News Stories - Page 193

Wine is becoming a big business in Georgia, and University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is working to support this growing sector of the economy by providing new expertise for wine growers.

Late January and early February are great times to plant cool-season vegetables. Many gardeners gave up on planting a fall vegetable garden last year due to the exceptional drought conditions. However, the great thing about living in Georgia is that we have a second window of opportunity in late winter to plant a number of cool-season vegetables.

Georgia’s hot summers and warm early-fall temperatures – and the intensive labor required to grow and harvest Brussels sprouts – make growing the crop too risky for Georgia farmers.

“Primula” comes from the Latin word meaning “first of spring.” With 400 species of primulas to choose from, pick one and enjoy some 14 weeks of unimaginable color that no other plant can match.

Whether protecting watermelons from the scalding summer sun or helping plants produce bigger fruit, maintaining healthy vines is a top priority for Georgia growers, especially when farm workers continuously pick from the same fruit bed.

Black-eyed peas have long been a symbol of New Year’s luck in the American South, but black-eyed pea farmers aren’t feeling that fortunate this year.

Coral bells deserve a place in the sun, partial shade or shade. Plant them along woodland trails, in front of shrubs or partner them with wood fern or autumn fern or even hostas. Gardeners in the South must try them as a sunny, cool-season component plant.

For decades, farmers who have embraced conservation production have seen increased soil health, reduced irrigation demands and lowered economic risk. For the past 17 years, Georgia farmers interested in adopting new conservation practices for their farms – including those looking to swap best practices with other conservation tillers – have gathered at Georgia’s annual Conservation Production Systems Training Conference.

The University of Georgia is looking for high school students, ages 16 and older, who are looking for hands-on research experience. The UGA Young Scholars Program (YSP) is a paid, six-week summer research internship in agricultural, food and environmental sciences.