In light of the recent Coronavirus (COVID-19) the

2020 Scott Co. Extension Master Gardener EXPO

has been cancelled this year.

The EXPO has become a large event in the past few years, drawing in participants from across Kentucky. For that reason, I feel that it would be best to cancel the event on March 21st, to reduce any risk to our participants, speakers, vendors, and volunteers.

Also, the last two classes in the Horticulture for the Curious class series have been cancelled, but will be rescheduled for a later date. Members of the class will be contacted.

The three websites below provide information and resources on COVID-19; please visit for more infor-mation.

For the latest information on the Coronavirus in Kentucky, please visit www.kycovid19.ky.gov.

UK COVID-19 Response:

https://www.uky.edu/coronavirus/

Center for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Take care,

Sharon P. Flynt

Agent for Horticulture

Scott County Cooperative Extension

GROWING GARDENERS - Learning Opportunities for All Plant and Gardening Enthusiasts

UPCOMING CLASSES

March 24 -Creating Plants - Plant Propagation Methods, 5:30 pm - $10.00-6th session in HFTC series. Learn the different methods of propagation. Par-ticipants will learn the tech-niques and take plant starts.

March 31, Plant Doctor Plant Pathology, 5:30 pm, $10.00. 7th and last HFTC session in series - learn the signs, symptoms and care for “sick” landscape plants.

April 7, 5:30-7:00pm Success-ful Tomatoes Part 2, $5.00- In Successful Tomatoes class (Part 1) we learned all about diseas-es, culture and plant re-

sistance. Part 2 is a continua-tion of that, with focus on planting, care and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) throughout the summer. Each paid participant will go home with transplants and knowledge for a successful tomato season.

April 9 (Thursday), 5:30 to 7:00 -SPROUTS, $15.00 Gar-dening is easier than you think! This session will walk you through the steps of starting your own garden such as getting the soil ready, planting your first seeds and beyond. Walk away with the seeds and plans for either a 4’ x 4’ three season Vegetable Garden or an Herb garden with 10 different kinds of herbs. Presented by Master Gar-deners Hazel Combs, Renee Corri-gan and Char Williams

April 16, 5:30-7:00, Cut and Dried, Growing Flowers for Drying, $5.00 - Dried flowers are the basic materials for dried wreaths, bouquets, and potpourris and can be easy to grow. This class will give you the fundamentals of growing, caring for and drying, a special selection of transplants and seeds that participants will take home with them to try.

April 17 Flower Friday, 9:30-11, Spring Bouquet - $5.00 participants will make a special spring bouquet in a keepsake vase.

April 28 - An Evening With Dave Leonard, Consulting Arborist - Current Tree Issues, 6:00 pm FREE

Many people take their land-scape trees for granted, never really paying much attention to them once they are planted. But then you notice something wrong- Dropping needles, yel-lowing. Many times, by the time you notice it, it may be too late for your tree. Get ahead of tree problems with Dave. He will discuss current tree issues and answer your

questions. Take advantage of this free event to talk to a na-tionally recognized tree arbor-ist.

April 30, 5:30 to 7:00 pm - Growing Container Vegeta-bles, $5.00 - Would you love to have a few vegetables ready for the picking right off your patio, porch or deck? Growing Container vegetables will take you through the step by step process to achieve your own container garden heaven. Transplants and seeds will be ready for you to take home and plant.

I M P O R T A N T I N F O R M A T I O N -PLEASE READ:

Unless otherwise not-ed in class description, all classes take place at the Scott County Extension office, 1130 Cincinnati Road, Georgetown, KY.

Pre- registration is nec-essary to insure there are enough materials for everyone at class. Call 502 863 0984 to register.

Also, if a fee is in-volved, the fee must be paid in advance of the class. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ; cash (exact change is best) or checks only. Checks should be made out to Scott Co. Extension District Board.

Have you ever been driving along the high-way, and notice a field that, as you approach it , seems to be cov-ered in a beautiful purple haze? And you think, How pretty! How pretty in-deed, if you are battling this common broadleaf winter annual in your field, lawn or landscape bed.

