Service Project Overview for 2014

There are currently fourteen approved Service Projects for Hickory County Master Gardeners.   This article will list all the projects and volunteers.  All Project Managers are invited to contribute additional garden-related histories, current successes and challenges and future plans for their project areas.  Most welcome would be anecdotal stories, photos, and volunteer profiles for each project at any time.  Please email to Gardeners' Companion Project Manager.

Public support and comments are always welcomed in the comment section below all articles.  If there is anything the public would like to see in these local gardens, please let us know.  The Project Managers will take all suggestions into consideration when making future plans.  By making suggestions in the comment sections below the articles, the public as well as Master Gardeners can see and understand what the public wants and can best serve with expert guidance from MU Extension.  Please use this valuable tool.

Weaubleau Memorial Garden

Location:  Hwy 54, Weaubleau, MO

Project Manager:  Deanna Loeffler
Volunteer:  Deanna Loeffler

Plants:  Maple (Silver) Tree, Sky Pencil Juniper, Rose of Sharon Shrub, Double Red Knockout Roses, Daffodils, Euphorbia, Crape myrtle (Red Rocket)

Weaubleau Memorial Garden (Master Gardener area to the rear)

                                                             Weaubleau Memorial Garden

Wheatland Settler's Village

Location:  Off Hwy 54 on the square, Wheatland, MO

Project Managers:  Deanna Loeffler/Mardi Schultz
Volunteers:  Deanna Loeffler, Mardi Schultz, David Stryker

Plants:  Blanket Flowers, Spirea (Little Princess)/Lime Green, Barberry (Pigmy)/maroon, Rose (Knockout-Pied), Crape myrtle (mid-size), Sedum (Autumn Joy), Daylilies, Roses (Knockout-Red), Grass, Lirope, Red Eden Climbing Rose, Guarda (Sparkle white), Lemon Thyme.

Herbs:  Rosemary (Rosmarinus offcinalis) Cultivars Irene & ARP, Orgeano (Origanum vulgare), Rose - Knockout "Blush," Lavender Purple Lavence, Hyssop (Agastache rupestris) Sunset Apricot, Sage (Salvia offinalis), Pinapple Sage (Salvia elegans), Thyme - Lemon (Thymus x citriodorus), Hyssop - Blue (Hyssopus officialis), Fennel Bronze (Foeniculum vulgare), Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum), Dill (Anethum graveolens), Horehound (Marrubium vulgre), Comfrey (Symphytum officinale), Rue (Ruta graveolens), Scented Geraniums (Pelarg onium-Snowflake)

Wheatland Settler's Village - Center Gardens

Wheatland Settler's Village - Herb Garden Area

McCarty Senior Center Landscaping
Location:  Hwy 54, Wheatland, MO
Project Manager:  David Stryker
Volunteers:  Dee Cauvel, Elaine Piper, Mary Forshe, Eveyln Brinley, Beti Pearson, Joan Geltmacher
Plants:  General plant beautification of grounds surrounding McCarty Senior Center adding annuals grown from annual plant sale.  Recently added 2 beds of 5 boxwoods each to corners of walking trail.

McCarty Senior Center Landscaping

McCarty Senior Center Landscaping

McCarty Donation Garden
Location:  Hwy 54 behind McCarty Senior Center, Wheatland, MO
Project Manager:  David Stryker
Volunteers:  Dee Cauvel, Elaine Piper, Mary Forshe, Evelyn Brinley, Beti Pearson, Joan Geltmacher
Plants:  Variety of garden vegetables in 40'x100' existing garden to be used in the kitchen at McCarty Senior Center including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, sweet potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, onions, pumpkins, blackberries.  Garden expansion in 2014 included 4-4'x75' raised beds to be able to rotate crops more efficiently.

