The Guadalupe Gardener

Transcription

1 The Guadalupe Gardener August 2015 Extension Service A monthly publication of the Guadalupe County Master Gardeners in cooperation with the Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension, Guadalupe County President s August Potpourri We ll take some late registrations for Class 27 At this writing Class 27 stands eight registered and two possible additions. Late registrations are being accepted at least until Class Coordinator Kay McElveen decides the class has reached optimum size or that it is too late for the student to have an optimal experience. For more information Contact Kay at Remember: Master Gardeners are welcome to audit class sessions We always make sure we ve got extra chairs set out for Master gardeners who d like to sit in on any of the Class s sessions.with two exceptions. Field trips and the Propagation Class are limited to registered students. Field trips because destinations typically involve walking tours and tour sponsors prefer to limit audience sizes. The Propagation Class is limited because of the desire to maximize one-on-one, hand-over-hand training for students. Propagation Booster Shots for Master Gardeners Look for announcements of the special propagation class for certified Master Gardeners. This opportunity is being organized by Treva Hicks as a way to help those of us who d like to revisit exactly how we re supposed to help plants propagate but who are not invited to sit in on the current class s propagation session. We hope this booster training will also help generate additional ornamental plants for the Earth Day plant sale in The idea is if you come to class you commit to grow some ornamentals for yourself and a few more for the sale. Special Thanks to Treva Hicks For those of you who are unaware Treva, the perennial Master Gardener trooper, has been holding down three jobs. She s chairs the Monthly membership refreshments team, the Speakers Bureau and the Education Committee. As Education Chair she s helped organize (Continued on Page 5) August Meeting Thursday August 20th - 7 PM AgriLife Ext Bldg Program: Cathy Downs, Monarchs Social & Refreshments 6:30 PM Program at 7 PM Followed by Business Meeting Don t forget your name tags - and plants for plant exchange In This Issue Page 2 - July Meeting Program Page 3 - July Meeting Page Class 27 Page 6 - George Ammermann Fund Page 7 - Community Garden, Garage Sale Page 8 - Big Red Barn, Dubai Miracle Garden Page 9 - July Volunteer Recognition, Speakers Bureau Page 10 - Volunteer Hour Project List Page 11 - Recipes Page 12 - July Lunch & Learns, Paper Wasps, Members in Service Page 13 - Spider Mites, Gardening Events Page 14 - Volunteer Opportunities Page Education-Classes-Seminars Page 19 - August Calendar 1

2 Association News July Meeting Program Gardening with Worms! Gail Johnson, GCMG, presented the July educational program to the Guadalupe County Master Gardener membership. Gail s program included a slide show, a giveaway starter box and an example of her own worm farm. Gail reviewed what is compost, and why it is so important to the ecological future of the country. She reported that less than 3% of organic waste is recycled today in the U.S., and 30% of all home garbage is food waste. Gail has chosen the worm method of composting - using earthworms to process waste into compost. Vermicomposting or composting with worms adds life to the soil by fertilizing and aerating. She recommends red worms or European night crawlers. She explained the life cycle of the worm, showing pictures. Some environmental considerations of starting a worm farm include temperature, ideal is degrees - so summer is too hot and winter too cold in Texas. Gail keeps her worms in a building that is temperature controlled. The soil can t be too wet. ph needs to be neutral or slightly acidic and if you over-feed you have pest problems. She recommends a book Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhof, illustrations by Mary Frances Fenton, for newcomers to worm farming. It is available on-line including through Amazon. Worm food is whatever is available: table scraps, paper products, composted manure and yard clippings. Do not feed the worms meat products, salted foods, fried foods or dairy products. Use citrus only in moderation. Containers can be plastic, wood or clay pots (clay pots should be buried or they will dry out too fast). The container must have a top with holes, worms need air. Gail uses plastic and cautions not to make the container too big as the container will become heavy. Signs of problems include the worms grouping together, trying to escape the bin or they just disappear. Gail also discussed how to harvest the worm castings. After harvesting you need to restart with new medium. She recommends Scott s top soil packaged at Lowe s. The gardeners can also collect the liquid from the bottom using a layer of gravel and a drainage hole or spigot. For those interested in starting a farm you can purchase worms from someone who is already raising worms or go on-line and find a producer that sells worms. Article submitted by Sandy Foss 2

3 JULY MEETING REFRESHMENTS I want to thank everyone who provided all the great refreshments for the meeting: They were Judith M. Johnson, Cynthia Lyssy, Debbie Lowe, Betty Hughes, Marvin Borth, Pam Turner, Treva Hicks, and Beth Zies. Submitted by Treva Hicks Photos by Marvin T Taylor Earthworm starter kit donated by Gail Johnson was won by Barbara Heuerman (student, Class 27). Raffle totalled $30; Jose Contreras won the $15 split. Consolation drawing was won by Sandy Foss. TEXAS GARDENER FUNDRAISER Our Treasury keeps 25% of your subscription when it is sent through GCMG 3

