Community Gardening – Page 14 – Center for Urban Agriculture

Dealing with Mexican Bean Beetles in Your Georgia Garden

November 30, 2015July 15, 2015 by Becky Griffin

July and August are prime Mexican bean beetle times. They can leave your bean plants looking like lace. Sadly, this is a common occurrence across Georgia during the summer months.

As with any pest, it is best to learn a bit about the biology of the Mexican bean beetle so you can better control the damage.

Adult beetles, which look a bit like lady beetles, overwinter in garden debris. Cleaning out your community or school garden plots could help. Keeping nearby ditches clean could also help.

The beetles emerge in the warm temperatures of spring and look for young beans, soybeans, and lima beans. The adult female will feed on the underside of leaves and will lay 40 or more yellow eggs also on the underside of leaves. Pest scouting needs to include looking at the underside of leaves. If you can catch the pest in the egg stage simply remove the leave and dispose of it away from the garden.

Once eggs hatch the larvae begin eating from the underside of the leaves. They will feed for 2 to 4 weeks and do alot of damage before they pupate on the plant. There are usually 3 to 4 generations per year. If you see just a few larvae, crush them by hand.

From egg to adult takes about a month. Here is a professional photograph of a Mexican bean beetle adult and larva:

For preventative control, try planting your bean crop as early as possible. The Mexican bean beetle likes the very warm temperatures of summer and if you can get a quick maturing bean variety planted early, you may outsmart the pest.

The wasp Pediobius foveolatus is a Mexican bean beetle predator. However, it does not overwinter well here and you would need to purchase these insects – not really worth the investment for a small crop of beans. Adding plants that attract beneficial insects is always a great idea.

Some serious bean gardeners plant a trap crop of beans. Theses are planted to the side of the main garden. When the trap crop beans are under attack, the gardeners destroy those bean plants and the insects. Then the gardeners can put in their main bean crop hoping they have eliminated the Mexican bean beetles in their area.

Other bean enthusiasts use floating row covers so the flying beetle can’t get to the crop. For this to work make sure you don’t have garden debris left under the row cover so you aren’t just trapping the Mexican bean beetles in with your beans!

Once the plants have been seriously infected you can think about chemical control. Contact your local UGA Extension agent if things get that bad in your bean patch. For more information North Carolina State has an informative flyer about the Mexican bean beetle.

Wishing you a Mexican bean beetle free year! Happy Gardening!

A Beautiful and Edible Landscape-A Guest Post by Joshua Fuder

November 30, 2015June 24, 2015 by Becky Griffin

Herbs and shallots among evergreens and annuals.

Many of us have community areas of our gardens. Those spaces can give us an opportunity to show how people can incorporate food crops in a home landscape. This week our guest blogger, Joshua Fuder, gives us some ways to do this. Josh writes:

During a vacation in France last year I had an awakening of sorts in terms of my philosophy on garden design and plant selection. A number of the gardens and public parks that we visited incorporated vegetables like Swiss chard and kale in with annual flower plantings. As an avid gardener and even more avid eater I wondered why I wouldn’t incorporate more vegetables and herbs into more traditional ornamental plantings. I’ve always appreciated the beauty of the edible plants but never considered their value in an ornamental sense.

Gardeners in Georgia might consider incorporating edibles for a number of reasons:

Sun Exposure-Ornamental beds are often the best or only location in homeowners yards that
Rosemary, sage, and shallots among evergreens and annuals.

receive sufficient (at least 6 hours) sunlight for vegetables and herbs.
Convenience-Ornamental plantings are often close to the areas of the yard that we use most so if your edibles are incorporated you may find using fresh ingredients easier. It is also easier to stay on top of weeds and insect issues if you are visiting the area more frequently.
Reduced Grocery Costs – Many edibles, especially herbs can add to your monthly food bills if you buy from grocery stores.
Improved Health – Fresh vegetables are a great source of vitamins and minerals when properly prepared and gardening can be great exercise.

The key to creating a visually appealing edible landscape is the artful combination of annuals and perennials. Most edibles are going to substitute for the use of annuals but there are some options for shrubs, vines, and small trees.

A Beautiful and Edible Landscape — Golden purslane under lilies and dahlias mixed with shallots.

