Tuesday, April 2, 2019 Produce Best Practices Training

for Commercial Growers 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service Office

Tuesday, April 25, 2019 Green River Area Master Gardeners Meeting

12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service Office

Monday, April 29, 2019 Rain Barrel Construction for Homeowners Workshop

1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Repeated at: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Regional Water Resource Agency Shop

Thursday, May 16, 2019 Heirloom/Seed Saving

6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service Office

Upcoming Events

As we work in the garden and yard, keep the follow tips in mind.

Don’t forget to cut ornamental grasses back, even if it has started to grow. The grass will look better without the dead stems. It may take more time to avoid cutting the emerging grass, but it will be worth it.

Wait to prune crepe myrtles until late April to early May. This plant leafs out late.

Avoid working the soil wet. This will compact the soil in the garden and create difficult growing conditions.

Wait until fall to fertilize the lawn and late winter to fertilize most trees and shrubs. Fertilizer applied now results in new growth that the roots cannot sustain.

If you are not able to identify a plant problem, bring a sample of the problem for identification to the Extension Office. Please also bring a photo of the plant if possible.

If you are not able to identify an insect pest bring it in a container with white vinegar to the Extension Office for identification. Except, moths should be brought in a container without anything else because liquids remove the scales on the wings which makes the pattern used for identification.

Scout vegetables and landscape plants for insect pests and diseases. After identifying the problem, determine the amount of damage that can be tolerated. Then decide if cultural practices will manage the problem.

Tips From ANNette

“Around and About the Garden with Annette”

NEWSLETTER HORTICULTURE

Cooperative Extension Service Daviess County 4800A New Hartford Road Owensboro, KY 42303 (270) 685-8480 http://extension.ca.uky.edu

Owensboro Regional

Farmer’s Market

The market is located at the corner of Parrish Avenue and Triplett Street (Owensboro Health), 1205 Triplett. Open Saturdays, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.,

beginning April 20 and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., beginning June 2.

A satellite Market will be located at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, 1201 Pleasant Valley Road on Wednesdays, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., beginning May 16.

In addition, a new 2nd Thursday Evening Market will be open from 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. on the following dates: June 13, July 11, and August 8.

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Dr. Gregg Munshaw, Turfgrass Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky

The Basic Do’s and Don’ts of Spring Lawn Care

The following are some do’s and don’ts for spring lawn care on cool‐season grasses (tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass) in Kentucky.

Do: get your mower ready for the season Having your mower ready to go will save you down

me during the growing season. Sharpen blade. Having sharp mower blades are very

important to turf aesthe cs and health. To learn how to sharpen your blade, check out this video:

h ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMy1j9NR89o&list=UUMFY6zEWe6uJEYakzOo Ig

Change oil if necessary and clean air filter. Check out this video:

h ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxgbMDdT6bQ&list=UUMFY6zEWe6uJEYakzOo Ig&

index=10

Don’t: apply nitrogen The vast majority of nitrogen fer lizer should be ap‐

plied in the fall. Fall applica ons improve the health of the lawn and result in a greener lawn in the win‐ter, less spring mowing, and less weeds, heat stress, need for water, and disease problems in summer.

Nitrogen applied in spring and summer promotes growth of warm‐season weeds such as crab‐grass, goosegrass, and bermudagrass. Further, high amounts of nitrogen in spring and summer can result in increased damage from white grubs in the soil. Adult beetles are a racted to the lush lawns and high nitrogen levels restrict turf roo ng which compounds the damage from the white grubs feed‐ing on the turf roots. More informa on on fer lizing lawns can be found in this video:

h ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTlVnAyR_rw

Do: apply a pre‐emergent herbicide (con nued) For more informa on on controlling weeds in your

lawn, check out the following publica ons: h p://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/AGR/AGR208/

AGR208.pdf h p://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/AGR/AGR218/

AGR218.pdf

Do: apply a pre‐emergent herbicide  Annual grassy weeds such as crabgrass and goose‐

grass begin to germinate in the spring and depending on the thickness of the lawn, the amount of weed seed in the soil, and the environmental condi ons. By applying a pre‐emergent herbicide prior to weed germina on, weed numbers can be dras cally re‐duced and your lawn can have the chance to flourish without figh ng weeds for space, nutrients, light, and water.

In western Kentucky, a pre‐emerge herbicide should be applied prior to around April 7.

A pre y good indicator plant for knowing when to apply a pre‐emergent herbicide by is forsythia. Gen‐erally, a pre‐emergent applica on should be applied before forsythia drops its blooms.

Do not apply weed and feed products as we don’t want to be applying nitrogen to our cool‐season lawns in the spring.

Don’t: seed in the spring The best me of year to seed lawns is in the early fall.

In the spring there is significant compe on between seedlings and grassy weeds (and weeds almost always out grow our desired species) and the immature seed‐lings can struggle with summer heat and drought more so than a mature lawn.

If you have to seed in the spring, plant around the me that forsythia is in bloom as soil temperatures are ade‐quate at this point for germina on of tall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass.

For more informa on on establishing or renova ng lawns, see:

h p://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/AGR/AGR50/AGR50.pdf

h ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDuciEPWVvU

Do: mow at regular height Once the grass starts to grow in the spring, it will really

start to take off. We see most of the growth in the spring of the year, it slows down in the summer, and then ramps up again in the autumn (Figure 1).

Because the grass grows at a high volume in the spring, it’s best to not let the height get too long before mow‐ing. Ideally, never cut off more than 1/3 of the leaf in one mowing.

