News Stories - Page 121

Anyone who wants to learn more about organic agriculture, food or see a sustainable farm in action should attend the 13th annual Georgia Organics Conference and Expo in Athens, Ga., Feb. 19-20.

Each year, the University of Georgia pays tribute to outstanding Georgia agricultural leaders by inducting them into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame

Don’t box up those old Christmas tree lights just yet. Along with old blankets, quilts and cardboard boxes, they could be the key to keeping tender plants from freezing this winter.

The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will hold the 2010 landscape updates and trainings January 15 and February 26 in Perry. The trainings will cover weed and insect control, soil compaction and thatch, small engine maintenance, cost management and pesticide recertification credits.

Many ornamental nursery growers test to see if their plants need water by sticking a finger in the soil to see if it’s dry. Or, they just water them whether they need it or not. University of Georgia horticulturists have found a better way, one that requires less water, less fertilizer, less money and fewer dirty fingers.

UGA horticulturist Paul Thomas likes to give flowering plants as gifts. A deep basket filled with a few pots of colored calla lilies or a basket with a cluster of cyclamen topped with white or silver grass “makes a stunning gift,” he said.