A Note From Faye

Woodford HortUpdate

December 2016

Woodford County

184 Beasley Drive

Versailles, KY 40383-8992

(859) 873-4601

Fax: (859) 873-8936

Extension.ca.uky.edu

Seasonal Tips

Winter Lawn Care Tips Source: North Carolina Extension The lawn is no longer actively growing. The mower is safely in the shed. We hope we can take a well-earned

rest from lawn care. Winter is the time, however, to reassess our efforts from 2016 and plan for the next growing season. A major area of concern for winter lawns is physical damage. Leaves need to be mulched or removed to avoid shading and

damage to the lawn. Avoid foot traffic and parking cars on winter lawns to prevent damage to the crowns. Choose de-icing materials wisely. Rock salt, calcium magnesium acetate, magnesium and potassium chloride, and urea/carbonyl diamide are all potentially damaging to turf, pets, and even concrete! The best strategy is not to use them. But if you must, follow these guidelines: • Use sparingly and never exceed the labeled rate. • Avoid de-icers that contain urea - they are ineffective at lower temps, and the runoff can send excess nitrogen into the water supply.

• Shovel ice and snow away early and often. You will use less de-icing material, and the smaller amounts are less likely to damage turf. Winter is also a good time to perform routine maintenance on your mower. Change the oil, sharpen the blades, and clean under the deck. Many KY lawns are adversely affected by crabgrass. This summer annual weed is best controlled by timely applications of a pre-emergent herbicide in early spring. Look for blooms on forsythia to know when it’s time to apply these materials. Please contact me if you need

recommendations on materials to apply. Mowing height is also a factor in crabgrass control. Close mowing at 1 inch to 2 inches encourages vigorous crabgrass infestation, while mowing at 4 inches can limit the growth and spread of crabgrass.

Happy Holidays! Be sure to check out the upcoming events page. There are some exciting events and classes coming in the New Year including fruit tree grafting with U.K. Fruit Specialist John Strang, Growing Berries with Garver Farms owner Shane Garver, the second annual Extension Master Gardener ‘Think Spring’ workshop, the fruit and vegetable conference and much more!! The Woodford County Extension Office will be closed on the following dates in observance of the Christmas/New Year’s Holidays: December 26th - January 2nd 2017 Stay informed by joining our email list. Receive periodic notices, online newsletters, and educational information. You can opt out at any time by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link in the email. Go to http://woodford.ca.uky.edu/horticulture to sign-up.

We wish you and your family a wonderful and safe holiday season! Happy Holidays!

Seasonal Tip continued...

Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick Are you interested in the unusual, or even the bizarre? If

so, your curiosity (and that of your neighbors) might be piqued by the uniqueness of the contorted European filbert, a plant fondly known as Harry Lauder’s walking stick, a name that caught on

in the early 1900s as world-famous Scottish comedian, Harry Lauder, was commonly seen utilizing a walking stick made from its gnarled and twisted branches. This deciduous, rounded, multi-trunked shrub typically grows to 8-to-10-feet tall. It is noted for its beautiful, contorted branches, which are best observed in winter when the foliage is absent. Late winter flowers known as catkins brighten the winter scene, but don’t expect any nuts. This filbert will thrive in USDA zones 4 through 8 and has no serious disease or insect pest problems. Most plants sold in commerce are grafted. It even does well in large containers.

Winter Pruning When people are asked why they prune in the winter rather than in the summer when it’s warm outside, they often answer with, “This is when I was told to prune.” A good answer to be sure. A better answer might be winter pruning makes it easier to see what needs to be removed, and there is less chance of a fungal spore landing on the cut and infecting the tree. The real question should be this: Why prune? When we think about it, pruning is often about aesthetics. Pruning, however, can also be about keeping the plant healthy. When pruning, look for dead, damaged, or diseased wood. These are the first parts to be removed. Also look for water sprouts—limbs that grow straight up in the middle of the plant—and remove those as well. Crossing limbs and those growing back into the middle of the plant get removed because they are potential problems for the tree or shrub, blocking air flow and preventing sunlight from penetrating deep into the plant. Limbs that are rubbing create open wounds where diseases can enter and infect the plant, so these limbs also are removed. If about a third of the plant hasn’t been removed by that point, then remove limbs that are growing down toward the ground. Those do little good for the plant. Pruning is as much about creating a healthy plant as about aesthetics, although it’s important to keep each plant’s beauty in mind as well.

