​BCMG  Service Award recipients are:

10 years
Wayne Buck
Janice Rose

15 years
Margareta Schmutzler

20 years
Theresa Boekholder
Anita Hayden

25 years
Nancy Buff
Jane Druff
Barbara Goodlett
Duane Goodlett

​RRR Project of County 76
(Recruitment, Retention & Recognition)
Mimi Cox, Chair
Hilde Simmons, Co-chair

​









July 2021
Ozark Green Thumb
e-Newsletter

Baxter County Master Gardeners will be hosting a training class on

September 22, 29 and October 6, 20, & 27
All 5 classes must be attended to complete the training.
Each session runs from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm.

Class location will be determined based on the number of trainees. 
​The classes are via ZOOM streamed at the class location.

The cost will be $100 to cover the training, first year dues, and a name badge.
Deadline to register is Friday, August 27th.

Click here to download the application:

2021 ZOOM Master Gardener Training Application

For more information, contact Brad Runsick
at the  Extension Office at (870) 425-2335;
or stop by to pick up an application at 3 East 9th St., Mountain Home.

Master Gardeners have a problem, and we're coming to all of you for our help. 

We have a garden project at the corner of 5 South and 62B, across from the Sheriff's office.  We have a planting there with a 'dude' standing there saying "Hi" to all who pass by him.  But he doesn't have a name!!!  So we are having a Name the Dude Contest.

Entries can be made at the Baxter County Fair, which will be held August 24 to 28 of this year.  

And yes there is a prize for the winner -- only one winner, and there will be a choice of one of the following:

One Free Registration for the Master Gardener Training Class, a $100 value
or
$100 Gift Card to Kelley Thomas Nursery
or
$100 Gift Card to Carl Wayne Nurseries
or 
$100 Gift Card to Wal Mart

.....the winner's choice of one of the four prizes!!!

So get those wheels turning, and let's 'Name the Dude'!

​Come visit us at the County Fair at the Horticulture Room in the Education Building to submit your entry.

​The following positions are available.

Board Positions -  contact Susan Chamberlain 

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

Project Site Positions - contact Susan Chamberlain​

• Bull Shoals/White River Project Site Chairperson(s)

Event Positions - contact Ceil Gasiecki

• MG Plant Swap
• County Fair Horticulture Room

WHAT: MG Program via Zoom, We Are Here for You - Welcome to the Arkansas Master Gardener Program
 
WHEN: August 5, 2021
 
TIME: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 
 
WHO CAN ATTEND: Newly Trained Master Gardeners, Their Mentors and County Extension Agents from 2020 and 2021.
 
 
Welcome to the Arkansas Master Gardener Program and remember
“We Are Here for YOU!” 
 

 
RRR Project of County 76
(Recruitment, Retention & Recognition)
Mimi Cox, Chair
Hilde Simmons, Co-chair
​

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​​Arkansas Master Gardener Program | 2301 South University Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72204

​Here’s the checklist for things to be on the lookout for as we get deeper into summer.
 

