Washington County Cooperative Extension Service

April 2020

Volume 16

Wheelbarrow Series 2

Try Blue Flowers 3

To Do’s 4

Try Blue Flowers 5

Wheel bugs 5

Plant Of The Month 6

Mowing 7

Recipe of The Month 8

Inside this issue:

HORTICULTURE

Follow Us at

Washington County

Extension Service

ATTENTION!!! Until further notice due to COVID-19 all

Wheelbarrow Series Classes will be through

Power Point Video and uploaded to Our

Facebook Page.

We have also developed a You Tube channel to house all the

videos so you can watch them anytime. The links are below.

Like the Facebook page and Subscribe to the You Tube

Channel its easy and FREE!!!!

You Tube:

https://www.youtube.com/feed/my_videos

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonCountyKentucky4H/

Those that register for classes (and you still can) will receive a

one call to let you know how and when to pick up plants and

seeds for those particular classes.

February 13 Climate Change And Its Affect On Fruit Production In

Kentucky

February 20 Starting Plants From Seed Indoors

February 27 Bountiful Blueberries

March 5 Heirloom Tomatoes

March 26 Growing Asparagus In Kentucky

April 16 Queens Of The Garden….Hybrid Tea Roses

April 23 Lovely Lilacs

April 30 Beans, Beans, The Magical Fruit

May 7 How To Develop Monarch Butterfly Habitat

May 14 Perennials For Late Summer And Fall Color

May 21 Hosta's….Not What You Think

May 28 Sensational Sunflowers

June 4 Growing Hardy Figs In Kentucky

June 11 Growing Flowers For Drying

June 18 Easy Orchids

June 25 Growing Lavender In Kentucky

August 13 Aloes….Not Just Vera

August 20 Growing Great Greens In The Fall

September 3 Composting 101

September 10 New And Interesting Shrubs

September 17 Reblooming Bearded Iris

October 1 Vivacious Viburnums

October 15 Naturalizing With Hardy Bulbs

October 22 Holiday Cactus (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter)

October 29 Putting The Garden To Bed

Basic Registration For Any and All Classes $5.00 X

Total From Above

Minus Discount of $10.00 if Doing Entire Series

And Paid In Full By 2-13-2020

TOTAL

Gardeners Wheelbarrow Series 2020

Call the Extension Office to register at 859-336-7741

Continued Page 6

The Pantone Color Institute named Classic Blue the color of 2020 to convey calmness and tranquility. Blue is a great choice

for UK fans, but it will not be calm during games. There are several perennials and annuals available with blue or hints and

tones of blue to enjoy in your garden and to support UK.

‘Johnson’s Blue’ Geranium (Geranium) forms a spreading mound about 12 inches in height and 24 to 30 inches wide. The blue

flowers appear in late spring to early summer. This perennial prefers morning sun and afternoon shade. It grows best in

well-drained, moist soil.

False indigo (Baptisia australis) grows erect with stalks of blue, lupine-like flowers in spring. After the flower has faded, the seed

pod becomes an inflated charcoal-black seed capsule. The pods are desirable to use in dried flower arrangements. This plant was used

by early Americans as a substitute for true indigo in making blue dyes. Use it as a specimen plant to display its clover-like, blue-green leaves. False indigo prefers full sun.

‘May Night’ (Mainacht) meadow sage (Salvia X superba or Saliva nemerosa) has deep violet-blue flowers produced on

a stalk. The perennial plant reaches 18 inches tall, blooming in the spring. It prefers well -drained soil and full sun. ‘May Night’ tolerates heat and drought conditions.

Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) is a low-growing, 10-inch tall perennial. It has a central crown, making it

ideal for a ground cover to help control erosion in small areas. Morning sun and afternoon shade show off the marine blue, phlox-like flowers. It blooms in late summer through the fall, when the foliage becomes a beautiful

bronze red. This plant needs well-drained soil.

Blue My Mind® (Evolvulus hybrid) has silver-green foliage with blue flowers throughout the summer. The attractive annual reaches 6 to 12 inches in height and spreads up to 24 inches. It is easy to care for and grows best

in hanging baskets or containers. It prefers full sun and tolerates heat.

Surfina® Sky Blue Petunia (Petunia hybrid) has beautiful sky blue flowers with a hint of lavender. The fast-growing plant reaches 6 to 10

inches in height and spreads 8 to 10 inches. This annual plant tolerates heat and is a beautiful addition to patio pots. The flowers do not need

to be removed after blooming to keep the plant looking nice. Evening ScentsationTM Petunia (Petunia x atkinsiana) has indigo blue

flowers that are fragrant with hints of hyacinth, honey, and rose. The fragrance becomes more noticeable in the afternoon and evening. This

annual blooms throughout the growing season. The plant reaches 5 to 8 inches tall and 30 to 35 inches wide. It prefers a moist, well-drained

soil.

