HARVEST OF THE MONTH
Are you participating in Harvest of the Month? Catch up on all the details and learn how you can prepare your garden to be the source for your "Harvest of the Month" here. Let us know how we can support your school garden's participation in this program!
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JULY GARDEN IDEAS
- Regular Maintenance
- Repair leaky hoses, broken tools, cracked watering cans as needed.
- Periodically check to make sure summer volunteers are coming to water, weed, and pick ripe veggies.
- Planting & Harvesting
- Continue succession planting, especially when a crop goes by. You'll have food for the school cafeteria or food bank well into the fall! Planting things like lettuces, spinach, arugula, carrots, radishes, beets, and cilantro.
- Visit veggieharvest.com, enter your plant hardiness zone, and find a chart giving the best times to plant certain crops.
- If you have bare garden bed space, buy some colorful annuals to fill in; they're often sold at reduced prices at local nurseries and big box stores.
- Harvest garlic when the tops are turning brown. Dry the heads. Eat most, but be sure to save some for fall planting in October!
- Summer Watering - to conserve water, help prevent plant disease, and save time:
- Mulch bare garden ground to retain soil moisture and add visual appeal to your gardens.
- Consider putting in an underground watering or drip system and put it on a timer. If no underground system, water in the early morning whenever possible.
- If using an above-ground sprinkler, water earlier in the day, not later. Plant leaves will have a chance to dry off.
- Avoid mid-day watering. Plant leaves can "burn" and water evaporates, meaning less moisture for plants.
- When possible, water around the plant rather than directly onto the leaves and flowers.
- Water deeply--one inch a week for established plants and more often for newly planted seeds and seedlings.
- Pay attention to what rainfall Mother Nature provides and adjust watering accordingly.
- Try Something New!
Check out our MONTHLY SCHOOL GARDEN CHECKLIST to learn more about what this month looks like in the garden! For more information, try out these awesome resources: MOFGA's Planting Calendar, Fedco's Veggie Chart, and Johnny's Planting Calculator and Succession Planting Template.
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We are building our network and our team!
Are you interested in having an impact on garden education in Maine? Join us for updates on statewide programs and projects - let's grow together!
Future Meeting Dates: July 24th, Aug 28th
Meetings are held in Augusta, inquire about remote connections.
We also welcome support for special projects via committees like fundraising, event planning, technical support and more. Want more information about current projects at MSGN? We'd love to work with you!
Email us today at info@msgn.org
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Plant Something is a grassroots, nationally established campaign designed to increase the public’s support of local growers, nurseries, garden centers, and landscapers through awareness of the benefits of planting specialty crops for the landscape and garden. Plant Something Maine is a program of The Maine Landscape & Nursery Association (MELNA). If you recently attended the Maine Flower Show then you got to experience the essence of this organization. But if you’d like to learn more, then connect with them on facebook, visit their website, or subscribe to their newsletter.
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