Bagworm larvae are hatching out this month and constructing new bags. Look for the little bags moving around on evergreen trees and shrubs and be prepared to spray infested trees with the microbial insecticide, B.t. between now and mid-July.
Early blight lesions with yellow halos
Young tomato plants may be exhibiting symptoms of various leaf spot diseases such as septoria and early blight. Remove badly infected lower leaves, keep a thick organic mulch around plants and avoid overhead watering.
Spider mite webbing
Monitor houseplants kept indoors for mealybug, spider mites, aphids, whitefly, and scale. If houseplant pests are a problem consider spraying with a labeled horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. If possible, move the plants outside before spraying and when dry, move them back indoors. Discard heavily infested plants.
Concerns over food security have triggered memories of Victory Gardens and inspired people to revive the tradition to help feed their families.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
During WWI and WWII, governments here and abroad encouraged people to grow their own food to boost morale, safeguard against shortages, supplement rationed food and support the war effort.
Just before the U.S. entered WWI in 1917, the U.S. National War Garden Commission was formed to urge Americans to grow their own fruits and vegetables so more food could be sent to our troops and hard-hit European allies.
As the tide of the war turned, these gardens became Victory Gardens. Some credit agricultural innovator George Washington Carver with coining the term.
The idea bubbled up again during WWII. Labor and transportation shortages, rationing and the need to feed and support troops inspired the U.S. once again to call on its citizenry to grow their own food.
It was considered a patriotic duty. Eleanor Roosevelt planted a Victory Garden on the White House lawn. Covers of Life magazine and the Saturday Evening Post featured gardeners proudly planting and harvesting.
Posters used themes such as “Sow the seeds of victory” and “Dig on for victory” to link patriotism to planting.
It worked. By May of 1943, there were 20 million Victory Gardens in the United States. Over a third of all vegetables produced in the U.S. came from Victory Gardens.
Any available space was recruited. Victory Gardens sprouted in schoolyards, parks, rooftops, fire escapes, window boxes and vacant lots. Neighbors pooled resources. Communities came together to garden.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture distributed thousands of booklets to teach food gardening basics and later, preservation and canning.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
As a USDA partner, Extension was in the game early. And we continue to be a player, sharing free, research-based information on growing your own food. We can help you get started and troubleshoot problems along the way.
Visit the University of Maryland’s Home and Garden Information Center websiteto find how-to videos, over 500 free publications, a searchable database and an Ask an Expert feature.
Or contact your local Extension office’s gardening specialist. Just click on your county at https://extension.umd.edu/locationsand look under the “home gardening” tab.
At their peak, there was one Victory Garden for every seven people in the U.S., proving that during difficult times, nothing is more valuable than self-sufficiency. Perhaps that time has come again.
Victory Gardens grew out of the idea that we can all do our part to help. Help history repeat itself by growing some of your own food for yourself, your family. It’s satisfying, feeding body and soul.
I call that a personal victory.
By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension. This article was previously published by Herald-Mail Media. Read more by Annette.
Special thanks to Washington County Master Gardener Marie Bikle for sharing photos for this article.
Joyce Browning, Horticulturist and Master Gardener Coordinator from Harford county has been putting together multiple fun and interesting videos most days for the past month. Topics include poison ivy, strawberries, sheet mulching, pruning various shrubs, microgreens, propagation, aeroponics, and more. Take a look at our playlist of her videos on YouTube above, or follow the Harford County Master Gardeners on Facebook to see more of her videos as she posts them.
You’re getting ready to plant vegetable seeds and transplants for the first time and trying to make sense of the conflicting advice you’ve been getting from HGIC, a neighbor, and your brother-in-law. You want to grow your vegetables organically but now realize that you don’t have a clue about fertilizing. Are there enough nutrients in the not-so-great soil or in the “potting media” used to fill a raised bed? What type of fertilizer should you use? How much and when? Take a deep breath and relax. You and your plants are going to get through this together.
Step 1: Test your soil
Your plants will get most of the nutrients they need from air and water, and the minerals and organic matter in the soil. Soils vary quite a bit, and soil testing is the surest way to get important baseline data on soil pH (affects nutrient availability), nutrient levels, organic matter content, and the amount of lead (Pb) present. After carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, the nutrients needed in the greatest amounts are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (the primary macro-nutrients), and calcium, magnesium, and sulfur (the secondary macro-nutrients). Basic soil tests also include some micro-nutrients required in very small quantities, such as molybdenum, copper, zinc, and boron.
