Grayson County Extension Service (270) 259-3492

123 Commerce Dr. Fax: (270) 259-0291

Leitchfield KY 42754 graysonext.org

Master Gardener Association of Grayson County

The Gardening Thymes Fall 2016

Note from the President… 2nd Annual

Extension Family Farm Fest

Bring the family

& join us for a fun-filled day!

Saturday, October 22nd,

10 am - 4 pm

Admission and Education

Sessions are FREE!

Master Gardeners will

be

demonstrating

Straw Bale Gardening

Season Extenders

Winter Sowing

We are fast approaching my favorite time of

the year, “Fall.” Everything associated with

this season of the year makes me happy.

September 12th & 13

th, Sharon Flynn and I

attended the 2016 State Master Gardener

Conference held in Pikeville, KY, the town

that moved a mountain and a river simply so

they could grow. We were inundated with

information from great speakers.

Our keynote speaker was Cathy Rehmeyer,

PHD in Plant Pathology, and her main focus

was Winter Gardening at her 4-Petal Farm.

Some of the sessions I attended were

Heirlooms and Saving Seed, along with

Informing Your Community.

We in South Central Kentucky Zone 6 can

also grow fall and winter crops. Some perks

to fall/winter gardening are fewer insects and

weeds and 90° days. High tunnels, low

tunnels and row covers are all easy for us to

use.

Happy Fall & Winter Gardening Ya’ll!

Martha Higgs

MGAGC President

University of Kentucky

College of Agriculture,

Food and Environment

Cooperative Extension Service

See flyer on back page for

more information!

October:

There is still time to make a few last sowings of cold-hardy vegetables. Plant under row covers or

cold frames for winter harvest.

Cold-hardy vegetables like Brussels sprouts, carrots, cabbage, and kale become sweeter after a

frost, so wait a bit before harvesting them.

Tender summer vegetables will continue growing during the warm days of fall. Keep frost

protectors handy to cover on cool days and cooler nights.

Continue planting spring-blooming bulbs, trees, and shrubs while the soil is workable.

Spend some time cleaning up the garden now, to save some time in the spring.

Stop dead-heading roses early in the month to signal the roses to stop growing.

Be sure to add disease-free dead plants and dried shredded leaves to the compost pile.

November:

If you planted cold-hardy greens last month, you can probably start thinning lettuce and spinach.

Crops that you want to overwinter need to be mulched with a thick layer of leaves, hay or straw.

Don’t cut back plants, such as ornamental grasses, that have an attractive profile, so they may

provide shelter for wildlife and birds, plus winter interest as you gaze out the window.

Summer blooming perennials need to be cut back to a few inches above soil level. Remove, but

do not compost any insect or disease ridden plants debris.

Spring blooming plants are best left until after blooming in the spring for pruning, if needed.

Mums in the garden need to be mulched well.

December:

Start keeping bird feeders filled.

Continue to harvest fall vegetables.

Mulch vegetables still in the garden.

If you are winter gardening under garden blankets, be sure to have your frame ready for a

covering of plastic, if it gets terribly cold.

Take evergreen trimmings from the yard for Christmas decorating. Afterwards, place the

trimmings and cutoff branches from your Christmas tree on your perennials for added protection.

If you had overgrown Boston ferns on your porch and brought them in for the winter, you can

divide them by cutting the root ball in half with a sharp knife, and then repot the plants.

We are on Facebook! Keep up to date with the latest local gardening news plus

upcoming workshops and seminars by “liking” us on Facebook. Master Gardener Association of Grayson County Kentucky

Monthly Garden Tips !

Herbs for all Seasons By Melissa Williams, Grayson County Master Gardener

I love herbs. Just growing them makes me happy, whether I actually use them or not. Still, there is

something to be said for walking outside and snipping off a stem or two for some culinary creation on

the stove. My crop this year included the perennials rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives, mint, lavender,

cilantro and sage, along with varieties of basil, and parsley which are annuals.

Although I dry some of my herbs for use in the kitchen all year round, I now want to continue my

enjoyment of fresh herbs through the winter. How? Move some of them indoors! Or start a second herb

garden inside.

So where do you get your new plants this time of year? Well, that can be

tough. Nurseries typically do not carry much at all now, except maybe trees

and shrubs. Advance planning would help, such as saving some of those

seeds you used in the spring. But, if you grow herbs outside, you are ahead

of the game. You can replant some, or use a cutting to root new plants. Be

careful to move your plants indoors gradually so they are not shocked by

sudden change in temperature. And check each plant very closely for bugs.

No sense moving outdoor problems indoors.

To keep plants healthy and attractive, you must control a number of environmental factors such as light,

temperature, humidity, water, and plant nutrients. The right combination results in healthy plants. Too

much or too little of any factor results in poor plant health or death.

Terra Cotta pots allow the plants to breathe. Be sure to wash the used pots with a 10 to 1 mixture of

water to bleach. It does not matter what the saucers are made of, since they are only there to protect

your furniture. Use a mixture of a good potting soil and perlite or peat moss for good drainage.

