Tag: Durham NC gardening

Master Gardener Reflections: What Brings Joy in the Garden?

On By durhammastergardenersIn cover crops, gardening, Gardening information, Gardening Joy, gardening NC, native plants, regenerative agriculture, Uncategorized, wildflowers

By Martha Keehner Engelke North Carolina Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

As 2024 comes to an end, we celebrate the success of the Durham County Master Gardener SM Blog. There have been 68 posts this year. These posts have been viewed 131,381 times by 105,658 visitors. Most visitors live in the United States (114,033) but we have had a significant number from Canada (5,324) and the United Kingdom (3,177). Visitors from countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa have been the recipients of research-based information posted on our blog.

This is possible because of the contribution of the 16 authors who have written for the blog. They have generously shared their knowledge and insight over the past year. They are experienced gardeners with a wealth of information. To close out the year and offer the “gift” of their knowledge to our readers we asked them “What brings you joy in the garden?” Here are their thoughts:

Creating Happy Soil

I am trying a new to me technique for starting cover crops in my vegetable garden. These are eight raised beds which contained the remnants of my tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and zinnias.  I removed and composted the biomass, covered the area with a silage tarp for two weeks to slow down the weeds, spread an inch of compost, and raked in the cover crop seed. No tillage.  I watered daily for a week, and tada, I have cover crop coming up.  This will keep a living root in the soil all winter, and make the soil happy for spring planting.  The cover crop is the over wintering mix from Sow True Seed (5 lbs), containing cereal rye, crimson clover and hairy vetch.  These do not winter kill, and will require termination in the spring.  (Peter Gilmer)

‘Finessing’ the Details

Without a doubt, the most joy I derive from working in the garden is ‘finessing’ — taking something excellent and making it superb. Whether it’s pulling weeds with curved forceps out of a cactus container, raking patterns into a gravel pathway, deadheading spent flowers, or pruning small stems to keep the shape of a topiary, devoting the time, attention and effort to the smallest of details is like a meditation for me. It fills me with satisfaction, and I absolutely love it. (Deborah Pilkington)

A Subtle but Brilliant Native

I had many garden delights this year but my favorite was incorporating the native spotted bee balm (Mondarda punctata) into my perennial beds. I’ve only grown brilliantly-colored bee balm cultivars in the past. Spotted bee balm is less showy, but its subtilty is its beauty, with its soft greens and creams that mature into ballet pink bracts surrounding purple-spotted pubescent flowers. Plus, it’s got a fantastic, whimsical shape. Did I mention it is always buzzing with pollinators? This plant makes me smile. (Melinda Heigel)

Transition in the Landscape

What brought me the most joy this year was my ongoing development, planting, experimentation, and maintenance of my landscape sun and woodland gardens. The first and foremost objective of my efforts was continuing to transition the gardens to primarily native trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials. This season I reached a benchmark of 60% native with a target goal next season of 70%. Several years back I achieved certifications from the NWF certified Wildlife Habitat and the NCWF Butterfly Highway Programs. Participating in the Southeast Pollinator count and the Cornell Birdfeeder watch have been frosting on the cake this year. (Jeff Kanters)

Learning Resilience

The plant in my garden that has given me the most joy this year is Salvia microphylla. What’s not to love about a plant that goes by “Hot Lips”? She has bloomed from spring to fall despite the multiple major pruning sessions I have provided. Every time that I cut her back she rewards me with more red and white flowers-looking quite patriotic on the 4th of July and quite seasonal as Christmas approaches. The thing I value most about Hot Lips is her resilience–knock her down and she gets back up stronger and more beautiful! Deer, humans and disease are no match for her. This is a lesson I needed to hear this year and she was there for me! (Martha Engelke)

