Berni Kurz, Extension Educator/Consumer Horticulturist
​will speak at each A to P event.
"Gardening with Bees in Mind"
​

Karen Seale
"Plant This, Not That - Give Natives a Chance"
Monday, June 24 - Hope
UACCH - Hempstead Hall
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
​

Lissa Morrison
"Changing Habits for Healthier Habitats"
Friday, June 28 -  Fayetteville 
Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences
1:00 - 4:00 p.m

​

Leslie Patrick
"Gardening for Pollinators"
Saturday, July 13 - Batesville 
UACCB Campus
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ​

Michelle Wisdom
"Pollinator Plants in Lawns"
Sunday, July 14 - Little Rock 
Little Rock State Extension Office
2 - 5 p.m. ​

To Our New Master Gardeners, Their Mentors and County Agents: 

Please join us at one of the Annuals to Perennials programs being offered around the state for first-year Master Gardeners (MGs), their Mentors and County Agents. These programs are designed to encourage our new MGs to become more involved in their county programs, assist new MGs to grow from an Annual to a Perennial Master Gardener, and show appreciation to our Mentors and County Agents for their vital roles during this process.

The Annuals to Perennials program is open to first-year Master Gardeners who completed basic training from June 1, 2018 through, June 1, 2019, their Mentors and County Agents only. The deadline for on-line or mail-in registration is listed on the registration form. While we encourage first-year Master Gardeners and Mentors to attend together, we realize this may not be possible. To register and participate, it is not necessary for both the MG and Mentor to attend; each will register separately and may attend even if the other cannot. Register for as many of the "Annuals to Perennials" programs you wish to attend.  

Registration information is on the MG Only site.  
​
Each event has a separate registration link for registering. 
(The username and password for the MG ONLY portion of our website is NOT the same as your personal username and password used for reporting volunteer hours. MG ONLY site username and password is one used for all MGs statewide to access the site.)

​Some issues to consider for June gardening:
​

• Avoid heavy summer pruning. Light pruning is fine. Even small limbs in the way of the lawn mower are fine to remove during a hot summer.
• Raise your mower blades to cut your fescue lawn to 3 inches or more. Doing this will help protect grass roots from the summer heat and encourages a more extensive root system. Deeper roots will be beneficial during a drought. Water the soil to a depth of 4-6 inches every 3-4 days if possible. Don’t fertilize your fescue lawn during the summer.
• Spider mites can be a severe problem at this time of year. They become very active during hot weather. Most ornamentals and vegetable crops are subject to attack. Bifenthrin, malathion or insecticidal soap are good choices to use on ornamentals and malathion or insecticidal soap on vegetable crops. Read label directions before use and most important follow directions on days to harvest vegetables after use.
• Summer is the time to dig and divide irises. Irises do best in full sun but will tolerate some shade. High fertility encourages rhizomes to rot and fewer blooms. Fertilize lightly this fall for beds that you dig and divide this summer.
• If your summer annuals look like they are tired, fertilize them with half a pound (one cup) of34-0-0 per 100 sq. ft. Watering is also important.
• You can expect fall webworms soon if not already. We can expect two to three generations of this tree defoliator each year, depending on the weather. Female moths lay eggs on the underside of host trees in April. Eggs begin to hatch in June and sometimes as late as August (depending on weather conditions). Control is not absolutely necessary. It is more of an aesthetic problem. Sevin, bifenthrin, acephate, permethrin, Dipel, or Thuricide will control these caterpillars.
• If you haven’t already done so, put your leftover garden seeds in a ziplock bag and drop them in the freezer. You can keep many garden seeds this way for several years including seeds you collect from flowers or vegetables.

 
For more information on any of the above topics, please feel free to contact the University of Arkansas Division Of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service at 425-2335.

As part of our 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Baxter County Master Gardeners, we are hosting garden tours of our eight project garden sites on Saturday, June 29th, from 10 am to 1 pm.

Please join us and enjoy these beautiful gardens.

Click on the titles to the garden project for additional information about the project. The location and directions for each site are given below and on the garden project web page.

