Additional Information for GardenWalk - Faulkner County

Here is additional information for GardenWalk hosted by the Faulkner County Master Gardeners.

Faulkner County Master Gardeners is hosting GardenWalk, which includes seven gardens in west Conway that showcase the drama and beauty of Mother Nature. Each garden reflects the homeowner’s sense of style through the use of plant materials and hardscape.

GardenWalk 2009 is slated for Saturday, May 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and tickets are $10 a person or $8 per person for groups of five or more. Tickets include a program detailing each garden. Advance tickets can be purchased at the FCMG Plant Sale on Saturday, May 16 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. or at the Cooperative Extension Office at Amity and Middle Roads or by calling 501-329-4849. Tickets will also be available at any of the seven gardens.

UPDATED! Farmers' market producers invited to pest management workshops

CORRECTION: A news release dated May 4 listed the wrong date for the workshop in Conway. The correct date is June 10.

Workshops on environmentally responsible and effective pest management for farmers' market producers and other small acreage farmers will be held at three locations in May and June.

The workshops will be held in Monticello May 18, in Conway June 10 and in Fayetteville June 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at each location. The workshops are sponsored by the University of Arkansas System’s Division of Agriculture and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, based in Poteau, Okla.

Elena Garcia, extension horticulture specialist with the Division of Agriculture, said the workshops are free, but space is limited, and advance registration is required. Contact Carolyn Lewis, 479-264-0905, calewis@uark.edu, to register.

The location and workshop materials will be provided to those who register. Lunch and educational materials are provided by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“Whether you use organic or conventional practices, this workshop can help you evaluate your pest management program,” Garcia said. The workshops will include classroom presentations and hands-on sessions in the field, she said.

Arkansas State Daylily Society 2009 Tour

The Arkansas State Daylily Society is pleased to announce its 2009 daylily tour. Gardeners from across the state are welcome to register and tour four gardens in central Arkansas on Saturday, June 6, 2009.

Hundreds of classic and newly introduced daylilies will be on display while nestled in perennial borders among unique companion plants.

On display will be the gardens of Sharon and Michael Aureli and Marianne and Tom Flammang in Mayflower, Pat and Patricia Larsen in Conway, and Jim and Kathy Elliot of Wooster.

The Society also welcomes Herbie Phelps, who will open the tour Friday evening (6: PM, June 5th) at the Hilton Garden Inn in Conway, Arkansas.

Phelps is the owner of Wonderland of Daylilies in Magnolia, Kentucky and is considered one of the country’s leading, new hybridizers. He will present a slide show on his award-winning hybridizing program and provide helpful tips on raising daylilies. Arkansas gardeners and daylily enthusiasts alike will find Phelps’s program entertaining and especially useful given the similarity between his growing climate and ours.

The cost for registration is $25.00 per adult and covers supper on Friday night, a continental breakfast, and lunch on Saturday.

Reservation checks should be made out to the Arkansas Daylily Society and sent by May 30th to Carey Roberts, 2008 W 8th St, Russellville, Arkansas 72801. Late registration will cost $30.00 and can be paid Friday evening at the hotel site or at 7:30 AM, Saturday morning at the first tour garden l (8 River Road East, Mayflower). Gift plants will be provided as well, and a small auction of Phelps introductions is planned.

For more information, please contact Carey Roberts by email or telephone (479-964-5115). Maps and directions for the tour locations will be provided upon registration.

UPDATED! Polk County Master Gardener Plant Sale

This is an update on the Polk County Master Gardener Plant Sale that was previously rescheduled due to the tornado and damage it caused to the community.

Polk County Master Gardener Plant Sale - NEW LOCATION - Polk County Fairground Livestock

The Polk County Master Gardeners Plant sale has been postponed until Saturday, May 16, at the Polk County Fairground Livestock barn in Mena, AR.