Bursts of Color

In the spring of 2020, I planted a dahlia (‘Otto’s Thrill’). Over the years, it produced about 4 big blossoms before it would be struck down with the first frost of the season. After 4 years of applying leaf mulch before every winter, it finally performed this year and I was delighted to see as many as 14 blossoms at once. I also planted three different classes of chrysanthemums (‘disbud’-type) that I got at the State Farmer’s Market after I was notified by Pana, Master Gardener Program Assistant, that these plants were available from the Central Carolina Chrysanthemum Society (CCCS). I followed the instructions carefully and slowly they appeared in late summer and grew into large buds (I snipped off the smaller buds). I attribute my success to weather that was timed just right for these late bloomers: an unusually high rainfall in September (over 13 inches) and a warm October and November. The worm castings I applied while they were growing helped too! Thank you Pana and the CCCS for bringing such pleasure and a smile to my face as I walked out my front door this fall. (Wendy Diaz)

Delighful ‘Eyesores’

Although I love to see the hummingbirds lapping up nectar from the columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) in the early spring, the bees and wasps flitting about mountain mint (Pycnanthemum species) in mid-summer, and the goldfinches eating seeds on the purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) in late August, the observation that brings me the greatest joy is what many may consider an eyesore—the dead trees on my property. While even I will admit that they don’t add the beauty that flowering plants do, when I see the lichens, fungi, and moss growing on the dead wood and contemplate the many ants, beetles, bumble bees and even butterflies that rely upon dead wood as their home for at least part of their lifetimes, I have a deep appreciation and yes, joy for the many ecological functions that my dead and dying trees provide. (Jeannie Arnts)

Building Community

Out of many beautiful moments spent gardening, what was especially fun was helping install the landscape at Durham’s Stanford L. Warren Library. The rudbeckia in this photo (taken at dusk in August) were cultivated from seed by Extension Durham Co. Master Gardener Volunteers. We nurtured, planted, and trained excited library staff to continue care. It’s rewarding to connect with the community while doing something I love. Stop by the library, borrow a book, and check out the garden! (Ariyah Chambers April)

Dancing Wildflowers

I am a new Master Gardener, from the class of 2023, and just beginning to learn about the incredible variety of plants out there. I have found a new favorite. It’s called gaura, (oenothera lindheimeri ), and it has a perfect common name, wandflower. Watching the flowers dance in the wind and the pollinators attracted to the delicate flowers brings me joy every time I see it in my garden! (Lisa Nadler)

(Image credit: cassi saar: cc by-NC-4.0)

An Existential Voyage

When gardening, joy is never far away if you look for it. 356 days a year, I can walk outside and see the fruits of my labor growing. For every ‘continuing challenge’ there are always both old reliables putting on a show and new surprises brightening the day. The joy continues when the cut flowers come inside and are put into the vase, the fruit sliced onto morning cereal, and the herbs and vegetables chopped up for dinner. The joy multiplies when I go to Briggs Avenue Community Garden every week and meet up with my fellow garden voyagers as we journey into new challenges, unexpected rewards, and lots of laughs. So looking forward to the joy continuing. (Eric Wiebe)

(Image credit: Allie Mullin)

Thank you to everyone that has contributed to the blog this year and especially to our agent Ashley Troth who has given us unwavering support! If you know people that would like to receive regular postings from the blog, they can sign up by entering their email and clicking on the FOLLOW link on the right side of this post.

Note

Unless otherwise noted, all pictures were taken by the authors of the quotes. Special thanks to Extension Master Gardener volunteer Allie Mullin, whose photographs have been a treasure to the blog editors throughout the year.

Resources and Additional Information

Whatever Brings you Joy! Stay tuned for next year. Our authors are already planning posts on garden innovations, upcoming events, and plant spotlights! See you in 2025.

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A Better Way to Think About Soil

On By durhammastergardenersIn cover crops, Durham, how to improve soil, no-till gardening, plant fungi, plant-microbial relationship, polyculture, regenerative agriculture, rhizosphere, soil, soil health, soil microbes, soil test, Uncategorized

By Peter Gilmer, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

(Image credit: Pixabay)

Spring is coming, and the soil temperature is rising. Soon enough, it will be time to direct seed and to transplant the garden. Is my soil ready? What should I do to get it ready? Do I need a new soil test?