4 Guadalupe County Master Gardeners Class 27 AgriLife Bldg, 210 Live Oak, Seguin Wednesday, 10:00 2:30, August 12 thru December 9 Kay McElveen, Class 27 Coordinator, has finalized the course content for this fall's Class (see below). With the exception of the Propagation Class members can retake a session at no cost. Historically, we've restricted access to the propagation class because of its intensive, hands-on nature - and the desire to devote attention to the current year's students. But - Good News for Master Gardeners who really want to brush up on their propagation skills: Look for an announcement soon for a special propagation session just for you next Fall (see page 16). All other sessions are on a space available basis and we have yet to have had to keep anyone away. It does help us plan, however, if you let Kay or Mike know which sessions you want to attend. Their contact information is: Kay McElveen, Class Coordinator, kay.mcelveen@yahoo.com or Mike Murley, Assistant Class Co-Coordinator, murleyml@yahoo.com Aug 12 Aug 19 Guadalupe County Master Gardeners Class 27 Schedule How to Take a Soil Sample and Draw a Design of Your Current Landscape. Dennis Hale, Landscape Designer, Former Wilson County AgriLife Extension Agent. Soil, Water & Plant Nutrients What You Need to Know to Achieve a Proper Balance. Mark McFarland, Ph.D, Professor, Dept of Soil & Crop Sciences, Texas, A&M; Soil Fertility Specialist, Texas AgriLife Extension Aug 26 How Plants Grow. Liz Palfini, M. S., Botany Instructor; Mgr, Recreational Facilities & Services, TX Parks & Wildlife Sep 2 Sep 9 Sep 16 Sep 23 Sep 30 Oct 7 Oct 14 Oct 21 How to Propagate Plants. Wear grubbies! Kathy Carroll & Bob Teweles, Propagation Specialists, Certified Guadalupe County Master Gardeners Composting. Lee Franzel, Certified Comal County Master Gardener How to Grow Vegetables You Like to Eat And Some You May Learn to Like. Patty Leander, Certified Travis County Master Gardener, Master Gardener Vegetable Specialist, Contributor to Texas Gardener Magazine How to Design & Create the Landscape You Want. How to Grow Better Lawns. Dennis Hale, Landscape Designer, Former Wilson County AgriLife Extension Agent. How to Use Native Plants to Bring Nature Back to Your Landscape. Field trip to Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin. Deedy Wright, Propagation & Vegetable Specialist; Founder, Guadalupe County Native Plant Society Herbs, Peppers & Vinegars How to Spice Up Your Landscape. Cindy Meredith, Proprietor, The Herb Cottage Lavaca County TX between Schulenburg & Hallettsville How to Evaluate Plant Health & Diagnose Problems in Your Landscape. Greta Schuster, Ph.D., Faculty, Texas A&M University Kingsville Extension Plant Pathologist Firewise. Jose Contreras, Firewise Specialist; President, Guadalupe County Master Gardeners Low Water Use Landscaping. Calvin Finch, Ph.D., Director, Urban Water Program, Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Resources (Continued on following page) 4

5 (Continued from preceding page) Oct 28 Nov 4 Nov 11 Nov 18 Dec 2 Dec 9 How to Harvest, Store & Re-use Rain. Liz Romero, Certified Guadalupe County Master Gardener How to Make & Install a Rain Barrel for Your Home. Dave Elder, Certified Guadalupe County Master Gardener How to Make Your Own Drip Irrigation System. Jim Johnson, Certified Guadalupe County Master Gardener Insects, Bugs & Integrated Pest Management- How to Tell Good Guys from Bad And Do Less Harm. Molly Keck, Entomologist, Bexar County AgriLife Integrated Pest Management Program Specialist How to Produce Your Own Fruits & Nuts at Home. Larry A. Stein, Ph.D., Professor & Extension Horticulturist, Texas A&M How to Select, Plant and/or Nuture Trees in Our Guadalupe County Landscape. Nancy Masterson, Certified Arborist, Certified Guadalupe County Master Gardener, Master Naturalist Texas Superstars. Larry A. Stein, Ph.D., Professor & Extension Horticulturist, Texas A&M How To Garden to For Wildlife. Meredith O Reilly, Travis County A&M AgriLife Youth Gardening Specialist for 4-H CAPITAL, Texas Master Naturalist, NWF Habitat Steward Host Landscape Design Review/Small Groups. Dennis Hale, Landscape Designer, Former Wilson County AgriLife Extension Agent. (PRESIDENT continued from page 1) Saturday workshops at the Community Garden and kicked off the Lunch and Learn Program in both Seguin and Schertz. Please join me in letting her know we appreciate her efforts. Get Ready for the Fall Fund Raiser At this writing it s the fund raiser without an official name, but expect to hear that announced at our August Membership Meeting. You can also expect to hear a list of things you might do in October and September to help prepare for the November 14 th event. The planning committee s initial work will have been completed in early August and I believe we ll have a list of the kinds of items we d like to see contributed, when the donated items can be brought to AgriLife Building for pricing and ways folks can volunteer to help at the event. Given our success at the April Earth Day plant sale we should have no trouble making our annual fund raising goal. Need to Refresh Your Fall Garden Preparation Techniques? Learn from the experts come help the community garden on work days and practice what you learn at home during the rest of the week. Contact Ann or Dale Odvody or Mary Bowe. Send In Your Landscape Design Improvements Got a pretty plant you re proud of? Just finished a landscape improvement you ve wanted to make for a long time? Got a particularly wonderful picture of grandkids or pets in your garden or landscape? them to me at elmerojose@gmail.com by Tuesday before the membership meeting and we ll show them before the meeting and during the break. 5

