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Jordan Powers: 0:00

Welcome to Cultivating Curiosity where we get down and dirty with the experts on all the ways science and agriculture touch our lives, from what we eat to how we live. I'm Jordan Powers.

Emily Cabrera: 0:12

And I'm Emily Cabrera. We're from the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

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Emily Cabrera: 0:19

Spring has a way of sneaking up on us. Instead of overthinking where to start, we're doing something a little different today. We've invited Heather Kirk-Ballard, an assistant professor in the Department of Horticulture and an Extension specialist in sustainable urban landscapes, for a lightning round of practical and actionable tips to get your garden ready. Heather, thanks for joining us today.

Heather Kirk-Ballard: 0:41

Oh, it's a pleasure to be here.

Jordan Powers: 0:42

So Heather, what is the first thing people should do when they step outside to get their garden ready this season?

Heather Kirk-Ballard: 0:46

Well, that's a good question. There's lots of things that we need to look into, but getting out there, I'd just get a survey of the land, right? Seeing what's going on, what type of, maybe annual winter weeds that are popped up that you need to handle in the lawn, if you need any help identifying what those weeds are and the best way to treat them, you can contact your local county agent. Checking irrigation. A lot of folks turn off their irrigation during the winter, and that's very smart, because most of our plants are dormant. So you might want to test your irrigation and make sure you don't have any leaks. But, also getting an idea of what your trees look like, maybe broken limbs and things like that. We start hurricane season in June, and it goes into November, so taking care of those limbs and things like that this time of year is a really great idea. So it's kind of an overall get out there and look.

Emily Cabrera: 1:33

Everyone's eager to get plants in the ground this time of year, but what should we do before we plant?

Heather Kirk-Ballard: 1:39

Before planting, it's essential to build healthy soil. So that starts often with a soil test through your local UGA Extension office, which tells you exactly what nutrients and how much you need to add. And we don't want to add excess. One of the main contributors to water pollution are homeowners who apply too much fertilizers. And then it's always, always, always a great idea to add organic matter. We can't go wrong there by composting. It'll improve the soil structure. It'll improve the drainage of your soil, and it'll improve microbial activities. So those beneficial bacteria that live in the soil they're kind of our communicators, also mycorrhizae from the fungi they communicate with plants, and so they contribute to that ecosystem in the soil. It's a good idea to know what you're starting with for sure.

Jordan Powers: 2:26

Absolutely. And we will link in the show notes, if you don't know where your local Extension office is or who your Extension agent is, we will link that in the show notes. And we will also link a wonderful story that Emily put together last year on that foundation of your garden in the soil health. So we will put all of that in the show notes for some additional resources for our listeners. Is there a good gardening rule of thumb for knowing when and how to fertilize our plants?

Heather Kirk-Ballard: 2:47

That simple rule is test don't guess. So use your soil test results to guide fertilizer applications so you're giving plants what they need without overdoing it. Overfertilizing can actually reduce flowering and fruiting and contribute to nutrient runoff. So during the growing season, lighter, more frequent applications are good, especially for vegetables and container plants, are typically more effective than one heavy dose.

Emily Cabrera: 3:15

So for planting vegetables and flowering annuals, we know that planning is key, as you said, knowing the lay of the land and where you want to go this season. So for veggies, what do we need to think about?

Heather Kirk-Ballard: 3:26

We want to focus on three key factors. Sunlight, the amount of sunlight that you're getting, the spacing and the purpose of those vegetables, right? Are we just incorporating them for their beauty? Because they can be actually incorporated into the landscape for their esthetic reasons, but most people actually grow them to eat them, right? Most vegetables need at least six to eight hours of full sun each day. They're producers, they make their photosynthates from the energy of the sun, right, and then thereby producing energy for us in the form of food. So they need that sunlight. Six to eight hours is extremely important. And then that proper spacing improves air flow, which helps reduce disease pressure, especially in humid Southeast climate. And we always want to make sure that we have proper spacing, whether you're putting in seeds or you're transplanting that proper spacing, especially when we're talking about summer squash, things that actually spread out, or are watermelons, right? And we're going to plant pumpkins in the summertime, in July, to be ready for the fall, and making sure that we're planting the right warm season vegetables.

Emily Cabrera: 4:29

I do love the idea of right plant, right place. And so thinking about it as its full grown mature status, how big is that plant going to be? And so I'm also wondering, do any of the recommendations that you just mentioned change if we're planting flowers?