Many of us know that a soil test can be helpful, particularly when it comes to pH and lawn care. The usual soil test results recommend adding nitrogen, plus or minus phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). My results have always shown a reasonable pH, P and K values in the normal range, and the default recommendation to add nitrogen (N). As you may know, nitrogen is not actually measured. Is this enough to care for my soil?

Microbial Role in Soil Health

There is a way to build better soil, and it requires thinking about how soil works. These ideas come from the growing movement sometimes called regenerative agriculture. The basic ideas are simple, ideas that many of us sort of know. Soil function depends on microbial life, and the key to strong soil performance lays in promoting a healthy biome. Although there are other important players, we will focus on bacteria and fungi.

It turns out that these tiny organisms feed the plants by providing what the plant needs in the form that the plant requires for uptake. The essential nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (along with others) are already in the soil in nearly inexhaustible amounts, but are either remote from the plant’s reach or not in a plant-available form. The microbes are able to reach far beyond the root tips and can process the nutrients into plant-available form for uptake by the roots. There is no need for us to put the nutrients there when the microbiome is healthy. There are exceptions to this rule to be mentioned later. There is need to promote the microbial life central to soil health.

The Plant-Microbial Relationship

Before we get to the “how to” regarding microbial health, let’s review the role the plant is playing in getting its nutrient needs met. The plant is the energy source (food) for the bacteria and fungi in the soil. In other words, it is the plant that feeds the microbiome. This food is in the form of carbohydrates (sugars) produced by the plant via photosynthesis. It is estimated that 30% of the carbohydrates produced in the plant leaf are given to the microbiome. This ancient, essential relationship between soil, microbes, and plant has evolved over millions of years. Our job is to promote this functionality. It is not our job to provide nutrients directly. They are already there, in abundance.

How To Support Soil Microbes

Minimize Soil Disturbance

How do we support the microbes? The ideas are simple and basic for most gardeners. First, we need to minimize disturbance. This means less tilling. Why? Because tillage disrupts the microbial-plant dance that makes it all work. Soil aggregates, those tiny bundles of soil packaged with the help of microbes, are destroyed, and the ability of soil to hold onto water reduced drastically. The rhizosphere, the micro environment where fungi, bacteria, and root cellular membranes make critical exchanges, is disrupted physically in the process of tillage. So, step one, reduce disturbance.

The area of soil surrounding the plant root, the rhizosphere, is teeming with microbial activity. (Image credit: NC State Extension)

Of course, when planting anything, there will be disturbance. When I put a transplant into the ground, I dig (disturb) an appropriate-sized hole. What I do not do is turn over (till) the entire bed. Initially, tillage is useful in establishing a bed in an area that historically was lawn but is not used annually to clear the bed of weeds. Tillage disrupts the microbiome and doesn’t control the weed either.

Cover the Soil

Second, we should always cover the soil, either with living plants or with materials derived from dead plants (mulch). Exposed soil does not do well with direct sunlight, falling rain, and wind. In the garden, coverage is best done with cover crops in between planting seasons and wood chips or mulch where the paths are located. In a planting bed, coverage might consist of a perennial ground cover that not only covers the soil between plantings, but also puts another living root into the soil. Large areas of mulch in a planting bed might initially look good, but over time will get weedy, and the mulch cover does not provide a living root to feed the microbes.

Planting beds flush with cover crops consisting of radish, crimson clover, and rye, with wood chips covering the walking paths. (Image credit: Peter Gilmer)

In terms of cover crops, there is much that goes into the decision as to what cover crops to use. There are warm season covers (like buckseed) and cool season options (like crimson clover). There is the need to terminate the cover crop when the time is right to plant the main crop. This might involve mowing followed by a silage tarp. There are cover crops that winter kills. Terminating the crop before it goes to seed is critical. Polyculture, meaning multiple types sown at the same time, is better than a mass planting of a single crop. A full discussion of cover cropping goes beyond the scope of this article.

