January 2016 School Gardens Gardening projects for children in a school setting provide an extraordinary learning opportunity. Through school gardening children can learn science, mathematics, English, environmental studies, health, family and consumer sciences and art. They learn first-hand about plants, nature and the outdoors, and they learn how fresh food is grown. Teachers in Louisiana have an excellent opportunity to enrich the educational experience and the lives of children through the use of school gardens. Benefits of school gardens Gardens provide sensory stimulation of smells, textures, colors and sounds. Gardening is a healthy outdoor activity for all youth. Kids are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables they grow and improve their attitude toward fruits and vegetables. LSU AgCenter Horticulture, 4-H, Nutrition Education, and Junior Master Gardener programs can collaborate in school gardens. Children can improve their self-esteem and attitudes toward school through gardening projects. Children can learn environmental stewardship and scientific principles. Community gardens foster group cohesion and improve interpersonal relationships. Gardening projects help foster family relationships and increase parental involvement. 1 January 2016 GNO Gardening
Edibles: January Planting Guide Beets Cauliflower Broccoli Collards Cabbage Kale Kohlrabi Carrots Lettuce Mustard Onions Chinese Cabbage Radish Swiss Chard Shallots Turnips Spinach Snow Peas Irish Potatoes Plant seeds of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants in greenhouses or under lights indoors. Candid Charm Danvers 126 Carrots Ithica Lettuce Red Giant Mustard Ornamentals: Cauliflower Pansy Sweet Alyssum Viola Snapdragon Stock Dianthus Petunia Candytuft Lobelia Annual Phlox Plant any spring flowering bulbs by early January. Plant bare root roses from January to the end of February. Container roses may be planted from January to the end of April. Snapdragons Sweet Alyssum Stock Pansy Annual Phlox Petunia Lobelia Dianthus
Volunteer Spotlight Richard Bergeron and Frieda Palmgren are both members of the New Orleans Orchid Society and City Park volunteers. After hurricane Katrina devastated the orchid collection in the Botanical Garden, Richard took over the responsibility of orchid manager. Richard can be found nearly every weekday, along with Frieda every Friday, either in the Pelican green house or in the rainforest exhibit in the conservatory. During the ensuing years, they have nourished and cultivated over 1000 different specimens. The large number of orchids available means that something is always blooming. This way they can change out the plants on public display in the conservatory so that visitors to the Botanical Gardens can share in the lush beauty. Plant of the Month Sweet Alyssum Lobularia maritima is useful in the cool-season garden for its low-spreading growth habit. It is excellent when used in the front of flower beds as an edging. And planted on the edges of raised planters, containers and hanging baskets, it will cascade beautifully over the sides. Sweet alyssum literally covers itself with small flowers in shades of white, pink, rose, lavender or purple. The pleasant fragrance is reminiscent of honey and permeates the air, especially on warm days in enclosed spaces. 3 January 2016 GNO Gardening
Upcoming Events South East Louisiana Daylily Society (SELDS) General Membership Meeting Saturday, January 9, 2016 from 9:30-noon Jefferson Parish Eastbank Regional Library 4747 W. Napoleon Avenue, Metairie Guest speaker: Eileen Hollander Title: Nutrient Management-How To Fertilize to Meet Plants Needs Eileen Hollander, Master Gardener of Greater New Orleans and President of Pearl River County Master Gardeners will present a Power Point slide show titled Nutrient Management-How to Fertilize to Meet Plants Needs " She will also demonstrate how to take a soil sample and distribute LSU AG Center Soil Test Kits. Come learn how to optimize plant performance while minimizing nutrient loss that could cause environmental problems. Daylily experts will be available to answer your questions. SELDS general membership meetings are free and open to the public. Parkway Partners Second Saturday Saturday, January 9, 2016 1137 Baronne St., New Orleans, 70113 Guest Speaker: Orleans Parish Extension Agent Lee Rouse Topic: Pruning With Purpose Orleans Parish Ag Extension Agent, Lee Rouse, presents on proper pruning techniques to achieve the best results for your plants. Plant sale 9am-noon. Lee presents at 10am. 4 January 2016 GNO Gardening
