It’s happening! Spring is near, and it’s time to get busy in the garden! Carrie Petty, master gardener, joined us today with a few tips to help you start your garden off on the right foot this spring.
Get out there and take some stock of what’s happened over winter. We had a lot of freezing rain, so I am sure there are limbs to pick up and dead branches to prune away.
This is a great time to include the kids too particularly when it comes to starting seeds or forcing bulbs and branches to bloom indoors. Gardening is an excellent STEM education enhancer with its hands-on chores.
Every year I learn something new. For example, don’t clear away that ground debris just yet. This Is where the pollinators are over-winter and we want that to remain undisturbed until warmer days ahead. In addition, getting my tools, pot and gardening bench ready for the work ahead is a great place to start.
Mother Nature really knows what she is doing. You will begin to see bulbs emerging and green spouts now in late winter. She knows just when to arrive.
For more information visit, facebook.com/CarriepettyMasterGardener.
It’s time to be thinking about spring and to get those flowering bulbs in the ground before she freezes.
Carrie Petty, master gardener, joined us today to share some tips to help get your garden from fall to spring.
She says, to plant bulbs about 6” deep with the point facing up, and after a long winter you will have such a wonderful surprise come spring!
For more from her visit, Facebook.com/CarriepettyMasterGardener.
With all the rain Indy has seen lately, you may be wondering what that means for your garden. Here are 5 things Carrie Petty, Master Gardener, say you should be doing for your garden right now.
- Never mow when it’s wet, always wait for the sun and wind to dry it out.
2. Weeds are easiest to pull after a rain but don’t spill the seeds onto the ground, or they will reseed.
3. Treat lawns now for dandelions.
4. Deadhead your Mums when blooms fade for continued abundance 5. Bring in herbs to dry for use in the fall for stews and roast chicken!
For more from her visit, Facebook.com/CarriepettyMasterGardener.
Is your garden struggling right now? Recently Indiana has had such crazy weather that plants have experience significant damage.
Dry conditions followed by rain has created the perfect environment for mildew, black spot and fungus.
Carrie Petty, Master Gardener, joined us today to teach how to clean it up and get the garden looking perky again for late summer and early fall.
For more information visit Carrie on Facebook.
This holiday weekend you can celebrate using beautiful things from the garden!
Carrie Petty, master gardener, joined us today to show us how. She says you can also include antiques, old history books, flowers and champagne to decorate the table, and you can never go wrong with sunflowers!
For more information visit her on Facebook.
Do you know the 3 S’s when it comes to Gardening? Master Gardener Carrie Petty says you must have a Star, a Show, and a Spiller! Check out her June Gardening Tips!
This is truly the BEGINNING of the garden season. March comes in like a Lion and out like a Lamb, however this weekend is going to be fantastic to get out of the house and into the yard for some sunshine and fresh air!
Master Gardener Carrie Petty shares her own gardening routine and what we can do RIGHT NOW to be ready for spring:
Begin by taking stock of your landscape and gardens, I always start in the morning with cup of coffee in one hand and pruners in the other. What are we looking for? Any broken branches that need to be cut back. Bushes that have over grown into a walk way. etc…just begin by pruning and cleaning up the winter debris.
While mother nature has the timing down to perfection. For instance, Spring begins on March 20th, precicely at 5:37am. You can afford to force a few things too! So, while I’m out taking stock of my yard, I clip a few longer branches to bring indoor to force into bloom!
Most importantly while youre out this weekend. Just be “aware” stop and soak it in. Teach your children to be “aware” it is the basis for all science and technology is observation.
May 15th is our last hard frost day in Indiana, so next month we will talk about starting your seeds!
Find more from Carrie, here.
With fall just around the corner, our home gardens are plentiful and farmers markets are loaded with produce. Sherri French, lifestyle & parenting expert, is here today with smart and creative ways to lengthen the life of your produce, so you can enjoy them through the winter months, even if you aren’t an expert.
Freezing
- A quick and easy way to make some produce last longer
- Freeze in amounts that are easy to thaw and consume
- Always label the date that the produce was packaged so you can use the FIFO (first in first out) method
- Freeze as soon as your fruits or veggies are ripe
- Raspberries, blueberries, peas, beans, rhubarb are great to freeze
- Use a cookie sheet and parchment paper to individually freeze fruit and then transfer to a freezer bag
Blanching
- Some produce may need to be blanched prior to freezing
- To blanch boil a pot of water and salt
- Drop the produce in and boil for half the amount of time that you would normally boil to eat
- Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water
- Remove, pat dry in paper towels and then transfer to freezer bags
- Apples and beans are perfect for blanching
Drying (Dehydration)
- Drying produce takes up less storage space and is easy to do
- Tomatoes, peppers and apples are a perfect option to dry
- Set your oven to 225 F for apples and 200F for tomatoes
- For apples, mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top and bake for approximately 1 hour
- For tomatoes, cut baby tomatoes in half, toss with dried oregano, thyme, salt and pepper Turn the tomatoes face up and bake for approximately 3 hours
- Apples edges will curl up and tomatoes will feel rubbery
Canning – The Easy Way
- Canning is tedious and takes a long time
- Take your baby cucumbers and make pickles by using a refrigerator option
- Use mason jars to combine sliced cucumbers, garlic, pickling spice, dill, salt and cider vinegar
- Set them on your counter out of the sun for two days to four dates (check the taste)
- Once ready, put them into your fridge where they can last up to 6 months in your fridge
To find all of these ‘how to’s’ and recipes, visit Sherri’s Instagram: @momhint.
Time to move houseplants indoors after their summer vacation outside! Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, the Hoosier Gardener, has some tips for what you need to know before you welcome them back inside.
1. Get ready to move houseplants indoors when nighttime temps are in the 50s.
2. Clean up plants and snip off damaged or dead leaves.
2. Examine plants, especially the undersides of leaves for any insects or diseases.
4. Give them a shower with the hose to wash off any dust or insects before bringing indoors. You can also shower them in the bathtub or kitchen sink, wherever it’s convenient.
5. If concerned about insects, isolate those plants before introducing them with other plants in the home.
6. Treat if necessary: insecticide for bugs; fungicide for fungus; miticide for spider mites. Make sure the product is labeled for use on houseplants. Always know what plant problem you have before you treat it and always read and follow the label directions.
7. Always read and follow the label directions, but usually it’s best to hold off on fertilizing plants through winter. Same with watering needs. Less sun, less growth, less water and fertilizer needed.
8. Remember that plants may drop leaves when they come back inside. They are adjusting to less ambient light. Keep an eye on plants for a while after their return indoors. Try to give them as much light as possible.
For more gardening tips, visit hoosiergardener.com, where you can sign up for Sharp’s monthly newsletter.
With the warmer weather here to stay for awhile, now’s a great time to get outside and work on your garden. Amber and her mother-in-law introduce us to a product that will make watering your plants almost effortless.
Daisy Rain Garden Sprinkler Pots
Bring on warmer weather and grow long-lasting flowers and plants, delicious berries, ripe tomatoes and more with peace of mind with the new patented Daisy Rain Garden Systems Sprinkler Pots that allow you to water numerous plants with the turn of a hose and also a timer system while you are away for an extended time. The Sprinkler Pots are easy to use, simply connect to any garden hose or irrigation system, and are reliable keeping your plants watered.