Sprigs & Sprouts CONTENTS. March Limestone. County. Master. Gardener. Association LCMGA Officers. Dear Master Gardeners,

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1 Limestone County Master Gardener Association Sprigs & Sprouts March 2014 Sprigs & Sprouts Newsletter Publisher: Joni Gruber Editor: Charlotte Fulton 2014 LCMGA Officers President: V.P.: Secretary: Treasurer: Carole Barron Edith Kent Carroll Adams Jerry Davis For Information mail to: LCMGA 1109 W. Market St., Suite A Athens, AL CONTENTS 1 President s Message 2 For the Love of Hydrangea 3 Workshop w/edith Kent 4 Garden Notes Scrapbook, Plant Sale, Triangles and Demonstration Garden Opportunities 5 Christmas Party Photos Feb. Meeting Photos 6 Liriope / G. W. Carver Meeting Schedule Dear Master Gardeners, This has been one of the coldest winters we have had in several years, but spring will be here before we know it. I hope you are all making plans for spring plantings and fun things to do in your gardens. Our January officers meeting went very well. We discussed many things and are making plans for 2014 to get back to the basics of why we are here and do what we do. Our bylaws state our objectives as: (1) To extend the Master Gardener s knowledge of and interests in horticulture and related activities. (2) To provide horticultural community service opportunities for our members. (3) To provide opportunities for its members to meet and associate with others who have similar horticultural interests. We want to make sure that all members are getting what they want and need from this organization and have fun doing it! Field trips and a couple of workshops are in the works. We plan to have some great speakers and programs at our meetings this year and invite more people to come. With all the awareness of pesticides and additives in our food, this seems to be the perfect time to involve young people in gardening. Sharing our knowledge and information at community events helps the public and our community, and we learn from them too. I hope that our excitement in what we love will rub off on others. When you get a group of gardeners together and start talking gardening and plants, it is just infectious!!!! 2014 is going to be a GREAT year. Carole Barron, President MG since

2 FOR THE LOVE OF HYDRANGEA Story and Garden Photos by Edith Kent, MG since 2009 My remembrance of hydrangeas goes back to early childhood. In the rural area of Northwest AL where I grew up, the hydrangea grew in almost every yard. It was often planted in a corner of the old home place and seemed always to thrive - even when neglected. Since the hydrangea is a wonderful pass along plant, I assume many were acquired in this manner. A common question I remember hearing my mother and her neighbors asking is can I get a piece of this and so things were passed along from yard to yard. Another way the hydrangea flourished in those days was by receiving a potted plant from a hospital stay, on Mother s Day or on Easter. These plants were the mophead variety and usually were hot house grown but if replanted before the roots dried out or drowned from overwatering, they would successfully grow outdoors. Sometimes the blooms would be blue and sometimes pink. At the time I had no idea they were the same plant and the color depended upon the soil PH, which I had never heard of anyway. From the time my husband and I became homeowners I can remember always having a mophead hydrangea until 1980 when we moved into a house with a very shady backyard filled with oakleaf hydrangea. From that time on, my love for hydrangeas has grown as I learned about other varieties, colors and the habits of these wonderful plants. Since I have no formal training in horticulture, let me say that all I present here has been learned by trial and error. The following suggestions are what I feel is important to success in growing hydrangeas and what works sometimes doesn t work all the time! I will discuss some of my favorites: * the macrophylla (mophead) * the quercifolia (oakleaf) * the paniculata (PG) * the arborescens (Annabelle) All of these varieties have one thing in common they all love rich organic soil that is both moist and well drained. They need morning sun but too much sun can burn their leaves. And they all LOVE water some more than others. MACROPHYLLA, also called Big Leaf and Mophead, comes to us from France via Japan. They tend to be blue in acid soil and pink in alkaline soil. Their color can be changed by the type of fertilizer used but I believe it s better to let nature dictate their color. Some years mine are pink and sometimes blue and the last two years some are a combination of the two colors on the same plant. This is probably due to roots absorbing fertilizer from plants around them and they have become confused! It is always a surprise when they change colors but since the soil in our area is mostly acidic, and if you desire the true blue color, use an acid fertilizer. Some macrophylla are bred to be white and will remain so regardless of the soil PH. Since the macrophylla (which includes the lacecap) blooms on old growth, it is imperative not to prune after 1 August as they are forming buds for the next year s flowers and will have few if any blooms in the spring. Another reason for no blooms in the spring is the late spring freeze we sometimes get in North Alabama that kills the new buds. There are several reblooming varieties available which have the ability to form new buds if the ones already there are killed by a late freeze, but I have little experience with the reblooming variety. The macrophylla is slightly picky but if given the proper attention, will reward you for many years in the garden. Keep soil moist throughout the summer. Wilting does not always mean they need water as the heat of a summer day will wilt them. Feel around the roots to see if they need water and if not, they will perk up when the afternoon sun lets up. These plants are very easy to propagate by taking new wood cuttings and they also dry beautifully for floral arrangements. Old wood cuttings are also possible but I have not experimented with this. 2

