One of the many great aspects of living here in Georgia is beautiful autumn weekends like this one. The sun is shining, the temperature is cool and refreshing (it will be even warmer tomorrow) and you feel happy to be alive. This is the perfect weather for tailgating and football; a trip to the mountains or the ocean; or do that end-of-the-year planning of next year’s garden you had to put off last week because of the lousy weather.
Planning for your 2020 garden… already? Yes – this is an optimal time to get started. But how?
Here is a wonderful resource on all things agricultural from our very own state University (the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension program, created out of the school’s College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences) which answers that question not only for this month, but for every month of the year. Many of you have already heard about this program. But for those of you who are not familiar with this very helpful resource, here is a quick summary:
Created over a century ago (in 1914) The UGA Cooperative Extension program’s mission “is to extend lifelong learning to Georgia citizens through unbiased, research-based education in agriculture, the environment, communities, youth and families.”
This program, through county agents and specialists, “shares information on issues like water quality, profitability in agribusiness, family wellness and life skills,” and how to optimize your efforts each month of the year to create your best garden possible.
The program’s county agents also provide “soil and water test kits instruction, advice on safe pesticide use, publications, computer programs and lessons in consumer skills to improve Georgian’s quality of life.” https://www.caes.uga.edu/extension-outreach/uga-extension.html
So, what does this program recommend you do on a beautiful weekend in November like this one? In fact, there are numerous steps you can take this weekend to ensure a better, more productive garden next year, including:
- Spreading manure and other organic material over your planting area and plowing them under so that they enrich your soil for next year’s planting.
- Take a soil sample and apply Dolomitic limestone now, instead of waiting until the spring.
- Save the fallen leaves in your yard for your compost heap.
- Do an inventory of what your garden yielded this year and make changes for next year based on the results and what you optimally want to yield in 2020.
- Order flower and vegetable seeds now, instead of waiting until late winter/early spring.
- Plan out how you will use garden boulders, stones and other materials to enhance the look and feel of your garden and other parts of your landscape.
- Test a sampling of any seeds leftover from this year’s planting to see if they are still viable.
- Map out your garden area before ordering seeds,
mulch and landscaping materials.
- If you are unsure of what to plant or what additional features would make your garden look the most attractive, no worries. Come on in to Stone Distributors, as we love to work with you to create the garden and entire landscape you envision.
- Go through your tools and other things you want buy may not have to enhance your garden and drop a hint or two about how they would make perfect holiday presents.
To access the monthly recommendations for each and every month of the entire year, go to: https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C943&title=Vegetable%20Garden%20Calendar#November
For more ideas about how to create a beautiful garden our landscape in your outdoor space, come on into Stone Distributors and our knowledgeable people will be happy to help. We have garden boulders, stones or other landscaping materials today. And through the entire month of November we have garden boulders on sale for only $110 a ton!
We are conveniently located for almost anyone in the metro Atlanta area at 1675 Bells Ferry Road in Marietta, just east of I-75, between the Canton Road and Piedmont Road exits. You can also contact us at (678) 354-0566 or by visiting us online at https://www.stonedist.com or on our Stone Distributors Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stonedist/. We are open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed on Sundays.
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