Washington County Cooperative Extension Service
Helping You Grow! HORTICULTURE June 2015
June Plant Of The Month-Shirley Poppy
Volume 11, Issue 6 Inside this issue:
Lincoln Trail Beekpeers
2
Velvet Mites
2
Tomato Diseases
2
Wheelbarrow Series
3
June To Do’s
4
Garden Club News
5
Master Gardener/Assoc.
5
Recipe Of The Month
5
Cottony Coamellia Scale
6
Like Us at Washington County Horticulture
Shirley Poppy (Papaver Rhoeas) - The Shirley Poppy comes from Shirley, England, where in the 1880s, a local vicar carefully selected and hybridized Poppies in his own wild flower garden. Over many years he obtained a strain of Poppies ranging in colors from white to pale lilac to pink and red, and unlike the wild Poppies these had no dark blotches at the base of the petals. Over the years, further wildflower Poppy selection has created the semi-double and double forms, as well as flowers with a ring of contrasting color around the edge called the picotee form. Easily grown from Shirley Poppy seeds, gardeners enthusiastically grow this variety for the wonderful display of diverse color and forms. How to Grow Poppies: Directly sow Poppy seeds in early spring before frosts have finished. Shirley Poppies grow best in loose soil that drains well. Press the flower seeds firmly into the soil and keep the soil moist until germination. Source OutsidePride.com Planting Directions
Flower Specifications
Temperature: 55 - 60F
Season: Annual
Average Germ Time: 21 - 28 days
USDA Zones: 3 - 9
Light Required: Yes
Height: 12 - 15 inches
Depth: Do not cover the seed but press into the soil
Bloom Season: Summer
Bloom Color: Mix
Sowing Rate: 2/3 ounce per 1,000 square feet
Environment: Full sun
Moisture: Keep seeds moist until germination
Soil Type: Loose, well-drained, pH 6.1 - 7.3
Deer Resistant: Yes
Lincoln Trail Beekeeper’s Association News and Events The Lincoln Trail Beekeepers meet on the first Monday of each month. The next meeting will be July 6, 2015 at the Washington County Extension Office at 6:00 PM.
A Note From Dennis It’s been a great school year for the girls, they both had really good teachers that they liked! Recently the school had their awards program and Tori received a Writing Award and Gabby received a Rockstar Reader Award. They were happy and we were proud of them both...but the thing is that those are both talents they picked up from their mom! I guess they are lucky they didn’t get my slacker gardening genes! The spring flower garden has been beautiful this year and I have high hopes for the summer flower and vegetable garden as well. I really hope the rain keeps coming. I have recently went into beekeeping and it has been fun but a little exciting. I don’t have room for the story now but maybe I will get around to it next month. Happy Gardening!
Tomato Diseases Showing Up Foliar tomato diseases have been showing up in a few area gardens in the last few weeks so it's time to take precautions to keep these diseases in check when they visit your garden. I say when because if you grow tomatoes in Kentucky you will undoubtedly get foliar diseases. The primary two diseases that I have noticed are early blight and septoria leaf spot. It doesn’t really matter if you know which of these you have but more that you have leaf spots that need to be controlled. These fungal pathogens cause dark spots in the leaves that gradually get larger; the leaf turns yellow and then dies. The fungal spores spread by wind and water splash and prefer a moist environment much like we have had for the last few weeks. If you notice spots on your tomato leaves it is a good idea to start treating the plants with protectant fungicides such as products containing Mancozeb or chlorothalonil. These products come in concentrates that you dilute in water and spray on with a hand held sprayer. After a heavy rain the fungicides will need to be reapplied. Protectant fungicides cannot cure infections on already infected leaves but will contain the disease spread so as to prolong your harvest. Be sure to spray the lower and upper sides of the leaves. Before spraying pull off the infected leaves and destroy them, this will reduce the severity of future inoculation. There are some cultural things you can do to help contain the likelihood of infection and the spread. First, if at all possible don’t plant tomatoes in the same location every year. Diseases can overwinter on plant debris and in the soil. Planting tomatoes back in the same spot is asking for trouble. Secondly apply a mulch of some sort around your tomatoes, this will reduce the soil splash unto the bottom leaves and reduce the chances of early infection. Lastly, pull off the bottom most leaves when the first tomatoes set because by then the lower leaves are shaded and not photosynthesizing anyway and they are generally the first to get diseased.