3 Hydrangea Continued The oakleaf hydrangea is a southern native plant and very easy to grow. They are more drought and heat tolerant than the mopheads and in my experience, they are practically deer resistant. No pruning is necessary on these plants unless size is a problem or to take out deadwood. In the spring they have beautiful white cone-shaped blooms, in the fall the leaves turn a beautiful burgundy and in the winter they reward you again with their peeling/scaling bark. Oakleafs also need moist, organic soil but at the same time cannot tolerate wet feet. Their shallow roots do best with a fairly thick mulch, and they colonize and send up new shoots each year. The oakleaf also bloom on old wood but in my experience they are more tolerant of a late spring freeze. In the late summer heat and drought they wilt and appreciate a deep watering but do not wilt nearly as much as macrophyllas. The coned shaped blooms are easily dried and can be sprayed any color or left natural for a beautiful floral arrangement. Some of my oakleafs are approximately 10 feet tall and in the spring are a beautiful sight to behold. PANICULATA (PG/Limelight) and Arborescens (Annabelle) If I were starting my hydrangea collection again, I believe the Annabelle and PG would dominate my garden. In my opinion, these are the most dependable of all and seem determined to bloom regardless of the treatment they receive except do not prune after new growth has emerged, I prune mine in the Jan/Feb timeframe. The Annabelle can be pruned drastically and full canes taken out to reshape the plant. It grows rapidly and the root system gets larger every year and can be separated and new plants started. It is best to do this early in the spring before the heat is so intense but I have had success transplanting in the middle of summer (which I don t recommend). Even though they wilted completely away, I kept watering and new leaves emerged. (This is one of the sometimes-works and sometimes-doesn t). The Annabelle leaves are thinner and seem to attract bugs in the hotter months more than the thicker leaf variety. Recommend spraying with an insecticide to keep the leaves attractive. The PG is a very heat-tolerant upright plant and it blooms in the summer when all other hydrangeas are spent. The PG is the only hydrangea that can be pruned into a tree form. If you plant to make a tree form, the younger the plant when you start the pruning, the easier it will be. I have seen beautiful ones with one major trunk and limbs that weep. I prefer mine in natural form and they are a sight to behold in the middle of a hot day with their beautiful pure white blossoms. The PG like full sun and an occasional deep watering during the hot summer months while the buds are forming and beginning to open. They can be pruned when they have finished blooming in the late summer or in the late winter/early spring before new growth appears. In summary, all hydrangeas are beautiful and for the most part easy to grow. In my opinion the only downside of hydrangeas is the watering which does take a lot of time during the hot months. FOR THE LOVE OF HYDRANGEA, I can do this for them every few days, as they reward me so much when they show off their beautiful blooms in the spring and summer. When the blooms begin to fade and the textures begins to change, finally comes the fun process of drying and allowing their beauty to be preserved and enjoyed in lovely arrangements throughout the winter season. There is nothing about the hydrangea not to love! They will be with you for many years in the garden and reward your efforts so take good care of them as they are truly worth it all, and a labor of love! June 9th Meeting! Hydrangea Propagation Program with Edith Kent ~ MG s-save your 1-Quart Pots & Gallon Milk Containers & watch for Open Workshop date. Master Gardener Classes Classes begin in January & August at Belle Mina, Mooresville Rd, Limestone County Apply Soon For a 13 week course, Apply to: Ken Creel, Regional Extension Agent, 819 Cook Ave, Huntsville, AL Phone

4 L C M G A I have recently started working on the Limestone County Master Gardener Scrapbook. If you have any old pictures or newspaper clippings to use in the scrapbook, please bring them to the next meeting or leave them inside the scrapbook at the extension office and I will be glad to include them. There is a time gap in the scrapbook, so any older articles will be helpful. I just need to get them before starting the 2014 year. Going forward, please bring future pictures and articles to the LCMG meetings. I appreciate any picture and newspaper contributions. Thanks, Jenny Bowen LCMGA Plant Sale April 19th, 2014 Farmers Market on Green St. Come Early to Set Up Get your plants established ASAP for good root growth. Replace, repot those plants damaged during our cold winter. Prepare nametags, planting/growing instructions NEW Prepare for Teaching Station Bring your crafts, birdhouses, home-made pots, potting benches, and garden décor to sell for LCMGA Work dates will be posted by for... Hwy 31 Triangles Spring planting will be started soon. Contact Bruce Fulton Offer your assistance for volunteer time. Demonstration Garden What are your ideas for 2014? Contact Kathryn Davis Watch for Planning Session date. 4