Heather Kirk-Ballard: 4:44

So with flowers, you're thinking more about design and season long interest. So when we're talking about pollinators, flowers, we know can bloom at different times, especially when we're talking about perennials. Now annuals, they're there to give us a big impact and provide lots of flowers and they're very showy. Perennials give us that long term in the landscape. So a mixture of both, diversity is key, it's very important when we're talking about bringing in pollinators and providing nectar sources for those different pollinators and having different seasonal flowering. Some flower right out the gate. Some take their time and wait till mid summer. So thinking about that.

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Emily Cabrera: 5:23

You may hear the terms annual, biennial and perennial. These refer to plant life cycles. How long a plant lives and what it does during that time.

Jordan Powers: 5:32

Annuals complete their whole life in one growing season. They sprout, bloom, produce seeds, and then die, all in a matter of months. That's why they're great for quick, vibrant color in containers or garden beds, but you'll need to replant them each year.

Emily Cabrera: 5:44

Biennials stretch that process over two years. The first year they focus on growing leaves and roots and storing energy. In the second year, they flower, set seed and then die.

Jordan Powers: 5:55

Perennials stick around for the long term. They live for three or more years, typically dying back in winter and regrowing from the same roots each spring, they form the foundation of many gardens, because once established, they require less upkeep.

Emily Cabrera: 6:07

Most gardens use a mix of annuals for immediate color, perennials for long term structure, and the occasional biennial for something a little different.

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Jordan Powers: 6:17

So I want to pivot to our folks who might need to be thinking about growing in containers or living in smaller spaces. For listeners who might not have the space for an in ground garden, what are a couple of great plant options for container gardening?

Heather Kirk-Ballard: 6:31

Any of the vegetables, annuals or perennials. As urban areas continue to grow, suburban areas continue to grow, we're getting smaller and smaller spaces. So container growing has grown exponentially, right? People are making more use of vertical space, so growing on trellises and things like that, you can also think about that when you're thinking about your vegetables and your flowering plants. And so many above ground gardens are so much more accessible for people who may not be able to bend down or get on their knees, so it is a wonderful way for people to grow. The green industry is really addressing these smaller spaces.

Jordan Powers: 7:08

That kind of leads me to kind of a sub question here is, are there any special considerations that differ from gardening in the ground or in a more traditional, bigger raised bed?

Heather Kirk-Ballard: 7:17

Definitely. The three things that you really need to concern yourself when it comes to containers, is drainage. All right, we want to make sure that there are drainage holes. Because plants breathe through their roots. They take up oxygen in that soil. So if it's waterlogged and has lot of water, the movement of oxygen and other gasses isn't happening. So we need to make sure that it has proper drainage. Now, with proper drainage, we leach out more nutrients. So with containers, we're going to water more often. So when you go out of town, you need to make sure somebody's checking on your plants for Fourth of July, if you're at the beach for a week. And luckily, there are so many systems now that you can set up drip irrigation from your home and actually have drip emitters in each container. That is so easy, the nutrients and water are so important because that soil, it's a limited capacity, that it can hold only so much water and so much nutrients, that it's going to require more watering and oftentimes more fertilizer, because you leach out nutrients when it drains. A nice liquid fertilizer is very useful in those types of containers, or you can also use a slow release fertilizer that may last in there for three to six months, and then you don't have to worry about it at all.

Emily Cabrera: 8:28

That's a perfect lead in to this next question, because I feel like water often seems like the easiest part of gardening, but it often proves to be one of the trickiest factors in getting it just right. So what advice do you have for eager gardeners in terms of hitting that sweet spot of watering?

Heather Kirk-Ballard: 8:45

So watering is all about consistency and being aware of how much your plants are taking up. In the wintertime, most plants are dormant or slowly growing. So we're going to water a whole lot less in the wintertime, but then as we crank up into the spring and everything's sprouting out, we're going to need to water more consistently. And unfortunately, we oftentimes have droughts in the summertime as the temperatures kick up, when those plants are transpiring, that's how they cool themselves down. They're losing more water. We want to be sure that we're consistent, and it's about the timing. So when we're watering plants, if we're specifically talking about irrigation in the landscape, we want to water very early in the morning, when we're in the heat of the summer, because that water will evaporate a whole lot more quickly in the summertime. So hitting them at the right time, at the soil line and not watering overhead, because one of the main pathogens for plants are fungi. And what do fungi love? Warm and wet. So watering at the proper time, making sure that you're watering early in the morning. I'm serious, like between the hours of 3am and 6am if you have irrigation, do it if you don't, that's okay. If you water everything by hand. Try to do it early in the morning or late in the evening before you go to bed. And then with those containers, staying on top of it, just being consistent, being aware of when the hottest times are, and then don't forget about your container plants.

