School Garden Teacher Training Sessions Set

UGA is offering school garden teacher training sessions again this year to help teachers get the most out of their school gardens.

Two sessions, one in Cartersville (Thursday, June 16) and one in Savannah (Monday, June 13), will cover the basics of  healthy soil, planting for the school calendar, food safety, and pest management, along with lesson plans for use in the garden.

An additional session for teachers with more experience in the garden, to take place in Marietta (Tuesday, June 21st), will cover pollinator spaces, composting, more on food safety, grant writing, and advanced planting techniques.

All sessions include the following:

• Online education
• Learning experiments to be completed at home
• In person workshop taught by Extension professionals
• Participants will receive a certificate of completion
• Network with other educators and subject experts

 The $30 fee for each session includes the at-home learning package, lunch on the workshop day, and workshop materials.

Additional information about dates, times, and class content, and links for registration for the 3 training sessions is on the School Garden Teacher Training webpage of the UGA Center for Urban Agriculture.

NOTE: Georgia Organics is offering scholarships for each training location, for the first five teachers from schools that earned a Golden Radish award. If registering from a Golden Radish school, please contact Becky Griffin (beckygri@uga.edu ) prior to registering.

Upcoming Events and Classes

Suburban Home Vegetable Garden

Tuesday, February 9, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Master Gardener Vicki Baroni will tell how families can grow vegetables and some fruits with ease. Part of the Gardeners Night Out series of Cobb Master Gardeners.  At West Cobb Regional Library, 1750 Dennis Kemp Lane NW, Kennesaw, 30152.

Thyme to Read Book Club

Friday, February 12, 10:15 – 11:30 a.m. This month’s book is The Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Beautiful Orchid, by Craig Pittman. In the Training Room of the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Compost and Soil Amendments

Friday, February 12, noon – 1:00 p.m. Learn how poor soil can be turned into plant-friendly soil with Master Gardener Eddie Rhoades. Part of the Lunch and Learn series of Cobb Master Gardeners.  In the Training Room of the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Seed Starting Workshop

Tuesday, February 23, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Learn how to start vegetable garden transplants from seeds, with Master Gardener and Cobb Extension staff member Amy Whitney.  In the second floor classroom at UGA Extension/Cobb County, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060.

North Georgia Gardening Symposium

Thursday, February 25, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For homeowners, Master Gardeners, and landscape professionals. Re-certification credits available: 3 hours for category 24, 1 hour for Private pesticide applicators, 5 CEUs for ISA Arborist (A) and Municipal (M). Chattahoochee Technical College, North Metro Campus, Building D, Room 400, 5198 Ross Rd., Acworth, GA, 30102. Program cost $35 includes lunch and breaks. Register by February 22 at 770-528-4550, or online.

Orchids 101

Thursday, March 3, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Presented by Master Gardener Sondra Nierenberg, this is the first of three presentations in an Orchid Care series. In the second floor classroom at UGA Extension/Cobb County, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Second class is "Orchid Diseases" on March 10, same time; third class is "Re-potting Orchids", March 24, same time. Registration and $15 class fee (for 1 or all in series) are due to the Cobb Extension office by Feb. 20.

A Few of My Favorite Things: Native and Non-Native Plants

Tuesday, March 8, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Learn about favorite native and non-native plants for home landscapes with Master Gardener Carmen Cudd. Part of the Gardeners Night Out series of Cobb Master Gardeners.  At Mountain View Regional Library, 3320 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta, GA, 30066.

Orchid Diseases

Thursday, March 10, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Second of three presentations in the Orchid Care series. In the second floor classroom at UGA Extension/Cobb County, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060.
Registration and $15 class fee (for 1 or all in series) are due to the Cobb Extension office by Feb. 20.