Bull Shoals-White River State Park
From Mountain Home
Take Hwy. 5 North headed to Midway -  5 miles from Mountain Home to Hwy. 178.  Turn on Hwy. 178 towards Lakeview and Bull Shoals-White River State Park - 9 Miles on State Hwy 178 from Hwy. 5 and you will be in the State park. Do not cross the dam.
From Gassville
Take Hwy. 126 North out of Gassville.  About 3 miles in, Hwy 178 and 126 merge (do not turn right on 178).  Continue north headed to Midway.  At the stop sign, turn left on Hwy 5, then immediately turn left on Hwy 178 towards Lakeview and Bull Shoals-White River State Park.  Proceed about 9 Miles on State Hwy 178 from Hwy. 5, and you will be in the State park. Do not cross the dam.
​
Cooper Park Rapps Barren Cabins
Cooper Park, 1106 Spring Street, Mountain Home, AR
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 Cooper Park  will be on your left.. 

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 Cooper Park will be on your left.

Clysta-Willett Nature Trail
From Mountain Home
Take Hwy. 5 South from in front of the Baxter County Sheriff's Office. Headed south pass the bypass and Rossi Road will be on your right side before you get to Good Samaritan. Turn right onto Rossi and the park will be on your left side. Take the second right (Main park entrance). Once in the park turn left just past the soccer fields and drive to the wood line and entrance to the Clysta Willett Trail. 

From Gassville
Take Hwy. 62/412 towards Mountain Home. Once you get to Mountain Home stay on 62/412 until you reach the 62 Bypass. Turn right onto the bypass and follow it till the Rossi Road exit. Exit to the right and turn left onto Rossi Road. The park will be on your right. Take the first right (Main park entrance). Once in the park turn left just past the soccer fields and drive to the wood line and entrance to the Clysta Willett Trail. 

Extension Office
From Mountain Home
This project is located at Hwy. 5 South and US 62B in front of the Baxter County Sheriff's Office. It's best to park in the Old Police Department parking lot and walk down to the corner where the project is located. 

From Gassville
Take Hwy. 62/412 towards Mountain Home. Once you get to Mountain Home stay on 62B until you reach Hwy. 5 South across from Baxter County Sheriff's Office. Turn right onto Hwy. 5 South and park in the first parking lot on your immediate left. 

Fairgrounds Education Building
Baxter County Fairgrounds, 1507 Fairgrounds Dr, Mountain Home, AR 
From Gassville
Take US 62/412 to West Wade Avenue. Turn right onto West Wade Avenue. Turn right onto Fairgrounds Drive.
From Mountain Home
Take US 62-BR west to West Wade Avenue. Turn right onto West Wade Avenue. Turn right onto Fairgrounds Drive.

Fish Hatchery
​From Mountain Home
Take Hwy. 5 South from in front of the Baxter County Sheriff's Office. Headed south pass the bypass and continue on till you get to Salesville. At the "Y store" in Salesville, turn left onto Hwy. 177. Continue on Hwy. 177 until you reach the Dam. Just before the base of the Dam on the left side of the road is the Norfork National Fish Hatchery.  

From Gassville
Take Hwy. 62/412 towards Mountain Home. Once you get to Mountain Home stay on 62/412 until you reach the 62 Bypass. Turn right onto the bypass and follow it till the Hwy. 5 South Exit. Take Hwy. 5 South and continue on till you get to Salesville. At the "Y store" in Salesville, turn left onto Hwy. 177. Continue on Hwy. 177 until you reach the Dam. Just before the base of the Dam on the left side of the road is the Norfork National Fish Hatchery.  

Library Pollinator Garden
​300 Library Hill Ln, Mountain Home, AR 72653
From Gassville
Take Sheid-Hopper Bypass/Hwy 62. Turn left at the light, College Avenue. Library is on the corner of 62 and College Avenue. Turn right to Library parking lot.
From Mountain Home
Take South College Street to Library on your left. If you get to Sheid-Hopper Bypass/Hwy 62, you missed it. Turn left to Library parking lot.

Memorial Garden
​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.

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:
June 13, 2019 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm

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

June Speakers: 
Guest Speaker: Debbie Blakeslee, Master Gardemer
Topic:  Water Management Systems -- Rain Barrels

Horticulture Table: Janice Rose
Topic: Plants to Bring to the Fair
​
​Master Gardeners Monthly Radio Program:
Mountain Talk Radio June  19th 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.

