If you like sweet, mild onions let me suggest including them in your vegetable garden. Onions do not take up much garden space. They are easy to grow and reliable. An outstanding variety is Candy. Candy makes a large, mild, sweet onion that stores until Christmas. You can purchase Candy transplants in April from some local greenhouses or you can order seed and grow your own transplants. If you grow your own, you need to order the seed now and plant it the first week of February. I sprinkle the seed in potting soil so the seed is spaced about a ½ inch apart. Cover the seed with about ¼ inch of soil and keep the soil moist. Onion seedlings like temperatures in the low 60’s. Give them as much sun as possible. Supply supplemental light if they get less than 8 hours a day of direct sunlight.
Onions can be planted in the garden in mid to late April. The onion transplant roots are smooth and can be separated easily with a little care. Plant them 8” apart in the garden. Keep them from being stressed by dry weather if you want the flavor to remain mild. Harvest in Early August.
For more information contact your local cooperative extension office. In Lackawanna County call 963-6842 and ask for the Garden Helpline or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu
John Esslinger, Extension Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Conserving Wild Bees
The New Year has begun and the gardening catalogs are arriving. Please consider wild bees as you plan your 2010 gardening. Penn State has a new free pamphlet titled Conserving Wild Bees in Pennsylvania. This pamphlet discusses 5 ways you can enhance wild bee populations. The 5 ways are conserving natural bee habitats, planting flowers, providing access to water, preserving or building nesting sites, and reducing bee exposure to pesticides. Landscaping with perennial native flowering plants is discussed and a chart of their bloom periods is included. Beautiful color pictures of each plant are shown. Finally, there are color pictures of some of the common wild bees in Pennsylvania. You may be surprised to find that some of those insects you thought were pests are actually wild bees providing pollination.
Get your own copy of Conserving Wild Bees in Pennsylvania and think about what you can do to conserve and enhance wild bees and other pollinators. I plan to plant some perennial flowers along one border of my vegetable garden and include some herbs like dill within my vegetable rows. What will you plan to do? Tell us about it... we'd like to hear from you!
For more information contact your local extension office. In Lackawanna County call 963-6842 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu
John Esslinger, Extension Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.
Get your own copy of Conserving Wild Bees in Pennsylvania and think about what you can do to conserve and enhance wild bees and other pollinators. I plan to plant some perennial flowers along one border of my vegetable garden and include some herbs like dill within my vegetable rows. What will you plan to do? Tell us about it... we'd like to hear from you!
For more information contact your local extension office. In Lackawanna County call 963-6842 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu
John Esslinger, Extension Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.
New Year Resolutions for the Garden
Looking for a different New Year's resolution this year? How about choosing from some that will help your garden and landscape grow better and healthier? Pick one or more from the list below, courtesy of Jeff Rugg, University of Illinois Extension unit horticulture educator. Here goes ...
I resolve to:
• Add more mulch to my flower beds where it will decrease weeds, saving me money on weed killers and protecting the environment from useless applications.
• Remove the mulch from around the trunks of my trees. Mulch piled on a tree trunk doesn't help the tree, but kills it.
• Save time and money by pruning my trees and shrubs in their natural shapes, and NOT topping them.
• Find out what disease or insect is affecting my plant before I treat my yard with incorrect and ineffective poisons. Saying 'It can't hurt' isn't really true.
• Mow my grass at a higher height. The longer leaves support a better root system, so the grass needs less water and fights weeds better.
• Start a compost pile and add to it regularly so that I don't waste money buying compost to add to my garden.
• Take my power tools and lawnmower to the appropriate outlet for servicing and sharpening. Properly adjusted tools pollute less and sharp tools work better, making them safer.
• Order more catalogs from www.mailordergardening.com, as it is the most comprehensive list of gardening catalogs.
• And most importantly, enjoy my garden by eating outside more often, strolling through the yard to smell the flowers without pulling any weeds, and having at least one party with family and friends so they can enjoy the garden too.
If you have any gardening questions please call your county extension office. In Lackawanna County call our garden help line at 963-6842 ext. 1377 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu.
Terry Schettini, Extension Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.
I resolve to:
• Add more mulch to my flower beds where it will decrease weeds, saving me money on weed killers and protecting the environment from useless applications.
• Remove the mulch from around the trunks of my trees. Mulch piled on a tree trunk doesn't help the tree, but kills it.
