Hands On Action

*2012 Mass Action:Celebrating the Gardens of Indiana

Summer interns will be catalyzing Garden Parties and Mentoring Clinics in every county of the state on August 18.  Watch for announcements on this website and Facebook that will tell you where to find a Garden Party near you or how you can host a party of your own.

Plant a Garden:  Gardening is on the rise (backyard,school yard,church yard,vertical,container,community,etc.) Why?  It helps the family budget.  It builds community as people work together and share their produce.  It helps us re-connect to the land.  It contributes to food security and self-sufficiency.  Take a look at the varieties of gardens below and choose one that fits your interests and circumstances.

SCHOOL GARDENS

If you’re in the education arena,you might be interested in utilizing the planning and planting of a school based garden as a helpful hands on adjunct learning device. If so,there’s a remarkably comprehensive website at www.schoolgardenwizard.org

CONTAINER GARDENS

Sometimes space is not available for a conventional garden plot. That alone shouldn’t keep you from growing a good many edibles inasmuch as there are many kinds of vegetables that can be relatively easily grown in containers. Normally it takes five hours or more of full sun,and special attention should be given to the selection of the proper container,soil mix,fertilizing and watering.

RAISED BED GARDENS

(From Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia….)

“Raised bed gardening is a form of gardening in which the soil is formed in 3–4 foot (1.0–1.2 m) wide beds,which can be of any length or shape. The soil is raised above the surrounding soil (6 inches to waist high),sometimes enclosed by a frame generally made of wood,rock,or concrete blocks,and enriched with compost. The vegetable plants are spaced in geometric patterns,much closer together than conventional row gardening. The spacing is such that when the vegetables are fully grown,their leaves just barely touch each other,creating a microclimate in which moisture is conserved and weed growth suppressed. Raised beds produce a variety of benefits:they extend the planting season;they reduce the need to use poor native soil;and they can reduce weeds if designed properly. Since the gardener does not walk on the raised beds,the soil is not compacted and the roots have an easier time growing. The close plant spacing and the use of compost generally result in higher yields with raised beds in comparison to conventional row gardening. Waist high raised beds enable the elderly and the sick to grow vegetables without having to bend over to tend them”.

See the following Purdue University Cooperative Extension website for more detailed information as to Container and Raised Bed Gardens: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-200.pdf

If you do happen to have access to a more conventional place to garden,but are constrained by the square footage available,you might be in good stead to obtain more details as  to SMALL PLOT and INTENSIVE GARDENING. SEE Purdue site:  http://www.hort.purdue.edu/hort/ext/Pubs/HO/HO_124.pdf

MULTI-OR EXTENDED SEASON GARDENS

For a variety of reasons,sometimes it’s desirable to start the growing season a little earlier or extend its duration. In some circumstances this can be accomplished through the usage of hotbeds or cold frames. SEE the following Purdue website for additional information.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/hort/ext/Pubs/HO/HO_053.pdf

And if you’re interested in ORGANIC GARDENING,you might look at the detailed info on that subject available at Purdue University Cooperative Extension weblink at:

http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/ID/ID_316.pdf

VERTICAL GARDENS

• http://www.vegetable-gardening-online.com/vertical-vegetable-gardening.html
• http://verticalgardeningsystems.com/what-makes-a-vertical-garden-thrive-ezp-24.html
• http://www.ecolandscaping.org/08/living-walls/vertical-gardens-living-walls/
• http://www.container-gardening-for-food.com/vertical-gardening.html

HYDROPONIC GARDENS

“Some of the reasons why hydroponics is being adapted around the world for food production are the following:

•     No soil is needed
•     The water stays in the system and can be reused –thus,lower water costs
•     It is possible to control the nutrition levels in their entirety –thus,lower nutrition costs
•     No nutrition pollution is released into the environment because of the controlled system
•     Stable and high yields
•     Pests and diseases are easier to get rid of than in soil because of the container’s mobility
•     It is easier to harvest
•     No pesticide damage

Today,hydroponics is an established branch of agronomy. Progress has been rapid,and results obtained in various countries have proved it to be thoroughly practical and to have very definite advantages over conventional methods of horticulture.

There are two chief merits of the soil-less cultivation of plants. First,hydroponics may potentially produce much higher crop yields. Also,hydroponics can be used in places where in-ground agriculture or gardening are not possible.”

(from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroponics).