MG 2022 Silent Auction Information 
 
County 76 will be hosting the annual Silent Auction during the 2022 Arkansas Master Gardener State Conference being held in Springdale May 19-21. The funds raised from the Silent Auction will once again fund County 76 programs including, but not limited to, the PNG Leadership Conference and the Janet B. Carson Scholarship funds.

The Silent Auction will be held at the Holiday Inn, Salons F & G.

​See Buddy Messages for more information.

​The Extension Garden is all decorated as a bunny,  and wishing everyone a “Hoppy” Easter (get it!!)

Some of the flowers are starting to bloom in the garden, so drive by and take a look.

​Garden is located on 9th Street and Highway 62W next to the 911 Building in Mountain Home.

​Here’s this month’s gardening checklist. Just a few things to consider as we head into peak gardening season.
 

• Last average frost is about mid-April for Baxter County. You can get away with planting frost sensitive plants earlier if you are prepared to do some frost protecting when a frost is predicted.
• Early treatment can prevent damage by cabbage worms on cole crops such as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. Cabbage looper, diamondback moth caterpillar, and the imported cabbage worm can cause serious damage pretty quick.  Check weekly for eggs and larvae under the leaves.  Use Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) spray as soon as they are first noticed. Also, this group of vegetables are heavy feeders of nitrogen and can use a side dressing of nitrogen 3 to 4 weeks after planting.
• Onions are rapid growers and heavy feeders. To grow monster size onions, fertilize weekly with a water-soluble fertilizer and mix at half rate.
• Plant warm season vegetables from mid-month on. Don’t be in a hurry, or you may have to replant.
• Hold back on planting okra, peppers, southern peas and sweet potatoes until late this month or the first of May. Warm soil temperatures are critical for these warm season vegetables.
• Spray hybrid tea roses with a fungicide to prevent black spot. Spray according to label directions.
• Hold off on fertilizing your bermudagrass or zoysiagrass lawn until it has fully greened up. This is usually early to mid-May.
• Prune and fertilize spring blooming trees and shrubs immediately after bloom. Remember to remove the old canes of forsythia, quince, weigela, spirea and other cane producing plants.
• Summer bulbs such as cannas, caladiums, dahlias, gladioli and tuberoses can be set out in mid-April. Plant gladioli several times at two-week intervals for blooms throughout the summer.
• After Easter lilies fade, plant the bulbs in a sunny part of your perennial garden. Foliage may die back but will green up this fall and take off next spring. Don’t expect blooms until late spring to early summer. Easter lilies are pretty reliable perennials if planted in a well-drained spot.
• To keep annuals blooming at their best, make regular applications of water soluble fertilizer.
• Continue to divide summer and fall blooming perennials.
• As flowering bulbs fade, allow 6-8 weeks of green growing time for bulbs to replenish their nutrients. Crocus and daffodils do not have their flower heads removed, but it is beneficial with hyacinths and tulips. Fertilize with complete fertilizer. You can transplant and divide spring flowering bulbs after foliage begins to die down.
• Use bird netting to keep birds away from strawberries. Watch for slugs.
• Encourage production of runners on newly planted strawberries by removing all flowers the first season. Also, fertilize strawberry beds in late August or early September to encourage good bloom set.
• Watch for spider mites and bagworms on plants.
• To attract butterflies to your garden try planting some host plants that will nourish the young caterpillars after they hatch. Plants to try to include, butterfly weed, parsley, dill, fennel, rue, passionflower, and tulip tree.
• Plant seeds of annual vines such as hyacinth vine, moon vine and cypress vine from mid to late this month.
• Mulching is your best method to prevent weeds, plus it maintains soil temperature and moisture.
• Aphids can occur in large numbers in the spring. Aphids dine on the sap of an endless number of garden plants. Their feeding weakens plants and in some cases a total destruction of plants. They are a very prolific insect bearing live young. Fortunately, they are easily controlled by a spraying of bifenthrin, malathion or insecticidal soap but beware, reinfestation can occur in days.

 
 
For more information, contact the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service at 870-425-2335.
 
 

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March 2022
BCMG Ozark Green Thumb
​e-Newsletter

The Cooperative Extension Service will put an urban and community forestry grant to work showing the benefits of rain gardens and trees along with the City of Mountain Home, the Mountain Home Tree Board, Baxter County Conservation District and Baxter County Master Gardeners in 2022.

The project is made possible by the United States Department of Agriculture and Arkansas Forestry Division, along with the extension water quality education program and local community interest expressed by Brad Runsick.

