Fruit and vegetable growers who sell through farmer’s markets, farm stands and community supported agriculture know that work associated with being a successful market grower does not end with the active growing season. The colder months are an ideal time to launch projects to improve efficiency, product quality and economic return for the season ahead. One viable project that can accomplish all three of these goals is the construction of a cold storage room. Continue reading
Monthly Archives: January 2018
Mechanical Damage to Trees
We talk a lot about insects and diseases that can wreak havoc to our landscape trees, but many times people are a tree’s worst enemy – especially people wielding lawn mowers and weed trimmers. And while a slight bump from a mower’s frame or a quick zip of trimmer line around a tree trunk may seem insignificant, it can create an injury that leads to disease or death. Continue reading
Pruning Practices For Trees & Shrubs
Savvy gardeners use February and early March to examine limbs and branches of woody plants. This is the time of year to make pruning cuts to improve the scaffolding of the canopy of a tree or shrub. In the February to March timeline, before the buds begin to break, is the best time of the year to prune deciduous trees and shrubs. Limbs in poor shape, crossing over, rubbing and such issues are best removed now, in February to mid-March. Proper pruning practices should be followed. Continue reading
Planning an Onion Crop
Although we’re in the midst of winter, it is never too soon to think about next growing season. This is particularly true if you want to grow onions.
Onions are a good crop for Kentucky farmers. Typically in late winter it takes eight to ten weeks to produce a reasonably sized transplant. If you want to plant in late March or the beginning of April, you should have seeded your transplants in late January. If you have not already seeded, it’s not too late for an onion crop this year. You can purchase transplants. Continue reading
Top Three New Year’s Resolutions for Gardeners
Many people enjoy making New Year’s Resolutions, so I would like to encourage you to make some gardening resolutions. Even those of you who do not typically grow anything can reap benefits from planting something, nurturing it, and watching it grow. It doesn’t have to be a large vegetable garden. A small container garden or raised bed garden will be just fine. Continue reading
Kentucky Hort News 