Thyme to Read Book Club

Friday, March 11, 10:15 – 11:45 a.m. This month’s book is Grandma Gatewood’s Walk, by Ben Montgomery.  In  the Training Room of the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060 (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Small is the New Big: Small Gardens with Impact

Friday, March 11, noon – 1:00 p.m. Learn how to have a home garden that lives large regardless of size with Master Gardener Pam Bohlander. Part of the Lunch and Learn series of Cobb Master Gardeners.  In  the Training Room of the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060 (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Vegetable Garden Seminar

Saturday, March 12, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Presented by Cobb and Douglas County Extension offices and Douglas County Master Gardeners, this seminar covers plant selection and seed starting for the vegetable garden. Lithia Springs United Methodist Church, in the Fellowship Hall, 3711 Temple St, Lithia Springs, GA 30122. Advance registration and $6 fee are requested. For information, call 770-948-5429.

Bluebird Trail Walk

Saturday, March 19, 10:00 a.m. – noon. Presented by Master Gardener Jim Bearden in association with the Atlanta Science Festival. On the 2.3-mile Bluebird Trail at Green Meadow Preserve Park, at 3780 Dallas Hwy., Powder Springs, GA, 30127.

Cherokee Medicinal Plants

Saturday, March 19, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Presented by Master Gardener Tony Harris in association with the Atlanta Science Festival. At the Cherokee Garden at Green Meadow Preserve Park, at 3780 Dallas Hwy., Powder Springs, GA, 30127.

Re-potting Orchids

Thursday, March 24, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Third of three presentations in the Orchid Care series. In the second floor classroom at UGA Extension/Cobb County, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060.
Registration and $15 class fee (for 1 or all in series) are due to the Cobb Extension office by Feb. 20. 

Grow Your Own Food: From the Ground Up

Tuesday, March 29, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Taught by UGA Horticulture Specialist Bob Westerfield. This is the first class of a four-part series. Class Fee for series is $35. Preregistration and payment by March 15 are required. All classes to be held in the second floor classroom at UGA Extension/Cobb County, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Call 770-528-4070 for information about the series.

Food History of African Americans in the South

In celebration of Black History Month, join Terri Carter, Cobb Extension Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences staff member, in an exploration of the food contributions of early African Americans to cuisine of today. The exploration will include a closer look at the foods brought to America on slave ships and how the slaves survived on these foods after they arrived.  

The presentation, which includes a cooking demonstration, will take place at two locations in Cobb County, on different dates:

February 10
7:00-8:00 p.m.
Switzer Central Library
266 Roswell Street
Marietta, GA 30060

and

February 17 
7:00-8:00 p.m.   
South Cobb Regional Library
805 Clay Road
Mableton, GA 30126

Upcoming Classes and Events

Pollinators

Thursday, January 7, 11:00 a.m. – noon. Master Gardener and Cobb Extension staff member Amy Whitney will present the who, what, when, where, and why of supporting local pollinators, at the Senior Wellness Center, 1150 Powder Springs St SW, Marietta, GA 30064.

Thyme to Read Book Club

Friday, January 8, 10:15 – 11:30 a.m. This month’s book is 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus by Charles C. Mann.  At the Training Room of the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Create a Rain Garden!

Friday, January 8, noon – 1:00 p.m. Mike Kahle, Master Gardener and member of the Cobb Watershed Stewardship Program staff, will present information about how a rain garden helps clean and control run-off, along with how to design and construct a rain garden of your own. Part of the Lunch & Learn series of Cobb Master Gardeners.  At the Training Room of the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Landscape Changes and Homeowner Associations

Tuesday, January 12, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Master Gardener Pam Bohlander offers alternatives to standard landscaping plants that will keep homeowners and HOAs happy. Part of the Gardeners Night Out series of Cobb Master Gardeners.  At East Cobb Regional Library, 4880 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, 30068.

Cobb Community Gardens

Wednesday, January 27, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Quarterly meeting of Cobb community garden managers,  members, and supporters, at the Training Room of the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Suburban Home Vegetable Garden

Tuesday, February 9, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Master Gardener Vickie Baroni will tell how to grow your own vegetables and herbs. Part of the Gardeners Night Out series of Cobb Master Gardeners.   At West Cobb Regional Library, 1750 Dennis Kemp Lane NW, Kennesaw, 30152.