Rain gardens are interesting landscape features that perform a variety of services to communities.  Capturing runoff water, filtering pollutants from water, infiltrating water into the ground, providing habitat for pollinators, and adding beauty to a landscape makes the rain garden an all-star of gardens by many accounts. 

While this project will be installing the all-star of gardens and planting some nice trees around town, the real all-star to this project is the local volunteers in the Master Gardener and Tree City USA programs along with the City of Mountain Home.  Without proven, dedicated and interested parties in the beautification and conservation of our communities and environment this opportunity would not be possible. 

John Pennington,
Extension Water Quality Educator
University of Arkansas System
Division of Agriculture
Research and Extension

For additional information,
https://www.uaex.uada.edu/media-resources/news/2021/october2021/10-01-2021-Ark-green-parkinglot-grant.aspx​

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• Spray broadleaf weeds in lawns with a broadleaf weed killer such as Weed-B-Gon or Trimec. Spray weeds when we have a forecast of 50°F or higher temperature for at least three days.
• Now is as late as you want to wait if you want to use glyphosate (i.e., Roundup) to control winter weeds in your bermudagrass yard. If you wait too much longer your bermudagrass will begin to green-up. Check bermuda first for signs of green-up. Look up against sidewalks and buildings where bermuda would start growing the earliest. Do not use glyphosate if your bermuda has started to green-up. Also, adding a broadleaf weed killer such as Weed-B-Gon or Trimec will control a broader range of weeds.
• Pre-emerge herbicides can be applied from early to mid-March on lawns to control early weeds and crabgrass. Don’t apply pre-emerge on newly seeded lawns, however.
• Wait to fertilize fescue lawns until they have started growing good. You could even wait until April to fertilize them. If you have some bare spots or a thin lawn, now is the time to seed tall fescue.
• March is a good time to plant trees and shrubs. Be sure to remove ties and strings around balled-in-burlap plants. Cut the burlap in several places. Don’t leave any burlap above the ground as it can wick moisture away from the plant.
• Bareroot plants, those in plastic sleeves, must be planted while dormant.
• Check ornamental cherries, plums, and peaches for egg masses of the spring webworm. These egg masses are wrapped around small twigs and are shiny black in color. Prune and destroy these otherwise they will hatch out later with a vicious appetite.
• Avoid moving houseplants outside until late April.
• Fertilize pansies. This is a prime blooming and growing month for them.
• A general rule of thumb is divide fall bloomers in the spring and spring bloomers in the fall. Dig and divide hostas, chrysanthemums and sedums.
• Give ornamental grasses such as liriope a haircut to remove old leaves. This should be done before new growth begins. You can also divide them now if needed.
• Overwintering tropicals should be sheared back.
• Prune hybrid tea roses if not done already. Roses should be pruned in late February or early March.  Remember to cut 1/4 inch above an outward facing bud at a 45 degree angle.  Seal cut wounds with sealer to prevent dieback from diseases and insects.
• Prune fruit trees, grape vines, and blueberry plants. These should all be pruned while dormant. Peaches can be pruned even while blooming, just be careful not to knock off the blooms.
• Prune crepe myrtles, buddleias, and summer blooming spireas.
• Prune spring blooming plants after bloom.  As soon as quince, forsythia, and other cane producing spring flowering shrubs have finished blooming, prune out a third of the old canes.  This rejuvenation cut will encourage vigorous new growth which will bloom next spring.
• Start seeds indoors for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.
• Plant cool season vegetables – potatoes, turnips, lettuce, spinach, kale. Set out transplants of cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. Start planting sweet corn later in the month.
• Set out onion plants or onion sets.
• Avoid planting tender vegetables and bedding plants until mid to late April when frost danger is past.
• Allow bulbs six weeks of growth after bloom.
• If you want a specific color azalea, buy it in bloom to assure a color match.

 
For more information on any of the above points, contact the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension office at 870-425-2335.  

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• All works must be original to the exhibitor.
• Photographs may be color, black and white or sepia.
• All photographs must include plant material.
• Entry deadline is May 20, 2022.
• All decisions by the judges are final. Photographs will be individually reviewed by judges starting after entry deadline.
• Photographs will be reviewed on the following merits: creativity, composition and technical merit.
•  Only four (4) entries per person (one per season). Meaning only one winter (WI), one spring (SP), one summer (SU), and one fall (FA) photo may be entered in the 2023 MG Calendar Contest.
• All photos need be a higher mb count for the resolution to be considered for reproduction by the offset printing method.
• Photos must be sent as attachment(s) to email document. “Drag and Drop” files will not be accepted.
• All photographs must have been taken inside the borders of the state of Arkansas.
• LANDSCAPE DIMENSION ONLY, PLEASE!
• Photos MUST be properly named in the JPEG format only to be accepted for consideration. You will have to rename your files to be accepted.