Acting as a living mulch, crimson clover is interplanted with cool weather vegetables. This cover crop provides weed suppression, erosion control, and maximizes the number of living roots in the soil–all while adding to the nitrogen pool through nitrogen fixation. (Image credit: NC State Extension)

Maintain Living Roots

Third, we should keep a living root in the soil as much of the time as possible. Remember, it is the plant through its roots that is feeding the microbiome and getting essential nutrients in exchange. The plant heals the soil. Remember when a field in fallow was considered good, a way to let the soil rest? All along the soil really needed living roots pumping fuel (carbon) to the microbiome. Planting something in between the main crop is an effective way of getting more roots in the soil. For example, you may have heard of marigolds being planted in between tomato plants.

Choose Diversity in Planting

Fourth, we should diversify whenever possible. Plants are not all the same, and they have unique relationships with their microbial partners. Monocultures are not nearly as healthy and resilient as polycultures.

Encourage Regenerative Animal Grazing

Finally, specifically in the world of farming, grazing animals can play a major role in restoring soil health. We cannot delve into this fascinating relationship in this article, but grazing animals (think bison) have played a major role for millions of years in keeping soil healthy. While this might not be applicable to the home gardener and not something I do myself, grazing is a powerful tool in managing and improving soil health.

To summarize, what should I, the home gardener, do to ensure healthy soil in my garden?

  • Minimize tillage
  • Keep soil covered
  • Keep living roots in the soil
  • Diversify plant life

I did mention that there are exceptions to these rules, and one that I should highlight is lawn maintenance. We have learned that lawns are poor supporters of the greater ecosystem. They are generally monocultures with superficial root systems, and do not develop healthy microbial life. Lawns are therefore more dependent on fertilizers and irrigation systems, all the more reason to reduce their size whenever possible.

Below you’ll find some of the best resources that I have encountered on the topic of soil health. I encourage you to dive deeper into this fascinating world.

  • Brown, Gabe.  “Dirt to Soil.  One Family’s Journey into Regenerative Agriculture. “ Chelsea Greensboro Publishing.  2018.  This is a fascinating story, well told, of going from frequent tillage and fertilizer to cover crops and soil carbon capture.
  • Frost, Jesse. “The Living Soil Handbook.” Chelsea Green Publishing. 2021. This is a great how to reference book for vegetable farming.
  • Lowenfels, Jeff and Lewis, Wayne. “Teaming with Microbes.”  Timber Press.  2010.  This is where my journey of discovery began.  It was given to me by a fellow Master GardenerSM volunteer.
  • Lowenfels, Jeff. “Teaming with Fungi.” Timber Press. 2017. I knew next to nothing about fungi, and this book introduced me to these critical microbes who are critical to many basic life functions on this planet.
  • Lowenfels, Jeff. “Teaming with Bacteria.” Timber Press. 2022. If you want to know more about the rhizosphere, this is the book for you. What an incredible relationship between microbe and plant root.
  • O’Hara, Bryan. “No-Till Intensive Vegetable Culture: Pesticide- free methods for restoring soil and growing nutrient-rich, high-yielding crops.” Chelsea Green Publishing. 2020. This guy is the master at growing vegetables and knowing what inputs (homemade compost teas) are needed and when.
  • Still, Jon. “A Soil Owner’s Manual.” 2016. A 75-page, concise overview of soil management that you will likely read more than once.

Happy gardening this spring. Go microbes!

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Resources and Additional Online Information

Learn more about soil testing with NC Cooperative Extension’s handy online guide chock-full of resources.

https://durham.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/05/nows-the-perfect-time-to-test-your-soil

For a detailed look online about the benefits of no-fill farming, check out resources by Penn State University, North Carolina State University, and Cornell University.

https://extension.psu.edu/no-till-farming-and-healthy-soils-work-hand-in-hand

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/garden_detail/vegetable-no-till-garden

Take Me Out to a Tarped Field

Planting cover crops is an excellent way to maintain soil health, suppress competition from unwanted plants like weeds, and stem erosion. See NC State Extension and Clemson Cooperative Extension’s online sites about how to use these plants in traditional agriculture and in raised beds.

https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms-covcroplinks

https://caldwell.ces.ncsu.edu/2022/07/try-cover-cropping-a-guide-for-home-gardeners

Cover Crops in Raised Beds

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