1130 Cincinnati Road Georgetown, Kentucky January.

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1 Scott County Cooperative Extension Service Scott County 1130 Cincinnati Road Georgetown, Kentucky January MARCH 2019 G rowing G ardeners 2019 As a part of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, Scott Co. Cooperative Extension s Horticulture Program is charged to provide practical, research-based education to Scott Countians. In keeping with that mission, check out the several of the classes I have planned for the upcoming year (below) Please consider signing up for one or two or all of them if they interest you. More classes to be added as the year goes by, so always check you current newsletter, or the Scott Co. Horticulture website,, then link to Sharon P. Flynt, Agent for Horticulture Scott Co. Cooperative Extension Unless Otherwise Noted, All Take Place At The Scott Co. Cooperative Extension Office DATE Thursdays, February 21 March 21 Tuesday, (1) March 19 CLASS Getting To Know Your Woodlands TIME DESCRIPTION 7:00 to 9:00 pm The Beginner s Guide to Vegetable Gardening Saturday, MARCH 23 GARDEN EXPO 9 AM TO NOON Thursday, March 28 Growing Asparagus Growing More with Less Space Thursday, April 11 Tuesday, April 23 Tuesday June 4 Tuesday, June 11 An Evening with Jed Davis, Beekeeping 101 6:00 pm The Procrastinator s Vegetable Garden The Procrastinator s Flower Garden Meets every Thursday to March 21. You do not have to attend every class. Ky Department of Forestry foresters for the Scott County (2) area will be in at each webinar to answer questions. FREE Are you brand new to vegetable gardening? Then this class is for you. Learn all you ever wanted to know about vegetable gardening. Each participant will take home ID-128, Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky, along with a chance at gardening door prizes. FREE Not for experienced gardeners or Master Gardeners. GO NATIVE!!!! Learn all about Kentucky Native Plants. Garden demonstrations, speakers, hands on activities, vendors, cooking classes, door prizes. FREE Always wanted to grow your own, but not sure how to start? Learn all about planting, care, and harvesting. Each participant will go home with 10 two year old crowns (5 Jersey Supreme, 5 Purple Passion) Class is $5.00 Conventional row gardens, are the standard for any gardens. However, such gardens are not very space efficient. Gardeners with limited land area may want to plan an intensive garden. Container gardens, space saving gardens and season extending techniques will be discussed. FREE Jed Davis, long time beekeeper, teacher and member of the Bluegrass Beekeeper s Association will discuss the essentials and answer your questions. FREE Spring is such a hectic season, in the garden and beyond. It is so busy, in fact, that we sometimes find we have run out of time for a vegetable garden. That is why vegetable seeds discussed in this class prefer to be sown in late spring, when the soil is reliably warm and all danger of spring frost has passed. Class is $5.00, paid in advance. Each participant will take home the easygoing seeds discussed. Exactly the same as the Procrastinator s Vegetable Garden only with flower seeds. Class is $5.00, paid in advance. Each participant will take home the easygoing seeds discussed.

2 SOMETHING IS DIGGING UP MY LAWN Page 2 by Sharon P. Flynt Is Something Digging Up Your Lawn? Do you think it is a mole? Moles may or may not be the culprit. One of the best ways to identify what is tearing up your lawn is to check out the clues left behind. If Not Moles Then What?... Do you have soil disruption that happens overnight in late winter, early spring? Are there small holes in the grass with loosened soil around? You are seeing is the result of a skunk pressing its nose to the ground and digging up the soil with long front claws. Skunks are in search of grubs and other tasty protein tidbits to help regain weight lost during the lean winter months. Late February, earlier March is typically their time to mate, so they need all the food they can get. Protein in the form of earthworms, insects or white grubs under the surface of your sod fits the bill. If you see uprooted plants and big chunks of sod lying around, raccoons may have found the grub cafeteria. Both skunks and raccoons are nocturnal, so if you see similar damage occurring during the day, then the damage may be caused by squirrels. The Eastern mole is often thought to be a rodent. However, it is not a rodent, but an insectivore related to shrews and bats. University of Maryland Extension. Photo: Virginia Cooperative Extension Any time you have holes, burrows or torn up turf just appear overnight, it is usually caused by wildlife with one goal in mind: finding FOOD. Could it be Moles... Do you have loose soil, heaped up into a mound? Is the mound connected to a raised sod surface that flattens out if you step on it? This sounds like a mole. What time of year is it? Is it spring, summer or early fall? Moles are actively eating earth worms close to the surface during the warmer months. If it is winter, mole tunnels are normally deeper underground, at the frost line, where their food consists of earth worms and some white grubs and other insects. Therefore, if it is late winter and there is an absence of mounds and raised sod tunnels, your damage is probably caused by other animals in search of food. A skunk and raccoon looking for a late night snack. Photo by Alfred Viola, Northeastern University, Bugwood.org If you suspect white grubs are what the critters are after, find solid proof. Dig up a few squares of turf, including the top 2 to 3 inches of soil under the disturbed soil, and around the edges of the damaged areas. If you find white, c-shaped grubs, your detective work may be done. Damage to turfgrass caused by skunks or raccoons digging for white grubs. Photo: University of Georgia The masked chafer, one of the c-shaped grubs (Japanese Beetle larvae being another) skunks, and raccoon are after. Diagram from Univeristy of Kentucky CAFÉ publications, ENT 10 Controlling White Grubs in Turfgrass. For more information on control methods of Moles and White Grubs, go to the Scott Co. Cooperative Extension Horticulture webpage at and link to

3 Lawn care 2019 Page

4 COMMUNITY GARDEN 2019 GARDEN APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE Page 4 The 2019 Season payment is $18.00 for 800 sq. feet and $28.00 for 1600 sq. feet, & $25.00 deposit for the key. GARDEN SIGN UP FOR THE 2019 SEASON IS OPEN NOW! For an application go to & LINK TO COMMUNITY GARDEN OR STOP BY THE EXTENSION OFFICE AT 1130 Cincinnati Road, Georgetown, KY Blooming forsythia shrubs (most common is Forsythia x intermedia) are a good environmental indicator for pre-emergence herbicide timing. Information from the Michigan State University indicates the optimum application timing for crabgrass pre-emergence herbicides is when the 0-2 inch depth soil temperatures consistently reach F. Applications made at this time provide adequate time for the preemergence herbicide to be applied and watered in before crabgrass germination occurs. This soil temperatures coincides with forsythia blooming. WINTER CANCELLATION POLICY: WHEN SCOTT CO. PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE AN EMERGENCY CLOSING DUE TO WEATHER, SCOTT CO. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION HORTICULTURE CLASSES ARE CANCELLED. HOWEVER WHEN IN DOUBT, PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE AT

5 Upcoming horticulture events Page 5

6 MARCH 23, 2019 PLEASE SAVE THE DATE! Page Page 64