Green Thumb Prints Newsletter of the Hancock County Master Gardener Volunteers

June 2014 Gardening is our Passion Education is our Purpose WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Coordinator’s Corner  Benefits of using a Cold Frame  Royal Queen Purple—by Bob by Bill Jones Campbell  Thinning Boxwood Feed-Water-Weed! June is a month of tender loving  Field Trip Info, Gardening Tips, More care for our new plantings and it is a busy time for all gardeners as we try to keep ahead of the weeds. Remember to apply the second fertilization to your lawns early this month. Turf needs another shot of Dates to Remember! nitrogen now at the rate of 1 lb per 1000 square feet.

. Many of us have experienced winter-kill in our Monday, June 2: Library presentation by Cathy landscapes from the extreme cold. Not only have we Grossman on “Roses”, 6:30. had cold damage but also damage from the foraging Thursday, June 12: Brown Bag Presentation by rabbits as they struggled to find food in the deep Christa Gupta, 6:00 PM at Extension Office. snow. I lost four fruit to the rabbits and my 20- year old silver lace vine. We have had many calls Thursday, June 12: MGV Monthly Meeting, 7:00 PM relating to the winter damage and the slow at Extension Office. development of on peach, cherry, and other Wednesday, June 18: WFIN Phone Club, 9:00 Pam trees. Many trees and had limbs damaged by McCloud and Marilynn Beltz. the cold and this month we should prune out the dead material so new growth can fill in. Thursday, June 19: Pond Clinic, Riverbend Shelter

#4, by Eugene Graig, OSU Pond Specialist, 6:00 PM. As of May 30 we have experienced 519 growth- Thursday, June 26: America in Bloom judges, degree days as compared to 609 (2013), 875 (2012), Hancock Historical Museum, 6:30— 8:00 pm. See 493 (2011) and 729 (2010). page 10. Wednesday, July 2: MGV Field Trip to Stan Hywet Remember that all active MGVs must complete 10 Hall and Gardens. See page 3. hours of education and 20 hours of volunteer service this year to remain certified. Our interns must complete 50 hours of volunteer service by the end of Upcoming Events the year. If you are having problems getting your Thursday, July 10: MGV Summer Picnic. (Continued on page 2) August 26—Sept. 2: Hancock County Fair. 1 Gardening Hints and Tips! Coordinator’s Corner—Continued Stop harvesting your rhubarb and asparagus; they (Continued from page 1) need to produce a healthy crop of leaves for the rest of the summer to gather energy and give you hours in, let’s talk. abundant harvests next year.

We have had several calls about how to control During dry spells, water your vegetables deeply, but grasses in and vegetable beds. There is a infrequently. That way your grow deeper root product, which contains 18 % Sethoxydim, that will systems so they can weather, dry periods easily. control many grasses without harming broadleaf Reduce your watering bill and help protect your plants. It is called “Over The Top” or “Poast.” It vegetables from fungal diseases by using a soaker works slowly but it is pretty effective. I have hose. noticed, however, that it will not kill Kentucky Bluegrass. Wait to remove the foliage on your tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and spring-flowering bulbs until it's gone We had a weed brought into the office last week that fully yellow and pulls easily out of the ground. If was new to me. It was Japanese knotweed, there's still some resistance when you try to pull it Fallopia japonica, also known as Mexican bamboo. out of your garden, the bulbs are still absorbing This is listed as an invasive species and it sunlight for next year's floral display. It's a good requires aggressive measures like cutting and time to map out your bulb garden if you haven't glyphosate to kill it. Thanks to Dr. Ed Lentz for his already. Refer back to your diagram this autumn help in identifying this plant. when you plant more spring-flowering bulbs -- that way you know exactly where your existing bulbs are Our June meeting will be held at OSU Extension on and which varieties are where. June 12. Christa Gupta will be talking to us at 6:00 PM about George Washington’s gardens at Mount Walk through your yard at least once a week and cut Vernon and our business meeting will be at 7:00 PM. off dead, faded . This process is called Hope to see you all there. deadheading and it encourages many varieties to Bill keep blooming. Deadheading prevents your plants from going to seed (so you won't have a crop of seedlings to pull) and can protect your plants from some fungal diseases. Enjoy the month of June Fungal diseases thrive in cool, moist conditions.

