Washington County Cooperative Extension Service March 2015 Volume 11, Issue 3 Cool Season Vegetables 2 March Lawn Care 2 March Lawn Care 3 Ag Tag 4 Beekeepers News 4 March To Do’s 5 A Note From Dennis 5 Master Gardener Associa- tion News/Events 6 Plant of The Month 6 Wheelbarrow Series Schedule 7 Recipe Of The Month 8 Inside this issue: HORTICULTURE Follow Us at Washington County Horticulture Time To Plant Cool Season Vegetables Mid to late March is an ideal time to plant your cool season or spring garden. Pota- toes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, on- ions, peas, and many other crops can be planted this month. Lettuce can also be planted, however you will want to cover it with remay fabric (tobacco canvas). If you haven’t start- ed cole crop (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower etc.) seedlings yet you should just buy the plants in a few weeks from a trustworthy nurse- ry. This will save you time and trouble unless you are growing a great deal of it. If you haven’t had your soil tested you still have time to get it back before it is too late for your spring garden. It generally takes only a couple of weeks to return. Vegetables for a spring garden grow best at relatively cool temperatures (55-65 de- grees). These plants produce their vege- tative growth during springs short cool days. If they are planted too late, summer heat will reduce the quantity and quality of your produce. Cool season crops planted too late may bolt, become bitter, and have a poor texture. Spring vegetables should be planted as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. A light frost will not harm most cool season plants after they have be- come acclimated to the garden. When working the soil in the spring make sure it is dry enough. If the soil is too wet will become cloddy and hard. This could change the soil structure and cause you problems for several years. If you squeeze a hand full of soil and it crumbles easily when you let go the soil is dry enough to work. Generally organic mulch is a very good idea in a garden, however not in a spring garden. Mulch will shade the soil and keep it cool; in the spring however it is better to let the sun reach the soil. The
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Washington County Cooperative Extension Service
March 2015
Volume 11, Issue 3
Cool Season Vegetables 2
March Lawn Care 2
March Lawn Care 3
Ag Tag 4
Beekeepers News 4
March To Do’s 5
A Note From Dennis 5
Master Gardener Associa-
tion News/Events
6
Plant of The Month 6
Wheelbarrow Series
Schedule
7
Recipe Of The Month 8
Inside this issue:
HORTICULTURE
Follow Us at
Washington County
Horticulture
Time To Plant Cool Season Vegetables Mid to late March is an ideal time to plant
We have had our second bad winter in a row and I hope it is another 20 years before we see the cold tem-
peratures and snow that February brought. The record cold and snow will go down as some of the worst winter
weather Kentucky has to offer. I have worked in Extension for 10 years and it was the first time we have been
closed for an entire week! Tori and Gabby are finally sick of snow and cold too! As I type this we are forecast for
8 inches more snow, when I told the girls they just groaned and asked when it was ever going to warm up?
The Wheelbarrow Series has gotten off to a good start and the weather hasn’t caused any cancellations and
rescheduling yet, I wish I could say the same for the Master Gardener Program that is going on now as well!
Happy Gardening!
Now is a good time to plan
your flower and vegetable garden
layout. Look through garden
catalogs and landscaping books.
Plan on using
plants that you
have experience
with and new
varieties, and al-
ways try to buy
plants that are
disease resistant.
Check local
nurseries for cul-
tivar availability. Generally local-
ly grown plants are better and
you get to look at the plants be-
fore you buy them.
March and April are good
months for planting fruit crops.
When planting apples choose
more than one variety for polli-
nation and fruit set. There are
several apples that are good and
disease resistant in Kentucky,
such as Liberty, Redfree, Enter-
prise, or Pristine. For a more
complete list call me at the of-
fice.
It is also a good time to plant
thornless blackberries (Apache,
Arapaho, Triple Crown), rasp-
berries (Heritage, Autumn Bliss,
Fallgold, Brandywine,
Royalty, Caroline)
March and April are
also good months for
planting trees and
shrubs.
Early March is a good time to
prune summer-flowering trees
and shrubs such as clethra, beau-
tyberry, butterfly bush, golden
raintree, mimosa, and only the
following hydrangeas (Annabelle,
Hills of Snow, Peegee). Do not
prune other hydrangeas or they
will not bloom this year.
It’s a good idea to start spraying
fruit trees for diseases as well.
Apply liquid lime-sulfur spray on
peach and plum trees anytime
before the buds start to swell.
This single spray will almost
completely control peach leaf
curl and plum pocket. Two dis-
eases that cause premature defo-
liation each year and can weaken
trees over time.
You can also spray raspberry and
blackberry with a liquid lime-
sulphur spray to help control an-
thracnose. This will not control
it completely, however it will
help and additional sprays during
the growing season will be need-
ed.