6 George Ammermann Fund On September 23, 2012 Guadalupe County Master Gardeners lost one of its leaders, George Ammermann, Master Gardener Emeritus. In honor of George we established the George Ammermann Education Fund. Each year since, we have donated gardening books to the Seguin, Marion and Schertz libraries in his honor using monies from this fund. This year we had enough funds to donate to these libraries $145 each with the stipulation that they purchase either adult or children s gardening books. Each librarian was very thrilled and appreciative of the gift. Especially pleased that we thought of them. Marion - Left to Right-Angie Rachwitz, Community Coordinator; Peggy Jones, MG; Belinda Reasor, Marion Library Treasurer. Schertz - Left to Right- Bob Davis, MG; Melissa Uhlhorn, Schertz Librarian, Peggy Jones, MG Seguin - Left to Right-Jackie Gross, Seguin Librarian; Peggy Jones, MG For those of you that are new to our organization George Ammermann was a leader for many years. He was our President in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2008, and 2011,and Class Coordinator for Class 18 (2006) and Class 21 (2009). In addition to the contributions that George made in Guadalupe County, he was a significant presence within the Texas Master Gardener Association (TMGA) administration. George served as 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, and then TMGA President in He continued to be involved as a Director representing Guadalupe County, then returned to the Executive Committee and served as TMGA Secretary in 2006 and He also served as chairman of the TMGA Outreach Committee for several years, and consistently led the invocation and pledge of allegiance at the TMGA Directors meetings. George will continue to be missed by all those who knew him. Photos by Bob Jones, Article respectfully submitted by Peggy Jones 6

7 Community Garden - Updates from Ann Odvody 7/1 - It was a nice morning in the garden and we got a lot accomplished. We got the harvesting out of the way first. Lots of cucumbers and tomatoes. We had 62 pounds 5 ounces for the day, bringing us to 1,419 pounds 5 ounces for the first half of the year. Kim, Debbie and I then weeded several beds and paths. Dale planted more okra and Kim planted two beds of black-eyed peas. John took the teenage boys and worked at cleaning up around the Annex building. It sure looks better! Tuesday we work on getting the blackberries cut back, some more planting and as always weeding. 7/7 - We had early morning cloud cover and a stiff breeze which made for pleasant working. Joyce, Lillian, and Mary did most of the harvesting. Denise and her family cleared a bed and planted it in more okra. Dale watched over the kids weeding and watered those places not on the drip irrigation system. Debbie and I attacked the weeds in the area back by the green house. Ground was hard as a rock. We had several visitors in the garden today who were looking in to see what we were doing. Tours of the garden were given. Today s harvest was 85 pounds 8 ounces, giving us 1,581 pounds 2 ounces for the year. Many thanks to those of you who worked today - nice visiting and the extra hands make things go so much faster. 7/19 - It was a busy week in the garden. In addition to our regular workdays, we had visitors in the garden on Wednesday. A group of 18 children and 5 adults from the YMCA s summer camp toured the garden with Dale and Mary. After the tour Mary had a quiz for the kids that they really enjoyed. We have folks on vacation so we were a little light on adults this week, but we still got the harvesting and some weeding done. We harvested 130 pounds 10 ounces for the week, giving us 1,766 pounds 8 ounces for the year. The cucumbers and some of the green beans are about burned out with the heat. Okra, Armenian cucumbers (really a melon), and black eyed peas will all be starting to produce soon. In a few short weeks it will be time to think about the fall garden! Garage Sale Looking for members to volunteer for a "garage sale planning committee." Eight volunteers have signed up to date. Garage sale has been set for November 14th at the AgriLife building. Meanwhile...save the date: Saturday, November 14, 2015 REMINDER If anyone needs a card from the organization for an illness or loss of a family member, contact: Welta Burris Secretary , or hwburris@ctxu.net. Newsletter Staff Editor - Elaine McIntyre Photographer - Marvin T Taylor Distribution - Doug Biggs Proof Reader - Bob Teweles Wandering Gardener - Marilyn Moltz What Is It? - Katie McLean GCMG Outreach Virginia Biggs is GCMG s Outreach Chairman. If anyone knows of a GCMG who needs a meal, please let her know

