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A horticulture published by Robbie Smith, County Extension Agent for horticulture.
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1
I N S I D E
T H I S
I S S U E :
Broad-
leaved
Evergreen
Problems
2
Farmers
Market
3
In Praise
of Mini
Daffodils
4
Blooming
Bard-
stown
Garden
Tour
6
Keep your
Tomatoes
Clean this
spring
8
Backyard
Apple
Spray
Guide
9
Activities
& Ideas
10
Gifted Gardener A P R I L / M A Y 2 0 1 4
100 YEARS OF
EXTENSION
bounce back from the recent re-
cession or teaching 4-H’ers about
the consequences of bullying.
Despite the many social,
technological and academic chang-
es that have occurred in the past
100 years, one thing that has re-
mained constant is that Kentucki-
ans can always turn to their coun-
ty Cooperative Extension agents
to get reliable, research-based
information on topics ranging
from bed bugs to public speaking
to physical activity. While exten-
sion agents don’t make decisions
for their clients, they do provide
them with the most up-to-date
knowledge so individuals make
the best decision possible for
themselves.
Today, change occurs rapid-
ly, and extension is still the place
where Kentuckians can turn to
for help embracing those changes
and moving forward toward a
better Kentucky.
By Karen Rammage
While change isn’t easy
for some people, it’s inevitable
in some circumstances.
Throughout the history of the
University of Kentucky Coop-
erative Extension Service,
countless agents have worked
to help Kentuckians learn
about and embrace important
changes.
2014 marks the 100th
anniversary of the passage of
the Smith-Lever Act, which
formally established the nation-
al Cooperative Extension Ser-
vice system. The UK Coopera-
tive Extension Service is cele-
brating ways that extension has
helped clients change their lives
for the better.
Many of the duties of the
first extension agents included
helping farmers become better
stewards of the land and help-
ing homemakers improve food
preservation techniques so
they and their families could
lead healthier lives. Today, ex-
tension agents continue to
work to make Kentuckians
lives better, but now these
duties may include helping
farmers keep up with the latest
precision agriculture technolo-
gy, guiding families as they
HORTICULTURE
Happy Birthday to us
Come help us celebrate the 100th
year anniversary of the Coopera-
tive Extension Service
May 8th from 11:00 am until
2:00pm (come when
you can) enjoy a pro-
vided lunch and a dis-
play of our history.
317 South Third Street
2
Broadleaved evergreens
like hollies, magnolias,
boxwoods, and rhodo-
dendrons have been
beaten up this past win-
ter and are looking pretty
ragged coming into
spring. Winter drying is
the culprit and was ex-
pected based upon what
kind of winter we just
went through. The dis-
coloration occurs be-
cause of the plants leaves
dry out during frozen
ground conditions. This
means that the soil around
the roots remained frozen
for an extended period of
time and the plant could
not take up needed mois-
ture to maintain the foli-
age. While the soil was
frozen and no uptake of
water was taking place the
winds were still evaporating
moisture from the foliage
resulting in the burnt or
scorched appearance.
The unfortunate thing is
there is not a lot of options
for dealing with the prob-
lem after it happens. We
generally see very little long
term effects from this prob-
lem. Usually the worse
case is some twig die-back
and an un-thrifty appear-
ance to the plant for
awhile. Generally they will
put new leaves back on and
resume normal appearance
(Continued on page 3)
WO
OD
Y P
LA
NT
S
Broadleaved
Evergreen
Problems
“While the soil
was frozen and
no uptake of
water was
taking place
the winds were
still
evaporating
moisture from
the foliage.“
Holly leaves
Boxwood leaves
Magnolia leaves
3
as the spring continues to im-
prove. Patience will be the order of
the spring to get back to a more lush
landscape. To read more about how to
manage this problem next winter read the
following: Leaf Scorch and Winter Drying
of Woody Plants
4
FL
OW
ER
S
“Because
daffodils' bulbs
are site-
dependent—
putting out
larger or smaller
flowers each
year, according
to sun/soil/
water/weather
conditions—the
term
"miniature" is a
moving target
that's hard to
standardize.”
“We admit to a weakness for
daffodils here—last time we
counted, we came up with quite
a grand total: more than half a
million daffodils are planted at
the Chicago Botanic Garden! In
fact, last year in Smart Gardener,
we talked about daffodils twice,
in both the April article (on plan-
ning) and again in the November
article (on planting, when you
need it in fall).
