Simple Tips For Starting Your Own Kitchen Garden

(NAPSI)-Edible gardening is growing in popularity; the National Gardening Association expects a 19 percent jump in the number of Americans growing their own grub this year. The Obama family has even joined the trend by planting the first White House kitchen garden since World War II.

There are a number of reasons growing your own fruits, vegetables and herbs is so attractive. Organically grown fruits and vegetables are more healthful, with significantly more nutrients including vitamin C, magnesium and iron. Gardening is a fun activity for the whole family, giving kids an outdoor project. It can even save you money on groceries.

Many people know these benefits but are hesitant to start an edible garden because they're worried about taking the wrong approach. The fact is, by following just a few simple steps, just about everyone can set themselves up for a successful harvest.

• Take the high ground. Gardens do best in the elevated parts of your yard. Lower, indented areas can trap cold air and stifle growth.

• Break out the compass. Edible gardens in the Northern Hemisphere should place the tallest plants on the northernmost plot. Sunlight shines from a southern angle, so smaller plants won't be left in the shade.

• Box it up. Use planting boxes or raised beds whenever possible, because they create soil control for drainage and maximize nutrients. Boxes also protect your roots from critters.

• Keep a close watch. Try not to plant your garden out of sight. If you can see the garden from your windows, it will be easier to identify when the plants are at their ripest or might need extra care.

• Don't be a Luddite. There's great technology out there to help beginning gardeners. For example, after 24 hours in your garden, the EasyBloom Plant Sensor reveals all the plants and vegetables that will thrive there and tells you how to care for existing plants. This handy tool takes detailed readings of sunlight, temperature, humidity and soil drainage to make expert recommendations.

Edible gardening doesn't have to be an intimidating project. With the right planning and support, millions of families will be adding fresh ingredients to their meals this year and you can, too.

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Timing is everything on ‘Gardening in Georgia’

The most often asked questions from gardeners begin with “Is it time to…?” On “Gardening in Georgia with Walter Reeves” May 9 and 13, show host Walter Reeves and his guests will answer a variety of questions on what to do in the garden and landscape.

Reeves, a retired University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent and gardening expert, and UGA Extension horticulturist Bob Westerfield will show how to determine if the soil is ready to plant a vegetable garden.

Reeves will visit Hank Bruno at Callaway Gardens to show how to divide and move irises. He will also solve a “who-done-it” mystery that’s happening in the cabbage patch.

"Gardening in Georgia” airs on Georgia Public Broadcasting stations across the state each Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., and repeats Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

The show is produced by the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and is supported by a gift from McCorkle Nurseries. Learn more about the show and download useful publications at the Web site www.gardeningingeorgia.com.

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Lawn Doctor Offers Top Five Tips for Do-It-Yourself Spring Lawn Care

/24-7/ -- Last year, 33 million American households took care of their own lawns rather than hiring a service. This year, according to a January poll conducted by the National Gardening Association, home gardening is expected to increase by 20 percent. Lawn Doctor, the nation's leading expert in lawn care since 1967, has compiled a Top Five list help new do-it-yourselfers achieve beautiful results.

"Many homeowners try to save money and tend to lawn care themselves, but end up skipping crucial steps that are routine for us to keep a lawn lush and healthy," said Lawn Doctor Director of Technical Services, John Buechner. "Spring lawns require extra care following harsh winter temperatures and dormant growth." Here are the Top Five Little Known Spring Lawn Maintenance Tips:

1. Grass-cycle: Simply allow grass clippings to remain on the lawn after mowing. It saves time on clean-up and allows for nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium to return to the soil as clippings decompose. This can be done easily by removing the lawn mower bag and is the ultimate organic solution in lawn care.
2. Check thatch levels: This is the layer of dead plant material tightly interwoven between the roots and the tops of living grass. Excessive thatch is caused by too much fertilization and over-watering. Use a soil probe or hand shovel to loosen and remove any thatch more than one-half inch thick.
3. Apply pre-emergents: Spring is the ideal time to control undesirable grasses like crabgrass, goosegrass and foxtail before they start to grow and cause problems. Common pre-emergents are available at home repair and hardware stores; be careful to apply as instructed.
4. Optimize pH levels in soil: Soil pH levels reflect nutrients available in the soil to promote healthy lawn growth. A pH level of 6.5 is ideal for most turfgrasses, where readings under 6.0 indicate additional lime is needed and a reading above 7.0 indicates the soil lacks sulfur. Tests can be conducted by services like Lawn Doctor or by homeowners using kits available at most garden centers.
5. Check for diseases and bugs: Following a winter thaw, a grub-damaged lawn will show large, irregular sections of brown turf that will easily detach from the soil. Replace and re-establish the turf in those areas and then treat with a grub prevention product. Disease can be more difficult to diagnose; professionals should evaluate questionable areas to determine proper treatment.

