Janet B. Carson Student Scholarship Opportunity
Application deadline is March 10, 2020

​Janet B. Carson Student Scholarship

Eligible Arkansas high school seniors who will be attending an Arkansas College or University and who plan to major in a plant science related field are invited to apply.
 
Link to application page
 
Scholarship deadline:
March 10, 2020

​Last call for the upcoming Baxter County Master Gardener Spring Seminar on March 21st at the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Center in Mtn. Home! There is a fee of $30 per person to attend the seminar, which includes lunch. Attendance is limited and pre-registration is required. To register mail name, address, phone number, e-mail (if available) and check payable to BCMG to: Kathrine Gilmore, BCMG Seminar, 275 Sharon Dr., Mtn. Home, AR 72653 or go to http://www.baxtercountymg.com/spring-seminar.html . Registration opens on January 2, 2020. Seminar topics and speakers are as follows:
​

• “Beneficial Insects” – Ray Moranz, Xerces Society
• “Growing Community Through Soil” – Don Bennett, TriCycle Farms in Fayetteville
• “Fruit Trees, Bushes, and Vines for Natural Growing in the Ozarks” – Guy Ames, Ames Orchards & Horticulture Specialist for the National Center for Appropriate Technology
• “Shade Gardening” – Berni Kurz, University of Arkansas Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist
• “The Missouri Botanical Gardens and What It Offiers” – Daria McKelvey, Supervisor of the Kemper Center for Home Gardening at the MO Botanical Garden.

• 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.  

Photos MUST be properly named in the JPEG format only to be accepted for consideration. You will have to rename the files in order to submit them.

You will have to rename each one of your photos. For example, the
picture above would be renamed:
MikeWilbanks, Craighead, Doubletrueblood, SP.jpeg
(my name, county name, brief description, season photo submitted for, .jpeg)
 
 
LANDSCAPE DIMENSION ONLY, PLEASE!
PLEASE UNDERSTAND, if you do not properly name your photo(s), and adhere to the following conditions, they will not be sent to the selection committee for consideration.

1.     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 2021 MG Calendar Contest.
2.  All photos need be between 1 mb and 7 mb for the resolution to be good enough for full page reproduction by the offset printing method.
3.  Photos must be sent as attachment(s) to email document. “Drag and Drop” files will not be accepted.
4.  All photographs must have been taken inside the borders of the state of Arkansas.

TIP: With today's ever improving photographic technology, using cell phones for photo submission might or might not generate the required resolution for large calendar images. However, they may be acceptable for the additional smaller shots that appear each month.

If you have any questions, please contact me at any time.
Thank you!
Mike Wilbanks
870-530-0669
mwilbanks3@gmail.com
​

Master Gardener Mondays 

Master Gardener Monday sessions are generally held the third Monday of every month
from noon to 1 pm  ONLINE using ZOOM.

The dates are posted in Buddy Messages and our e-Newsletter, Ozark Green Thumb​.

A link to access the ZOOM session will be sent in a Buddy Message the morning of the meeting.
Check Buddy Messages for the link if you are not signed up on the list from uaex.edu

Here are some aids to help you join a Zoom Meeting:

 Quick Tip sheet for Joining a Zoom Meeting  

Detailed Directions (by device) from the Zoom Help Center:  
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362283-How-Do-I-Join-or-Test-My-Computer-Device-Audio-