8 Report from the Big Red Barn In spite of sudden summer heat and summer vacations the volunteers have been working at the Big Red Barn. The Keyhole and Square Foot demonstration gardens mentioned in the last newsletter are complete (except for the dividers for the Square Foot Garden). We have even started some plantings in the Keyhole a pepper and tomato that we hope will survive the heat. In addition, we have planted pumpkins in the regular beds. Other than that we are cleaning up the beds to get them ready for fall planting. We are solarizing a large part of Plot 1 to hopefully get rid of the weeds and insects. We have cleaned up the herb garden and the butterfly garden. The butterfly garden is beautiful right now with many blooming plants. There are still a few tomatoes producing but the eggplant and okra are really providing a nice harvest. We also spent some time picking figs so that they wouldn t go to waste. Other than that we are spending time planning the fall planting. I don t know about you, but I m looking forward to broccoli and salad greens! Submitted by Kay McElveen Dubai Miracle Garden For a real treat, Google Dubai Miracle Garden. It is the world's largest flower garden - in the last place you would expect: Rainbow-colored oasis with 45 MILLION flowers is in the middle of a desert. The Dubai Miracle Garden features over 45 flower species imported from all over the world. A multitude of shaped archways, flowerbeds and structures can be seen at the 18-acre site. The colorful array is watered by a system that recycles waste water while avoiding evaporation. 8

9 July Volunteer Recognition Program 27 Certified Master Gardeners qualified for the July Volunteer Recognition Program Drawing. Having done so, all 27 also qualify for one entry into the $150 Annual Recognition Drawing. A special shout out goes to John Lewicki and Karen Patterson who reported over 40 volunteer hours for the month. Way to go John and Karen! Members Reporting 5 or More Hours in June 2015 July Volunteer Recognition Program LASTNAME FIRSTNAME LASTNAME FIRSTNAME 1 Augustus Lillian 15 McElveen Kay 2 Bennett Kathy 16 McIntyre Elaine 3 Bowe Mary 17 Micheli Hughlene 4 Cardona Ramonita 18 Moltz Marilyn 5 Chandler Mike 19 Odvody Dale 6 Cox Robert (Bob) 20 Odvody Ann 7 Darrough Kim 21 Patterson Karen 8 Elia Debra 22 Preston Jerilyn 9 Friesenhahn Joyce 23 Schultze Pat 10 Jones Peggy 24 Seale Iris 11 Knobles Janice 25 Styblo Mary 12 Lewicki John 26 Tyler-White Patricia 13 Magee Janet 27 Watkins Patricia 14 Martin Cindy Congratulations to Patricia Watkins our July winner. As our July Volunteer, Patricia won a $20 gift certificate to Maldonado Nursery. To qualify for the Monthly Volunteer Recognition Program drawing, Certified Guadalupe County Master Gardeners must report a minimum of 5 volunteer and continuing education hours earned during the month in VMS by the last calendar day of the month. Hours earned for attendance at the monthly GCMG Membership Meeting are not included in the minimum 5 hours, except those earned for meeting setup. Board members do not participate in the Volunteer Recognition Program. Don t forget to earn and report your hours by 31 August 2015 to be eligible for the September Membership Drawing. Submitted by Cindy Waechter SPEAKERS BUREAU On July 7, Jose Contreras gave a presentation to the Seguin Rotary Club at TLU on Guadalupe County Master Gardeners and what we are doing in and around Seguin. I would appreciate it if when you do a program somewhere to let me know, even though you log the information on VMS Anyone doing a MG program needs to put the attendee s information on their VMS Hours sheet. Iif you have any questions, please contact either Cindy Waechter, cindy.waechter@gmail.com or Treva Hicks, hickslt@lycos.com or call I am updating the Speakers Bureau information and contacting everyone for current information regarding programs that you are doing or can do in the future. Submitted by Treva Hicks 9

10 GCMG Project List for Recording Volunteer Hours in VMS - As of June 2015 Project Name (a) Membership Meeting (b) Continuing Education (c) MG Organizational Support (d) Guadalupe County Community Garden (e) Gutierrez Xeriscape Park (f) Red Barn (g) Approved Gardens (h) Outreach to the Public (i) Youth Education Gardening (ii) Fund Raisers (Plant Sales, Garage Sales, etc.) (iii) Earth Day (j) Master Gardener Booth (k) Master Gardener Class (l) San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo (m) Guadalupe County Fair (n) Texas State Master Gardeners Association (o) Other Description Monthly Membership Meeting to Include Speaker Presentation Record Travel Time & Business Meeting as Volunteer Hours Record Speaker Presentation as Continuing Education Hours Educational seminars/classes Committee Duties & Meetings Executive Board Duties and Meetings Master Gardener Office/Library Membership Outreach (Notifications, phone calls, cards, letters, etc.) Newsletter Facebook Socials, hospitality, refreshments (planning, set up, clean up: NOT attendance or cooking) Volunteer Hours Program Volunteer Recognition AgriLife Extension Garden Park West Publicity Public education programs/seminars (Researching, preparing, presenting) Library Gardening Series (Lunch & Learn) (Researching, preparing, presenting) Ask a Master Gardener Answering questions for the public Speaker's Bureau KWED radio (Researching, preparing, presenting) Website Seguin Christmas Tree Decorating Schertz/Cibolo Ag Days Water Fairs School gardens AgFest Big Red Barn Buckaroo Days at SASS&R Wilson County Garden Day Pecan Fest Other All activities associated with the preparation for, delivery of, and the conclusion of the Class for Master Gardeners. Directors meetings Conferences 10

