New Website Address for County Extension Office

For years, to view the Orange County Extension Website, it has been difficult to remember the website address and just as difficult to explain that it is an abbreviation for the Orange County Extension (ocextension) at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (ifas) at the Univeristy of Florida (ufl) an Educational Institution (edu). When you put it all together it looks like this: http://ocextension.ifas.ufl.edu. Now it will be easier to remember because the "ocextension" name can be replaced with "orange".

As we move into the new year, you may use this link to find the Orange County/UF-IFAS Extension Service: http://orange.ifas.ufl.edu. It will also help to remember that if you need to send e-mail to the Orange County/UF-IFAS Extension Service, the email address is very similar: orange@ifas.ufl.edu.

If you have the old website address (URL) bookmarked or in your favoites list, it will still work because both names are approved for use when viewing the Orange County/UF-IFAS Extension Service website.

$480 Worth of Vegetables in a 4' x 16' Raised Bed Garden

"There are many reasons for the raised bed revival, but probably the most important is more production per square foot of garden. In a traditional home garden, good management may yield about .6 pounds of vegetables per square foot. Records of production over three years in a raised bed at Dawes Arboretum near Newark, Ohio, indicate an average of 1.24 pounds per square foot, more than double the conventional yield. Raised beds do not require the usual space between rows because no walking is done in the bed to cultivate or harvest. Hence, vegetables are planted in beds at higher densities - ideally spaced just far enough apart to avoid crowding but close enough to shade weeds." (source: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1641.html )

A 4'x16' raised bed garden has the potential to produce 80 pounds of vegetables. If one assumes an average price of $2 per pound of vegetables and grows 80 pounds of vegetables during each of the three seasons in Central Florida, one could harvest $480 worth of vegetables each year (even more if selected vegetables were grown in the summer).

Where has the year gone?

It is now December. Hurricane season has officially ended. Gardeners new to the area want to know what to plant. We are in our "Cool Season Crops" time of year. Most leafy vegetables are appropriate such as Swiss chard, collards, cabbage, lettuce, kale and the like. Also, the root vegetables are excellent choices at this time of year including beets, turnips, radishes, kohlrabi, carrots and onions. Don't foget that many herbs are excellent at this time of year too.

Water is most critical at this time of year with every plant slowing down, we want to keep our Cool Season vegetables growing. MODERATELY MOIST is the key and with the winter winds blowing over the top of our plants there will be a great deal of moisture taken out of the ground; more that you can anticipate. Use a microirrigation system on a timer if you wish; they are exempt from Water Management District rules for irrigation. Otherwise you will need a hose near the garden with a positive shut off. When is it moist? When it feels moist --- put your hand on the soil.

Pests can be problems at this time of year too. Read and follow all instructions on the pesticide label. Most of your problems can be hand picked and tossed into a bucket of soapy water. Insecticidal soap will take care of the aphid, white fly and spider mites. Chilli thrips will need a shot of the natural control "Spinosad". Small cateripllars on your cabbages and collards can be hand picked or killed with the natural control "Bt" which is found as Dipel or Thuricide.

Just because it is winter does not mean we give up vegetable gardening. There is no need to give up until June when it is too hot to stay out in the garden.

Pine Hills Community Garden - Grant Approved

A ReNew Grant was approved on July 30, 2010 to assist the Pine Hills Community Garden program to move to the next step. Construction of raised beds and access to irrigation water will commence during the week of August 16th. Congratulations for completing this most important step.

Pine Hills Community Garden

Coming soon to the Pine Hills Community Center in Orlando will be a new Community Garden comprised of ten 4' by 16' raised bed vegetable gardens. On the intiative of Seniors at the Pine Hills Community Center, and the result of the Board of County Commissioners to permit the establishment of Community Gardens on Orange County Park or Orange County Community Center properties, a License Agreement has been completed to build this first of many new Community Gardens in the near future.

Follow us here as we build this new Community Garden --- watch us grow.

Organization - Key to Successful Community Gardens

Who will help my find a place to plant my corn?
Who will help me plant my corn?
Who will help me care for my corn?
Who will help me harvest my corn?
Who will help me eat my corn?

Even the Little Red Hen knew she could not grow the best garden by herself.

Find 9 more friends and contact the Orange County Extension Service Office at (407) 254-9200 to learn why "Organization is the Key to a Successful Community Garden".

Community Garden Program

Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve a Community Garden Program in Orange County, Florida.

Groups of interested County Citizens should contact me at the County Extension Education Center (407) 254-9200 to discuss the possibility of establishing Community Gardens at County Parks and County Community Centers in the neighborhoods. These Community Gardens are for the purpose of growing vegetables for self consumption using organic methods.

Educational material and other assistance is available to help you through the process of creating your Community Garden Organization.

Educational classes and hands-on demonstrations will complement your progress toward creating your Community Garden.

Contact me at (407) 254-9200

Community Gardeners Learning Centre at Mead Garden

Successful Community Gardens do not just happen. Starting a new Community Garden can be very challenging. There is help available for *** FREE ***

The Theodore L. Mead Community Gardeners Learning Centre at Mead Garden in Winter Park is ready to assit you with a place to learn "How to Start a Community Garden".

Learn leadership skills to keep the Community Garden "growing" and learn gardening skills including building raised beds, finding free compost, what kind of vegetables, when and how to plant vegetables from seeds and transplants and lots more.

Contact Ed Thralls at (407) 254-9200

Community Gardens in Orange County, Florida

Welcome to the Community Gardens Blog in Orange County Florida. Let us know about your Community Garden so we may all learn and share as we "grow" Community Gardens together.

Contact me at (407) 254-9200