Here are some things gardeners need to be considering for May:

• Remember to feed hummingbirds with 1 part sugar and 3 or 4 parts water. There is no need in using red food coloring. Replace sugar water mix at least once a week if it is not emptied sooner.
• As early vegetables bolt, go ahead and harvest what you have; cutting off the seed stalk will not encourage new growth.  Broccoli heads may not be as large, but harvest while they are full and closed.  Yellow blooms means the quality is going way down.
• To ensure that you will have the largest onions in the neighborhood, fertilize weekly using a liquid nitrogen fertilizer or 34-0-0 fertilizer (1/3 lb. per 100 ft.). Onions need a constant level of nitrogen to perform their best.
• Watch for caterpillars on cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and ornamentals and take control measures early by using Bacillus thuringiensis (Dipel, Javelin and other trade names). Larger, more mature caterpillars are harder to control and you may have to use Sevin.
• Warm season vegetables – tomatoes, pepper, squash, okra and corn can be planted.  As you plant, broadcast a complete fertilizer in the soil, then repeat in about 6 weeks.  Mulch and water as needed.  Watch for insects, diseases and weeds.
• To prevent early blight on tomatoes, start spraying with chlorothalonil or mancozeb when first bloom clusters are noticed. This disease causing fungus can stay in the soil for several years. Mulching will help some, which prevents the splashing of soil onto the lower leaves. Planting tomatoes in a new spot will help, but contaminating your new garden site can happen so quickly. This disease is transferred to a new garden by wind-blown spores, contaminated tools and shoes, buying diseased plants, or chewing insects.
• Keep a clean garden.  Mulch around plants with 3-4 inches of mulch to help maintain moisture and discourage weeds.  Organic mulches also break down slowly, releasing nutrients into the soil.  Mulch also cuts down on soil borne diseases such as tomato blight.
• Herb gardens are an easy way to have an ample supply of fresh herbs for cooking. Most nurseries carry herb plants. Many are perennials and some are evergreen and can be used in the landscape as well as to eat. Rosemary is a semi-shrub and thyme makes an attractive evergreen groundcover in full sun. Be careful with pesticides around herbs – remember you are going to eat them!
• Prune spring flowering shrubs as soon as the flowers fade.  If you prune in the fall or winter, you will remove next season’s flower buds.
• Check azaleas for lacebugs. This small sucking insect prefers to feed on azaleas or pyracantha but can spill over onto any kind of adjacent plants. The leaves of infested plants are yellowed and stippled on top. Black deposits from the lacebug are left on the underside of the leaves. To control, apply acephate, imidacloprid, bifenthrin, or permethrin according to label directions.
• Fertilize warm-season lawns – zoysia and bermuda – as soon as they are totally greened up.  Use a high nitrogen fertilizer.  Most of the weeds that have been blooming are winter weeds and should be on their way out.  Start watching for summer weeds – crabgrass and nutgrass – and catch them as they emerge and try to stop their spread.
• Spring flowering bulb foliage needs to remain as long as possible (minimum of 6-8 weeks after blooming). Foliage can be removed at first signs of yellowing. As foliage begins to yellow it’s a good time to dig and divide clumps of overcrowded or unwanted bulbs while foliage is still visible.
• Dogwood, flowering plum, ornamental cherry, crabapple and related plants are prone to borers. Borers usually enter the trunks of these trees at soil line and can cause death in one or two seasons. A preventative control for borers is an application of insecticide applied to the trunk of trees in early May and repeated at six week intervals 2-3 times. Permethrin or bifenthrin work well in protecting these valuable ornamental specimen trees. Also, applying a 2-3 inch mulch around these ornamentals helps prevent damage to the trunk from lawnmowers and string line trimmers which helps prevent borers too.
• Houseplants can safely be moved outside if you haven’t already done so.  Expose plants to sunlight gradually.
• When pansies and violas start to fade, replace them with summer annuals for summer color.  There are lots of excellent annuals to choose from.  Some to consider are the penta which likes the sun, attracts hummingbirds and butterflies and comes in pink, red, white and purple and Dragonwing Begonia is another one for partial shade.

 
            For more information on gardening, contact the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Baxter County Extension office at 425-2335.

Thanks to all who supported our plant sale; it was very successful! We started out with 1,016 plants that included perennials, annuals, succulents, trees, bushes, ground cover and grasses. We were basically sold out by 10:15 a.m., and there were only a few house plants left. There were a total of 166 customers who bought plants.

Mark your calendars  for next year's plant sale,  April 25th, 2020. Our sale is always the last Saturday in April. 

Thanks again for your support.
 
The 2019 Plant Sale Committee

The next two International Master Gardener Conferences in 2021 and 2023.  

The State of Virginia will be hosting the next conference September 12 - 17, 2021 in Norfolk, Virginia.  It will be held at the Hotel Conference Center: Hilton Norfolk The Main (http://www.themainnorfolk.com/).
And for those who like to plan ahead, add Kansas to your travel calendar for 2023.  We don't know any other details right now but look forward to hearing more in the years to come.