Ice Melters There are five main materials that are used as chemical deicers: calcium chloride, sodium chloride (table salt), potassium chloride, urea, and calcium magnesium acetate.

Calcium chloride is the traditional ice-melting product. Though it will melt ice to about -25 degrees F, it will form slippery, slimy surfaces on concrete and other hard surfaces. Plants are not likely to be harmed unless excessive amounts are used.

Rock salt is sodium chloride and is the least expensive material available. It is effective to approximately 12 degrees F, but can damage soils, plants and metals. Potassium chloride can also cause serious plant injury when washed or splashed on foliage. Both calcium chloride and potassium chloride can damage roots of plants.

Urea (carbonyl diamide) is a fertilizer that is sometimes used to melt ice. Though it is only about 10% as corrosive as sodium chloride, it can contaminate ground and surface water with nitrates. Urea is effective to about 21 degrees F.

Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), a newer product, is made from dolomitic limestone and acetic acid (the principal compound of vinegar). CMA works differently than the other materials in that it does not form a brine like salt but rather helps prevent snow particles from sticking to each other or the road surface. It has little effect on plant growth or concrete surfaces.

Performance decreases below 20 degrees F. Limited use of any of these products should cause little injury. Problems accumulate when they are used excessively and there is not adequate rainfall to wash or leach the material from the area. Since limited use is recommended it is best to remove the ice and snow by hand when possible. When these products are applied, practice moderation. Resist the temptation to over apply just to make sure the ice and snow melts. Keep in mind this can damage concrete surfaces as well as the plants and grass growing along the walks and driveways. These problems are normally latent and do not show up until spring or summer. Articles Source: North Carolina Extension Kansas State University

Working with Woodies

Choosing and Caring for Your Christmas Trees If selecting a cut tree, watch for these signs that the tree is too far gone. Needles are a dull, grayish-green color Needles fail to ooze pitch when broken apart and squeezed Needles feel stiff and brittle Needles pull easily off tree

Once you have your tree home, recut the trunk about one inch above the original cut. This will open up clogged, water-conducting tissues. Immediately place the trunk in warm water. Locate the tree in as cool a spot as possible. Avoid areas near fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, heat ducts and television sets as the heat will result in excess water loss. Make sure the reservoir stays filled. If the reservoir loses enough water that the bottom of the trunk is exposed, the trunk will need to be recut. Adding aspirins, copper pennies, soda pop, sugar and bleach to the water reservoir have not been shown to prolong the life of a tree. If you choose to cut your own tree, here is a website link to Christmas tree farms in KY: http://kychristmastreefarms.com/. If you choose a living Christmas tree, be sure to dig the planting hole before the ground freezes. Mulch the hole and backfill soil to keep them from freezing. Live trees should not be kept inside for more than three days. Longer periods may cause them to lose dormancy resulting in severe injury when planted outside. You may wish to tag the tree at the nursery and then pick it up a couple days before Christmas. After Christmas, move the tree to an unheated garage for several days to acclimatize it to outside temperatures. After planting, water well and leave some mulch in place to prevent the soil water from freezing and becoming unavailable for plant uptake.

Firewood Not all firewood is created equal. Some species of trees are able to produce much more heat per cord of wood. A cord is the amount of wood in a well-stacked woodpile measuring 4 feet wide by 8 feet long by 4 feet high. Following are heat values (in million BTUs) per cord for various species of tree. The higher the value, the better the wood. Ash, Green 22.8 Cottonwood 15.9 Elm, American 19.8 Difficult to split Elm, Siberian 20.9 Difficult to split Hackberry 21.0 Honeylocust 25.6 Locust, Black 28.3 Difficult to split Maple, Sugar 24.0 Maple, Silver 18.9 Mulberry 25.3 Oak, Red 24.0 Oak, Bur 24.9 Oak, Post 25.6 Osage Orange (Hedge) 32.6 Sparks, do not use in open fireplace Sycamore 19.5 Difficult to split Walnut, Black 21.8 Remember to obtain firewood locally. Emerald Ash Borer is in Kentucky because of transported wood.

Articles Source: Kansas State University

View this newsletter and find a variety of other information and upcoming events

on our county website.