Mowing at taller heights has been shown to reduce crabgrass popula ons without the use of herbicides. Recommended heights for lawn grasses in Kentucky are: Tall fescue 3 inches or taller Kentucky bluegrass 2.5 inches or taller

For more informa on on mowing your lawn, see the

following publica on: h p://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/AGR/AGR209/

AGR209.pdf

Figure 1. Seasonal growth varia ons for cool‐season grasses.

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Peach leaf curl

Peach leaf curl occurs annually in commercial and residen al orchards throughout Kentucky. The disease causes severe defolia on, weakens trees, and reduces fruit quality, fruit set, and yield. Peaches, apricots, and nectarines are suscep ble to peach leaf curl.

SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS Peach leaf curl is easily recognized by the presence of thickened, puckered, and curled leaf blades. Symptoms are even more conspicuous when accompanied by a red or purplish discolora on. Diseased areas develop a powdery gray coa ng of sexual frui ng structures (called asci) and reproduc ve spores (called asco-spores). Leaves may eventually turn brown, wither, and drop from trees. Twig and fruit infec ons, which are less obvious than foliar symptoms, can also occur. Yearly defolia on can seriously weaken trees and cause them to become more sensi ve to cold injury and other stresses.

CAUSE AND DISEASE DEVELOPMENT Peach leaf curl (Taphrina deformans) is caused by a fungus. The pathogen survives between seasons on twigs and buds or within bark crevices. In late winter or spring, fungal spores are produced and washed by rain to swelling buds and emerging leaf ssues. O en, leaves are already infected when they emerge from buds. Diseased leaves are the source for sporula on and subsequent infec ons in mid‐spring. Infec on re‐quires at least 12 hours of moisture (high humidity or rain) and temperatures between 50° and 70°F. Once expanding ssues mature and weather warms above 70°F, infec ons cease.

FUNGICIDES A single preventa ve fungicide applica on during dormancy (a er leaf drop in late fall but prior to bud swell in early spring) o en provides sufficient manage‐ment of peach leaf curl. Once leaves begin to emerge, infec on may have already occurred and fungicides will not be effec ve.

Consult one of the appropriate spray guides, below, or contact your county Extension agent for recommended fungicides.

TREE HEALTH If disease develops and trees defoliate prematurely, take measures to promote tree health and reduce plant stress:

Thin fruit

Irrigate during dry periods

Fer lize according to soil test results

Mulch trees in home orchards as far as the dripline to preserve moisture and regulate soil temperatures.

CULTIVAR SELECTION A few peach cul vars are available with tolerance or resistance to peach leaf curl. For example, according to the Midwest Tree Fruit Management Handbook (ID‐93), 'Redhaven' and its deriva ves are more resistant than 'Redskin' and its deriva ves.

(Photo Courtesy of: John Strang, University of Kentucky)

Nicole Ward Gauthier, Extension Plant Pathologist and Dennis Morgeson, County Extension Agent

Disease and Insect Control Program for Homegrown Fruit in Kentucky (ID‐21)

pdf

Backyard Peach & Stone Fruit Disease Management fact sheets:

h p://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/plantpathology/ex iles/PPFShtml/PPFS‐ FR‐T‐20.pdf

h p://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/plantpathology/

ex iles/PPFShtml/PPFS‐FR‐T‐22.pdf

Tree Fruit Pest Management (ID‐93) htm

Commercial Tree Fruit Spray Guide (ID‐92)

h p://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/ plantpathology/ext_files/PPFShtml/

MwTreeFruitSprayGuideID92.pdf

Stress and Decline in Woody Plants (ID‐50) h p://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/

id50/

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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Tree OF THE MONTH

Common Name: Allegheny serviceberry Type: Tree Family: Rosaceae Native Range: North Amer ica Zone: 4 to 8 Height: 15 to 40 feet Spread: 15 to 40 feet Bloom Time: April Bloom Description: White Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium Maintenance: Low Suggested Use: Street Tree, Flowering Tree Flower: Showy, Fragrant Leaf: Good Fall Attracts: Birds Fruit: Showy, Edible Tolerate: Air Pollution

New Potato and Asparagus Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil 2 medium size, boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 medium diced onion 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon gar lic powder 1 lemon (zest and juice) 2 cups new potatoes 3 cups vegetable broth 1 cup low fat milk 1 pound fresh asparagus ½ cup r educed fat sour cream Fresh ground black pepper

Yields: 8, 1 cup servings

1. Pour oil into a large saucepan over medium heat.

2. Remove fat from chicken breasts and cut chicken into ½ inch pieces.

3. Cook chicken and diced onion in the oil for about 5 minutes or until chicken is done and onions are golden.

4. Stir in salt, gar lic powder , lemon zest, and ½ of the lemon juice.

5. Cut potatoes into ½ inch chunks, leaving the skin on.

6. Add potatoes and vegetable broth then simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender.

7. Stir in the milk. 8. Trim and cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces

and add to mixture. 9. Simmer over medium heat, par tially

covered and cook until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes.

10. Stir in ½ cup sour cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Buying Kentucky Proud is easy. Look for the label at your grocery store, farmers' market, or roadside stand.

http://plateitup.ca.uky.edu

Annette Meyer Heisdorffer Daviess County Extension Agent for Horticulture Education for Horticulture

Contact us for more horticultural information at 270-685-8480

We encourage you to view and “like us” at: https://www.facebook.com/daviesscountyextension/

Daviess County Horticulture

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