​This is an example of how the photo(s) must be labeled using your own information:
Your name, your county name, brief description, season of photo.
EXAMPLE: Mike Wilbanks, Craighead, Doubletrueblood, SP
 
PLEASE UNDERSTAND, if you do not properly name your photo(s), and adhere to the above conditions, they will not be sent to the selection committee for consideration.
 
If you have any questions, please contact me at any time.
Thank you!

Mike Wilbanks
870-530-0669
mwilbanks3@gmail.com

Thanks to Judy Niziolek at the Extension Office Project Site for dressing Happy for the holidays!

​Here are few things to be mindful of around the garden and landscape during the month of December:
 

• After your garden has been put to rest, take advantage of a warm spell and work manure or compost into empty flower beds or into your much-enjoyed vegetable garden. Working organic matter into the soil during the winter will put you ahead when gardening begins in the spring. Turning gardens in the winter will also kill overwintering insects.
• This is the last call to plant spring flowering bulbs. You may find them at bargain prices because garden centers are trying to get rid of their inventory. Bulbs prefer a deep well drained soil with super phosphate or bone meal worked into the soil before planting.
• Between now and spring you need to spray fruit trees on a warm day with a dormant oil to control scale and other insects (eggs) which are overwintering on the tree. If you have scale insect problems on ornamentals, such as on euonymus, spray these also. Be sure to read and follow label directions on the dormant oil.
• Lower limbs of young shade trees can be pruned now. Its best to prune up limbs as years pass to about 10 feet off the ground. Remember to not cut too close to the trunk. Leave the bulge, called ‘stem collar’. This bulge can be very small on young trees to a few inches in size on large trees. This stem tissue is comprised of very active plant cells which seal off open wounds in a few growing seasons. No pruning sealant is recommended.
• Mulch tender perennials since we have had our first hard frost.
• Keep your Christmas tree fresh with plenty of water.
• Gifts for the gardener abound – from plants to books to gardening tools.
• Keep your poinsettia fresh with even moisture and plenty of light.
• During the dormant season, any plants which need to be moved from one location to another should be transplanted from now through February. Be sure to get as much of the root ball as you can, and plant as quickly as possible. Don’t allow the root system to dry out, or to be exposed to cold temperatures for too long. Don’t forget to water them in, and if natural rainfall doesn’t occur, water every two to three weeks.
• You may prune hollies, cedars, magnolias, and other evergreens lightly this month to obtain foliage for holiday decorating. Be sure to prune carefully, and take some from all over the bush to keep as natural a shape as possible.
• Make sure your ornamental plantings are mulched for the winter. Mulching keeps soil temperature more constant, retains moisture and helps prevent weeds. Besides that, it is more attractive than bare soil. Keep the mulch pulled back from the stem of the plant to help keep rodents away and keep air circulating around the plants. Place mulch two to three inches high throughout the beds and around trees to keep away lawnmowers and weed trimmers.
• There is still time to plant pansies for winter color. Choose strong healthy plants which are in bloom or have flower buds. Plant them in a sunny bed, fertilize and water and you can be assured of flowers all winter long. Pansies are unique in that they freeze solid, yet defrost when the sun hits them, and they bloom all winter. If you already have pansies planted, be sure to deadhead them periodically to keep them blooming. Fertilize them during periods of warmer weather throughout the winter. Pansies are heavy feeders and respond well to fertilizer.
• Garden tools should be cleaned this time of year. There should be no soil left on them, and they should be oiled a little and stored in a dry place for winter.
• Don’t forget about the birds. During the winter, be sure to keep fresh water and birdseed outside. There are numerous types of birdfeeders and birdseed.
• If you are purchasing holiday plants or giving houseplants as gifts, be sure to protect the plant during transport home. Be sure that all plants are “sleeved” (wrapped in a paper sleeve or protected inside a paper bag.) Tropical houseplants can suffer permanent damage even exposed to 10 minutes of freezing temperatures.

 
For more information on any of the above points, contact the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service at 870-425-2335.
 

We will be electing officers at the November 11th general membership meeting.
Consider volunteering for an office; BCMG needs you.
If you would like to nominate yourself (or someone else with their permission),
​contact Susan as soon as possible.

The officer slate up for voting includes the following:

President:
Susan Chamberlain
_____________________________

Vice President Public Events & Outreach: 
Ceil Gasiecki
_____________________________

Vice President Membership: 
_____________________________

Vice President Garden Projects:
Penny Wells
____________________________

Secretary:
Carol Wilson
____________________________

Treasurer:
Brenda Tamashiro
____________________________

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The Extension Garden is all decorated to “Honor Veterans and Fly the Flag.” 