Visit us at: http://woodford.ca.uky.edu

Follow us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/

woodfordcountyCES

Storing Potatoes in Cold Temperatures

Potatoes stored below 40 degrees F will not sprout and will remain firm for long periods. However, such storage will often lead to starches being converted to sugars, which will give tubers an undesirable sweet taste. Placing potatoes at room temperature for 2 to 3 days will

allow sugars to be converted back to starches and remove the objectionable taste. Articles Source: North Carolina Extension Kansas State University

Around the Garden

Using Old Garden Seed Seed catalogs seem to come earlier every year, and many gardeners already have begun to receive them. Garden seed can be expensive, and you may want to consider using seed from previous years. Seed stores

best if kept in a cool, dark, dry location. Try a zip-locked plastic bag or a plastic jar such as a reused peanut butter jar to keep seed dry. Seed will be viable longer if kept between 40 and 50 degrees F. Temperatures a bit lower than 40 degrees are fine as long as they are

not sub-freezing. Therefore a refrigerator is a better choice than a freezer which can prove detrimental to seed longevity if there is too much moisture in the seed. Seed that has 8% or less moisture can be frozen without harm and will actually store much longer than seed stored above freezing. Seeds dried to 8% or less moisture will break instead of bending when folded. Those that have a hard seed coat such as corn and beans will shatter rather than mashing when struck with a hammer. If your seed is not dry enough for freezing, what should you do? The easiest answer is to store your seed under cool, not freezing, conditions. Drying seeds is a rather involved process and beyond the scope of this article. However, if you would like to try, an excellent reference on an effective procedure is given in the book “Seed to Seed” by Suzanne Ashworth. Crop groups vary in seed longevity. Use the following as a guide for seed stored under cool, dry conditions.

Crucifers (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli): 4 to 5 years

Corn: 2 to 3 years

Lettuce, endive: 4 to 5 years

Spinach, beets, carrots and chard: 2 to 3 years

Cucurbits: Squash, melons (including watermelon): 4 to 5 years

Tomatoes: 4 years

Peppers: 2 years

Onion, parsley, parsnip and salsify: 1 year If you are unsure of viability and have plenty of seed, there is an easy method of determining how good your seed is. Place 10 seeds on a paper towel moistened with warm water and cover with a second moistened towel. Roll up the towels and place inside a plastic bag with enough holes for air exchange but not so many that the towels dry quickly. Place the bag in a warm place such as the top of a refrigerator. Remoisten towels with warm water as needed. After the first week, check for germination. Remove sprouted seed and check again after another week. Add these numbers together to determine the percent germination.

Winter Windowsill Gardening Gardening right through winter will help chase those blues away. Microgreens offer the opportunity for a fresh winter harvest. A southern facing window providing six or more hours of direct sunlight works best. Artificial lighting may be provided to supplement natural light if needed. Leggy, pale greens are a sign of not enough sunlight. Options to grow include many cool-season greens, such as beets, arugula, lettuce, chard, turnips, mustards, spinach, kale, radish, peas, and even sunflowers, and some herbs like dill or fennel. Seeds are sown very close together in a shallow potting soil mix because the plants will be harvested when tiny. Harvest can be as soon as two weeks from seeding. Keep the soil moist but not wet. A small fan for air circulation reduces disease pressure. These nutrition packed greens are harvested after the first true leaves develop. Enjoy your fresh garnish on a sandwich or salad.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP-NSCS)

Capital Area Extension Master Gardener Scholarship

Deadlines: January 20, 2017; and March 17th, 2017 Funding Amount: Varies by project Eligible Entities: Farmers and landowners Link: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ky/programs/financial/eqip/?cid=nrcs142p2_009534

Overview: The purpose of EQIP is to protect land by helping farmers implement voluntary conservation practices. The

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides financial assistance through a competitively scored

application process. Farmers and owners of cropland, pasture, and forest land are generally eligible. The program helps

pay for conservation practices including grazing management: fencing, stock water systems, and a pasture planting;

nutrient management, pest management (including bush honeysuckle removal), erosion control, wildlife habitat

enhancement, forest stand management; and energy conservation which includes seasonal high tunnels and, energy

management plans. Contact your local NRCS office to learn more and to apply!

