Rethink Impatiens for Your Shade Bed

If you have a shady spot in your yard where you usually plant impatiens, you may need to rethink your choice this year.  There is a new disease that is devastating to impatient plantings called downy mildew. 

Downy mildew is a fungal disease that cannot be controlled once your impatiens show symptoms.  If left in the bed, you wind up with nothing but green sticks.  In fact, the local growers are not even going to offer impatiens this year.  You may be able to find them in the big box stores, but I still would not recommend buying them. 

Bed of green sticks.

 Downy mildew shows up when the leaves yellow and curl.  If we have humid weather, you can flip the leaves over and see a white coating of the fungal spores.   Eventually, all the flowers and leaves will fall off, and all you can do is pull them up. 

Fungus on the underside of the leaves.

 

So, how does downy mildew get on them?  Well, unfortunately, more ways than one.  The fungal spores can be blown in on the winds of a thunderstorm.  After they are on your impatiens, the spores can be spread by water splash as you go around with the hose.  Replanting with new impatiens won’t work either, as researchers think that the spores may linger in the soil.  There is even talk that the disease may be seed borne, and the healthy looking plants at the big box stores may in actuality have the disease already. 

 The plant breeders are on the scene, working to make a selection that is resistant to this.  In the meantime, maybe try begonias for a change.

Master Gardeners Celebrate Accomplishments

On the evening of February 1, the Fayette County Master Gardener Association had a dinner and awards program at the Oak Room in Somerville.  This year, nine Master Gardeners received green name badges and graduation certificates for completing the Master Gardener training course and giving back at least 40 hours of their time as a volunteer for UT Extension. 



New Master Gardener Graduates (L to R, back row first) Wesley Parks, Betty Parks, Sandra Ourth, Maria Prince, Sherry Score, Tonya Ashworth (Master Gardener coordinator), Kathy Chandler, Delois Ledford, Les Shockey Not pictured:  Jan Taylor

Seven Master Gardeners received pins marking their five years of service as volunteers. 

Gardeners with 5 yr. pins (L to R)  Sputt Garnett, Deborah McCarty, Janie Miller, Jim Miller, Tonya Ashworth, not pictured- Dinah Armour, Jean Jenkins, Kerry Landers

 

Gold Leaf Club pins and certificates were awarded to two Master Gardeners for turning in over 100 volunteer hours in 2012.

Gardeners with over 100 volunteer hours- Delois Ledford with Extension Agent Tonya Ashworth.  Not pictured:  Darlene Rike

 

  Dr. Christopher Cooper, Interim State Master Gardener Coordinator, delivered the keynote address thanking the Fayette County Association for turning in over 1,200 volunteer hours in the previous year.  Mr. Richard Powell, UT Extension Regional Program Leader, thanked the volunteers and congratulated them on their success.  For more information on the Fayette County Master Gardener Program, call your local coordinator, Tonya Ashworth, at 901-465-5233.  UT Extension offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability or veteran status and is an Equal Opportunity employer.



Rose Rosette- You Must Stay Vigilant

I attended the Tennessee Horticulture Expo last week, where I sat in on a session about Rose Rosette.  Rose Rosette is a viral disease that can infect any type of rose- not just Knockouts.  It is spread by a very tiny mite.  The mites are blown in on the wind, and you won't know they are there because you would need a microscope to see them.  So, if a rose bush happens to be in their path, that bush is effected. 

There are a few visible signs that your rose has this disease.  One way to tell is by looking at the tips of the branches or canes to see if they have  "witch's broom" growth.  Witch's broom growth is when there is a profusion of red new growth or disfigured flower buds, or a profusion of thorns.  Also, the leaves will have an elongated, strappy look. If you see any sign of this type of growth, go get a shovel-fast.  There is nothing available to spray, and pruning that tip off will not get rid of the disease.  If left unchecked, the virus will not only kill your rose, but will spread to all of the other roses in the area.  That might include your neighbor's bushes too.  Entire mass plantings with 200 plus roses have been completely decimated due to this virus.

Researchers are still trying to understand much about this virus.  For instance, we don't know if the virus lies latent for a time period before showing symptoms, making it harder to control.  We don't know if there are certain cultivars of roses that are more resistant to the virus than others.  If that is the case, breeders could work on improved rose varieties. Researchers at the University of Tennessee are leading the way in these efforts. In the meantime, the only thing you can do is to check your roses periodically and  be unmerciful about digging up diseased plants.

 

Disfigured flower buds- and lots of them in one place.

 

The virus takes its toll on the entire bed.

 

Strappy leaves, and a profusion of growth at the tip of the cane.

 

Witch's broom flower growth.

 

Leave Those Pruners Alone

As fall sets in, and our plants start to look tired, we gardeners go into clean-up mode.  First, we clean out our vegetable gardens, putting plants with diseases and insects into the trash or burn pile and clean plants into the compost bin.  Then, we may start to rake up a bit.  The combination of cooler weather and sunshine just invites us to spend the rest of the day outside and so we start to look around for other tasks.  Often we go get the pruners and do a little trimming.  But is fall the best time to do that?  I argue that it is not.  In the fall your plants are about to go into dormancy, and pruning them can stimulate a flush of new growth at the wrong time.  This depletes the plants’ reserves of energy for the spring flush, and leaves open wounds at a time when frost is quickly approaching. 

