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

lpmoore1950@hotmail.com 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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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: robsmith@uky.edu

Website: http://nelson.ca.uky.edu/

@hortagentrob

NelsonCountyExtension

Robbie Smith

County Extension Agent for Horticulture

12

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