The Garfield Gardener THE NEWSLETTER OF GARFIELD PARK MASTER GARDENER ASSOCIATION
January 2018 Next Meetings
January 10 6:30 p.m. Topic: Volunteer Opportunities
February
No Member Meeting; GPMGA Board Meets March 14 April 11 May 9 June 13 July 11 August 8 September 12 October 10 November 14 December 12
Meetings occur the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Garfield Park unless otherwise noted Purdue University is an equal opportunity / equal access / affirmative action university. If you require an accommodation or special assistance to attend these programs due to a disability, please contact Steve Mayer at 317.275.9290. Some accommodations may require 2 weeks notice. Newsletter Editor: Oren Cooley pastpfct@aol.com
President’s Letter Greetings Fellow Gardeners, As I am writing this article, it is 3 degrees outside today and the temperature is dropping. This is a great time to catch up on reading, gardening ideas and projects. My project over winter is to grow some microgreens for the first time this January. They are similar to sprouts, but require soil and sunlight (or a grow light) to grow. As the name suggests, microgreens are just miniature plants of greens, herbs or other vegetables. Like sprouts, they are a concentrated nutrient source and packed with beneficial enzymes because of their rapid growth. How to Grow Microgreens: Growing Supplies for Microgreens Find a south-facing window with plenty of sunlight or install an inexpensive grow light. A grow A shallow tray of some sort light mounted under kitchen cabinets works per- Organic soil to fill the tray fectly for growing greens on the counter—if you Seeds for microgreens have the space to do it. In warmer months, Optional: A warming mat to speed these also can be easily grown outside. germination Place an inch of organic potting soil in the bot Optional: A grow light or a sunny spot tom of a shallow tray or planter, and smooth out in a south-facing window as evenly as possible. Scatter seeds over the surface of the soil evenly. You will spread more seeds than you would if just planting the seeds to grow to full size since they will only get 1-2 inches tall and you will want to harvest as many as possible from each tray. TIP: Soaking the seeds overnight will speed sprouting time but will make it more difficult to scatter them. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil and spray the surface with clean, filtered water. Place on the warming mat (if using) and under the grow light or near the window. Mist the seeds a couple of times a day to keep the soil evenly moist while waiting for the seeds to germinate. Greens are usually ready to harvest in 2-4 weeks depending on the type of seed used. To grow another crop, either remove the roots and replant, or dump the entire tray in the compost and fill with more soil to replant. If you dump in the compost, some straggler seeds usually volunteer and make a crop of their own a few weeks later. I found the above information on the Wellness Mama website. There also is a wide variety of microgreens: Lettuce, Kale, Spinach, Radish, Beet, Watercress, Herbs, Greens, Cabbage, Mustard, Chia Sunflower and Buckwheat. Just a reminder that we meet in January (instead of February). Stay warm and enjoy the winter scenery! —Carrie Alumbaugh, GPMGA President
An Invitation to ‘Grow with Us’
Learn more at: www.IndyGPMGA.com www.IndyMG.org www.IndyHorticulture.org
Purdue Extension-Marion County cordially invites Master Gardeners to Grow with Us at the Second Annual Celebration on Thursday, January 25 (from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.) at The Willows on Westfield (6729 Westfield Boulevard, Indianapolis). Complimentary meal provided. Attire is Business Casual. Register by January 15 at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2018-pemcannual-celebration-grow-with-us-tickets-41353553592