​Happy gardening to all. Hope to see you at Valley Forge, PA in June!
Deb Soutar and Nancy Knauss
2019 IMGC Co-chairs

​
​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:
April 11th from 1:00 - 3:00 pm

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

April Speakers: 
Guest Speaker: Alan Gregory
                           Topic: A Bird Friendly Yard: 
                                      How to make yourself wildlife land manager of your own property
Horticulture Table: Audrey Holt
                           Topic: Poisonous Garden Plants
​
​Master Gardeners Monthly Radio Program:
Mountain Talk Radio April  17th 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.

The 2019 Annuals to Perennials programs
for first-year Master Gardeners and their mentors
are coming this summer.
Be sure to mark your calendar and plan to attend!


Hope: Monday, June 24, 2019 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Fayetteville: Friday, June 28, 2019 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Batesville: Saturday, July 13, 2019 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Little Rock: July 14, 2019 from 2 - 5 p.m. 

​
Additional information will be coming soon!
 

​WHAT:    The Baxter County Master Gardeners Plant Sale
WHEN:    Saturday, April 27th 2019
WHERE:  Baxter County Fairgrounds 
TIME:       9 AM -  NOON

We are setting up in the larger room so we will have a lot more room to display our plants.
Plants for the sale are annuals, perennials, bulbs, roots, rhizomes, bushes, trees, shrubs, vines, house plants, succulents and vegetables all grown by Baxter County Master Gardeners.

Come early for the best selection!!!

See our web page for directions ​https://www.baxtercountymg.com/annual-plant-sale1.html

Whether you’re a new or expert gardener you can learn more about native plants at our annual plant sale and seminar. Stop by to purchase plants and garden related items from a variety of vendors, get growing tips from one of our many exhibitors, and attend our informative programs. All ages. No registration required.

Call 417-888-4237 for more information or stop by the Nature Center for an event flyer.

When:
Saturday, April 6, 2019
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Located at:
Springfield Conservation Nature Center
4601 S. Nature Center Way
Springfield, MO 65804
(417) 888-4237

​Get Directions

SOURCE: Missouri Department of Conservation/ActivePrograms/UpcomingEvents/
​
https://mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/166338

​Baxter County Master Gardeners hosted their 25th annual seminar on Saturday, March 23 as part of our group's 25th anniversary celebration.  Our largest crowd to date, close to 300 people, enjoyed presentations by four high-profile speakers.  

Our keynote speaker, Dr. Doug Tallamy, gave two presentations during the event.  His entertaining presentations stressed the importance of each individual developing a nature friendly yard.  He showed us the benefits to pollinators by our choosing the right plants at our homes.  He showed how long it takes nature to adapt to introduced plants, and encouraged us to make our gardens up to 70% nature compatible plants.

The theme continued with Lucinda Reynolds giving us many ideas on plant selections we might consider.  We next enjoyed hearing Lissa Morrison, one of the designers of the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, showing us how native plants can be used beautifully and manageably in residential plantings.  She encouraged the group to check the BCMG website, www.baxtercountymg.com, for a listing of suitable plants in residential settings.

To complete the day, we enjoyed hearing from Ken Forman of Arkansas Fish and Game, who gave us an animated history of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC); discussed the impact of the portion of our state sales tax that is allocated to natural resources; and stressed what the state is doing with the development of nature centers and educating our children to the values and beauty of Arkansas, the Natural State.  Arkansas is one of 2-3 states that has a conservation tax, 1/8th% of our sales tax, which can only be used for conservation purposes.
 
During the day, attendees did not go hungry, enjoying a great lunch prepared by the Methodist Church, as well as many different selections provided by BCMG members.  Many folks did not go home empty handed, enjoying items won in our special raffles, door prizes, and opportunity table selections.  Though in a sense, no one went home empty handed, full of the knowledge we gained.

Many thanks to all our speakers, and to all BCMG members who helped make this event our best ever.  We encourage everyone to visit our website, baxtercountymg.com, go to "Gardening Tips", to view many of the handouts from our speakers, including a list of great plant selections.   

GO NATIVE!!!!

​Last Monday, Patsy Louk, County 76 President, along with Ryan Neal, Benton County Extension Agent and JB Portillo met with Marina McCoy of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville to plan our MG Appreciation Day which is scheduled for Monday, October 14, 2019.

We will be sharing details for this free event to all MG's later. Save the date!

From: https://uofacesmg.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/crystal-bridges-to-host-mg-appreciation-day-oct-14/

​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.
• This is the time of year when honey bee hives swarm. If you see a swarm and are needing someone to collect and move them, call me. I have a list of people who will come and get them at no charge.