11 RECIPES Easy Italian Cream Cake 1 box yellow cake mix (Duncan Hines Classic Yellow) 4 eggs 1 small box vanilla instant pudding 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1/4 cup oil 1-1/2 cups coconut 1-1/3 cups buttermilk 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted Mix the first six ingredients until combined. Beat 4 minutes at medium speed. Fold in coconut and pecans. Pour into prepared 13 x 9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for minutes. Frost with cream cheese or butter cream frosting. Garnish with toasted coconut. Submitted by Cynthia Lyssy Coconut Oatmeal Cookies 1 cup Crisco shortening 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1-1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 cup coconut Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add brown sugar, shortening, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in oatmeal, pecans, and coconut. Roll dough into small balls; dip tops into granulated sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; bake at 375 degrees for minutes. Makes about 5-1/2 dozens. I have started using Betterbody Foods organic bourbon Madagascar vanilla available at Sam s Club. It is the Mercedes of vanilla. Submitted by Cynthia Lyssy Chili Cheese Fritos Corn Salad 2 (16 oz.) bags frozen sweet corn ½ cup mayonnaise 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese ½ cup sour cream 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 1 (10.5 oz.) bag coarsely crushed Chili Cheese Fritos Corn Chips 1 cup chopped green bell pepper Salt and Pepper to taste ¼ cup chopped green onion In a large bowl, toss together corn, cheese, red and green pepper and onion. Mix together mayonnaise and sour cream; mix with corn mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in corn chips just before serving. *Do not cook the corn thaw but keep very cold great summer salad! Serves 8 to 10 people. Submitted by Debbie Lowe 11

12 July Lunch and Learn Programs At the AgriLife Extension Office in Seguin on July 2nd, 30 MGs and visitors listened to 20 Great Herbs for South Central Texas presented by Gail Johnson. The presentation was enjoyed by all. In Schertz on Monday July 13th, Nancy Masterson gave her very informative program Hello Invasives, Goodbye Texas to 21 members, and visitors. She also gave an update on the work that the GCMGs,. Master Naturalists, Native Plant Society of Texas and some of the garden clubs are doing to help remove Invasives in Park West in Seguin. PAPER WASPS Help Molly Keck, Bexar County Extension Entomologist! If you have paper wasps building nests around your house, don t knock them down. Let Molly get them! She is working with a company which will extract the venom for venom therapy. Call Molly Keck at , and she will make arrangements to remove the nest and collect the wasps. M E M B E R S I N S E R V I C E Texas Master Gardener Board of Directors Two Year Term - Dave Elder - Alternate - Marvin Borth One Year Term - Peggy Jones - Bob Teweles, Alternate Membership Outreach Committee - Virginia Biggs Speakers Bureau - Treva Hicks Guadalupe Co. Community Garden - Dale & Ann Odvody Master Gardener Office/Library - Betty Hughes Refreshment Coordinator - Treva Hicks Big Red Barn - Janice Knobles Gutierrez Xeriscape Garden - John Lewicki & Kim Darrough Historian - Sandy Foss 2015 County Fair - Cindy Martin Ag Awareness Fair - Lo-Ra Dick Class 27 Coordinators - Kay McElveen & Mike Murley Christmas Tree Decorating - Betty Hughes Facebook Editor - Cynthia Leos Newsletter Editor - Elaine McIntyre Web Master - Bob Teweles 12

