Dr. Frank Blazich will conduct a seminar on plant propagation following the monthly MG meeting, from 10 a.m. to noon. We will invite the public and snacks will be included. After the public has left, we will cook on our new grill and have lunch for the Master Gardeners.
Please call and let us know if you plan to attend.
Dr. Frank will work with us at the greenhouse Thursday afternoon and most of the day Friday for a hands-on workshop. He is one of the foremost experts on plant propagation. There is no charge to Master Gardeners. This should prove to be one of the highlights of the year. Don’t miss this.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Charlie says...
1. Call Charlie after July 10 if you are interested in a trip to the daylily farm to see daylily rebloomers. If there is enough interest, he will schedule a trip the following week. Let Charlie know by July 14.
2. We recently finished a couple of youth horticulture classes for Boiling Spring Lakes. Thanks for the help go to Patty Burns, Nancy Einbinder and Cheryll Shuford. Nancy and Cheryll conducted two different class groups.
3. We will start a new series of youth programs working with Lindsey Wescot, new 4-H Program Assistant. The first one is on July 21 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for 5-10 year olds, and the second one is on July 22 for 11-19 year olds. Subjects will be Farm Economics, Plant Propagation and Plant Usage. After classroom instruction and lunch – they will bring their own – we will go to the greenhouse for hands-on work. If you are interested in working with the kids, please contact Charlie.
2. We recently finished a couple of youth horticulture classes for Boiling Spring Lakes. Thanks for the help go to Patty Burns, Nancy Einbinder and Cheryll Shuford. Nancy and Cheryll conducted two different class groups.
3. We will start a new series of youth programs working with Lindsey Wescot, new 4-H Program Assistant. The first one is on July 21 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for 5-10 year olds, and the second one is on July 22 for 11-19 year olds. Subjects will be Farm Economics, Plant Propagation and Plant Usage. After classroom instruction and lunch – they will bring their own – we will go to the greenhouse for hands-on work. If you are interested in working with the kids, please contact Charlie.
Gardening advice
See David Barkley's columns from the July 2005 newsletter:
Gardening tips for July
Summer watering practices in the landscape
Gardening tips for July
Summer watering practices in the landscape
Notes from Kathy Walters
Please verify clients’ addresses for mailing information – mail is sometimes returned due to incomplete/inaccurate addresses – often because clients provide the address for the second home at the coast and it doesn’t have a mailbox. So, be sure to repeat the mailing address to the client when they request information – this should cut down on returned mail and allow clients to receive their information in a timely manner. Thanks for your efforts!
Periodically, Kathy organizes “bookmarks/favorites” on the MG computer. “E-Answers” is included and listed at the beginning of the index. This is a searchable website that provides reliable, research-based information on a variety of topics, a most useful resource, and it should be one of the first you use if you can’t locate info in the MG files.
The “homepage” on the MG computer is set for the “intranet” page of the NC Cooperative Extension Service rather than the “public” page. (The public page is listed as a “favorite.”) The intranet page of the Cooperative Extension Service provides more selections to assist Master Gardener Volunteers.
The Master Gardener News Columns, beginning with January 10, 2000, can be accessed through the Brunswick County Center of the NC Cooperative Extension Service website (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/brunswick). In addition, printed copies are in a notebook (Master Gardener Judy Koehly organizes the columns by subject).
A special note for new Master Gardeners and a reminder to others: The Brunswick County Extension Master Gardener Office Manual (yellow label) compiled by Kathy was developed to assist Master Gardeners while they staff the Hot Line. The notebook contains a listing of staff and staff member responsibilities, web page information, association bylaws/membership, logo, telephone system and computer usage guidelines, and sections on plant disease and insect clinic, soil testing, nematode assay, solution analyses, waste analyses, diagnostic soil test, and plant tissue analyses with fees, appropriate forms to be used, analyses overviews, etc., for each of these. Be sure to browse through the notebook when you’re in the Master Gardener office.
