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Ma
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At the Garden Gate February March April 2019
Mahaska County Extension Horticulture Newsletter
Master Gardener Webcasts Each year the Iowa State University Extension and
Outreach Master Gardeners staff on campus creates
webcasts for county extension offices to utilize as
options for continuing education for local Master
Gardeners in the winter and summer. After six
months, the webcasts are then available to the public on the Iowa
Master Gardener YouTube channel. (Check out past offerings—there
are some great presentations!) This winter’s offerings will be shown at
the Mahaska County Extension Office in February on Tuesdays at 6:30
pm. The webcasts are approximately one hour , open to the public
and free to attend. The dates, speakers and presentation topics are:
February 12 Engaging New Audiences; Elin (Meliska) Filbey, Director of Programming and Community Engagement at
Allen Centennial Garden; Madison, Wisconsin
February 19 Limited Space Gardening; Ed Lyon, Director Reiman Gardens; Ames, Iowa
February 26 Managing Vegetable Pests; Dan Fillus, Food Safety Specialist, Iowa State University Extension
and Outreach; Ames, Iowa
Prior registration is NOT required, but appreciated.
Garden Basics Come learn about basic general garden topics at monthly classes held
on (normally 3rd) Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm at the
Mahaska County Extension office.
(Continued on page 2)
page 2 At the Garden Gate
Garden Basics classes are local Master Gardeners presenting on a
variety of gardening topics. Each one is an independent topic
presented as a family friendly presentation. These programs are
open to the public and there is no cost to attend. Anyone
interested in the topic is welcome. Prior registration is NOT
required, but appreciated.
Upcoming garden basics topics are:
February 21 Year Round
Indoor Salad Gardening Come learn from Master Gardener Intern
Krysta Wendelboe, about how you can
grow salad—year round—indoors. It is easier than you think!
April 4 Garden Prep Most Iowa soil is well suited for vegetable gardening, but some
need amendments. Come learn about how to prepare your soil for
the gardening season.
Rain Barrel Workshop
An average home with a roof size of 1,000 square feet will
generate approximately 600 gallons of water from a one inch
rainfall. By collecting and using this water to water plants in
their landscape, rain barrel users help reduce the demand on water
supplies, and reduce storm water runoff.
(Continued from page 1)
(Continued on page 3)
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach does not discriminate on the basis
of age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, genetic information, marital status,
national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic
status, or status as a U.S. veteran. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all pro-
grams.) Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to the
Diversity Officer, 2150 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011,
515-294-1482, extdiversity@iastate.edu. All other inquiries may be directed to
800-262-3804. The fees for service will be used to offset direct expenses and to
support the Agriculture and Natural Resources County Extension Program.
At the Garden Gate page 11
Upcoming Events
February 12 6:30 pm Engaging New Audiences
ISUEO MG Winter Webcast
February 19 6:30 pm Limited Space Gardening
ISUEO MG Winter Webcast
February 21 6:30 pm Year Round Indoor Salad Gardening
February 26 6:30 pm Managing Vegetable Pests
ISUEO MG Winter Webcast
March 5 6:30 pm Rain Barrel Workshop
March 12 6:30 pm Growing Small Fruits
March 26 6:30 pm Butterfly House Workshop
April 2 6 pm Seed Swap
April 2 7 pm Ready Set Garden
April 4 6:30 pm Garden Prep
April 9 6:30 pm Gardening with Conifers
April 12 7 pm Planting for Pollinators
April 25 5:30 pm Tree Planting and Care
at Edmundson Park
To register and/or for more information about any of these or other
horticulture programs, call the MCEO at 641-673-5841 or email
Suzette Striegel, Mahaska County Extension Horticulturist at
striegel@iastate.edu.
Additional Events Mahaska County Master Gardeners and
ISU Extension and Outreach may schedule additional events in
horticulture and other program areas (which may be of interest to
gardeners) this winter. They will be publicized in local media,
email, facebook pages as well as our website.