Herbs like relatively cool rooms, but need a lot of sunshine. Southern exposure windows are best. Even

then you may need to add florescent lighting. Make sure you turn the plants from time to time to stop

them from leaning, and keep some distance between them so they have a healthy dose of air

circulating.

Fertilize herbs planted in pots every four to six weeks in the winter with diluted solution.

Overwatering can be a problem for indoor herbs. Never allow water to puddle in the saucer. The best

way to water is in the sink. Water where the stem meets the dirt. Soak once, allow to drain, then soak

and drain again before putting them back in their sunny homes.

Herbs need humidity. So, if your house is dry, you may need to mist them regularly, except for

rosemary which is prone to mildew, or use a humidifier in the room.

The Chicago Botanic Garden recommends the following herbs to grow indoors; Basil, Bay laurel, Chives, Cilantro, Dill, Lemongrass, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Stevia, Thyme, and

Tri-color sage. The University of Kentucky Agriculture Department has an article which you can see online that includes a very helpful chart about herbs. It is HO-74, Culinary Herbs. The Grayson County Extension office has copies in the lobby rack, or find it on the web at http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/ho/ho74/ho74.pdf

How to Establish an Asparagus Garden

By Sharon Flynn, Grayson County Master Gardener

Do you love asparagus but hate spending so much for it in the grocery? Did you know that

asparagus beds can live and produce for 15 years or more? The trick is how you prepare the bed.

Why am I writing about this as fall and winter are almost upon us? Because asparagus is planted in

early spring (March or April) in Kentucky and you want to prepare the bed ahead of time.

Choose the location: Asparagus needs full sun for vigorous healthy plants, and the bed should be

detached from any garden that requires yearly tilling or plowing. (I mention this because my

beautiful asparagus bed blocks a tractor from my vegetable garden and it also blocks my view).

Submit a soil test to the extension office in the fall, as it takes 6 months to adjust the PH of the

soil. Asparagus requires a PH of 6.5-6.8. The bed should have good drainage but be relatively

level.

Having selected a location, prepare a bed about 4 feet wide, 8-12 inches deep and as long as you

want it. Work some well-rotted compost and manure into the bed. A cover crop will improve the

soil and keep weeds down, or cover the bed with a heavy layer of compost or decomposed

leaves for winter with some weed barrier or plastic on top until the next spring.

When the veggie catalogs come out in January, select and order one-year asparagus crowns,

which will be delivered at the correct time for planting. (March or April in Kentucky). Jersey

Knight Supreme is a very productive cultivar. Purple Passion has beautiful and tasty purple

stalks, though somewhat less productive than Jersey Knight Supreme.

When your crowns arrive be ready to plant. Soak the crowns in some compost tea for 20 minutes

or so before planting. Before that, dig 2 trenches that will run the length of the bed separated

by 18-24 inches of soil in the middle. Each trench will be at least 8-12 inches deep with a layer

of compost on the bottom, then a layer of soil. The crowns are planted 18 inches apart at a

depth of 6 inches (roots spread out over the soil) and covered with 2-3 inches of soil. 2 weeks

later add an inch of soil and an inch of compost, continuing this process until the soil is slightly

mounded above the surface level of the garden. (It will settle in time).

Water the asparagus bed for the first two years, after which it should need it seldom.

Asparagus is not harvested the first season so the plants can establish deep roots.

Harvest only for 4 weeks the second season and allow the feathery stalks to grow. Stalks

should be cut off before new growth begins in the spring to discourage garden pests. In the fall,

chopped or composted leaves or compost can be used to cover the bed to protect the

asparagus plants. Weed carefully in spring to avoid uprooting young plants. This year I was

able to harvest for 8 weeks!

For more information check these out:

http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/how-grow-asparagus

https://www.uky.edu/Ag/CCD/introsheets/asparagus.pdf

Crockett’s Victory Garden. James Underwood Crockett.

Little, Brown and Co. Boston /Toronto. 1977.

(Very nice sectional diagram of the soil).

History & Care of Poinsettias By Robin Mundy, Grayson County Master Gardener

Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are a traditional Christmas plant,

and are available in more than 100 varieties that include several sizes,

with color variations in shades of white, pink, red, burgundy, and even

yellow. Some have marbled or speckled patterns. The colorful leaves

are actually colored bracts (modified leaves) and the bloom is the small “beads” in the center.

The poinsettia plant was found in Mexico by Joel Roberts Poinsett in 1825. He was a botanist,

physician and the first United States Ambassador to Mexico. In Mexico, the plant which became known

as poinsettia is a perennial shrub that will grow 10-15 feet tall. He brought back a few clippings to

South Carolina and they did so well in his greenhouse, that he distributed plants to botanical gardens

and to horticultural friends. The new plants were named after him.

December 12th is Poinsettia Day, which marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett in 1851.

