Hello Horticulturalists!

Happy Fall! The summer has flown by. If your garden is like mine, you have already starting cleaning out some of the summer plants like tomatoes. Remember to remove all

of the plant debris from your garden. If you suspect a plant was sick, it is not a good idea to compost it because most of our compost piles do not get hot enough to kill plant diseases.

Remember, our average first frost date is October 10th!

Amanda Sears County Extension Agent for Horticulture

amanda.sears@uky.edu https://madison.ca.uky.edu/content/horticulture

H O R T I C U L T U R E

The golden argiope is one of the more spectacular, and sometimes the most alarming, spider that we see in early fall. They may bite if bothered but are not dangerous.

This orb weaver spider makes a flat, wheel-like web with silk lines radiating out like spokes from the center. Webs are usually in sunny overgrown areas where tall grass or brambles can support the web structure, which may be up to 2 feet across.

While resting, the spider often holds its legs together in pairs so there seems to be 4 legs rather than 8. In Figure 1, this spider is feeding on a silk-wrapped insect that it has captured and trussed up. Having poor vision, these spiders rely on vibrations of trapped victims to know that their web has captured a meal. They may take prey up to twice their size, using their long legs and silk to efficiently immobilize the struggling meal.

A zig-zap or zipper pattern from the center to the bottom of the web inspired their alternate name, “writing spiders.” The zipper was once thought to provide structural stability to the web or to attract flying insects. Another idea is that the “zipper” gives the web higher visibility so birds are less likely to fly through and destroy the web.

Pumpkins can be harvested whenever they are a deep, solid color (orange for most varieties) and the rind is hard. How hard should the rind be? You should not be able to pierce it (gently) with your finger nail.

Cut pumpkins from the vine carefully, using pruning shears or a sharp knife and leave 3 to 4 inches of stem attached. Snapping the stems from the vines results in many broken or missing "handles." Pumpkins without stems usually do not keep well.

Gardeners of Madison County - Monday, October 16th, 6 pm to 8 pm Madison County Cooperative Extension Center, 230 Duncannon Lane, Richmond Our speaker this month is Betty Suffarg from Wild Birds Unlimited. Betty will be presenting a special Halloween program on bats and other misunderstood birds. This should be a fun program for all age groups. For more information call Jerry Cook at 859-200-7884. All are welcome.

Madison County Beekeeper’s Association - Monday, October 23rd from 6 pm to 8 pm Madison County Cooperative Extension Center, 230 Duncannon Lane, Richmond This group usually meets the fourth Monday of each month at 6:00 pm. Please call Randy at 859- 376-0332 or Debbie at 859-200-0090 for more information.

Kentucky Small, Limited Resource, Minority Farmers Conference “Maintaining Visibility as a Farmer” Date: November 14-16, 2017 Location: Capital Plaza Hotel, Kentucky State University, and the Kentucky State University Harold R. Benson Research & Demonstration Farm, Frankfort, KY For more information and to register, contact: shelley.spiggie@kysu.edu, (502) 597-6325

The Harvest 859 Farmers’ Market Cooperative will remain open as long as produce and weather allow, at Kohl’s parking lot in Richmond. For updates, check out their Facebook page.

The Madison County Farmers’ Market is no longer setting up on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Saturday sales will continue into October as weather and produce allow, at Lowe’s parking lot in Richmond. For updates, check their Facebook page.

The Berea Farmers’ Market will continue to set up on Tuesdays from 10 am to 1 pm, and Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm at 416 Chestnut Street in Berea. For more information about this market checkout their Facebook page.

The Downtown Richmond Farmers’ Market’s last day for outdoor sales is October 7th on 1st Street in Richmond. This market will have an indoor market starting on November 4th in the lobby of the Glyndon Hotel in downtown Richmond. The indoor market will meet every other week. For more information, check their Facebook page.

Thanks farmers for feeding us fresh food all season!

Garlic is commonly used as a flavoring for food, as a condiment, and for medicinal purposes.

October is a good time to plant garlic. Choose an area with full sun and good drainage. Before planting, fertilize the area and incorporate it into the area. Once soil is prepared, separate individual cloves from the main garlic bulb and plant cloves 3-5 inches apart with points up and cover to a depth of 1-2 inches. Do not divide the bulb into cloves before you are ready to plant. Leave skin on the clove.

Water thoroughly after planting and then mulch with 4-6 inches of seed free straw. This helps to moderate soil temperature in winter and to combat weed growth. The cloves may sprout after becoming established, but do not let that alarm you.

Growth will ramp up in early spring. Fertilize in May and be sure the planting is receiving enough moisture. To grow well, the plant requires one inch of water per week. As flower shoots (scapes) form in late spring,

be sure to cut them off. If allowed to mature to seed, they can reduce bulb size.

Bulbs are ready for harvest when the tops begin to yellow, usually in mid-summer. Do not wait until the leaves are completely brown to harvest. Be sure to dig the bulbs rather than pulling them. Remove excess dirt but do not wash the bulbs.

For more information on growing garlic, check out these websites:

https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/2014/10/time-to-plant-onions-and-garlic-3/

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/2906/2906-1347/2906-1347.html