Market, Rim Area Gardeners, and High Country Gardeners to share their expertise.

It all starts with the soil, according to McCombs.

“Organics have to go into our soil,” he said. “The other important thing is drainage. There are so many ways to garden.”

The native soil all around Payson and the Rim Country consists of four basic types of ground: decomposed granite, solid and broken rock, clay, and a combination of all of the above.

For many residents, transplanted from areas where the soil is rich and dark and full of nutrients, this presents a problem. Some folks have been known to truck soil in from garden friendly backyards of the Midwest.

But McCombs has other solutions.

Decomposed granite with fine to pebble-sized particles is good for planting almost anything, but needs to have either 1/3 or ½ of composted mulch added to it.

McCombs suggests raised beds or raised planters for soil that is composed of solid or broken rock. Clay soil does not drain well and needs organic matter mixed in to keep it from packing. With clay soil, overwatering can be a problem.

Gardeners working with soil that has a combination of decomposed granite, clay and broken rock should try to find pockets of soil that can be dug to desired depth and should be checked for adequate drainage. Again, organic material needs to be added.

McCombs told the audience he has never gotten a good-looking carrot here in the Rim Country because of the granite in the soil. He advised those who would be bringing their produce to the Farmer’s Market to plant carrots and vegetables that grow underground in containers.

Container planting, he said, needs to be carefully watered.

“It takes more water than when you’re in the ground,” he said. “If you have good drainage, you should be able to watch the water come out the bottom.”

Horn said there are no income guidelines for the program which provides four screenings during a 40-minute session, free hearing and vision and developmental screenings for children from birth to five years old.

Parents were asked to call for an appointment and to fill out paperwork they received in the mail prior to the screening and only seven appointments were made for Saturday’s screening.

Of those seven, several were no-shows, despite flyers and advertising that went out from the county.

“They have to call and schedule because there’s a lot of paperwork involved,” Horn said. “We mail the paperwork out in advance.”

In Globe, the screenings are on the first Wednesday of every month. In Payson, the screenings will be the last Wednesday of each month with the next screening taking place March 31.

Six staff members came from Globe to help out the three staff members in Payson at the Gila County Health Department.

“We have to bring in as many staff from other clinics to serve as many kids as we can,” Horn said.

After the screening is done, the staff may recommend re-screening children and doing referrals.

The developmental, social and emotional screenings help prepare the children and their parents for entering school.

Horn said the county is also planning a Kindergarten Roundup Health Fair that will take place on April 8 at a yet-to-be-decided location.

“This is for children getting ready to sign up for school in the fall, to get booster shot immunizations to be school-ready,” she said.

“Our hope is that we can work with the schools. We’d like to get all the agencies that are working with children, Behavioral Health, Head Start, any agency that wants to come out.”

To help their children get ready for that all important first day of school, Horn said she encourages parents to start doodling, drawing, and making lines to develop fine motor skills. Catching and throwing a ball can help with gross motor skills, she said.

“We give a child a book when they leave,” she said. “We want to encourage early literacy.”

The parents receive information on how to help their children, including brochures on potty training and how to deal with temper tantrums.

“Communication is also an issue with parents,” Horn said. “A lot of parents seem to respond to grunting and pointing, but speaking to your child and identifying shapes and objects and colors – that’s important. A lot of people don’t speak to babies. Even books for vision and hearing are helpful. And playing with your kid is probably the best thing you can do.”

For information on the Gila County Early Childhood Screening Program, call (928) 402-8810 or toll free at 1-800-304-4452, ext. 8810.

Additional information is available at the First Things First web site at www.azftf.gov.