McCarty Donation Gardens & Greenhouse

Greenhouse
Location:  Hwy 54 behind McCarty Senior Center, Wheatland, MO
Project Manager:  David Stryker
Volunteers:  Dee Cauvel, Elaine Piper, Mary Forshe, Eveyln Brinley, Beti Pearson, Joan Geltmacher
Plants:  Raise flowers for Annual Fundraiser Plant Sale, occasional small vegetables off season and all plants for Service Project Gardens throughout the county.  Plants for sale in 2014 included:              
ANNUALS:
BEGONIAS—BIG RED & BIG ROSE. 
CALIBRACHOA—NOA RED GLAZE, BLUE LEGEND, & CHERRY BLOSSOM. 
COLEUS –KONG JR. 
GAZANIA –NEW DAY MIX 
GERANIUM ZONAL—MAESTRO DARK RED, LIGHT PINK PARFAIT & 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 
ASSORTED VEGETABLES

Greenhouse

Greenhouse

Greenhouse & Volunteers from Several Projects Help to Pot Plant Plugs

Galmey VFW
Location:  Hwy 254, Galmey, MO
Project Manager:  Barbara Manard
Volunteers:  Barbara Manard

Plants:  Two beds; one has Roses, Peony, Mums, Hollyhocks, Vinca; other bed with flagpole has Dwarf Nandina, 2 Knockout Roses, day lilies, Mums, and various annuals.

Galmey VFW

Galmey VFW

Pittsburg Community Building

Location:  Off Hwy 64, Pittsburg, MO

Project Manager:  (contact MU Extension Office in Hermitage)

Volunteers:  Linda Davis, Robin Brown

Plants:  Crepe Myrtles (Hot Pink - Tall), Purple Bugle, Yellow Otella Lilies, Burning Bushes, Rust Mums, Extensive Bulbs, Roses, Guara, Maiden Grasses.

Pittsburg Community Building

Pittsburg Community Building

Hermitage Welcome Signs

Location:  Hwy 54 east and west city limits, Hermitage, MO

Project Manager:  Warren Olinger

Volunteers:  Warren Olinger

Plants:  Zeroscape-type 

Hermitage Welcome Sign - East

Hermitage Welcome Sign - West

Hermitage Community Building

Location:  Hwy 54, Hermitage, MO

Project Manager:  David Stryker

Volunteers:  David Stryker

Plants:  Ornamental Grasses, Boxwoods, Nandina, Knockout Rose

Hermitage Community Building

Hermitage Community Building

Hermitage Library

Location:  Off Hwy 54, Hermitage, MO

Project Manager:  Dee Cauvel

Volunteers:  Elaine Piper

Plants:  Various Annuals in 6 Large Containers, Roses (David Austin), Lilies, Peonies, Butterfly Bushes.

Hermitage Library

Hermitage Library

Hermitage Library

Hickory County Courthouse

Location:  square in Hermitage, MO

Project Manager:  Nelson Gnirke

Volunteers:  Nelson Gnirke

Plants:  Assorted Annuals and Perennials around Gazebo only

Hickory County Courthouse

Hermitage Hornet Garden (New)

Location:  1st & Dallas Street Corner, Hermitage, MO

Project Manager:  Murl Darby

Volunteer:  Karen Darby

Plants:  Crepe Myrtle, Irises (Purple & Yellow), Day Lilies, Boxwood

Hermitage Hornet Garden (New)

Hermitage Hornet Garden (New)

Preston Post Office

Location: Hwy 54, Preston, MO

Project Manager:  Kent Boettger

Volunteers:  Joan Geltmacher, Karen & Murl Darby

Plants:  Daffodil, Mum, Day Lilies, Lamb's Ear, Various Annuals

Preston Post Office

Gardeners' Companion Blog

Location:  Internet - hickorycountygardeners.blogspot.com

Project Manager:  Beti Pearson

Volunteers:  Keith Pearson, Deanna Loeffler, Extension Specialists, and Various Contributors

Gardeners' Blog

Source:  Hickory County Extension Office, Hermitage, MO

Posted:  6/27/2014

     

Mulching

To Mulch or Not to Mulch?

…A no-brainer, right?

Of course you should mulch; with all the benefits you would be crazy not too. Throw it on, more the merrier.  Hold on there...not so fast! Few things in life are all benefit with no downsides and mulch is not exempt. Without a few considerations you may not get the expected outcome that you want.  

The main things to consider are time of year, your garden type, location, and pests in your area. 

