The winner of the Devine Gardens quarterly drawing is LB from Manlius who is an old friend. I'm so happy I can help her plants be healthier this upcoming year.
Last month I started working with a group of Syracuse University graduate students who are looking into all aspects of Devine Gardens and will give me their recommendations. Most important they and I want to make sure your needs are being met. I want to know what I can do to help you have success in the garden. They will be emailing a survey very soon. I hope that you can find the time to answer and return. Your email addresses are and will stay private. Your answers will be anonymous so I won't have any way of knowing who is responding and how you answered the survey
There is a good supply of screened vermicompost that will be going out to the stores soon. Also, there is roughly 12 yards of compost mixed with 10% vermicompost. I will be selling it by the cubic foot and by the yard until it is gone. Call or email me if you would like more information.
As you get ready to start your seeds: remember that adding vermicompost to the starting mix will help seeds germinate quicker, more seeds will germinate and vermicompost has been proven by researchers at Cornell University to prevent diseases caused by seed infecting pathogens like pythium. Here is a link to the research: http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/2010poster.pdf
Such a nicer, milder winter we have had. The spring plants sales and festivals are getting closer. The Onondaga Master Gardeners will have their plant sale at Beaver Lake on May 21st. Baltimore Woods will have Plantasia on the weekend of June 3rd - 5th. Oneida County Master Gardeners will have the Herb and Flower Festival on June 18th.
The cows are having a good winter. Betty will be having another calf in early June. We had hoped that Candy would be having her first calf this upcoming year but apparently she wasn't ready. Hopefully, next year. Candy is just as sweet as her name and the friendliest. She loves a good back rub. Her big, fat snout is in the picture above.
I have been reading The Market Gardener by Jean-Martin Fortier. I like his ideas for weed management and will be sharing those ideas this growing season and letting you know how they work.
Thank-you for taking the time to read this update. I hope all of you are well and planning for spring.
