Starting A Vegetable Garden

Growing your own vegetables is an enormously rewarding experience. Homegrown produce tastes far better than anything you can buy in the supermarket.

Getting it right requires careful planning. That includes selecting varieties that will thrive in your climate, planting them at the right time and nurturing them as they grow.

(9-15-23) The Mercer County OSU Extension, in collaboration with the Mercer County Soil and Water Conservation District, are providing free Fall Cover Crop Seed to vegetable gardens in the county. Any Mercer County resident can receive up to 2 pounds of a cover crop seed mix for their vegetable garden. Residents should know their garden size and can come to the OSU Extension office, at the Central Service Building, Monday to Friday from 8AM to 4:30PM. It is recommended to plant the cover crop seed as soon as vegetable gardens are cleaned up and put to rest for the season. Seeding should occur before mid-October for best results.

Planting a cover crop can reduce soil erosion, suppress weed seeds, maintain soil nutrient levels, and increase earthworm activity for their vegetable gardens. Farmers have been utilizing cover crops for many of these same reasons and plan to continue planting cover crop seeds for numerous soil health benefits. OSU Extension is excited to offer this free program to vegetable gardeners of Mercer County to allow for residents to understand the benefits of cover crops.  If you have questions about the cover crop program, please call Mercer County OSU Extension at (419) 586-2179.

Source: mercercountyoutlook.net