The lab sends you a report showing which nutrients are in the medium-excessive range (no worries) and which are deficient (you’ll get fertilizer recommendations). Labs don’t test for nitrogen because it changes quickly, moving between organic forms (immobilized inside living organisms) and inorganic forms (mineralized as ammonium and nitrate).
It’s okay to start gardening if you missed Step 1, but try to test your soil sometime between now and the fall.
Step 2: Feed the soil to feed your plants
Soil organic matter is made up of living and dead organisms- plants, bacteria, fungi, earthworms, and countless others. Nutrients, like the nitrogen needed to build proteins, are locked up in organic compounds in living organisms. When plants and animals decompose, these nutrients are transformed into inorganic forms, available for use by plants and soil microbes.
So, soils really do feed plants. Adding organic matter in the form of plant residues, compost, organic mulches, and cover crops will increase soil organic matter levels and ensure a slow and steady supply of plant-available nutrients. Organic matter also improves the structure of the soil, allowing for better movement of air and water, and a better home for plant roots and soil critters.
Vegetable crops, as a group, are “heavy feeders” compared to annual flowers and perennials and compete poorly against scrappy weed species for soil nutrients. They need our help to ensure strong, continuous growth. After carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, nitrogen is the nutrient required by plants in the greatest amount. For each 1% of soil organic matter, about 0.4 lbs. of nitrogen/1,000 sq. ft. is available for plants (conservative estimate). A soil with a 5% level would release about 2 lbs. of nitrogen/1,000 sq. ft. which is a typical nitrogen recommendation for vegetable gardens. The problem is that organic matter may not be able to supply sufficient nutrients at particular times of the season and at particular stages of plant development. Nevertheless, many people with well-established, high organic matter gardens, forego supplemental fertilizers and get large harvests.
Compost is mixed with soil before planting chile pepper. The compost will supply a portion of the nutrients needed for high yields.
Step 3: Types of organic fertilizers
Fertilizers are regulated materials that contain at least one plant nutrient. The nutrient content is guaranteed by the three numbers (e.g., 3-4-3) found on a fertilizer bag or container. Also known as the nutrient analysis, the numbers represent the percentage, by weight, of nitrogen (N), phosphate (P205), and potash (K2O), respectively.
A complete fertilizer contains all three of the primary macro-nutrients. Some fertilizers contain only one or two of the three major nutrients, such as nitrate of soda (16-0-0), a good choice when your soil test indicates high levels of P and K.
Commercial organic fertilizers are relatively low and variable in nutrient content, and typically release nutrients more slowly than synthetic fertilizers. They are also more expensive to buy on a per pound of nutrient basis. Many are made from composted or processed animal and plant waste products, such as fish fertilizers, composted manure, and cottonseed meal. A number of products are blends of several organic ingredients. Some organic fertilizers are inorganic materials (lack a carbon backbone), such as rock phosphate, and sodium nitrate.
Vegetarian or vegan fertilizers are all plant-based, like alfalfa meal and yard waste compost. Some organic fertilizers sold to home gardeners carry OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) certification. Farmers participating in the USDA’s National Organic Program can only use OMRI-certified fertilizers. Gardeners are not restricted in this way.
Some Organic fertilizersNutrient analysisNutrient release rate
Fish emulsion 5-1-1 fast
Bloodmeal 15-1-0 med-fast
Cottonseed meal 6-2-1 med
Alfalfa meal 3-1-2 med
Nitrate of soda 16-0-0 med-fast
Dried poultry litter 4-3-3 med-fast
Mushroom compost 2.5-1.5-1.5 slow
Rock phosphate 0-14-0 very slow
Muriate of potash 0-0-60 med-fast
Nitrate of soda is a mined mineral. Organic farmers can use this particular, single-nutrient fertilizer because it’s OMRI-certified.This is a complete liquid organic fertilizer that is not OMRI-certified but is safe and effective for organic gardeners.
Step 4: Let’s fertilize!
How much?
Use test results, crop conditions, and product instructions to guide your decisions on how much fertilizer to apply. For example, a new garden with only a moderate amount of organic matter and without the benefit of a soil test report, should be fertilized according to the label directions. You could reduce the amount somewhat if you added a large amount (>2 inches) of compost.