Periodically, Kathy organizes “bookmarks/favorites” on the MG computer. “E-Answers” is included and listed at the beginning of the index. This is a searchable website that provides reliable, research-based information on a variety of topics, a most useful resource, and it should be one of the first you use if you can’t locate info in the MG files.
The “homepage” on the MG computer is set for the “intranet” page of the NC Cooperative Extension Service rather than the “public” page. (The public page is listed as a “favorite.”) The intranet page of the Cooperative Extension Service provides more selections to assist Master Gardener Volunteers.
The Master Gardener News Columns, beginning with January 10, 2000, can be accessed through the Brunswick County Center of the NC Cooperative Extension Service website (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/brunswick). In addition, printed copies are in a notebook (Master Gardener Judy Koehly organizes the columns by subject).
A special note for new Master Gardeners and a reminder to others: The Brunswick County Extension Master Gardener Office Manual (yellow label) compiled by Kathy was developed to assist Master Gardeners while they staff the Hot Line. The notebook contains a listing of staff and staff member responsibilities, web page information, association bylaws/membership, logo, telephone system and computer usage guidelines, and sections on plant disease and insect clinic, soil testing, nematode assay, solution analyses, waste analyses, diagnostic soil test, and plant tissue analyses with fees, appropriate forms to be used, analyses overviews, etc., for each of these. Be sure to browse through the notebook when you’re in the Master Gardener office.
Help wanted
The Hot Line, Greenhouse and Botanical Garden need your help. The Greenhouse needs people to water, fertilize and repot plants on a regular basis. The Botanical Garden needs people once a month – the 1st or 3rd Monday or the 2nd Tuesday - to be sure it continues to be an area we can be proud of and others in the government complex - and the county - can enjoy. And the Hot Line always needs someone to man the phones and provide answers.
A message from the president: Recognition
This is the month where we honor all of your contributions. We have the recent class graduates, including those who took advanced classes. Then
there are those who have completed their second year requirements. Both the new class and the second year group represent the future of Master Gardener Volunteers.
Our history to date is dominated by those who have in many cases contributed thousands of hours over many years, led by the award winning effort of
Shirley Waggoner-Eisenman. The most telling moment of our recent banquet was when we presented Commissioner Sandifer with a "check" for $185,000 representing in-kind contributions to the county from Master Gardeners.
And with all of this we expect even more. Our base is still the hot line, the backbone of our volunteer efforts. With an ever growing greenhouse operation, a continually expanding Memorial Garden, lectures and help sessions throughout the county, and another new class next year, the opportunities for gardeners of all preferences abound. And, next year we
expect to complete the Talking Tree Trail, and expand our work with youth throughout the county.
So, in recognizing the many accomplishments of the past we also recognize the potential of the future. Congratulations to you all, for what you have
done, and for what you will do in the future.
there are those who have completed their second year requirements. Both the new class and the second year group represent the future of Master Gardener Volunteers.
Our history to date is dominated by those who have in many cases contributed thousands of hours over many years, led by the award winning effort of
Shirley Waggoner-Eisenman. The most telling moment of our recent banquet was when we presented Commissioner Sandifer with a "check" for $185,000 representing in-kind contributions to the county from Master Gardeners.
And with all of this we expect even more. Our base is still the hot line, the backbone of our volunteer efforts. With an ever growing greenhouse operation, a continually expanding Memorial Garden, lectures and help sessions throughout the county, and another new class next year, the opportunities for gardeners of all preferences abound. And, next year we
expect to complete the Talking Tree Trail, and expand our work with youth throughout the county.
So, in recognizing the many accomplishments of the past we also recognize the potential of the future. Congratulations to you all, for what you have
done, and for what you will do in the future.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
International Foods Group
Do you like Italian food? If so, consider joining the International Foods group on Saturday, April 23 at the County Complex for a meal featuring Italian recipes. See Susan Morgan or Charlie if you are interested, select a recipe to prepare and join the meal. If cooking for the ladies, be sure to save your receipts so you can be reimbursed for your costs. Call Maria Veselinovich at 579-1624 for details.
