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Installation & Planting

Gardening Video: Gardening with EarthBoxes®

March 17, 2021

Saturday Seminar presents:
Gardening with EarthBoxes®

Check out the latest gardening video on the Buncombe County Master Gardener website. Learn how EarthBoxes® can help solve problems of limited space and poor growing conditions for your homegrown veggies, herbs, and flowers. To access this video, click on the link below:

Gardening with EarthBoxes®

Or go to www.buncombemastergardener.org, click on the ‘Gardening Videos’ tab at the top of the page, and select the video from the list provided.

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Categories Gardening Videos, Installation & Planting Tags vegetable gardens

Gardening Video: Straw Bale Gardening—An Alternative to Raised Beds

May 11, 2020

Gardening in the Mountains presents:
Straw Bale Gardening—An Alternative to Raised Beds

Presenter:  Phil Roudebush, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

Gardening with straw bales offers the advantage of creating inexpensive raised beds, which can be placed in a variety of locations for growing vegetables, herbs, or flowers. The presentation covers how to select the straw bales, their placement at home, how to condition straw bales before planting, various types of planting techniques, and how to maintain a straw bale garden throughout the growing season.

To access this video on the Buncombe County Master Gardener website, click on the link:  Straw Bale Gardening.

Or go to www.buncombemastergardener.org, Click on the ‘Resources’ tab at the top of the page and select ‘Gardening Videos’ from the drop down menu.

Learn more:
Straw Bale Gardening
by Layla Burgess, HGIC Horticulture Extension Agent, Clemson University
Clemson Cooperative Extension Factsheet HGIC 1264  

Straw Bale Bed: A Way to Garden While Building Soil
by Kefyalew Desta, Assistant Professor, and Janelle Malone, Extension Assistant
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service PSS-2264 

Straw Bale Gardening
Washington State University Extension Fact Sheet FS109E 

Straw Bale Gardens Complete by Joel Karsten

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Categories Gardening Videos, Installation & Planting Tags straw bale gardening, vegetable gardens

Fall Arrived on September 21. Get Ready to Plant!

September 22, 2016

Regardless of the thermometer reading, fall is in our future! With fall comes the best time for planting many woody—as well as herbaceous—perennial plants. Plus, nurseries often have fall sales to move their existing stock.

Keys to successful fall planting
If you find plants you like, you might think: “Where can I put this particular plant?” A better question is: “What plant best fits my landscape scheme for this spot?”

  • Before you buy have a site in mind.
  • Be sure that spot meets the desired plant’s requirements for sun, moisture, and nutrients.
  • Know how much space the plant needs and how quickly that plant will spread. Don’t bring home an invasive “Backyard Bully”!
  • How about the soil pH? A soil test will tell you if you need to lime or add any nutrients.

The results of a soil test may change your mind. Consider choosing plants that will match the site characteristics. 

Woody plants have additional needs
Trees—and even large shrubs—need special attention to their future size. Pruning may not be a viable answer to a tree that is shading too much of your homestead or threatening a power line, or a shrub that’s blocking a view. Consider how the planting will work in all four seasons. And think about how your placement will affect your neighbors, too. You can’t call in a moving company to cure a poor decision if your planting outgrows its space.

Are you prepared to do your own planting?
When looking at a woody plant you intend to plant yourself, consider the size, shape, and weight of the root ball. How is the root ball contained or restrained? You’ll need to remove that container or restrainer during the planting process, so be sure you have the appropriate tools. It is best to discard burlap or wire that may restrict future growth. 

Roots
Before you plant, examine the root ball. Are there broken or circling roots? Many horticulturalists recommend carefully washing off the planting medium to correct any root problems before planting. At a minimum, remove circling or broken roots and then score or cut through the root ball to encourage root growth. For more information about root systems of woody plants see: http://gardenprofessors.com/little-ball-of-horrors/  

Planting and irrigating
Backfill with the soil you removed when you dug the planting hole, and water as you fill. Tamp the soil gently; you don’t want to compact the soil, just put it in contact with the roots. Roots will continue to grow all fall and winter as long as the soil is not frozen at their level, so keep the root ball moist.

Mulching
Finish by spreading mulch over the root ball. Not only will mulch retain moisture, but the mulch “blanket” helps maintain a stable temperature, so that a surge during a warm spell won’t cause the plant to prematurely break dormancy. But don’t mound mulch around tree trunks or shrub stems.

Pick a cool day and enjoy the exercise.

Article written Glenn Palmer, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.

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Categories Installation & Planting Tags fall planting, mulch, roots, shrubs, woody plants

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