13 What Is It? - by Katie McLean Spider Mites Spider mites are listed in one of my gardening guide's "Pest Watch" for August, early September. They can do serious damage to food crops and ornamentals. They're a problem mostly when soil is either too wet or too dry, and as we all know after May's weather, it may still be up for grabs whether our weather will suddenly reverse. Right now, my air is hot and soil is dry and that is not good relative to a potential spider mite problem, although they attack only already stressed, sick plants. But because they feed on several hundred species of plants, damage can be widespread. Both the nymphs and adults pierce plant cells and suck juice from foliage, fruit and roots. They're generally found at the base of the plant or on the underside of plant leaves where they spin a protective silk web, and the leaves usually turn yellow and curl. Because of their tiny size (less than 0.4 mm), it will be difficult to see them, so look for these symptoms of their presence. If you can see them, the adults are reddish brown with eight spider-like legs, no thorax or wings and no antennae. They like to overwinter in debris, bark, poke, Jerusalem oak, Jimson weed, as well as other weeds. They're not as successful with organic gardeners. However, if a problem is found, spray recommended control every three days for nine days to help get rid of them (or according to the product's instructions). It is said that the best sprays are garlic-pepper tea and seaweed mix, as well as citrus oil sprays. GARDENING EVENTS Green Spaces Alliance Collins Community Garden Groundbreaking Saturday August 8th N. Park Avenue across the street from the new H-E-B on Nogalitos For more details, or questions call or us anytime! info@greensatx.org (210) Green Spaces Alliance Sweet Honey Soire October 1st at The Veranda. An inspired evening celebrating the beauty of our natural world and our very special "community pollinator," Linda Hardberger. Garden Party Attire. Sponsorship and ticket information at Terry Hershey Texas Women in Conservation Award Nominations for the 2016 Terry Hershey Texas Women in Conservation Award are open now through August 14. Now is the time to recognize and honor the women you know who have made an impact on conservation in the great state of Texas. Questions or to learn more texaswic@audubon.org or visit texaswomeninconservation.org. Good luck and thank you for supporting Audubon's Texas Women in Conservation program. 13

14 Volunteer Opportunities Guadalupe County Master Gardeners Volunteer Opportunities Every Monday the MG office/library is open from 8:30am-noon except for holidays. Volunteers are always needed. Contact Betty Hughes or Every Tuesday and Friday are work days at the Guadalupe County Community Garden. Check with Ann Odvody ) for start hour and access at other times. Every Friday 9 am is a workday in the gardens at the Big Red Barn. Check with Janice Knobles, or jmknobles@yahoo.com for details. KWED Master Gardener Lawn and Garden Show is always looking for volunteers. Contact Janet Grafe at or to janetgrafe@hotmail.com. For our meetings, we could use help with setting out chairs since we usually put out 80 chairs. That way we are not putting out chairs during the program. If a few people came 30 minutes early, that would help a lot. Treva Hicks. Leaders Needed - Contact Jose Contreras Sep 3 - Ag Awareness Fair, Big Red Barn, 3 days, LoRa Dick needs co-chair Oct Cibolo Ag Fair. FA Barn. Need Chair and co-chair. Nov Pecan Fest. Need chair and co-chair December (date tba). Christmas Tree Decorating Seguin. Betty Hughes needs a co-chair. We need someone to step up and serve as Volunteer Chair. NEEDED - Class Assistant for Class 27 Class 27 starts August 12. Unfortunately one of the Class Assistants is moving out of state within the next month and will be unable to help with the class. As all of you know, the class really needs two people working to make it run smoothly and to provide backup. We really need someone to step into this position. If you can help, please contact Kay McElveen as soon as possible - kay.mcelveen@yahoo.com, home , cell Thanks for your help with this!! Community Garden Fair and Craft Show September 26 Volunteers are needed for the Community Garden Fair and Craft Show September 26 from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Mary Bowe is in charge of the fair and craft show. Contact her at rwbowe46@aol.com or call Cynthia Lyssy will coordinate the raffle. You can reach her at cmlyssy@prodigy.net or call

15 MG EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITES AUG 1 - SAT, San Antonio, Organic & Sustainable Farming William R. Sinkin, Eco Centro at SAC, 1802 N. Main Ave., San Antonio, TX. 10 am-12pm, Speaker: Karen Haynes, Local Organic Farmer and owner of Urban Spice Farm. Free. For more information, visit or call AUG 6 - THUR, Seguin Lunch and Learn Program, noon-1pm AgriLife Extension Office, 210 Live Oak St., Seguin, Butterfly Gardens, by Judy Stanley, MG. Free. Open to the public and attendees are welcome to bring a sack lunch. AUG 8 - SAT, San Antonio, Aquaponics and Hydroponics, 10am-12pm, William R. Sinkin, Eco Centro at SAC, 1802 North Main Ave., San Antonio, TX. Free. For more information, visit https;//orgsync.com/99838/ chapter, or call Speaker TBA. AUG 10 - MON, Schertz Lunch and Learn Program, GVEC Community Room, 907 Curtis Street, Schertz, Butterfly Gardens, presented by Judy Stanley, Guadalupe County Master Gardener. Free. Open to the public and attendees are welcome to bring a sack lunch. For more information visit: guadalupecountymastergardeners.org or call AUG 10 - MON, San Antonio, Bouquets and Arrangements for Home Decorations, Speaker Erin Essensee, Manager/Product Development, HEB Floral Department. San Antonio Rose Society Meeting and Presentation, San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels Ave. San Antonio, TX. 7:00pm-9:00pm. Free. For more information, go to: or call, Peggy Jones AUG 12 - WED, GC Master Gardener Class 27 begins! AUG 20 - THUR, AgriLife Extension Office, 210 East Live Oak St., GC Master Gardener Monthly Meeting, Speaker Cathy Downs, Monarchs, 6:30pm Social, 7pm Program, followed by membership meeting. AUG 22 - SAT, San Antonio Botanical Gardens, San Antonio Rose Society will present Companion Planting with Roses, instructor: Peggy Jones 9:30 am -11:30am. Fee $10 (members $9) Registration is via under Adult Classes. The emphasis will be on EarthKind roses. AUG 28 - FRI, Alamo Area Conservation Workshop, Small Acreage, Homeowners, Naturalists. $20 per person by Aug 21 Lunch included, ($25 at the door), Phil Hard Berger Park- Urban Ecology Center, 8400 NW Military Hwy, San Antonio, TX. To register or for more details, call Angel Torres at (210) or matorres@ag.tamu.edu. SEP 3 THUR, Seguin, Lunch and Learn Program, Drip Irrigation, by Jim Johnson, AgriLife Extension Office, 210 E. Live Oak St., Seguin TX. Free. Attendees welcome to bring a lunch. For more information call or visit guadalupemastergardeners.org. SEP 14 - MON, Schertz, Lunch and Learn Program, Companion Vegetable Gardening with Flowers, by Peggy Jones, GVEC Community Room, 907 Curtis Street, Schertz, SEP 16 - WED, San Antonio, Texas Superstar Plant Specialist Training, San Antonio Botanical Garden Education Room, 555 Funston Place, San Antonio, TX Ffor information: or call David Rodriquez at Space is limited. SEP 17 - THUR, Seguin, AgriLife Extension Office, 210 East Live Oak St. Seguin,. Master Gardener Monthly Meeting, Speaker will be Keith Amelung on Bog Plants and Gardening. 6:30pm Social/ Meet&Greet, Program at 7:00pm Membership meeting to follow. Oct 1 THUR, Lunch and Learn Program, Fall Bulbs Deedy Wright, GCMG, AgriLife Extension Office, 210 E. Live Oak St., Seguin TX. Free. Oct 12, MON Schertz Lunch and Learn Program, Lawn Care, Marvin Borth, GCMG. GVEC Community Room, 907 Curtis Street, Schertz 15

