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February 2009

2009 is well under way and hopefully we will have another great year of solid programs. Some of the upcoming big programs will be the Muscadine Pruning Demo out at the Piney Woods Winery on Feb 14th. Then on March 14th we will have the Vegetable Seminar with Tom LeRoy as our guest speaker. Tom is the Montgomery County Extension Agent and he is a vegetable guru who has co-authored several gardening books. This year’s presentation will be centered around growing tomatoes. Also, I will be conducting a tomato variety trial this year with the assistance of Joe Masabni the new Extension Vegetable Specialist. The test will consist of 4 red varieties, 4 yellow varieties, 4 roma varieties, and 4 cherry varieties. I will be needing help with the trial, and I think this will be a good way for a couple of Master Gardener volunteers to get a lot of certification hours.

Official Newsletter of the Jefferson County Master Gardeners

By Micah Shanks By Micah Meyer

Meetings are the second Thursday of each month, 7pm in the Extension Office

Auditorium Upcoming Meeting Dates:

Feb. 12— Donda Thomasson, McFaddin Ward House

March 12 - Liz Gibbs, International Garden Shows

April 9—City of Beaumont Parks Dept.

Well, we finally got this issue out in spite of all the computer p r o b l e m s P e g g y a n d I encountered. We are gearing up for another great year. We started out with a fantastic awards night which honored Arthur Newman as Master Gardener of the Year, Donna Thompson- Intern of the year, Pat Tolbert – Helping Hand Award, and Karen Sourdellia- Top Cookbook Sales. Over 40 members recertified and we logged over 5000 hours for 2008. Can we top that? This year we will have even more workshops and seminars, field t r i p s , a n d e d u c a t i o n a l opportunities. Gwin Genn has several interesting speakers a l r e a d y s c h e d u l e d . T h e shortcourse is tentatively scheduled for July 20-31, so start talking it up to your friends who may want to join us. If you h a v e n ’ t t u r n e d i n y o u r questionnaire, please bring it to the Feb. meeting. Almost everyone has signed up for a team, so don’t be left out! I hope you are as excited about ’09 as I am. We are building a great Master Gardener program for Jefferson County .

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MISSION STATEMENT To encourage and support the horticultural community of Southeast Texas through education and example. 2009-2010 Board Members President—Micah Shanks Vice President—Gwin Genn Secretary—Stellina Reed Treasurer—Dorothy Norris At Large—Mel Day, Larry Jacobs, Linda LeBlanc

“To me, a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug” Helen Keller

Spring pruning should be done between Feb. 15 and the Presidents birthdays. All dead, damaged, and diseased growth should be removed. Horticultural (dormant) oil can b e a p p l i e d a t t h i s time. Fertilize after pruning, and water. Start a spray program as soon as leaves

appear to control f u n g a l d i s e a s e . Check the mulch on the beds (or area around bush) and add if needed.

P.S. Old Garden R o s e s a n d

EarthKind require a different a p p r o a c h . E x p e r t s recommend little or no

Fertile Thoughts By Michael Cate

February is still a bit early to fertilize outdoor plants or lawns. We should especially avoid nitrogen. Any new growth stimulated by the fertilizer could be burned or killed by a late frost. Use this time to organize your garden tools, build a potting bench, stock up on plant soil, peat moss, buy mulching fabric or take your power e q u i p m e n t i n f o r service so it's ready when you need it. By April, when everyone else is standing in line, you ' l l a l r eady be enjoying the fruits of success. After all, m a s t e r g a r d e n e r s aren't born with green thumbs. . . they are earned!

Spring Pruning of Modern Roses

By Sherry Broussard

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Congratulations to Arthur Newman, 2009 Master Gardener of the Year! Arthur has been a driving force behind many of the improvements at the test garden and actively participates in all M.G. projects. After graduating from Nederland High School, he earned a psychology degree from the University of Houston. He taught physical science for eight years before becoming a polygraph examiner. After 12 years in Houston, he returned to Nederland to partner with his brother. For the next 15 years, they owned and operated One Stop Party Shops. Never one to slow down, today Arthur is launching a new career to earn his license as a chemical dependency counselor! He learned gardening from his father who grew mostly vegetables. Arthur says he really enjoys working with the home-schooled

kids at the garden. “It’s neat to see them dig in the dirt and see the results. I have never seen sweet potatoes as big as the ones they grew! And I’m looking forward to getting Farmer’s Market cranked up in the spring. Fall gardening is all right, but spring is my favorite time.” Arthur says that the people are the greatest thing about the Master Gardener program. “It’s just a great group to be around,” When asked about being chosen as M.G. of the Year, Arthur says, “It’s a marvelous honor and I hope I can live up to the confidence placed in me.” Don’t worry Arthur, you already have! The honor is well deserved.