Some plant varieties are especially susceptible to Early June is a great time to finish planting certain diseases; treat roses, phlox, bee balm, lilacs, gardens, containers and hanging baskets crabapples, or other varieties that always seem to get and then spend time relaxing on your deck, powdery mildew or spot diseases with a porch or patio enjoying the beautiful fungicide during bouts of wet weather. You can colors. usually prevent the diseases from taking hold. If

certain varieties frequently suffer from the same June is a great month for outdoor diseases, divide or prune them so air can flow freely entertaining and showing off your yard and between the branches and leaves. Many fungal garden when plants are fresh and growing diseases love still air. at their best. Mosquitoes may chase you

indoors at dusk but the long days allow Continue to mulch planting beds. time for both gardening and socializing.

Set supports for floppy plants, vines and vegetables. Source: Various 2

MGV Field Trip

STAN HYWET HALL AND GARDENS FRANK A. SEIBERLING HOUSE 414 N. Portage Path, Akron, OH Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Hancock County Master Gardener Volunteers are scheduled for the Grand Estate tour (about 2 1/2 hours) that includes the 10:30 A.M. guided tour of the major gardens (10 of them), and the 12:30 P.M. guided Manor House tour. Our tour guides are trained staff, knowledgeable in the history of Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens. Since the tours do not have to be taken consecutively, a rest break is available between them at on-site, Molly’s Café. Additionally, the Corbin Conservatory and Gate Lodge may be toured on our own (self- guided). The property is not handicapped accessible; however, a shuttle is available from the parking lot to the Manor House.

A description of Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens: Stan Hywet Hall was built between 1912 and 1915 for F. A. Seiberling, founder of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. He gave it the name Stan Hywet, Old English for stone quarry, to reflect the site’s earlier use and the most prominent feature of the estate. It ranks 12th on the list of largest houses in the United States. Architect Charles Summer Schneider designed the Tudor Revival house with Hugo F. Huber as interior decorator. Most furnishings came from New York City, but some were purchased in England. The grounds were designed between 1911 and 1915 by Boston landscape architect Warren H. Manning. Major gardens include Birch Allee Vista, Breakfast Room Garden, the Dell, English Garden, Grape Arbor, Great Garden, Great Meadow, Japanese Garden, Lagoon, and West Terrace. The estate also includes a greenhouse and Corbin Conservatory. There certainly enough sites for us to see! For additional information, go to www.stanhywet.org.

Lunch is at Papa Joe’s Italian Restaurant, located about a mile from the estate. This is a beautiful and wonderful place that follows the traditions of the Iacomini Family, who have a long history in the restaurant world, since 1932. To see how beautiful Papa Joe’s is and what the full menu has to offer, go on-line to www.papajoes.com.

This day of memorable adventure is approved as educational and permits reimbursement for the entrance fee ($12.00 of the $50.00 available annually). The break at Molly’s Café and lunch at Papa Joe’s are the responsibility of each MGV participant.

To sign up, please contact Donna Johnson right away!

THANKS FOR THE REFRESHMENTS! Thanks to Ruth Furiate and Linda Laux for providing refreshments at our June MGV monthly meeting.

3 Benefits of Using a Cold Frame From Article by Eric Hopper

“One of the most valuable tools in a gardener’s arsenal is the cold frame. A cold frame is a small, unheated greenhouse that creates a microclimate by trapping solar energy to warm the plants inside. A cold frame also protects plants from potentially harsh environmental conditions. There are many different types of cold frames and they can be built from various materials. Regardless of the style or materials used, as long as it is an enclosure that allows sunlight in and can be sealed enough to trap the sun’s heat, it can work as a cold frame. The two most common types of cold frames used by hobbyists are box style and hoop-house style.

The box style cold frame is nothing more than a bottomless box with an angled, transparent top. Box style cold frames can be built from a number of materials as basic as a box made of cinderblocks with an old sheet of glass on top or as technologically advanced as a composite structure complete with thermostat and auto- openers. Box style cold frames can be used to either house plants in containers or be placed over plants which are in the ground. Most hobbyist horticulturists looking to start their own seeds in a cold frame choose some variation of the box style.

The hoop-house style cold frame is an arched structure commonly constructed out of PVC or conduit slid over metal stakes that have been driven into the ground. The metal stakes act as anchors and the PVC or conduit material is bent over the desired area creating an archway. The PVC or conduit material create the “ribs” of the cold frame which is covered with some sort of transparent plastic sheeting. This style cold frame is usually chosen when a large area of frost sensitive plants needs protection from the elements.