An Ohio State University study proved that poinsettias are not poisonous. The study determined that to

be harmful, a 50-pound child would have to ingest at least 500 leaves. Since the leaves taste terrible,

it’s unlikely that a child would eat that many leaves. However, vomiting and diarrhea may occur, so it is

recommended to not let your kids or pets eat the leaves. Also, this plant family has a milky sap, which

could cause some skin irritation.

Poinsettias should retain their beauty for several weeks indoors and some varieties will stay attractive

for months. When purchasing your plants, wrap carefully to prevent exposure to low temperatures, as

only a few moments can do damage to the plant. Once home and carefully unwrapped, place the plant

where it will receive about 6 hours of indirect light, avoiding warm or cold drafts from heat registers,

open doors or windows, and don’t let the plant leaves touch cold windows.

Poinsettias are happiest with daytime temperatures of 60 to 70°F and night time temperatures around

55°F. If needed, move the plant to a cooler room at night, as higher temperatures will shorten the

plant’s life. Check the soil daily. Water when the soil is dry. Take the potted plant out of the foil and set

in the sink to water and let it drain freely. Once it is done dripping, return it to the foil wrap. Or you

could punch a few holes in the foil and set the plant on a drip tray, so that the plant is not sitting in

water after watering.

A poinsettia can stay fresh and attractive looking for several weeks

in your home, and then will also grow nicely in a pot over the

summer outdoors.

Apply a houseplant fertilizer once a month to keep your plant

looking fresh and healthy.

Miss Margaret’s Garden

By Robin Mundy, Grayson County Master Gardener

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn

I am reminded of this quote when I think of me and my circle of friends getting older. In the

Summer issue of this newsletter, I wrote an article about Senior Gardening, offering suggestions to

make gardening a little easier physically. I did not address the frustration or disappointment that

many feel when they are no longer capable of doing those things that they loved when they were

younger.

Our Master Gardener Association hosts a Children’s Garden Workshop each year. The summer of

2015, the children put together tabletop vegetable gardens. One of our Master Gardeners raised

miniature tomato and miniature bell pepper plants in her greenhouse for the event.

We had a couple of leftover plants, so I wanted to fix up a planter for an elderly friend of mine, who

I had the pleasure of meeting 3 years ago. I have enjoyed hearing her tell of her life as a farmwife

and homemaker. She now lives in a small apartment, with a small slab of a front porch that she

shares with her neighbor. It’s barely big enough for one outdoor chair for each apartment. She did

have a couple of small succulent plants sitting on the edge, presumably because they were easy

care plants.

I thought something that would be easy to tend while sitting in her chair would work best and I

found a black trashcan that would work perfectly and would sit on the ground just off the side of the

cement slab. The top of the trashcan was level with her chair seat, so no bending was required. I

planted one tomato and one pepper plant for her. Several weeks later, she told me she didn’t

much care for bell peppers, but her family did and she enjoyed growing the peppers for her family

to munch on. However, the tomatoes produced large cherry tomatoes, which she loved. She would

share stories of how they were doing and how when they were close to ripe, she would sit out

there with a salt shaker in hand (wink).

This past summer, I put two tomato plants and two pepper plants in her

original planter, because they do stay pretty small. I added another

trashcan planter. This second planter had a couple of miniature squash

plants. The plants didn’t produce as much as was expected, but the

harvest was plentiful enough for fresh eating a few times a week.

I always knew that she enjoyed taking care of the plants,

pinching off dying leaves, watering, etc. But when she told

someone she had to go “take care of her garden”, I realized

then just how important that simple little container garden was

to her. It gave her something to look forward to. It gave her a

hobby. It gave her an incentive to get out in some fresh air.

It was Miss Margaret’s Garden!

And it gave her a belief in tomorrow...

To file a complaint of discrimination, contact Tim West,

UK College of Agriculture, 859-257-3879;

Terry Allen or Patty Bender, UK Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity,

859-257-8927; or the USDA, Director Office of Civil Rights,

Room 326-W Whitten Bldg. 14th & Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC 20250-9410

(202-720-5964).

Save the Date

______________________________________________

Saturday, October 22, 2016, 2nd Annual Extension Farm Fest, 10 am- 4 pm Located

off Hwy. 62 on Quarry Rd, See all that the Extension Service has to offer, including the

Master Gardeners, with demonstrations and family fun at the annual Farm Fest.

Saturday, May 6, 2017 - Master Gardeners 8th Annual Plant Fair, Leitchfield

____________________________________________

Watch for announcements of upcoming workshops and seminars after the first of the year!

For more information contact the Grayson County Extension Office at 270-259-3492

Horticulture or horticulture-related field Scholarship!

Master Gardener Association of Grayson County is offering a scholarship to a Grayson County higher

education student studying horticulture or a related field for the 2017/18 school year.

We will start accepting applications after January 1st, 2017.

If you know of a student who would be interested,

please pass along this information.

Deadline for submission: April 14, 2017 by 3:00 p.m.

Contact the Grayson County Extension Office at 270-259-3492

or our Facebook page for more information.

Whitney Carman

Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent Grayson County Cooperative Extension Service