seed starting, it keeps the humidity correct for germination and then removed when the seeds sprout.  For the holes with no tomato pods in them, make sure to place the flat black or white caps over them to prevent light from entering in the system, which may cause algae to grow.  Email Katie if you need hole covers.

In this pod all three of the seeds that came with the pod sprouted. Two of the seedlings needed to be thinned, or removed so that the pod is not too crowded. You can take scissors and very carefully trim off the seedlings you do not want, leaving the stockiest best looking seedling. Be careful you do not cut the one you want to keep. Do not try to pull them out or you may damage the one you want to keep. Send me pictures and questions if you have them.

 

This pod has been thinned down to one seedling and is good to go.

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.

Do you need seeds or seed starter for your project?  Contact Katie.

Inside under LED lights:  Review the video below to make sure you are thinning your seedlings under the LED lights

This month’s seed starting under LED lights is lettuce.  If you did not get a chance to plant spinach or kale you can seed start them as well this month.  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.  If you do not have space to plant all of those,  and remember that we will be planting broccoli in pots in February (on pg. 3 on the GTS manual it states broccoli in March,  on pg. 30 it states we start broccoli in February – pg. 30 is correct,  we start broccoli in February and I will remind you all of that) so we need to plan on a little space for them.  Prioritize spinach and kale if you do not have any outside in the raised bed since the kiddos will be tasting them in the next two months. Email questions to me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

We have been creating videos to support this project and have 4 done so far at our OSU Extension County YouTube channel.  Lots of questions about seed starting under the LED lights.  Check out the video below for a super quick, kid-safe (can show in class to your kiddos) seed starting video using the materials you have for the pilot:  The same technique as for kale in the video below works for spinach, kale, lettuce, and bok choy.  

Any questions about your growing?  Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu