4-H Garden Club Plants Radishes and Learns About Black Walnut Trees

Here's an entry by Emmalee from our 4-H Garden Club. As the year goes on, she may contribute more to the blog. Welcome, Emmalee.

In the 4-H Garden Club we can't wait to start planting and learning more about growing vegetables!

Last week we planted radishes and got to take them home. The radishes I planted have already sprouted.

Radishes have sprouted since last Thursday's planting

When I was  small child I remember having a garden and planting plants and seeds and having such a successful garden.

Then the third year the black walnut tree killed our garden. We found out about what killed our garden at home through the  4-H Garden Club.

I can't wait to dig a new garden at home this year and I look forward to getting support through the 4-H Garden Club.

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As Emmalee notes, black walnut trees can be a problem.

Black Walnut Tree (Courtesy Penn State)

Mary Ann Ryan is the Extension Consumer Horticulture Educator serving Adams County shares this information from a Hanover Evening Sun article:

“Black walnut trees contain juglone, which is a chemical substance that may be harmful to some plants if they are grown under or near the trees. Plants that are susceptible to juglone suffer from deformities and slow or stunted growth.

A large variety of vegetable crops are unable to tolerate the juglone exuded by the black walnut. You can successfully grow carrots, snap beans, beets, parsnips, onions, corn and lima beans in the soil around or near black walnut trees as long as they receive a sufficient amount of sun light each day. Squash and melons will also thrive when planted close to a black walnut.”

Check out these links for more information:

Penn State Black Walnut Trees
http://extension.psu.edu/cumberland/news/2013/black-walnut-trees

Penn State Extension: Black Walnut Trees Are a Valuable Resource

http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_23828260/penn-state-extension-black-walnut-trees-are-valuable

Black Walnut Tolerant Plants

http://www.ehow.com/list_7365291_black-walnut-tolerant-plants.html