by Jon Traunfeld
Director, Home and Garden Information Center State Master Gardener Coordinator University of Maryland (College Park) Online Release: http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/culture/release.cfm?ArticleID=1914
1. Join the Grow It Eat It network of area gardeners. Go to www.growit.umd.edu for more information.
2. The Grow It Eat It web site has loads of great information for new gardeners – including a list of available classes.
3. Weeds will start to grow rapidly, so be sure to spread a mulch around your plants or slice through weeds with a hoe.
4. Don’t have a fence up yet? It’s time to protect your crops from hungry rabbits, groundhogs, and deer.
5. Don’t have a lot of space? Build a Salad Table™ – http://tinyurl.com/bjmf2d. Maryland Master Gardeners (http://www.mastergardener.umd.edu/) answer plant and pest questions throughout the growing season at plant clinics.
7. Harvest beans, cucumbers, squash, and peppers regularly to stimulate more flowering and fruiting.
8. Support your tomato plants with a cage or stake to keep them from flopping over and breaking during thunderstorms.
9. Problems or questions with your vegetable garden? Call the University of Maryland’s Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC – http://www.hgic.umd.edu/) at 1-800-342-2507.
10. HGIC’s web site can also be used to send e-mail questions or to diagnose your plant problems.