Annual Color: Rainbow chard, purple mustard, kale, lettuce can all add dramatic affect with their foliage and mid-rib color variation. Calendula and nasturtium are both edible flowers that can add color to salads and nasturtium leaves can be used in pesto. Basil comes in many varieties and colors, consider the dwarf boxwood variety to create more formal lines. Taller plants like corn, okra, and Jerusalem artichokes can be planted at the back of a garden to create height and screening.

Groundcover: Thyme, oregano, and savory make great evergreen ground covers. Goldberg Golden Purslane and New Zealand spinach (or tetragonia) have succulent leaves and a sprawling growth habit. Strawberries will also sprawl out and cover an area as well.

Shrubs and Perennials: Blueberries have become a major cash crop in Georgia but are beautiful plants that have spring flowers, summer fruit and fall color. Pomegranate, figs and jujubes are all great plants that grow well in our area. American Hazelnut is deciduous shrub/small tree that grows well in our area. Rosemary is a great addition with its evergreen, needle-like foliage. Garden sage is also evergreen and has a wonderful softness to its leaves like a ‘dusty miller’ or lambs ear.

Edible Vines and Climbers: Structures like arbors and trellises are a great way to add interest in your

garden and there are some great substitutions for the climbing rose or clematis you may have in mind. Muscadines are extremely hardy and have few problems compared to many of the bunch grapes. If you want an annual plant that is easier to control you can consider Malabar spinach which has delicious greens and beautiful red stems. There are all types of beans that will grow rapidly and cover a structure. The Chinese Red Noodle bean will produce one to three foot long burgundy beans that will amaze.

Trees: Apples are well suited for northern Georgia and can maximize a small space with a few espaliered trees. The serviceberry (juneberry) is a great alternative to a crapemyrtle and the birds will love it. Mulberries are delicious and very easy to grow, just make sure they are planted in an area where you won’t mind a mess. ‘Montmorency’ and ‘Balaton’ are varieties of Pie or ‘sour’ cherries that are great small trees that perform well in our area as well.

Joshua Fuder is a UGA Extension agent in Cherokee County, Georgia. Joshua has grown many different types of fruits and vegetables. He grew vanilla, coffee, pineapple, and black pepper while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Vanuatu (an island nation in the South Pacific).

Happy Gardening!

Pollinator Week 2015

November 30, 2015June 17, 2015 by Becky Griffin

Welcome to Pollinator Week 2015!

This is a great opportunity for your gardeners to reflect on the role of pollinators and their role in your food production.

If you are getting flowers from your cucumbers or squash plants but no fruit – you NEED pollinators. Even plants like tomatoes and beans that are self-pollinating can benefit from pollinators.

If the homeowners around your garden use pesticides, your garden can suffer. If your garden is part of a park do you know the pesticide program of the grounds maintenance crew?

This pollinator week I challenge you to plan something for the pollinators. Need ideas?

Educate property owners around your garden about pesticides
Add plants in your garden to attract pollinators, especially plants that bloom in late summer
Educate yourself about the different types of bees, honey bees and native bees, and their habitat needs
Investigate becoming a Certified Pollinator Garden or a Monarch Waystation
Plan a story time for children using books about pollinators
Host a local beekeeper at your garden to learn about honey bees in your area
Contact your local UGA Extension office to see if they have any special events planned around Pollinator Week
Become familiar with the Georgia State Pollinator Protection Plan

Pollinator Week 2015 — A clump of pollinator plants in the Cherokee County Senior Center Garden

Happy Gardening!

Harvesting Garlic from Your Georgia Garden

November 30, 2015June 10, 2015 by Becky Griffin

Harvesting Garlic

If you planted your garlic in the fall it is probably about harvest time for you. Here are 5 easy steps for a successful harvest:

Step #1 Harvest at the right time. Look for the garlic tops to start turning yellow. When they start to fall over it is time to harvest. Don’t wait until the tops are totally dry.

Step #2 Discontinue watering a week or so before harvesting to give the garlic bulbs a chance to dry out.

Step #3 Don’t pull the bulbs out by the tops (leaves) but gently dig them out using a garden fork. Be very careful not to puncture the bulbs.

Step #4 Brush off the soil and let them air dry in a shady, dry spot for a couple of

weeks. Many gardeners use the leaves to hang the garlic up to dry. Stay away from humidity. Hard to do in a Georgia summer, I know.

