SACANDAGA GARDEN CLUB - By Barbara Henry

We had a really interesting meeting in March thanks to Jim Hoffman of Sand Flats Orchard. He talked about how to prevent many of the diseases we have in our gardens right from the start. Choosing the seed is important because many companies are providing seeds that have built in seed resistance. He discussed many aspects of vegetable growing and of course, since Sand Flats is a big orchard, he was able to help us with many questions about fruit trees. We were delighted to have him visit and share his expertise. We are also looking forward to visiting his operation both in spring when the greenhouses open in late April and again in the Fall during apple and pumpkin season. Do check out his website at http://www.sandflatsorchard.com for all their offerings.

We still need patience in the garden at this time of year, most of our area has had at least four feet of snow over our gardens and the soil will take time to warm up. Still you can take advantage of the cool weather to finish up any tree pruning that needs to be done and for using a dormant oil spray on your fruit trees to control insect infestation if you need to. Try to wait for a day above 40 degrees F and spray on a day without wind. Both these chores should be done before the buds start to swell. When the snow has gone – it will won’t it? move the winter mulch back from the crown of the plants and you can also fluff up the mulch which makes it look better and may mean you won’t have to spend money to lay down more mulch this season. As the buds begin to swell on your roses get out your clippers and prune the hybrid teas. Cut just above an outward facing bud so that new canes grow out from the center of the plant. Cut off any dead tissue, any stems less than a pencil width and any branches that cross each other.

Feed your roses with a shovel full of compost or if you prefer a granular feeding of a balanced fertilizer such as a 10-10-10. Check for any perennials that have heaved out over winter and gently push them back into the soil. Start your spring clean up and when you are cutting back your perennials take the material to your compost pile to make black gold for next year. I do compost over winter and I have a bucket that I keep outside my back door.

Unfortunately my neighbor, Chloe, a gorgeous short haired pointer also loves my compost bin and she has a fantastic sense of smell. She and I have words about whose compost it is and why she should not toss it all out of the bucket and she listens to me with her tail wagging a mile a minute and next day comes back and does it all again! So far, she is winning but then again maybe I shouldn’t encourage her with dog biscuits!

If you didn’t add any organic matter to your veggie garden in the Fall then by all means do it now. Depending on the weather and soil temperature you should be able to plant peas from seed around mid month and maybe you will be able to put in some of your cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli seedlings late in the month. Even if you buy your transplants do take the time to make sure they are hardened off before setting them in your garden. Many of the transplants are grown in greenhouses and may not be ready for our harsh climate without being introduced to the cool air a little bit at a time. Take them outside during the day and set them in a sheltered spot for about three hours. Do this for three days and then increase the time they spend outside by a couple of hours a day. Gradually move them into brighter sun until after about 10 days they can spend the whole day outside.

I’ve been hearing more birdsong in the last few weeks; I think some of the birds have started to migrate back to us. Food will be slim for them with all the snow around so keep your feeders filled. They will have nesting in mind so clean out your bird boxes; most birds prefer an empty bird box rather than using some other bird’s nest. Also take your suet feeder, clean it up and fill it full of dryer lint, pet hair, scraps of cloth and any other nest building material you can think of.



As you know Cornell Cooperative Extension moved recently and their new address is 50 East Main Street, Canajoharie, NY 13317. The phone number is 518-673-5525 and the Master Gardeners can be reached at that number.



Our next meeting is on April 7 when we are having a teaching session on flower arranging.



As always if you have questions drop us a line at POBox 675, Northville, NY 12134.

NORTHVILLE GIRL SCOUTS COMMUNITY GARDEN

As you may know a couple of years ago the Girls Scouts started a community garden behind the Bradt Building in Northville. This project came about because the Girl Scouts discovered that the local food pantries were experiencing a significant increase in families needing assistance due to the overall poor economic conditions. After talking with various local groups the girls also discovered that there was a lack of fresh vegetables available and thus the idea of a community garden was born.



The goal is to provide the opportunity for many Girl Scouts and other members of our community, to learn the essential skills of growing food, to provide for people in need, to convert the garden into a ‘sustainable garden’ and to make our community as well as the world a better place.



There are 12 beds with at least two dozen varieties of vegetables which are harvested weekly and delivered to the food pantries. To help make the garden sustainable, the girls also sell the produce at the food markets in Northville.



This year the Girl Scouts are reaching out to the community as a whole and asking for our help. The need is great and during the summer months there is a lot of produce to care for, harvest, wash and deliver every week. If we can get many volunteers to give just two hours a month then our big garden becomes easily manageable. Please come to our open meeting on April 15 at the Methodist Church in Northville at 5:30 p.m. Meet some new friends and even if you don’t know a shoot from a root you will find there are plenty of ways you can help.