Woodford HortUpdate. February A Note From Faye. Mechanical Damage To Trees

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1 Woodford HortUpdate February 2018 Woodford County 184 Beasley Drive Versailles, KY (859) Fax: (859) Extension.ca.uky.edu A Note From Faye Be sure to check out the upcoming events page and attached flyers. There are some exciting events and classes coming up including the third annual Extension Master Gardener Think Spring Workshop, second annual Master Gardener Plant Sale and much more!! Please like the Woodford County Horticulture and Extension Master Gardener Facebook pages for tips and tricks and to keep up with our events/activities: and You can also stay informed by joining our list. Receive periodic notices, online newsletters, and educational information. You can opt out at any time by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link in the . Go to to sign-up. Source: Kelly Jackson, Christian County Hort We talk a lot about insects and diseases that can wreak havoc to our landscape trees, but many times people are a tree s worst enemy especially people wielding lawn mowers and weed trimmers. And while a slight bump from a mower s frame or a quick zip of trimmer line around a tree trunk may seem insignificant, it can create an injury that leads to disease or death. The site for most of these injuries is the root flare that section where the tree trunk becomes tree roots, just above the soil line. This section of the tree is protected by bark which guards the plant s nutrient and water transport system, called the phloem and xylem, respectively. Any damage to this transport system affects tree health. Young, smoothbarked trees (i.e. maples, birches) have a very thin layer of bark protecting this system, less than 1/16 of an inch. Therefore, even minor injury to the bark can impact the transport system and cause problems for the tree. Mechanical Damage To Trees Even when a tree tries to recover from a wound, leaves and branches often decline and die back, because food and water pathways were destroyed. Although a large wound is generally more serious than a smaller one, repetitive wounding adds up to greater trouble for the tree. If the damage extends completely around the base of the tree (a situation called girdling), the tree ultimately dies. All tree wounds are serious when it comes to tree health. No matter what size the wound is, the damage done is irreversible. The tree must devote a great deal of energy and many resources into trying to seal off the damaged area to prevent further complications. The wounded area is an opening for wood-rotting organisms and decay fungi to enter and cause further damage. Injury to trees can be avoided easily and at very low cost if you follow one or more of these suggestions: 1. Physically remove turf or prevent grass and weeds from growing at the base of the tree using herbicides. 2. Add a 2 to 3 layer of mulch on the root zone of the tree. 3. Add trunk guards or similar devices to give the tree additional protection. White, expanding tree guards can help trees withstand equipment contact and also can help to reduce winter injury.

2 Forcing Stems of Woody Plants for Indoor Bloom Stems of a number of woody plants can be forced into bloom for indoor display. Of course, some are easier to force than others. Three of the easiest are forsythia, pussywillow, and flowering quince. These plants have now gone through enough cold weather to satisfy their chilling requirement and should bloom if given the right conditions. Remember that the flower buds on forsythia are killed as temperatures reach 10 degrees F. If your area has had temperatures this far below zero, use one of the other woody plants. Choose a day that is above freezing for collecting branches for blooming. Keep the stem length to 3 feet or less. As you cut, place the stems in a bucket of water. Once you have the number of branches you want, bring them into the house and soak them in warm water for several hours a bathtub works well for this. This ensures that the stems and buds are fully hydrated. Next, place them in a container that has a warm, preservative solution and place them in an environment with high humidity and plenty of light. Make your preservative solution by dissolving packets of floral preservative in water. These packets can often be obtained from your local florist. You can Hellebores also make your own preservative by adding a tablespoon of Listerine per gallon of water, but commercial preservatives are preferred. Floral preservatives accomplish two functions; they prevent bacterial growth in your water and provide nutrients and energy for the life processes of the plants. Many times our houses have a very low relative humidity during the winter. These low humidities can lead to dehydration of flower buds and blossoms. To raise the humidity around your plants, mist the plants or drape a dry cleaner's bag over your stems. If a cleaner's bag is too small, use a painter s clear plastic drop cloth. Humidifiers can also help raise humidity levels. Normally, forsythia will take about