Southern Ohio Farm Show, April 21, 2021

In this week’s episode of the Southern Ohio Farm Show, we visit Sim’s Family Golf Center to learn tips for putting, April gardening update from Dr. Tim McDermott, and a weather outlook with Dr. Aaron Wilson.

Be sure to tune in next week for the 1st anniversary of the Southern Ohio Farm Show!

This Week on the Southern Ohio Farm Show

In this week’s episode of the Southern Ohio Farm Show, there was a weather forecast by Dr. Aaron Wilson, a conversation about the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE), a gardening activity for youth, tips for growing strawberries, and a reason to keep an eye in the sky on clear nights. Next week, we will have another weather outlook, continued discussions about local foods and Coronavirius Food Assistance Program. Tune in next Wednesday at 10 AM for another new episode of the Southern Ohio Farm Show via https://go.osu.edu/thesouthernohiofarmshowregistration

This Week on the Southern Ohio Farm Show

This week’s episode of the Southern Ohio Farm Show featured a weather update by OSU Extension Climatologist, Dr. Aaron Wilson, the EIDL program, an interview with Dr. Michael Para of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center about COVID-19, gardening with Faye Mahaffey, a meat science cooking demonstration, and a special segment about Mother’s Day.  If you were unable to view the show, it is also posted on our Facebook and YouTube pages. It will also be broadcasted on the Hillsboro and Greenfield local access channels.

The next broadcast of the Southern Ohio Farm Show will be held on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, at 10 AM via Zoom. You can register for the program via: https://go.osu.edu/thesouthernohiofarmshowregistration

Next week’s episode will include topics on pesticide container recycling and forages with guest speakers of Tony Nye and Christine Gelley. If you do not have a computer or a smart phone, you are still able to listen to the program using the call-in option. Call the OSU Extension Office at 937-393-1918 for more information about the call-in number.

Start Your Garden

lettuce

Brooke Beam, PhD

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

 

March 31, 2020

 

In one of Governor DeWine’s press conferences over the weekend, Dr. Amy Acton, director of health for the Ohio Department of Health, discussed the benefits of starting a garden. Gardening can be a good way to spend more time outside, learn more about vegetable production, and the final results will provide delicious, fresh food for your table.

The first step is to establish the available space for your garden and how large you would like it to be. Starting small is a good idea if you are inexperienced with gardening, as the care of the garden can become a chore. Selecting a location for your garden that provides a minimum of 8 hours of sunlight is best. Try to avoid structures that produce shadows, trees, vines, or other obstacles. Another consideration is keeping your garden close to a water source.

Before you plant, you will want to be sure there are no buried power or gas lines. Call 811 or 1-800-362-2764 to contact the Ohio Before You Dig call center. They will be able to identify if there are any buried lines to avoid or not. Raised garden beds are also another option you can use.

If you are wanting to start to plant soon, you can plant carrots, swiss chard, collards, kale, lettuce, mustard, onions, parsley, parsnips, peas, potatoes, radishes, spinach, and turnips starting on April 1st. Additional planting information: https://wayne.osu.edu/sites/wayne/files/imce/Program_Pages/ANR/Garden/Planning%20and%20Planting%20%20the%20Garden.pdf

Many local hardware and farm stores have a variety of seed available and can assist you with your planting needs and supplies.

There will be a series of horticulture and gardening related webinars offered over the upcoming weeks. Topics include bees, microgreens, and cut flowers. You can see the full list of webinars and register via: https://mastergardener.osu.edu/news/mgvs-horticulture-lunch-and-learn-and-happy-hour-information-and-registration

For more information about Extension programming, contact the OSU Extension office in Highland County at 937-393-1918. Visit us on Facebook and Twitter for daily posts and links to webinars and online resources.

 

 

Growing Roses

Roses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted by Faye Mahaffey

OSUE Brown County Master Gardener Volunteer

Do you grow roses? There are many gardeners who grow them for their beauty and their “delicious” smell. Me? I can name at least 10 ways that I can completely kill a rose. I am just not cut out to be a Rosarian. I have had rose growers try to
convince me that they have an “invincible” variety that would be safe in my care, but I graciously decline their generous offer. One of my cousins called a few years back and wanted me to be the caretaker of her rose that was a start from our Great Grandmother. I explained to her that she needed to look elsewhere for help, unless she wanted it to find a quick easy death.

As I researched roses for this article, I went to the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service’s website and printed an 11- page Fact Sheet on Roses. I was already put off by the length and realized that roses usually met their demise in my landscape from lack of winter protection. As you recall, a plant that is needy, doesn’t live long at my place!

The rose is one of the oldest flowers in cultivation and is still considered one of the most popular garden flowers today. Most modern roses are descendants of eight European and Asian rose species. The elaborate flower forms and colors of today are the result of extensive breeding and hybridizing that began in the 1800s.

Roses can be grouped into 3 classifications according to their growth characteristics: bush, climbing, and shrub. (And yes, I have killed one of each.)

Are you interested in learning more about growing roses? The OSUE Brown County Master Gardener Volunteers will be hosting a garden seminar on Thursday, March 21, 2019, at the Mt. Orab campus of Southern State Community College from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Room 208. Naturalist, Denise Bollinger, of Creek’s Edge Farm Retreat, will talk about different varieties of roses, picking a spot to plant them, preparing the soil, and some tips to help keep your roses happy!

In Denise’s words, “It’s hard not to love a rose…the smell, the color, the pure beauty. But often, they can be problem prone and fussy; so many gardeners tend to shy away from growing these delicate flowers.”

We hope that you will mark your calendars and join us for the March 21 garden seminar! I will be there taking copious notes on “how NOT to kill a rose”.

My raised beds are built and in place! It is exciting times at the Mahaffey’s. I have my graph paper out and am in the beginning stages of my planting design. Stay tuned for more about raised bed gardening!