This April, we want to focus
attention on a particular subset
of the enormous genus Narcissus:
the smallest daffodils, both minia-
tures and species, that often go
unnoticed and unplanted.
What makes a miniature? The
American Daffodil Society (ADS)
refrains from an official definition
or separate division for minia-
tures (although it sanctions a
cultivar list: daffodilusa.org/wp-
content/uploads/2014/01/ADS-
Miniature-Daffodil-List.pdf). Be-
cause daffodils' bulbs are site-
dependent—putting out larger
or smaller flowers each year,
according to sun/soil/water/
weather conditions—the term
"miniature" is a moving target
that's hard to standardize.
In general, however, the ADS
and reputable daffodil companies
(like Brent and Becky's Bulbs)
consider miniatures to be about
6 inches tall, bearing flowers
about 1 inch in diameter. Here's
what's key: miniatures are minia-
The following article is a
part of the Smart Gar-
dener series written by
the staff of the Chicago
Botanic garden. Now I
know it is past our
bloom time of the Daffo-
dils but I feel like it is a
good time to begin think-
ing about the many other
possibilities of this genus
of plants.and their uses.
If you are ever in Chicago
the Chicago Botanic Gar-
den is a must see
IN PRAISE OF MINI DAFFODILS
Narcissus 'Baby
Boomer', N. 'Baby
Moon', and N. 'Elka'
are dotted about the
Rock Garden, a desir-
able site for bulbs,
given its well-drained
soil and warmer tem-
perature.
5
tures not just in height, but in all phys-
ical features. All the art, in a smaller
package.
Think of your favorite standard daffo-
dil: there's probably a miniature with a
similar look. There are mini-trumpet
daffodils (traditionally Division 1), as
well as triandrus (Division 5), cycla-
mineus (6), jonquilla (7), and tazetta
(8). The bulbocodium (10), miscellane-
ous (12), and species (13) divisions
rank high in miniature numbers.
Also, like standard daffodils, minia-
tures flower at different times: there
are early, mid, and late spring bloom-
ers, all of which can add up to an ex-
tended period of bloom if they're lo-
cated well.
Speaking of location, even an experi-
enced gardener can feel stymied when
it comes to sighting miniature bulbs. In
the next week or two, take a good
look at your yard before the trees leaf
out, and you may be surprised by the
bulb location opportunities. Take a
few digital photos now so you can
refer to them when it's time to plant
bulbs this fall. We have a few location
suggestions:
In shrubby areas—Miniatures
squeeze in nicely beneath shrubs,
lighting up those lifeless spots found in
every yard. Timed to bloom with a
flowering shrub, like azaleas, mini-daffs
can be thrilling. Try miniatures in
clumps around conifers, too—dark
greens make a great backdrop for
dainty, bright flowers.
Under trees' canopies—The
same idea works under trees—
especially those that don't encourage
much to grow beneath them, like Nor-
way maples. Imagine that typically bare,
gray spot in the yard as a staging area for
hundreds of mini-daffodils instead.
Along the walkways—Tucked
right at the edge of sidewalks and paths,
dainty daffodils delight visitors and home-
owners as they open up in spring. Even a
clump or two is enough to stop the
neighbors in their tracks.
As punctuation in groundcov-
er—Popping up through established
groundcovers, mini-daffodils turn the
ordinary into a photo op. Try them with
a flowering groundcover, like Phlox subu-
lata, for a magazine cover-worthy effect.
Use a narrow trowel to dig holes for
bulbs (three times the depth of the bulb
itself) through the groundcover (limits
root damage) and plant them randomly
(no straight lines!).
In containers—Mass miniature
bulbs in a large container for the front
porch or at the garden gate. Be generous
and position bulbs closely together for
maximum impact.
We plant miniatures in high-traffic areas
where visitors are can see them clearly
before the rest of the garden comes to
life. “
Narcissus 'Little
Gem' and N.
'Jumblie' share an
unusual location—
beneath the apple
trees in the Regen-
stein Fruit & Vege-
table Garden or-
chard—where 1,000 of each look
wonderfully naturalized. Well worth
the walk.
6
7
8
FR
UIT
S &
VE
GE
TA
BL
E
The staple of many gardens
really could use a little help
from you to provide fruit
for the entire season. That
care should start at or just
before transplanting to
maintain good clean trans-
plants that can thrive and
handle all that the summer
will throw at them.