5 LCMGA Christmas Party 2013 at the historic Donnell House December 9th 6:00 PM 8 PM PHOTOS by Jenny Bowen Photos by Jenny Bowen 2/10/2014 Doug Chapman, Limestone County Extension Agent with Ken Creel Regional MG Co-ordinator advising Limestone County Master Gardeners with questions on the heavy frosts results from the cold snap. With nearly every question, the answer was to wait and see. Most plants are more hardy than we think. After April 15th, a better assessment can be made. 5

6 Liriope has my Heart! by Joni Gruber MG since 2006 I have oodles of Liriope waving their leaves proudly on my property. Mine are in straight, curved and zig-zig rows. They re used as edging, borders and specimen plantings. I have them surrounding trees, and I have them potted. Liriope Muscari, both Big Blue and Variegata, are great for all the plantings I have. However, in one location the owners before me put in Liriope Spicata Silver Dragon. The Silver Dragon spreads everywhere like crab grass with long runner tentacle-like roots and was difficult to remove. Spicata s main use is as a groundcover for slopes and ledges where nothing else grows and it does spectacularly well in this instance. Not only can it withstand the sun and drought, but it also does very well in wet weather and areas by ditches, and it can even take the landscape with salty sprays while it holds the slope in place. For me, the potted Big Blue Liriope is where these little plants really shine. I ve left these plants potted, in shady places in 100 degree temperatures for several days and no wilt. They just patiently sit around waiting, knowing that eventually you ll water them. This dependable beauty can be put in the shade of your patio or driveway and last through the winters and flower for 3-5 months as well. A potted Big Blue thrives in the shade of a porch, and in the sun their usually very green leaves fade toward a yellower shade, but they are still healthy and happy. I ve had some potted for seven years in the same pot, never fertilized and highly neglected, yet they remain faithful and blooming like none other. Variegata will do the same but has the stripe. The Liriope stays in great shape here in the Tennessee Valley from March through December, whether in the ground or in the pots. When they start turning brown and become limp and sag down, it only means the tops are dying off for the winter. Just use your scissors on your pots, your shears or garden edger for the borders and specimen plants. But if you don t have time, the dying leaves will eventually be hidden by the new growth. It s a superb plant to share; just dig it up and divide. By the end of February you ll see the little green spikes returning to brighten and freshen up the look of your garden or porch and patio. What a winner! It s pretty, it s easy, it s colorful, and hardy! Liriope has stolen my heart for easy gardening. GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER - INVENTOR, BOTANIST, CHEMIST BORN 1864 ONE HUNDRED FIFTY YEARS AGO - THIS YEAR Although Alabama cannot claim Carver s birth, Carver's work at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama included groundbreaking research on plant biology that brought him to national prominence. Many of these early experiments focused on the development of new uses for crops such as peanuts, sweet potatoes, soybeans & pecans. He wrote a syndicated newspaper column and toured the nation, speaking on the importance of agricultural innovation. Carver's epitaph reads: "He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world." He is buried in Tuskegee, AL (1943) From Biography.com 6

7 LCMGA 2014 Meeting Schedule LCMGA Meetings Every second Monday of the month Call for info Master Gardener Helpline: GROW (4769) Spring 2014 January February 10th March 10th April 14th May 12th June 9th July 14th August 11th September 8th October 13th November 10th December 8th - Officers Meeting - Doug Chapman, Speaker - Lasagna Gardening with Sue Bish - Plant Sale Preparation - Evening LCMGA Picnic - Hydrangea Propagation with Edit Kent - Rose Propagation with Jerry Davis - Evening Hummingbirds with Melissa Kirkindall - Container Gardening with Alice Lawler - Fall bulbs with Janet Booth - Pruning with Max Campbell - Evening Christmas Party and Officer Installation Master Gardener interns are invited to attend all meetings. Record your hours for educational credit as well volunteer time. Contact Kathryn Davis, Class Coordinator, with your questions. Day meetings are at noon at the Limestone County Extension office or as noted in s. Evening meetings are at 6 PM at the locations designated in s. Limestone County Office of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System LIMESTONE COUNTY MASTER GARDENER ASSOCIATION (LCMGA) 1109 W. Market Street, Suite A, Athens, AL (256) limestonemg@yahoo.com 7