Starting A Vegetable Garden
Growing vegetables is a great way to save money, reduce food waste, and be more self-sufficient. However, success requires a lot of planning and skill.
Vegetables need a variety of nutrients, water, air, and soil to grow well. These ingredients must be available to the plants at all times.
Spring brings forth bud-burst in your garden and a plethora of gardening classes and events. Here are some of the many happenings to help you spring into your gardening season.
First, Warner’s Nursery is offering Saturday-only Root Camp sessions from March 11 through June 3. These classes are $10 each at 1101 E. Butler Ave. in Flagstaff. Pre-registration is not required, but if you want to be assured of a spot (remember how popular last year’s camp was) go to: https://warnercompanies.com/warners-root-camp-2023/. Classes are 10 to 11 am and you’ll get a $10 token to redeem at Warner’s when you attend.
March 11: Pruning with Mick Henry. In this session, we cover all the basics and benefits of pruning your trees from a native Flagstaff arborist.
March 18: Seed Starting with Jackee and Steve Alston. Join us for hands-on learning about how to start herb, vegetable, and flower seeds for an exciting gardening season ahead.
People are also reading…
March 25: Crop and Garden Planning with Tina Gustafson. Learn about choosing the right varieties of plants for our area, succession planting, and when to plant.
April 1: Season Extenders with Jackee and Steve Alston. Start your gardening early by using season extenders that either warm the soil or warm the air around the soil in order to create a more hospitable microclimate for your plants.
April 8: Creative Landscaping for the DIYer with Chris Dixon. Note: this class will be at 2 p.m. instead of 10 a.m. Designed for the DIYer, we will help guide you through the steps to designing a creative landscape in your very own yard.
April 15: Vegetable Gardening at High Elevations with Jim Mast. Learn the key concepts of producing a flourishing garden in Flagstaff from a long-time Master Gardener.
April 22. Drip Irrigation Use and Installation with Linda Guarino. This session will cover the advantages and disadvantages of different irrigation watering systems.
April 29: Composting with Frank Branham. This class is designed to teach you how to turn food waste and other materials into high quality plant-loving compost.
May 6: Raised Beds and Container Gardening with Janan Scott. If you’re dealing with limited space or poor soil, come learn about the benefits and how-tos of container and raised bed gardening.
May 13: Native Perennials for the Garden by Gayle Gratop. Stroll around Warner’s Nursery with us to explore the native plants available, their needs and benefits, and how to bring them into your landscape.
May 20: Water Conservation for Gardening with Emily Melhorn. From drip irrigation to rainwater harvesting to the use of native plants, there are lots of ways to grow a lush garden while conserving water.
June 3: Organic Pest Control with Hattie Braun. Stop! Don’t just reach for a spray bottle! There are other ways to control pests in the home garden.
Second, the Coconino Master Gardeners Association, in collaboration with Coconino Community College, will offer four classes on vegetable gardening, all for $15. These are offered from 5:30-7 p.m. on Wednesday evenings from March 22 – April 12 at the 4th street campus (3000 N Fourth St, Flagstaff, AZ). A Zoom online option is available. Please register at https://ccc-flagstaff.coursestorm.com/course/beginning-vegetable-gardening. Make sure you check the in-person box if you want to save a seat.
March 22: Planning Your Garden by Jim Mast. Get some great tips for planning out your edible garden from a local expert.
March 29: Best Vegetable Varieties for Coconino County by Hattie Braun. We’ll cover short-season varieties, heirloom cultivars, and an introduction to the Grow Flagstaff! Seed Library.
April 5: Starting Seeds and Plant Care by Gayle Gratop. Propagation will be explained in simple terms for all experience levels, plus tips for caring for seedlings and newly planted starts.
April 12: Soils and Composting by Hattie Braun and Frank Branham. Learn about what type of soil you have and how to make, amend and build your garden soils with compost.
Third, head to Viola’s Flower Garden, 610 S. State Route 89A in Flagstaff, for some fun spring events. Both the Pansy Party and the Tomato Fest are on for 2023 and are great annual events to kick off the spring season. Check out their website for updates: https://www.violasflowergarden.com/
Finally, mark your calendars for these great garden related events.
May 3: Arboretum Opening Day: We know spring is here when the Arboretum opens. Check their website for more details: https://thearb.org/
May 6, May 13, and May 27: Growers Market at Pine Forest Charter School. 8 a.m. to noon. Local vendors will be selling starts, plant and garden products. Email: flagstafflily@gmail.com for more information.
May 20: Plant Sale and Garden Festival at the Colton Community Garden, Museum of Northern Arizona. There are more garden education opportunities too numerous to list including an upcoming Seed Swap in April, the East Valley Baptist Church Plant Give-a-Way on June 3, and Jackee Alston’s Sustainable Botany Class offered through NAU. You can find these and more events on the Coconino Master Gardener Association blog calendar: http://coconinomgassociation.blogspot.com/.
Hattie Braun is the County Director for University of Arizona Coconino Cooperative Extension and the Program Coordinator for the Coconino Master Gardener Program
Source: azdailysun.com