​FEBRUARY GARDEN CHECKLIST

• If you’re wondering when to apply fertilizer, it’s still a little early to fertilize trees, shrubs, and grasses. Mid to late March is soon enough to fertilize trees and shrubs. Fescue lawns should be fertilized in April and summer lawns are fertilized at green up (May).
• Base any fertilization on a soil test. Take samples from several different spots within a particular area and mix it together. Bring a pint sample of dry soil in plastic sandwich bag to Cooperative Extension office for processing. Samples are mailed to the University of Arkansas Soils Lab in Marianna, Arkansas. Free test results will be mailed to you within three weeks.
• It’s time to prune fruit trees! If you have just a few trees you can wait to prune them until just before blooming. You could prune all fruit trees now except for peaches. If we get a serious cold snap, exposed wounds on peach trees can result in some major damage, so it’s best to prune them just before bloom.
• Peach leaf curl is a fungus disease with symptoms (puckering and reddening of leaves) appearing in late spring to early summer on peaches and nectarines. To prevent this disease, spray trees with a fungicide before bud swell (could be as early as mid-February some winters). One application of Bordeaux mixture, copper octanoate, copper, ziram, chlorothalonil, or calcium polysulfides applied as soon as possible when temperatures are above 40 degrees F, will prevent this problem this year. Be sure to read and follow label directions.
• Most summer and fall blooming perennials can be divided and replanted any time this month. Give extras to your garden friends.
• You still have time to control weeds in your bermudagrass lawn. An herbicide containing glyphosate (example – Roundup) can be used on dormant bermuda lawns in February when temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit for winter weed control. Make sure your bermuda lawn is completely dormant or you will damage it.
• September to October is the optimum time to establish tall fescue lawns. If you missed that window, an early spring seeding (late February through March) can be a reasonable second choice. Tall fescue is the only choice we have for a shady lawn grass.
• Locate the garden near a source of water. Carrying buckets of water can be a real turnoff to even the most passionate gardener. Remember, a vegetable garden needs at least six hours of full sun each day.
• Make sure that you have cleaned up the spent foliage and debris from last season in your vegetable and flower gardens. Consider using a dormant or horticultural oil on fruit trees, grape vines and scale infested shrubs. Check label for application instructions on dormant and horticultural oil.
• Azaleas get hit hard every year with lacebugs. These sucking insects can wreak havoc on an otherwise easy to care for plant. Without care, the leaves can become bronzed by late summer, and a few plants have been killed by these insects. Lacebugs don’t become active until April or May-depending on the spring we have. You can begin to monitor for them, and spray as needed, but a newer product may take away any worries. Imidacloprid applied in February or early March, can give you full season control.
• This winter, remove bagworm bags from shrubs which were infested this past summer. Eggs were deposited within the bags by female worms, shortly before they died. Physically removing and destroying the bags will reduce or eliminate problems this summer.
• Remove the dead stubble off of ornamental grasses before they resume growth.
• Late this month or early March prune summer flowering shrubs and hedges. Spring blooming shrubs such as forsythia and azalea should be pruned immediately after flowering.
• Prune your climbing roses that bloom throughout the season, Knock-Out and Hybrid Tea roses late this month or early March. However, wait until after blooming to prune your climbing roses that only bloom once. Also wait to prune any other roses that only bloom in the spring until after they bloom.
• Mulch strawberry beds now with straw. Keep the straw off the crowns. The straw will keep fruit from touching the soil and rotting.
• Soak roots of bareroot trees overnight and then plant the following day. Do not fertilize the first year after planting.
• There are no real advantages to pruning back the canopy of ornamental trees after planting. Detrimental effects have been found from this practice including the inability for new roots to grow until shoot growth has recovered. Unless diseased or broken branches exist, leave the plants alone.

 
Baxter County Master Gardener Seminar is on March 21 at the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Center in Mtn. Home. There is a fee of $30 per person to attend the seminar, which includes lunch. Attendance is limited and pre-registration is required. To register mail name, address, phone number, e-mail (if available) and check payable to BCMG to: Kathrine Gilmore, BCMG Seminar, 275 Sharon Dr., Mtn. Home, AR 72653 or go to http://www.baxtercountymg.com/spring-seminar.html . Registration opens on January 2, 2020. Seminar topics and speakers are as follows:
​

• “Beneficial Insects” – Ray Moranz, Xerces Society
• “Growing Community Through Soil” – Don Bennett, TriCycle Farms in Fayetteville
• “Fruit Trees, Bushes, and Vines for Natural Growing in the Ozarks” – Guy Ames, Ames Orchards & Horticulture Specialist for the National Center for Appropriate Technology
• “Shade Gardening” – Berni Kurz, University of Arkansas Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist
• “The Missouri Botanical Gardens and What It Offiers” – Daria McKelvey, Supervisor of the Kemper Center for Home Gardening at the MO Botanical Garden

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

It may be cold and wintry, but there’s still plenty to be mindful of around the yard and garden. Winter is a great time to fellowship with other gardeners and grow your gardening knowledge!
 

