Philippines - DTI, DAR partner for “Plant a Tree Program”

SORSOGON CITY, November 23 (PIA) -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) have forged partnership for the massive planting of the pili trees here in support to the National Greening Program (NGP) of the government.

Pili, considered as a high value crop of of Sorsogon has been also identified as one of the natural environmental trees to be planted to ensure adaptation and mitigation to the ill effects of climate change.

DTI Sorsogon through the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council (SMEDC), also coordinated with local officials in the propagation of the said high value crop.

Leah Pagao, provincial director of DTI Sorsogon, said that pili has already gained a niche in trade fairs as Bicol's best commodity champion in sales, truly marketable and an export earner for the region.

Under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Program (CARP), beneficiaries here were also trained and tapped to plant throughout the province with seedlings supplied by the Department of Agriculture.

Read full press release here: PIA

NEF's new planting system speeds up miscanthus development

Energy crop developer New Energy Farms says it has developed a new system for establishing miscanthus that takes one-third the time of previous planting methods.

Paul Carver, NEF co-founder and CEO, who holds a PhD in miscanthus physiology and has been working with the crop for more than 15 years, said he believes the company can address the challenges that have been hindering the expansion of energy crops during the past decade. Of those barriers, establishment costs has been one of the most significant. “Grants and BCAP [Biomass Crop Assistance Program] won’t always be around—they are intended to start the market, not keep it going forever—so we’re very focused on providing systems that allow people to plant crops effectively without grant support,” Carver said. “It needs to end up being half the cost of what it is today.”

Carver said the new system, which he describes a second-generation method of planting energy crops, has three components. The first is a bulked up miscanthus breed that can reproduce rapidly. “The second part is development of uniform propagules that you can auto-drill with no hand labor,” Carver said.

Read full article here: http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/5957/nefs-new-planting-system-speeds-up-miscanthus-development/

Link to November issue of BioMass Magazine.

Video - How to Plant Black Currants

Start search for ideas on landscaping

Mary Jo Modica, horticulturalist for the University of Alabama Arboretum, suggests in a recent article to take a break from the current heat of summer and start research on ideas for your landscape. The timing is ripe for making plans for planting trees, shubs, perennials and other cool season annuals that are appropriate for the fall season. Details of her artcle can be found at the Tuscaloosa News site.

Maryland: Grants for tree planting available

If you are wishing there were more trees, but would like a little help with the cost of planting, the state has a couple of programs for you. Officials are offering coupons for individuals and grants to groups:

A state group called The Maryland Urban and Community Forest Committee is now taking grant applications for public land plantings and educational projects. They're handing out awards up to $1,500 to towns, homeowner associations, parks, schools and other groups that plant trees.

Read more

What is the difference between potting soil and potting mix

Barbara Raskauskas
Go to Barbara's Home Page
Wilmington Gardening Examiner

Perplexed by the difference between potting soil and potting mix? You are not alone. Though the ingredients will vary based on the manufacturer, here are the basic similarities to help you decide which you need for your planting projects.

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Despite heat, you can plant a flower bed - Home & Garden - Macon

Mid-July is not actually the best time of year to be planting flower beds. However, sometimes you deal with what life gives you and, in my case, that meant digging up and planting a bed during the middle of the hottest month in Middle Georgia. Though it might have violated the rules of common sense, as well as those spelled out in fancy gardening books, planting in July turned out to be fun and so far seems to have worked well.Read more:
Despite heat, you can plant a flower bed - Home & Garden - Macon Source: macon.com

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Still time to plant vegetables that thrive during the heat of summertime - baltimoresun.com

If you're just realizing that summer is here and you never got around to planting a vegetable garden, don't despair. While it may be too late to plant cool-season crops such as peas, lettuce and broccoli, it is still not too late to plant heat-loving vegetables. Read more:
Still time to plant vegetables that thrive during the heat of summertime - baltimoresun.com Source: baltimoresun.com

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IITA introduces new yam planting technique

By Ayodamola Owoseye Nigerian yam farmers are set for future bumper harvests if the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) succeeds in its trials of yam propagation. A source at the IITA confirms to NEXT in Lagos on Tuesday that researches into the new technique were concluded in February, and that the institute was now partnering with some farmers from Niger State on the trials which involve cutting the stems and replanting them. Read more:
IITA introduces new yam planting technique Source: 234next.com

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Gardening for health

Cheyenne Robertson
Go to Cheyenne's Home Page
Dallas Mind and Body Examiner

Can the simple act of planting and tending a garden promote health and wellness? You bet! And in more ways than you think.

Read more:
Gardening for health

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Flowers to dye for

Downtown JC couple grows colorful flora in community garden
www.hudsonreporter.com
by Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter Staff Writer

Stephen Howe and Michaela Harkins are checking on the marigolds, Black-eyed Susans, zinnias and other colorful flowers they are growing on a sunny, Sunday afternoon.

The Downtown Jersey City couple are growing their flowers in the Brunswick Community Garden on Brunswick Street this year. The garden is two lots on Brunswick Street adjacent to the Sixth Street Embankment that total one-10th of an acre, and is one of two community gardens in Jersey City.

Howe, who works for a Manhattan publishing company, and Harkins, who works in a software firm, decided not to do the usual planting of tomatoes or strawberries. Instead, they embarked upon an unusual planting based on a confluence of their respective interests.

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Class on Tree Biology, Planting & Pruning offered in Ketchikan

June 29, 2009
Monday

Ketchikan, Alaska - The Alaska Division of Forestry, Community Forestry Program announces a one day class on the biology of trees and proper pruning and planting techniques. The class will be held on Thursday, July 16, 2009 at the Ketchikan Gateway Borough office at 1900 First Street.

Decisions made about trees are more successful when based on an understanding of tree anatomy and biology. This class is intended for anyone who designs, plants or cares for landscapes with trees including arborists, landscape architects, park and public works staff, groundskeepers and nursery professionals

The class will cover how trees function as complex systems and how to use this information when selecting, siting, planting, pruning, and maintaining landscape trees. A classroom presentation will be followed by a demonstration in the field and hands-on experience in pruning and planting trees.

More information and a registration form can be found online at http://forestry.alaska.gov/community/ or at the Division of Forestry office in Ketchikan located at 2417 Tongass Avenue, Suite 213.

Trees: Biology, Planting & Pruning
Registration fee is $35
Thursday, July 16, 2009, 8:00 ~ 5:00
Class location: Ketchikan Gateway Borough office, 1900 First St., first floor
Instructor: Jim Flott, Community Forestry Consultants, Inc. of Spokane Washington

Sponsored by the Alaska Division of Forestry, Community Forestry Program