Presentation for the first master gardener class of 2019

1. Welcome to Master Gardeners!
Bart Renner
February 5th, 2019

2. Empowering People and Providing
Solutions

3. EFNEP and Ag
Program Assistant
4-H
Family Consumer
Sciences
Admin/ local foods
Natural Resources Livestock and row
crops
Horticulture
Admin Assistant/
Everything…
Absolutely everything
Who are we?

4. Putting research based evidence
to work…
• Are GMO’s safe?
• Are pesticides dangerous?
• Is Organic farming better than conventional?
• Can timber be harvested sustainably?
• Is Lowes killing all the bees?
BMP’s!!!

5. Interacting with your Clients:
GOALS and
Issues
Tools and
solutions

6. What does your client’s Toolbox look
like?

7. Transylvania County

11. Important resources
• Soil testing website
• Plant disease and insect clinic
• NCSU plants website
• Transylvania County Website
• Facebook pages:
– https://www.facebook.com/ncces.transylvania/
– https://www.facebook.com/TransylvaniaCountyMaster
Gardeners/
• Master Gardener website
• Master Gardener online textbook

12. Always start with good form!

13. • Plan For Health! DON’T HURT YOURSELF!!!!
• Make a map and consider the following:
• How annoying is it going to be to garden here?
– Walking distance, water, dogs, neighbors
• How much sunlight will it get (remember, Full sun
means at least 6 hours of sun a day.)
• Slope? Soil type? Can you dig there???
Planning your garden

14. Bart’s Sunlight
Map

15. Bart’s garden

16. Start with a soil test!
• Need to know what you’re working with.
• Make sure to test soil and/or compost you’re
bringing into your garden.

17. Raised beds

18. Raised beds
Advantages:
• Deep soil/ usually more fertile or easier to control.
• Less weeds
• Drains better
• Warms up faster in the spring- (and can use as a cold frame).
• Less compaction
• Less erosion
Disadvantages
• Large upfront costs
• Soil tends to dry out faster

19. Raised bed with high tunnel protection

20. Planning your raised bed
Make it easy on yourself!!!
– No more than 4’ wide
– Consider walking traffic
– Consider constructing with a material that give you
a place to sit.
– Irrigation systems= expensive but awesome
– Will you want to put a cold frame on top?

21. Raised beds
http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/2606/build-your-own-raised-beds/page/all

22. Gardening on a slope
• Very important to plant on flat land!!!

23. • A lot of potential in
Transylvania County with
woodland/ shade grown
crops.

24. Gardening on terraces

25. Creating flat land on the hill can be done!
• Use an “A-frame” to find slopes

26. Container gardening
Best for folks in the city.
Need good recommendations for container
requirements.

27. Container gardening

28. Container gardening

29. Straw bale gardens
http://www.strawbalegardens.com/

30. Straw bale gardening
Advantages
• Usually weed and disease “free” medium
• Biodegradable
• Good for folks who don’t want to get their hands as dirty
gardening
• Somewhat portable
• Don’t have to bend over as far to get to veggies
Disadvantages
• Need to fertilize heavily
• Bales can fall apart
• Need to water frequently
http://www.growandmake.com/straw_bale_garden

31. “Organic” gardening
• NOT the same as “natural”
• Many people using this word, may not
understand what it means.
• organic farming responds to site-specific farming
and crop conditions by integrating cultural,
biological, and mechanical practices that foster
cycling of resources, promote ecological
balance, and conserve biodiversity.

32. What tools does the Organic gardener
use?
Fertilizer?
Weed control?
Bugs?
Pathogens?
Manures, cover crops.
Hand pulling! Mulch. Cover crops.
Tillage. Flame weeding
Row covers. Intercropping.
Biological controls. OMRI certified
chemicals.
Clean seed. Healthy plants. OMRI
certified chemicals. Biodiversity.

33. “Biointensive” Gardening
• Maximize production
with double digging,
compost incorporation
and using close
planting to shade out
weeds and conserve
water.
http://www.ifood.tv/blog/how-
biointensive-agriculture-can-save-the-
planet

34. “Biodynamic” Gardening

35. Biodynamic gardening
http://outfromundermyhat.blogspot.com/2010/11/visit-to-bio-
dynamic-farm-in-north.html

36. Permaculture
• Permaculture is a philosophy of ecological design which
attempts to develop sustainable human settlements
and agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems

37. Permaculture designs

38. Permaculture designs

39. The end

40. Questions???