By The Yard

The spring garden 2

Things to consider if you want to produce your own eggs 3

Choosing housing for small poultry flocks 4

Safe handling of chicks 4

Simple turf care in a nutshell 5

Leggy Oddities: House centipedes in the home

6

March quick tips 7

Recipe: Noodles Florentine 7

For Your Information 8

2020 Gardener’s Toolbox Registration Form 9

Inside this issue:

Cooperative Extension Service

Fayette County Extension

1140 Harry Sykes Way

Lexington, KY 40504

Phone (859) 257-5582

Email: DL_CES_Fayette@email.uky.edu

September 1. Thin plants to stand 4 to 6 inches apart in rows. It is important to firm soil over the rows so there is good contact with seed for high germination. Spinach grows best with ample moisture and fertile, well-drained soil.

Harvesting Cut whole plants at soil surface when they reach 4 to 6 inches in diameter. Making successive plantings is better than removing only outer leaves, allowing inner leaves to make additional growth. Use or place in refrigerator immediately after harvest.

Source: Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky, ID-128

Spinach is a quick-maturing, cool-season crop of high nutritional value. It can be grown early in spring and from late fall into winter. Hot summer days cause it to bolt. Some varieties will mature as early as 20 to 40 days after sowing under favorable weather conditions. Spinach is well-adapted to winter production in cold frames. Varieties differ in seed type (smooth or round vs. prickly seeded) and in leaf type (smooth vs. savoy-leaves). The round-seed-ed types are most popular.

Planting

Sow seeds around March 1 in rows spaced 12 to 18 inches apart. Start fall seeding between August 15 and

Save a Date:

Saturday, May 2, 2020 Fayette County Extension Office

1140 Harry Sykes Way (formerly 1140 Red Mile Place)

Lexington, KY 40504 Stop by anytime between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Spinach

March, 2020

HORTICULTURE NEWSLETTER

Watch your “By The Yard” Newsletter this spring for more

information regarding the

2020 Extension Master Gardener

Volunteer Training.

Application will be available in

Summer, 2020!

The spring garden

By The Yard Page 2

After May 1, you can use mulches to conserve soil moisture and help prevent weeds. Plant spring garden crops together so that you can plant fall vegetables in the same area later. When “double cropping,” do not plant closely related vegetables in the same rows because of possible disease and insect carryover from the spring crop.

Source: Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky, ID-128.

Crops for the spring garden with earliest plant date

Vegetable

Seeds

Tran

splan

ts

Days to

Matu

rity

Earliest Safe

Plan

ting D

ate (C

entral)

Beets X 55-60 Mar 15 Bibb lettuce X X 60-80 Mar 25 Broccoli X 40-90 Apr 5 Brussels sprouts X 80-90 Apr 5 Cabbage X 60-100 Mar 25 Carrots X 60-80 Mar 20 Cauliflower X 50-100 Apr 5 Chinese cabbage X X 43-75 Apr 5 Collards X 75-90 Mar 10 Kale X X 50-60 Mar 20Leaf Lettuce X X 40-50 Mar 25 Mustard greens X 35-60 Mar 20 Onions (sets) X X 40-120 Mar 10 Peas X 60-80 Mar 1 Potatoes* 90-140 Mar 15 Radishes X 20-30 Mar 10 Spinach X 40-70 Mar 1 Swiss chard X X 55-60 Mar 15 Turnips X 40-60 Mar 10 Turnip greens X 30-50 Mar 10 *Potatoes are available as seed pieces

The spring garden contains cool‑season crops that are planted and harvested from late winter to late spring. The seed of some of these crops can be planted directly in the garden soil, while others will need to be started in a greenhouse or other suitable growing area and then transplanted to the garden.

Spring garden plants grow best with relatively cool air temperatures (50° to 65°F) and are raised either for their leaves, stems or flower buds. Peas are grown for their immature fruits. These crops produce their vegetative growth during spring’s short, cool days. If they are planted too late in the spring, summer heat reduces their quality by forcing some to flower and form seeds (bolt), and others to develop off flavors, bitterness, poor texture and low yields.

Avoid these problems by planting spring vegetables as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring since light frost will not injure them. Plant either seeds or transplants, allowing the vegetables to reach edible maturity before hot summer days arrive.

Plant as soon as the soil is workable and dry enough so it does not form wet clods. Do not work the soil when it is wet. Doing so can ruin the texture for several years. Wait for the best conditions no matter how much the planting bug is nibbling at your fingers.

Do not use organic mulches in early spring. Rather, let as much sunlight as possible reach the soil to warm it.