Mahaska County
Master Gardener Plant Sale—May 18*, 2019 8-11 am
*This is a different
weekend than Plant Sale
has traditionally been
held.
page 10 At the Garden Gate
ISU Extension and Outreach
Publications Of Interest
HORT 3087 Cole Crops
PM 834 Planting and Harvesting Times for Garden
Vegetables
PM 607 Suggested Vegetable Varieties for the Home
Garden
PM 717 Growing Strawberries in the Home Garden
PM 719 Rhubarb in the Home Garden
PM 819 Planting a Home Vegetable Garden
PM 820 Garden Soil Management
PM 870b Container Vegetable Gardening
PM 874 Starting Garden Transplants
PM 944 Asparagus in the Home Garden
PM 1072 Establishing a Lawn from Seed
PM 1204 Morels, False Morels, and Other Cup Fungi
PM 1706 Growing Raspberries in the Home Garden
PM 1707 Growing Grapes in the Home Garden
RG 319 When to Divide Perennials
RG 503 Growing Blueberries in Iowa
RG 702 Guidelines for Selecting Trees
RG 704 Growing Rhododendrons and Azaleas in Iowa
RG 705 Viburnums: Ideal Shrubs for Iowa Landscapes
These publications (as well as many others) are available to purchase
or download at any county Extension office or at the ISUE online store
https://store.extension.iastate.edu/
At the Garden Gate page 3
The Mahaska County Master Gardeners will offer a workshop on
making rain barrels Tuesday, March 5 at 6:30 pm at the Mahaska
County Extension Office.
We will be installing plumbing on recycled plastic barrels for use
in collecting and using rainwater for our landscapes. Cost of the
barrel and plumbing supplies is $25. Observers are welcome to
attend this workshop. Registration and payment are due for this
workshop by Friday, March 1.
Growing Small Fruits Here is your invitation to learn about
growing small fruits (strawberries,
raspberries, and blueberries) from Patrick
OMalley. Examine control methods for insects, weeds and other
pests, the value (or not) of soil amendments and cultural
practices in their production. Patrick has been an ISUEO
Commercial Horticulture Specialist since 1994.
Presentation will be at the Mahaska County Extension office
Auditorium Tuesday, March 12 at 6:30 pm. This program is
open to the public and there is no cost to attend. Anyone
interested in the topic is welcome. Prior registration is NOT
required, but appreciated.
Butterfly House Workshop Butterflies need protection at times, invite
butterflies to seek refuge in your backyard
with a butterfly house made by you! Master
Gardener Intern Wayne VanMersbergen will
guide you as you build yours at this workshop.
The house features a hinge and latch to allow
you to maintain roosting materials inside the
house for the visitors. Participants will paint/
protect the house on their own after the
workshop. (Continued on page 4)
page 4 At the Garden Gate
(Continued from page 3)
The workshop will be held at the Mahaska County Extension
Office Auditorium Tuesday, March 26; 6:30-8:30 pm and is
open to the public. Younger participants who register for this
workshop are asked to have an adult along to help them. Observers are welcome to attend the workshop. Registration and
payment are required by March 12. Cost is $10.
Attendees with access to a cordless drill are asked to bring it to
the workshop.
Gardening with Conifers Come and explore the world of conifers with Gary
Wittenbaugh. The Conifer story is fascinating and
unique. See how the color, texture and form of
conifers add year round beauty and contrast to
garden and landscapes. Fast growers screen your
space, tiny buns add unusual shape and textures,
and distinctive forms make living sculptures.
Gary is an Iowa native, well known in the Midwest for his many
presentations on gardening subjects, particularly the use of
conifers and companion plants in the garden. He’s been gardening
for over 40 years with emphasis on dwarf, slow growing and
unusual conifers plus trough and rock gardening. He became an
Iowa Master Gardener in 1998 and received the Lifetime Master
Gardner award in 2005. He is member of the American Conifer
Society and the North American Rock Garden Society.