• Baxter County Master Gardener Seminar is on March 21 at the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Center in Mtn. Home. There is a fee of $30 per person to attend the seminar, which includes lunch. Attendance is limited and pre-registration is required. To register mail name, address, phone number, e-mail (if available) and check payable to BCMG to: Kathrine Gilmore, BCMG Seminar, 275 Sharon Dr., Mtn. Home, AR 72653 or go to http://www.baxtercountymg.com/spring-seminar.html . Registration opens on January 2, 2020. Seminar topics and speakers are as follows:
  • “Beneficial Insects” – Ray Moranz, Xerces Society
  • “Growing Community Through Soil” – Don Bennett, TriCycle Farms in Fayetteville
  • “Fruit Trees, Bushes, and Vines for Natural Growing in the Ozarks” – Guy Ames, Ames Orchards & Horticulture Specialist for the National Center for Appropriate Technology
  • “Shade Gardening” – Berni Kurz, University of Arkansas Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist
  • “The Missouri Botanical Gardens and What It Offiers” – Daria McKelvey, Supervisor of the Kemper Center for Home Gardening at the MO Botanical Garden

 

• An herbicide containing glyphosate can be used on dormant bermudagrass lawns in January or February when temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit for winter weed control.  Make sure your bermuda lawn is completely dormant, or grass injury may occur.
• Mulch is important in protecting young plants from frost heaving. A 2-3” mulch will reduce heaving problems which occurs with alternate freezing and thawing. Otherwise, newly planted plants (2” potted plants) can be pushed completely out of the ground.
• January through February is a good time of year to move plants from one location in the landscape to another.  Water and mulch transplanted plants well.
• For trees, remove grass and maintain 3’ to 4’ diameter of grass free area around young trees. Eliminating competition from around the immediate area of the tree contributes to a dramatic increase in growth of the tree. Keep a 2-3” layer mulch in this grass-free area.
• Staking newly planted trees is recommended for large trees however, stakes should be removed after the first growing season. Stakes should be loose to allow the tree to sway in the wind. Trees allowed to sway develop a stronger root system and a sturdier trunk.
• When watering trees, keep in mind that water as needed, but let the soil dry down somewhat between irrigation. Waterlogged soils kill many tree species. Remember, plant roots need oxygen.
• Winter is pruning time for most landscape trees. You may need to remove lower limbs of young trees each winter as it matures. Ideally, you would want your lowest limb about six feet from the ground. Do any corrective pruning while trees are young, removing narrow crotch angles, double forks, etc.  Remember to not cut limbs all the way back to the trunk. The obvious branch collar should be left.  Pruning sealants are NOT recommended. You can expect a wound from a 1” limb to heal over by the second year after cutting. Larger wounds will take longer to seal.
• Vegetable gardens need to be cleaned up if you haven’t done so. Winter cleanup reduces insect and disease pressure for the coming growing season. This refuse probably needs to stay out of the compost pile. Most compost piles may not get hot enough to kill harmful pathogens. Use your own judgement. Asparagus stalks can be cut back and beds need a new layer of compost (2 to 3 inches).
• Till garden plots without a cover crop to expose overwintering insects to the winters cold. Do not till when soil moisture is high causing clods to form. Incorporate compost, animal manures, etc. at the same time to garden plots needing organic matter.
• This winter, remove bagworm bags from shrubs which were infested this past summer. Eggs were deposited within the bags by female worms, shortly before they died. Physically removing and destroying the bags will reduce or eliminate problems this summer.
• This is a good time of year to cut poison ivy vines from trees at the ground level and paint the cut end with full strength Brush-B-Gon or glyphosate. Handle vines with plastic gloves and wash up thoroughly to avoid the itchy aftermath.
• Avoid the temptation to fertilize houseplants during the winter months unless they are under grow lights or very high light conditions.
• When the temperatures are below freezing, avoid much contact with plant material outside. Frozen plants are brittle, and limbs can be broken easily. If ice or snow are on your plants, use caution around them. Heavy loads of snow can be lightly brushed off, but stay away from ice-laden plants.
• Mulch strawberry beds now with straw. Keep the straw off the crowns. The straw will keep fruit from touching the soil and rotting.

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

The Baxter County Master Gardeners are a fun group of folks who enjoy sharing their love of gardening with any visitor.

At our meetings we have speakers, refreshments, & fun.

Come join us!



Next Meeting Date:
January 9, 2020
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Meeting Place: 
The First Presbyterian Church
1106 Spring Street
Mountain Home, AR

January Speaker: 
Guest Speaker: Steve Blumreich, President of the Friends of the North Fork & White Rivers
Topic: Wonderful, Beautiful, and Mysterious Monarch Butterflies  

​Master Gardeners Monthly Radio Program:
Mountain Talk Radio January 15th on 97.1   7:15 a.m. - 8:am.
Master Gardener Hosts are Tommy Hagan and Ceil Gasiecki

Directions:
From Mountain Home
Take US Hwy. 62B East through Mountain Home until you come to Cardinal Street. Cardinal Street is the intersection just past Harp's Grocery.  Turn right onto Cardinal Street and travel South until you come to the first stop sign which should be Spring Street. Turn left onto Spring Street and go down the hill past the bridge and the First Presbyterian Church will be on your right hand side. 