nine days to flower, quince will require between 12 to 20, and pussywillow needs from five to 15 days. The time required will vary depending on indoor conditions and how late in the winter the branches were collected. Most woody plants should be in flower within three weeks of collection and will remain in flower for about a week before blooms start to fade. Source: Jamie Dockery, Fayette CEA for Horticulture Hellebores are wonderful garden plants, yet they remain fairly uncommon in perennial gardens. When you consider their evergreen nature, ease of culture and beautiful late winter blooms it is hard to imagine why they have taken so long to catch on. The tide is turning for these shade loving plants. In fact the perennial plant association chose Hellebore as the perennial plant of the year in Over the last decade or so Hellebore breeders have created and introduced many new cultivars in a range of colors and combinations, many with contrasting spots of color in the flower centers. Improvements in plant form have also produced upward facing blooms, better foliage, and several double flowered types. The bloom color ranges from green to white to rose to burgundy, with some varieties approaching black. There are even some yellow varieties making their way into catalogs and shops. The most popular hellebores are the oriental hybrids, which are known as Lenten roses because they traditionally bloom around the beginning of lent. Hellebores are easily grown, thrive in partial shade, and can even handle dry shade situations. The plants prefer soils high in organic matter but will tolerate less than ideal conditions. They resent wet feet. Most grow about two feet tall and have glossy evergreen foliage. The real selling point is their miraculous late winter bloom, which typically begins in February here in Kentucky. You may want to trim some of the winter battered foliage to show case the emerging flowers. Much like peonies, hellebores can take a few years to reach their full potential. But a gardener s patience is well rewarded and a mature clump of hellebores in full bloom is a spectacle you won t soon forget. Although these beauties were once hard to find in nurseries, you can now find them offered for sale and with a little investigating, you can find many unique colors and varieties. If you aren t familiar with hellebores, try a few in your garden. If you are fortunate enough to have grown them for years look into the newer varieties available today, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the offerings.

3 Pawpaw Trees: A Native Fruit Source: Kansas Extension Even though pawpaw is native to Kentucky, many people in the state have never eaten one. Fruits resemble fat bananas and are generally up to 6 inches long and as much as 3 inches wide. The taste is unique and is difficult to describe but is often said to resemble bananas or pineapple and has a texture somewhat like custard. They are rarely grown commercially because they are difficult to ship and do not store well. Ripe fruit will only hold 2 to 3 days at room temperature and up to a week under refrigeration. Pawpaw prefers a well-drained, moderately acid (ph 5.5 to 7.0), moist soil and high organic matter content. Organic mulch is also recommended. In the wild, the pawpaw is an understory tree and may do better with partial shade, especially during the first 2 to 3 years. Protection from high winds is also advisable due to the large leaves. The pawpaw is a small tree that may reach 20 feet high but is less broad. Trees require cross-pollination and so at least 2 and preferably 3 different varieties should be grown. These trees are pollinated by insects other than bees such as beetles and flies and must be planted close together. Trees should be no further than 30 feet apart in order to insure good pollination. The soil for planting should be prepared in advance of receiving the trees. Amend the soil with organic matter in the area where the trees will be planted. Do not amend just the soil from the planting hole especially if the soil is heavy and has high clay content. If you do, you have essentially made a pot that will hold water and may drown the tree. Rather add organic matter to the area in which the tree will be planted before digging the planting hole; at least a 10- by 10-foot square. You may want to treat the entire area where your trees will be planted. Add 2 inches of organic matter to the surface of the soil and then till in. The planting hole should be the same depth as the root system but 2 to 3 times as wide. Pawpaws have fleshy roots and are better planted in the spring (April) rather than fall unless container grown. Container-grown plants can be planted virtually anytime. Keep newly planted trees well-watered. The soil should be moist but not waterlogged. Keep the planting area completely free of weeds or any other type of vegetation within 3 feet of the trees. Mulching is recommended. There has been a significant amount of work done on pawpaw by Kentucky State University. You can reach their pawpaw site at Information on growing pawpaws is available