Take advantage of free webinars hosted by the USDA People’s Garden. Two more to happen this week, one with CGBL’s Liz Falk presenting. Check it out!

1. Composting and Compost Use – How, Why and Where    -    12/12/2012   12 Noon – 1:00 pm EST

   

   Instructor: Al Rattie – Director, Market Development – US Composting Council
   Sellersville Pensylvania

   Cary Oshins – Director, Education & Outreach – US Composting Council
   Sellersville Pensylvania

   Wanna make your own compost? You can produce high quality compost on a small-scale, but it’s important to use quality control standards from start to finish. Learn how you can get started, what to do with what you produce, and the many benefits and uses of compost.

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2. Best Practices in Starting and Sustaining a School Garden    -    12/13/2012   12 Noon – 1:00 pm EST

   

   Instructor: Liz Falk – Professional Development Educator, Cornell Garden-Based Learning
   Ithaca, New York

   We know that garden-based learning increases a child’s likelihood to eat fresh vegetables, can increase a child’s attention span, and foster positive relationships across ages. Learn best practices on how to incorporate gardens into schools, to make garden projects successful and sustainable, and to encourage participation from others in your community.

The next Take Root! Training for Garden Educators is taking place this Saturday at 12 noon at the Steinway Library in Queens. Topics to include Intro to Permaculture, Season Extension and Capacity Building. A few spots still left. More info visit http://www.queenslibrary.org/event/take-roots-garden-educator-training & www.gardening.cornell.edu/takeroot.

It might feel a little premature to think about gardening when there is snow on the ground and spring seems so far off but now is actually the perfect time to get a jump on your garden planning and preparations. You may have already received enticing seed catalogs in the mail. (If you aren’t receiving any but would like to, contact your favorite seed company and request one. A few of our favorites that offer organic and non-organic seeds, heirloom and unusual varieties and treat their seed farmers well are Fed Co, Southern Seed Exchange, High Mowing Farm and Johnny’s.)  Also, now is a popular time for gardening-related classes to be offered. Below is an exciting 6-part series being offered by our friends in Rochester, NY, Rochester Roots.  To find similar classes near you try contacting your local Cooperative Extension office, an urban gardening not-for-profit, or perhaps a local plant nursery.  And if you’re offering classes you’d like us to post, feel free to contact us! (Note: We may not be able to post them all but will try to post them here or on our Facebook page.)

A Six Part, Step-by-Step, Hands-on Workshop Series for School, Community, and Urban Gardeners & Farmers

Location: Rochester, NY. Please check the Rochester Roots web site for more details.

Workshop 1: Urban Garden Planning & Design (Part 1): Starting a food-based backyard, community, or school garden in 2012? This workshop will guide you in the basics of organic garden design and planning that works with nature, not against it. Design your garden to include vegetables, herbs and flowers. Bring a photo, sketch, or GIS map of your proposed garden site and we’ll start from there.

Date: Thursday, February 2, Time: 6:00-8:00pm

Workshop 2: Companion Planting & Heirloom Seed Selection (Part 2): Learn the art of growing a successful organic vegetable garden using companion planting and heirloom seed selection. Based around the idea that certain plants benefit others when planted next to, or in close proximity, companion planting can help make more productive use of your garden space while reducing water usage and eliminating the need for insecticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. Participants with leave with a preliminary sketch of their garden site and understand how to read seed catalogues and seed packets.

Date: Thursday, March 1, Time: 6:00-8:00pm

Workshop 3: Seed Starting, Greenhouse Growing, & Cold Frame Practices: This hands-on workshop will take place in the Franklin High School Greenhouse. Workshop participants will learn to make potting soil and get an early start on planting seeds for their gardens. The focus of this workshop will be on starting leafy greens, peppers, and tomatoes which participants will take home at Workshop 6.

Date: Thursday, April 5, Time: 4:00-6:00pm

Workshop 4: Soil Testing & Soil Preparation: This workshop will show you how to test and assess your soil for nutrients, heavy metals, pH, and other soil characteristics. You’ll then learn techniques that build healthy soil through sheet mulching, composting, no-till gardening, and permaculture techniques. Participants will leave with a soil test kit and an instruction sheet for assessing your own site.

Date: Saturday, April 28, Time: 1:00-4:00pm

Workshop 5: Spring Planting for an Early Harvest: Get an early start on the growing season through the direct seeding of peas, beans, root crops, and leafy greens which thrive in cool weather. Participants will leave with seeds that they can plant directly in their own garden.

Date: Saturday, May 19, Time: 1:00-4:00pm

Workshop 6: From Greenhouse to Ground Transplanting Techniques: Learn how to properly prepare the soil, form companion planting guilds, and transplant a selection of vegetables, herbs, and flowers that were started in the greenhouse. Then learn how to conserve moisture and reduce weed pressure through mulching.

Date: Saturday, June 23, Time: 1:00 – 4:00pm

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Growing Together Registration & Fees

$15 per person per workshop or $75 series (6 workshops)

$10 low-income & students per workshop or $50 series (6 workshops)

Stump Culture photo from Canadian Xmas Tree Assoc (click for website)

Many gardening and horticulture pursuits are on pause for the dormant season this winter, but many homeowners affect their surrounding landscapes with a traditional purchase for inside the home: the Christmas tree. Approximately 25 to 30 million trees are sold each year in the United States, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. Consumer demand for trees makes for a large impact, with over 350, 000 US acres currently in Christmas tree production.

Christmas tree farming has a mixed environmental impact. The trees, which take anywhere from 4 to 20 years to mature, provide wildlife habitat and hold soil and water as compared to annual field crops. Some farms have to use pesticides to deal with pest problems and have to mow frequently to keep grasses down. (see NC State Extension for more information on environmental impacts). And at the end a stands life-cycle, the ground has to be plowed and re-planted from imported seedlings.

Even still, purchasing a real tree is arguably much better for the environment when compared to the impact of purchasing a fake tree, not in terms of environment, but also in the economic benefits of supporting local tree farmers.

One environmentally-friendly method that has a growing interest among tree growers is called “stump culture”, where trees are cut in such a way that they can re-sprout and grow another tree. This cycle can be continued for many years. Here is video about Pieropan Christmas Tree Farm in Western Massachusetts, where trees planted over 50 years ago are still producing healthy trees from the same stump! (here is another video, if you want to hear a song about this process!)

Finally, what about our environmental impact when the holiday season comes to a close? There are several options to consider. One is to purchase a balled-in-burlap tree, which can then be planted in your backyard. If you have purchased a cut tree, you can check with you local cooperative extension office to find out where you can recycle your tree. Or, consider composting the tree yourself at home. You can cut up the tree into small pieces and integrate into your current compost pile. Happy Holidays!

Yates 4-H’ers try their hand at topiary.

Gourds provide a 3-dimensional canvas that is very versatile in its shape, size, and use. Get creative this winter while reconnecting with the fruits of the garden harvest.

Garden-based learning is indeed a four-season affair.