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Vegetable Seminar Saturday, March 14, from 9am until noon. Tom LeRoy will be the guest speaker. The seminar will be held in the Texas AgriLife Extension Service auditorium.

Grapevine Pruning Friday, February 6th 9am at the test garden.

Rose Pruning Saturday, February 28th 9am at the test garden.

We extend our deepest sympathy to Dr. Elizabeth Gibbs at the recent passing of her husband, Charles

E. Gibbs, Sr.

DIRECTORIES Alice Schwing-Smith has updated our directory. You can pick up your new pages at the Extension Office.

Master Gardener Spring Conference

Registration is now open for the Spring Conference April 23-25, in Marshall, Texas. For more i n f o r m a t i o n , l o g o n t o www.texasmastergardeners.com

Welcome New Agents The Texas AgriLife Extension Office has 2 new agents: Barbara Evans, Family and Consumer Sciences and Ricky Thompson, Agriculture and Natural Resources.

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Muscadine Pruning Workshop

Persons with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting and who may need auxiliary aids or services are requested to contact Cary Erickson, Jefferson County Human Resources Director at (409) 839-2391 five working days prior to the meeting so appropriate arrangements can be made.

Programs conducted by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas

Saturday February 14 9:30—11:00 AM

www.pineywoodswines.com

Piney Woods Country Wines 3408 Willow St Orange (409) 883-5408

Please meet at the shop to sign in. We will then proceed to the demonstration site

From I-10 East, exit #876, turn back west at the bayou and take the first right to the Winery. From I-10 west, take exit #875 and turn right at the Winery sign.

For more info, call the Texas AgriLife Extension Service at (409) 835-8461

The pruning workshop is a joint effort between the Jefferson and Orange County offices of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU !!!!

February: Arthur Newman – 6 Judy Barkley - 13 Charlene Baird – 13 Kay Drake – 17 Liz Jaeger – 17 Sharon Labove – 27

March: Norine Passero – 2 Darla Harrison – 2 Dan Crowley – 4 Micah Shanks – 5 David Cummings – 10 Sherry Broussard – 15 Melody Weaver – 18 Paul Eyre – 24 Marion Deagle – 25 Bill Comiskey – 26 Sandra Price – 27

April: Alvin Light – 1 Micah Meyer – 3 Della Ann Lee – 11 Ida Lee Duplechin – 13 Aletha Kirkwood – 17 Martha Svetlik – 20 Francis Thomas – 23 Mel Day – 23 Donna Thompson - 26

Corn Chowder Melt 2 tbls. margarine in a deep pot. Chop 1/2 onion and sauté in margarine until clear. Peel and dice 3 large new potatoes, put in microwave with a little water and cook for 5 minutes. Add to onion: 1 can Campbell’s cream of chicken soup ( I use fat free) 1/2 cup milk (or more if you want it thinner) 1 can whole kernel corn, partially drained Softened potates, drained Salt and pepper Dash of red pepper Simmer until potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking.

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Last Average Frost Date March 17

By Michael Cate It wasn't until I read Doug Welsh's "Texas Garden Almanac" that I finally took to heart, the word AVERAGE means there's a 50%

chance for frost after March 17 in SE Texas. Too often we blame t h e w e a t h e r forecaster for o u r o w n s p r i n g t i m e

exuberance. Still confused? Let me put it another way... Based on recorded history, approximately 50 years out of the past century the Beaumont area experienced frost later than March 17. Of course there will be consecutive years when we never get below 35 or 40 degrees all winter but that usually means that beautiful 20 foot hibiscus is really going to suffer at some point in the future. Serious gardeners must be willing to take chances but we can shift the odds in our favor by being prepared to cover our fragile plants, move them into shelter or plant them on the south side of a protective structure. On cold nights, I toss covers over them and the remaining heat in the concrete and water prevents the plants from freezing.

Open Air Condensed from “Daily Om”

In this modern age, we spend so much time indoors, focused on the busyness of our lives and disconnected from the earth. What we truly need can only be found under the open sky, alongside of trees, or in the sound of running water. Spending time connecting with nature nourishes the soul, reminds you that you are never truly alone, and renews you by attuning you to the earth’s natural rhythms. Taking a walk under the stars or feeling the wind on your face may be all it takes for you to reconnect with nature. Remember you are as much a part of nature as are the leaves on a tree or water bubbling in the brook.

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T h e a n n u a l r o s e p r u n i n g i n t h e museum’s gardens of the McFaddin Ward

House is set for Saturday, February 7, 2009 from 10-11 a.m. The public, and that certainly includes our area’s Master Gardeners, is welcomed to watch and learn, and pick up free clippings to take home. The Golden Triangle Rose Society will be doing the pruning and can show the proper methods of rose pruning and answer questions on the care of these beauties. The is the museum’s eighth year to offer the rose pruning workshop. The grounds have 80 rose plants in the home’s formal gardens. The discarded rose canes will be piled at the North Gate, on North Street near 4th Street, until early Monday morning, February 10th. Stop by sometime during the weekend to get your selections. Tours of the McFaddin-Ward House will also be available for $3 and will start at 11 a.m. Call 409-832-2134 to reserve a spot on the tour, following the rose pruning. The tour will start at the visitor center, 1906 Calder Street at 3rd Street.