Gardening in the Ozarks can be challenging due to our thin topsoil layer and the brutal summer droughts that we are subject too. If this was all there was to consider, it would be a no-brainer. However, we must also consider the time of year. The best time of year to mulch is late spring/early summer. Applying mulch too early in spring can cause crop problems by preventing the ground to warm up sufficiently for germination and stimulate growth. If cool crops like spinach and lettuce don't get a fast start and sufficient growth before warm weather hits it can cause early bolt, severely reducing crop yield and quality. For best early season crop yields, mulch should be avoided at this time of year.

Your garden type also needs to be considered.  Some gardeners prefer row gardening and others prefer square foot gardening. In row gardening mulching will be a benefit in preventing weed growth and moisture retention. Crops most practical to mulch are beans, peppers, sweet corn, tomatoes, vine crops and other long-term summer crops with large amounts of foliage. However in square foot gardening, mulching may not only be difficult but may not even be necessary. As the plant's leaves act as a ground cover giving the same benefits as mulching would.

Also location plays a big part in our part of the country due to our rolling countryside. If one is gardening at the top of a hill, the garden will be subject to more drying winds, causing faster evaporation than a garden located in a moist river valley.

Pests should also not be overlooked. As wonderful as mulch is, it is also a breeding ground for pests. A lot of gardeners are overwhelmed by pests, not realizing they may be raising them in their mulch. Total crop failure can be the result of this single cause. 

What can be taken away from this is that mulching has its pluses and minuses. One needs to consider its effects in time of year, type of garden, its location, and pests in the garden. When using mulch evaluate how your garden is responding and adjust gardening practices to get the best benefits. 

What has worked for me is I only mulch my tomatoes and utilize square foot garden without mulch to avoid pests. By doing this I have enjoyed good crop yields with few pests while I have seen other gardens completely wiped out by mid-summer when abundant yields should be the norm.

Source:  Keith Pearson, Hickory County Master Gardener

Posted 6/20/2014

Gardening Tips

Beti's Top Ten Gardening Tips

10. Simple is good. 

A simple garden that has historic beginning in our country is good for all vegetable gardeners.  Three Sisters Garden contain small mounds of soil planted with corn surrounded by beans that fix the nitrogen in the soil for the corn plants to utilize.  The pole beans climb the corn stalks.  Winter squash seeds or pumpkins are planted in-between the mounds to control and shade out the weeds that might overtake the corn and beans later in the growing season.

Before you receive or buy a plant, have a home for it already planned and possibly already prepared. 

Start out with a simple plan that allows you to grow and expand.

9.  Balance with nature. 

Remember that insects dominate the world; not humans.  It is important to recognize naturally occurring insect predators and parasites. 

Before making insecticide applications, check plants for existing beneficial organisms.  Their abundance may be enough to provide control.  When possible, use insecticides that are selective in their activity. 

Ladybugs, spiders, tachinid flies, some wasps, bees, ground beetles, and lacewings are most beneficial to the gardener.  The praying mantis is both a good bug and a bad bug because it will eat all bugs; even other praying mantis if nothing else is available.  There are actions you can take to increase the balance with nature.

I personally recommend spraying fish fertilizer on all plant leaves that are bothered by insects and animals.  It deters them but must reapply after rains.  I also check for bugs regularly and pick off unwanted ones.  I plant extra for those plants that will be attacked no matter what I do like corn and melons.  Some plants I just don’t plant at all anymore such as cabbage because the effort to remove worms exceeds my desire for coleslaw.  Anyway supporting local Farmer's Markets is a good thing as you don't have to grow everything…choose your battles!

8.  Location is important. 


Most vegetables require full sun all day.  Watch the sun’s rising and setting positions in the sky for summer months and position your gardens so the plants will follow the sun.  South side of a hill is good because of water drainage and sun exposure. 

Terraced raised gardens on steep southern slope follow the sun as viewed from my carport

Low-lying areas typically have good soil but poor drainage and flooding potential as well as getting frost bit sooner.  Maximize your full sun areas. Most annuals and vegetables need full sun.

7.  Be a good steward.

Your gardens are a small part of a larger environment that includes aesthetic values and responsible environmental ethics.  Be a good neighbor and have attractive and useful plants in your yard that invite local butterflies, songbirds, good bugs, frogs, and non-harmful critters.  Consider native plants.

Native plants are very adapted to our area and have low maintenance once they are established.  Like perennials, you must be patient as it may take up to 3 years for them to be at their best. 

