OCTOBER 2016 NEWSLETTER HORTICULTURE

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1 HORTICULTURE NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2016 Cooperative Extension Service Daviess County 4800A New Hartford Road Owensboro, KY (270) Fax: (270) Tips From Annette As weather changes, our gardening tasks change too. It has been a challenge to grow landscape plants, fruits, and vegetables. As I have been told by other gardeners, there is always next year. Timely gardening tips are provided below. Avoid fertilizing trees and shrubs now since they are preparing for dormancy. Fertilize them after they are dormant, which may be after Thanksgiving. A Rule of Thumb for harvesting sweet potatoes is when the largest number of potatoes are 6-8 ounces per hill. If the sweet potatoes are not harvested before a frost occurs, clip sweet potato vines to prevent damage to the sweet potatoes. Fall is the best time to fertilize the lawn. Remove diseased and dead plant material from the garden and landscape to slow down the development of disease and insect pests in the spring. Consider pest proofing your home since lady bugs, box elder bugs, and brown marmorated stink bugs will look for areas to hibernate. Cover warm season vegetables with sheets or spun bound material during threat of frost to extend the growing season. Before a frost, harvest mature green tomatoes. Store them in the dark to keep them from becoming bitter and cover with paper to avoid drying out. Check often and remove ripened fruit to eat. Upcoming Events October 6 Fall Floral Workshop 10:00 a.m. and again at 6:00 p.m. Daviess County Extension Office Pre-registration and $15 is required. October 22 Daviess County FREE Tox Away Day 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Sportscenter on Hickman Avenue (off Parrish Ave) Click on the link below for information on Acceptable and Unacceptable Items to bring news aspx If you have any questions, contact Mike Hamilton November 2 * Session 1: Estate Planning Workshop Series 5:30 p.m. - Daviess County Extension Office November 9 * Session 2: Estate Planning Workshop Series 5:30 p.m. - Daviess County Extension Office November 16 * Session 3: Estate Planning Workshop Series 5:30 p.m. - Daviess County Extension Office * Cost for Estate Planning Workshop: $10/single or $15/couple Call Extension Office for Registration Form. Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability. UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND KENTUCKY COUNTIES, COOPERATING. LEXINGTON, KY 40546

2 Fertilizing Your Lawn Lawns require fertilizer to remain healthy. Proper fertilization practices will lead to a thick, dark green, uniform lawn that is competitive against weed and disease invasions. If any essential nutrient is limiting, the plants will not perform at their highest level. Without question, the best time to fertilize cool-season lawns (Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue) in Kentucky is during the autumn. These grasses all grow optimally during cooler weather and can best utilize nutrients at this time of year. The turf develops a better root system, becomes very dense, and has much better late fall and early spring color if nitrogen is applied in the fall. The number of times that you provide nitrogen depends upon the lawn quality you desire. Low and medium maintenance levels are best for general lawns that receive little or no summer irrigation this includes most Kentucky home lawns. High maintenance levels usually require some irrigation, high mowing frequency, and often more pest control. Soils and soil fertility levels vary across Kentucky. The only way to specifically know the fertility needs your lawn is to perform a soil test. A basic soil test is very inexpensive and will provide you information about certain nutrient levels and the ph of the soil. For information on soil testing, call Soil tests should be conducted every three to five years on established lawns and may be taken at any point during the year. The primary macronutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These are considered primary due to the larger quantities required by plants. These nutrients can often be deficient in the soil resulting in the need to fertilize. The soil test does not adequately measure nitrogen. Nitrogen changes forms in the soil very rapidly so it is difficult to predict its availability to plants with a soil test. Turf growth is highly dependent on nitrogen fertilization, but applying nitrogen at the wrong time or in heavy amounts may severely damage your lawn. A general recommendation is to apply one pound actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet at any given application. Phosphorus, potassium, and lime should be applied according to the soil test. Because the fertilizer analysis tag indicates only the percent of nutrients in the bag, you must calculate the pounds of nutrients to apply. For assistance with calculations, contact the Daviess County Extension Service at AGR-212 Fertilizing Your Lawn AGR212.pdf Fall Floral Workshop The Fall Floral Workshop will be held twice on October 6, The first workshop will be 10 a.m.-noon and repeated in the evening 6-8 p.m. Pre-registration and a $15 supply fee will be required to attend the class and must be in our office before we can reserve a spot for you. The fee must be received by the close of business (4:30 p.m.) on October 4. There is a 20 person maximum for each workshop, so pre-register quickly. Make your check payable to Daviess County Program Fund Drop off or mail to: Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service Attention: Floral Workshop 4800A New Hartford Road Owensboro, KY If you have any questions, please contact us at Daviess County Horticulture Facebook Page 2

