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april 2021 mg events

3/31/2021

Master Gardener Plant Sales April 2021

Pulaski County MG Plant Sale
April 17, 2021
7th & Palm Streets, Little Rock, AR

We will open the greenhouse grounds to small groups (ten people) at a time to shop our spring inventory.
Please use the front gate (on 7th St.) for both entrance and exit.
We will begin at 9:00 a.m. Saturday April 17, and continue until noon.
PLEASE BE SURE TO WEAR YOUR MASK.
In addition to the usual suspects, we have confederate roses, brugmansias (large trumpet lilies), some scheflerras, bright red geraniums, angel wing begonias, lantana, a few hostas, lantana and some native plants. Oh, and some very handsome tomato plants plus a bevy of veggies!

Come!
Shop!
7th & Palm Streets behind the State Hospital on Markham.
A note: our costs (for plugs in particular) have increased, and this year hard to come by. A few of our plants will reflect this.

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White County Plant Sale
April 17, 2021
8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
White County Cooperative Extension Service
22400 Old Searcy Landing Road
Searcy, AR

Covid guidelines will be followed
Proceeds will fund scholarships for area students

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Garland County Plant Sale
April 24, 2021
9 to 5 p.m.
Garland County Fairgrounds
4831 Malvern Avenue
Masks must be worn
CDC Covid Guidelines will be followed

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Monroe County Plant Sale
April 24, 2021
8 a.m.
Brinkley, AR
Corner of Main and Elm Street
(Carroll's empty lot across from Baptist Church)

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Master Gardener Conference 2021

3/31/2021

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2021 Master Gardener State Conference
June 10-11, 2021

Registration opens April 5, 2021

Watch your email!

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april garden checklist

3/31/2021

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

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

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

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2021 Arkansas Master Gardener Conference

3/17/2021

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State Master Gardener Conference for 2021 going virtual!
June 10-11, 2021
Via Zoom

Excellent speakers and outstanding virtual garden tours from beautiful Craighead County!

Registration coming very soon!

Lodging reservations
If you had lodging reservations in Jonesboro for 2021 Master Gardener Conference you can call the hotel to cancel.

Embassy Suites
870-619-4482

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march 2021 ozark green thumb e-newsletter

3/1/2021

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March 2021
Baxter County Master Gardeners
Ozark Green Thumb
e-Newsletter

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