A dormant spray of copper sul-
fate should be applied to apple
and pear trees by the first of
April to improve control of fire-
blight. Be sure to spray the entire
tree. A streptomycin sulfate
spray (if available) during the
growing season will also help.
March To Do’s
A Note From Dennis
March 12 (6:00 PM first floor of Hundley Library) Landscaping and plants presented by Nick Kip-per. We again meet at St Cathe-rine's and will have pork barbecue sandwiches so please bring ac-companiments. April 9 (6:00 PM at the Exten-sion Office) We plan to make hy-pertufa planters early for adequate drying that we can plant later in the month for the Green Fest. Wear clothes you don't worry about getting messed and join the fun making these light weight ves-sels at Extension office. We need to finalize plans for the Green Festival – what we will have available to sell and volun-teers for the booth. April 25 Saturday Green Festi-
val in Springfield. Need volun-teers to staff our booth. This is an excellent opportunity to get your volunteer hours. Help increase awareness of the Master Gardener program bene-fits and mission. May 14 (6:00 PM at the Exten-sion Office) Lyda Moore will share her presentation given at the International Master Garden-ers gathering in South Korea last September. Lyda and Pat Schwartz will also share pictures and stories of their South Korean experience. Future Programs to include St Louis Botanical Garden with Joe Rogers and CD presentation of Gardens of the World In Nov and Dec shall we again
sell wreaths? This was a fun vol-unteer project which not only made people aware of our Master Gardener Assoc but more im-portantly, raised $500 for the Backpack Food program. To re-peat this service project we need people to canvass businesses, fac-tories and individuals and then help make the wreaths. For more information contact Jeanette Hase –Spalding 481-1715
Lincoln Homestead Master Gardener Association News/Events
The current Master Gardener Class meets each Thursday Evening from 5:30 PM until 8:30 PM at the Saint Catharine College Library. For more information about the program and to sign up for future classes contact Dennis Morgeson Agent for Horticulture for Washington County at 859-336-7741
This fabulous new redbud is giving many plant lovers a big case of Gotta-Have-It! The leaf colors are spectacu-lar, with new growth starting apricot, graduating to vivid gold, and finally to bright green. And if you water in dry spells, it will keep flushing the tangerine new growth over the entire summer into fall! Its tough constitution lets it withstand drought, heat, poor soil and pollution, while the leaves are impervious to sunburn. Excellent for wildlife, too – in spring, butterflies and early-arriving hummingbirds love the nectar of the small, bright pink flowers. Later, the seeds attract a number of songbirds, including goldfinches, quail, and the occasional - See more at: http://www.springhillnursery.com/product/the-rising-sun-redbud/flowering_trees#sthash.QKo4Hhxb.dpuf
Plant of The Month - Rising Sun Redbud
January 27th Morning Starting Seeds Outdoors In Winter FREE!
Evening Starting Seeds Outdoors In Winter FREE!
February 3rd Morning Introduction To Beekeeping FREE!
Evening Introduction To Beekeeping FREE!
March 3rd Morning Vegetable Gardening With Heirloom Varieties $10.00
Evening Vegetable Gardening With Heirloom Varieties $10.00
March 24th Morning “Souper” Special $10.00
Evening “Souper” Special $10.00
March 31st Morning Growing Primocane Blackberries and Raspberries $20.00
Evening Growing Primocane Blackberries and Raspberries $20.00
April 7th Morning Caladiums, Callas, Cannas OH MY! $20.00
Evening Caladiums, Callas, Cannas OH MY! $20.00
April 28th Morning New and Exciting Annuals and Perennials $25.00
Evening New and Exciting Annuals and Perennials $25.00
May 12th Morning Growing Sweet Potatoes FREE!
Evening Growing Sweet Potatoes FREE!
June 2nd Morning Clematis….Queen Of Vines $10.00
Evening Clematis….Queen Of Vines $10.00
June 23rd Morning Hardy Asters for Kentucky Gardens $10.00
Evening Hardy Asters for Kentucky Gardens $10.00
August 25th Morning The “Other” Iris $20.00
Evening The “Other” Iris $20.00
September 15th Morning Extending The Vegetable Garden Season FREE!
Evening Extending The Vegetable Garden Season FREE!
September 29th Morning African Violets FREE!
29th Evening African Violets FREE!
October 13rd Morning The “True” Lilies $20.00
13rd Evening The “True” Lilies $20.00
October 27th Morning Creating A Meadow Garden FREE!
27th Evening Creating A Meadow Garden FREE!
November 3rd Morning Holiday Cactus $10.00
3rd Evening Holiday Cactus $10.00
Basic Registration For Any and All Classes $5.00 x
Total From Above
Total
2015 Wheelbarrow Series Class Schedule (You Can Still Register)