3 Common Kentucky Spiders By: Blake Newton and Lee Townsend, Extension Entomology, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture The majority of Kentucky's spiders are harmless to humans. These pictures will help with quick identification of spiders that are commonly encountered in Kentucky. Black Widow Spiders are capable of inflicting a poisonous bite. The female is about 1/2-inch long, shiny black, and usually has a red hourglass mark on the underside of the abdomen. Juveniles and male spiders are smaller than the females and have several red dots on the abdomen s upper side. Bites require immediate medical attention. Brown Recluse Spiders are about the size of a black widow but it is not so readily distinguished from many other spiders. It ranges from a dark cream color to dark brown. The abdomen is darker than the rest of the body. It has a violin-shaped, dark mark on top of the leg-bearing section of the body. People are sometimes bitten in their sleep when they roll onto a brown recluse. More often the victim is bitten while putting on a shoe or piece of clothing. Bites are very serious and require immediate medical attention. Cellar Spiders with long, thin legs build sheet like or irregular webs in dark places. They commonly hang upside down under the web. Crab Spiders have two long front pairs of legs. They wait in ambush for insect prey on plants, flowers, tree trunks, or soil litter. They rarely enter buildings and do not persist indoors. Fishing Spiders prefer moist habitats, such as around streams or other bodies of water, but may be found in basements or other damp parts of buildings. They have the typical dark markings of a wolf spider. Grass Spiders are brown with prominent longitudinal gray or tan stripes. They have two, small, finger-like projections on the end of their abdomen. Grass spiders are often mistaken for brown recluses. House Spiders are brown and tan highlighted with dark brown patterns. They have a spherical abdomen; almost always encountered in its compact, messy cobweb. They are often mistaken for brown recluses. Orb Weaver Spiders vary by species. Some are solid tan or brown, while others are colorful with vivid patterns. They are distinguished by their webs: no other common Kentucky spiders make organized, circular, grid-like webs. Wolf Spiders are fast-moving and they are typically seen running on the ground. Most are dark or light brown, usually with contrasting spots or stripes. Wolf spiders often wander into homes. They are often mistaken for brown recluses. Yellow Sac Spiders have tan legs and head, and yellow abdomen. They are often mistaken for the brown recluse, but they lack the "fiddle" pattern of the brown recluse. The bite of a yellow sac spider can be painful, but it is not medically significant except to allergic individuals. Black Widow Brown Recluse Cellar Spider Crab Spider Fishing Spider Grass Spider House Spider Orb Weaver Wolf Spider Yellow Sac Spider 3

4 Spring Flowers from Fall Bulbs Youth Program Updates 4-H Garden Club The 4-H Garden Club members had a very successful summer. Four members competed at the State Fair Plant Identification & Judging Contest. Their most recent project was creating leaf prints of ornamental plants. Members are ready for more projects and excitement this fall. We will be planting bulbs again this fall so they will bloom in the spring. Our next meeting will be Monday, October 3, 6:00 p.m. at the Daviess County Extension Service Office. Girl s Inc. The Girls Inc. Garden Girls have had a blast working in their raised beds this year. They planted some fall crops and are waiting to harvest their radishes and spinach. The girls have had lessons on seed adaptions, how seeds travel, the structure and function of plants, pollinators, and the pollination process, along with many other lessons. By: Debbie Owens, Master Gardener In winter, we watch ever patiently for our spring flowers to poke through the ground. It s a sign of all things new and that spring is near. We refer to all the spring flowers as bulbs, but not all are bulbs. There are five varieties of structures which fall in the bulb family and each produce a different flower. There is a wide variety of bulb types that produce blooms from early spring to fall. In addition to bulbs, we have corms, tubers, tuberous root, and rhizomes. These five types of bulbs give us different flowers in the early and late spring. Some bulbs are hardy while others are tender, meaning if a bulb is tender, you must dig it up in the fall and store it to plant in the spring again. Hardy bulbs can stay in the ground and survive the cold weather all the while producing the plant that pokes through the ground. Weather conditions affect the length of bloom display. Spring blooming bulbs will typically last longer if the weather remains cool. Hot spring temperatures dramatically decrease the length of display. This often happens in Kentucky and generally shortens the expected display from tulips. Many Bulbs are hardy and are planted in the fall staying in the ground to produce daffodils, tulips, or lilies. Corms are similar to bulbs and are hardy to the weather. Corms produce crocus in early spring. Bulbs that bloom early March are the bluebells, snowdrops, and crocus. With daffodils and tulips blooming later in March. In April the Greek Anemone and hyacinth bloom. Alliums usually bloom in spring with the lilies blooming in June. UK has a great publication, HO-80 - Spring, Summer & Fall Bulbs, which details individual flowers, when they bloom, and the type of bulb that produces them. Most bulbs will tolerate a wide range of soil conditions. They generally do best in soils with a ph range of 5.5 to 6.5, although some, such as hyacinths, do better in a slightly more acidic soil. In general, soil type is not as important as soil drainage. Avoid planting in soils with poor drainage. Give your garden a variety next spring. Now is the time to plant the bulbs. Have fun. 4

