Mason County Newsletter Cooperative Extension Service Mason County 800 U.S Highway 68 Maysville, KY 41056 (606) 564-6808 Fax: (606) 564-9226 extension.ca.uky.edu Letter from the Horticulture agent: Hello Gardeners, I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. Attached to the newsletter you will find a brochure with our dates of our up coming classes for the next three months. Anyone in a farmers market who wants to give out samples needs to attend the class on January 30th at 6:00 for the most up-to-date version. If more information or questions you can contact me at 564-6808 Macy Fawns, Horticulture Agent Inside this issue: Class Flyers.2 Winter & Early Spring...3 & 4 Edible Landscape.4 Horticulture events/flyer.5
Jan1: Closed for New years Upcoming Horticulture Events Jan 4th, 6:00: Heat Treatment for Seed Savers Jan 6th, 10:00-12:00: Beekeeping for Beginners The 2018 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference will be held January 8-9 at Embassy Suites in Lexington. Jan 8th, 6:00: Mason County Master Gardner Association meeting Jan 11th, 7:00: Buffalo Trace Beekeeper Association meeting. Speaker: Nick Brown speaking on Commercial Beekeeping Jan 30th, 6:00: Farmers Market Sampling training (Newest version) Feb 6th, 2:00: Learning to Graft Tomato's (hands on) * All Events will be held at the Mason County Extension Office, unless otherwise noted.
Pruning is not limited to a certain time of year. Homeowners can prune at any time if they notice branches and limbs that are damaged either from weather, disease or insects. Pruning is invigorating for the plants in a home landscape so one should not necessarily think of pruning as a means of size control. If you have a plant that has grown out-of-bounds, pruning may not be the answer you may need to consider replacing the plant with one that will reach a smaller size at maturity. Incorporating edible plants into the landscape Rick Durham, horticulture extension specialist A nice landscape of a few trees and shrubs, some flowers and well-tended turf has value. Our landscapes help define our outdoor living space, provide shade and help screen unwanted views. A well-maintained landscape may add as much as 5 to 10 percent to the value of our property. But landscapes can provide another resource that we don t often consider--food. What if it were possible to introduce edible plants to your landscape? Growing your own food has some obvious benefits such as fresh and flavorful fruits and vegetables. Many foodproducing plants can fill the roles that we usually assign to other plants in our landscape. Trellised blackberries, for example, make a great hedge or screen. Using thorny types can also provide some measure of security. Many retain some of their leaves throughout the winter to provide some screening. Trellising the blackberries will help define the planting and promote more upright growth. The time needed to prune and thin blackberries is comparable to many other hedge-type plantings. Also, blackberries have relatively few problem insects or diseases. In flower beds, you can plant fancy-leafed lettuce in early spring. Lettuce is finished by mid-may, just around the time you are adding annual flowers. In summer, try a few rainbow chard plants, colored peppers and purple or variegated basil. All are relatively pest free and are a good contrast to flowering annuals and perennials. Also, consider containers. Cherry tomatoes grow well in hanging baskets where vines are allowed to droop over the edge of the pot. Several herbs are well suited to containers and provide savory flavoring for your salads and meals.
Winter and early spring pruning tips Contact: Rick Durham, extension horticulture specialist As spring approaches, many homeowners begin to think about their yard s landscape. The winter months can be damaging to trees and shrubs. To ensure healthy spring plants, homeowners may want to prune the trees and shrubs around their home. But do not just prune for the sake of pruning, make sure you have a valid reason for pruning before you begin. Pruning during the late winter months allows for the removal of damage caused by winter winds and precipitation. The wounds caused by pruning heal most quickly this time of year just as new growth is emerging on the plant. Pruning also allows removal of diseased, crowded or hazardous branches. When pruning trees, the size of the tree does not need to be reduced too much in one season. Limit the pruning amount to one-fourth of the tree s volume. Start by thinning out branches by cutting them off close to the tree s trunk or a large limb. Leave the base of the branch, known as the collar, intact. Cutting the collar will prevent the plant from growing over the wound caused from pruning. Pruning open to sunlight and air movement. If the branch is cut back only part way, there will likely be a crowded regrowth of new branches where the cut was made. Do not seal or paint the wounds resulting from pruning because this will only delay the tree s healing process. With spring-flowering shrubs, rejuvenation pruning may be needed, and the time to prune is fast approaching. The best time to prune these plants is right after they have flowered. If the shrub is pruned before it blooms, the buds have been removed before their flowers were enjoyed. When pruning is done after blooming, the flowers will have been enjoyed, and the plant can recover, grow and produce more buds for flowers next spring. Rejuvenation pruning removes one-third of the shrub s oldest growth. This pruning entails selecting the thickest, darkest and unhealthiest stems or branches and cutting them back. Stems should be cut back to soil level and branches to the point of intersection with the shrub s main trunk. This ensures that only the youngest, most productive wood (that which produces the most/best flowers) remains a part of the shrub. Shrubs that will bloom during the summer months can also be pruned during the early spring. in this manner allows for a healthy tree that is more