To-Do List for April

Dogwood blossoms in April showers

List of Garden Preparations for April:

• Clean up old plant debris.
• Plow, till and cultivate only if soil is workable.
• Add amendments to soil per soil test results.
• Apply post-emergence broadleaf herbicides for summer annual weeds. 
• Apply mulch to plants for weed control.

Enjoy a leisurely morning coffee and contemplate visiting your favorite greenhouses and nurseries.

For additional information for April Garden Ideas:
http://extension.missouri.edu/adair/gardentalk.aspx


Hickory County Master Gardeners recommend contacting your local Extension Service for more complete information.

Source:  Southwest Missouri Master Gardeners Gardening Journal

Posted: 3/28/2014


Gardening in Containers

            Do you want to garden with no weeding and less stooping?  Try container gardening.  Purchase flower pots and fill with good potting soil.  Don’t use garden soil because it will pack too tightly in the pot and there won’t be room for water and air in the soil.  Choose a pot with a drain hole in the bottom so the soil doesn’t become waterlogged.  If the pot is heavy, you can place it on casters to be able to roll it around.  Mix slow release fertilizer in the potting soil or fertilizer once every two weeks with a dilute fertilizer solution. 

            Look at where you plan to put the pot.  Most vegetables need full sun.  Decide if your site will be in full sun, partial sun or shade.  If it is a large pot, select several plants for it that fit the specific location.  Don’t mix full sun and shade plants in the same pot. 

Decide if you want vegetables, flowers or foliage plants or a combination.  You might mix a tall, spiky plant with a mounding plant and a trailing plant…thrill, fill, spill!  Mix complimentary colors such as yellow and purple or blue and orange.  Or use several plants with shades of the same color.  Transplant the plants at the same level as they were being grown; don’t bury the stems. 

Check the pot daily for watering.  Soil in clay pots dry out quicker than that in plastic pots.  During hot, windy conditions you may need to water the pot several times a day.  Inspect the plants weekly for insect or disease problems.  Some plants such as coreopsis may need to have the dead flowers removed to encourage more blooming.

Unless the plant can be moved indoors as a houseplant, it will need to be removed at the end of the season.  Store the container inside during the winter.  Many pots will crack if left outside during freezing weather.  To use the pot the following year, clean it well and start with fresh potting soil.  Most containers can be used for several years if cared for properly. 

For more information on growing plants in containers, contact your local University Extension Center or visit their website at www.extension.missouri.edu.

Posted: 3/21/2014

Grow Potatoes in a Can...

     ...But first, how about a few potato facts?  The potato is an annual, cool-season plant belonging to Solanaceae, the Nightshade family.  Yes, very early, it was thought to be poisonous, perhaps even causing fever or leprosy, and was seldom used for human consumption.  The potato was first found in the Andes mountains, imported to Europe and was introduced to America in the 18th century.  Compared with grains, tubers such as the potato are more productive.  In fact, by the end of the 18th century, potatoes had become a dietary staple with routine famine almost disappearing.  Nutritionally, the potato has good value. One medium sized potato (about 1/3 pound) supplies 35% of the U. S. recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C, 6% protein, and 10% iron, as well as other vitamins and minerals such as Folate, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Manganese and Phosphorous, yet only has 100 calories.  The potato, once thought to be poisonous and from an unpromising terrain in the Andes mountains of Peru, is now one of the world's great cultural traditions! 

     ...As a cool-season veggie, the potato may be planted, as the Irish might suggest, around St. Patrick's Day.  The varieties of potatoes are designated as early, mid and late season with early season being planted as soon as the soil is workable in early spring and with late season being able to be planted until about mid-June.  Examples of familiar varieties are Kennebec (mid-late season) and Yukon Gold (early season).

   

 …About that Can...Just dump the trash and use the garbage can to grow potatoes!  Really!  Potatoes can be grown in a 5-gallon size or larger container, but whether new or used, start with a can that is clean, to eliminate possible bacteria or potential harmful residue.  Also, plastic is best because it is water proof and drainage holes can be easily drilled in it.  Potatoes need a soil depth of about 2 feet to grow, so select a can that will accommodate that amount of soil.  After selecting the can, drill several drainage holes in the base and about 1 to 2 inches above the bottom.  Potatoes will rot if left to sit in wet soil, so allow for plenty of drainage.  Situate the can in a sunny location and fill with your preferred garden soil blend (loamy and well-draining).  Potatoes prefer slightly acidic soil but will perform well in almost any soil.  The soil level should be about 5-7 inches from the top.

     ...After selecting the potato starts, press the start about 6 inches into the soil with the eyes facing toward the sun.  Plant only one or two starts per can.  The potato tubers will grow in the soil that lies between the surface and the original potato start, so it's important to mound additional soil on top of the emerging plant.  The soil may be placed around the plant in the 5-7 inches allowed when filling the can with soil.  Leave some of the green leaves above the soil level after mounding.  The tubers should not be exposed to the sun, so additional soil may need to be added.  The soil should be kept moist during warm weather, but not soggy.  After the plant has grown a few inches tall, a 12-12-12 fertilizer may be added. 