16 How to Pot up Your Plants Now for the Spring Plant Sale Saturday October 3, 10am-12 Bob Teweles will be doing a Mini Refresher Program to the members on How to Pot up Your Plants Now for the Spring Plant Sale. Bob will be doing demonstrations and there may be hands on training by members. Anyone interested please let me know, so that we have an idea how many will be attending. Our new Class 27 members that would like to attend are very welcome. Anyone interested please contact Treva Hicks, hickslt@lycos.com or call MG Specialist Rainwater Harvesting Training Tue, Wed, Thu, Oct Smith Rd. Austin, TX Hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office - Travis County. 15 CEUs. Fee: $250 for three-day training session and includes a 55-gal rain barrel to take home. For more information, call (210) Podcasts: Trees Are Key Paul Johnson will help listeners better care for their trees. This short (10-15 min) weekly podcast will feature a short lesson, a weekly tree highlight and upcoming tree related events around the state. To pick a topic visit the Texas A&M Forest Service website at treesarekey/ Texas Master Gardener Specialist Training - Entomology September 28 through October 2 Montgomery County Extension Office, Conroe The training is designed to provide an in-depth exposure to the world of insects: 4.5 days of insectoriented field trips, lectures and hands-on insect collecting and photography. Montgomery County is not currently accepting applicants for the program, but for updates and further information see Fanick's Nursery Events September 5-10:30am - Noon. Vegetables. David Rodriguez from the Agrilife Extension Service will show you how to properly plant, grow and harvest your vegetables. David has a ton of experience in gardening and would love to share his knowledge and passion for vegetables with you. Seminar is free but any donation to the Children's garden is welcomed. RETRACTION The following information regarding Internet Classes printed in the last issue is no longer in effect. Although GCMG policy is that you may not take over 3 credits a calendar year for on line courses, the board voted that, in this instance, we can take an additional 2 CEU s over and above the 3 CEU limit for on line courses for the Earthkind Drought Preparedness. RETRACTION 16

17 2015 FALL FLORAL DESIGN SCHOOL Fall Classes will focus on Ikebana Floral Arranging. The first class will be an introduction to Culture and Tradition of Ikebana. FIRST CLASS - Tuesday, September 8, 12noon - 3pm. Introduction to Japanese Floral Arranging with Old School Ikebana Arranging. Alisan Clarke Austin, Texas. Certified Ikebana Instructor SECOND CLASS - Tuesday, September 15, 12noon - 3pm. Eastern Flare for a Western Home. Brian Dalton Dallas, Texas. Certified Ikebana Instructor THIRD CLASS - Tuesday, September 22, 12noon - 3pm. At Home with Ikebana. Alisan Clarke Austin, Texas. Certified Ikebana Instructor $75 tuition for all three classes includes fresh flowers and greenery. Bring your own kenzan (metal frog). Kenzans will be available for purchase at the beginning of each class. All classes are held at the San Antonio Garden Center.. Enrollment is limited. Register by September 1, Registration forms available at 3310 N. New Braunfels Avenue or call (210) or Make checks payable to San Antonio Garden Center. Tuition for missed classes cannot be refunded. Landscape Design School Series XXIV Course III George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, College Station September 21-22, 2015 Registration will be $145 until September 1st and $165 thereafter. Registration materials and questions contact Michelle Wehrnheim, or texaslandscapedesignschool@gmail.com It s always helpful to see what s new on the Aggie Horticulture Website Small Acreage Water Conservation Sat, Aug 8, 9:30am-Noon City Hall Campus, 7286 Dietz Elkhorn, Fair Oaks Ranch, TX Workshop targets homeowners interested in learning Earth Kind best practices of water conservation for landscaping & wildlife habitat. Presented by Troy Luepke, Texas A&M AgriLife Ext Svc. 2.5 CEUs. Free. Limit 30. RSVP to by Tue, Aug 4. 17