Thyme to Read Book Club

Friday, February 12, 10:15 – 11:30 a.m. This month’s book is The Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Beautiful Orchid, by Craig Pittman. At the Training Room of the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Compost and Soil Amendments

Friday, February 12, noon – 1:00 p.m. Master Gardener Eddie Rhoades will explain how to turn poor soil into soil that is plant-friendly. Part of the Lunch & Learn series of Cobb Master Gardeners.  At the Training Room of the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Seed Starting Workshop

Tuesday, February 23, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Master Gardener and Cobb Extension staff member Amy Whitney will provide the information you need and hands-on practice for starting seeds of some vegetables and annual flowers indoors. In the second floor classroom at UGA Extension/Cobb County, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060.

North Georgia Gardening Symposium

Thursday, February 25, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For homeowners, Master Gardeners, and landscape professionals. Re-certification credits available: 3 hours for category 24, 1 hour for Private pesticide applicators, 5 CEUs for ISA Arborist (A) and Municipal (M). Chattahoochee Technical College, North Metro Campus, Building D, Room 400, 5198 Ross Rd., Acworth, GA, 30102. Program cost of $35 includes lunch and breaks. Register at 770-528-4550, or online through Chatt Tech.

For additional information about any of the above programs, call our office at 770-528-4070.

Upcoming Events and Classes

The Contained Garden: The Evergreen, The Elegant, and the Whimsical

Tuesday, August 11, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Cobb Master Gardener Shirley Priest will explain how to use elements of garden design to create beautiful contained gardens,  as part of the ongoing Gardeners Night Out presentation series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at East Cobb Regional Library, 4880 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta,  30068. Free and open to the public.

Plant Propagation

Friday, August 14, noon - 1:00 p.m. Cobb Master Gardener Shirley Priest will reveal how to create new plants from existing ones. Part of the ongoing Lunch & Learn series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.). Free and open to the public.

Lawn and Garden Tips for July

Cobb County Extension staff member Louise Weyer assembles a list each month of tips for keeping your lawn and landscape in good order. As summer heads into high gear, following Louise's checklist of tasks can  improve the odds of your yard's shining through to fall.

Louise's Tips for Trees and Shrubs for July includes this information:

• Spring-planted trees and shrubs need an inch of water each week. Irrigate in dry weather.
• Mature trees need deep watering; they can lose leaves if they have inadequate water.
• Prune Knock-out roses.
• Remove dry flowers from butterfly bush to encourage more blooms, and remove flowers from shrub roses as they fade.
• Remove suckers from the base of cherry, apple, crape myrtle, dogwood, and crabapple trees.

For annuals and perennials:

IPM for Vegetable Gardens, UGA Video

UGA, in cooperation with University of Tennessee and Alabama Cooperative Extension, has put together a short video about pest management in the vegetable garden. As we all gear up for spring planting, keeping the ideas of promoting good health in our crops and of relying as much as possible on beneficial insects for pest control can help us in planning productive, beautiful gardens:

Vegetable Growers Workshop

This program about growing food for yourself or for profit, coordinated by Bob Westerfield, Extension Horticulture Specialist, is for both beginning and experienced growers.

Participants will learn how to select varieties, grow their own transplants, understand their soil, plant and maintain vegetable crops, troubleshoot vegetable problems, and select and maintain equipment, and they will gain insights into how to successfully market and sell a crop.

Date:             Friday, January 30
Time:             9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location:       UGA Griffin Student Learning center Room 105
                      1109 Experiment Street
                      Griffin, GA 30223
Cost:             $30, includes handouts, lunch, and refreshment breaks

Pesticide credit in both commercial and private category 21 will be offered.

Preregistration is required. To pay online, visit UGA's  Vegetable Growers Workshop webpage; for additional information, call Beth Horne at 770-228-7214.