When factoring in nitrogen contributions from compost take into account that only 5-10% of the N is available the first year following application.
In a relatively small garden with just a few plants of several vegetables it is fine to fertilize all crops the same.
Sweet potato, Southern peas, cucumber, okra, squash, and beans need less nitrogen than crops like tomato, pepper, eggplant, broccoli, leafy greens, lettuce, spinach, and sweet corn.
Raised beds and containers, filled with soilless growing media and/or compost, need to be fertilized more regularly depending on the crop and growing conditions.
Experiment with reducing fertilizer amounts and the number of applications once you reach a 5% soil organic matter level.
Think before fertilizing
Excess nitrogen can reduce flowering and fruiting and cause plants to be overly succulent and more vulnerable to sucking insect pests.
Organic gardeners contribute to water pollution when they use excessive amounts of fertilizer and don’t prevent stormwater run-off and soil erosion.
The nutrients in synthetic and organic fertilizers come in the form of salts. If a large amount of any fertilizer remains in direct contact with plant roots, leaves, or stems, you may see some injury symptoms. This “burning” is known as phytotoxicity.
Fertilizer can’t bring a sick plant back to health if the problem is not a nutrient deficiency. Symptoms such as slow growth and low productivity could be caused by many factors including, lack of light, poor soil conditions, limited root system, and weather extremes.
When?
For long-season crops that produce fruits (tomato, pepper) or heads (cabbage, broccoli) you can apply half of the recommended amount of fertilizer right before planting and the other half when fruits start to form.
Early season crops benefit from complete, quick-acting liquid fertilizers, or compost tea. “Starter fertilizers” high in phosphorus (P) are not beneficial because most plants need 4X more nitrogen than phosphorus.
Perennial crops, like asparagus and rhubarb, are fertilized in early spring and after harvest.
Where and how?
Sprinkle dry fertilizer evenly over the area where plants will be growing and not in walkways. Mix it into the top 4 inches of soil.
For vegetables that are spaced far apart, like eggplant, tomato, and squash, mix the fertilizer into the planting hole soil or the area where seeds are planted.
Water the area after fertilizing, especially when fertilizing during hot, dry weather.
“Side-dressing” is applying fertilizer around or alongside established plants (pull back organic mulches first). If possible, gently incorporate the fertilizer into the top 1-2 inches of soil.
Step 5: Fertilizer recommendations from soil test reports
Labs will often recommend urea (46-0-0) as a nitrogen source when phosphorus and potassium levels are high. You can select an organic fertilizer that only contains N (nitrate of soda) or one with an N content much higher than the P and K content (bloodmeal, cottonseed meal).
This U. of DEL soil test report recommends only nitrogen for a vegetable garden that tested “excessive” for other macro-nutrients. Note the very high % of soil organic matter. Labs do not credit the expected nitrogen release from soil organic matter when making fertilizer recommendations.
The soil test report above recommends 1 lbs. of N/1,000 sq. ft. which equals about 2.5 lbs. of urea.
If you decide to use bloodmeal you will need 7.6 lbs. (46% divided by 15% X 2.5).
Cottonseed meal, soybean meal, and alfalfa meal are dry, organic fertilizers with a relatively high N content.
Use simple algebra to convert a synthetic fertilizer recommendation to an organic recommendation.
Example: the recommendation is to apply 20 lbs. of 10-10-10/1,000 sq. ft. and you wish to substitute cottonseed meal (6-2-1).
Divide the percentage of N in the synthetic fertilizer by the percentage of N in the organic fertilizer and multiply by 20:
0.10/0.06 (or 10%/6%) X 20 = 33.3 lbs. of cottonseed meal
Without the benefit of a soil test how do you fertilize a 100 sq. ft. garden with cottonseed meal, a complete organic fertilizer (6-2-1)?
Calculate the amount of the fertilizer product needed by dividing the pounds of N needed by the percentage of N in the product.
Let’s assume we need 2 lbs. of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. or 0.2 lbs. of nitrogen per 100 sq. ft.
0.2 (lbs. of N) divided by 0.06 (% of N in cottonseed meal) = 3.33 lbs./100 sq. ft.