Brookgreen Gardens Trip
By popular demand we are going back to Brookgreen Gardens for the beautiful spring display of dogwoods and azaleas (as don’t forget about the delicious she-crab soup)! The date is Friday, April 8. The van will be leaving the Cooperative Extension parking lot at 8:00 AM and will make a pick up at McDonalds at the intersection of Routes 17 and 904 at 8:30 AM. If you are interested, notify Chappy Jones at 575-0599 or chappy@xaranda.net by Monday, April 4. Or sign up at a Master Gardener meeting.
Also we are planning an overnight trip to Richmond, VA to visit the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens and the beautiful Maymont Plantation. This trip will be in early May – more details later.
Please let Chappy know of your interest in this trip, as above.
Also we are planning an overnight trip to Richmond, VA to visit the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens and the beautiful Maymont Plantation. This trip will be in early May – more details later.
Please let Chappy know of your interest in this trip, as above.
Hotline History
In March 2004, there were 186 calls to the Hotline and requests for information from the Garden Show. The breakdown of these calls is as follows:
General: 54. We had 22 requests for Newcomer Packets. 12 questions concerned soil sample kits, their results and fertilizers.
Lawns: 51. The majority of the calls were for information on planting and maintaining centipede. 16 were on how to control weeds.
Trees: 31. We had 8 calls on fruit tree problems, 7 on pruning trees and the rest covered a wide range of tree problems.
Shrubs: 26. There were 5 calls about Azaleas and 5 on Camellias. The rest were varied and included pruning and general information about shrubs.
Pests: 19. The pests were numerous and varied. Moles, mole crickets and wasps were the major problems in March.
Vegetables: 5. The calls were for strawberry and grape growing information.
When you work on the Hotline, be sure to write down as much information as possible about the problems and their solutions on the Hotline forms.
General: 54. We had 22 requests for Newcomer Packets. 12 questions concerned soil sample kits, their results and fertilizers.
Lawns: 51. The majority of the calls were for information on planting and maintaining centipede. 16 were on how to control weeds.
Trees: 31. We had 8 calls on fruit tree problems, 7 on pruning trees and the rest covered a wide range of tree problems.
Shrubs: 26. There were 5 calls about Azaleas and 5 on Camellias. The rest were varied and included pruning and general information about shrubs.
Pests: 19. The pests were numerous and varied. Moles, mole crickets and wasps were the major problems in March.
Vegetables: 5. The calls were for strawberry and grape growing information.
When you work on the Hotline, be sure to write down as much information as possible about the problems and their solutions on the Hotline forms.
Gardening tips for April
• Prepare new flower beds now for this spring. Summer annuals and bulbs perform much better and for longer periods if they are planted in well prepared beds. Till, incorporate organic matter, lime and fertilize.
• Spring is the next best time after the fall season to plant shrubs, trees, and other ornamental plants. Remember to select good quality plants that are recommended for your area.
• After the spring flowering bulbs show off, gardeners need to make an application of 8 8 8. After the petals fade and fall off, remove flower organs with scissors or hand pruners, and allow the foliage to die a natural death. If you plant bulbs for only one season, then you can remove the entire plant once the petals fade.
• Gardeners need to define the edges of the plant borders. Adding mulch is also a good idea. To re-edge take a flat blade shovel and trench out about 3 inches deep and 6 inches wide all around the beds. Re mulch, letting the trench be the border. This fresh, crisp line will accentuate the grass and the bed.
• Seed is the least expensive component of gardening, so it makes good sense to buy the best quality seed you can obtain. A quick reference guide (Extension publication AG 12) lists a number of vegetable crops to plant now.
• Lawn Care: Still too early to fertilize. Applications of fertilizer would be better in May except for Centipedegrass which requires a one-time fertilization in June only. Continue to mow, rake, reduce thatch buildup, and water as needed.
• Prune berry producing plants such as holly, nandina and pyracantha. Prune spring flowering plants such as azaleas after they bloom. Thin cool season vegetables and protect sensitive warm season vegetables from frost or cold. Renew mulch around plantings if you haven't done so already. Coastal area houseplants can be brought outdoors later this month.
