the BEACON Newspaper, Indiana beacon1-19 | Page 23

January 2019 THE BEACON By John Hawley Purdue Extension Educator [email protected] Tips for Work in the Winter Landscape In the heart of winter, one may think there is little to do in the landscape. That asser- tion is quite inaccurate. While it is true that typical warm- season activities have either slowed down or come to a complete stop, this doesn’t mean there isn’t work to be done. In this month’s article, I’ll provide a few tips for completing winter garden and landscape work that will un- doubtedly better prepare you for the 2019 growing season. My first piece of advice for winter gardening is to take an inventory of your supplies and tools. Yes, I know this sounds about as fun as watching paint dry, but it is absolutely neces- sary. How many times did you make a last minute run to the hardware store or garden center last season? If you take proper inventory of what you need now, you’ll waste less time and money throughout the year! Seed, soil, fencing, mulch, hand tools, and plant containers are just a few of the items to consider counting in your inventory. Another useful tip is to keep a close eye on indoor plants. These winter months tend to be overcast and dry, and if plants in need of sun aren’t kept close enough to windows, they may suffer. Be sure to keep soil evenly moist as the dry weather that likes to crack and split our knuckles will do the same to your soil. Con- sider repotting those indoor plants as well if they have overgrown their containers. Lastly, consider creating a plan for your garden this year. There is no right or wrong way to do it, but by simply taking the time to understand your goals for the year, you’ll be more prepared along the way. Decide what you want to grow, how much you want to harvest at the end of the year, and what worked well for you in previous seasons. This includes determining your crop rotation. For example, if you’ve grown tomatoes in the same section of your garden the last three or four years, it is probably time to consider rotating a new crop in. Garden plans could be as simple as a bullet point list or as complex as a finely-mapped out land- scape design. Many winter time chores need to be completed, so please consider going beyond what is highlighted in this article. Other tasks such as sharpening tools, controlling wildlife, and fixing fence are just a few of the additional tasks to consider. In the end, how prepared you are for the gardening season is totally de- pendent on you and the goals set for this year! I advise gardeners and landscapers to download one of the offerings from the Purdue Plant Doctor App for mobile phones and tablets. These apps are great tools for learning how to handle many different plant problems from pest control to winter damage on trees. To download content from the Purdue Plant Doctor App, search your service provider’s App store or visit: https://pur- dueplantdoctor.com/ To learn more about the topics discussed in this article, visit: https://www.purdue.edu/ hla/sites/yardandgarden/ext- pub/winter-garden-calendar/ For additional information about other agriculture and natural resources topics, feel free to email me at hawley4@ purdue.edu. You can also reach my office at 812-926- 1189. We are located at 229 Main Street in Aurora. Look for my next article in the February issue of The Beacon! Greendale Community Garden Receives Grant The Greendale Community Garden is located on Ludlow Street on the old Greendale Middle School site. The City of Greendale is providing the location for the volunteer- driven community garden. The community garden proj- SD FCCLA Learns Meaning of Giving Members of South Dearborn High School FCCLA conducted a Food Pantry Drive for the school’s food pantry to give back to students when they need it the most. FCCLA members received donations from the student body who came out in fine fashion to help their own. When the collection was complete, FCCLA members had collected one cart full of canned goods and cash donations of $70. FCCLA members also traveled to an area nursing home and spent some time with the residents. Students donated fleece blankets that they had made as a part of a community service project. The students are planning other community service projects that will take place during the Winter/Spring semester. BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY C American Legion Post 452 New Alsace DCF board member Tim Russell, right, delivers a grant check to Greendale Mayor Alan Weiss, left, and Clerk-Treasurer Mary Jo “Joey” Lynch. The Dearborn Community Foundation (DCF), Inc. re- cently awarded a $1,000 Lau- ren Hill Make A Difference Grant to the City of Greendale to help with its community garden project. The award was recommended by DCF Board member Tim Russell. “The people involved with the community garden are so excited to reach out into the community to help others,” said Mr. Russell, who is the minister at Greendale First Church of Christ. “That really meant something to me, so it was an easy grant to recom- mend. It also can provide an opportunity to garden for those who don’t have a place to do so.” ect is aimed at providing an inclusive environment for all members of the community to work together toward improv- ing food and social insecuri- ties, physical and emotional wellness, and nutritional and ecological awareness. 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