Step #5 Once the bulbs are dry remove the leaves and trim off any roots. Brush off any dirt, keeping the wrappers in tact.

Bonus Step Start planning those delicious garlic dinner dishes!

For more information on growing, harvesting, and storing garlic see UGA’s Garlic Production for the Gardener. Your UGA Extension agent also has answers to all of your vegetable gardening questions.

Happy Harvesting!

Reconnecting Our Roots Garden

November 30, 2015June 3, 2015 by Becky Griffin

The first thing you notice when you enter the gate of the Reconnecting Our Roots garden is the peace. Even though it is just a street or two off the Marietta Square, it is quiet. There are raised beds for vegetables, an outdoor classroom, a sensory garden, and plenty of tables for seating. For a brief video walking tour of the garden visit Reconnecting Our Roots Garden Tour.

The goal of this garden is unique. The garden was made to offer a space for youth and families under court supervision. Moms have an opportunity to visit with children who are no longer in their custody. As Cobb County Extension Master Gardener Coordinator Renae Lemon says, “it is a happy place where Moms and children can connect with dignity.” Probation officers can meet with the youth under their supervision here as well.

Benefits of the Reconnecting Our Roots Garden

The vegetable garden part of this space is equally important. Community members and program participants can learn how to grow good, nutritious food. UGA Master Gardeners will lead the way in education here. Also, the outdoor classroom can be used for cooking demonstrations and nutrition classes. Food harvested here will go to the families that use the garden as well as other families in need.

Debbie Ponder of Reconnecting Families has put a lot of work into getting this garden started with the supportive Cobb County community. The property is on two city parcels owned by Zion Baptist Church and the church is partnering with Reconnecting Families and Cobb County Extension. With the full support of Cobb County Juvenile Court Judge Juanita Stedman, the garden has attracted many supporters. The Rotary Club of Marietta, Food Well Alliance, Cobb County Impact, the Cobb EMC Foundation, BB&T, WellCare and Leadership Cobb have invested in this garden and are committed to seeing it succeed. This garden will change families!

Cobb Extension Agent Neil Tarver says of the garden, “Some obvious benefits gained from Reconnecting Our Roots Community Garden is using gardening to serve the clients of Reconnecting Families and supplying them with wholesome locally grown food. But by developing two previously barren lots they’re helping to beautify and stabilize an underdeveloped part of Marietta as well.”

Over the summer the gardeners will add blueberries and also an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant walkway with ADA compliant garden beds. On Saturday, June 20th the garden will host a pollinator event. Interested people can come and bring a pollinator plant which will be planted in the garden. For more information about this event or the garden contact Renae Lemon at Renae.Lemon@cobbcounty.org. This garden is off to a huge start!

Happy Gardening!

International Year of Soils: Raising Awareness of Soil’s Importance

November 30, 2015May 27, 2015 by Becky Griffin

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2015 the International Year of Soils. With this initiative the UN hopes to raise appreciation of the importance of soil for human life, educate the public about the role soil plays in food security, and promote investment in sustainable soil management activities. Basically, the UN wants to raise awareness about the importance of soil.

Their website states “Soil is where food begins! It is estimated that 95% of our food is directly and indirectly produced on our soils. Therefore, food availability relies on soils. Healthy and good quality food can only be produced if our soils are healthy. A healthy living soil is a crucial ally to food security and nutrition.” As food growers we already know how important our soil is to the overall health of our plants. Their website lists the following reasons that soil is important:

Soils are the basis for the production of food, fibers, fuel and medicinal products.
Soils absorb, store, alter, purify and release water, both for plant growth and water supply.
Soils interact with the atmosphere through absorption and emission of gases (e.g. carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour) and dust;
Soils make up the greatest pool of terrestrial organic carbon (over double the organic carbon stored in vegetation).
Soils regulate carbon, oxygen and plant nutrient cycles (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, etc.)
Soil is the habitat of several animals and organisms such as bacteria and fungi and thus sustain biological activity, diversity and productivity.
Soil is the habitat for seed dispersion and dissemination of the gene pool.
Soils buffer, filter and moderate the hydrological cycle.
Soils are the platform for urban settlement and are used as materials for construction.

