Empowering Georgia through UGA Extension
In the middle of soil health month this Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) video is worth a watch. Dr. Kris Nochols explains the importance of a healthy balance of soil microorganisms. The photos of the microbes are fantastic. You will never refer to your “soil” as “dirt” again. Enjoy!
Happy Gardening!
Next in our series of posts on soil health, we want to explore soil pH and its importance to garden food crops. This involves remembering some of your high school chemistry so grab your cup of coffee to get the brain waves working.
Soil acidity is a chemical factor that can affect food crop growth. Soil pH, the measure of hydrogen ion activity in a solution, is important for soil nutrient availability.
Think back to high school chemistry and that daunting Periodic Table. The element hydrogen (H) is located in the upper right hand corner and is carries a +1. That +1 means it can easily interact with elements with a -1 or a -2. Remember water is H2O. Two hydrogen +1s and one oxygen -2. Sound familiar?
The pH scale is graduated from 0 to 14. The midpoint (7) separates acid from alkaline. Any number below 7 is acidic—the lower the number, the more acidic. The lower the number the increased H +1 activity.
A soil pH above 7 denotes alkaline soil conditions. The higher the number the increased OH -1 activity. The pH scale is logarithmic; a soil with a pH of 5.0 is 10 times more acidic that one with a pH of 6.0 and 100 times more than a pH of 7.0.
This activity of H+1 and OH-1 can bind up nutrients that plants need by bonding with other soil ions. This is a very simplistic explanation and true soil chemistry is much more complicated. But, I think this gives you an idea of how pH is can be very important to plant growth. For example, at a soil pH of 5.0 much of the nitrogen fertilizer you add to the soil won’t be available to be absorbed by your plants!
A soil pH that is too low or too high can decrease the amount of nutrients absorbed by plant roots. Lime can be used to increase the soil pH, while sulfur can be used to decrease it. An accurate measure of soil pH is needed before corrections should be made.
Soil pH also influences other reactions in soil, such as microbial activity. Most food crops grow best in soils with a very slightly acidic pH, close to a neutral pH of 7. Most soils in Georgia, however, are too acidic, and lime is often needed to maintain ideal growth conditions.
Winter is a great time to have your soil pH tested. Contact your local UGA Extension office for assistance. To find out how to properly collect your soil for testing see Soil Testing for Home Lawns, Gardens, and Wildlife Plots.
Happy Gardening and congratulations on making it through the chemistry lesson!
For our first blog post on soil health we are going back to basics: soil texture. Knowing what soil texture we have will allow us to work towards improving it for our use.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has done extensive research on soil and has actually mapped the soil texture. They have developed a wonderful computer tool useful in determining soil texture for a specific location. The Web Soil Survey allows you to find out your soil textural class at your garden. The website has easy to follow instructions and it can be as simple as typing in your garden address.
When typing in my home address I find that the native soil at my garden is sandy, clay loam. Connecting the lines on the soil texture triangle below, I learn that my soil is about 60% sand, 30% clay, and 10% silt. That surprises me. I would have guessed higher in clay particles.
By using other tabs on the computer program I can see how the NRCS views the properties of this type of soil. I encourage you to visit the website and play with the computer program. What did you find out about your soil texture?
Experienced gardeners realize that the success of their gardens starts with healthy soil. But, what does healthy soil really look like? Here is a snapshot:
Soil is not inert; it is full of living organisms that are important in the soil ecosystem. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, and earthworms are all essential in healthy soil. Most of these organisms cannot be seen with the naked eye. A virus is only 0.03 to 0.02 micrometers in width while a much larger earthworm can be an indication of soil health. To compare the size of soil organisms visit Cells Alive. Researching these soil residents would be a fun thing to do in the cold days of winter.
pH is the measure of hydrogen ion concentration. In the soil it is a part of complex chemical interactions. Simply put, soil nutrients are not available for the plant roots to absorb at high and low pHs. Have your soil tested regularly to determine your soil pH and get advice on how to correct it if needed.
Organic matter assists desired soil chemistry, improves soil texture, can add nutrition to the soil, and can aid in the increasing the microorganisms. Making your own compost can be a very rewarding way to use garden scraps. This could be a great goal for 2017.
Soil chemistry and the soil ecosystem are complicated and intricate topics. Check with your local UGA Cooperative Extension office to see what soil workshops are being offered this winter. During the first part of 2017 we are going to do several in-depth posts about healthy soil on this blog. We hope you will be a part of the discussion.
Happy Gardening!
