In this edition
- Events & Classes
- Health in the Garden
- Garden Tips for the Season
- Master Gardener Program Info
About the Newsletter
The Master Gardener Volunteers of Douglas County provide horticulture information on gardens, landscapes, plants and other related topics. This newsletter of July 2023 is one of the many resources of information available to the public to help accomplish this mission.
The University of Nevada, Reno Extension Master Gardener Program is a volunteer educator program designed to teach research-based Nevada gardening practice to volunteers who in turn share this knowledge with their local communities through educational presentations, workshops, community events, help desks and much more. This newsletter is one resource that will be offered to help achieve the goals of the Master Gardener Program.
Upcoming Events & Classes
Join the Douglas County Master Gardeners today! UNR Master Gardener Training 2023- Registration is open. For more information contact Jessica Gardner @ 775-782-9960 or jessicagardner@unr.edu Registration closes July 23, 2023
Extension Master Gardener Registration
May – October 2023 – Heritage Park Garden Q&A Sessions, Wednesdays @ 5:30-6:30 pm. Cost Free. Location: Heritage Park Garden 1461 Ezell St, Gardnerville, NV. Topics vary week to week. Welcome to All.
May – October – UNR Master Gardeners will be answering community horticulture questions every Thursday from 9-12:00 pm. Location: 1325 Waterloo ln, Gardnerville.
May - September 2023 – Dangberg Historic Home Ranch Gertrude’s Garden Workdays- Wednesday @ 8:00 – 9:00 am during the heat of the summer and 9:00 -10:00 am during spring/fall. Please join us keep Gertrude’s Garden looking Great! Welcome to All.
University of Nevada, Reno Extension Douglas County Calendar
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Douglas County Office Webpage
Health in the Garden
By Ingrid Angelini
University of Nevada, Reno Master Gardener Intern Ingrid Angelini is always looking out for ways for all of us to stay healthy. Here are some of her tips on improving your and your family’s health by gardening.
Did your mom ever say to you, “Go outside and play,” when you were a kid? Did you play in the mud, dirt, or sandbox? Did you love doing it? If so, that would be fortunate, as this kind of activity has been linked to a reduction in future health problems, including allergies and autoimmune disorders.
It was found that children who grow their own food are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables, show higher levels of knowledge of nutrition and are more likely to continue healthy eating habits throughout their lives.
While gardening alone can increase those qualities of life and health previously mentioned, doing so with friends and family fosters bonds, and spreads well-being among participants. Sharing experiences can make them seem richer, and thus, more enjoyable. What happens then, is that we have another neurotransmitter, Dopamine, which kicks in, and puts in motion, the desire to repeat the experience. It’s the same internal chemical mechanism that leads to addiction. In that way, gardening with others can certainly help us to keep social, an important activity to maintain brain health.
It essentially comes down to the chemistry in one’s brain, as was previously mentioned. Serotonin is a happy chemical, a natural anti-depressant. Dopamine is the feel-good neurotransmitter. It contributes to feelings of pleasure and satisfaction as part of the reward system. And that is why it just feels good to be in the garden. One study revealed that daily gardening can reduce the risk of dementia by 36%. Evidence exists that growing plants enhances the brain. If our plants are growing, our brains are growing.Continuation of the story if text extends beyond the bottom of the image. This section will reach all the way across the page. Keep in mind that you can move the link button below this content to give you a little more room in the first section of this story.
Garden Tip for the Season
By Jessica Gardner
Fall Gardening is here...
As the summer heat begins to turn cool and the eye-popping colors of fall emerge, fall gardening in the vegetable garden might be the last thing on a Douglas County Nevadans mind. Fall gardens can provide a unique opportunity to extend the growing season, grow different crops due to cooler temps and make sure we get the most out of our gardens this growing season. In this article, we will give you some tips and recommendations for a successful vegetable garden in Douglas County.
Choosing the right crops can feel like the hardest part of planning for a fall garden. We often forget to look at the ‘days to harvest’ number on seed packages, this provides us with the information we need to know how many times and when we can plant a crop. We also want to consider the average last frost date for your area, counting back from that date the number of ‘days to harvest’, this will give a plan of when to plant your fall crops. Some plants can take cool temps, other may need to be covered when we get a chilly night, keep that in mind. A few crops that can be replanted by mid-July – Zucchini (55+ days to harvest), bush beans (55+ days to harvest) and carrots. Carrots often need 70+ days to harvest but can be left in the ground during the colder days of the year for an extended harvest. Bonus carrots get sweeter with a light frost. Some other great options to plant from seed or starts kale, spinach, Swiss chard, beets, and a variety of brassicas.
Believe it or not we still need to prep our soil, especially for fall crops. Soils get used all season long and might lose some nutrient availability or could just use a boost. Incorporating organic matter with compost or well-rotted manure will help improve soil structure and fertility. Also doing a soil sample, if you have an in-ground garden bed, will help you know how to improve your soil fertility and structure for the next growing season.
Irrigation is crucial to a successful fall garden. Just like in the spring, plants/seeds need consistent moisture to establish and grow. You will need to adjust your current water schedule to accommodate for cooler temperatures and the reduction in evaporation.
Fall vegetable gardening is a great way to extend your harvest and continue to keep your plate colorful and nutrient packed. Take advantage of our unique growing conditions around here and plant a new crop or an old crop at a new time of the season. Happy harvesting!
See ya in the Garden!
Master Gardener Program Info
Douglas COunty Master Gardeners visit Sierra Shadows Lavender Farm
Extension Master Gardener Program Webpage
Do you like to learn new things and share them with your community? Become a Master Gardener Volunteer in your community. Enrollment for classes opens Spring of 2023 and classes begin August of 2023. For more information, please contact Jessica Gardner @ jessicagardner@unr.edu or 775-782-9960 or https://extension.unr.edu/master-gardeners/default.aspx
We hope to see you in the garden!