International Year of Soils: Free Workshops

In conjunction with the International Year of Soils there are events all over the world scheduled to

International Year of Soils: Raising Awareness of Soil's Importance — Healthy soil means more nutrition for the plants, less incidence of disease, and less water input needed.

educate people about soil health. Closer to home a collaboration effort in Atlanta, Georgia, is providing 30 free workshops on soil health and composting. The collaborative partners are UGA Extension, Terra Nova Compost, Truly Living Well, Global Growers, The Atlanta Community Food Bank and Food Well Alliance.

The workshops start June 2nd and go through October 29, 2015. To see if a workshop is near you or to register for one check here.

Happy Gardening!

Strawberries in the Georgia Community or School Garden? You bet!

November 30, 2015May 13, 2015 by Becky Griffin

Strawberries can be a welcome addition to the Georgia community or school garden. And, spring is the time to plant!

Traditionally in north Georgia strawberries are grown in a matted row system where initial plants are set two feet apart at spring planting. That summer the runners are allowed to fill in the rest of the bed. This set up is perfect for raised beds or bed plots.

Treat your strawberry bed as a perennial bed. You will need an area that is in full sun and contains well drained soil. Avoid planting where you have been growing peppers, tomatoes, or potatoes. These plants are susceptible to verticillium wilt and so are strawberries. The UGA publication Home Garden Strawberries is a great resource.

Varieties of Strawberries

Varieties recommended for early fruiting for north and middle Georgia are Earliglow, Sweet Charlie, and Delmarva. For south Georgia look for Chandler, Camarosa, and Sweet Charlie. Early season varieties are best for school gardens as you should get fruit before school lets out for the summer.

For mid-season fruiting look for Allstar. Purchase plants that appear to be disease-free from a reputable supplier. This can be a local store or a mail order supplier. You will probably have more varieties to choose from if you use a mail order supplier.

The placement of the plant crown is very important. Picture from Home Grown Strawberries by UGA.

Care of Strawberries

The most important part of planting strawberries is the placement of the crown. The top of the crown needs to be above the soil line. Otherwise, you will probably have rot. Set the plants two feet from the bed edge and from each other. Remember, runners will fill in. Remove flowers the first year to encourage more blossoms, and fruit, next year.

Weeds are the number one problem with strawberry plants. Mulch between plants and use hand pulling or hoeing to remove stubborn weeds. Strawberries need 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water a week.

Birds and rodents love strawberries as much as we do. Raised beds deter rodents. Some gardeners use netting. A problem with netting is birds and small animals getting caught in the net. Some gardeners report success with loosely hanging aluminum pie pans around the beds to deter birds. The best practice is to pick the fruit as soon as it is ripe, before other hungry eaters find it.

During the second spring, after you have picked all of your berries, get ready for next year. By this point runners have filled in and if you don’t thin the bed you will have too many plants for that area. You need to get rid of about two-thirds of the plants in order to have healthy plants for next year. Pot up the extras and have a fund raising plant sale!

As always your local UGA Extension agent is a great resource for you.

Happy Gardening!

What Are You Doing for Earth Day 2015?

November 30, 2015April 22, 2015 by Becky Griffin

What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day 2015?

By being part of a Georgia community garden you are already doing quite a bit. Community gardens help the environment in several ways.

Pollinator Conservation

As a vegetable gardener you know how important those pollinators are to your food production. You may have a special pollinator garden area and you are very careful about the use of pesticides. This example teaches new gardeners and garden visitors to also protect pollinators. The result is not only a healthy pollinator population in your garden, but in the surrounding community as well.

What Are You Doing for Earth Day 2015? — Bee on Zinnia – a great pollinator plant!

Locally Grown Food

Growing food locally in your garden means that a bit less food is shipped across country saving gas, limiting air pollution, and lowering refrigeration energy.

Soil Health

Hopefully you have had a soil test. You know what nutrients to add to your soil so that you are not over-fertilizing. Overuse of fertilizers is a big pollution concern. Unused fertilizer can end up in streams and rivers. By meeting just your soil needs you are cutting down on pollution. Maybe you all have a compost system where you change garden waste into soil compost. Talk about recycling!