From Gassville:
Take Hwy. 62/412 towards Mountain Home. Once you get to Mountain Home continue on into Mountain Home on US 62B. This will take you through town till you get to Harp's Grocery and you come to Cardinal Street. Cardinal Street is the intersection just past Harp's Grocery.  Turn right onto Cardinal Street and travel South until you come to the first stop sign which should be Spring Street. Turn left onto Spring Street and go down the hill past the bridge and the First Presbyterian Church will be on your right hand side. here to edit.

The new 2019 Master Gardener Class Orientation Meeting will be held on 
Thursday, January 16 at 1:30 PM, with a back up date, if needed, of Thursday, January 23 at 1:30 PM.

Location will  be at the Farm Bureau, 1424 HWY 62, Mountain Home.
​
Presentations will include information about BCMG projects, public events, Spring Seminar, Plant Sale, Farmers Market, web site, newsletter, and Buddy Messenger.

Please watch for an email from Audrey Holt and/or Buddy Messages with additional information.

It's December, pretty much the end of the year-end  garden cleanup. 

But what about your work buddies aka your garden tools??? Dirty gardening tools can transfer fungus, bacteria, or plant debris from plant to plant. Tools should be cleaned during use and before putting them away for the season.

There are many ways to sterilize garden tools. After removing the surface dirt on the tool, sterilization can be done using any of the following common methods: 

(1) soaking the tools in a bucket of 1 part  bleach to 9 parts water for 30 minutes (although repeated use of bleach may corrode metal); or,

(2) wiping the tools with at least a 70% concentration of alcohol; or, 

(3) soaking the tools in a bucket of 2 parts Lysol to 8 parts water for several minutes; or,
​
(4) soaking the tools in a bucket of Pine-Sol for 1-2 minutes.

Be sure your tools are dry before putting them away.  

Oil any working metal components. Apply linseed oil to wooden handles. Sharpen blades on any cutting tools. Run the gas out, or add a fuel stabilizer, to power equipment. Store and cover your tools and equipment from the weather.

When spring comes, you and your garden tools will be ready to go!

2019 went by quickly...wait, that seems to happen with every year!
​

​​

• 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 bird feeders 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.
 

​

The Baxter County Master Gardeners are a fun group of folks who enjoy sharing their love of gardening with any visitor.

At our meetings we have speakers, refreshments, & fun.

Come join us!


Next Meeting Date:
December 12, 2019 from noon - ?
Membership Potluck Christmas Party

Meeting Place: 
The First Presbyterian Church
1106 Spring Street
Mountain Home, AR

​Master Gardeners Monthly Radio Program:
Mountain Talk Radio December 18th on 97.1   7:15 a.m. - 8:am.
Master Gardener Hosts this month are Tommy Hagan and Ceil Gasiecki

Directions:
From Mountain Home
Take US Hwy. 62B East through Mountain Home until you come to Cardinal Street. Cardinal Street is the intersection just past Harp's Grocery.  Turn right onto Cardinal Street and travel South until you come to the first stop sign which should be Spring Street. Turn left onto Spring Street and go down the hill past the bridge and the First Presbyterian Church will be on your right hand side. 

From Gassville:
Take Hwy. 62/412 towards Mountain Home. Once you get to Mountain Home continue on into Mountain Home on US 62B. This will take you through town till you get to Harp's Grocery and you come to Cardinal Street. Cardinal Street is the intersection just past Harp's Grocery.  Turn right onto Cardinal Street and travel South until you come to the first stop sign which should be Spring Street. Turn left onto Spring Street and go down the hill past the bridge and the First Presbyterian Church will be on your right hand side. here to edit.

​The plant is a perennial IF it has had adequate time to grow suckers, which is where next year's growth begins. Plants purchased during the fall season have been forced to grow and typically do not have time to establish suckers. ​

For more information about mums and other October garden tips, listen to the October
Master Gardener Mondays ZOOM recording and hear Berni Kurz discuss fall gardening tips. Logon to Buddy Messages for the link, enjoy the talk and prepare your gardens for the winter.