Additionally, many people give their crape myrtles a severe pruning in the fall after this summer’s blooms have faded.  They usually do this for one of two reasons, either to ensure lots of blooms for next summer or to tame a tree that has outgrown its space.  While it is true that crape myrtles bloom on new growth, you do not have to prune in order to get blooms the next year.  The plant will put on new growth all by itself in the spring, and flowers will initiate from that growth.  If you have a crape that has grown to the point where its limbs whack you in the face when you mow around it or walk next to it, prune judiciously.  Try just taking off the offending limbs on the underside of the canopy and allowing the tree to grow up and over that sidewalk.  Still, this type of pruning should wait. Crape myrtles have a beautiful growth habit or shape when left to look natural.  Even the dried seed pods left on them in the winter add some ornamentation to a bleak landscape. 

 

Seed pods on crape myrtle

So, when should we prune?  I recommend late winter and early spring.  In late winter many of the plants will be dormant and you will be better able to see the branching structure.  In spring, the plants will be actively growing and can recover quickly from pruning.  For early spring bloomers, such as azaleas, it is best to prune them immediately after they are finished with their flowers.    To get more information on pruning or any other horticulture question you may have, give me a call at the Extension office, 901-465-5233.  UT Extension offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability or veteran status and is an Equal Opportunity employer.

 

4-Hers Learn to Grill

This past weekend, five Fayette County 4-Hers participated in the Outdoor Meat Cookery Contest in Jackson, TN.  They had all spent the last few weeks learning how to grill with charcoal and planning out their theme.  The grilling contest, as we like to call it, is maybe the most fun 4-H contest to participate in because all of the training sessions consist of the kids hanging out with other 4-Hers and eating what they cook.  The contest is also very competitive.  There were around 90 4-Hers there on Saturday grilling. 

Where there is smoke, there is fire!

 



We had a high school team as well as a junior high individual who competed.  Teams are made up of four kids who all must grill something different.  One grills pork, one grills chicken, another youth grills beef, and still another grills lamb.  They have to do this start to finish, on separate grills, with no help or coaching from any adult.  They each grill two pieces of meat.  One piece goes to to the judges for taste testing and the other goes on the team platter for theme judging.  Any side dishes they put on their theme table has to be grilled as well.

This year, the Fayette County 4-Hers chose Native American Cooking as their theme.  Here they are with their table and platter.

 

 Left to Right:  Victaven Murrell, Jessica Brewer, Logan Laine, Rachel Wilson, and Marah Williams

Looks delicious!!

 

Logan Laine, our Jr. High individual contestant, won third place for his delicious chicken!  We were all very proud.  If you would like for your child to learn how to safely grill with charcoal, then give me a call at the Extension office.  We teach this skill every summer and would love to have  your family take part. 

Gardening by the Numbers

Get out your calendars and your seed packets, because it’s time to plant your fall garden!  I know, it feels way too hot outside to even think about fall, but pretty soon you will be craving those fresh mustard greens.  So, if you have space in your garden from your played-out summer veggies, consider replanting with broccoli, cauliflower, collards, lettuce, mustard, radish, spinach, or turnips. 

The fall garden isn’t without its challenges.  You will have to deal with heat, water stress, insects, and weeds while you wait for cooler temps to arrive.  To cope with these issues, you should plant your seeds at the latest possible date that you can.  That is where the calendar comes in.  Start with the average first frost date for our area.  In Bolivar, the date is October 8.  In Brownsville, the date is October 11.  Next, look on the seed packet and see how many days from planting to maturity are expected.   Add ten days to that number to account for cooler weather and shorter days in the fall.  Subtract the total number of days required for the plant to grow from the date you want it to begin maturing to find the latest planting date. Keep in mind that kale, collards, and other cool season veggies can withstand some frost, and can mature two weeks after the frost date. 

For example, collards can take 65-75 days to mature.  They can also withstand a frost.  Let’s assume that Somerville’s frost date is October 9.  Two additional weeks allowed for frost-resistant veggies puts us at Oct. 23.  Remember, we need to count backwards 75 -85 days to account for the cool fall weather we eagerly anticipate.  So, that puts our planting date for collards at August 8.  That is really soon!  So, don’t procrastinate just because it’s hot and it feels like fall is never coming.  Get out there and use up that open space!  Come October, you will be glad you did!  

Herb Gardening Can be Delicious!

Home-grown tomatoes in the summer...  You just can't buy that flavor in a store.  I enjoy a tomato and mayonnaise sandwich as much as anyone else, but I also love to pair those tomatoes with fresh basil from my garden.  If you  buy fresh herbs at the grocery store, you know how expensive that can get. So, growing your own can save money too!   


Herbs like full sun, and can be grown in containers, in landscape beds, or in the veggie garden.  Rosemary, thyme, lavender,  dill, fennel, and savory are indigenous to the Mediterranean and prefer dry, lean soil in full sun.  Basil, tarragon, parsley, and allium like more water and richer soil.  Keep in mind the different water requirements when deciding where to plant your herbs.  Also, you should know that the proper time to plant annual herbs in our area is in the spring after April 15.  One exception is cilantro.  Cilantro is a cool season herb and should be planted by seed on Valentine's Day or later.  


Some commonly grown annual herbs (that have to be re-planted each year) include: cilantro, basil, parsley, dill, and stevia.  Chives, fennel, lavender, Rosemary 'Arp', oregano, mint, sage, and thyme are perennial.  However, we had such a mild winter this year that basil reseeded itself in my garden. 


They are all nearly insect and disease free. The only problem with insects I've ever had was with parsley.  Caterpillars ate every leaf on the plant.  However, those caterpillars turn into  beautiful black swallowtail butterflies, so I am o.k. with that.  


If you are thinking about growing herbs, but you aren't sure how to use them, I recommend going to a website such as allrecipes.com.  You can type an ingredient such as "fresh basil" into the search box, and it will pull up all the recipes that contain that ingredient.  Hopefully, you will consider adding them to your garden and your plate next spring.