The summer snapdragon Angelface® Dresden Blue (Angelonia angusti-folia) reaches 18 to 24 inches tall and spreads 18 to 24 inches wide. The

lavender-blue, 1-inch flowers are bicolor with a single white, angel-shaped petal on the downside. Flowers are produced on spikes.

Johnson’s Blue Geranium

Salvia Victoria Blue

Try Blue Flower Color to Convey Calmness

April To Do’s

If you haven’t cut your perennials

back, do it before the new growth

starts.

Pinch off the spent flowers from

spring bulbs before they make seed

heads. This will cause more food

storage in the bulb

and increase flower

size and productiv-

ity for next year.

Don’t cut spring

flowering bulb foli-

age back until it

turns completely

yellow or brown.

Plant trees and

shrubs now, spring rains will help

them to get established before hot

dry weather sets in.

Save money on fertilizer by adding

organic matter to your flower and

vegetable gardens.

You can plant tender bulbs such as

canna, calla, and dahlia later in the

month. Apply slow release

fertilizer at planting.

If you haven’t planted your spring

vegetable garden due to the wet

weather you still have time. You

can plant potatoes, onions, Cole

crops, lettuce, peas, carrots, beets,

etc. now.

If you started seedlings indoors

gradually acclimate them to the

outdoors. They will sun and wind

burn easily. Give them 30 minutes to

an hour the first day outdoors and

gradually increase it in 30 minute to

an hour increments for a week or so

until they have toughened up.

Uncover your

roses! Keep the

mulch handy in

case we have an

extreme late cold

snap like last year.

Prune out any dead,

damaged or dis-

eased tissue.

Spray your lawn for

broadleaf weeds.

For more information stop by the

Extension Office and pick up the

publication AGR-78.

Don’t apply nitrogen fertilizer to

your lawn in the spring.

Sharpen mower blades and change

the oil in you mower before making

your first cut of the season.

After flowering spray fruit trees with

an all purpose fruit tree spray. Never

spray while in flower you will kill the

bees that you desperately need for

pollination.

Apply a fresh layer of mulch to your

landscape beds.

Plant your mail order or bare root

plants as soon as possible.

If you haven’t cut your blackberry

canes that fruited last year back do it

now before the new growth begins.

Depending on the Raspberries you

are growing you should cut back the

canes that fruited last year. If you

are growing the varieties that fruit on

new and old wood cut them back to

the ground if you didn’t do it last fall.

These will grow all summer and give

you a large crop in late summer and

fall.

This annual flowers all summer long with little care. Deadheading old flower stalks is not necessary. It prefers to grow in full sun and well-drained soil and tolerates summer heat.

Mealycup sage (Salvia farinacea) is an annual in our area but can reseed itself and come up next year. ‘Fairy Queen’

has dark blue and white bicolor flowers on spikes. The plant reaches 18 inches in height and 14 inches in width. ‘Victoria’ has deep violet-blue to deep blue flowers. The plants are compact, reaching 16 to 18 inches tall. They

grow best in full sun and tolerate heat and drought. The flower spikes can be used in fresh arrangements. Butter-flies and hummingbirds are attracted to the blossoms.

Summer Wave® Large Blue torenia (Torenia hybrid) grows best in shade to partial shade. The large tubular-shaped

flowers are two toned with darker blue and lighter blue petals. The carefree annual plant is covered with flowers all summer. The plant reaches 8 to 10 inches tall and 10 to 12 inches wide.

‘Best Bet’ tall bearded iris (Iris germanica) blooms in the spring and may re-bloom in the fall. The large flowers have light blue standards, which are upright petals, and dark blue falls, which are downward bending petals. It prefers to

grow in well-drained soil and full sun. The plant reaches 16 to 18 inches wide and 30 to 40 inches in height with the flower stem included.

Submitted by Annette Heisdorffer, Agent for Horticulture, Daviess Co. Cooperative Extension Service

Try Blue Flower Color to Convey Calmness

When one studies insects he or she will quickly discover there are several beneficial insects. Yes, we all have heard of the praying mantis, but does the name wheel bug ring a bell?

Wheel bugs get their name from a cog-like wheel looking structure on

their back. They are very aggressive looking and they should be, because they are a predator. Adding to that, wheel bugs belong to a group of in-

sects called assassin bugs. The wheel bug is actually the largest assassin bug in KY.

Wheel bugs feed on several soft body insects such as sawflies, aphids,

brown marmorated stink bugs, moths, and caterpillars (which could be either good if the caterpillars are causing harm to your plants, or bad if

you have a butterfly garden). However, sometimes there will be a few good guy casualties along the way, such as honey bees and lady beetles.

Wheel bugs can be found in fields, gardens, and in the landscape. They have one generation per year. In the fall, the female lays several dozen eggs in a cluster on a small twig of a tree or shrub. In the early spring, the eggs hatch

and small red and black nymphs emerge. Don’t be scared when you see them. They will try to avoid you. However, don’t pick one up to hold it. It can deliver a painful bite. Their beak like feeding structure enables them to pierce

their insect prey.

