Georgia Magazine - July 2010 - (Page 47A)

Georgia Cooks Web exclusive Dig in! It’s not too late to start a garden this year. BY DEBORAH GEERING Plant in August for an autumn harvest of kale, carrots, fennel, winter squash and other cool-season vegetables. Dave Linvill, Chatham County cooperative extension agent, offers these tips to get started: Start with a soil analysis. For a small fee, your local extension service (caes.uga.edu/extension) can provide extensive analysis of your garden soil. “It’s the best $8 or $10 you can spend to get things started,” he says. “The soil test will tell you how much [soil amendments] you need and what to give it and when to give it.” Heap on the compost. “Just buying one bag of compost or soil amendment is not going to help a whole garden,” Linvill says. “You need to put down at least a minimum of three inches or more of compost or soil amendment on top of the soil and then work it in.” An English native, June McKenzie suggests the use of a dry English mustard, which is quite hot. Colman’s brand is widely available. June’s Favorite Tomato Sandwiches 1-1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese 2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dry English mustard 4 slices bread, lightly toasted 2 tomatoes, thickly sliced Preheat the broiler or toaster oven. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, mayonnaise and mustard. Spread on the toast. Broil until golden and bubbling. Top with tomato slices and broil until heated through. Serves 4. For more recipes from the garden, see page 44. Do not water after 6 p.m. Fungus needs 12 hours of moisture to get going, so you don’t want your plants to be damp all night. Consider container gardening or raised beds. “The biggest killer of plants is if your roots are sitting in water,” Linvill says. Containers or raised beds improve drainage and also allow you to concentrate your soil amendment efforts in a focused area. If you use containers, Linvill advises giving yourself a head start 47A by using a good quality potting soil, as the soil in your garden contains naturally occurring diseases, insects and weeds. After planting, mulch. Two to three inches of organic matter—pine straw, cedar chips or more compost is fine—will conserve moisture in the soil and eliminate about 80 percent of weeds. Water the roots, not the leaves. To cut down on fungus and disease problems, water the soil around the plant, not its leaves. A drip or ooze hose keeps leaves dry and conserves water by reducing www.georgiamagazine.org evaporation. Do not water after 6 p.m. Fungus needs 12 hours of moisture to get going, so you don’t want your plants to be damp all night. Be sure to give them enough time to dry out before the sun goes down, Linvill says. If you have a soaker or drip hose, you can attach an inexpensive timer to cut it off at the right time. Get help from your local extension agent. The Cooperative Extension Service is a great free resource. Call with a specific question or visit the website for an abundant crop of helpful publications. GEORGIA MAGAZINE http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - July 2010

Georgia Magazine - July 2010
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar
Currents
Special Energy Report
Where the Wild Things Are
Still Going Strong
Reliving History and Exploring Nature
Around Georgia
Georgia@Home
My Georgia
Georgia Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Cookbook of the Month
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - July 2010