• A good general fertilizer recommendation is to apply 2 to 4 pounds of ammoniated 8/8/8 or 10/10/10 to landscape plants around April 15th. Still too early to apply fertilizer to warm season grasses.
• Stonecrops or sedums are popular additions to many gardens. They are one of the first perennials to show signs of life in the spring and they give a spectacular show in the fall. It is often cited as one of the top ten carefree perennials for the garden. Be sure to locate it in full sun areas with fertile soil. It will perform without any other attention. As it spreads, it is easily propagated for additional plantings.
• Towards the latter part of the month is the time to plant many of your warm seasoned vegetable crops like tomatoes and peppers. Plan to plant now to have a variety of fresh vegetables from your garden this summer.
• Spring is the next best time after the fall season to plant shrubs, trees, and other ornamental plants. Remember to select good quality plants that are recommended for your area.
• After the spring flowering bulbs show off, gardeners need to make an application of 8 8 8. After the petals fade and fall off, remove flower organs with scissors or hand pruners, and allow the foliage to die a natural death. If you plant bulbs for only one season, then you can remove the entire plant once the petals fade.
• Gardeners need to define the edges of the plant borders. Adding mulch is also a good idea. To re-edge take a flat blade shovel and trench out about 3 inches deep and 6 inches wide all around the beds. Re mulch, letting the trench be the border. This fresh, crisp line will accentuate the grass and the bed.
• Seed is the least expensive component of gardening, so it makes good sense to buy the best quality seed you can obtain. A quick reference guide (Extension publication AG 12) lists a number of vegetable crops to plant now.
• Lawn Care: Still too early to fertilize. Applications of fertilizer would be better in May except for Centipedegrass which requires a one-time fertilization in June only. Continue to mow, rake, reduce thatch buildup, and water as needed.
• Prune berry producing plants such as holly, nandina and pyracantha. Prune spring flowering plants such as azaleas after they bloom. Thin cool season vegetables and protect sensitive warm season vegetables from frost or cold. Renew mulch around plantings if you haven't done so already. Coastal area houseplants can be brought outdoors later this month.
• A good general fertilizer recommendation is to apply 2 to 4 pounds of ammoniated 8/8/8 or 10/10/10 to landscape plants around April 15th. Still too early to apply fertilizer to warm season grasses.
• Stonecrops or sedums are popular additions to many gardens. They are one of the first perennials to show signs of life in the spring and they give a spectacular show in the fall. It is often cited as one of the top ten carefree perennials for the garden. Be sure to locate it in full sun areas with fertile soil. It will perform without any other attention. As it spreads, it is easily propagated for additional plantings.
• Towards the latter part of the month is the time to plant many of your warm seasoned vegetable crops like tomatoes and peppers. Plan to plant now to have a variety of fresh vegetables from your garden this summer.
Coming up:
March 23 - Leland Library 2 to 4 pm - Charlie's topic will be "Tune up for Spring" with a plant clinic to follow.
April 14 to 16 - Plant sale at the Extension Center.
May 13 - All-Day Seminar
May 15 - Oak Island Beautification Club Garden Tour, starting at the Parks & Recreation building on 30th Street, from 1 to 5 PM. There will also be a Plant Clinic at the Parks & Recreation building. (May 22 = the rain date.)
May 20, 26 & 27 - Life on the Farm at Indigo Farms.
May 26 to 28 - Plant sale at the Extension Center.
Do we need volunteers for these events? Sure!
Why not sign up to help out with :Life on the Farm? the Plant Sales? the greenhouse? maintaining the garden areas? staffing the hotline? We need your participation to get things done.
Thanks!!
April 14 to 16 - Plant sale at the Extension Center.
May 13 - All-Day Seminar
May 15 - Oak Island Beautification Club Garden Tour, starting at the Parks & Recreation building on 30th Street, from 1 to 5 PM. There will also be a Plant Clinic at the Parks & Recreation building. (May 22 = the rain date.)
May 20, 26 & 27 - Life on the Farm at Indigo Farms.