Also, click on this link for chrysanthemum history and additional mum tips.
​https://www.uaex.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/garden-mum.aspx

By Brad Runsick, University of Arkansas County Extension Office, Agent


All across Arkansas this past season, commercial growers and home gardeners participated in a tomato variety trial. Here in Baxter County, our growers James and Diana Wiegand of Bright House Farms, participated in the project. Both are members of the Baxter County Master Gardeners.

The goal of the project was to take three relatively well-known tomato varieties and monitor them through the year for disease incidence as well as their overall yield of marketable fruit and total weight yield. Growers had the option to manage their disease and insect pressure either with conventional or organic pesticides. For the Baxter County project, Bright House Farms opted for the latter.

Growers were given 6 plants of each of the following varieties:

‘Cherokee Purple’ (an heirloom variety)
‘Sungold’ (a small, golden cherry tomato)
‘Celebrity’ (a standard size, slicing tomato)

Prior to the planting, soil sampling was done to determine if there were any major nutrient needs or soil pH adjustment needed via lime or sulfur. Per label directions, Dipel WP (wettable powder) was used to manage insects and copper fungicide and Serenade RTU were used for disease management. Plants went in the ground on 4/21 and the project was terminated on 8/28 due to slowed production and plant vigor.

The project ran into a few pest problems throughout its time. The ‘Cherokee Purples’ really struggled, contracting cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), which is vectored by aphids. The abundance of rain early in the season caused many fruit to split, making them unmarketable, and prone to further disease occurrence. Toward the end of the season, around August, the stinkbug damage became so prevalent that puncture wounds from the feeding resulted in many more fruit that were unmarketable.

Here’s a brief summary of the yields that were logged:

​As expected, the heirloom struggled when compared to the two hybrids in regards to overall plant vigor and disease occurrence. The nature of the of the Purples to grow large, bumpy tomatoes does lend itself to producing some fruit that generally aren’t marketable due to their appearance and fruit splitting. Bear in mind, many of the unmarketable fruit are fine to eat from a home garden. Defining fruit as marketable or unmarketable is looking at it from a commercially grown, “this tomato has to sell on the shelf” point of view. The two hybrids have some built in resistance to disease, particularly the soil borne Verticillium and Fusarium wilts. So some of their production may be attributed to that resistance.

Regardless of all of this, just grow whatever tomato you like the taste of best! Some are easier to care for than others are, but they’ll all produce something to put on your plate. For information on tomato production in the home garden, give us a call sometime at 870-425-2335 or stop by our office at 3 E. 9th St. in Mountain Home.

Much thanks to James and Diana Wiegand and Bright House Farms for their participation in this project. Their farm is located near Midway, and they sell at the local farmers’ markets. They did all the work. I just got the plants and wrote this summary!
 ​

Here’s the November garden checklist!
 

• 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 certainly overwinter in the old mulch.
• The easiest method to have more perennials from one 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 the 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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The Baxter County Master Gardeners are a fun group of folks who enjoy sharing their love of gardening with any visitor.

At our meetings we have speakers, refreshments, & fun.

Come join us!



Next Meeting Date:
November 14, 2019 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm

Meeting Place: 
The First Presbyterian Church
1106 Spring Street
Mountain Home, AR

November Speakers: 
Guest Speaker: Brad Runsick, University of Arkansas, 
                           Cooperative Extension Agent-Staff Chair
Topic:  Wrapping Up Your Garden for Winter
Horticulture Table:  Jason Chamberlain
Topic:  ​How to Prune Grapevines

​Master Gardeners Monthly Radio Program:
Mountain Talk Radio November 20th on 97.1   7:15 a.m. - 8:am.
Master Gardener Hosts this month are Tommy Hagan and Ceil Gasiecki

Directions:
From Mountain Home
Take US Hwy. 62B East through Mountain Home until you come to Cardinal Street. Cardinal Street is the intersection just past Harp's Grocery.  Turn right onto Cardinal Street and travel South until you come to the first stop sign which should be Spring Street. Turn left onto Spring Street and go down the hill past the bridge and the First Presbyterian Church will be on your right hand side. 

From Gassville:
Take Hwy. 62/412 towards Mountain Home. Once you get to Mountain Home continue on into Mountain Home on US 62B. This will take you through town till you get to Harp's Grocery and you come to Cardinal Street. Cardinal Street is the intersection just past Harp's Grocery.  Turn right onto Cardinal Street and travel South until you come to the first stop sign which should be Spring Street. Turn left onto Spring Street and go down the hill past the bridge and the First Presbyterian Church will be on your right hand side. here to edit.