Cold Frame Benefits. Gardeners that utilize cold frames could gain a few different advantages.

(1) Getting an early start on the outdoor growing season is probably the most common benefit reaped by hobbyist horticulturists. With the use of a cold frame, gardeners can get their starts acclimated (hardened off) sooner which allows them to plant larger, more robust plants into the ground. Cold frames will keep the soil and plants contained within approximately 5-10 degrees warmer than the ambient outdoor temperature. This usually allows gardeners to start the acclimation process a couple of weeks before the average last frost date in their area. (2) Another advantage of using a cold frame is it allows growers to extend the growing season for a number of weeks. This is great for plants that would otherwise wither and die at the first sign of fall. Extending the harvest also means you get to enjoy your own home grown veggies for a longer period of time. Some gardeners, depending on their geographical location, use cold frames throughout the winter to either protect dormant plants until spring or to continue to harvest root vegetables and cold tolerant greens. A sunken cold frame or one that is at least partially buried under ground are the best types of cold frames for the hobbyist looking to overwinter dormant plants. (Continued on page 5) 4

Benefits of Using a Cold Frame—Continued

(Continued from page 4)

(3)A favorite benefit of using a cold frame is it saves money. By using a cold frame to start your own seeds in the spring you don’t have to purchase starts from a nursery. Starting your own seeds also gives you the “pick of the litter” when it comes to choosing which plants you will use and which you will discard. The last two growing seasons my vegetable garden has been prolific and produced more than when I was purchasing starts from a nursery. Cold frames allow any gardener to start their own seeds. This is a huge advantage in itself because it reduces the likelihood of pest insects or other pathogens you may acquire from purchased starts. Besides avoiding the nasty headache of dealing with an infestation, this also saves money otherwise spent on pesticides. Extending the growing season with a cold frame saves money too. When using a cold frame in the fall you extend your harvest of edibles which negates having to buy them at the grocery store.

How to Use a Cold Frame Last year I made a couple of box style cold frames out of some old windows that the previous owners left behind in our barn. It was surprising how much we ended up using them. We used them to start all of our vegetable seeds, acclimate our herb starts and grow winter lettuce and kale in the fall. After you build or acquire a cold frame it’s really easy to get started using it.

Starting Seeds To start in early spring, choose cool-season plants as they will germinate in colder temperatures. You can either plant the seeds in trays or directly into the ground (assuming you have a portable cold frame). If you plan on sowing directly into the ground, be sure to place your cold frame in the desired location a week or so before you begin. This will allow the soil to “warm up” and become ready for planting. If you are growing warm-season plants (most vegetables), you should be able to start your seeds a week or two prior to the average last frost date in your area. Cold frames are great at keeping in the sun’s heat and protecting plants but they are not invincible to drastic weather conditions. Seedlings are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations so it is very important to check on the latest weather conditions. It may be necessary to find an indoor area at night if the temperatures are predicted to drop significantly. We moved our seedlings indoors a couple of nights last year. They may have been alright but it is better to be safe than sorry.

Acclimating (Hardening Off) Starts In order to properly acclimate starts to outdoor conditions they must be slowly exposed to their future environment. A cold frame works great for keeping young plants sheltered while allowing them a “taste” of outdoor life. The process of acclimation, commonly referred to as hardening off, lessens the chance of transplant shock and thickens the cuticle (the waxy protective covering on the leaf’s surface) which reduces the amount of water the plant will transpire. Plants started indoors or purchased at a nursery can be placed directly into the cold frame for acclimation. As with seedlings, cool-season plants can be started earlier while most warm-season plants can begin the acclimation process around two weeks prior to the average last frost date. If your cold frame is portable, start in a shady location. Throughout the next week you can slowly increase the exposure to direct sunlight. If your cold frame is stationary, or you don’t want to move it, a small section of shade cloth can be used to limit the exposure to direct sunlight. Each day you can remove the shade cloth for longer periods of time until the plants are acclimated. Most plant varieties will be fully acclimated within 7-14 days when using a cold frame. We acclimated the herb starts we purchased at a local nursery in our cold frame. I got a little anxious to get them in the ground so they were only acclimated for 5 days. I noticed a slight case of transplant shock on a few varieties which I believe was preventable had I been patient and given them a few more days to acclimate in the cold frame. (Continued on page 6) 5

Benefits of Using a Cold Frame

(Continued from page 5)

Extending the Growing Season Hoop-house style cold frames built right over the rows is a common method of extending the season with a cold frame. Portable box style cold frames can serve the same purpose although usually for a smaller area. I used our cold frames to plant winter lettuce and kale in late summer. This worked great at extending our very short growing season. It felt good to harvest fresh greens long after most gardeners in my area had hung up their hoes. Broccoli, swiss chard, kale, carrots, beets, and winter lettuce are just a few of the veggies whose season can be extended into winter by using a cold frame.

