A UVM blog Kids In The Garden

Using mulch in the garden is a great way to improve soil health, conserve water,and limit/decrease weeds. There are a variety of mulching materials available and each has their positives and negatives for the gardener to consider. Non-organic materials such as black plastic, newspapers or cardboard will all limit weed growth but they will not improve soil fertility or soil health. Organic materials such a clean straw, rotten hay (with the seeds cooked due to the rotting decomposition process), leaves, or shavings will improve soil health when tilled into the soil at the end of the growing season. The benefits to the soil will take a number of years and is an on-going process as the mulch breaks down and builds the soil.

Most people use the deep mulch method and when using any of the organic mulches just add more mulch as the mulch closest to the soil starts to breakdown. When you can start to see the soil or if you notice weeds starting to poke through it is time to add more mulch. I like my plants to be well started before adding mulch to my garden especially with tender plants like carrots or greens. To much mulch too early can result in smothering the plants.

Using mulch to conserve water works by providing a layer of insulation on top of the soil. The water passes through the mulch and the mulch then keeps the soil cool and moist by slowing evaporation. Mulch when used in combination with a soaker hose is even better because the water has been placed in the root zone. If you live in an area where you pay for water through a municipal system or need to conserve water due to a limited supply think about the benefits and cost savings that can be gained by mulching your garden.

Many gardeners use mulch as a way to choke-out weeds in walkways and close to plants. Using clean straw (without seeds) or old hay where the seeds have been killed during the heating process are important since otherwise you are just seeding in a fresh crop of weeds. There are so many other great things to do in the garden and pulling weeds is not at the top of my list for fun things to do so anything that decreases the weed population is going to be tested in my garden. I like to hill the potatoes in my garden several times throughout the growing season so I do not mulch the potato rows. I rototill between the potato rows to control weeds. If you use black plastic for mulch it is great for controlling weeds but keep in mind that water will not penetrate the plastic and once again your watering system of choice will be important.

If you have questions about using mulch or other gardening topics please send me your questions, comments, recipes or photos of your garden so we can share them with our readers in future blogs. Remember to share your extra produce with a neighbor, local food shelf or others who may not be able to garden. Happy Gardening !!

To Water or Not????

The hot weather of June and now as we move into July gardeners are wondering whether or not to water their gardens. Over-watering a garden can do as much harm as under-watering. Take a look at your garden – it may look dry on the surface but dig down a bit.

There is no greater place to learn than in the garden.  Whether you garden in containers, a family garden, a community garden site of other location kids love to garden.  Hands on learning at its finest.  Kids Digging In to Make a Difference for their family, community and beyond can happen by planting a little extra to share with someone in need.  My challenge to all kids is to “Dare to Share Plant some to Spare.”  Happy gardening.      – MManning

Hey kids!! If you had planned to have a garden, this year  but for some reason it did not happen – it is not too late…..

Finding seeds or starts this time of year can be difficult – but do not give up, consider your options.   Ask an adult to place a post on your local Front Porch Forum often people do not plant the entire package of seeds and may have extras they are willing to share, reach out to other friends on social media or search local feed and gardening stores that usually have seeds or talk to your family about ordering from a seed company.

While it might be late to plant those vegetables that require a long growing season like mammoth pumpkins it is not too late to plant many other types of vegetables.  Consider planting greens, lettuce, radishes, beans, potatoes, onions and many other types. Take a survey of your family.  Ask each person what their favorite vegetables are and then plan your garden.  Of course if you tally the survey results and not a single person likes broccoli then your garden space may be better used growing carrots rather than broccoli.  I must admit that I do not like tomatoes, not on a sandwich, not grilled,  not anywhere raw – but I do like salsa, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, ketchup – you get the idea, but I LOVE the smell of growing tomato plants so I grow paste type tomatoes for processing. 

Consider a kids garden, a family garden or neighborhood project with each participant helping to plant, weed and harvest.  Even very young kids can plant onion sets, bean seeds, potatoes or other large easy to handle seeds.  When my kids were young and wanted to help I would poke a stick into the ground to indicate where they should drop the seeds.  My rows were not always the straightest or the plants evenly spaced but they wanted to help. 

  My challenge to all kids is to “Dare to Share Plant some to Spare.”  When you plan your garden plant a few extra plants to share with someone in need. Maybe a neighbor, a grandparent, a local food pantry there are many possibilities. One extra cucumber plant can produce many pounds of fresh produce to share. Think of the endless possibilities…… Every kid planting a little extra to share can have an impact in their community. Even a single squash plant may produce more than one family wants so share the extra.

If you did plant a garden earlier and have been starting to enjoy fresh produce consider doing some succession planting – when your first crop of greens have been enjoyed re-cultivate that space and plant a second crop that will have plenty of time to mature – consider beans, cucumbers, beets, etc.  Succession planting allows you to get two or more crops per year from the same space – maximizing your land. 

If you planted early and are enjoying greens and other produce give this yummy salad recipe a try – it is a favorite at my house.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

• 4-6 cups fresh spinach – washed and drained
• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries – washed, hulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• For Salad dressing mix together: 1/2 cup canola or olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Pour dressing over greens and strawberries. Toss gently and top with almonds. Enjoy. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Remember the challenge…. Dare to Share Plant some to Spare…………….