Prevention is always less expensive than treatment when it comes to lawn care. For homeowners not comfortable or familiar with DIY lawn projects, professionals like Lawn Doctor can treat and maintain a lush green lawn for about the cost of a monthly cable bill.

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Free Advice for Home Gardeners

As families tighten their economic belts and search for ways to cut household budgets, one of the expenses some are choosing to cut is landscape service. Keeping a home landscape healthy and vibrant isn’t easy, but it is vital to maintaining home values.

Fear not. Help is available, and it’s free.

“All Georgiana have access to free information on home landscape management, lawn care and better management of household funds through their local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office,” said Tony Tyson, director of county operations for UGA Extension. “We have offices in 157 of Georgia’s 159 counties, but we offer services and free advice to everyone.”

Online, information is available at www.ugaextension.com. The site offers publications on a vast array of topics related to home landscaping.

By calling 1-800-ASK-UGA1, Georgians can reach their county UGA Extension agent for advice, workshops, soil testing, water testing and a variety of other services.

“One of the most valuable tools most counties have is our digital distance diagnostics service,” Tyson said. “You can take in a bug or a diseased plant sample and in short order the county agent can send digital images of it to specialists who can help diagnose the problem and suggest ways to treat it.”

UGA Extension offers Master Gardener classes for those who really want to learn the ins and outs of home gardening. You can find out when the next class is available in your area by calling the county UGA Extension office.

UGA Extension is the outreach division of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in partnership with the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences. They offer educational programs and materials related to agriculture, horticulture, families and consumer-related issues. They also offer education on youth development through the Georgia 4-H program.

“Our mission is to take the educational information generated through research at the university and deliver it to the people of Georgia who need it most,” Tyson said. “We aim to help Georgians live healthier, wealthier, more productive lives.”

Faith Peppers
University of Georgia

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Home Gardeners Can Reap Huge Financial Rewards Growing Veggies

/PRNewswire/ -- A recently completed cost-analysis by America's leading home gardening company reveals major savings for people who grow their own vegetables.

According to W. Atlee Burpee & Co. (www.Burpee.com), a well-planned garden will result in a 1 to 25 cost-savings ratio, meaning $50 in seeds and fertilizer can produce $1,250 worth of groceries purchased at a supermarket. "And all you need is a small, sunny plot to enjoy these big savings," says Burpee Chairman, George Ball.

For the coming year, 2009, Burpee is planning a new seed packet offer, appropriately termed, The Money Garden. Each Money Garden packet will contain packages of six easy-to-grow varieties capable of producing $650 worth of vegetables. The Money Garden will have a special $10 price and will be available on the company website (http://www.burpee.com/product/id/112011.do?KickerID=100535&KICKER ) exclusively.

The Money Garden packet will include the following varieties: Bell Peppers, Beefsteak Tomatoes, Sugar Snap Peas, French Green Beans, Butterhead Lettuces and large Nantes-type carrots. If purchased individually, the six items would retail for $20.

Crucial to attaining enormous savings is succession planting, Mr. Ball says. "Too often home gardeners plant an item such as lettuce early in the season and then leave the site fallow after harvesting a month later." Much of the success in The Money Garden results from extending the season from early planting to late harvesting, according to Mr. Ball. Burpee will help gardeners learn "staggered sowing" and the best vegetables to plant in succession in their locale and when to start for maximum results. Also, which varieties actually do better in colder weather. The Money Garden can be cultivated in a relatively small garden of approximately 200-225 square feet.

To make it easier for home gardeners to plant The Money Garden, Burpee plans to post information on the company website, www.Burpee.com. A toll free Money Garden hotline has been established, 1-800-333-5808, to answer questions customers may have about planting their Money Garden.

It should also be noted, Mr. Ball points out, that in addition to cost savings the taste of homegrown vegetables is vastly superior to store-bought and their nutritional value far exceeds vegetables that line the shelves of supermarkets a week or more after being picked.

To arrive at the 1 to 25 ratio, Burpee planted a series of test gardens during 2008 at its main research facility, Fordhook Farm, in Bucks County, PA. "A hundred dollars will produce $2,500 in groceries", Mr. Ball concludes, "that's $2,400 a family can save in five months."

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