The CAMG is taking applications for a $1,500 scholarship to be awarded to a student majoring in horticulture, plant pathology, landscape design, botany, forestry, entomology, environmental concerns, urban planning, land management, agronomy, or allied subjects. To be eligible to apply, you must have graduated from high school or resided for 5 years in one of the following counties - Anderson, Boyle, Franklin, Mercer, or Woodford; you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with permanent resident ID; enrolled as a full-time student in a KY university with an accredited program; have a minimum, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale; and must be a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student. The application is available at http://bit.ly/CAMGScholarship or you may call 502-223-7346 for further information. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2017.

Tree Wounds – Invitations to Wood Decay Fungi Source: By Kimberly Leonberger, Extension Associate and Nicole Ward Gauthier, Extension Plant Pathologist Wood decay leads to loss of tree vigor and vitality, resulting in decline, dieback, and structural failure. Wounds play an important part in this process since they are the primary point of entry for wood decay pathogens. While other factors may also result in decline and dieback, the presence of wounds and/or outward signs of pathogens provides confirmation that wood decay is an underlying problem. Wounds and wood decay reduce the ability of trees to support themselves. Figure 1: Lawn equipment damage to the base of a tree. (Photo: Cheryl Kaiser, UK)

Wounds may result from numerous sources such as lawn equipment (Figure 1), pruning, vehicles, herbicides, insects, wildlife, weather, or objects that girdle or embed in trunks or branches. Once stress or damage from wounds occurs, fungal decay pathogens may enter plants to cause further damage.

Tree Wounds

During rainy seasons and moderate temperatures, many wood decay fungi produce visible reproductive structures, such as shelf-like fungal bodies (Figure 2) or mushrooms. Figure 2: When weather conditions are favorable, the shelf-like fungal fruiting structures of some wood decay pathogens may be visible.

(Photo: Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service, Bugwood.org) For more information on tree wounds and related disease problems, including symptoms, causes, prevention, and treatment, review the publication Tree Wounds – Invitations to Wood Decay Fungi(PPFS-OR-W-01)

Upcoming Events

Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference and Trade Show, January 9th & 10th, Embassy Suites Hotel, Lexington, KY. The registration fee of $40 includes a year’s membership in the Kentucky Vegetable Growers Association, Kentucky State Horticultural Society, or Organic Association of Kentucky, or entrance into the Grape & Wine Short Course. For more information visit the website at http://kyvga.org/fruitvegconference.html. If you have further questions contact John Strang 859-257-5685; email: jstrang@uky.edu Southern SAWG Conference, January 27th & 28th, Lexington Convention Center, Lexington, KY. The conference provides practical information tailored for those in the South producing organic and sustainable food on a commercial scale and for those in our region working to improve local food systems. SSAWG will offer pre-conference courses and field trips January 25th & 26th. The general conference sessions and the trade show will be January 27th & 28th. SSAWG will be held at the Lexington Convention Center. The program and registration information are available at http://www.ssawg.org/january-2017-conference. Composting 101, January 31st, 12:00 p.m. Woodford County Extension Office, Versailles, KY. Composting at home is easier than you might think and creates a valuable garden resource. This program will offer a crash course in composting at a beginner level including a brief discussion of composting with worms. I will provide countertop “grubbies” to collect kitchen waste destined for your compost pile! There is a $5.00 fee for this class so please sign up, call 873-4601. Bring a sack lunch to eat while you learn! Grafting Class, February 28th, 6:00 p.m., Woodford County Extension Office, Versailles, KY. Grafting is a popular topic for home fruit growers who are interested in propagating old family varieties and those who want to establish their own home fruit plantings. Dr. John Strang, University of Kentucky Extension Fruit Specialist, will demonstrate grafting and budding techniques and participants will get hands-on grafting opportunities! Other topics will include reasons for pruning, reasons for grafting, grafting terms, rootstock selection, and young fruit tree care. You must sign up for this class. There is a $10 fee and you have the option to bring your own graft wood if you have an heirloom tree or one you can’t identify that you would like to propagate OR we will provide the graft wood with some disease resistant apple tree varieties. Please bring a pocket knife. Call for questions or to sign up, 859-873-4601. Organic Association of Kentucky 6th Annual Conference, March 3rd & 4th, Shepardsville KY. Local and National speakers will cover topics such as building soil fertility, rotations plans with livestock, grassfed beef, and much more. For more information or to sign up, visit the OAK website: http://www.oak-ky.org/2017-conference ‘Think Spring’ 2nd Annual Workshop, Saturday March 4th, 8:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Woodford County Extension Office, Versailles, KY. The event is hosted by the Woodford County Master Gardeners. We will have four rotating garden and landscape topics and featured speaker Sean Clark, Berea College Professor and Farm Director. Mark your calendars! More information on topics to come! Seed Starting & Seed Library Launch, March 14th, 6:30p.m., Woodford County Library, Versailles, KY. Seed starting 101 will be taught by Jen Dunham and the Versailles library will also be launching their 3rd annual seed library at this event. Master Gardeners will be on hand to give out seed and answer questions. Call the library for more information or to sign up, call 859-873-5191. Growing Berries with Garver Farms Owner Shane Garver, Thursday, March 30th, 6:00 p.m. Woodford County Extension Office, Versailles, KY. Shane Garver, owner and operator of Garver Farms berry operation will teach us how to grow and care for berries including blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants and gooseberries. Shane will also bring several of these berry plants for participants to purchase. This is a free class, but you must sign up, call 873-4601. Earth Day Celebration/Tree Seedling Giveaway, April 22nd, Kroger, Versailles, KY. The Conservation District will host the annual free tree seedling giveaway! Extension Master Gardeners will also be on hand to give garden and landscape tips, free soil vouchers, and free pollinator seed! Mark your calendars. More information to come.

