Monthly Newsletter. April 2016 L A K E A R E A. Volume 10, Issue 4. Flowering Dogwood

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1 L A K E A R E A Monthly Newsletter April 2016 Volume 10, Issue Club Officers Suzanne Albright, President Phone: suzannealbright47@gmail.com Susan Osgood, Vice President Phone: sllatimer1@gmail.com Nancy Hall, Secretary Phone: jogi65634@gmail.com Roni Vollmer, Treasurer Phone: ronivollmer@hotmail.com Past President, Tamara Jorstad: Phone: tjorstad@gmail.com Standing Committee Chairs 2016 Garden Walk Gail Conavay, theconavays@gmail.com Suzanne Albright, suzannealbright47@gmail.com Club Photographer Glenda Hinrichs, glenda_hinrichs@yahoo.com Historian Sally Burke, burke.lakelovers@gmail.com Hospitality Rita Burks, ritab001@hotmail.com Membership Tamara Jorstad, tjorstad@gmail.com Year Book OPEN MU EXT & MOMA Winnie McKinley, mckinleyw@hotmail.com Newsletter Charli Allee, normcharli@aol.com Projects Charmaine E. Guyot, guyotcharmaine@gmail.com Ways & Means Mildred Webster or Miller County Extension P O Box 20 Tuscumbia, MO Phone/Fax Flowering Dogwood Missouri designated the flowering dogwood (Cornus Florida L.) as the official state arboreal emblem (state tree) in Dogwood is a small, deciduous tree with graceful branches that bloom in spring with large showy flowers (usually greenish-white, sometimes pink or yellow). The dogwood develops red berries in autumn, and the leaves also turn a deep red before falling for winter. The word dogwood stems from dagwood (from the use of the very hard wood for making 'dags,' or daggers). The wood was also valued for making loom shuttles, arrows, tool handles, and other small items that required a very hard, strong wood. Larger items were also made of dogwood such as the screw in basket-style wine or fruit presses. An earlier name of the dogwood is the whipple-tree. The name "dog-tree" was being used by 1548, and finally dogwood by Once the name dogwood was used for the tree, it soon acquired a secondary name as the hound's tree, and the fruit became known as dogberries or houndberries. It is possible that the common name of dogwood developed because dogs were washed with a brew from its bark.

2 PAGE 2 LAKE AREA MASTER GARDENER S NEWSLETTER April Gardening Tips ( Ornamentals Lawns Weeks 1-4: When buying bedding plants, choose compact, bushy plants that have not begun to flower. Weeks 1-2: Examine shrubs for winter injury. Prune all dead and weakened wood. Weeks 3-4: Evergreen and deciduous hedges may be sheared. Prune the top narrower than the base so sunlight will reach the lower limbs. Weeks 3-4: Easter lilies past blooming can be planted outdoors. Set the bulbs 2 to 3 inches deeper than they grew in the pot. Mulch well if frost occurs. Weeks 3-4: Balloon flower (Platycodon), hardy hibiscus, gasplant (Dictamnus albus) and some lilies are slow starters in the spring garden. Cultivate carefully to avoid injury to these tardy growers. Week 4: Prune spring flowering ornamentals after they finish blooming. Weeks 1-4: Start mowing cool season grasses at recommended heights. For complete details, refer to University Extension Guide #6705, Cool Season Grasses. Weeks 1-2: Topdress low spots and finish overseeding thin or bare patches. Weeks 1-2: Aerate turf if thatch is heavy or if soil is compacted. Weeks 1-2: Apply crabgrass preventers before April 15. Do not apply to areas that will be seeded. Vegetables Weeks 2-4: Keep your hoe sharp! Don't allow weeds to get an early start in your garden. Weeks 2-4: Try an early sowing of warm-season crops such as green beans, summer squash, sweet corn, and cucumbers. Weeks 2-3: Thin out crowded seedlings from early plantings of cool season crops such as beets, carrots, lettuce, onions and radish. Fruits Week 1: Plant bare-root or potted fruit trees as soon as the soil can be worked. Week 1: Remove tree wraps from fruit trees now. Week 2-4: Protect bees and other pollinating insects. Do not spray insecticides on fruit trees that are blooming. Weeks 2: Destroy or prune off webs of eastern tent caterpillars. " B.t." (Dipel) is a safe biological spray. Miscellaneous Weeks 1-2: Ter mites begin swarming. Ter mites can be distinguished from ants by their thick waists and straight antennae. Ants have slender waists and elbowed antennae. Weeks 1-2: Look for morel mushrooms when lilacs bloom and the forest floor turns green. Week 1: Mount a rain gauge on a post near the garden to keep track of precipitation so you can tell when to water. Most gardens need about 1 inch of rain per week between April and September. Weeks 2-4: Mole young are born in chamber s deep underground. Weeks 3-4: Honeybees are swarming. Notify a local beekeeper to find a new home for these beneficial insects. Week 4: Soaker hoses and drip irrigation systems help you save water and money. Week 4: Hummingbirds return from their winter home in Central America. Week 4: Wasp and hornet queens begin nesting.

