Georgia Magazine - March 2012 - (Page 40)

March forth The garden beckons BY LYNN COULTER S pring can be a roller coaster ride in parts of Georgia when warm, sunny days are followed by icy blasts. But even when the weather is unsettled, there’s still a lot you can do in your garden. Begin with a soil test to see if you need to add lime or fertilizer to grow vegetables, ﬂowers, grass or landscape plants. Test kits are available from your county extension service, aesl.ces.uga.edu/soiltest123/Georgia. htm, or nurseries and garden centers. It’s also a good idea to measure your garden and sketch out your rows and hills. Keeping track of what you’re growing will help you rotate your crops next year, a strategy so your soil can recover and avoid a buildup of pests and diseases. COURTESY JOHNNY’S SELECTED SEEDS Above: Raised beds elevate the soil level, so you don’t have to bend over as far. Make your beds no more than 3 to 4 feet wide, so you don’t have to step into them, which compacts the soil. Left: This root and potato fork has wider, ﬂatter blades than a regular garden fork so you can harvest your vegetables without damaging them. Save money with seeds The most economical way to plant a garden is with seeds. Directions on the back of each packet give growing tips and recommended planting dates. You can get a jump-start on the Good reading for gardeners “Best Garden Plants for Georgia,” by Don Williamson and Tara Dillard, lists annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, roses, herbs, ferns, ornamental grasses and other plants that perform well in Georgia. This is a handy reference book, especially for beginners. Visit our bookshelf link at www.georgiamagazine.org to order. Georgia Gardening, a State-by-State publication, is a monthly magazine about plants and topics of local gardening interest. Subscriptions are $24.95 per year. Visit statebystategardening.com/ga/subscribe to order, or call (888) 265-3600. 40 season by sowing many seeds indoors. First, check the packet to see how long it takes your seeds to sprout. Then count backward from the average date of the last frost in your area to determine when to plant. For best results, use a sterile seed-starting mix to ﬁll pre-made peat pots, seed-starter trays, empty yogurt cups or other clean containers you have on hand. Popsicle sticks make handy labels. Sprinkle your seeds over the soil, moisten them, and cover them with plastic wrap or bags to increase humidity. Keep the seeds in a warm room, or put them on top of a seedstarting heat mat. Give them about 16 hours each day under a grow light or in a bright windowsill. When the seedlings sprout, remove the covers. You can start fertilizing once your seedlings have their ﬁrst set of true leaves. Use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer applied at half-strength. Harden them off by moving them outdoors to a shady spot, gradually lengthening their time outside and slowly exposing them to more sun More online at www.georgiamagazine.org for about a week. When you’re ready to transplant the seedlings, check each seed packet again for spacing directions. Save time with plants No time or patience for sowing seeds? Buy starter plants instead, but choose those with healthy, green leaves. Avoid: • Wilted, tattered or yellow leaves • Plants that have Cotelydons are the ﬁrst already set fruit • Tall, leggy, spindly set of leaves to appear on seedlings. Wait until growth • Roots growing out you see the second set, or “true leaves,” of the bottom of before you transplant a pot • Plants with dried- them into richer soil. out soil and root balls What to plant for spring Georgia is in zones 7 and 8 on the USDA hardiness zone map, which means it’s time to start tomatoes and annual ﬂower seeds indoors. They’ll need about six weeks to grow strong GEORGIA MAGAZINE COURTESY JOHNNY’S SELECTED SEEDS COURTESY W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO. http://aesl.ces.uga.edu/soiltest123/Georgia.htm http://aesl.ces.uga.edu/soiltest123/Georgia.htm http://www.georgiamagazine.org/bookshelf http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - March 2012

Georgia Magazine - March 2012
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Liberty Notes
Picture This?
Georgie News
Calendar of Events
Currents
From “Undercover Boss” to servant leader
New Harmonies blossoms
Ellijay family business is for the birds
Around Georgia
Travel Guide
My Georgia
Georgia Gardena
Georgia Cooks
Snapshop

Georgia Magazine - March 2012