Time To Start Tomatoes From Seed By Michael Cate

Many of you already have little tomato plants emerging in your greenhouses or cold frames. Personally, I t h i n k t h e v e r y b e s t tomatoes in SE Texas come very early before the hot h u m i d d a y s o f summer. Fruit is sweeter and sk ins are not as tough. Long before retail stock arrives at local garden centers, we can have young tomato plants happily growing from the seed of choice. Young tomatoes grow best in a daytime temperature about 80 degrees with 12 hours of augmented fluorescent and/or filtered sunlight each day. The ideal evening temperature for tomatoes to set f ru i t is between 55 and 68 degrees. Seed typically germinates best when covered by about 1/4 inch of potting soil in 5 to 7 days. Until germination, clear plastic will help keep the planting medium from drying out. When the seedlings are about 3 inches tall and have their first set of true leaves, they are ready to transplant. Because the chance of frost lingers through March in our climate, it is advisable to provide protection for new seedling tomatoes. There are numerous resources at our County Extension Office and on the web that can give you guidance in proven ways to maximize your success with early tomatoes and many other fruits or vegetables.

McFaddin Ward House Annual Rose Pruning

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“God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars” Martin Luther

Breaking new ground By Michael Cate

Winter is a great time to prepare your garden site by turning in leaves or adding mulch. If you're planning to break new ground for a garden or expand an

existing garden, you'll be miles ahead if you turn the soil now while the turf is dormant. I find several tillings every week or two works well, as long as the ground is dry enough. If your soil is too dry and hard, you may want to moisten your soil a day or so before you till. Winter is a great time to till in organic matter.

Thanks to Local Businesses A special thank you goes out to all the businesses that donated door prizes to Awards Night. Be sure to support the following: Betty’s Bloomers Mid County Farm and Feed Setzer’s Hardware MGM Elegante Hotel Beaumont Community Players Spell Nursery Academy of Healing Arts Total Image Salon Magnolia Place Whole Body Health We appreciate their interest and support!

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Test Garden News By Phyllis Smith

Now that we have 2008 behind us, we can focus all our efforts on 2009. The year holds many projects that will require member participation. We hope all of you will be just as excited as we are to get started. Some things will be familiar to you from last year and to some of you it will be new. But I can tell you we will all have a lot of fun! In the near future we will be scheduling a day and time to honor the one that gave us the greenhouse, Norman Alston. I have listed below a few of things we will be exploring this year: 1. Remove fish from pond. Drain

and clean algae from fish pond. Make sure all working parts of the pump and filtration system are working properly. Put everything back and working. This should help with the clarity of the water.

2. Clean and prepare “beds K and Y” in the back for Micah Meyer’s tomato trials. This project will require member participation.

3. Remove current plants from “bed L” and prepare bed for Micah Meyer’s blueberry trial. This project will also require member participation.

4. Install mulch completely around the rows of muscadines and persimmons. Another project that will require member participation.

5. Generate enough capital inflow to allow expenditures of funds for t h e p u r c h a s e o f a n e w lawnmower.

6. Member par t i c ipa t ion fo r upcoming Spring Plant Sale.

7. Member participation for all general area maintenance such as weeding, digging dirt as needed and mulching.

8. Need someone to maintain and sharpen all hand tools on a regular basis (keep log).

9. Making sure sprinkler system is in good working order for plants in greenhouse.

10. We will also be hosting workshops and seminar at the garden to be scheduled the Friday after our monthly meetings.

11. Need all members participation on propagating plants from home to begin getting ready for the plant sale. Be looking at what you may want to donate or propagate. It is never too early to decide what you might want to do with some of those plants.

If I have missed anything, we will certainly let you know before it happens so you can stay informed. Happy 2009 and Happy Gardening!

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Programs conducted by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the County Commissioners’ Courts of Texas

“The Latest Dirt” is the official newsletter of the Jefferson County Master Gardeners. It will be published in February, May, August, and November. Members will receive color copies via e-mail. It will also be posted on our website at http://jefferson-tx.tamu.edu. Click on newsletters. Black and white copies will be available at the monthly meetings and at the office. Input is greatly appreciated. Call Micah Shanks at 409-982-7227 or e-mail your suggestions to micahshanks@gt.rr.com.

February 2009 Official Newsletter of the Jefferson County Master Gardeners

Jefferson County Master Gardeners 1225 Pearl Street, Suite 200 Beaumont, TX 77701