18 30 Bugs Every Gardener Should Know Wed, Aug 19,1-3pm Bexar County Ext Office, 3355 Cherry Ridge St, Suite #208, If you spend anytime outdoors, you know there are bugs, and this wet spring and summer has helped insect populations explode! Learn which bugs are hurting or helping your plants, invading your home, or just causing a nuisance. See real insects as well as pictures and be sure to bring your insects or plant damage that you need identified. 2 CEUs. Cost: $10. To RSVP call Molly Keck at Alamo Area Conservation Workshop Fri, Aug 28, 8:30am-4:30pm Phil Hardberger Park, 8400 NW Military Hwy. San Antonio, Tx Learn about Fire in the Urban Wildland Interface, Oak Wilt, Feral Hogs, Insects, Water Quality and the Natural History of the South Texas Plains. 6 CEUs. Cost: $20 per person by Aug 21 ($25 at door); lunch included. For details or to register, call Angel Torres at (210) YouTube Video Texas Sustainable Strawberry Project Learn about the work of the Texas A&M AgriLife Sustainable Strawberry Project led by Russ Wallace of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension which addresses expectations of strawberry consumers, producers and retailers in Texas, and to improve field production and sustainability in the state. Jr Entomologist Camp August or August 12-13, 9am-12pm NISD Community Ed Bldg 6632 Bandera Rd. For those little ones who love insects! Ages 4-6. We will collect insects, make an insect collection, perform experiments and activities with insects and learn all about insects and entomologist in two short days! Register through NISD Community Ed at nisd.net/ace. Webinar for MG CEU Fri, August 7, 1pm 2pm One of a series of Webinars on the Extension Learn website, this one covers Japanese beetles and other white grubs that attack the roots of lawns and other turf grass areas. Then, as adults, they can eat your favorite plants in the garden and landscape. This webinar is presented by Dr. J. C. Chong from Clemson University and will provide the information you need to understand and control these pests. Moderated by Bethany O'Rear and Ken Creel, Regional Extension Agents, Alabama Cooperative Extension System. 1 CEU. Free. Note: on August 7, the link to the live webinar opens about 15 minutes before the webinar which begins at 1pm Central time. If you log in earlier, you will get an error message. 18

19 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday GCCG - Guadalupe County Community Garden 1 KWED Radio 1580 AM Lawn & Garden Show 9 a.m. 2 3 Master Gardener Office/Library 8:30-Noon 4 GCCG Workday 5 6 LUNCH and LEARN - Seguin 7 GCCG Workday Red Barn 9 AM 8 KWED Radio Lawn & Garden Show 9 10 Master Gardener Office/Library LUNCH and LEARN- Schertz 11 GCCG Workday GCMG Board Meeting 14 GCCG Workday Red Barn NEW MOON 15 KWED Radio Lawn & Garden Show Master Gardener Office/Library 18 GCCG Workday GCMG Membership Meeting 21 GCCG Workday Red Barn 22 KWED Radio Lawn & Garden Show Master Gardener Office/Library 25 GCCG Workday 26 Newsletter Deadline GCCG Workday Red Barn 29 KWED Radio Lawn & Garden Show 30 O - FULL MOON 31 Master Gardener Office/Library 19

20 Extension Service Guadalupe County Master Gardeners, Inc. 210 East Live Oak St. Seguin, TX Guadalupe County Master Gardeners Ext 210 Guadalupe County Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension Texas Master Gardeners GCMG Officers & Board of Directors Jose Contreras President Bob Teweles Past President Marvin Borth President Elect Cynthia Lyssey Vice President Welta Burris Secretary Jim Johnson Treasurer Treva Hicks Education Chairman Dave Elder Publication Chairman Open Volunteer Chairman Cindy Waechter Membership Chair Travis Franke AgriLIFE Agent Master Gardener Coordinator August Meeting Thursday, August 20, PM AgriLIFE Extension Building 210 E. Live Oak, Seguin, Tx Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination by the Master Gardeners is implied, and no endorsement by the Master Gardeners is implied. Educational programs conducted by the Guadalupe County Master Gardeners and the Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status. Elaine McIntyre, Editor 20