Cold Frame Maintenance Cold frames are great but they are not a “set it and forget it” apparatus. Unfortunately, there is a little work that is required to ensure your cold frame works for you and not against you. Solar energy is a very powerful thing. It is very important to open a cold frame on warm, sunny days. Gardeners using cold frames must be very aware of the weather conditions. Even late into the fall, my plants could have been cooked alive had I not cracked open their enclosure on sunny days. Squatters can cause additional maintenance as well. A cold frame’s warmth and protection can be very inviting to insects and critters (we had ants and wasps try to make their homes in ours last year). Condensation is very common in a cold frame. This will cloud up transparent material and possibly create an environment for molds or fungus. Regular cleanings should be scheduled to not only retain the transparency but also to reduce the chance of harboring unwanted pathogens.

Not all gardeners have the space or the means to have a greenhouse but every gardener could reap the benefits of a cold frame. Cold frames are easy to build and can take up as much or as little space as desired. Many cold frames are constructed from recycled materials which makes them free or very inexpensive. Even if you choose to purchase a pre-built cold frame from a manufacturer it is absolutely worth the investment. Cold frames allow gardeners to get an early start on the season, extend their season and save money. Those three reasons, combined with relatively easy accessibility, are why every horticulturist should have a cold frame.”

Gardening Tips —

Move house plants to shaded areas outside for the are traditional and organic types available -- look for summer. Be aware that plants will need more water them online or at your local garden center. Also: during hot and windy weather. Encourage critters such as snakes and toads as both eat slugs. Harvest early season fruits and vegetables including strawberries, lettuce, radishes and peas when they are Weeds are so much easier to pull when they're small at the peak maturity. This is usually when they are so spend time in your garden going after them now. full size and have good color but before they get If you remove the weeds before they go to seed, overripe. Strawberries and other small fruits may you'll have to deal with fewer weeds next year. need netting to keep the birds from helping themselves. Mow lawns regularly to keep grass at 2-2½ in. height. Leave grass clippings on lawn to improve Wet conditions also usually bring the slugs out in availability of nitrogen. Water lawns if there is less force. If you see chewed holes in your plant leaves, than 1 in. of rain per week. use a slug bait to get the pests under control. There Source: various 6 Iochroma Royal Queen Purple (Mini Angel Trumpet)

My Extravagance for 2014

By Bob Campbell

the same treatment, but it listed it only as a perennial hardy to Zone 8.

I was encouraged by Proven Winners, which lists it as an annual, field-tested and providing first season blooms, though it may also be container grown and overwintered for use the following summer.

Then there was cost. I prefer to grow from seed, and if I buy plants or bulbs, I prefer them to be perennials with a good track record for staying alive. Iochroma is sold by Logees as a plant in a 4 inch container. It would cost $9.95 for the plant, plus $9.95 for Pamela Seeley Sorrels, pinterest.com; from shipping. I had never paid $19.90 for an annual in outthefrontwindow.tumblr.com my life. I am frugal by nature and got my start in gardening by rescuing sick and dying plants from I do not usually think of myself as an extravagant one of the box stores. person, but this year I made an exception. But this year I made an exception. The shape, the A picture of Iochroma Royal Queen Purple in the purple color, and the clusters of trumpets pointing Logee’s catalogue left me spellbound. Trumpet down from heaven sold me. Norman Winter of shaped flowers have always fascinated me, heralding M.S.U. says that each cluster of Royal Purple Queen victory in battle and the triumph of life over death. bears 20 to 30 flowers, with a length of 3 to 4-inches.

Iochroma belongs to the same family as ; When I had ordered from Logees in past years, I had the blooms of both can be seen as pointing received high quality plants, with excellent downward from heaven; for that reason packaging and instructions on caring for them. I was are called Angel Trumpets, and Iocrhoma “Mini not disappointed when the plant arrived. It was Angel Trumpets.” healthy and had already grown to ten inches tall. It came a bit early for this year’s delayed spring, so in a The color purple also conveys a religious dimension: couple of weeks I had to repot it into a larger signifying a Royalty before which we bow down in container. Put out in early May, it is already two feet awe and wonder. tall and beginning to spread, as shown in this picture.