Henbit is a winter annual -it germinates in the fall, survives the winter as a vege-tative plant flowers in late winter/early spring, develops seed, and dies in warm temperatures of late spring to early summer. Henbit is a member of the mint family, and has the characteristic four-sided (square) stem which can be sparsely hairy and greenish to purplish in color. All henbit leaves are hairy. Up-per leaves are deeply lobed and encircle the main stem at the base (no leaf stem). Henbit flowers are small, pinkish- purple with darker coloring on the low-er petal, arranged in whorls, and are tubular in shape.

Cultural Control: Mulching landscape beds to at least three inches can reduce germination. Preventing weeds in the lawn will aide in reducing the weed seed bank in the landscape beds. In-fields, cultivation is an effective treat-ment for reducing henbit populations.

Biological Control: There are some organic postemergence herbicides available to control henbit. For exam-ple, pelargonic acid (Scythe) and acetic acid (5% or greater solutions) may be used to manage weeds. Chemical Control: 1) Preemergence herbicides are the recommended meth-od for controlling henbit in nurseries and landscapes. Preemergence herbi-cides will reduce risks of phytotoxicity, reduce the total amount of herbicides applied, and reduce labor inputs. The herbicide must be applied PRIOR to germination for control. A fall applica-tion of preemergence herbicide is nec-essary to control henbit.

PURPLE HAZE Henbit

(Lamium amplexicaule)

Small clay pots are excellent

for protecting your tender plants from sudden over-night frosts and freezes. Just remember to remove them by mid-morning.

With the mild winter we have had, spring and warm tempera-

ture may come a little earlier this year. With warm tempera-

ture, most insects are coming out of their winter hiding spots,

mating, and in some cases, discovering their way back into our

buildings and homes. Regrettably, one of the most widespread

springtime pests is also a hazard to our buildings and homes –

termites. Some insects, such as bees, ants, and termites, live in

groups called colonies. Termite colonies are categorized into

three groups based on the location of the colony – subterrane-

an, dry wood and damp wood. Millions of insects may live in a

single colony and each insect has its own job to do in the colony.

A termite colony, no matter its location, contains workers, sol-

diers and swarmers. Workers maintain the colony, construct or

repair the nest, and forage for food for the colony. Soldiers are

sterile, and their main role is to protect the colony. Neither

workers nor soldiers have wings.

Swarmers, also known as reproductives, have two pair of wings,

which lie flat over the abdomen when not in use. In the spring-

time, usually after the last freeze –when temperatures reach

about 70 degrees – the young adult male and female swarmers

emerge from their nests in large groups.

For many homeowners, the first obvious sign of termite infesta-

tion is a swarm of flying insects. However, not all swarming, fly-

ing insects are termites – some are flying ants. Being able to

distinguish between flying ants and termites, by their similar but

different physical characteristics, will put many homeowners’

hearts at ease.

Flying ants and termites vary in many ways, and it is easy to

identify between them, but you have to know what and where

to look.

What is the Difference? Look at the diagram below. Both are

insects, so they have common parts similar to each other. First-

the antenna coming from the head - Flying ants have jointed

(like elbows) antenna, termite antenna are straight. Second –

wings – both insects have wings, but there are differences be-

tween the two. Ants and termites both have two pairs of wings

emerging from the thorax. However, the ant will have one big

wing and one small wing on both sides of the thorax. Termites

also have two pairs of wings originating in the thorax but both

wings are the same length. Third- There is a definite demarca-

tion of the thorax and the abdomen in the ant. The ant will

have a “wasp-like” or pinched waist. The termite has both a

thorax and abdomen, but it is hard to tell where the thorax

stops and the abdomen starts without looking closely as the

termite is thick waisted.

Spring swarm - what is it?

Inside Garden things to do to keep

your social distance

Plant Propagation - Seed Germination Testing

At one point or another, every gardener has stumbled upon a forgotten packet of seed. The seed may bring a season of abun-dance or disappointment. Before wasting hours of labor and precious garden space on seed that will not sprout and grow, you may want to try testing the germination rate.