3 LAKE AREA MASTER GARDENER S NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 Lawn Care Stop crabgrass: Crabgrass and other annual weeds need to grow from seed each year, so a welltimed application of pre-emergence herbicide can stop them in their tracks. Spread the pre-emergence herbicide as forsythia blooms in your area start to drop. Aerate your lawn: If your lawn doesn't grow well because of hard, compacted soil, aerate it in spring (when your grass is actively growing). Start mowing: Bring out the lawn mower when your grass grows about 3 inches tall. Keep most grasses at least 2 inches tall -- this height helps the grass ward off weeds and withstand summer drought. First feeding: If you feed your lawn a couple of times a year, a light application of lawn food in early spring will help get your grass off to a great start. Keep it light and use a slow-release or organic fertilizer. Wait to fertilize until your lawn needs mowing for the first time. Feeding your lawn too early is just a waste of money.use a grub control: If grubs are an issue, spread a grub-control product that continues to work through the season. The best time to do this is in early June. Keep mowing: With summer heat, your grass is probably going to slow down a little. During hot, dry periods, it may only need mowing once every two or three weeks (wait for it to grow about 3 inches tall). During cooler, moister weather patterns, mow enough to keep it from getting more than 3 inches tall -- that could be every week or more than once a week. Watering smarts: If you want to keep your water bills under control, let your grass go dormant during drought. It will become brown, but it will stay alive. When the rains come again, it'll turn green and start growing. If you don't like the look of a brown lawn, select drought-tolerant types such as buffalograss or give your lawn about 1 inch of water a week. Butterfly, Native Plant & Pollinator Event! 2016 Plant Sale Lake Bloomers Garden Club (Annual Fundraiser to support our academic scholarship program and civic projects) Friday - May 6th (4:30 PM to 7 PM) & Saturday - May 7th (8 AM to 1 PM) Ozark Chapel United Methodist Church ( 305 North Main Street, Laurie, Missouri ) Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Seminar at 9:30 AM on Saturday Plant Sale includes: Perennials, Missouri Native Plants, Butterfly specific Plants, Succulents, Vegetables, Herbs, amazing container plantings with annuals and succulents (great gifts for Mother s Day) and more!!

4 PAGE 4 LAKE AREA MASTER GARDENER S NEWSLETTER Top Lawn Mower Maintenance Tips To make sure your mower continues to run smoothly, read through the operator s manual to get a routine lawn mower maintenance schedule and technical specs. Since a lawn mower that runs well and is maintained regularly helps to keep your yard beautiful and healthy, schedule routine mower maintenance checks. Keep a notebook of all service records for your lawn mower. Store your lawn mower correctly and get it serviced over the winter in order to make sure it ll be good to go for spring. An annual lawn mower maintenance check by a professional like Your Local Lawn Doctor will ensure that your mower will run efficiently and safely and will not damage your lawn. Routine Maintenance Checks for Your Mower Similar to your car, your lawn mower needs regular oil, fuel filter and oil filter changes to prolong its longevity. Manufacturer recommendations may vary, but most of them say to change the oil when the mower has been used for 25 hours. That can work out to once every year for some people, so they can change the mower oil each spring. Your lawn mower blade should be sharpened on a regular basis. If a mower blade is dull, it ll shred the lawn, resulting in a brown or frayed appearance and leaving the grass vulnerable to lawn disease. Annual lawn mower maintenance checks should include making sure every nut and bolt is tightened and all filters, safety shields and belts are in their proper places. Regularly clean intake screens and fans to help the lawn mower continue to operate correctly. Proper mower service can ensure your mower is safely stored and it is ready for spring mowing season. Lawn Mower Maintenance Tips: Fuel Storage Only use approved containers for storage when storing lawn mower fuel. Don t use jars or bottles. Clearly label your containers of fuel to avoid any confusion. If there is still some fuel in the lawn mower when you are ready to store it away for the winter, guard against carburetor clogs by adding a fuel stabilizer. Once you have added the stabilizer, let the engine run five minutes so the fuel can circulate throughout the mower s fuel system. Lawn Mower Troubleshooting If it is difficult to start your mower, you could have a damaged or dirty spark plug. Read the owner s manual for details on how to inspect and change the spark plug. Or contact Lawn Doctor to schedule lawn mower maintenance. Annually replacing the mower s spark plug is a good way to ensure effective starts. Gasoline s shelf life is around one month. Old gas could clog up the carburetor. If it has been more than one month since the last time your mowed the grass, get new gas.