While these thoughts drew me to this flower, other thoughts made me wary. The only Brugmansia I’d ever grown was a perennial that required more than one growing season. In our Zone 5, it needed to be grown as a potted plant, and overwintered inside, which I was not successful in doing. I was also not interested in lifting the large container the plant would have required.

Logees did not say whether Iochroma would need (Continued on page 8) 7 Iochroma Royal Queen Purple (Mini Angel Trumpet) - Continued

(Continued from page 7) back and they will quickly re-sprout and return into bloom.” Iochromas share the cultural requirements of brugmansias, which also belongs to the Dave’s Garden notes a danger shared by other family. They need full sun, preferring a southern brugmansias as well as daturas. “All parts of plant exposure. They tend to grow tall (Logees says 3’; are poisonous if ingested. Handling plant may cause Proven Winners, 3-5’, Dave’s Garden 4-6’), so need skin irritation or allergic reaction.” stationing at the back or middle of the border. They also need ample room to grow; Proven Winners lists Logee’s, Dave’s Garden and Proven winners all list a a spread of 3’ to 4’. Logee's says they need “a well- side-benefit of Iochroma, as does Norman Winter, of drained soil, and frequent fertilization during the Mississippi State University: Hummingbirds love its summer months to encourage continual blooming.” color and clusters of tubular shapes.

If growing in a container, “feed monthly throughout Proven Winners says that as a container plant, the growing season with a top dress of a granular Iochroma plays the role of “Thriller.” I expect the organic fertilizer or weekly with a dilute soluble same role for mine, planted directly into the soil! fertilizer like a 7-9-5 or 10-10-10.” Norman Winter says: “Feed landscape plantings monthly with a slow Sources: -release, balanced fertilizer. Feed those in containers every two weeks because more frequent watering Information: leaches nutrients.” - Dave’s Garden, www.davesgarden.com - Proven Winners, www.provenwinners.com Dave’s Garden recommends a need for mildly acidic - Norman Winter, MSU (Mississippi State soil: 6.1 to 6.5 pH. Logee's, as well as Dave’s University) Horticulturist, Central Mississippi Garden, warn not to let them dry out between Research & Extension Center, “Hummingbirds, waterings. Water at the first sign of wilt. “Diseases gardeners love Royal Purple Queen,” in the roots and foliage are not generally a problem”, http://msucares.com/news/print/sgnews/sg09/sg0907 says Logees, but Iochroma is susceptible to aphids, 23.html whiteflies, spider mites and thrips. Plant and Information: For those able to lift heavy potted plants, Logees http://www.logees.com/Iochroma-Royal-Queen- says they “are easy to bring through the winter, even Purple/productinfo/R2374-4/ in a cool growing space. If they get too big cut them

For a healthy, abundant, & beautiful veggie garden:

Harvest regularly: Once most plants, such as these peas, are ready to pick, you will need to check them every day or so. Keep them picked and they’ll continue to produce longer. Spread them out: Remove some seedlings of plants, such as lettuce and carrots, so they have enough room to grow to maturity — a technique called “thinning.” Doing this reduces the competition for nutrients and water. With better air circulation, you’ll reduce the likelihood of diseases, too. Mulched paths: Use straw or grass clippings (or whatever is plentiful where you live) to cover the paths. This will keep weeds down, reduce soil compaction and create a tidy appearance and clean area for you to walk through your garden. Source: GardenGatesNotes.com