Having a soil very low in P can be a challenge for a strict organic gardener. Rock phosphate (the primary organic P source) has a low P content and is very slow to break down. Superphosphate (0-20-0) and triple superphosphate (0-46-0) fertilizers are made by treating rock phosphate with sulfuric acid and are much faster-acting. These products are available for gardeners but are not allowed for use by organic farmers.
Step 6: Observe, engage, enjoy!
Take notes on your garden this year and record your successes, failures, and ideas.
If your azaleas, rhododendrons, and other spring-flowering shrubs are growing too large, prune them after they bloom.
Thin out interior boxwood branches to improve air circulation and reduce disease problems such as volutella canker. Also, look out for boxwood blight.
Move houseplants outdoors after the danger of frost has passed. To avoid sunscald, first place them in a shady location and over a period of two weeks or so to gradually introduce them to more sunlight.
Pinch the blooms from flower and vegetable transplants before you set them out. This will help direct the plants’ energies to root development and will result in more productive plants. Gently break up the roots of root-bound transplants before planting.
Maybe April is the cruelest month (especially this year) but early May can be tough on vegetable gardeners who are raring to go. You’ve got your spring crops in the ground and growing; maybe if you got an early start you’re even harvesting. But what about all those delicious summer veggies? If you’re lucky, you have some tomato plants, maybe some peppers or eggplant; you’ve got bean seeds and squash seeds and more. And you have well-prepared soil to plant them in. But when is it safe?
When can I plant these tomato and tomatillo TREES that I started at least a week too early?
When people ask me this, which they do a lot around this time of year, I usually sound a note of caution. But really, there’s no one clear answer. It depends on factors we have no control over, and it depends on how risk-averse you are. Many of us prefer to put a planting date on the calendar; even better if it’s an easy one to remember. St. Patrick’s Day: plant your peas and potatoes. Mother’s Day: time for the tomatoes to go in. But it’s not that simple. Continue reading →
Washington County Master Gardener Jessica Lantz tends a butterfly garden.
Fresh air. Sunshine. The smell of warm earth. The feel of tender leaves. The honest sweat of work. The imagining of tastes, fragrance, and beauty to come.
How could gardening be anything but therapeutic?
We who delight in plunging our hands in the soil, tucking in seeds and plants and gently tending them know that gardening feeds the body and soul. And a little soul-feeding is just what we need right now.
Actress Helen Hayes said, “All through the long winter, I dream of my garden. On the first day of spring, I dig my fingers deep into the soft earth. I can feel its energy and my spirits soar.”
So if you’ve never planted a seed, grown flowers for your table, or eaten something you’ve grown, jump in. Now. You will feel better.
And if you’re an old hand – meaning experienced, not decrepit – get out there. Times a wastin’.
A new friend showed me her new raised beds with such pride this week. An old friend showed me his newly renovated raised beds with the same amount of pride. This is what we do. And it helps.
It’s a simple equation. Seeds plus soil plus sun and water equal plants. But there is something miraculous, nevertheless, in the alchemy of it all.
Every time I watch one of those time lapse videos of a lima bean sprouting, it is marvelous and I catch myself smiling. Go on, now. Go look one up.
Growth itself is a miracle that connects us. Man is a hunter-gatherer. Gardening is gathering, a means to harvest. So when we dip a trowel in the soil we are perpetuating a practice that dates back eons.
And we garden not just to feed ourselves, but to create beauty. A pond brimming with water lotus at the gardens at Chanticleer brought tears to my eyes as did Monet’s water lilies at Giverny.
But I take the same delight in the cottage garden of a friend, in the daffodils on my table, and in the wildflowers sprinkled along my favorite hiking trail. This beauty is a gift which I receive gratefully.
And when we consciously add beauty with flowers, meadows, trees, we are answering a deep need to create and contribute. Not just for ourselves, but for everyone who might see our gardens.
John Muir once said, “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”
When asked why he was planting small tree seedlings, an older gardener smiled and said, “These are for my children and my children’s children.”
That’s the other connection gardens give us: a connection to others. A garden shared is a true garden, whether you are sharing advice or bounty, seeds or seedlings, a plant or spontaneous garden tour.
In giving, we receive.
The best gardens are echoes of all the friends and family who contributed to them and took joy in them. Garden walks then become visits with those held dear, past and present.
So dig, plant, and share. It’s hope you are spreading and we need that most of all.
By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension. This article was previously published by Herald-Mail Media.
