ISSUE This and That of the Cleveland County

02 Cultivators & Master Gardeners February 2021

In this issue

Johnny Jump Ups, or Violas P.1 2020-2021 Club Officers: MG 2020 Awards and Plant of the Month-Pansies P.2 President: Vickie Padgett V.P.: Suzanne Clark Johnny Jump Ups, or Violas Secretary: Marty Bowlin Flower color during the winter is a planted by mid-October to allow plants valuable addition to any garden. In most sufficient time to root in and become Treasurer: Donna areas of central and northern Arkansas established before the coldest weather Johnston pansies and their little sister Johnny arrives. Jump Ups or Violas (hybrids of Viola x Fertilization in late February will williamsii) are the first choices amongst encourage strong springtime growth and gardeners. They bloom over a long assure a strong finish to the blooming period and provide tidy low masses of season, which ends by mid May. Though Les Walz color that keep on giving until still alive and well, violas begin to County Extension overwhelmed by the heat of a muggy stretch with warmer night temperatures Agent- Agriculture summer. and simply look too bedraggled to be The pansy and viola market has never kept over into the summer. Northern been stronger than it is today because so gardeners, where pansies and violas are Cleveland County many gardeners live in areas where these not winter hardy, plant them as a spring Extension Office two stalwarts of the winter flower garden crop and keep them blooming through 501 East Magnolia can be grown. Beginning in the 1990’s their cooler summers. Rison, AR 71665 European and California plant breeders 870-325-6321 began recrossing pansies and the smaller The information above was derived from [email protected] flowered violas to create intermediate the “Plant of the Week” column, which forms with slightly larger blooms (1.5- can be found in its entirety on our UAEX

inch across) and flowers with a wide website here: array of colors and markings. Sometimes https://www.uaex.edu/yard- these new generation hybrids are called garden/resource-library/plant- “panolas” to reflect their origins. week/violas.aspx Violas are more compact than pansies, usually growing under 8 inches in height For more information about horticulture, with a spread of up to 12 inches. They or to see other Plant of the Week are reliably winter hardy to zero degrees columns, visit extension’s provided the onset of cold is gradual and website,www.arhomeandgarden.org/pl plants are kept well watered. At these ant_week.htm, or contact your county low temperatures there may be some extension agent. freeze back but the plants should survive. Ideally pansies and violas should be

February-March Calendar:

• 2/15- Deadline for MG award nominations. • MG Monday 12-1 “Kindness is like snow, it via zoom. beautifies everything it covers."— Kahlil Gibran

February-March to do list: 1. Protect plants February is “a” Pruning Month Those shrubs flowering in the spring (on old from harsh (Shrubs) wood), form flower buds in late weather events. 2. Deadhead and summer/early fall of the previous year, and fertilize winter Pruning, while one of the more common those flower buds are then carried through annuals. tasks in gardening, causes more the winter. It is recommended to prune 3. Prune fruit trees confusion and stress for gardeners than AFTER flowering has been completed so and roses in most other common activities. Gardeners the flowers can be enjoyed. February. often don’t know when or how to 4. Spray winter Those that flower on ‘new’ wood (flower weeds with properly prune their shrubs. Some buds are formed on current season’s growth), approved simply look over the fence at their are typically pruned early in the season neighbors’ plants and assume that what herbicide before BEFORE flowering. Often we perform this they flower. they observe is the correct approach to pruning procedure in late winter/early spring. 5. Prune summer pruning shrubs. Also; late winter (February) or early spring is blooming shrubs Pruning shrubs need not be a mysterious in February. task. Asking a few simple questions can the ideal time to prune your fruit trees. 6. March begins Check out Extension Fact Sheet 6042 for “Cool” season reduce the uncertainty of this task and more information on pruning fruit trees. vegetable yield better results. planting. One the first questions you need to ask is WHY am I pruning? The following information was taken from

Some valid reasons why pruning is UAEX fact sheet 6148 entitled “Pruning The University of Arkansas System justified include: 1) To remove dead or Ornamental Shrubs (and Grasses) which can Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs diseased wood 2) To eliminate structural be found at the following link: and services without regard to race, problems such as crossing branches 3) https://www.uaex.edu/publications/pdf/FSA- color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, To eliminate hazards such as branches 6148.pdf age, disability, marital or veteran blocking a sidewalk 4) To improve status, genetic information, or any flowering 5) To reduce plant size 6) other legally protected status, and is If you have further questions regarding an Affirmative Action/Equal Aesthetics – shaping a shrub to fit a pruning and/or when to prune, contact your Opportunity Employer. specific landscape style 7) Plant local County Extension Agent. rejuvenation. Congratulations!!! The second major question a gardener needs to answer to help guide their To our 2021 M.G. officers: President pruning task: WHEN does the plant Vickie Padgett, V.P. Suzanne Clark, flower? Secretary Marty Bowlin, and Treasurer WHEN a shrub flowers can be a big clue Donna Johnston. in helping decide when to prune.