Master Gardener Training, August 2017. We will be offering the master gardener training this upcoming year beginning in August. Get on the waiting list now! Call the Extension Office for more information, 873-4601.

Meatball Soup

INGREDIENTS 6 cups water 1/3 cup brown rice 3 bouillon cubes (low-sodium chicken or beef flavored, or 1 tablespoon low-sodium bouillon powder) 1 tablespoon oregano (fresh, finely chopped) 8 ounces ground beef (lean, turkey or chicken) 1 tomato (finely chopped) 1/2 onion (peeled and finely chopped) 1 egg (large) 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups vegetable mix (chopped, fresh, carrots, celery, and broccoli) DIRECTIONS 1. In a large pot, combine water, rice, bouillon cubes, and oregano. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir to dissolve bouillon. Reduce heat to low and simmer. 2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix ground meat, tomato, onion, egg, and salt. Form into 12 large meatballs. 3. Add meatballs to broth mixture and simmer 30 minutes. 4. Add vegetables. Cook 10 to 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked And rice and vegetables are tender. Serve hot. SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.WHATSCOOKING.FNS.USDA.GOV/RECIPES/SUPPLEMENTAL-NUTRITION-ASSISTANCE-PROGRAM-SNAP/MEATBALL-SOUP

Happy Gardening! Faye Kuosman, County Extension Agent for Horticulture faye.tewksbury@uky.edu

Extension Equipment

Grain Moisture Meter

Liquid pH Meter

Sprayer Calibrator

Grain Test Weight Meter

Hay Probes

Soil Probes

Electrical Conductivity (EC) Meter

Walk-behind BCS tractor - Attachments include: 3’ plastic layer with drip tape applicator Single rotary plow Raised Bed Plastic Mulch Layer - Model 2400 lays 4ft. wide plastic and adjustable 3” to 5”

bed height (requires 30-hp and 4-wheel drive)

Please contact the Extension Office, 873-4601, for availability

WC CONSERVATION DISTRICT

Equipment Location

(4) No-till drills Southern States

(2) Tubeline bale wrappers Woodford Feed

Chain Harrow Woodford Feed

The Woodford County Conservation District has the following equipment for rent! Please contact the location of equipment for availability.

Free Soil Testing Free soil test vouchers are available at the Woodford

County Conservation Office to be redeemed when

soil samples are submitted through the Woodford

County Extension Service. Up to 20 free soil tests

are available per farm or homeowner. This program

runs through June 30, 2017, or until the funds are

depleted.

Disclaimer: When trade names are used, no discrimination is intended and no endorsement is implied by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Food and Environment. Although every attempt is made to produce information that is complete, timely, and accurate, the pesticide user bears the complete responsibility of consulting the pesticide label and adhering to those directions.