CooperaƟve Extension Service Mason County Mason County 800 U.S Highway 68 Maysville, KY 41056 (606) 564‐6808 Fax: (606) 564‐9226 extension.ca.uky.edu Newsletter Hello Gardeners, I hope you are enjoying the summer and you're gar- den is doing good. Keep an eye out for insects and dis- Inside this issue: ease, control is needed before it gets out of hand. Diseas- Summer Garden…...…..………...2 es cannot be cured or reversed, once a plant gets a disease it can only be maintained, prevention is the key. Weeds in the Garden.....……...3 July Tips ………………………..4 We are open by appointment only, if you would like to Horticulture Classes…...…1&.5 make an appointment please call (606) 564-6808 Recipe…………….…..……...6 Insect ID Give your summer garden new life Late summer is also the time to pull out the flowers that have seen their better days and plant new ones that are more suitable for fall. Source: Rick Durham, extension professor Annual flowers that give a good show in the fall Summer’s heat and weather can take a toll on your include pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale and flower garden. But with a little extra care, it is possi- snapdragons. Perennials, such as anemones, asters and ble to bring it back to life for a few more weeks of vi- showy sedums, also give a good show in the fall but brant color and texture. you’ll need to transplant them the previous spring to It’s always important to make sure annuals and per- give them a chance to provide their best show. ennials get plenty of water this time of year, especially As you renovate your summer garden, be careful in later summer. Annuals, in particular, will start to when applying fertilizer around perennial plants. If decline without an adequate supply of water to keep you apply fertilizer later than August, it may stimulate the ground moist. new growth at a time when the plants would normally The general rule of thumb for watering your plants begin to prepare for dormancy. And that can mean is 1 inch of water per week. Plants growing in pots more winter injury. may need water as often as every day throughout the Of course, all of this may be moot if you haven’t summer, depending on the type of plant and the size carefully tended your summer garden throughout the of the container. Once the top few inches of container growing season. If you’ve kept your garden well- soil is dry, add enough water so that a little drains watered and periodically added fertilizer, your chanc- through the hole in the bottom of the pot. If rain es are greater for a late summer and fall show of color. doesn’t supply enough water, you should apply the necessary water in one application rather than in sev- eral small applications. Remember, the best time to water your plants is in the morning or early evening, preferably before 7 p.m. During periods of drought, many annuals may ap- pear to die. However, if you cut them back, water them regularly and apply fertilizer, they will often re- cover. Another thing you can do to help your summer flower garden rebound is to remove spent, or old, flowers. This process is called deadheading. Dead- heading helps encourage new growth that will produce new flowers. Take control of weeds in the vegetable garden matter to make the soil more fertile and easier to work. Do not use grass clippings from a lawn that Source: John Strang, extension horticulture spe- was treated recently with a herbicide. Treated clip- cialist pings can cause vegetable plant twisting and can even Home gardeners look forward to that first ripe kill some sensitive crops. Be careful about the kind of tomato or ear of corn they pick from their carefully organic material you use. Hay can introduce a con- tended gardens. But after some vigorous gardening siderable load of weed seeds into your garden. on a hot, humid day, you may wonder if it is all worth Black plastic mulch is beneficial to certain vege- it. tables including tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and Weeds compete with crops for water, nutrients vine crops. In addition to shading out and eliminating and sunlight. Some weeds, like quackgrass, can weeds, plastic mulches conserve moisture and pro- chemically inhibit vegetable plant growth. Others host mote early crop growth by helping heat up the soil in insect pests and disease pathogens. All of these result spring. Landscape fabric has the added advantage of in fewer fresh vegetables for your table. being water permeable and can be used for multiple years; although it is more expensive than black plas- There are some preventive practices that effec- tic. tively combat weeds. Frequent hoeing or rototilling on a weekly basis helps eliminate weeds when they Most importantly, do everything possible to keep are small and easily removed. garden weeds from going to seed. One red root pig- weed plant can produce 100,000 seeds that can con- If you plant rows a little closer, vegetable crops tinue to germinate over the next 15 to 20 years. provide more shade and that also helps to reduce weed pressure. After you harvest a crop, plant anoth- er in its place to continue using the space. Mulching works very well in the home garden. Use organic material such as grass clippings, leaves or straw to eliminate weed growth and build up organic July Timely Tips Fruit Flowers Do not spray chemicals in the heat of Divide bearded irises, if needed the day. Many plants can be damaged. through September. Spray in the early morning or late even- Deadhead: annuals and some perenni- ing when temperatures are cooler. als to help promote growth. Deadhead Spray fruit based upon schedule needed chrysanthemums back every few by plant, do not wait until plants are weeks until mid July. invested with disease & insect to start Roses: Keep removing dying blooms spraying (schedules can be found at the from roses to encourage new foliage extension office, based upon the type of and flower growth. fruit) Ve getabl es Shrubs & Trees Start seed broccoli, cabbage and cauli- Monitor evergreens for spider mite flower in for a fall harvest. damage. Drought stressed plants are Weed out gardens to help with disease particularly at risk. If you see signs of control and so plants will not have to browning shake the branch over a compete with weeds. white surface, if you see tiny moving red specks you likely have mites. Mi- When watering, try to avoid wetting fo- nor infestations can be treated with a liage or watering late in the evening as daily spray from the hose. Larger both can promote disease. problems may need chemical control. Please call the Mason County Extension Office in regards to the Buffalo Trace Beekeepers Association meeting and the Mason County Master Gardener Association meeting. .