6.  Keep a gardening journal. 

Compare your notes with previous years so you don’t make the same mistake twice.  Record your gardening thoughts and feelings too.  Keep a sense of humor...  
Husband: "Are you planning to make a huge salad for company coming?"  Me:  "Yes, but we have plenty in the refrigerator for that and the whole week."
Husband:  "Why then did you cut all the Romaine heads remaining in the garden?"
Me:  "I thought you did that."  There were deer tracks all over.  We planted more seeds and I re-sprayed fish fertilizer all over as it had rained the night before.

Deer salad

5.  Consider companion planting. 

Decide what plants you want and research their needs.  I’ve had great success with planting marigold flowers in rows around my gardens to deter insects and deer.  

Marigolds planted around tomatoes in 2013

An available website called Garden Planner can help you put all your data together and suggests companion plants.  It is provided in the Useful Sources handout.

I have gardened intuitively for many years.  I keep minimal notes because I have done this for 40 years.  But I do write down new things that I do and probably should write more and not depend on my memory.  This year my husband has become a Master Gardener online and found Garden Planner online which organizes and helps you plan your gardens.  He is having a lot of fun with it. 

So I will probably continue to garden intuitively guided by the Garden Planner suggestions for companion plants and rotation but  enter the new data and names from now on.  This can also serve as a journal.  You can also see what other gardeners are doing in your area that are also using the program.

4.  Choose good sources for your seeds and plants. 

Local greenhouses and other gardeners in your area should be considered first.  The best way to know good sources is to experience them for yourself.  Know a safe seed source and make the best choices for yourself.

 Always buy for your growing zone.  Hickory County is Zone 6a and 6b.  Check your local extension office for your plant hardiness zone.  

3.  Water regularly. 

Know the watering needs for your particular plant groups.  Most plants need about 1” of water per week in 1-2 applications.  Usually apply evenings or early mornings to reduce evaporation.  Consider trickle or drip irrigation.  Add mulch early in the growing season. It would be great if you can set up a rain barrel to some drip hoses that are placed throughout you gardens. 

It may be that a rain barrel can only take care of one smaller area.  Rain water is the best.  Treated municipal water is not the best water for plants, especially vegetables.  You can fill a barrel or buckets and let sit in open air for 24 hours.  This will allow chlorine to dissipate before using.  

2.  Soil type, texture, and condition are important. 

Most vegetables and flowers prefer rich soil.  Clay tends to crust or form cracks as it dries.  Rocky soils are shallow for root growth and sandy soils dry out quickly.  River bottom soil is very good and is worth hauling in and placed in raised beds.  All soils can be improved by adding compost and organic mulches.  Have soil tested through your local Extension Office.

The most simple approach would be to buy a bag of soil, put it where the sun shines, cut it open lengthwise and poke some drain holes on the bottom.  You have made a basic container.  Just put in your plants and cover everything but the plant in mulch and water as needed.  Or buy a lovely pot…or recycle an old tire…or get some logs from the wood pile…or pile rocks…or purchase landscape blocks and you have a garden!

 Rocky soils in the Ozarks are a challenge for gardeners.  Our thin topsoil on the hilly areas must be amended for success.  First tool to have is a pick.  Rocks must be loosened to allow drainage.  It’s like you are creating a container by removing the rocks and then fill with good soil.  Use the rocks in a terrace for hillsides.  Any decent soil will wash off the top of the hill eventually and you can retain it for your use.  As new rocks always seem to grow out of any hole dug in the Ozark highlands, you should consider building a raised garden or containers.  The Ozarks has many waterways that have rich soil along the valleys.  Get some for your raised beds and terraced gardens.

AND THE #1 GARDENING TIP IS:   ENJOY! 

There are many reasons to garden & many levels of success.  Work with nature and find a balance that rewards you for your efforts. 

Source:  

Elizabeth “Beti” Pearson, Hickory County Master Gardener & Missouri Master Naturalist Lake of the Ozarks continues gardening in the town of Hermitage, Missouri since 1986.  She hobby farmed near Flemington, Missouri 1978-1986 on 50 acres with husband, Keith, who is also a Hickory County Master Gardener.  It all began when they got married in 1974 in Iowa and recently celebrated 40 years of growing together May 2014.

Posted:  6/13/2014