With people continuing to stay socially distant due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many residents are finding new things to do to stay busy. One hobby residents have turned to is gardening. As the weather gets warmer, Extension Specialist in Horticulture, Cindy Haynes tells KNIA/KRLS News some things people can be doing now when it comes to their gardens is preparing the garden for planting. Haynes says people can go ahead and plant cold season crops while planning out where the warm season crops will go. She says to make sure you have a water source available and have fertilized and tilled the areas that need it. Haynes says when it comes to gardening residents need to remember to phase things in so they are planting something every few weeks. 

The Iowa State Extension and Outreach of Marion County also has a few helpful resources for residents who are new to gardening to help them get the most out of their new hobby. The resources available include helpful videos, podcasts, newsletters and downloadable content. 

Sow, Grow, Eat and Keep is a new weekly horticulture and food science “quickinar” series offering basic tips on gardening and food preservation from ISU Extension and Outreach.

• The Small Farm Sustainability program’s website offers a great collection of resources on all things small-farm, from webinars and podcasts to free print publications. The podcast is covering COVID-19 topics right now. E-courses include Getting Started with Backyard Chickens (free) and Introduction to High Tunnels ($25). Sign up for the Acreage Living newsletter to get timely, helpful information delivered right to your inbox every month.
• ISU Extension and Outreach’s Horticulture and Home Pest News website offers free resource downloads, news and podcasts on vegetables, fruits, controlling pests, composting and much more. The horticulture department’s HortLine experts can help you figure out why your tomato leaves are turning yellow, or what’s eating your cucumber vines. They can be reached at 515-294-3108 or hortline@iastate.edu.
• Visit the ISU Extension Store for additional free resources on growing all types of fruits and vegetables, composting, rain gardens and much more. Click on the Yard and Garden tab on the home page.