Presentation will be at the Mahaska County Extension office
Auditorium Tuesday, April 9 at 6:30 pm. This program is open to
the public and there is no cost to attend. Anyone interested in the
topic is welcome. Prior registration is NOT required, but
appreciated.
At the Garden Gate page 9
The branches should then be set in tall containers of water in a
dimly lit cool location until blooming. The branches will need
sprayed or misted to keep from drying out. Time until bloom
varies upon the plant species and collection date.
For more information, see Horticulture and Homes Pest News
February 6, 1998. www.ipm.iastate.edu/hortnews/1998/2-6-1998/
forcebr.html.
Pruning Resources It is recommend to prune shade and fruit trees during the dormant
season. This timing allows the best view of the tree's structure &
helps control some insect spread diseases. Winter is also the time
to prune many fruit crops. The timing for pruning ornamental
shrubs depends on growth habit and time of flowering.
Our office has copies of the ISUEO publications on pruning:
PM 780 Pruning and Training Fruit Trees
PM 1958 Pruning Ornamental Shrubs
SUL 5 Pruning Trees: Shade, Flowering and
Conifer
RG 501 Pruning Raspberries
RG 502 Pruning Grapevines
You may also access them on the ISUEO online
store https://store.extension.iastate.edu/.
Printing and Postage costs are
increasing… ...and our office would
like to insure all recipients of the newsletter
want to receive it.
-If you no longer want to receive this newsletter
(and be notified of horticulture programming in Mahaska &
surrounding counties), please indicate this to our office.
-If you receive the mailed version, and would prefer to be notified
of the online version being posted to our website, please let us
know your email address.
page 8 At the Garden Gate
Onions - Plant onion seeds, sets, and plants as soon as the ground
can be worked in the spring (late March or early April in central
Iowa). Long-day varieties are the best choice for Iowa gardeners.
Peas - Garden, snow and snap peas should be planted as soon as
the ground can be worked in spring. The crop should be mature in
approximately 60 to 70 days.
Carrots - Carrots can be sown from early spring to early August.
For an early crop, sow seeds in early to mid-April.
Potatoes - Plant certified disease-free potatoes as soon as the
ground can be worked in spring. Large potato tubers should be
cut into pieces, each containing 1 or 2 growing points or "eyes".
Small potatoes may be planted whole.
Beets and Swiss Chard - These are other vegetables to plant
early through August 1.
For more information on planting vegetables, see Extension
publications PM 534, Planting and Harvesting Times for Garden
Vegetables or PM 819, Planting A Home Vegetable Garden.
This article is modified from an article prepared by James
Romer, former Iowa State University Extension Horticulturist. It
originally appeared in Horticulture and Home Pest News
(HHPN) March 21, 2003. More archived articles may be found at
www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/.
How-To: Forcing Spring Flowering Tree
and Shrub Branches On a warm winter day cut 12 inch or longer branches that contain
numerous buds. Species good for forcing include magnolias,
crabapple, forsythia and lilac. Other plants to try include cherry,
pussy willow, serviceberry, flowering quince redbud, and
honeysuckle.
(Continued from page 7)
At the Garden Gate page 5
Planting for Pollinators Presentation Mahaska County Master Gardener Susan Knox will be presenting
on Planting for Pollinators for the Back to Basics Bee Club
meeting on Friday, April 12 at 7 pm. Back to Basics Bee Club
meets at the Mahaska County Extension office. The presentation
is open to the public and prior registration is not required.
Seed Swap Mahaska County Master Gardeners will host a Seed Swap at the
Mahaska County Extension office Tuesday, April 2 at 6 pm. It is
open to all who are interested. We will provide the small
envelopes and pens.
We encourage you to buy a little extra for your tried-and-true
varieties; then share some with others. It may become
someone else’s favorite!