2015 Wheelbarrow Series Class Schedule (You Can Still Register) January
27th
February
3rd
March
3rd
March
24th
March
31st
April
7th
April
28th
May
12th
June
2nd
June
23rd
August
25th
September 15th September 29th 29th October 13rd 13rd October 27th 27th November 3rd 3rd
Morning Evening Morning
Starting Seeds Outdoors In Winter Starting Seeds Outdoors In Winter Introduction To Beekeeping
FREE! FREE! FREE!
Evening
Introduction To Beekeeping
FREE!
Morning Evening Morning Evening Morning Evening Morning Evening Morning Evening Morning Evening Morning Evening Morning Evening Morning Evening Morning Evening Morning Evening Morning Evening Morning Evening Morning Evening
Vegetable Gardening With Heirloom Varieties Vegetable Gardening With Heirloom Varieties “Souper” Special “Souper” Special Growing Primocane Blackberries and Raspberries Growing Primocane Blackberries and Raspberries Caladiums, Callas, Cannas OH MY! Caladiums, Callas, Cannas OH MY! New and Exciting Annuals and Perennials New and Exciting Annuals and Perennials Growing Sweet Potatoes Growing Sweet Potatoes Clematis….Queen Of Vines Clematis….Queen Of Vines Hardy Asters for Kentucky Gardens Hardy Asters for Kentucky Gardens The “Other” Iris The “Other” Iris Extending The Vegetable Garden Season Extending The Vegetable Garden Season African Violets African Violets The “True” Lilies The “True” Lilies Creating A Meadow Garden Creating A Meadow Garden Holiday Cactus Holiday Cactus
$10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $25.00 $25.00 FREE! FREE! $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $20.00 $20.00 FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! $20.00 $20.00 FREE! FREE! $10.00 $10.00
Basic Registration For Any and All Classes
$5.00
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June To Do’s *Apply approximately one tablespoon of Ammonium nitrate one foot from the base of each tomato in late June. This will force some new growth and give you more late tomatoes while the first ones are ripening. *If you want sweet corn later in the season make additional plantings in June. *Vegetables gardens as well as flower beds need approximately one inch of water per week. *Tomatoes and peppers are less likely to get diseases early on if you apply a mulch before soil gets a chance to splash onto their leaves.
tal that will hold water and release it when plants need it.
keep the soil loose apply a couple inches of good organic mulch. Straw works great!
*June is also a good time to fertilize annuals again especially if they are *Cut back spring blooming bulb folistarting to turn yellow from the bot- age when it turns yellow. Don’t do it tom up. before it turns yellow or you will re*Spring blooming clematis should be duce next seasons bloom. pruned immediately after flowering in June. Summer and fall blooming clematis should be pruned in March before new growth occurs. *If you would like to attract hummingbirds plant beebalm, lobelia, cleome, columbine, four oclocks, impatiens, petunias, and trumpet vine.
*Remember to water your compost pile and turn it regularly. If it dries out it won’t “cook” properly and you won’t have a good finished product. *Don’t be surprised if your tree fruits drop some of their load. This is normal and aptly called “June Drop”. The trees are just managing their crop load. *Spray fruit crops periodically with a multi-purpose fruit spray for insects and diseases. Most homeowners don’t need perfect fruit but biting into a wormy apply isn’t pleasant.