Sharpen mower blades for a clean-cut, healthier lawn

A sharp lawnmower blade pays off for the homeowner in the long run, says Dr. Aaron Patton, assistant professor/extension horticulture specialist for turfgrass with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

“A cleanly cut lawn helps increase turf health by improving recovery from mowing, decreasing water loss and increasing photosynthesis,” says Patton. “Aesthetically speaking, a clean cut lawn looks better.”

A dull mower blade causes leaf cut injury that heals slowly and causes greater water loss in the lawn.

Sharpen mower blades at least twice a year, or more often, for larger lawns, Patton recommends. Commercial users should sharpen mower blades at least every 40 hours.
Rotary mowers are greatly preferred by homeowners, although self-powered reel mowers are gaining popularity, says Patton.

“Rotary mowers work by cutting the grass blades in an impact, machete-type cut. This cut is less precise and often more damaging to the leaf blade than a reel mower cut,” he says. “The potential to scalp a lawn is higher when using a rotary mower, but the height of cut is easy to change and blades are easy to sharpen.”

Patton says blades on a reel mower (bedknife and reel system) should be sharpened by a professional.

To determine if your mower blade needs sharpening, kneel down and examine grass cuts. If a white fibrous tissue – the vascular system of the plant – is sticking out of the leaf blade ends, it’s a good indication that your mower blade needs sharpened.

“If you’re not comfortable with tools, hire a professional to sharpen your rotary blade,” says Patton. “For those do-it-yourself types, mowers blades can be sharpened fairly easily.”
Some shops specialize in sharpening equipment such as axes, mower blades, chainsaws, knives, etc.

“For the do-it-yourselfers, tool options include a file and vise or vise and angle grinder or bench grinder,” says Patton. Please wear appropriate safety equipment such as leather gloves and eye protection, when using any powered grinder, he advises

How do you decide when it’s time to invest in a new blade.

“When your blade becomes pitted or has been sharpened multiple times. My recommendation is for most homeowners to own two sets of blades,” he says. “Sharpen them both during the winter months and then replace one set half way through the summer.”

For more information about mowing your lawn and a comparison of reel and rotary mowers, see FSA6023 “Mowing Your Lawn” For more information about lawn mower safety, see FSA1005 “Lawn Mower Safety.”

For more information on how to sharpen a mower blade, do an online search for video instructions.

You can get a copy of the publications at your county extension office or go to the Cooperative Extension Service web site and select Publications, then Alphabetical List of All Publications.

The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.

Hummingbird migration flits through Arkansas

The first hummingbirds of the season are passing through the Natural State, so enjoy them while they last, says Randy Feagin, White County Master Gardener.

Master Gardeners is an extension program of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Of the 340 known species of hummingbirds, only 21 reach the United States. Until recently, the only one to nest in Arkansas was the ruby-throated hummingbird, says Feagin. Last year, rufous hummingbirds were seen in some southern counties.

"The vanguard of the ruby-throated hummer migration has started, and so we are seeing a few males passing through on their way to the northern states and southern Canada," says Feagin. Males are easily identified by their gorgets—bright and iridescent feathers on their heads. Females are green with gray backs and breasts.

These "beautiful flying jewels," he says, are heading north from their wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America. Powerful wing muscles and fat reserves allow hummingbirds to make this migration several times over their five- to six-year lifespan.

The normal flight speed of hummingbirds is 25-30 miles per hour with about 80 wing beats per second, but can increase to 200 beats per hour in dives that can reach 65 miles per hour, says Feagin.

In other words, they can get here in a hurry.

Get those hummingbird feeders out now – once the days get longer, hummingbirds will start establishing territories for their breeding season. Keep your feeders full through the fall to bring in hummingbirds on a regular basis, says Feagin.

"After most of their kind have started their return migration south, juvenile birds may still arrive seeking nectar," he says. "By keeping your feeders full, you serve as a way-station on their way." Hummingbirds migrate by the length of day, not the amount of available food, so this pit-stop will not hinder their migration at all, he says.

For more information on hummingbirds and their migration, contact your county Extension office or visit the Cooperative Extension Service, which is a part of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Farmers' market producers invited to pest management workshops

Workshops on environmentally responsible and effective pest management for farmers' market producers and other small acreage farmers will be held at three locations in May and June.