Gardeners gearing up for Spring 03/03/10

	By Carolyn Wall The skies were grey and the Mogollon Rim, seen from the packed parking lot at Plant Fair Nursery in Star Valley Saturday, was dusted with snow. But, if 55 avid gardeners have their way, spring and warmer weather is just around the corner. At any rate, they are already planning for it. Plant Fair Nursery owner Glen McCombs presented the popular morning seminar and talked about selecting a garden site, what to plant, when to plant, the different types of soil and how to work with the soil, container gardening, planting from seed and/or starts, how much and how often to water, fertilizers (both chemical and organic), what to do about pests, and when to harvest. Representatives were there from the Payson Farmer’s

		Plant Fair owner Glen McCombs helped some 55 gardeners with cabin fever get out of their winter doldroms Saturday. McCombs held a seminar at the Star Valley nursery to help them get started with their spring planting.


	Market, Rim Area Gardeners, and High Country Gardeners to share their expertise. It all starts with the soil, according to McCombs. “Organics have to go into our soil,” he said. “The other important thing is drainage. There are so many ways to garden.” The native soil all around Payson and the Rim Country consists of four basic types of ground: decomposed granite, solid and broken rock, clay, and a combination of all of the above. For many residents, transplanted from areas where the soil is rich and dark and full of nutrients, this presents a problem. Some folks have been known to truck soil in from garden friendly backyards of the Midwest. But McCombs has other solutions. Decomposed granite with fine to pebble-sized particles is good for planting almost anything, but needs to have either 1/3 or ½ of composted mulch added to it. McCombs suggests raised beds or raised planters for soil that is composed of solid or broken rock. Clay soil does not drain well and needs organic matter mixed in to keep it from packing. With clay soil, overwatering can be a problem. Gardeners working with soil that has a combination of decomposed granite, clay and broken rock should try to find pockets of soil that can be dug to desired depth and should be checked for adequate drainage. Again, organic material needs to be added. McCombs told the audience he has never gotten a good-looking carrot here in the Rim Country because of the granite in the soil. He advised those who would be bringing their produce to the Farmer’s Market to plant carrots and vegetables that grow underground in containers. Container planting, he said, needs to be carefully watered. “It takes more water than when you’re in the ground,” he said. “If you have good drainage, you should be able to watch the water come out the bottom.” Horn said there are no income guidelines for the program which provides four screenings during a 40-minute session, free hearing and vision and developmental screenings for children from birth to five years old. Parents were asked to call for an appointment and to fill out paperwork they received in the mail prior to the screening and only seven appointments were made for Saturday’s screening. Of those seven, several were no-shows, despite flyers and advertising that went out from the county. “They have to call and schedule because there’s a lot of paperwork involved,” Horn said. “We mail the paperwork out in advance.” In Globe, the screenings are on the first Wednesday of every month. In Payson, the screenings will be the last Wednesday of each month with the next screening taking place March 31. Six staff members came from Globe to help out the three staff members in Payson at the Gila County Health Department. “We have to bring in as many staff from other clinics to serve as many kids as we can,” Horn said. After the screening is done, the staff may recommend re-screening children and doing referrals. The developmental, social and emotional screenings help prepare the children and their parents for entering school. Horn said the county is also planning a Kindergarten Roundup Health Fair that will take place on April 8 at a yet-to-be-decided location. “This is for children getting ready to sign up for school in the fall, to get booster shot immunizations to be school-ready,” she said. “Our hope is that we can work with the schools. We’d like to get all the agencies that are working with children, Behavioral Health, Head Start, any agency that wants to come out.” To help their children get ready for that all important first day of school, Horn said she encourages parents to start doodling, drawing, and making lines to develop fine motor skills. Catching and throwing a ball can help with gross motor skills, she said. “We give a child a book when they leave,” she said. “We want to encourage early literacy.” The parents receive information on how to help their children, including brochures on potty training and how to deal with temper tantrums. “Communication is also an issue with parents,” Horn said. “A lot of parents seem to respond to grunting and pointing, but speaking to your child and identifying shapes and objects and colors – that’s important. A lot of people don’t speak to babies. Even books for vision and hearing are helpful. And playing with your kid is probably the best thing you can do.” For information on the Gila County Early Childhood Screening Program, call (928) 402-8810 or toll free at 1-800-304-4452, ext. 8810. Additional information is available at the First Things First web site at www.azftf.gov.