Curing Sweet Potatoes Enhances Sweetness and Storage-life

Home gardeners all over Cobb County will be digging up their sweet potatoes this month, if they haven't already. These gardeners probably know what UGA Extension specialists Malgorzata Florkowska and Robert Westerfield, in their publication "Home garden sweet potatoes," explain about sweet potatoes -- that they "...should be harvested before the first frost. Cool soil reduces their quality and storage life."

Newly harvested home garden sweet potatoes    PHOTO/Amy W.

However, soil temperature isn't the only factor that can affect the "quality and storage life" of sweet potatoes; correct post-harvest curing and storage can vastly improve the sugar content and keeping qualities of home garden sweet potatoes.

Clemson University's Extension Sweet potato publication explains, "Sweet potatoes should be cured to heal wounds and to convert some of the starch in the roots to sugar. The optimal conditions for curing are to expose the roots to 85 °F and 90-percent humidity for one week. Few home gardeners can supply these conditions, so place the sweet potatoes in the warmest room in the house, usually the kitchen, for 14 days. No curing will occur at temperatures below 70 °F."

The online article "Growing sweet potatoes in the Sacramento area," by the Master Gardeners of Sacramento County, California, also notes that newly dug sweet potatoes are more starchy than sweet, and that the curing process that improves keeping quality also aids in the conversion of some of that starch into sugar.

For curing, these gardeners suggest using a slightly longer exposure of 10-14 days at 85 degrees F and 90% humidity. Most of us do not have access to the once-ubiquitous sweet potato curing barns (see this 2009 Master's Thesis -- Sweet Potato Curing Barns: An Agricultural Landmark) that were designed to provide these ideal conditions, but the Sacramento article includes ideas for how to create those conditions at home.

For storage after curing, the Sacramento Master Gardeners offer this additional information: "Once the roots are cured, they can then be stored in a dry, dark, well-ventilated place at 55° to 60°F for several months. Sweet potato roots are very sensitive to chilling injury at temperatures below 50°F, so do not store them at lower temperatures or quality will deteriorate. Symptoms of chilling injury include fungal decay, internal pulp browning, and root shriveling."

Cover Crops for the Home Garden

The GA FACES article "Fall cover crop will boost spring garden soil's nutrient content", by UGA's Sharon Dowdy, explains that home gardeners who are planning to give the vegetable garden a rest this winter can take a simple step to help next year's garden.  The key is to grow a cover crop instead of simply leaving the garden fallow.

Dowdy interviewed UGA Extension sustainable agriculture specialist Julia Gaskin to get the scoop on cover crops. Gaskin explained that cover crops can add organic matter and nitrogen to the soil. The choice of which cover crop to grow will depend on the needs of the garden.

For added nitrogen, Gaskin recommends crimson clover and Austrian winter peas; to suppress root-damaging nematodes, tillage radishes and mustards are a good choice. Cereal rye (winter annual ryegrass) excels in suppressing weeds.

For all the cover crops, the additional organic matter, from tilling the cover crop under in spring, is a great boost to home gardens. Gaskin explained the gain this way: "Boosting up soil matter is critical for encouraging healthy soil biology, which helps to make nutrients available for plants.”

Cornell University's article "Improve your soil with cover crops" lists additional benefits of growing cover crops in the garden:  "Cover crops help to retain the soil, lessen erosion, and decrease the impact of precipitation on the garden by slowing the runoff of water. They also reduce mineral leaching and compaction, and suppress perennial and winter annual weed growth. The top growth adds organic matter when it is tilled into the garden soil. The cover crop's root system also provides organic matter and opens passageways that help improve air and water movement in the soil."

UGA's Gaskin said that cover crops need to be sown in the garden before the end of September in the Piedmont region of Georgia, which includes Cobb County. For gardeners who are interested in taking a break from tending vegetables, planting a cover crop within the next few weeks can be a great option.

(For fuller information, select the linked article titles above.)

Watering the Vegetable Garden

One of the best pieces of garden-watering advice any of us are likely to come across was written by UGA Extension Horticulturalist Robert Westerfield in the publication "Conserving water in the vegetable garden".  He wrote, "Do not stand in the garden and spray plants lightly every day. This is the worst possible way to water."

