Cooperative Extension Service Clark County 1400 Fortune Drive Winchester, KY 40391-8292 (859) 744-4682 Fax: (859) 744-4698 extension.ca.uky.edu February 24, 2018 I hope that you were able to learn as much as I have over the past month. I had the privilege of attending the Southeast Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Georgia, we had our annual Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference, and not to forget Winter School. All the meetings I have attended, I have brought back all kinds of ideas of different things to try out on the farm, and possibly on some of our growers farms as well. We had a great Winter School program, and I hope that many of you were able to benefit from it! The Winchester Clark County Farmers Market is already making big plans for the upcoming year, and they are in the process of completing necessary training for our farmers market producers. As you are making plans for your farm or garden, don t forget about the great resources you have access to through your Clark County Extension Office. If I can be of any help or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, David Davis Clark County Extension Agent for Agriculture & Natural Resources The Eastern Bluegrass Bee School will be held on Saturday, February 24, at the Clark County Extension Service. The first session of the bee school will be focused on beginning beekeeping. Basic beekeeping topics covered will include putting together a beehive, basic beekeeping supplies, getting started in beekeeping, pesticide issues and more. The second portion of the bee school is designed for more advanced beekeepers. Topics will include protecting pollinators from pesticide exposure, specific bee pest control strategies, and more. The session of the beekeeping school focused on beginning beekeeping will begin at 9:00 am on Saturday, February 24, and will end with a meal. The advanced session will begin at noon with a meal. Cost to attend one or both sessions is $12. If you would like to register, or to find out more, contact the Clark County Extension Service by calling (859) 744-4682.
Page 2 Deicing salts applied to sidewalks and streets during the winter can sometimes injure landscape plants. The biggest danger from deicing salts comes when they are over used, or applied in extra heavy doses. There are 6 main types of deicing products: Calcium chloride, rock salt, Magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, urea, and a newer one that is available is Calcium magnesium acetate. All of which can potentially be harmful to landscape plants and grasses. Not all treatments are the same. Some of these treatments are more harmful than others. Salts can injure plants in several ways. The chloride ion is considered the most toxic element of deicing salts. It causes much of the direct plant tissue damage. When salt in puddles sprays onto plants as cars drive by, it may scorch leaves, or kill buds and twig tips on deciduous plants. Exposure of plants to salts applied during spring snow storms is the most likely to cause damage. Pines in general are especially noted for their sensitivity to roadside deicing salts. When affected, pine needles may become pale green, yellow, or brown in late winter. If dying vegetation is on the side of plants facing the road, driveway, or walkway the damage may have resulted from salt spray. Accumulation of salt in the soil can also make it difficult for plants to grow properly. Here are a few things to think about to avoid issues with plants that arise from the use of deicing salts: 1) Avoid using deicing salts in areas where sensitive landscape plants are located. 2) Shovel snow or ice before it becomes compacted from traffic, and allow the natural heating from solar radiation to melt the rest of the driveway off if possible without using deicing salts. 3) Use alternative to deicing salts, such as sand, to increase traction in driveways and on sidewalks. 4) Make sure to read the label on deicing salts before purchasing, or applying them to see if they are known to be more or less harmful to landscape plants. Apply salts according to the labeled directions, and minimize applications as much as is possible. 5) When shoveling or scraping driveways where deicing salts have been used, do not shovel snow and ice into flower beds, or pile it up near landscape shrubs. 6) Avoid planting in areas that will receive a lot of runoff from the melting occurring on treated roadways. 7) Avoid planting landscape trees or shrubs where there is a high risk that they will come into direct contact with deicing salts from sidewalk, road or driveway treatments.
Page 3 Check out these planned home gardening and home orchard classes that are planned for the upcoming spring. These classes may be offered as part of the 2018 Clark County Wellness Challenge. To find out more, or to register, contact the Clark County Extension Office by calling (859) 744-4682, or by email (david.davis@uky.edu). Apple Tree Pruning Workshop (see below) Monday, March 12, 2018 Beech Springs Orchard and Farm Market 4776 Old Boonesboro Rd. (Rain location: Winchester Clark County Public Library) 5:00-7:30 pm Outdoor Workshop! Dress appropriately for weather! Apple Tree Grafting Workshop (see below) Thursday, March 29, 2018 Clark County Cooperative Extension Office 1400 Fortune Dr., Winchester Registration Deadline: Friday, March 23 Growing and Caring for a Garden Monday, April 16, 2018 Winchester Clark County Public Library Large Meeting Room Registration Deadline: April 13, 2016 Container Gardening Thursday, April 19, 2018 Winchester Clark County Public Library Large Meeting Room Registration Deadline: Wednesday, April 18 Raised Bed Gardening Monday, April 23, 2018 Winchester Clark County Public Library Large Meeting Room Registration Deadline: Friday, April 20 Adding fruit trees to the home landscape has become popular for many homeowners in recent years. There is nothing better than picking tree ripened fruit right off the tree, and eating it. Every other year, we offer fruit tree care and establishment classes at the Clark County Extension Office. This year, we are offering a fruit tree grafting class, and a fruit tree pruning class. The fruit tree pruning class is scheduled for Monday, March 12 starting at 5:00 pm at the Beech Springs Orchard and Farm Market (4776 Old Boonsboro Rd.). This will be hands on workshop where participants will actually participate in pruning trees. Please dress appropriately for the ongoing weather conditions. In the event of rain, we will have a classroom session at the Clark County Public Library. Pre-registration is preferred, but not required. The fruit tree grafting class will be held at the Clark County Extension Office on Thursday, March 29 starting at 5:30 pm. Space will be limited to 15 participants due to space and supply restraints. Each participant will graft their own apple tree as a part of this hands on workshop. There is no cost to attend, but pre-registration is required.