We encourage you to go ahead and select something new as
you peruse your seed buying sources; including those unique
heirloom and organic varieties from various seed
companies. Then share some of the extra seeds with others.
We encourage you to share your saved seed from your
heirloom varieties, if you have extra to share!
We also encourage you to bring along any undesired seed you
have in your inventory. They may find a new home!
Ready, Set, Garden! Community Garden Kick Off
Our local community gardens have gardening space for you!
Come meet our local community garden coordinators and fellow
gardeners on Tuesday, April 2 at 7 pm.
You can sign up for a plot, meet Master Gardener garden
mentors, and hear gardeners from the sites tell about their
experiences growing their favorite vegetable garden crops at the
sites. If you can not attend, you can still get a plot by contacting
the coordinators before and after the event. Contact information
available at Extension office and our website.
page 6 At the Garden Gate
Tree Planting and Care with Trees Forever Trees Forever is a regional and local organization which offers
unique programs for the environment; “... and promotes sound
environmental stewardship and science. Trees Forever is
committed to... planting a better tomorrow.” You are invited to
learn about tree planting and care from members of our local Tree
Forever on a tree walk at Edmundson on Thursday April 25 at
5:30 pm. Additionally, we will learn about the local and regional
organization and of some of the local planting projects.
Mahaska County Master Gardener are hosting this program. It is
open to the public and there is no cost to attend. Anyone
interested in the topic is welcome. Prior registration is NOT
required, but appreciated. Attendees are to park and meet at
parking area near the wooden playground.
Trees Forever began in 1989 in Marion Iowa. Oskaloosa has had
a local organization since the 1991. For decades, Trees Forever
has helped thousands of community volunteers, civic leaders,
government officials and landowners plant and care for many
trees, shrubs, and native grasses and plants.
What’s Up Wednesdays
The ISU Extension and Outreach—Mahaska County office is
hosting “What’s Up Wednesdays”; lunch and learn sessions
(bring your own lunch) with different Iowa State University
Extension and Outreach specialist or a Mahaska County
Extension staff each session. The lunch and learn will be
informal open discussion of the specialist or staff’s subject area.
They will be held on Wednesdays March-May with the specialist
or staff on the schedule from 11:45 am – 1:15 pm. The lunch and
learn is free, and open to the public. Attendees would not need to
attend the entire hour and half session. Current schedule will be
available at the office, on the website and facebook page.
Prior registration will not be required, but appreciated. Only
registered attendees will be contacted if the schedule changes.
At the Garden Gate page 7
Weather Announcements If the weather is inclement
or forecast to become inclement during the event, the event will
likely be postponed/canceled. To confirm if an event is being
held, please call our office (during office hours), check our
Facebook pages (Iowa State University Extension and Outreach-
Mahaska County and/or Mahaska County Master Gardeners) or
listen to KBOE 104.9 radio weather announcements.
Vegetables Suitable for Early Planting Early spring is the proper time for several vegetables. Cool season
vegetable crops, such as cabbage, lettuce, and peas grow best in
cool temperatures. Others, such as onion,
require a long growing season and should be
planted in early spring for maximum crop
yields. This listing is designed for central Iowa,
northern Iowa would be about one week later,
and about one week earlier for southern Iowa.
Radishes - Spring radishes are a cool season crop. They can be
planted as soon as the ground can be worked in late March or
early April. Most cultivars mature in 20 to 30 days. For a
continuous harvest, sow seeds every 7 to 10 days until late spring.
High temperatures cause bolting (flowering) and the roots
become soft.
Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cabbage - Broccoli, cauliflower and
cabbage are cool season vegetables, which grow best in
temperatures between 60 and 70 F. However, exposure to
prolonged periods of temperatures below 50 F may cause
premature head development or buttoning. In central Iowa, plant
broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower in mid-April.
Lettuce, Spinach, Collards, and Kale - Quality of these plants
are reduced with the onset of hot weather due to seed heads and
bitter taste.
(Continued on page 8)
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