5 Solving Some Mystery Bites By: Lee Townsend, Extension Entomology University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Posted on September 20, 2016 Kentucky Pest News Website Mystery bites plague a significant number of people. Unfortunately, there can be a range of causes, most of which do not involve insects. The frustration of invisible itches can cause significant stress and anxiety. Even when they are insect-related, it can be very difficult to capture a culprit. Consequently, many complaints go unresolved. Figure 1. Biting gnat or no-see-um (Photo: E. T. Schmidtmann, USDA ARS) Above-normal rains this summer have created many wet breeding sites for tiny blood-feeding gnats called no-see-ums by some. These minute insects can approach a person, bite, and leave without being detected. Individual reactions to their bites can range from small red welts to local allergic reactions that itch intensely. Patient and persistent work by the victims and agents in Daviess and Todd counties have resulted in identification of these insects in two cases. Identifying the cause of a problem is significant, but in some cases there is no effective course of action to remedy it. Several species of these biting gnats and their larvae develop in a range of aquatic and semi-aquatic or marshy sites that are impossible to find, eliminate, or treat, even though they probably are nearby. Repellents may provide some relief, but a killing frost is the only thing that holds real promise for ending the problem. While fall brings wonderful weather, it also signals the start of the insect invasion period. The brown marmorated stink bug is capturing news headlines. Many times, the brown marmorated stink bug is first detected as an accidental house invader in the fall or winter. This is how it was found in Daviess County in the winter of Knowing how to identify it is important to make the best management decisions. Stink bugs are roundish, shield-shaped bugs with five segmented antennae. Brown marmorated stink bug can be recognized as a relatively large and flattened stink bug. It gets its name from the marbled brown and gray colors on its back. The underside is variable in color, but is much lighter than the upper side. To distinguish it from other similar stink bugs, it has two wide, light-colored, banded areas on the antennae. The abdomen on the brown marmorated stink bug extends past the wings such that there are light-colored triangles visible past the wing edges. When disturbed, the insect will leave a cilantro-like odor. (Picture from Rutgers - New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station) Marmorated Stink Bug On warm days in the fall, it is attracted to and can be found gathering on trees and shrubs near buildings. Frequently they move to the higher portions of the building to find entry points. The key to controlling these in the house is to keep them out in the first place. Homes with a past history of the brown marmorated stink bug need to be checked for entry points where these insects can get into the attic, eaves, or other parts of the house. This needs to be done before they begin their movement indoors. Research at the University of Kentucky has found that screening materials to exclude BMSB adults need to be 1/6 or smaller in size. Chimneys, ventilation openings to the attic, and cracks around doors and windows serve as common entry points. -marmorated-stink-bug-invastion-to-begin-soon/ 5

6 Pumpkin Apple Muffins 1¼ cups all purpose flour 1¼ cups whole-wheat flour 1¼ teaspoons baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1¼ cups honey 2 large eggs 1½ cups fresh pureed pumpkin ½ cup canola oil 2 cups Granny Smith apples, finely chopped 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 2. In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt, spices. 3. In a small bowl, combine honey, eggs, pumpkin, and oil, stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. 4. Fold in apples. 5. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups, two-thirds full. 6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until muffins test done. 7. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Note: Can substitute two cups granulated sugar for honey, decrease baking soda by 1/4 teaspoon and increase oven temperature to 305 degrees F. Yield: 18 muffins Nutritional Analysis: 200 calories, 7 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 160 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 20 g sugar, 3 g protein Buying Kentucky Proud is easy. Look for the label at your grocery store, farmers' market, or roadside stand. Flower of the Month Galanthus nivalis snowdrop Common Name: Snowdrop Type: Bulb Family: Amaryllidaceae Zone: 3 to 7 Height: 6 to 9 inches Spread: 4 to 6 inches Bloom Time: February Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium Maintenance: Low Flower: Showy Tolerate: Deer, Clay Soil, Black Walnut Bringing Plants Indoors By: Andrea Stith, Horticulture Technician It is time to bring the houseplants that have been outdoors this summer indoors by slowly acclimating them back to indoor conditions. It is important to gradually reintroduce the plants to indoor conditions in order to reduce the trauma on the plants. Since conditions such as temperature, humidity, and light differ greatly inside and outside of our homes, exposing them to these changes a few hours at first, then increase the time each day over a two week period. It is wise to check our plants for insects and disease and to treat them according to their specific needs before bringing them inside. Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor from the University of Vermont, recommends soaking the pot in a tub of lukewarm water for about 15 minutes to help force insects out of the soil that may be in the pot. Contact us for more horticultural information at In Season Locally in October/November Apples Beets Broccoli Cabbage Greens Turnips Spinach Winter Squash Annette Meyer Heisdorffer Daviess County Extension Agent for Horticulture Education 6