As 2016 winds to a close and we start planning for our 2017 gardens, I want to thank you for being part of this gardening adventure. Your comments and feedback are very much appreciated and I love seeing photos of your gardens. I am very excited about what is in store for 2017!
Happy New Year,
Becky Griffin
UGA Extension’s Community and School Garden Coordinator
and the rest of the Center for Urban Ag Team
Women who work in the local food movement do not put together the typical Christmas wish list.
Abbie King is known all over Georgia for her work in the Farm to School movement for Georgia Organics. With a background in nutrition and health, Abbie’s job at Georgia Organics is more like her mission. When asked what she would like to have as a special Christmas gift Abbie had an interesting answer. She would like to have a drip irrigation system that is tied to the rain barrel in her home garden. Considering the drought we are in that is a very nice request but it might be hard to fit under her Christmas tree.
Has the recent drought made you rethink how your garden is watered? Did rain barrels provide enough water or just a nice supplement?
Drew Outright is a program manager at Georgia Tech (go Dawgs!). She is heavily involved in Tech’s Living Building project which will include a vegetable garden. This is an incredible project that will be a huge asset for Atlanta. Drew’s holiday request is a gift card for vegetarian cooking classes. She might be brushing up her culinary skills to get ready for the Living Building’s first vegetable harvest!
Did you get the most out of your harvest in 2016? Have you thought about learning new cooking techniques for your vegetables?
Mary Carol Sheffield is a UGA Extension agent for Paulding County Extension. Mary Carol provides resources and training for the food growers in her county. She is active in the Journeyman Farmer Program, assists local beekeepers, and conducts food growing workshops throughout the year. Mary Carol would like Santa to bring her a seed starting heat mat and a grow lamp rack.
Do you all start your own vegetable plants from seeds? It is a wonderful way to try new varieties!
Keren Giovengo is the manager of the EcoScapes project from UGA Marine Extension. She is a champion of using native plants in the landscape. Her Christmas wish is straight forward: My Christmas wish is that everyone – young and old – has an opportunity this holiday season to observe and experience the natural beauty that surrounds us. It is my hope that these natural gifts – clean water and natural communities with native plants and wildlife – will inspire us to bring our gardens into a sounder relationship with nature. By letting nature be our teacher, our landscapes can become a source of ecological renewal – a protector of biodiversity, a sanctuary for indigenous plants and wildlife, and a sustainable landscape of rich experiences and unique beauty.
Will you have a chance to get outside over the Christmas holiday and enjoy the beauty of a winter landscape?
Whatever your Christmas wish list includes I wish you all a holiday filled with good food, friends, and family!
Merry Christmas!
The winter months are a great time to review your gardening approach. Any particular pest plagued your garden this year? How effective was your disease management? This video describing an integrated pest management garden approach may give you some inspiration for planning your next crop:
Happy Gardening!
Walk Georgia is a free UGA Extension web-based program that encourages Georgians to get out and move. As gardeners we know all about moving (and bending and lifting and pulling…). Participants create an account and log their activity on the website. As you log activity you virtually travel through Georgia learning about areas as you go. It is a great way to be accountable for your health and to learn more about the state.
Of course, gardening is listed as an exercise activity. This could be a fun way to compete with other gardeners in a friendly exercise competition. You may spur each other on to being more active. The weeds won’t stand a chance!
With many, many exercise apps on the market this one stands out because it is so simple to use, it is free, and it is Georgia specific.
Also on the Walk Georgia webpage are exercise tips and recipes. For gardeners who grew potatoes this year, try this recipe from Walk Georgia for a great meal on a cold day.
¼ cup olive oil
5 cups chopped leeks
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups cubed potatoes
2 quarts chicken stock, low sodium
2 cups canned skim evaporated milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick Dutch oven and add the leeks, celery, and onion. Cook slowly for 10 minutes until golden and soft. Do not let the mixture brown.
Add potatoes and chicken stock; cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 20-40 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.
Mash the vegetables. Heat the milk and add to the soup. Salt and pepper to taste.
Six Servings:
Calories: 314 | Carbohydrate: 45 grams | Fat: 10 grams | Protein: 14 grams | Sodium: 635 milligram with low sodium broth, 869 milligrams with reduced sodium broth | Fiber: 3 grams | Cholesterol: 3 milligrams | Exchanges: 3 starches, 1 lean meat
For more information on Walk Georgia contact your local UGA Extension agent or visit the Walk Georgia website. They also have a Walk Georgia Facebook page.
Happy Gardening!