What is the alternative? He tells us:  "Instead, soak the soil to a depth of at least 6 to 8 inches to encourage roots to seek water and nutrients deep in the soil. With an extensive, deep root system, plants are better able to withstand dry periods."

His publication includes the information that, for gardens in sandy soils, keeping the soil moist at that depth may require watering every 4-5 days; in clay soils, watering may be required only every 7 to 10 days. To help conserve water in the garden, the publication also recommends the use of mulch, to slow evaporation from the soil.

Westerfield's publication "Mulching vegetables" adds that a good mulch layer will not just conserve water. In addition,, it "suppresses weed growth, reduces fertilizer leaching and cools the soil. Mulch also serves as a barrier between the plant and the soil, helping prevent fruit rots that sometimes occur when vegetables touch the ground." This publication includes a list of mulches and their characteristics. The list can help home gardeners choose an appropriate mulch for their own gardens.

For gardeners who might want to use compost as mulch in the garden, the publication "Composting and mulching" by UGA Extension Horticulturalists Wayne McLauren (retired) and Gary Wade explains home composting in detail.

Making a completely finished compost can take months, but McLauren and Wade note that "Complete decomposition of the compost is not necessary when it is used as mulch." That is good news for gardeners who would like to mulch with compost from their landscape waste this summer!

(For fuller detail about watering, mulching, and composting, read the linked publiations.)

Upcoming Events

Camellias – Queens of the Southern Winter Garden

Tuesday, January 21, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Free and open to the public. Presented by Jim Pruckler of the American Camellia Society, as part of the ongoing Gardeners Night Out presentation series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at East Cobb Regional Library (old Parkaire Mall site), 4880 Lower Roswell Rd. Marietta.

Tomatoes 101

Thursday, January 23, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Free and open to the public. Presented by Renae Lemon, of UGA Extension in Cobb County, at the Smyrna Community Center, 200 Village Green Circle SE, Smyrna. 

Tomatoes 101
Saturday, January 25, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Free and open to the public. Presented by Renae Lemon, of UGA Extension in Cobb County, at the Smyrna Community Center, 200 Village Green Circle SE, Smyrna. 

Green Industry Update

Tuesday, January 28,  8:30 a.m. to noon. Two sessions of pruning for pest and disease control with Rick Smith, owner of The Pruning Guru, and one session of mosquito biology and control with UGA entomologist Elmer Gray. Re-certification credits as follows: 21, 23, 24, 27, 41 - 3 hours, Private - 2 hours, ISA - 2 hours. To register, email emily.harper@cobbcounty.org or call 770-528-4070. Cost $10 per person at the door. Location at Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, 30060.

Seed Saving for the Vegetable Garden
Tuesday, January 28, 6:30 – 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. The class will be presented by Amy Whitney, of UGA Extension at Cobb County, in the second floor classroom at 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Please preregister by calling 770-528-4070. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. 

Dahlias

Tuesday, February 11, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Free and open to the public. Free Seminar covers the basics of growing beautiful Dahlias all summer and preserving the tubers for sharing and for spring planting. Presented by Renae Lemon of UGA Extension at Cobb County, in the second floor classroom at 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Please preregister by calling 770-528-4070.

Weed ID for Weed Control

Friday, February 14, noon to 1:00 p.m. Free and open to the public. Presented by County Agent Neil Tarver as part of the ongoing Lunch & Learn series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.). Neil will help us identify weeds in order to select the most effective method of controlling them.  

Creativity in Growing and Using herbs

Tuesday, February 18, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.  Free and open to the public. Presented by Tracy Minjauw of the Chattahoochee Herb Society, as part of the ongoing Gardeners Night Out presentation series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at West Cobb Regional Library, 1750 Dennis Kemp Lane

Seed Starting for the Vegetable Garden

Thursday, February 20, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Presented by Amy Whitney, of UGA Extension at Cobb County, in the second floor classroom at 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. $5 charge for supplies. Preregistration is required: Call 770-528-4070. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.  Space will be limited.