8 Thinning Boxwood for Improved Plant Health

If your boxwood is looking overgrown and bad, here Reach inside the about six inches and prune off is something you can do. English boxwood, Buxus the stem. Continue thinning until the small interior sempervirens 'Suffruticosa', is a popular evergreen twigs just start to become visible. You should shrub. It is easily grown in many parts of the country remove about ten percent of the outer branches. and its needs are not difficult to meet. It has only one major annual need for maintenance–thinning. English boxwood has a very dense growth habit, and it lends itself beautifully for use in hedges, parterres, and accent plantings. The thick foliage of English boxwood is, however, a major factor in disease development that can kill branches. Fungal diseases such as Volutella canker are favored by the damp, Some gardeners are familiar with the technique airless conditions inside the canopy of dense foliage. known as 'plucking', which is a type of thinning done Infected branches first turn olive green and may by breaking off branches rather than pruning them gradually turn orange and then straw-colored before off with a pruning shear (above right). The branch on they die. Annual thinning brings light and air into the the bottom has been plucked and has created an interior of the plant and encourages the growth of irregular wound on the shrub that might heal poorly. new foliage within the canopy that can take over for By contrast, the top branch has been pruned off, branches damaged by ice or snow. The best time to leaving a small, clean cut that will heal well. thin boxwood is early winter, and the branches that are removed make great holiday decorations. Follow After proper thinning, small voids appear in the these instructions to learn how you can thin your canopy that permit air and sunlight to enter the boxwood to keep it healthy. interior portions of the shrub. Older leaves are now visible. They were covered by new growth before Boxwood keeps its foliage for three years. If this thinning. year's growth almost completely covers the leaves that grew in the previous two seasons. It is clearly in need of thinning. (Below left)

After two or three years of annual thinning, new growth will start to appear in the interior portions of the shrub. This results in a healthy plant with strong stems and greatly decreases the incidence of disease problems. If you carefully bend the branches back, you can see that the foliage is growing only on the outermost When thinning is complete, the size and shape of the reaches of the branches. (Above right) This severely boxwood is unchanged. You may be surprised by the reduces air circulation and favors the development of volume of branches removed in the thinning process. diseases. The pile of clippings in the foreground (above right) is from just ten minutes of thinning. To thin boxwood, use a bypass pruner that is sharp. Source: usna.usda.gov/gardens 9 What Could be More Fun Than an Evening of Facts, Flowers, Food and Friends?

Thursday, June 26 6:30-8p.m. Hancock Historical Museum 422 W. Sandusky St., Findlay

The University of Findlay invites you to meet our visiting judges from America in Bloom and learn how floral displays and landscapes contribute to our quality of life. An informal evening with time for Q&A!

Katy Moss Warner is President Emeritus of the American Horticultural Society. She was Director of Disney’s Horticulture and Environmental Initiatives at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, and started the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival in 1994. This year, she will be hosting a tour to the gardens of the northern Italian Lakes for the American Horticulture Society.

Barbara Vincentsen is a licensed architect in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, and a licensed professional planner and certified interior decorator. She has continued her family’s gardening tradition in her own gardens which have plantings shared from three generations of close family and friends.

Please RSVP by Monday, June 23 to [email protected], or 419-434-5703

10 Master Gardener Volunteer Meeting Minutes Thursday, May 8, 2014

Plant Exchange was at Bill Jones’ home.

A short meeting was called to order at 6:10 pm. There were 27 people in attendance.

Bill asked us to keep Lyn Maa in our prayers due to surgery that she underwent today.

The new OSU Extension branding will be in effect as of July 1st. Only those contracted by The Ohio State University will be allowed to produce items with the new branding image on them. The previous MGV logo will not be allowed for production after that date. We will be able to continue wearing our current apparel until further notice.

Bill stated that the Demo Gardens will now be utilized by the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service). He spoke with Missy Sanders who is the Administrative Coordinator. She stated that it will be used for educating young people. The local FFA kids will be cleaning up the areas of the garden that are in disrepair.

Donna requested that those who are going on the Stan Hywet garden field trip need to sign up by June.

Cathy Grossman let us know that the planting for the Community Gardens will take place during the last week of May.

Uncle Rusty’s Pepper Patch (419-256-6322) was mentioned as a great place to go for tomato and pepper plants. It is located in Henry County. Directions: Take SR 65 north of Deshler to CR M. Turn left on CR M and go to Grelton (located at CR M and CR 7). Go about 3/4 miles beyond Grelton on CR M. Be warned—this place doesn’t look like much, but they have a great selection!

Everyone enjoyed the Dietsch’s ice cream and toppings! Thanks Bill for hosting again! Respectfully submitted by Lauri Inkrott

The Master Gardener Green Thumb Print is a publication of the Hancock County Extension Office, 7868 Hancock County Road 140, Findlay, OH, 45840, 419-422-3851. The Master Gardener Coordinator is Bill Jones. Ohio State University Extension embraces human diversity and is committed to ensuring that all research and related educational programs are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or veteran status. This statement is in accordance with United States Civil Rights Laws and the USDA. Keith L. Smith, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Director, Ohio State University Extension TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868

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