Upcoming Events Louisiana Green Industry Symposium Tuesday, January 12, 2016 from 8:00-4:30 Pavilion of the Two Sisters in the New Orleans Botanical Garden This educational symposium is open to professionals in the green industry including Horticulturists, Arborists, Landscape contractors, architects, lawn maintenance companies, etc. Speakers & Topics Include: Prevent the Spread Right Tree/Right Place Dr. Raj Singh-LSU AgCenter Haley Dozier-LSU AgCenter Going Native Thinking Outside the Box Rick Webb-Louisiana Growers Dan Gill-LSU AgCenter Contact us at GNOGardening@agcenter.lsu.edu for registration information. Greater New Orleans Iris Society (GNOIS) General Membership Meeting Saturday, January 16, 2016 from 9-noon at Longue Vue House and Gardens 7 Bamboo Road, New Orleans Guest Speaker: Eileen Hollander Title: Nutrient Management-How To Fertilize to Meet Plants Needs Eileen Hollander, Pres. GNOIS and American Iris Society apprentice judge, will present a Power Point slide show titled Nutrient Management-How to Fertilize to Meet Plants Needs ". From 9-10 Mrs. Hollander, a Master Gardener of Greater New Orleans and President of Pearl River County Master Gardeners, will demonstrate how to take a soil sample. She will also distribute LSU AG Center Soil Test Kits. The meeting and presentation will follow. Come learn how to optimize plant performance while minimizing nutrient loss that could cause environmental problems. Proper use of fertilizers may save you money! Free parking and entrance to Longue Vue Garden! Everyone is welcomed. Parkway Partners Plant trees on Monday, January 18th Join us on Monday, January 18 in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther Kind, Jr. Day and help us get more trees in the ground! The workday is from 9am-noon in Treme and Central City. Follow this link for more information and to sign up to volunteer: Sign up here to volunteer!
Adopt A Hive Give the gift of food empowerment! CAPSTONE is a non-profit in the Lower 9th Ward. Your hive adoption and donation supports our mission to grow food on previously vacant lots and share it with those in need. It also supports other Capstone programs which empower others to grow their own food. With your adoption, you will receive a Certificate of Support or you can have the certificate sent to someone as a gift! Ad CAPSTONE Raw Honey is made from an assortment of local floral varieties. We never feed our honey bees high fructose corn syrup. Capstone Raw Honey is only put through a strainer to ensure it retains all of its natural goodness. It is never ultra-filtered, heated, or diluted with high fructose corn syrup. Each harvest is kept separate and each jar labeled showing the month and year of harvest. Each floral season gives our honey a unique color and flavor. It also contains different pollens from the different times of the year if you are using it for allergy relief. All donations at tax-deductible. Capstone 118 Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, visit the website at: www.capstone118.org/adopt-a-hive.html
January Checklist/Garden Tips Cover lettuce plants in the garden when temperatures drop to the mid to low twenties. Planting cool season vegetables and bedding plants continues. Although exceptionally cold weather can cause problems, winter weather is mostly mild. Watch the weather and avoid setting out transplants when a hard freeze below the upper 20s is predicted. During cold of winter weather the water coming out of the tap can be decidedly chilly. When filling up your watering can to water your indoor plants, don t just turn on the cold water tap. Turn on both cold and hot water and adjust the temperature of the water coming out of the faucet until it feels tepid or barely warm. This is healthier for tropical houseplants and will prevent the spotting of African violet foliage. After your holiday cactus plant finishes blooming don t forget to move it to a sunny window for the rest of the winter. Allow the soil to become dry before watering. Wet soil promotes root rot. You must plant any spring flowering bulbs you have been refrigerating by early January, or you will be too late. You cannot keep the bulbs, such as tulips and hyacinths, and plant them next year Pansies and other cool season bedding plants may bloom less during the mid-winter period but should pick-up again in the late winter and early spring. If the foliage color is a good deep green and the plants seem to be growing well, you shouldn t need to fertilize now. Pansies are, however, heavy feeders. If the foliage is even slightly pale and if the growth is less vigorous, fertilize every two to three weeks with a 20-20-20 soluble fertilizer according to label directions until the color and vigor improves. Green, cool season weeds are really noticeable compared to the dormant grass. It is far too early to fertilize so don t reach for a bag of weed and feed (fertilizer combined with a weed killer). If you must control the weeds, use a broad leaf herbicide labeled for use on the type of grass you have and following label directions carefully. Most of these weeds will disappear when the weather turns hot and the lawn greens up. In many cases you can skip the herbicide and just mow the weeds down occasionally. Your Local Extension Office is Here to Help E-mail us at: GNOGardening@agcenter.lsu.edu Follow us on Facebook at GNOGardening For more information visit LSUAgCenter.com Sarah Everhart Jefferson Parish Horticulture Agent (504)736-6519 Lee Rouse Orleans Parish Horticulture Agent (504)483-9471 The LSU AgCenter is a statewide campus of the LSU System and provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. 7 January 2016 GNO Gardening