​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.

​
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.