The major problem of to-
matoes comes from a soil
born disease called early
blight. Early blight is de-
scribed when the plant
begins to “fire up” from
the bottom. Firing up re-
fers to the lowest leaves
on the plant spotting then
turning yellow or black and
finally falling off. When
early blight is bad enough it
will affect the leaves, stem
and the fruit. The problem
can result in the loss of the
entire crop. So, what to do
to prevent crop loss from
early blight in tomatoes?
Start with clean dis-
ease free transplants (no
spots and good color).
Grow your own seedlings
is a better way to ensure
disease free plants.
“Early blight is
described when
the plant begins
to “fire up” from
the bottom. .”
KEEP YOUR
TOMATOES
CLEAN THIS
SPRING
After planting mulch
under the plants to keep
soil from bouncing up
on the plant. Mulch can
be organic, landscape
fabric, or paper type
products.
Early sprays of Chloro-
thalonil (a protectant
fungicide) applied week-
ly will keep your plants
much cleaner. Brand
names include Fungonil
and Chlorothalonil.
Watering should always
be done at the root
zone and not over the
top. Sprinklers in the
garden are a sure way
to promote disease.
These steps are sure to
help you keep disease
free plants all the way to
frost.
Even though the other prev-
alent problem on tomatoes
(Blossom End Rot) is not a
disease the cultural practices
listed will greatly decrease
the occurrences of this abi-
otic problem. Blossom end
rot is a lack of calcium being
taken up by the plant be-
cause of intermittent water-
ing and the allowing of the
plant to dry between water-
ing. So keep the plants moist
and mulched and the lovely
red fruit will keep coming all
season.
9
This time of year timing is critical for keep-
ing your apple crop insect and disease free.
The following chart is a portion of the Sim-
plified Backyard Apple Spray Guide (PPFS-FR
-T-18). Considering most fruit production
the early sprays are the most important and
because most of the products we can use
are protectants it is critical to apply those
sprays ahead of a rain event. Visit the link
to the left for more in depth information.
Backyard Apple Spray Guide
10
HELP!!!! Lyda Moore, president of Kentucky Home
Extension Master Gardeners, is preparing a paper for consid-
eration for the International Convention of Master Gardeners
in September in South Korea. The paper deals with mentor-
ing relationships between gardeners and those persons who
helped foster or teach a love of horticulture/agriculture. It
would be so appreciated if you would send her an email at
[email protected] or call at (502)-33l-0376 and tell
her a short bit of information if someone fostered this pas-
sion for you. Initial responses have included aunts, grandpar-
ents, parents, neighbors, school programs, and financial in-
centives. Thank you for helping. If her presentation were to
be accepted, it would provide financial assistance for the
convention.
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LE
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11
Upcoming Activities:
April 22nd @4:00 pm at the Bloom-
field Library Growing Terrific Toma-
toes and Perfect Peppers all season
long. .
May 7th @ 6:30 pm Nelson County
Beekeepers Club will have their regu-
lar meeting at the Nelson County Ex-
tension Office
May 8th from 11:00am until 2:00pm
Join us for a celebration of 100 years
of Extension. Lunch will be provided
so RSVP please.
May 15th @ 5:00 pm Dish/Container
Gardening workshop at the Nelson
County Extension office. Bring a fa-
vorite shallow dish and any mini
plants you would like to share. Call to
register.
May 27th @ 4:00 pm at the Bloom-
field Library “Backyard Poultry for
meat eggs, and fun
Shallow tilli-age in all gar-den areas helps to re-
duce weed pressure sea-son long.
Grubs do not cause your mole problem so there is no
benefit to treating for
grubs
Lawn fertiliza-
tion in the spring is a waste of time
and money . Many more benefits are
seen from fall
applications.
This cold
weather may
cause your Cole crops to bolt prema-
turely.
Onions can be
planted
Remembers soil testing is
free in Nelson County and should be
done every
few years.
Save our polli-
nators do not spray trees when flowers
are open.
Most vegeta-bles have an optimum time
for side-dressing see ID-128 for
more details.
Many perenni-als can be
divided now.
Remember if
it blooms be-fore June
prune after
bloom. If it blooms after June you can
prune now if
needed.
Broadleaved weeds need to
be controlled now see AGR-208 for specif-
ics.
T H A T ’ S A N
I D E A
Phone: 502-348-9204
Fax: 502-348-9270
email: [email protected]
Website: http://nelson.ca.uky.edu/
@hortagentrob
NelsonCountyExtension
Robbie Smith
County Extension Agent for Horticulture
12
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