from Peterson Pawpaws at Neil Peterson s pawpaws are the result of over 25 years of research and have been widely tested. Though Neil no longer sells his varieties directly, he does list a number of nurseries that carry them. The Kentucky Forest Service ( statenurseriesandtreeseedlings/pages/default.aspx) has seedling trees available for sale though I would recommend getting named varieties instead if you wish to plant only a few trees. The fruit from named varieties will be of a higher quality than that from a seedling tree. Named variety pawpaws are available from Stark Brothers ( and one from Raintree Nursery ( The University of Missouri has a couple of different pawpaw cultivar trials. You can find results from one of these trials at Grain Moisture Meter Liquid ph Meter Sprayer Calibrator Grain Test Weight Meter Hay Probes Soil Probes WC Extension Service Equipment Electrical Conductivity (EC) Meter Walk-behind BCS tractor - Attachments include: 3 plastic layer with drip tape applicator and Single rotary plow Raised Bed Plastic Mulch Layer - Model 2400 lays 4ft. wide plastic and adjustable 3 to 5 bed height (requires 30-hp and 4-wheel drive) Please contact the Extension Office, , for availability Free Soil Testing Free soil test vouchers are available at the Woodford County Conservation Office to be redeemed when soil samples are submitted through the Woodford County Extension Service. Up to 20 free soil tests are available per farm or homeowner. This program runs through June 30, 2017, or until the funds are depleted.

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8 Upcoming Events March 3 rd Spring Gardening Workshop, 8:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m., Woodford County Extension Office March 7 th Fruit Tree Grafting Class, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Woodford County Extension Office No need to pay big $$ for good apple trees. Come to this class and you will be able to reproduce any apple tree you want! Participants should bring a sharp knife. Everything else is supplied. If you have a favorite apple tree you d like to graft, call the office to get instruction on how to get and store scion wood. We will have plenty of scion wood. We will only have disease-resistant scion wood available. March 15 th Shiitake Mushroom Class, 5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m., Woodford County Extension Office March 22 nd Rain Barrel Workshop, 5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m., Woodford County Extension Office March 28 th Small Fruit Pruning, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Join us for this hands-on class and learn to properly prune blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and any others you have questions on! U.K. fruit specialist, John Strang, will lead the class. For more information on location and to register call the Extension Office. April 9 th Organic Gardening, 9:00 a.m., Woodford County Extension Office Join KSU organics professor, Shawn Lucas, as he discusses what organic gardening is and how to incorporate it into your gardening practices. April 19 th PBPT Training 9:00 a.m., Woodford County Extension Office If you are a farmer s market vendor and wish to offer samples of products, you are required to take this training to get a sampling certificate from KDA. Also, many markets require the certification to become a member. April 21 st Earth Day Tree Giveaway, Kroger Don t miss your chance to pick up a variety of tree seedlings including dogwood, redbud, white pine, pawpaw, several oak varieties, cypress and much more. Also, visit the master gardener informational booth where we will have free seeds and more! April 26 th Beginning Vegetable Gardening, 6:30 p.m., Midway Library There are many great reasons to grow some of your own food. We will teach the very basic concepts of growing vegetables. This class will focus on the early spring crops that can be planted and harvested before the main spring planting window. It is far easier than you might think. Participants will receive a copy of our vegetable growing guide and a packet of seeds. April 28 th (backup rain day of May 5 th ) Master Gardener Plant Sale at the Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-noon Join us for our second annual plant sale! We will have a variety of tomatoes, peppers, herbs, perennials and annuals and garden art. Plants will be sold for $1 to $2 or less and there will be potted options for mother s day gifts for $10 or less. July 23 rd Farm Tour, 7:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. Our annual farm tour will be held on July 23 rd. More details will be coming soon! August 25 th Twilight Festival, 3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Versailles annual downtown festival. Come check out the master gardener kids horticulture booth! Lots of fun activities! View this newsletter and find a variety of other information and upcoming events on our county website. Visit us at: Follow us on Facebook at: Happy Gardening! Faye Kuosman, County Extension Agent for Horticulture faye.tewksbury@uky.edu