Veterans Day is November 11th.

Drive by 9th Street and Hwy62W and take a look.
 

The following positions are available.

Board Positions -  contact Susan Chamberlain 

• Board Treasurer
• Board Secretary
• New Member-at-Large (Classes of 2020/2021)

Event Positions - contact Ceil Gasiecki

• MG Plant Swap
• County Fair Horticulture Room

Membership Positions - contact Julie Stewart

• Sunshine
• Time Keeper

​
Administration Positions - contact Susan Chamberlain​

• Newsletter Editor

​Here are a few things around the lawn and garden to consider for November.
 

• Sometime after a hard freeze, cleanup your perennials by cutting back dead stalks leaving 2 to 3 inch stalks and replenish the beds’ mulch. Remove old mulch in areas where you had a severe disease problem or an insect infestation. Diseases and insects can overwinter in the old mulch.
• The easiest method to create more perennials from a single plant is division. Dividing perennials is not difficult and can be done as the plant begins to decline this fall. A general rule, plants that bloom in the spring should be divided in the fall, with fall bloomers divided in the spring. Summer performers can be done either season, but many choose fall for a stronger plant next season. As the plants enter dormancy, the plant will spend its energy establishing roots, and not foliage, thus giving you a stronger plant next growing season. Lift the plants that need division, and divide them using a sharp knife or spade, being careful to have a crown for each division.
• You can still plant garlic if you haven’t already. Garlic will grow roots through the winter and foliage will appear in February or March. Harvest next summer as tops begin to yellow. You can plant culinary garlic you find in the grocery store.
• Fall is a good time to plant shrubs and trees in the landscape.
• If you have been needing to move some established plants around in the landscape, fall is the time to do so. Transplant deciduous plants after the leaves have dropped and evergreen plants can be transplanted after the first hard freeze.
• It’s time to replenish compost heaps with the ample supply of leaves. Remember to add some nitrogen to your layers of leaves for faster decomposition. You can use animal manure or commercial fertilizer for your nitrogen source. If you don’t have good directions on composting, call or come by the Extension office and we will be glad to give you a composting fact sheet with easy to follow directions.
• When planting pansies, and other winter annuals, be sure to use a fertilizer high in phosphorous. Superphosphate will work. This will stimulate root development which is needed to survive a cold winter. Pansies planted several weeks ago could use one more shot of nitrogen before winter sets in.
• Spring flowering bulbs need to be planted by early December. Later planted bulbs run the risk of not getting enough chilling hours to bloom properly especially if we have a mild winter. As a general rule, bulbs should be planted three times deeper than the diameter of the bulb.
• Don’t prune roses now. Fall pruning will encourage winter die back. Mulch roses up past graft union for winter protection.
• It’s not unusual to start seeing some spring flowering bulbs foliage starting to appear in the fall or early winter. Whatever you do, don’t cut off the foliage or you won’t have a flower next spring. Each bulb only contains one set of leaves, flowers and roots, and damaging these can damage your bulb. Simply ignore them, lightly mulch and wait for a bloom next spring.
• Recycle disease-free annual potted plants and potting medium by adding them to the compost pile or directly into the garden. Be sure to break up root balls from the plants.
• Clean up emptied pots with a 10 percent bleach solution to get rid of any plant pathogens.
• Winterize your irrigation system by following recommended procedures with your particular system. Remove hoses from outside nozzles to prevent freezing, but keep your hose handy for winter watering in those dry protected spots.  Winterize ornamental ponds if needed and birdbaths if needed. Clay pots need to be put in dry storage, particularly those which are not sealed.
• A soil test of all garden plots is recommended at least every 3 years. This is a great time to get a soil analysis. You can make soil improvements this winter before spring planting begins.
• Some people have noticed fallen twigs from pecan and hickory trees. These twigs are no more than a half inch through and appear to have been cut off. This is damage done by an insect called twig-girdler. This beetle lays its eggs on the twig and cuts it off. This damage is more spectacular than damaging to the tree. The only control recommended is to pick up the twigs and then destroy them, thus destroying their eggs.
• Apply the last nitrogen (N) application to your tall fescue lawn sometime in late November. Apply 1-2 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. of actual N. This would be 3-6 lbs./1,000 sq. ft. of 34-0-0. If you have been fertilizing well, use the lower rate of N.

 
For more information on any of the above points, contact the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension office at 870-425-2335.

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October 2021 
Ozark Green Thumb
e-Newsletter