Fall Gardening Update

We still have plenty of room to expand in LMMNA’s Community Garden! Each plot membership is only $100 for a year’s worth of planting. Whether you join our community garden or maintain your own, here are a few things to keep in mind for Fall 2020,.

Many thanks to Bob Westerfield with UGA’s Department of Horticulture for sharing these:

One last successive planting of warm-season vegetable seeds requiring 60 days to harvest, such as summer squash, can be started in the garden. Check your average first fall frost date before planting.
Remove spent vegetable plants, including those that are done producing or have been ravaged by disease or insects. Dispose of diseased or insect-infested plants in the trash if you do not turn your compost pile or achieve temperatures in excess of 140F in the pile (high enough or long enough to kill pathogens and pests).
It’s time to think about cool-season crops for the fall, including collards, lettuce, chard, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower. Transplants can be installed in late August and September.
Water transplants and seedlings, as needed.
Hand-weed and cultivate as needed for weed control; click here for other options.
Mulch planting beds for weed control and moisture conservation.
Keep an eye out for insects (i.e., aphids, white flies, stink bugs, leaf footed bugs, cucumber beetles, cabbage loopers, potato beetles) and possible disease (i.e., powdery mildew, early blight). Check with your county Extension office for treatment recommendations.
As fruits ripen, be sure to harvest promptly. Rake up any fruit that drops to the ground and compost or bury elsewhere to reduce excessive flies, bees, wasps, and other insect activity. This also helps reduce disease inoculum around the tree.
Keep figs evenly moist as they complete their ripening.
Peaches benefit from a split fertilizer application, with the first dose in mid- to late-August (after fruit harvest). The second application will occur in early spring (end of March).

Seed Alert from Extension Service

The University of Georgia Extension Service recently learned of unsolicited seeds, possibly from China, being sent in the mail to residents of the United States. This is a legitimate concern and should you or someone you know receive one of these packages, the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) has advised that you do not open the package and you do not plant the seeds as they could be an invasive species.

“At this time, we are not sure what the seeds are and therefore are urging everyone to be exceedingly vigilant,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black says. “If you have received one of these packages in the mail, please use extreme caution by not touching the contents and securing the package in a plastic bag.”

GDA asks that you send your package, along with your contact information, to their office on the Griffin campus at:

Georgia Dept. of Agriculture
215 Redding Building
1109 Experiment Street
Griffin, GA 30223

or seeds can be sent to Seed lab in Tifton:

Tifton Seed Laboratory
PO Box 1507
3150 U.S. Hwy 41 South
Tifton, Georgia 31793