This spring keep an eye out for these amazing insects. You just may have a few protecting your vegetable garden

and you didn’t even know it.

Submitted by Kara Back, Agent for Horticulture, Taylor Co. Cooperative Extension Service

Wheelbug (Arilus cristatus)-

Phot Joseph Berger Boodwood.com

Wheelbugs

Bloom time

Spring

Color

Pink, Yellow

Wildlife

Deer Resistant, Insect Resistant

Tolerances

Clay Soil, Disease Resistant, Heat Tolerant, Mildew Resistant, Needs No Dead-

heading, Rust Resistant

Mature Width 12 to 15 Feet

Mature Height 20 to 25 Feet

Light Full Sun to Part Shade

Planting Zone 4 to 9

General Information Elegant, creamy yellow blooms with a hint of pink grace

the Sunsation Magnolia in late spring. With this late

blooming beauty, the worry of early frost damage is a

thing of the past! The abundant blooms begin showing

themselves when the Sunsation is still young, sometimes

even the first or second year. The uniform, pyramidal

habit requires no pruning. It is a hybrid cross of M.

‘Woodsman’ and ‘Elizabeth’. Wonderful specimen plant

for your landscape. This eye catching beauty will take

front stage. Use the flower stems in cut flower bou-

quets. Beautiful planted in mass for a cheerful border.

Additional Information

Magnolia x ‘Sunsation’ grows best in Full Sun to Part

Shade. It will grow 20 to 25 feet tall with a 12 to 15

foot spread. Plant in zones 4 to 9. Heat and humidity

tolerant. Cold tolerant. Deer resistant.

April Plant of The Month - Sunsation Magnolia

Information from https://www.grimmsgardens.com/shop/sunsation-magnolia/

It’s difficult to envision mowing your lawn this spring when frost or snow greets you nearly every morning. Yet that first spring mowing, usually in late March, begins your most important annual lawn duties.

The first mowing makes the lawn look spring-like

and very attractive. Subsequent regular mowing hardens the grass for drought and heat stresses later on.

So when the first clump of grass grows above the

mowing height, mow, even if a lot of the yard doesn’t need to be mowed yet.

Not all grasses start growing at the same time.

Grass on northern slopes, or in heavy clay soil, will start growing several days later than normal. Grass that

wasn’t fertilized in the fall or early spring also has a delayed growth.

Following recommendations for mowing height and frequency will make your lawn-care duties easier and

result in a more attractive yard.

If your mower has a fixed, all-year height, set it at 2.5 inches.

However, if you can easily vary the height, set it at 1.5 to 2 inches for the first several times you mow this spring. The shorter mowing height will help remove a lot of the winter-burned, brown leaves. And by exposing

more dark green growth, it will transfigure your lawn into the most uniform, attractive in the neighborhood. Move the height up to 2.5 inches after you mow the grass several times.

To protect your grass from summer heat and drought injury, raise the mower height to 3 or 3.5 inches.

However, remember that high grass, especially tall fescue, tends to fall over and mat down during hot summer weather causing increased summer disease problems. In the fall, lower the mowing height to 2.5 inches.

For the winter, you might want to lower it again to 1.5 to 2 inches. This shorter height improves the turf’s

winter and early spring color.

Never let grass go through the winter at a height of 4 or more inches, because it will mat down and become diseased.

Generally speaking, mow often enough to remove no more than one-third to one-half of the grass height. If

your mower is set for 2 inches, mow again when grass height reaches approximately 3 inches. Be sure not to scalp the lawn by mowing off most of the green leaves.

For tall fescue lawns, a rule of thumb is to mow at five-day intervals during the spring, and at seven-day

intervals the rest of the year. If you have a Kentucky bluegrass lawn, a seven-day interval usually is sufficient at a 2.5-inch mowing height. You probably can extend that interval during hot, dry weather.

Don’t mow by the calendar. Instead, watch the grass grow, and mow frequently enough to remove no more

than one-third to one-half of grass height. By Gregg Munshaw Turf Specialist U.K.

Mowing Most Important of Year Long Lawn Duties

245 Corporate Drive

Springfield KY, 40069

Office 859-336-7741

Fax 859-336-7445

Email dennis.morgeson@uky.edu

Washington County Cooperative Extension Service

We Are On The Web!!!

washington.ca.uky.edu

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https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonCountyKentucky4H/

Ingre-

Ingredients: 2-3 ears shucked corn

1 cup quinoa, uncooked 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped 1 cup cilantro, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 8-10 green onions,

thinly sliced 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles

Dressing: 1/2 cup lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon honey Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to boil, add corn and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Cool. Cut corn

from cob using a sharp knife. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. When quinoa has cooled, add dressing and stir to coat. In a large bowl combine remaining

ingredients and add to the quinoa mixture. Cool in refrigerator and serve.

April Recipe of The Month: Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad