Washington County Garden Club Study Tours in Horticulture

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1 Washington County Coopera ve Extension Service August/September 2017 Volume 13, Issue 8/9 Inside This Issue Fall Vegetable Gardening 2 To Do s August 3 To Do s September 4 Recipes of The Months 5 Plants of The Months 6 Garden Club News 6 Beekeepers News 6 Garden Club Study Tour Cont. 7 A Note From Dennis 6 Wheelbarrow Series 8 HORTICULTURE Wheel Bugs Roll On 8 This has been a very eye opening view of what goes on in horticulture, stated the garden club President. Another participant evaluated the program by saying, I have learned that there are a lot of opportunities for careers in the horticultural field. I will definitely tell my grandchildren about this. Coopera ve Extension Service Washington County 211 Progress Road Springfield KY, (859) Fax: (859) h p://ces.ca.uky.edu/washington Washington County Garden Club Study Tours in Horticulture Featured In CEDIK Newsletter A number of individuals from Washington County Garden Club posed a question to their extension office a few years ago. Could the office supplement the Garden Club activities to include Kentucky history, agritourism themes, and more in-depth horticulture topics? Dennis Morgeson, Washington County s horticulture agent strives to provide a positive extension experience while facilitating a well-rounded program. Many Garden Club participants weren t fulfilled with a 2 to 3 hour class in the evening, said Morgeson. And the participants had more specific horticulture interests. The new format inspired regional day trips for Washington County residents and provided a new view of their community, region, and the horticulture economic sector. Washington County s Garden Club and Master Gardener Program have always been well attended. As participants voiced their requests for additional horticulture information from their community and region, the Extension office promoted active and representative participation to enable all interested parties to influence the direction of the program. As the program added layers and content, the population range of participants grew, adding a number of male residents as well as younger participants. The first full year of the study tours program, holding one or two meetings a month, ended in the fall of Participants have visited the UK Pathology lab to discuss plant samples, entomologists in Louisville, commercial

2 Plan ng Fall Vegetables In Kentucky It s not too late to continue to enjoy your garden and to add new plantings. You can grow a variety of produce in Kentucky gardens in the coming weeks and have several fresh items available well into the fall. Cooler nights later in the year can increase the sugar content of many crops and thus increase their quality. Cooler nights also slow growth, so your crops can take longer to mature than in the summer. Keep this slower pace in mind when you check seeds for days to maturity. Early August is the right time to make your last planting of bush beans, carrots, sweet corn, kale, collards, bibb lettuce, turnips, and cole crops such as kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. For late August and into September you can try planting mustard greens, spinach greens, radishes, turnip greens and leaf lettuce. Before planting, remove any existing debris, including crops and weeds from your garden bed, move them to the compost bin and then prepare the soil. If the previous crop was well fertilized and grew vigorously you may not need to add much, if any additional fertilizer, otherwise apply about 2 to 3 pounds of a complete fertilizer such as or per 100 square feet of planting area. Remember to keep fall gardens well watered as this tends to be a fairly dry time in Kentucky. A weekly irrigation sufficient to wet the soil to 6 or 8 inches should be adequate. This is more or less equivalent to a weekly 1-inch rain. To learn more about fall gardening options, contact the Washington County Cooperative Extension Service and ask for publication ID-128, Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky. You may also view the publication online at www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/ id/id128/id128.pdf Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin. Article written by Dr. Rick Durham University of Kentucky Consumer Horticulture Specialist.

