TGIF

Happy Friday everyone! The lawn & garden questions are coming in, spring must be close! If you are concerned about your lawn or garden and would like to know more about your soil condition, please stop by the Extension Office to pick up a soil test kit.


Today I will share some great garden tid-bits from my go-to book, "Old Time Gardening Wisdom," by Jerry Baker. If you like the Farmer's Almanac, then you'll appreciate these tips from Jerry Baker's, Grandma Putt. "You should plant:
Cabbage and broccoli after dogwoods have dropped their flowers because there is less of a chance of the crops being damaged by root maggots.
Swiss chard, spinach, beets, and onions when the daffodils are in bloom.
Peas when maple trees flower.
Potatoes when white oak leaves are the size of a cat's ear.
Bush beans, pole beans, and cucumbers whent the apple blossoms are dropping.
Warm weather crops like tomatoes, melons, and eggplant when black locust and peonies flower."(Baker, 25)
We call these type of plants identifiers. For example, identifiers tell us when the temperatures and conditions are ideal to plant our vegetables. "Time, experience, patience, and accurate record keeping will teach you a great deal about the temperatures needed for proper plant growth."(Baker, 25) Always remember to keep an eye out for Mother Nature. These are important lessons are not just for gardening, but for everyday life.
For more tips on when to plant your veggies visit:
www.thegardenhelper.com/vegtips.html

Upcoming Events:
April 9th @ 6:00pm--Share the Fun! Come out and support our local 4-H kids at the Benjamin Franklin Elem. School.
April 10th @ 7:00am--RC&D Tree Sale at the Porter County Expo Center. Get your tree for Arbor Day!
April 17th @ 10am--Earth Day at Sunset Hill Farm. Reduce, Reuse, Recylce
April 21st @ 6:00pm--Extension Homemakers Educational Programs
@6:00pm--Can Your Cookware Take the Heat? Corrine Powell, Extension Educator, CFS
@ 7:00pm--Container & Small Gardens; Lyndsay Ploehn, Extension Educator, ANR
Welcome to the world of container gardening! This isn’t your Grandma’s red geraniums and pink impatiens anymore…If you want to learn how to make your small garden space special and enjoyable for the whole family year-round, then we’ll expect to see you at our Small Garden & Container demonstration class. Spring is just around the corner and containers are the perfect choice for your gourmet vegetable & herb garden, or your environmentally friendly succulent garden. If you are looking for advice on your containers, new design ideas, tips on how to plant the perfect container, or just want to get excited about a new growing season, then this is the class for you. Bring a friend, bring your neighbor, and make it the container party of the year!