 
Reminder – Baxter County 4-H Rabies Vaccination Clinic is Friday, April 12 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 13 from 8:00 a.m. – noon at all Mtn. Home veterinary clinics.
 
For more information on any of the above points, contact the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service at 425-2335.
 
 

It's THAT time again (thankfully):  SPRING is coming.
And that means it's time to get the PEDs ready!!!




Pick any (or all!) of the PEDs and join in the prep. It's not work when you're with friends, sunshine, and PLANTS!





Call a PEDs coordinator today for work dates and times.

​Fairgrounds Gardens: Kathrine and Rod Gilmore

Bull Shoals-White River: Jeffrey Pearson and James Loveless

Clysta Willett Nature Trail: Penny Wells and Phyllis Henley

Cooper Park Gardens: Priscilla Jamnicky and Janelle Stookey

Fish Hatchery Gardens: Darrell Stewart

Extension Office Gardens: Judy Niziolek

Memorial Gardens: Susan Chamberlain, Kay Kunkel and Ceil Gasiecki

Library Pollinator Garden: Jane and Frits Druff

​
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:
March 14th from 1:00 - 3:00 pm

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

March Speakers: 
Guest Speaker: Susan and Steve Blumreich
                           Topic: Raising and Releasing Monarch Butterflies
Horticulture Table: Jon Smith
                           Topic: All about Okra
​
​Master Gardeners Monthly Radio Program:
Mountain Talk Radio March 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.

Our annual spring seminar, ‘Developing an Ozark Green Thumb’, is fast approaching.  As you may know, we are celebrating 25 years of Master Gardeners in Baxter County this year.  In that vein, we are excited to be hosting published garden author, Dr. Doug Tallamy, as our keynote speaker.  Dr. Tallamy will be making two presentations during the seminar.  His morning address will focus on the topic of his first publication, Bringing Nature Home; and his afternoon talk will explore, Are Introduced Plants Bad.  Copies of his book can be ordered when you register.

But Dr. Tallamy is not the only exciting speaker on tap.  Lissa Morrison, recently of the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, will be speaking on “Changing Habits for the Future”; Master Gardener Lucinda Reynolds on “Plant Selection: Based on Function and Beauty”; and Ken Forman of the Fred Berry Conservation Center on “The Natural State, Naturally.”

As always, our opportunity table will have many great garden-related items available in the bucket raffle.  This year, we are offering a hand-crafted, cedar three-seat swing and its stand in a separate raffle.  Good luck to all!   Educational information from the Master Gardener Project Gardens will be displayed.  There will also be a horticultural table and a “keyhole” garden demonstration. Lunch is included with the $30.00 registration fee.

The seminar is scheduled for Saturday, March 23, 2019 from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm.  Doors open at 7:30 am.  When you eat breakfast on Saturday morning, just remember our usual delicious homemade offerings will be available throughout the day.  Some people come back for the food as much as for the program.  The seminar will be held once again at the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Center at 605 W. 6th Street in Mountain Home.

There are a limited number of tickets still available. Registration and book order information are available at the website http://www.baxtercountymg.com/spring-seminar.html. Or send your name, address, phone number, e-mail and $30 registration fee to: Kathrine Gilmore, 275 Sharon Drive, Mountain Home, AR 72653.  Kathrine can also be reached by phone at 870-580-0278.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 The following is a garden checklist that gardeners need to be considering for March:

• Last call for the upcoming Baxter County Master Gardener Spring Seminar on March 23rd at the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Center in Mtn. Home! There is a fee of $30 per person to attend the seminar and this includes lunch. Attendance is limited and pre-registration is required. To register online, go to: http://www.baxtercountymg.com/spring-seminar.html or mail your 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. The Baxter County Master Gardeners have put together a great lineup of seminar speakers and topics. They include: 
  • Douglas Tallamy – “Bringing Nature Home” and “Are Introduced Plants Bad?””
  • Lucinda Reynolds – “Plant Selection: Reasons Beyond Beauty”
  • Lissa Morrison – “Well Behaved Natives for the Home Landscape”
  • Ken Foreman – “The Natural State – Naturally”
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 425-2335.  

The Baxter County Conservation District is holding their Tree Beautification Project.
A catalog with pictures, descriptions, and prices of trees being offered is available on their website.
Deadline to order trees is March 15, 2019.

More information about the project, catalog of available trees, and order form;  click on the link below:

http://www.baxtercountycd.com/conservation.html