fall planting pres
TRANSCRIPT
Master Gardener PresentationU Of A Extension HeadquartersWednesday, August 31st 2016
Presented By: Josh HardinHardin Family Farm/ Laughing Stock Farm
Fall & Winter Gardening In Arkansas
Beat The Heat And Eat All Winter
Introduction
Preparing Soil
What to plant?
When to plant?
Organic disease &
pest control
Wrap-up & Questions
What do we do at Laughing Stock Farm?
2-3 Acre Certified Organic Fruit and Vegetable farm
Farmer’s Market Sales(Dogtown, Hillcrest, River Market, littlerock.locallygrown.net, Conway.locallygrown.net, Restaurants, Wholesale (River Valley, Whole Foods, Edwards Food Giant)
New South Grower’s Cooperative Multiple layer insect disease prevention and
management approach called IPM (Integrated Pest Management)
• Cover crops do a lot of the work if planned and timed
• Summer options include Sorghum Sudan, buckwheat
• Clovers, legumes, grasses for Fall cover
• Need to chop well and incorporate 2-3 weeks before planting
Soil Preparation
Drip Irrigation, Landscape Fabric, Drainage
Moisture Management is critical for plant health
Drip is the most economic way to water
Water the crops and not the weeds
Reusable if collected timely and stored properly
pH is Critical in Nutrient Availability
What To Grow?
Growing Sweet Potatoes
• Choosing slips or growing your own is an important decision
• Plant in late May-Early June
• Mulch to keep weeds out• Sweet potatoes do not like
compacted soil
Sweet Potatoes
Winter Squash/Pumpkins
Growing Winter Squash/Pumpkins
In small gardens you must choose summer squash or winter squash
Need large blocks between and good rotation
Use insect row covers until bloom
Using Powdered Kaolin Clay (Surround)
Clay creates a physical barrier.
Protects against Squash Bugs, Stink Bugs, Cucumber Beetles, Aphids, Whiteflies
Cools the plant during excess heat
Mix fertilizers, insecticides, and surfactants with Surround for long lasting protection
Beets are Back!
Seed through September
Thin to 6” apart
Use insect row cover
Keep watered
regularly
Carrots
Plant Aug-Sep
Keep moisture with poly fabric and sprinklers
Thin plants to 4-6”
Insect row fabric can cool and prevent bug damage
Leafy Greens (Salad Mix, Spinach)
Choose heat tolerant varieties for early fall planting
Spacing depends on head lettuce vs. spring mix
Every green can be spaced closer and picked young from chard and collards to kale and broccoli
What is IPM?
Every slice of the pie counts
Extension provides free soil samples
Can also test for many specific nutrient disorders and insects
Using Sticky Traps to Monitor
1 trap per 5 plants
Place some near corners and edges of garden to detect movement into garden
When juveniles become present in 30% of traps begin spray program
Using Cover Crops to Attract Good Insects
Buckwheat works great and produces quick blooms in spring, summer, and fall
Winter Mixes help keep beneficials in the off-season
Keep flowering natives for all seasons to maintain populations
Using Beneficial Insects
Ladybugs and Lacewings love Aphids
Assassin bugs eat many destructive pests
Minute Pirate Bug- Attacks juveniles of many pests
Beneficial Nematodes-Attack pests in the soil (Arbicoorganics.com)
What Organic Insecticides Work?
Concentrated pyrethrin 5-6% is effective but not by itself
Must be mixed with surfactant and pH balanced to work well
Can use sulfur (or Lime), along with Yucca extract as a surfactant (ThermX)
Essentria G- Granulated to help with emerging insects
Diatomaceous Earth-Cheapest but only works for soft bodied insects
Biological Controls Mycotrol- Myco(fungus)
based pest control and prevention (broad spectrum)
Entrust- Spinosad (also in Monterey Garden Spray)
(Flea Beetles, Fire Ants, Colorado Potato Beetle, Fleas)
Actinovate- Natural bacteria that feed on common disease organisms
Wrap-Up
Successful production of every vegetable depends on the health of the whole system
Use journals or electronic devices to record what works and doesn’t on individual pests & diseases
Also record basic environmental info during outbreaks