• It’s time to check for bagworms on all junipers and conifers. As most of you will agree bagworms can be found on any living plant, so check all surrounding plants if you notice some on their favorite host plant, junipers. Some of the recommended insecticides are Sevin, Malathion, Bt, bifenthrin and permethrin. Always read and follow label directions.
• Pumpkins are planted this time of year for harvest this fall just in time for the holiday season. Keep plants well watered and free of insect pests. Spray every 7 days, or as needed, with bifenthrin.
• Start planning for a fall garden. Make plantings of squash, tomato, beans, cucumbers, southern peas, and any other vegetables that will mature before late October.
• If your tomato leaves are turning yellow with dark spots from the bottom up and defoliating, this is early blight. This disease needs to be prevented before it starts. This fungus can survive in the soil for several years. If you have early blight on your tomato plants, spray with chlorothalonil (Daconil) every 7-10 days.
• Tomato blossom drop is a problem as daytime temperature hits the upper 90s and night temperature does not fall below 75. As we get cooler temperatures, tomato plants will set again. If blossom end rot is a problem, remember it is a calcium deficiency and can be minimized by keeping the moisture level constant and applying a soluble calcium called Stop Rot, Blossom End Rot Control or Blossom End Rot Preventer. Soil test to make sure your pH is in the proper range.
• Keep pinching back your flowering herbs like basil, oregano and mint to prevent them from flowering and going to seed. You can use or store your trimmings.
• As you wrap-up the harvest on your tame blackberries, cut out the old canes (this year’s producing cane) to allow space for all the new canes that will produce fruit next year. As the new canes reach shoulder height, tip prune to encourage side branching, which also prevents new canes from arching over and reaching for the ground.
• Monitor water needs. We’ve had an abundance of rainfall, but summer dry spells are right around the corner. Keep in mind that plants, trees in particular, exhibit a delayed visual stress symptom.  These delayed symptoms could be wilt, leaf scorch, or loss of green coloration.   Drought stress to many plants, trees especially, could be the beginning of a slow decline and eventual death that cannot be corrected once it occurs.  To avoid these problems, don’t wait to water until you see these visual symptoms.  For mature trees, water an inch or more once a week.  Newly planted trees require watering twice a week during dry weather.
• 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 they 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 grass is invading flowerbeds, use a grass-specific herbicide such as Fusilade/Ornamec (fluazifop-P), Segment (sethoxydim) or Envoy (clethodim).  In our trials, fluazifop-P has been the most effective on bermudagrass. Alternatively, just get in there and remove it the old-fashioned way…by hand. Always read and follow label directions.
• If your summer annuals look like they are tired, fertilize them with a half-pound, (one cup) of 34-0-0 per 100 sq. ft. Also, keep them well watered.
• 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 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 870-425-2335.
 
 

​2021 Master Gardener State Conference
June 10 & 11, 2021
9 a.m.—3:30 p.m. each day
Open to the public

Conference Agenda

• Virtual from the comfort of your own home.
• ​All virtual presentations will be recorded and available for 30 days after the conference closes for those that register for the conference.
• Deadline to register was May 24, 2021



The following positions are available.

Board Positions -  contact Susan Chamberlain 

• Board Treasurer
• Board Secretary

Project Site Positions - contact Susan Chamberlain​

• Bull Shoals/White River Project Site Chairperson(s)

​

• 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) of 34-0-0 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 870-425-2335.

​

• 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 mean the quality is declining. 

• 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. 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. However, contaminating your new garden site can happen 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 lace bugs. 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 lace bugs 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 bermudagrass – 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” 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 have not 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 from which to choose. 

 
For more information on gardening, contact the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Baxter County Extension office at 870-425-2335.
 

MASTER GARDENER MEMBERSHIP ONLY

WHEN: May 20, 2021

WHERE: Clysta-Willett Pavillion

TIME:     NOON (setup 11:30 am)

WHAT:   Bring plants to swap with other Master Gardeners

​QUESTIONS: Contact Susan Chamberlain

The following positions are available.

Plant Sale - contact Valerie or Mary 

Pre-Clean Tuesday, May 11th, 1 pm
Set Up - Friday, May 14th, 8 am
Sale Day - Saturday, May 15th, 8 am

Board Positions -  contact Susan Chamberlain 

Board Treasurer
Board Secretary

Project Site Positions - contact Susan Chamberlain

Library Pollinator Project Site Chairperson(s)
Bull Shoals/White River Project Site Chairperson(s)

Event Positions - contact Susan Chamberlain

Baxter County Fair Horticulture Chairperson(s)

​Please email your photos to: mwilbanks3@gmail.com

Deadline to submit photos is Friday, May 21, 2021.

Photos MUST be properly named in the JPEG format only to be accepted for consideration. You will have to rename the 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 .jpeg
EXAMPLE:
Mike Wilbanks, Craighead, Doubletrueblood, SP.jpeg

LANDSCAPE DIMENSION ONLY, PLEASE!

​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.