May 26 to 28 - Plant sale at the Extension Center.
Do we need volunteers for these events? Sure!
Why not sign up to help out with :Life on the Farm? the Plant Sales? the greenhouse? maintaining the garden areas? staffing the hotline? We need your participation to get things done.
Thanks!!
Working with Special Education Students
On March 23, from 10 AM to Noon, Special Education students from Shallotte Middle School will work on propagating plants with Ash in the greenhouse. Ash will also be working with another group of Special Education students in a 4H group led by Sarah Bellamy.
Speaker Announcement
The speaker at the March 24 General Meeting will be Bill Howell. He is a Camellia specialist.
Newsletter Message from the President
The Grapefruit League is alive with all the sounds of spring. AT LAST, we “SAWKS” fans do not have to carry a burden into the season (yet). With these happy thoughts in mind I turn to communication. This is a subject that is a challenge to every entity and individual that ever lived, and we are no exception. My philosophy is simply that there can't be too much. I am willing to try every means possible to have communication at all directions throughout BCMGVA. So, while you have heard a lot about my thoughts, please give me yours. Call me, write me, email me (dssoko@hotmail.com) or send smoke signals. I would especially like to talk to those I haven't heard from recently. And, while I am on the subject, please unblock me from your spam blocker, especially Earthlink users, as I am getting all e-mails returned to me. Check this issue for upcoming activities and COMMUNICATE !!!
Cheers!! Dan
Cheers!! Dan
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Landscape Management workshops
A Landscape Ornamentals Management workshop is scheduled for Thursday, March 10, 9 a.m. – 12 noon. From bagworms to leaf spots, we’ll let you know how to manage the most common plant pests.
On Thursday, March 17, 9 a.m. – 12 noon we’re offering a workshop on Turf Management. You can’t afford to miss this session. People love their lawns! And they will love you if you help them have the prettiest lawn in their neighborhood.
Both workshops will be held at the Cooperative Extension Service in New Hanover County, 6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington. There is no charge for either workshop, but please reserve your spot by calling the Cooperative Extension Service in Brunswick County (910-253-2610) or in New Hanover County (910-452-6393).
For more information contact Al Hight, Extension Agent - Brunswick County, at (910) 253-2610; or Jerry Dudley – Extension Agent - New Hanover County at (910) 452-6393.
On Thursday, March 17, 9 a.m. – 12 noon we’re offering a workshop on Turf Management. You can’t afford to miss this session. People love their lawns! And they will love you if you help them have the prettiest lawn in their neighborhood.
Both workshops will be held at the Cooperative Extension Service in New Hanover County, 6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington. There is no charge for either workshop, but please reserve your spot by calling the Cooperative Extension Service in Brunswick County (910-253-2610) or in New Hanover County (910-452-6393).
For more information contact Al Hight, Extension Agent - Brunswick County, at (910) 253-2610; or Jerry Dudley – Extension Agent - New Hanover County at (910) 452-6393.
Plant Sale
Sign up sheets for the plant sale on April 14th, 15th, and 16th are also posted in the M.G. office.
Home and garden show
Sign up sheets are located in the M.G. office for The Home and Garden show at West Brunswick High School on Mar. 19th and 20th.
Times etc. will be provided at the next meeting.
Times etc. will be provided at the next meeting.
Tree Giveaway
The forest service will provide free trees for the Master Gardeners to give away on tues.Tues., Feb. 22nd, starting at 9:00 AM. I will need a few of you to help set up the area and help count out trees and give them away. We will have 100 trees of each of eight varieties and 1000 loblolly pines to give away. We will limit each person to three of each type except for loblollies which they can have as many as they want. You are entitled to the same if you want some.
Please call Charlie if you can help.
Please call Charlie if you can help.
County clean-up week
Monday April 18 to Saturday April 23 from 8 am to 4 pm. With the exception of hazardous waste anything can be brought for the landfill with no fee applied.
MG State News
State conference will be held in Wayne County, Goldsboro on October 28 & 29, 2005.
More information will be available at a later date.
More information will be available at a later date.
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