3 Flowers To control powdery mildew on begonia, phlox, rose, or zinnia try not to wet the foliage. Use a fungicide spray such as Cleary's or immunox. August To Do s haven t already. This will buffer the soil temperature this winter and will hold in much needed moisture during the late summer and fall which is generally dry. Lawns If you have dead looking spots in your yard don t be alarmed it may just be dormant. When and if we have wetter cooler conditions many of these dead spots may green up. Sharpen your lawn mower blade. Prune out old canes that have fruited from June-bearing raspberries. This will reduce disease spread. When the raspberry and blackberry harvest is over spray the plants well with sevin. This will kill the Japanese beetles and the cane borers. Now is a good time to thin out strawberry plants. It is best to leave 5-7 plants per row for a good harvest next year. Make a mental note of the apple and pear trees that have had or have fire blight. Next spring those are the trees that will have the most cankers. By pruning those out you will greatly reduce the amount of inoculum available for the disease to spread. Continue to dead head annuals and perennials unless you want to save the seeds. Most of our annuals will continue to bloom until frost if kept dead headed, watered, and fertilized. Many perennials will re-flower if dead headed as well. Divide perennial phlox, day lily, iris, and spring flowering bulbs such as tulip and daffodil in August. Trees And Shrubs Water trees and shrubs once a week, especially spring flowering ones. They set next years flowers buds in late summer and fall. Don t prune trees and shrubs now. This will force new tender growth that will get killed this winter. Apply a new layer of mulch if you Mid August is the time to control grub larvae. Mow your lawn and rake any grass clippings or thatch before applying any chemical. This will allow the chemical to get into the soil faster. Apply Dylox or Bayer Advanced 24 hour grub control. Don t fertilize turf until October, November, or December. Fertilizing now will only stress the turf even more. Get a soil test done now on your lawn. The results will be available later this fall when the recommended one and only fertilizer application for low maintenance turf is needed. Fruit Keep mulch at least 2-3 inches deep around bush and vine fruits to control weeds and conserve moisture. If your apples are late maturing continue sprays for apple scab. Also any leaves that fall should be raked up and disposed of because they harbor spores for future disease outbreaks. It is a good idea to clean up fallen fruit from under any fruit trees instead of letting it decompose in place. This debris will also harbor disease organisms for next years outbreak. When picking and ripening blueberries it is best to allow the berries to remain on the plant for 3 days after it turns purple. This will allow it to develop maximum flavor and sugar content.

4 September To Do s Keep watering and fertilizing annuals, they can give you terrific color until frost. Don t trim trees and shrubs now, wait until the plants go completely dormant. You can trim evergreens in December if you want greenery for the holidays. It is best to trim trees and shrubs in February. Unless they bloom in the spring and then you wait and prune just after they finish blooming. Remove and destroy all old vegetable plants. These plants harbor insect and disease that will be ready to infest your garden next year. If you compost this material make sure that your pile gets hot enough to destroy these organisms. If you aren t sure your pile is hot enough make a separate pile for vegetable plants and don t put this compost back in the vegetable garden. Plant newly purchased tress now but keep them well watered. September planted tress have a chance to root in well before cold temperatures. Don t prune trees and shrubs now. Check spruce and arborvitae for spider mites. Place a white sheet of paper under some of the braches and tap it. If you have an infestation you will be able to see the little creatures on the paper. Spray spider mites with Kelthane, insecticidal soap, or horticultural oil. Don t apply the soaps or oils to blue spruce etc., it will take the blue off. Remove and destroy all mummies from fruit crops. Mummies are dead dried fruit that doesn t fall from the tree. This material acts as a reservoir for next years pests. Do soil tests on areas you plan to plant fruit crops such as blueberries and strawberries next year. It takes 3 to 6 months for lime or sulphur to activate. Control fruit flies that have been entering your house on the increased fruits and vegetable you have been bringing in lately by simply sucking them up with the vacuum. Make a fruit fly trap by mixing a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar with a quarter cup water and one drop of dish liquid. The flies are drawn to the vinegar and will land on the surface of the water, without the soap they can stand on water but the soap breaks the tension and they drown! Take a soil test of your lawn before you spot seed or renovate. Don t fertilize existing lawns now, wait until late October, November, or December. Keep newly seeded lawns or areas well watered until it is well established and has had a couple mowings. Don t apply weed killers to newly seeded or sodded areas. September is a good time to divide and plant perennials. Its still warm enough for growth to occur without too much stress and it gives them time to root in before winter. Go ahead and soil test your flower beds. Most flowers prefer a ph between 5.5 and 6.5. Now is a good time to correct any ph problems where the plants will be ready to grow come spring. Don t apply Nitrogen to perennials in the fall this includes September. Plant Garlic bulbs now for harvest next July. Be sure to plant the root or fat end down. Its not too late to sow spinach, radish, and mustard in the vegetable garden. You can also still plant transplants of lettuce and other cool season crops.