5 PAGE 5 LAKE AREA MASTER GARDENER S NEWSLETTER PAGE 5 Willmore Entrance Gardens 2016 Includes entrance sign by road, entrance sign across from Ameren Shoreline building, small bed with holly to the right of walkway to the lodge, and bed of Red Diablo Ninebark around flagpole. April: After mulch arrives, make sure beds are cleaned and apply mulch. Give a good weeding to rocks beside the road close to the Holly bed or apply roundup. Deadhead any daffodils after blooming. 1 or 2 people can easily complete these tasks. May: Just regular maintenance should be needed. 1 person June: Check to see if boxwood needs a light pruning. Ninebark needs to be pruned back heavily. Take out about 1/3 of growth to shape. Then remove any dead branches by thinning to ground level. Make sure there is sufficient room behind ninebark for people raise and lower the flag. 2 people needed. July: J ust r egular maintenance should be needed. Daylilies should be deadheaded and old br own foliage r e- moved by pulling hands up through plants. 1 person August: Just regular maintenance should be needed. 1 person September: A good cleanup should be given at this time to rejuvenate gardens after summer. Boxwood may need a slight pruning of new growth. This should be the last pruning for the season so that there is not winter damage. 1 to 2 persons October: Should just need a quick maintenance. 1 person November: Our regular fall cleanup of leaves and dead vegetation. 2 people. Willmore Front of Building 2016 Includes small bed on left of path to building, rain garden, beds adjacent to building and beds across from front door. This needs a crew of 3 or 4 people. April: Continue weeding and getting ready for mulch arrival. Summer blooming shrubs such as Beauty Berry can be pruned now. Prune by thinning about 1/3 of stems to ground level to keep vigorous growth. Mulch and prepare small front beds for annuals. Enjoy spring bulbs in small bed and assess how they are doing and make list if any need to be replaced in the fall. Look for places that might need more bulbs around building. Roses by building need pruning. Refer to MU guide 6601 for tips on pruning roses. Make an assessment of the area close to the building and exchange ideas for improvement of this area. 3 to 4 people needed. May: Plant annuals in small bed. Go over rest of beds to make sure they look sharp. Deadhead any bulbs that have bloomed. Water pots. 2 people June: Prune spring blooming shrubs. Ninebark in the rain garden needs to be cut back 1/3 in size and then about one third of stems thinned back to ground level. The red dogwood and buttonbush needs the same type of pruning. Azaleas should not need pruning this year. The Rhododendrons should have flower stems removed so they will bloom next year. Lightly prune boxwood. The spirea can be sheared back with the hedge trimmer and will re-bloom. This is the last pruning for flowering shrubs so make sure everything is cut back to your liking now. Water pots. 3 to 4 people. July: Weed beds and do regular maintenance. Deadhead and remove dead vegetation from daylilies. Water pots. 2 people August: Weed beds and do regular maintenance. Deadhead Black- eyed susans. This would be a good time to divide daylilies. Water pots. 2 people September: A good cleanup and maintenance should be given when it starts to cool down to prepare for Fall weddings. Deadhead any flowers that have completed blooming including Black-eyed Susans and phlox. Annuals may need deadheading. Water pots. Any new growth needs to be pruned from boxwood. 2 people October: Regular maintenance. Continue dead-heading. Plant mums. After frost plant any bulbs that were planned in the spring. 2 to 4 people November: Fall cleanup. Remove annuals and cut back herbaceous plants. Remove leaves. 2 people

6 Lake Area Master Gardener March Meeting April 12th at 6:30 Straw Bale Gardening Presented by Debra Cook, Lake Bloomers GC April Birthday April 9th -Charmaine Guyot Best Wishes! To help new and returning members remember LAMG Club Member Names Starting 2015 a twenty-five cent fee will be charge to an member failing to wear his/her LAMG/Maser Gardener name badge at the monthly meetings. Fines are to be collected by the Ways and Means Chair, Mildred Webster, and funds added to the club s income. Items for the monthly newsletter are due to the Newsletter Chair, Charli Allee, by the 26th of each month Send to charlia@fnb-lakeozarks.com A few plants fit into the flavoring category. These are plants that have an essential oil that is extracted from it and used to flavor dishes or beverages. Vanilla is an example of a flavoring derived from the seed pod of Vanilla Our Mission: Helping Others Learn to Grow and To Have Fun Along the Way! L A K E A R E A UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI EXTENSION Lake Area Master Gardener Club P O Box 20/ Courthouse Annex Tuscumbia, MO 65082