Jordan Powers: 10:08

So this last topic, I added a little bit selfishly, admittedly, because it's been my biggest challenge in gardening in the state of Georgia. Insects, weeds and disease. We live here in the southeast, so we know it's inevitable that at some point during the season, or the entire season, we will be battling against weeds, insects and plant diseases. We've talked a little bit about watering at that soil line and a couple other tips and tricks, but what are a few practical ways we can stay ahead of that curve?

Heather Kirk-Ballard: 10:35

Well, just like we started off the conversation, what's the first thing you should do when you get out in your garden? It's really to get out there and survey. There's a term that we use for the best practices that we used in the garden, and it's called Integrated Pest Management. So we're talking about disease, weeds and insects. Staying in front of it and on top of it is the best way to do it. And the best gardens are those that are visited very often, right? That we're going out looking at things, because oftentimes when things get out of control, it's a little bit too far ahead of us. So we may notice there's sooty mold, or your plant has all of a sudden turned black, and you're like, what's going on? Well, we know that sooty mold, it's fungus actually growing on the excrement from a pest that's in there. Maybe it's aphids or white flies or what have you. And then at that point it might be too far. So, getting out there and just making some observations when you're watering is probably a good idea. You know, just checking out your plants when you're out there, watering your containers, but making note. And there are many pests and weeds that have a cycle that come out. Same thing with pathogens such as fungus in the landscape, you'll oftentimes see them at certain times of the year. So just being aware of it, being aware that we had a lot of rain, we didn't get a lot of drainage. Knowing what's going on in the landscape, and being out there and scouting, that's what we call it, just checking things out and seeing what's going on. And use mulch. That's one of those things that we can do to suppress weeds and also retain moisture in the landscape. And I like to encourage folks to use their leaves. Don't get rid of them. That is a gardener's gold. If you have pine trees or you have deciduous trees, utilize those leaves. They're excellent mulch. They break down, they provide organic matter that's going back into the soil. It's going to improve soil structure. It's going to help with water retention. I mean, just keeping what you have already there is the best way to go when we're talking about these things. I want to say that the most important thing is correctly identifying what you have going on. So if you see disease, a pathogen, an insect or a weed, in order to treat it properly, positive identification is the number one thing. So if you have any trouble, I mean, there are so many great apps out there now, y'all, look, I'm a horticulturist, there are over 500,000 different types of plants. There's no way I could know every single one of them. So I use apps too. It's so convenient. You can do this same thing with insects, for identifying weeds, for identifying plants, positive ID and working with your Extension office to figure out the best way to deal with them.

Jordan Powers: 13:01

Well, and just that constant scouting, I think, is so important. And you know, it's something I know we factored in. We have a raised bed at home, and it was a thing we factored in, in addition to the sunlight of making sure it was close enough to the house that I'm checking it all the time. It's like right by our garbage cans right outside our back door. So I'm always out there, back and forth, looking at it and able to scout a little bit more, and always remembering to scout underneath those leaves. That was my downfall my first season here that I'm like, everything looks pretty good, and then I flipped.

Heather Kirk-Ballard: 13:27

They love to hide under there.

Jordan Powers: 13:29

Worms everywhere.

Heather Kirk-Ballard: 13:30

Yeah, that's their natural defense. And don't forget that plants are chemical warriors. That's how they defend themselves, is through chemistry. So they will produce chemicals in order to ward off those insects and pathogens. So keeping your plants healthy, making sure that they don't dry out, making sure that they don't get over watered, making sure that there isn't competition. By keeping them strong and vigorous, they do a darn good job of protecting themselves.

Emily Cabrera: 13:54

I love everything about this. This episode was curated. I feel like for myself.

Jordan Powers: 13:59

Truly, truly, well, we're really hopeful that this episode gives listeners whether they've been gardening for years, whether this is their first attempt, some practical tools and tips to get started or continue their gardening journey. Heather, thank you so much. I know it's the start of a very busy gardening season for you, but thank you for taking the time to come in and talk to us today.

Heather Kirk-Ballard: 14:11

Yeah, I appreciate it. It was fun.

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Jordan Powers: 14:14

Thanks for listening to Cultivating Curiosity, a podcast produced by the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, a special thanks to Mason McClintock for our music and sound effects. Find more episodes wherever you get your podcasts.