5 Recipes Of The Months August/September

6 August Plant of The Month: Sedum Superstar Common Name: Stonecrop This low maintenance, compact Stonecrop will be the star of your late summer garden. Dark turquoise succulent leaves have a smoky gray overlay. Later in the season, rosy pink flowers with hot pink carpels explode over the dome-like habit with great flower coverage. Dark purple seed heads extend the color long have it has finished blooming. Although compact, 'Superstar' is more of an intermediate groundcover, more in line with the height of the popular 'Pure Joy'. Don't miss its lighter hued counterpart, 'Popstar'! This plant pairs perfectly with other fall bloomers like hardy garden mums, asters, and Black- Eyed Susans. Try a few in containers and at the front of the border. Information taken from: Note: This sedum will likely be supplied at the Wheelbarrow Series Class on Sedums on September 26th, there are still spots open, the class is $20.00 Call the Extension Office to register. September Plant of The Month: Anemone Wilds Swan Common Name: Anemone, Windflower This Anemone has been instantly popular everywhere it has been introduced, and we re sure you re going to love it too. Unlike the typical Japanese hybrids that only bloom in fall, this Anemone rupicola hybrid blooms from late spring until frost with continuous prolific bloom. Huge white flowers will delight you with their lilac-blue bands on the backside. These bands will be a main feature as the flowers close at night. WILD SWAN was selected from a batch of Anemones by Elizabeth MacGregor of Scotland, a plant enthusiast and owner of Elizabeth MacGregor Nursery. She selected WILD SWAN for its vigor and long flowering performance. Information take from: ID=ANEWS Note: This anemone will be supplied at the Wheelbarrow Series Class on Japanese Anemone on August 29th. There are still spots available call the Extension Office to register., the class is $ Washington County Garden Club News and Events The Washington County Garden Club will have their annual fall potluck at the Washington County Extension Office on September 21, 2017 at 6:00 PM. The club will supply the meat. Please call the Extension Office if you plan to a end by September 15th, Spouses, friends, family, and significant others are welcome, just let us know how many you plan to bring. Washington County Beekeeper s Associa on News and Events The next beekeepers mee ng will be Monday October 2, 2017 at the Washington County Extension Office at 6:15 P.M. with a pot luck. There will be no mee ng Monday September 4th due to the Labor Day Holiday.

7 Washington County Garden Club Study Tours in Horticulture Featured In CEDIK Newsletter greenhouse productions, Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, a Casey County Amish community, University of Kentucky s South Farm and Arboretum, and a behind the scenes tour of the Kentucky Governor s Mansion grounds. Washington County Garden Club Study Tours improved participants regional horticulture sector knowledge allowing them to see multiple sides of their community. They get the chance to see what might be lacking specifically as it pertains to horticulture in our own community and that there may be needs that we haven t yet acknowledged, explained Morgeson. Gathering groups for extended times also allows for deeper discussion on current, local issues. Extension s promotion of representative participation and continued evaluations will provide for the long-term sustainability of the Garden Club Study Tour group. And Washington County participants increased knowledge in the regional horticulture sector provides engaged citizens who understand their community economic connections. Dennis Morgeson, Horticulture Agent Washington County Cooperative Extension Service SUCCESS STORY Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. Washington County Garden Club Study Tours in Horticulture Washington County Cooperative Extension Well, summer has flown by! I know it is technically still summer but school has started back and the full on rat race has begun. Tori and Gabby were actually ready to go back to school this year! Tori is in 7th grade and has switched schools from Lebanon Middle to St. Charles (its name changed but it s always St. Charles to me), and Gabby is in 4th grade at Lebanon Elementary. They are growing up too fast but I guess we all do/did! I mean I m going to be 42 in November! On to horticulture! The growing season has been pretty good with only one major complaint...japanese Beetles! They were horrible this year at my house. They came early and heavy and stayed late. Summer rains last year and this year have really helped them. They need moist soil A Note From Dennis to lay eggs in and then the following year to emerge. I will gladly fight Japanese Beetles rather than drought however! If you haven t noticed the plants of the months please flip the page back and take a look. The sedum and anemone posted will likely be plants in the group you will take home. There are still slots open in those Wheelbarrow Series Classes so take advantage and sign up for them. Happy Gardening!

8 Washington County Coopera ve Extension Service 211 Progress Road Springfield KY, Remaining 2017 Wheelbarrow Series Schedule August 29th AM or PM Anemone: An Unsung Hero $20.00 September 12th AM or PM Growing Garlic In Kentucky $10.00 September 26th AM or PM Sensa onal Sedums $20.00 October 10th AM or PM Dreamy Daffodils $20.00 October 24th AM or PM Compos ng 101 Free! Basic Registra on For Any and All Classes $5.00 x Total From Above Minus 20% Discount If Doing En re Series TOTAL Wheel Bugs Role On By Dr. Lee Townsend Extension Entomologist Adult and nymphal wheel bugs are relatively common predators that can be found on trees and shrubs in late summer. Adults have cog-like wheels on their backs. Both adults and nymphs are predators that seize their victims with long grasping front legs and jab them with stout beaks. These members of the assassin bug family feed on a variety of caterpillars, bugs, beetles, and bees. The bite of an adult can be more painful than a bee sting so they should be left alone. Adult wheel bug (Photo: Lee Townsend, UK) Nymph wheel bug (Photo: Lee Townsend, UK)