Page 4 A reminder for our farmers market producers, if you plan on offering raw or uncooked produce samples at the farmers market, remember that you have to update your sampling application with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. A pre-requisite to the sampling certification in previous years has been the Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) Certification. This training is no longer available because it has been reformatted as the Produce Best Practices Training (PBPT) in Kentucky. Even if you are a grower that has previously completed GAP, you will be required to complete PBPT before you can be certified to offer raw or uncooked produce samples at a farmers market! In order to be certified to offer samples at KDA Certified Farmers Market, all farmers that had previously received the farmers market GAP certification, or any farmer that would like to offer samples but has not ever received GAP training, will be required to complete the new PBPT program prior to being approved for sampling. We will be conducting two trainings at the Clark County Extension Service. The dates and times for those trainings are: Tuesday, February 20: Thursday, March 22: 6:00 pm 6:00 pm If you will be selling vegetables at a farmers market this coming year, and think that you might be interested in offering samples, please plan to attend one of these trainings. The PBPT program is somewhat different from the previous GAP in several ways. In the past, GAP was a video training, and we could be fairly flexible when it is offered. PBPT; however, has to be offered in person at live trainings only. If you can t attend one of these upcoming trainings, PBPT will be offered in several Extension offices across the state. Contact the Clark County Extension Office if you need to attend a different PBPT session in a neighboring county. If you have any questions about PBPT, please feel free to contact me at the Clark County Extension Service by calling (859) 744-4682, or by emailing david.davis@uky.edu. We are providing an option for you to receive our newsletters electronically via email. If you would like to receive the newsletter e l e c t r o n i c a l l y, e m a i l ccarr@uky.edu. Please put Hort Newsletter in the subject line and indicate if you still want to receive a copy through U.S. mail.
Page 5 This time of the year is always exciting to me because I start to think about what I am going to grow in my garden. I really do enjoy it when seed catalogs start rolling in. I begin to think about planting the garden, and I start to plan for t h e s e a s o n ahead. Most home gardeners probably just go to the local garden supply store or center to purchase plants or seed at planting time. Most might even purchase the same varieties of transplants or seed year after year. However, there are benefits to buying seed and growing your own transplants. One of the greatest advantages to growing your own transplants is variety availability. The garden center is only usually going to carry the most popular varieties. In many instances, these are the same varieties that have been available for years. Garden centers pick the varieties that sale, not necessarily the best, most disease resistant, or productive varieties for the garden. There are many other varieties of garden plants that have come out over the last several years. These have been improved upon and may offer advantages such as increased disease resistance, improved yield, or many other potentially desired traits. Certain heirloom vegetable varieties may also be available out of a catalog or from a seed exchange that just simply are not found in the big stores or garden centers. Purchasing seeds now may also offer you the chance to grow a particular variety that is very unique. One that your neighbor or fellow gardener hasn t even thought of growing. transplants using the days to maturity, and our UK Home Vegetable Gardening publications to figure the right planting time. Consider planting a few extra plants a little later on just in case something does happen to those intended for the earlier plantings. You can always give extras away to neighbors and family members, or use some to replace those plants that do not survive. You can also try growing transplants to plant earlier in the year, or later in the gardening season to have home raised vegetables when local supplies may not be as readily available. Earlier and later in the gardening season, the prices are generally higher for locally produced vegetables. Growing your own transplants to have before they are available at the garden supply store can really pay off in some years! An enclosed porch, window sill, or another area that receives ample sunlight with the ability to control the temperature will be the optimum location to keep transplants while they are growing. Using cool white bulbs alone, a mixture of cool white and warm white, or a mixture of cool white with plant growth lamps to supplement light on the transplants. Supplementing light will help produce better quality transplants. Most garden supply centers already have a stock of supplies used for growing plants, and even have some seeds available. If you would like to discuss or know more about growing your own transplants, feel free to contact me at the Clark County Extension Service (859) 744-4682. Another reason to grow your transplants is increased availability. At certain times of the year, it can be difficult to get the vegetable plants that you want. For instance, I can think of a few years that it was really hard to find plants. Especially when there has been a late unexpected freeze or frost. You can seed your own vegetable
Page 6 To be certified for applying pesticides on your own farm (not for commercial applicators). Choose to attend one of the following sessions if you need to obtain a private applicator license, or if you need to update your certification. Choose one of the sessions to attend: Monday, February 15: 9:00 am Thursday, March 8: 9:00 am Thursday, March 8: 1:00 pm Thursday, March 8: 6:00 pm Please call (859) 744-4682 to let us know you are coming. If there aren t any pre-registered, training sessions may be cancelled. As soon as the ground dries, remember that it is a good idea to take your soil samples in vegetable gardens and lawns if you didn t do it in the fall. Go ahead and take your soil samples early to avoid the spring rush and to make sure you get your results back in plenty of time for planting the garden. Garden should be sampled every year, and lawns should be sample once every 3 to 4 years when previous soil tests have had good or adequate results. Soil testing supplies are available at the Clark County Extension Office. We do not charge to soil test!