Happy New and Improved

January 2015          

PICKAWAY TO GARDEN

By Paul J. Hang

 

Happy New and Improved?

 

It’s a new year. Let’s hope it will be an improvement over the last, in all sorts of ways. One so called improvement I just learned of is a grafted plant where a tomato has been grafted to a potato. Seriously. You can harvest above ground and below ground from the same plant. Potatoes and tomatoes are from the same plant family (nightshade) so it is not a genetic modification nor a hybrid.  The plant is being touted as a way to have your ketchup and fries from one plant. Hurry, supplies are limited.

 

What are next, beans and rice, peas and carrots, cucumbers and onions? Unlikely, given that these combinations would be pairing plants from different families. But really, aside from the novelty, which is OK, why else would we want to spend our money on such a plant. It is not a cheap plant. After you made the ketchup from the tomatoes, dug up the potatoes, washed, peeled, sliced, diced and fried them, what did you gain? For the price of the plant you could go to a fast food joint and get plenty of ketchup and fries.

 

Everything new is not necessarily an improvement. If you simply like to try new things and like novelty go for it. The plant probably would be a conversation starter. It also shows how the horticulture industry is constantly trying to come up with new and improved plants to entice us. This particular plant was first introduced in England. I guess we can be grateful they didn’t try to combine different species; fish and chips, bangers and mash anyone? As your seed catalogs begin to crowd your mail box (my first one came in November) look for new varieties, new combinations, and grafted plants. Just remember new doesn’t guarantee improved.

 

Something new and I believe improved this year is a Master Gardener Volunteer training program. Pickaway County’s Master Gardener Volunteer Program will be offering a training program beginning March 26^th and continuing for seven more Thursdays to mid-May. The classes are all day 9am to 4pm. We will be pairing with Fairfield County so half the classes will be held in Lancaster. The cost for the training, a sizeable training manual and background check will be around$150. Contact me for more information at 740/497-4397 or at phang@columbus.rr.com.

 

The training consists of 50 hours of learning covering; Botany, Soils and Fertilizer, Plant Pathology, Plant Propagation, Lawns, Herbaceous Ornamentals, Woody Ornamentals, Vegetables, Herbs, Fruit and other topics. Once the class work is completed you receive a take-home exam. The first year after completing the class you are required to complete 50 hours of volunteer activities. Working with County Extension personnel, Master Gardener Volunteers provide educational services to the community such as: answering gardening questions from the public; conducting plant clinics; gardening activities with children, senior citizens, or disabled persons; beautifying the community; developing community or demonstration gardens; and other horticultural activities.

 

Once you have completed this intern period you are required to re-certify each year by completing 20 hours of volunteer activities and 10 hours of advanced training and paying a $20 fee. Because we may work with protected populations such as children and the disabled and represent the OSU Extension Service a background check is also required.

 

You are not required to have gardening skills or knowledge: a passion for learning about gardening and sharing this knowledge with others is a must!

If you enjoy meeting people who share your interest, want to give something back to your community, and just simply want to enjoy yourself, look into becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer.

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

The list of things to do in the garden has gotten shorter. Things we can do about gardening can fill your idle hours, if you have any. Review last year's garden. Draw a map while you can still remember what grew where.

 

Check your supply of old seeds. Are they expired? Do you want to reorder that variety? Read your new seed catalogs and begin to plan next year's garden. It's not nearly as much work. Order seeds and plants of new varieties now. They usually sell out quickly.

 

Believe it or not, by the end of the month, you can begin to grow members of the Allium family (Onions, Leeks, Garlic and Shallots) from seed indoors. You can get ready by getting your seed starting supplies together. Make sure you provide plenty of light.

 

Cut back on watering your houseplants and don’t fertilize until March or April when growth begins as the amount of light lengthens. If your poinsettias are looking ragged throw them on the compost heap. In my opinion it is not worth trying to get them to bloom again for the next holidays.

 

Plan your gardens and plantings. One of my favorite guides for this is The Ohio Gardening Guide by Jerry Minnich. Need some more seed catalogs? Go to gardeningplaces.com.

 

Establish a new bed by placing black plastic or several layers of newspaper, cardboard or even old carpet down over the area you’ve chosen for the new bed. Weight it down so the wind doesn’t disturb it. By late spring the vegetation under it should be dead and ready for planting.