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Free State Master Gardener News http://www.facebook.com/Free State Master Gardener Volume 2, Issue 7 ......................................................................................................August, 2016 BIRTHDAYS: August Easy Ways to Improve Your Soil Reminders from Jan Graham By Sandra Rosen President Pat: 8/31 It’s hard to believe it’s Becky Hettinger We have all bought bags and bags of compost, top soil, and manure for our gardens and yards. It never seems to be enough. already August! But that 8/19 Here are some easy and inexpensive ways to improve your soil. does mean that cooler Jimmie Pierce weather is just around the 8/12 1. Make your own compost using kitchen and yard waste. The corner. (Yay!) September issue of Mother Earth News suggests digging a September trench and layering in kitchen waste (vegetables and fruits, Hopefully you all had some Joanne Elston only – no meat or dairy). Add grass clippings or leaves. real successes in your 9/24 Sprinkle with a starter such as alfalfa meal, bone meal, or gardens and flower beds blood meal. Cover with soil, water well, and keep moist. Set this summer. And I’m sure they’ll also enjoy the cooler something on top so the food scraps won’t get dug up by weather on the horizon. animals and in about 3 – 4 weeks, the food should be well –decomposed and the soil ready to use. Information is coming out about a Southern Region 2. Remember that coffee grounds are excellent around your MG Conference November acid loving plants, and eggshells are good for plants, such as INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 1-4 in Arlington with a tomatoes, that need extra calcium. great line-up of topics and 3. Mulch is so important. In this summer heat, it really protects speakers as well as some Easy Ways to Improve Your very interesting tours Soil .......................................... 1 the roots of your plants from the heat, holds in moisture, and adds organic matter as it breaks down. You can buy mulch, available. In addition, the price for this conference Reminders from President but pine straw and leaves are also great! Pat: ........................................... 1 includes several meals, which is a bonus. It will be Gardening Chores................ 2 4. And worms!!!! You can add worms to the compost pile, or add them directly to your soil. You can even have worms in a a very good conference. Gardening Events for separate compost bin and save the worm castings. August/September ............... 3 Thanks to our VP’s (Paula and Nancy) for putting Gardening Guru ................... 3 5. Have your soil tested by getting an envelope from the ag office and send it to Texas A & M for testing. Or Amazon has a soil together such great Blue Moon Gardens ............ 4 testing kit that you can use on your own. Once you determine programs this year, and what your soil needs, here are some suggestions: we still have several more Blood Orange Shrimp ......... 4 ahead that will be equally as good. 2016 Southern Region Master a. Low nitrogen – add fish emulsion, blood meal, legume cover crops Garden Conference ............. 5 Thanks, Pat b. Low phosphorus – add rock phosphate, bone meal “No man feels but more of We welcome all of our c. Low potassium – add wood ash, compost rich in banana a man in the world if he can Master Gardeners to forward peels have but a bit of ground articles or information for that he can call his own. our newsletter to our Editor: d. Low calcium – add lime, gypsum However small it is on the [email protected] surface, it is 4,000 miles News Committee: e. Low magnesium – add Epsom salts, dolomitic lime deep and that is a very Sandra Rosen Joan Driver handsome property.” Paula Marshall Anna Baker Good gardening is about so much more than just buying what you need. Charles Dudley Warner Page 2 Free State Master Gardener News, August 2016 Gardening Chores Tommy Phillips County Extension Agent, Ag/NR Good news for Texas gardeners: Although many areas of the country are experiencing some sense of a prolonged dry spell during this summer, no areas of Texas are in what is considered "severe or extreme drought" at this time. In fact, 63% percent of the state is not in a drought at all. That being said, August is traditionally one of the hottest and driest months for us, and our gardens often show it. While we can still plant and be active in our August gardens, sometimes it's best to let them rest as they gear up for the next growing season. Here's a rundown of some great activities and chores to keep your garden going into the fall. Start vegetable seeds for the fall/winter garden. Vegetable and flower seeds can be started now for your cool-weather gardens. Vegetable seeds to sow: Congratulations to • broccoli Joanne Elston • cauliflower who has received her Propagation Specialist Certificate!! • kale Way to GO, Joanne!! • cabbage • winter squash Remember! Flower seeds to sow: Free State Master Gardener’s • pansy Native Plant Seminar • snapdragon Thursday, September 8th, 6-9pm, Farm Bureau Bldg. • viola RSVP by September 1st. 903-567-4149 • alyssum Start them in seed trays, peat pots or pots made from rolled newspaper. Plant herbs Add herbs to your garden by popping in transplants of Mexican mint, marigold, oregano, rosemary, sage, artemisia and all types of mint. Most herbs prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Mediterranean herbs in particular, such as rosemary, prefer to dry out a bit in between waterings, so be sure your soil doesn't retain unnecessary moisture. Plant wildflower seeds: Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) is the state flower, so many of us want to add it to our gardens. Late August is the perfect time to begin sowing seeds of bluebonnets and other wildflowers such as Mexican hat (Ratibida columnifera), Indian paintbrush (Castilleja spp.), Winecup (Callirhoe digitata) and Pink Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa). Choose a sunny site, loosen up the soil (adding soil amendments if necessary) and plant seeds 1/2 inch deep. Water in and keep watered regularly throughout fall. Fertilize container plants. Plantings in containers have a unique environment; they don't have a ready-made source of nutrients, so it's important to feed them continually to ensure flower production and healthy growth. Water-soluble fertilizers work well, as do time-release fertilizers, but don't forget foliar feeding. Regularly spraying the leaves of your plants with a product such as liquid seaweed maintains health and drought resistance. Prune annuals and roses. Although this is not the time of year for a hard (severe) pruning, many plants enjoy a bit of a haircut during the long, hot summer. Cascading annuals such as petunias often get leggy and stop blooming, so cut them back by half to promote bushier growth and increase flower production. Roses that are known to be repeat bloomers will also appreciate a light pruning to encourage a fall bloom cycle. Remember to fertilize your roses after pruning and water in thoroughly. Water deeply and less frequently. Light, frequent waterings will simply encourage shallow roots, which will not serve your plants well in times of heat and dry weather. It's preferable to water more deeply but less often, encouraging your plants' roots to dig down deep into the soil. Avoid watering directly onto the foliage of your plants, and water earlier in the morning or later in the day to avoid rapid evaporation. Better yet, install drip irrigation or soaker hoses to direct water closer to the plants' roots. Mulch as necessary. To make sure your soil is evenly moist, conserve water and keep weeds at bay, apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch in any bare areas of your garden. You shouldn't be able to see any bare soil, particularly when the weather is hot and dry Use a quality native hardwood shredded mulch, and avoid heaping it on the base of your plants, which can quickly lead to rotting. Instead, feather it toward the stem without actually touching it. Page 3 Free State Master Gardener News, August 2016 Gardening Events – August/September By Marsha Sasser Thursday, August 18: Henderson County MG’s Summer Series #3. “Growing Grapes”, with Dr. Justin Scheiner, 6-7 p.m., Cedar Creek Library, 410 E. Cedar Creek Parkway, Seven Points. Call 903-675-6130 for information. Friday, August 19: East Texas Fruit and Vegetable Conference at the Overton Research & Extension Center.8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. $35. Call 903-834-6191. Tuesday, September 6: Smith County MG’s First Tuesday in the Garden program. Master Gardener Patsy Besch will talk about “Fall Color in the Garden”. Free. Noon in the Idea Garden at the Tyler Rose Garden. Thursday, September 8: FSMG’s “Native Plant Seminar” 6-9 p.m. at VZC Farm Bureau in Canton. Thursday, September 8: Henderson County MG’s Fall Program: “Pollination” 6-8 p.m., Senior Citizens Center, 3344 Hwy. 31E, Athens. Call 903-675-6130 for info. Saturday, September 10: Smith County MG’s 2016 Garden Lectures Series: “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”, by Erfan Vafaie, at the Tyler Rose Garden Center. Registration 8 a.m. $15. Saturday, September 10: Kaufman County MG’s present: “Keyhole Gardening”, by Dr. Deb Tolman. 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., Kaufman County Fair Grounds on St. Hwy. 34, east of FM 1388 (4001 S. Washington Street). $15 registration must be prepaid by August 17. Call Sharon Burden at 972-932-9069. Saturday, September 17: Blue Moon Gardens, “Gourmet Gardening”, by Mary Wilhite. 10 a.m.