     ...Harvest after the plant flowers if you prefer "new" potatoes or after the foliage yellows and dies back for mature potatoes.  For mature potatoes, prepare for storage by curing for a week or two at 65-70 degrees and 85-90% humidity to allow the skin to toughen and wounds to heal.  After curing, store the tubers in complete darkness at about 45 degrees and 90% humidity.  In optimal storage conditions, late varieties may be stored for up to 9 months.

Hickory County Master Gardeners recommend contacting your local Extension Service for more complete plant and growing information.

Sources:  Smithsonian Magazine, November 2011. "The Eyes Have It" by Charles C. Mann.  The Best of Fine Gardening:  Container Gardening 2011. "Potatoes in a Pot" by Brandi Spade.  Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service Guide:  Vegetables. HO-62W. "Potatoes" by B. Rosie Lerner and Michael N. Dana.

Posted: 3/17/2014



Greenhouse Service Project

Plant Plug Potting Party!

Hickory County Master Gardeners were ready to go when they got the call that the plant plugs have been delivered and were ready to be potted on March 6, 2014.  The Spring Plant Sale is their main fundraiser and will be held April 29th 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. & May 3rd 10:00 a.m. to noon at the McCarty Senior Center in Wheatland, Missouri.  

Check out the plants that will be available for sale:

ANNUALS: 

BEGONIAS—BIG RED & BIG ROSE. 

CALIBRACHEA—NOA RED GLAZE, BLUE LEGEND, & CHERRY BLOSSOM. 

COLEUS –KONG JR. 

GAZANIA –NEW DAY MIX 

GERANIUM ZONAL—MAESTRO DARK RED, LIGHT PINK PARAFAIT & SALMON. 

GERBERA—JAGUAR—MIX FORMULA. 

IPOMEA -SWEET POTATO VINE—MARGUERITA(LIME) & BLACKIE. 

N.G. IMPATIENS—DEVINE MIX. 

LANTANA—EVITA ORANGE & YELLOW. 

PETUNIAS –PRETTY GRAND MIDNIGHT, BLUE STAR, & ROSE STAR 

PRUSULANE (ROSE MOSS) –TOUCAN-MIX HOT 

SNAPDRAGONS—ARROW MIX. 

SUNPATIENS—SALMON. 

TORENIA—KAUAI MIX. 

VINCA—TITAN—DARK RED, & PURE WHITE 

PERENNIALS: 

GAILLARDIA (BLANKET FLOWER) -MESA YELLOW

ASSORTED HERBS & VEGETABLES WILL BE AVAILABLE 

 The 3100 plant plugs come neatly packed in trays ready to be unplugged.

The pots in trays are filled with potting soil.

The soil-filled pots in trays are water-soaked and then stacked.

The assembly line continues along the wood benches. 

Trays of individual plant plugs are planted in the pots...

…carefully, keeping track of what plant is where...

…with keen organization and labeling...

...19 Master Gardeners working together on this day…

…keeping the flow of production going…

…filling the greenhouse in 2-3 hours!

In addition to the plant sale fundraiser, many of these flowers will be used at the dozen other Master Gardener project areas in Hickory County for beautification.  Some of the flowers will end up in the new stone planters located at the front entrance to the McCarty Senior Center….

…thanks to the generosity of the local 5-Star Market for their donation of two permanent planters!

Master Gardeners David, Dee, and Mary rest and reflect at the arbor between the greenhouse and vegetable gardens.  Plans are being made.  So much done on this day and so much more to do as another growing season progresses.  It's going to be another good year!

Posted: 3/8/2014

To-Do List for March

Master Gardeners Declare the Growing Season Begin!

The gardens at the McCarty Center are plowed and prepped for planting!  Now, the calendar need only catch up!

When should you plant?  Locally, for cool season vegetables (examples are cabbage, carrots, lettuce, and yes, your peas and spinach) mid-march is suggested.  Warm season vegetables (tomatoes and peppers) should be planted well after any danger of frost. MU Extension guide sheet G6201, Vegetable Planting Calendar available at http://extension.missouri.edu will provide excellent guides for planning and planting as well as recommended vegetable varieties and planting dates.

The Master Gardeners will plant a wide variety of vegetables for use at the Center this 2014 season.  Plans are to grow lettuce, radishes, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, hot peppers, squash and the ever-favorite sweet potato! 

Giant pumpkins will be an addition to this year's garden.  They will become grand decorations for the fall landscape at the center. 

MARCH

Average Temperature  45 degrees

Average High Temperature  56 degrees

Average Low Temperature  34 degrees

Average Precipitation  3.4 inches

Average Snowfall  3.3 inches

Hickory County Master Gardeners recommend contacting your local Extension Service for more complete growing information.

Posted: 3/14/2014