Environmental Awareness

Just by having a garden in your community you have raised environmental awareness. No doubt you have had people stopping by as you all are working to ask questions about the garden. And no doubt you told those people, with pride, about your sustainable growing practices. You probably gave them a tour telling them about the food crops you are growing. Those people may not become gardeners but they are now more aware of where food comes from and what it takes to grow it!

However you decide to celebrate Earth Day today take a moment and reflect on what you are already doing for our earth on a daily basis.

Happy Earth Day!

Purchasing Potted Vegetables For Your Garden

November 30, 2015April 15, 2015 by Becky Griffin

When using potted plants in your Georgia community vegetable garden, start with healthy ones. Visit quality nurseries or plant stores and choose plants free from diseases and insects. You don’t want to bring home any problems. Check where the stem meets the soil for soft spots. Don’t choose plants that look wilted but have obviously been watered. That could be a sign of a soil borne disease.

Before planting your new vegetable plants, check the roots. Sometimes the plants can be root-bound or pot-bound. The plant was outgrowing the current container and the roots had no where to go in the pot but around the perimeter of the soil.

Before going into the ground these roots need to be broken apart so that they will venture out into the new soil. Otherwise, they may keep growing around the soil ball and the plants won’t thrive. Even after weeks of being in the ground, the plant will easily pull out of the planting hole. This is an unhealthy plant!

You can break apart roots with your hands or use scissors or a sharp knife (carefully!) to cut an incision into the root ball. You will need to go about 1 inch deep and about 3/4ths the way up on the root ball. After cutting gently pull the roots apart.

Cut about a 1 inch slit into opposite sides of the root ball.

Gently separate the roots using your hands.

Put the plant in the ground spreading the roots into the soil as much as possible. This may seem like tough love for an already developed root system but, your plants will be healthier and more productive in the long run. Remember, your local extension agent has all sorts of information on the correct way to plant just about anything!

Happy Gardening!

Hybrid vs. Open Pollinated vs. Heirloom

November 30, 2015April 1, 2015 by Becky Griffin

As we think about purchasing plants for our Georgia community gardens, especially tomatoes, there are choices to be made. Is a hybrid the best choice? What exactly is a hybrid? What about heirlooms?

Today we are going to think back to our high school genetics class and discuss a bit about plant breeding. Pollen is located on the anther part of the stamen (male part). It is transferred by insect, wind, human hands, or other means to the stigma part of the flower (female part). This is pollination. There the pollen grows down the style to the ovary. That is fertilization. Any of that sound familiar?

A hybrid vegetable is created when a plant breeder deliberately controls pollination by cross-pollinating two different varieties of a plant. The parent plants are chosen for characteristics like fruit size, plant vigor, or disease resistance. The hope is that the resulting offspring will have the positive characteristics.

The parent designated as the female has the pollen-bearing anthers removed from the flowers. Pollen from a carefully chosen partner is moved to the female plant’s stigma by human hands. The chosen pollen is the only pollen that female receives. This is all very time consuming and carefully monitored. Scientifically it looks like this:

Parent 1 (P1) + Parent 2 (P2) —-> Hybrid (F1)

The resulting hybrid (hopefully) has wonderful characteristics like disease resistance, early maturing fruit, larger fruit, or whatever the plant breeder was trying to achieve. Before a hybrid is available to the consumer, it has gone through many field tests and trials. All this is why hybrids are more expensive plants.

One negative to hybrids is that you can’t save the seed. Seeds grown from hybrid plants do not provide plant types true-to-type. You need to purchase new hybrids year after year. Big Boy and Early Girl are examples of hybrid tomatoes. Millionaire and Early Midnight are popular hybrid eggplants.

Open pollinated vegetables are pollinated in the field by wind or natural pollinators to self or cross-pollinate. Plants that cross-pollinate need to be isolated from other varieties to produce seed that is true-to-type. Crops like tomatoes and beans tend to self-pollinate so saving useful seed is not difficult. Arkansas Traveler, Abraham Lincoln, and Cherokee Purple are popular open pollinated tomato varieties. Black Beauty is a popular open pollinated eggplant variety.

Heirlooms are generally open pollinated plant varieties that are over 50 years old. Traditionally the seed has been carefully saved and handed down from gardener to gardener. These are the plants most treasured.

So whether you choose hybrids, open pollinated plants, heirlooms, or a combination of these…

Happy Gardening!

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