Supplies:

Before you begin -Germination testing requires you sacrifice a few seeds. If your seed quantity is very low, skip the germination test altogether

and carefully plant what you have.

Using information on the seed packet or your own background knowledge, determine the germination requirements for your seeds. Some species require special procedures such as soaking or pre-chilling prior to planting. If you are testing a cool season crop, use a thermometer to find a suitable area in your home between 55-70 degrees F during the day. Warm season crops should be kept between 80-85 degrees F. It is preferable, though not required, to drop the temperature by 10-15 degrees at night. Some crops require light to germinate while others

need complete darkness; check the packet, publications, or online references for this information.

Test Setup-Layer two paper towels and write the variety and start date on the top towel using a pencil or water resistant marker. Moisten, but do not soak, the towels with clean tap water using a spray bottle. Too much moisture promotes bacterial and fungal growth. If water wells up around your finger when you press on the towel, it is too wet. 1-Use at least five seeds to 10, to insure a minimum amount of accuracy. The more seeds you use, the more accurate your results will be. While businesses or organizations would use up to 200 seeds, using 10 to 20-25 seeds should be sufficient for home gardeners. 2-Line up the seeds on the damp towels in one or two rows about 1” from the top of the towel. Space small seeds at least ½” apart and large seeds at least 1” to 1 ½” apart. Leave 1”-2” of extra space on the ends. 3-Fold the towels in half from the bottom up over the seeds and then loosely roll the towels from one side to the other. (If your seeds are tiny or require light to germi-nate, do not fold the paper towel; arrange the seeds on top and place flat in the bottom of a clear container, covering with a clear lid or plastic wrap.) 4-Place the roll in a plastic bag or plastic wrap and set in a container with the open end of the towel up. 5-Place the container in an area that suits the crop’s germination needs. For crops that need pre-chilling, place the container in the refrigerator for a few days then move to a warm location to start the test. For warm season crops, the top of a refrigerator or computer tower works well. A basement or north-facing win-

dowsill is best for cool season crops. Allow some indirect light for most seeds. Do not place in direct sunlight. Evaluation-Check the towel moisture each day and add water when drying. Start checking the seeds as early as 3 days after setup. If you find moldy seeds, count them as dead and remove them or the mold may spread to other seedlings. You can count and remove the healthy seed-lings as they develop. Keep track of how many days it takes the seed to germinate for future reference. The test is over when all the seeds

have germinated or the normal number of days to germination is up.

Hard seed-Some crops, like beans and okra, may contain hard seeds. These seeds do not sprout, but also do not become swollen, moldy, or soft during the test. This is because the seed coat becomes impermeable to water as the seeds age. Hard seeds may still be viable, but they require that you scarify (scratch or nick) the seed coat before planting. A pair of nail clippers works best for this. Scarify the surface opposite the

seed hilum, or point of pod attachment, where you are least likely to damage important tissue.

Calculating results-To calculate germination percentage, divide the number of healthy seedlings by the total number of seeds in the test and multiply by 100. For example, if you started with 25 seeds and had 20 healthy sprouts, your germination rate would be 80%. The lower the ger-

mination rate, the sooner the seed should be grown.

(Healthy seedlings / Total seeds) x 100 = Germination %

Special notes: Environmental stresses may reduce the field germination rate of your seed. A germination test does not test seed vigor. Seed

vigor may decrease even as germination rate remains constant.

To maintain high vigor and germination, store seeds at low, constant temperatures with very low humidity. Some species or varieties

simply do not have the same storage life as others, which is why regular germination testing is so important.

If you would like to save your seedlings after the test, know that many species cannot handle transplanting at such an early stage. Stems and roots are fragile, and a sudden change in environment can trigger shock. If you are determined to save the seedlings, leave them attached to

the paper towels and cut around their roots. Grow indoors in a clean, loose seed starting mix until ready to be moved outside.

Adapted for use by Sharon Flynt, Agent for Horticulture, Scott Co. Cooperative Extension from seedsaver.org

Thermometer

Ziploc bags, plastic

bags, or plastic wrap

Rubber bands Pencil or marker

Paper towels Cup or container Spray bottle Nail clippers

(optional)