This month, Kelly speaks with Master Naturalist Lindsey Anderson about soil.

Soil isn't just a medium for plant growth - it's the foundation of food systems and our terrestrial habitats and ecosystems.

Soil filters pollutants, septic and the water supply. It provides flood control and mitigation while it supports our infrastructure.

As an ecosystem, soil isn't an inert substance. It's full of bacteria, fungi, nematodes, mites, insects, worms, mammals and plant roots. These organisms mediate all soil processes, including organic matter breakdown, nutrient supply and cycling, and disease suppression.

Lindsey Anderson has a BS in Soil and Environmental Science and a MS in Agronomy/Soil Health. She is a Master Naturalist of the Springfield Plateau Chapter, USDA-NRCS Soil Scientist in Southwest Missouri, MSU Adjunct Professor and Soil Judging Coach, and President of the Missouri Association of Professional Soil Scientists.

Growing plants isn't something that often comes to mind when we think of the winter season, but with a few tips and techniques, inside gardening can help you grow all year long.

Options for growing in winter:

Houseplants – houseplants are more popular than ever and they are a great hobby for all ages. Houseplants need a bright window with indirect light or you can use grow lights. Beware of drafty windows in winter and monitor plants weekly for moisture, insect pests, and other issues. Since there is not a lot of growth in winter, a weak fertilizer can be used every 2-4 weeks.

Hydroponics – there are a variety of quality, tabletop options for growing hydroponically. Lettuce, herbs, cherry tomatoes, peppers, and a variety of other things can be grown. There are miniature plant varieties on the market that are great for these small units. A good aquarium-type pump is needed to aerate the water, and a good quality grow light is needed. Nutrient management of the water is also needed.

Seed Catalogs and Seed Starting – Seed catalogs will begin arriving soon and are a great source of education and new ideas. The main tip is to not plant too early. The seed package will give you timing information. Quality grow lights are also needed for seed starting.

In this episode, Kelly speaks with Susan Wade, volunteer co-leader of the Victory Garden, which is part of the Springfield Community Gardens.

Springfield Community Gardens has more than a dozen gardens in the city maintained by volunteers who share the harvest and provide fresh produce for community refrigerators that are free to anyone.

The produce grown at Victory Garden is used for Victory Mission, an organization helping men and women leave poverty. Services include meals, shelters and job training. One of the job training opportunities is culinary experience in the Victory Mission kitchen. The kitchen prepares more than 120 meals daily. Last year, Victory Garden grew more than 400 pounds of food for the victory mission kitchen.

Victory Garden was moved last spring to a courtyard in the Commercial Street Historic District to make room for construction of a new shelter and headquarters for Victory Mission. Besides growing produce, Susan has a personal goal of making Victory Garden a beautiful and interesting part of C-Street vibe to help draw people to the locally owned stores and restaurants there.

Volunteers are welcome at Victory Garden and any of the other Springfield Community Gardens and local gardeners can donate food for the refrigerators and to Victory Mission. Visit springfieldcommunitygardens.org and victorymission.com to find out more.

This month, Kelly speaks with the Backyard Naturalist, Loring Bullard, about how plant and maintain a yard for attracting pollinators and reducing water and pesticide use.

Homeowners have undergone a paradigm shift in the last few years after recognizing the need for pollinator protection and reduced water and pesticide usage. The sustainable home landscape prioritizes more native plants and less turf for a big impact in a small space.

The Backyard Naturalist has more tips for creating a sustainable landscape at home.

Loring Bullard has a long history of environmental education in the Ozarks, including serving for 23 years at the executive director of the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks. He has taught courses at Drury University and currently serves as a watershed consultant for the James River Basin Partnership, a board member of the Ozark Land Trust and Dark Sky Missouri. He is also the author of several books on the natural history of the Ozarks.

In this episode, Kelly speaks with Ed Kucab, president of the Christian County Master Gardeners, about how to save vegetable and fruit seeds.

Saving seeds from plants like vegetables, fruit, and even flowers can help save money and preserve unique plant qualities, and make it easy to pass on heirloom plants to others.

But which plants should be used for saving seeds? Seeds from plants that have performed well during the hot, dry part of summer make good candidates.

Hybrid vs. heirlooms: Heirlooms are preferred for seed-saving purposes. Hybrid seeds may not be true to the parent plant.

Cleaning and storage: Remove debris from seeds and allow them to dry. Store them in paper envelopes and in a cool, dry place. Refrigeration works for most seeds, but monitor moisture on a regular basis.

In this episode, Kelly speaks with John Burns, president of the Master Gardeners of Greene County, about growing tomatoes - one of the top questions received by the MU Extension and the Master Gardeners of Greene County.

• Choose the right variety for you:
  
  • Determinate vs. indeterminate
• • Taste and characteristics
• 
  
  • Climate
• • Seeds or plants?
• Choose the right location and growing medium:
  
  • Tomato plants need 6-8 hours of sun per day
• • Consider the soil type and drainage, whether it's garden soil, soilless media, or even straw bales
• Planting time and method:
  
  • Tomatoes are heat-loving plants. Wait until the second week of May to plant them when the soil temperature is 60 degrees.
• • Burns' method for planting is to dig a deep hole, mix 50-50 soil and fertilizer and make a six inch cone in the bottom of the hole. Fill the hole with soil to the top of the cone. Strip the leaves from the plant, leaving only three or four leaves at the top and plant the tomato in the remaining hole.
• • Balanced fertilizer is key. Tomatoes need a lot of phosphorus and potassium with 7 PH.
• Growing:
  
  • Support the plant with a cage or fence
• • Prune the bottom leaves and suckers
• • Rotate location annually to avoid blight

For questions about growing tomatoes, call the Master Gardeners of Greene County Hotline at 417-874-2963 or visit their website.

The MU Extension also offers resources, including soil testing and the Garden Steward program.

Summer nights in the Ozarks are a great time to spend time to spend in nature after dark; all while never leaving the comfort of your favorite outdoor chair!

When the sun goes down, the Ozarks become a symphony of animal calls, songs, chirps and croaks. In this episode, Kelly speaks with Springfield Plateau Master Naturalist Jay Barber about the different insects, frogs, birds and mammals we hear on these summer nights.

Insects

Broad-winged tree cricket

Jumping bush cricket

Northern katydid

Snowy Tree Cricket

Frogs

Cricket frog

Bullfrog

Green frog

Gray tree frog

Birds

Whippoorwill

Chuck-wills-widow

Barred owl

Mammals

Coyote

Animal sounds provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Host Kelly McGowan speaks with Sadia Blattert about using native plants in gardens and landscaping.

Native plants are more popular than ever and they play a crucial part in our native ecosystem.

Blattert is a Master Gardeners of Greene County member and owner of Pollen to Petal Native Plants and Landscaping. She also oversees the native plantings at the Springfield Botanical Center.

In this episode, Blattert shares information on two native plants to grow in yards and gardens: Missouri Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) and Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrate), including their growth habits and placement in the home landscape.