The Garden Post January, 2004

OUT IN THE GARDEN
By Doris Stahl

January and February bring new beginnings. Winter WILL be over soon.

January
*Time to look at catalogues and dream. Check old seed packets to see what’s left from last year. Do a viability test before ordering more seed.
*Do a garden plan on graph paper, planning a 4 season garden. Plan for spring/summer/fall with a winter carry over using season extenders. Judge your crop rotations based on last years’ plan. (Check the Merits of Improving Soil article of this newsletter for more info.)
*Try putting plant perennial crops like asparagus and rhubarb, oregano and thyme along the edges where they won’t be disturbed by annual soil preparation.
*Eliminate seeds and catalogues that did not satisfy and plantings that did not work out.
*Plan to grow what you and your family like to eat as well as what pleases the eye. Try something you’ve never grown before.
*Order disease resistant varieties.
*Buy enough for spring and fall. Buy early and late varieties; get varieties that are good for freezing and canning as well as fresh eating; use dwarf and determinant varieties for small spaces.
*Start slow growing annuals like begonias, petunias and geraniums indoors. Leeks need 130 days to maturity so start them now.

February
*Prune small trees and lower branches of large trees.
*Try forcing forsythia, crabapple and cherry, pussy willow, quince and daphne. Look for swollen buds which will open in the warmth of your home.
*Count backwards from the last frost date (May 15 in our area) to determine when to start seeds. Follow the seed packet directions for starting annuals, perennials and vegetables.
*Use a seed starting mixture and a good light source to start seeds. Watch out for damping off disease which is caused by too much moisture and heat.

March
*Determine if the soil is dry enough to plant. Do a “squeeze” test. A squeezed handful of soil should be crumbly and as dry as a wrung out sponge. Never work wet soil.
*Reseed bald spots on the lawn.
*Plants trees and shrubs.
*Prune forsythia as soon as the bloom is over. Prune
evergreens.
*Many gardeners plant peas and white potatoes on
St. Patrick’s Day.
*Direct seed lettuce, mustard and turnip greens, spinach and
arugula and root crops.
*Put in cabbage family transplants. You will gain 4-6 weeks of growing time over direct seeding them.
*Summer-flowering shrubs such as buddleia can be pruned now.
*Repot houseplants if necessary.

April
*Spread compost over the whole garden.
*Check daylilies, hostas, Siberian iris, etc. for new growth. Then transplant or divide them.
*Prepare a new perennial bed. Add up to 2 inches of organic matter, like compost, to the soil. Once planted the bed can never be worked this way again. Plant poppies, calendula, cornflowers and baby’s breath.
*Use a cold frame for seedlings and remember to vent it on warm, sunny days. Floating row covers will warm the air 6-10 degrees and add protection from pests.
*Before you plant, remember: put the Right Plant in the Right Place.

*Consider light and shade; soil: drainage, compaction, pH, fertility; availability of water and wind exposure.
*Consider height, spread and bloom time of all plants as well as the color and texture of the leaves and flowers. Your garden will reward you for many seasons to come.

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The Good, The Bad, And the Unusual

The Merits of Improving Soil, Part 2

By Christine Tilles

January is the perfect time to reflect on last season’s garden. Use the opportunity to make notes indicating where crops were planted last season. These notes will help you plan this year’s garden. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Annual vegetables should not be replanted in the same location in the garden. Pests and certain diseases may over winter in the soil. Moving plants to a different area in the garden each year will disrupt this build up that threatens specific crops. This practice is called Crop Rotation. It’s an important practice to promote soil and plant health whenever possible.

Certain vegetables are heavy feeders. They take a large amount of nitrogen from the soil. Heavy feeders should be followed by light feeders like herbs or root crops (carrots, radishes). Planting legumes (peas, beans, etc.) will add nitrogen to the soil. Practicing crop rotation will help the soil maintain a balanced supply of nutrients.

If you didn’t test your soil in the fall now is the time to do so. You can get a comprehensive soil test from Penn State’s Agricultural Analytical Services Lab for $6.50. Call our office for instructions. 215-471-2200

Near the end of February, weather permitting, you should remove spent seed heads and stalks of plants you left in to feed the birds or to add winter interest. Break the stems and stalks into 5 or 6" pieces and add them to your compost bin or pile. The small size and numerous openings will enable the bacteria and fungi to get inside the stalks and speed the process of decay.

If the March soil conditions are not frozen or wet and soggy, you should be able to work in the garden.

The cover crop you planted in the fall can be turned under. After mixing the cover crop into the soil, wait 2 to 3 weeks for it to break down. If you prepared the soil in the fall, remove the mulch and plant seeds of cool weather crops like peas, spinach, kale, leeks, and onions.

You should be able to resume turning your compost pile this month. If you don’t have one started, or want more information, come to our free one hour Compost Training Workshops. Participants will receive a free compost bin. Call our office or check our web site for details.

You can always call our office and request free fact sheets on Crop Rotation, Soil Preparation/Soil Amendments and the Penn State UGP Planting Guide.

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A FOND FAREWELL

The Penn State Cooperative Extension staff wishes a fond farewell to Jeffrey Myers and his family.

They will be moving in December to Scottsdale, Arizona and a new life in the desert. No more herbaceous perennials for Jeff! He will become an expert in xeriscaping as he begins another phase of his career as a horticulture educator.

It’s been a real pleasure working with Jeff for the last three years. He was instrumental in starting up the new Master Gardener program and served as its first coordinator. He did excellent work designing and implementing the Self, Inc. horticulture and landscape job training program. We wish him luck, success and all the best in everything he does.

With Jeff’s departure, the 27 year old Urban Gardening Program will be left with a staff of two people, Doris Stahl and Christine Tilles, to serve the entire city. We will attempt to do our very best, but will find it necessary to further cut back on the programs we can offer. We plan on working more extensively with youth and have Master Gardeners serve home and community gardeners.

Mary Jacobs Gorrell, a long time community gardener and graduate of the 2001 Master Gardener Class, will be the new Master Gardener Coordinator. Welcome, Mary.

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We Salute a Volunteer!

Ransome Addison

Long time gardener Ransome Addison was born on a farm in St. Stephen, South Carolina. This is where he got his love of gardening. He came to Philadelphia in 1947 for better living conditions after the war.

He gardened at the Benjamin Rush Community Garden and then moved to the Cobbs Creek neighborhood, where he has been the coordinator of the Cobbs Creek Community Garden since 1986. He has seen many people come and go in the garden and he, despite recent surgery, is still holding strong.

In 2002 and 2003, Mr. Addison and his fellow gardeners graciously hosted a group of high school students who were doing the Garden Mosaics program with Penn State Urban Gardening. Each summer the young people spent 18 hours in the garden, learning about the cultural practices used there.

“We all enjoy being with the kids and appreciate having them there. We look forward to seeing them again. We tried to help them as much as possible and to teach them what to plant and how to grow vegetables.”

Thanks to mentors like Mr. Addison, a lot of valuable gardening knowledge is being passed on and kept alive.

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Gardener's Events

January 10-17 Farm Show at Farm Show complex, Harrisburg

January 31 PHS Skills Conference 9am -2pm
Philadelphia Community College,
17th & Spring Garden

February 10 Gardening Angels Volunteer
Recogni tion Event 5:30-7:30pm
Horticulture Center In Fairmount Park Belmont and Montgomery Aves

March 7-14 Philadelphia Flower Show
PA Convention Center 12th
& Arch Sts

April 3 White Dog Café Community Service Day 9am -1pm
Edible Landscape Demonstration Garden
Horticulture Center, Fairmount Park

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