CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 10/11/01

In Your Garden, Is Best Yet to Come?

A garden should be where the best is yet to come.

In the fall, many gardeners are enthusiastic about their success over the past growing season. Others aren't so successful but are just as enthusiastic about next year.

As every true gardener knows, next year is always going to be the year. New plants will be available. Soil fertility will be much better. Water will be plentiful. The weather will cooperate with a long, cool spring and a mild, Georgia summer. And insects, weeds and diseases will be nonexistent.

In gardeners' minds this is all true. I think all of us are eternal optimists.

How to Achieve It

How do you actually achieve that? Look at what you did this year in the garden. It makes no difference whether you grow perennials, vegetables, bulbs or whatever.

Soil is the key ingredient. Was the soil growing condition a problem? You have from now to next season to work on digging, amending and generally improving it for next year. For soil improvement, think:

  • Compost for organic matter.
  • Manure for fertility and tilth.
  • Raised beds with customized soil for problem areas or special plants.
Water, Pests

Water is the No. 1 limiting factor in growth. Without it, nothing happens in the plant. Nutrients aren't taken up or moved within the plant. For better water use, think:

  • Drip irrigation.
  • Xeriscaping.
Another important area to assess is the pest management strategy you used this past season. I hope you identified the problems and managed them in a most efficient way. For better pest management, think:

  • Plant selection for pest resistance.
  • Frequent checking and early control.
  • Weed control to reduce pest hiding places.
Thinking Cap

As Miss Thompson, my third-grade teacher, often said, "Put on your thinking cap, and it will come to you." How right she was.

Get a cup of coffee or glass of iced tea and sit down, put on that thinking cap and analyze the situation. Then take the action needed to be the best gardener possible.

Wayne McLaurin is a professor emeritus of horticulture with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:
Wayne J. McLaurin
A new UGA study found that children improved their diet quality when they ate school-prepared lunches. CAES News
UGA study shows all students benefit from healthy school lunches 04/24/24 Erica P. Techo
School lunches have come a long way from square pizza and fish sticks, and students across the board are benefiting from improved nutritional standards in the cafeteria. A new study from the University of Georgia found that children from all walks of life improved their diet quality when they ate school-prepared lunches following the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act nutritional guidelines instead of home-prepared lunches.
Jeffrey Dean (center), assistant provost and campus director for UGA-Griffin, with 2024 Classified Employee Award recipients Daniel Nordstrom (left) and Kenny Corley. (Photos by Ashley Biles) CAES News
Corley, Nordstrom named UGA-Griffin 2024 Classified Employees of the Year 04/23/24 Ashley N Biles
The University of Georgia Griffin campus recently named Kenny Corley and Daniel Nordstrom the 2024 Classified Employees of the Year. The designation was made at the 35th annual Employee Recognition Ceremony held April 3. The Employee of the Year award is presented to classified personnel who have made a significant impact on programs at UGA-Griffin through superior job knowledge and performance, work attitude, initiative, dependability and time management.
A Master Gardener with UGA Extension teaches a class at the GROWL Fulton County Demonstration and Teaching Garden. (Submitted photo) CAES News
Volunteers uplift statewide UGA Extension outreach programs 04/22/24 Sheri Dorn, Keri Gandy Hobbs
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension depends on thousands of volunteers who give generously to extend program impact and reach in support Extension missions. During Volunteer Appreciation Week April 21-28, UGA Extension celebrates the many volunteers who donate their time to facilitate 4-H, Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences programming. Volunteers across Extension contributed over 324,200 hours in 2023, the equivalent of more than 155 full-time employees.
uga commencement CAES News
CAES to celebrate new graduates during May 9 convocation 04/18/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
As another academic year draws to a close, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is gearing up for its Athens campus convocation ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at The Classic Center in Athens. “Each year, it’s an honor to celebrate the success of our CAES graduates,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s amazing what these students accomplish during their time with us, and I’m always excited to commemorate this next step in their lives as they continue on to either further studies or the start of their careers.”
A student harvests red clover at UGArden. CAES News
UGA horticulture class shows students the science behind herbal remedies 04/16/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
The field of medicine is ever-changing, and the use of herbal medicines may play a bigger role in health care as the value of natural remedies gain recognition in the Western world. Students at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are delving into the field of medicinal remedies through the class “Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants.” Offered to undergraduate students through the Department of Horticulture, the class helps students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between nature and health.
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms CAES News
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms 04/15/24 David Mitchell
During the pandemic, labor problems became acute on many farms in Georgia and across the country. Farms once staffed by humans to bring produce from the field to stores for purchase were suddenly short-staffed, and the global supply chain was severely impacted. Working with UGA’s Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and A&M Farms in Lyons, Georgia, a team of researchers led by School of Computing Professor Prashant Doshi is designing collaborative robots to mitigate some of these potential challenges.