We asked a few people in the local food movement to tell us what they are thankful for during this Thanksgiving holiday. Here is what they told us:
Fred Conrad, the community garden coordinator for the Atlanta Community Food Bank, is well known throughout the metro Atlanta area. You may have seen Fred riding his tractor down the street of Atlanta. He writes…
I am thankful that I was able to distribute 100% of my summer harvest to families in need through the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program. It is so rewarding to hand the crops that I worked very hard to raise to families who need it and who are very happy to have fresh local produce. We share recipes and family stories and they get to choose the vegetables they like. Seeing the children, meeting the families, and knowing that you just made their life a little easier. It means a lot, service is a blessing to the giver as well. And don’t believe that people don’t know how to cook, they really do.
Bobby Wilson is the co-founder and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Urban Farm. He has spent a busy Fall training new gardeners. Bobby shares…
I am thankful for community gardeners that we have and the ones to come in 2017
Jeff Miller is the new Urban Program Development Coordinator for UGA Extension. Jeff has been busy the last several months getting to know the metro Atlanta Extension agents so that he can better assist them in meeting the needs of metro Atlanta. You can connect with Jeff at his UGA Extension Metro Atlanta page. Jeff is thankful for:
…the local food movement gaining traction in Atlanta – supplying healthy fresh produce from urban gardens and farms in the metro area.
We all have much to be thankful for this holiday season. Enjoy your Thanksgiving meal with family and friends. Hopefully, some of the food on the table is grown by YOU!
Happy Thanksgiving!
This week we are fortunate to have Tim Daly as a guest blogger. Tim is a UGA Cooperative Extension agent for Gwinnett County, Georgia. Those of you work in community gardens in Gwinnett probably already know Tim. We are excited he is available to clear up any confusion about organic gardening. Tim writes….
Organic gardening has become quite popular among gardeners, but a considerable amount of confusion exists about exactly what it is and what it is not. Organic gardening uses a combination of methods and strategies to produce healthy plants.
It also requires a thorough understanding of the ecological relationships among soil, plants and other organisms in the garden. Contrary to popular belief, organic gardening is neither a method of pest control, nor the avoidance of the use of all chemical pesticides.
Organic gardening requires a long-term outlook in regard to soil preparation. Developing healthy, fertile soil helps to provide plants with necessary nutrients. Organic gardeners use natural, organic fertilizers and mineral amendments to improve the overall quality and fertility of their garden soil.
Most synthetic fertilizers provide nutrients that are immediately available to the plant. However, they do not contribute to the overall health and long-term fertility of the soil.
Organic matter in the soil is important because it breaks down and releases nutrients for the plants. It also improves the soil’s water- and nutrient-holding capacity and provides a habitat for beneficial microorganisms. Organic matter in the soil can be increased by the addition of manure, topsoil, peat moss, compost and other suitable materials.
The first key to successful pest control is to begin by purchasing healthy, quality plants that are free of insects and diseases. Next, encourage beneficial insects, such as lady beetles, lacewings and certain species of wasps, to stay in your garden. Certain herbaceous plants, such as dill, wild mustards and yarrow, provide shelter and food for these beneficial organisms. Plant these among your vegetables.
Choose plants that have varieties with known resistance to diseases and insects as a method of reducing pests. For example, some varieties of tomatoes have been bred to resist certain fungal diseases.
Remove and dispose of plant material, such as leaves, branches and fruit, that has fallen to the ground. Reduce the incidence of disease by keeping plant leaves and stems as dry as possible. Use drip irrigation rather than overhead watering to conserve water and reduce the amount of time plants remain wet.
When necessary, use organic pesticides. There are several choices available. Botanicals, such as rotenone, pyrethrum and neem oil products, are plant-derived materials.
Microbial pesticides that control certain insect pests are formulated from microorganisms or their byproducts. An example is DiPel, which contains a species of bacteria that targets certain caterpillar pests.
Minerals, such as sulfur and copper, are the primary organic materials used to control fungal and bacterial diseases. Always remember that even if a product is considered to be organic, it is still a pesticide. Exercise caution when using these products. Some organic pesticides are as toxic as or even more toxic than many synthetic chemical pesticides.
There are pros and cons to organic gardening. Understanding the basics of this practice and what it involves will help you succeed in having healthy, productive plants no matter what growing method you follow.
Thanks, Tim, for this great information! Tim is a great resource for vegetable gardeners, being a frequent connoisseur of homegrown tomatoes. You can reach Tim at UGA’s Gwinnett County office at tdaly@uga.edu.
Happy Organic Gardening!