It’s time to work the vegetable garden

By GARY TILGHMAN
For the Daily Times

GLASGOW May 05, 2008 01:31 pm

— With springtime finally here, we turn our attention to the vegetable garden. Getting your transplants up and growing will give you some delicious homegrown produce in the months to come.
Transplanting gives a plant more space to develop, but it will temporarily stop growth, not stimulate it. Therefore, for successful transplanting, try to interrupt plant growth as little as possible.
Whether you grow your own transplants or purchase them, these eight steps can ensure successful transplanting into the garden.
Transplant on a shady day in late afternoon or in early evening to prevent wilting.
Ensure transplants are watered well and their roots are thoroughly damp an hour or two before setting them in the garden.
Handle the plants carefully. Avoid disturbing the roots. Try removing plants from their containers by knocking them out in an inverted position rather than tugging on the plants. Plants growing in peat pots may be planted with the pot intact.
Dig a hole large enough to hold the roots. Set the plants to the lowest leaf at recommended spacing. Press soil firmly around the roots.
Pour one cup of a solution of soluble plant food and water mixed according to the label directions.
Put more soil around each plant, but leave a slight depression for water to collect. Break off any exposed parts of peat pots so that they will not act as wicks and pull water out of the soil.
Shade the plants for a few days after transplanting by putting newspapers or cardboard on their south sides or cover them with a woven cotton fabric such as cheesecloth.
Water the plants every two to three days during the next week.
For more gardening tips, contact the Barren County Cooperative Extension Service or visit the Garden, Lawns and Landscapes section at www.extension.org. We also have an new version of our popular Home Gardening publication now available at the Barren County Extension Office. Stop by and get this new bulletin.

Master Cattlemen course set
Anyone interested in participating in this year’s Master Cattlemen course should register soon. The class is limited in size, so registration is on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration deadline is May 16. Classes begin in June and end in December. No more than two sessions are scheduled per month with a total of nine sessions held in our area and one daylong field trip to UK.
The course gives participants a good opportunity to learn about the latest in technology and management for raising beef cattle in our area. Several producers have been through this program since we started it in 2000. From feedback by many of our “graduates”, the information provided has been extremely beneficial to their management of beef cattle.
If you are interested or want to find out more about participating in Master Cattlemen, give me a call at the Barren County Extension Office.
Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

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