Welcome to the DeKalb Extension Garden Patch!

I have been asked to do a gardening column for Stone Mountain Patch and decided that the best way to get good information to gardeners is through DeKalb Extension, where I work.  So …….. welcome to our Garden Patch! 

There are four of us in the Horticulture Department at DeKalb Extension.

Gary Peiffer is our County Horticulture Coordinator, and one of our County Agents.  He has been a county agent for 30 years, is an arborist and forester, and is very knowledgeable about the gardening issues we have in DeKalb County.

Lynwood Blackmon is our other Horticulture Agent, and has worked several years for Extension, first in Fulton, and now in DeKalb.  One of his main areas of expertise is in lawns and turf, and he is also an arborist.  He is the coordinator for our South Campus on Wildcat Road.

Sarah Brodd is our Horticulture Youth Program Coordinator, and her main area is in youth education.  She works with DeKalb schools and libraries, and does Saturday classes for families and children. 

Myself - Averil Bonsall.  I am the Master Gardener Coordinator for DeKalb County, so my area is in working with our volunteers.  I am a botanist and horticulture program assistant.  I am a Stone Mountain resident and am helping to start up our new Community Garden at VFW Park.

We thought we could be most useful to gardeners by answering your gardening questions.  So once a week we will have a Q & A column and all you have to do is send us your questions!   If you have a question for us please send it to abonsall@dekalbcountyga.gov and we will provide an answer.  We’ll answer as many questions of general interest as we can in our Garden Patch, and all the others will be passed on to our Master Gardener on duty.  So everyone will get an answer!  We hope to hear from some of you soon.

What can you be doing in your garden now?  A lot of planting issues revolve around the health of your soil.  Good drainage is essential and can be helped by adding organic material - composted manure, garden compost - to your soil.  Soil temperature is important.  Currently in our area it is in the low 50s.  Summer vegetables, such as tomatoes, need soil to be at least 60 degrees and preferably warmer.  They will sit and sulk, or even rot, at lower temperatures.  Daytime temperatures have been in the 70s, but the last frost date for the Atlanta area is April 15.  So even though transplants are in the stores already, don’t rush to plant!  Need details?  Ask questions!

We hope to hear from you soon.  If you would like to know more about all the programs DeKalb Extension has to offer visit our website:   www.ugaextension.com/dekalb.