• Save time and money by pruning my trees and shrubs in their natural shapes, and NOT topping them.
• Find out what disease or insect is affecting my plant before I treat my yard with incorrect and ineffective poisons. Saying 'It can't hurt' isn't really true.
• Mow my grass at a higher height. The longer leaves support a better root system, so the grass needs less water and fights weeds better.
• Start a compost pile and add to it regularly so that I don't waste money buying compost to add to my garden.
• Take my power tools and lawnmower to the appropriate outlet for servicing and sharpening. Properly adjusted tools pollute less and sharp tools work better, making them safer.
• Order more catalogs from www.mailordergardening.com, as it is the most comprehensive list of gardening catalogs.
• And most importantly, enjoy my garden by eating outside more often, strolling through the yard to smell the flowers without pulling any weeds, and having at least one party with family and friends so they can enjoy the garden too.
If you have any gardening questions please call your county extension office. In Lackawanna County call our garden help line at 963-6842 ext. 1377 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu.
Terry Schettini, Extension Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Winter Resolutions
Did you make a New Year’s resolution yet, maybe taking better care of yourself, spending less, eating better, healthier lifestyle, or doing a family project? Consider rolling all this into one activity, growing herbs indoors.
This is a great hobby for the winter months. It serves as a reminder that better and warmer days are ahead. Growing your own herbs may give you incentive to cook at home more, saving money. Plus you control how your plants are grown, so no chemicals or pesticides are used by your own choice. Starting from seed is an economical alternative to potted mature plants, as most herbs can be moved from the windowsill to the garden or outdoor container when the growing season begins.
The availability of seeds is increasing. Mail order catalogs are arriving daily in the mail. Plus the packets are beginning to be displayed at your local garden center. These herbs can be grown indoors: parsley, rosemary, mint, chives, dill, basil, and thyme.
Generally, most herbs need six hours of direct sunlight. Either place herbs in a sunny location, for example, near a window with a southern exposure; or place herbs 6 to 12 inches from two 40 watt, cool white fluorescent bulbs for 14 to 16 hours daily. If plants are grown on windowsills, it will be necessary to rotate pots often so that each side gets enough light for uniform growth. Keep herbs in rooms that have at least a 65 to 70°F day and 55 to 60°F night temperature regimes. Water when the potting mix dries out, but do not let them dry out completely. Occasional misting sprays of water is beneficial as indoors air is less humid than outdoors.
As the plants grow, they will serve as an incentive to cook at home, eat better, spend less, and from their spot on the windowsill, remind you there are warmer days ahead.
For more information on this topic, the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County have two publications: “Growing Herbs Indoors” and “Sowing Annual Seeds” which will help with the process. Please call 570-963-6842 or email: LackawannaMG@psu.edu and request a copy.
Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.
This is a great hobby for the winter months. It serves as a reminder that better and warmer days are ahead. Growing your own herbs may give you incentive to cook at home more, saving money. Plus you control how your plants are grown, so no chemicals or pesticides are used by your own choice. Starting from seed is an economical alternative to potted mature plants, as most herbs can be moved from the windowsill to the garden or outdoor container when the growing season begins.
The availability of seeds is increasing. Mail order catalogs are arriving daily in the mail. Plus the packets are beginning to be displayed at your local garden center. These herbs can be grown indoors: parsley, rosemary, mint, chives, dill, basil, and thyme.
Generally, most herbs need six hours of direct sunlight. Either place herbs in a sunny location, for example, near a window with a southern exposure; or place herbs 6 to 12 inches from two 40 watt, cool white fluorescent bulbs for 14 to 16 hours daily. If plants are grown on windowsills, it will be necessary to rotate pots often so that each side gets enough light for uniform growth. Keep herbs in rooms that have at least a 65 to 70°F day and 55 to 60°F night temperature regimes. Water when the potting mix dries out, but do not let them dry out completely. Occasional misting sprays of water is beneficial as indoors air is less humid than outdoors.
As the plants grow, they will serve as an incentive to cook at home, eat better, spend less, and from their spot on the windowsill, remind you there are warmer days ahead.
For more information on this topic, the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County have two publications: “Growing Herbs Indoors” and “Sowing Annual Seeds” which will help with the process. Please call 570-963-6842 or email: LackawannaMG@psu.edu and request a copy.
Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.
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