*Feeding hummingbirds with feeders *Some berry crops such as blackberwill likely increase your numbers. ry and raspberry will ripen or start to *Begin a fungicide program for toWash the feeder weekly if the sugar matoes. Mancozeb, maneb, and da- water is gone or not. conil give good protection against Rinse it with 10% most tomato diseases. Copper based bleach and rinse fungicides will give some control for thoroughly. those wanting to remain organic. *Let your grass grow *Mulch works just as well for vegeta- longer during dry ble gardens as it does for ornamen- spells. This will help tals! shade the ground *If you haven’t mulched flower beds and conserve moisture in the plant. go ahead and do so. Mulch will greatly reduce the time it takes for soil to dry out. *Keep an eye on container plants, they will need watering usually at least once a day in the heat of summer and maybe twice a day for really pot bound large plants. If you haven’t planted your containers yet mix a cup or so of a moisture holding crys-
*If you haven’t planted your sweet potatoes yet you still have plenty of time. A large local greenhouse has a lot of slips for sale. ripen this month so keep an eye out for birds. They can clean your plants *Sweet potatoes are heat loving and relatively quickly. Bird netting is prefer loose well drained soil with your best bet for deterrence. weekly water requirements of an inch. To help conserve moisture and
Washington County Garden Club News and Events Saturday June 13, Blooming Bardstown Garden Tour. We will depart from the Extension Office at 8:30 AM, and car pool to Bardstown. Cost of tickets are $7.00 each and must be paid by June 10th. We will pickup the tickets when we get to Bardstown that morning.
Lincoln Homestead Master Gardeners News and Events Master Gardener Association Meeting June 11, 2015 at 5:30 PM at the Extension Office. The recent class of Master Gardeners will join the group for a potluck so bring your best dishes! The Association is furnishing the fried chicken.
Recipe Of The Month-Blueberry Cream Cheese Poundcake 1 (8 ounce) package fat free cream cheese ½ cup canola oil 1 (18 ounce) package yellow butter cake mix 1 (5 ounce) package 1. Preheat oven to 325º F. 2. Lightly spray Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour. 3. Combine cream cheese and oil in a medium bowl; beat with mixer at high speed until smooth and creamy. 4. Add cake mix, pudding mix, egg whites, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat at medium speed until blended. 5. Fold in berries. 6. Spoon batter into prepared pan. 7. Bake 60 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 8. Cool cake in pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool
instant vanilla pudding mix 2 large egg whites 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Washington County Cooperative Extension Service 211 Progress Road Springfield KY, 40069 Office 859-336-7741 Fax 859-336-7445 Email dennis.morgeson@uky.edu
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Cottony Camellia Scale Lee Townsend UK Entomologist Cottony camellia scale is a sap-feeding insect that infests camellia, holly, yew, euonymus, and maple. Infested plants usually have a significant amount of black sooty mold growing on the sugary “honeydew� or liquid waste produced by these insects. Heavy infestations may cause leaves to turn light green in spring (Figure 1). The easily overlooked flat females live on undersides of leaves and are about 1/8 inch long, oval, and yellowish-tan with a brown margin. However, they produce very noticeable elongate white cottony sacs containing several hundred eggs (Figures 2). Figure 1. Cottony camellia scale causes sparse foliage and yellowed leaves on this holly, and white egg sacs of cottony scale are present. (Photo: A. Heisdorffer)
found on leaves in mid- to late May.
Management Alternatives Light infestations often can be managed by hand-picking and destroying infested leaves. Remove any cottony egg masses
Prune and destroy more heavily infested leaves and branches when practical. Crawlers hatch from eggs from late May through June. They settle on the undersides of the leaves to feed on sap and grow through winter. This stage is most vulnerable to control with insecticides or insecticidal soap. Use of insecticidal soap helps to preserve natural enemies of the Figure 2. White egg sacs of cottony Camellia scale (400 to 600 eggs per sac) on holly leaves. scale. (Photo A. Heisdorffer) Use a superior dormant oil spray during winter to kill overwintering scales on foliage.