The workshops will be held in Monticello May 18, in Conway June 22 and in Fayetteville June 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at each location. The workshops are sponsored by the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, based in Poteau, Okla.

Dr. Elena Garcia, extension horticulture specialist with the Division of Agriculture, said the workshops are free, but space is limited, and advance registration is required. Contact Carolyn Lewis by email or telephone at 479-264-0905 to register.

The location and workshop materials will be provided to those who register. Lunch and educational materials are provided by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

"Whether you use organic or conventional practices, this workshop can help you evaluate your pest management program," Garcia said. The workshops will include classroom presentations and hands-on sessions in the field, she said.

Tips to make your mowing job more productive

At first glance, mowing a lawn doesn't look like a difficult job requiring much thought. We're just cutting grass - right?

"But lawn mowing done properly goes several steps farther than just firing up a lawn mower and cutting grass," says Gerald Alexander, Hempstead county extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Mowing is a destructive practice to the plant because it removes a portion of leaf tissue that could be used to provide energy for the plant, he says. When leaf tissue is lost, the plant responds by redirecting energy from storage in the roots to producing more leaf tissue. If a lawn is cut too low, the plant has a more difficult time recovering because it lacks adequate leaf area to help it use soil nutrients efficiently.

Whenever mowing is necessary, never remove more than one-third of the leaf blade in a single mowing. For example, if you want your turfgrass to maintain a height of 3 inches, mow when the turfgrass stands 4.5 inches tall. This will normally translate into a once-weekly mowing pattern under ideal growing conditions, according to Alexander.

Mowing high is preferable to mowing low because overall plant health increases and weed competition decreases. The type of turfgrass in your lawn will determine how high your lawn should be mown.

The suggested mowing heights for common lawngrasses are: Centipede – 1.5 to 2 inches; St. Augustine grass – 2.5 to 4 inches; Zoysia grass – three-quarters of an inch to 2.5 inches; common Bermuda – 1.5 to 2.5 inches.

Alexander says he frequently hears questions concerning grass clippings left on the lawn.

It used to be thought that grass clippings contributed to thatch buildup. However, research has shown that grass clippings don't contribute to thatch buildup. Clippings are actually good for the soil because they return nutrients to the soil when they decompose.

"As long as you don't allow your lawngrass to become excessively high between mowings, you don't need to bag them. Clippings are often bagged because people fear the spread of lawn diseases through the return of lawn clippings. The spores that cause lawn disease are present whether clippings are returned or bagged," says Alexander.

Lawns are best mown when the turf is dry. The clippings are more evenly distributed on a dry lawn than a wet lawn. Wet mowing wet causes the clippings to clump and clog the mower. These clumps will then need to be picked up to prevent smothering the turfgrass beneath. Wet mowing also opens the door for disease organisms to enter the plant. Slipping and tearing turfgrasses are other reasons not to mow under wet conditions.

When lawn mowers are operating, he says, always pay close attention to safety. A mower blade can pick up an object from the ground and throw it with a velocity strong enough to damage cars, houses and inflict serious harm to humans and animals.

Additional information on lawn mowing can be found in the publications section of our web site, or at your county extension service office. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.

Plant Health Clinic Newsletter #10 May 6, 2009

The weekly Plant Health Clinic Newsletter is available here.

Inside this edition you will find information about Photinia leaf spot, Elm black spot, Slime flux in trees, Botrytis blight on Heuchera and Mummyberry blight on Blueberries.

As always you can get more help with diseased plants from your local county extension office.

Plant Health Clinic Newsletter #9 May 1, 2009

The weekly Plant Health Clinic Newsletter is available here.

Inside this edition you will find information about Aphid Damage to Iris, Glyphosate Injury on Tomatoes, Anthracnose on Ash, Maple, and Sycamore, and Patch diseases of turf.

As always you can get more help with diseased plants from your local county extension office.