Winter Weather Policy When Fayette County Schools

are closed, call the Fayette Co. Extension Office,

859 257-5582, to verify if class will be meeting.

By The Yard Page 3

Things to consider if you want to produce your own eggs

Backyard chicken flocks are popular in all areas of Kentucky. If you want to have a successful flock and produce your own eggs, preparation and education are essential.

Not everyone is suited for keeping a poultry flock. Make sure you check that your local city and county ordinances allow backyard flocks. Some ordinances require a minimum amount of land, and some subdivisions even have their own rules.

Remember, chickens require daily care. You must feed them, provide clean water and collect eggs every day. It is a good opportunity to teach children responsibility, but make sure they can fit it into their daily routine and that you supervise them. Keep in mind that chickens can get sick and very few veterinarians will provide care for them. Anyone handling chickens needs to make sure to wash their hands before and after caring for them. Also, don’t bring chickens into the house and don’t use your kitchen sink to wash equipment associated with your flock.

Chickens make noise. While it’s true only roosters crow, hens are not always quiet and they can make a lot of noise to let everyone know they just laid an egg.

Keep in mind that chickens eat a lot. You probably can’t produce eggs cheaper than you can buy them in the store, but you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing from where they came. Hens use about 60% of the feed they consume; they excrete the rest as manure. Make sure you have a plan for what you’ll do with all the manure your flock produces. You could compost the manure to produce a valuable, odor-free fertilizer for your garden.

To complicate things, chickens stop producing eggs at some point and they live longer than that window, sometimes a lot longer. You need to have a plan for what you’ll do with hens once they stop producing eggs. If you keep them because they are pets, you’ll have to be willing to continue paying for food while they are no longer earning their keep.

Another thing to consider is that chickens can destroy gardens. Chickens scratch when they forage and if you let the hens run free, you may need to put a fence around your garden to prevent them from damaging your plants.

As for housing your flock, you’ll need a chicken house that provides shelter from the weather, nest boxes where your hens will lay eggs and perches for hens to roost at night. Housing needs to be easy to clean out and provide protection from predators. You’ll need to have an open run for hens to get into the open air. It’s important to keep your chicken

house clean and dry to prevent odor and flies. Manage any bedding well to prevent rodents from making your chicken house their home.

It can be difficult to obtain ready-to-lay pullets, so you’ll probably need to raise your hens from chicks. You can buy online and have them shipped to your home, but some hatcheries require a minimum purchase of 25 chicks for safe shipping. You can also buy chicks at local farm stores, but Kentucky state regulations require a minimum purchase of six chicks. If you only want three, you could go in with a friend or neighbor to meet the minimum requirement. You will need to provide chicks with a heat source, such as a heat lamp, for the first six weeks.

For more information on small or backyard poultry flocks, contact the Fayette County Extension office. You may also visit: https://afs.ca.uky.edu/poultry/poultry-publications.

Source: Jacquie Jacob, University of Kentucky, Extension Poultry Project Manager

Photo: Cornell Cooperative Extension

By The Yard Page 4

Raising small poultry flocks on the farm or in the backyard has become very popular. The most important things to remember when choosing the type of housing are provisions for adequate shelter from weather, adequate ventilation and also protection from predators.

You should choose housing that is easy to build from readily available materials. Housing should also have a low maintenance cost and support the changing needs of your flock.

Choosing housing for small poultry flocks

Over the years, a variety of designs for backyard flocks have hit the market, each with their own pros and cons. The best design for you depends on the number and types of birds you have and on how much you want to spend. It’s a good idea to make the coop tall enough for you to stand inside; you’ll clean it more often if you can get inside. If you need a lower coop for some reason, make sure you have easy access to make cleaning easier.

One popular option for backyard flocks is a bottomless, moveable coop. The owner can move it at regular intervals, so the birds always have access to fresh grass. These housing units also protect birds from predators.

This type of structure is also helpful for small production

flocks. You can use the basic hoop design and amend it for the size of your flock. You can even make an easy and relatively inexpensive portable housing system with cattle panels.

The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment compiled a series of videos from Kentucky State University showing step-by-step instructions for poultry housing construction on its website at http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Housing.html.

The site also provides links to other housing plans.

For more information about backyard and small poultry flocks, contact the Fayette County Cooperative Extension Service.

Source: Jacquie Jacob, University of Kentucky, Poultry Extension Associate

Photo: Mike Poe, University of California

The intestinal tracts of all mammals have various types of bacteria as part of their natural intestinal microflora.

There are many opportunities for young children to be exposed to these bacteria, such as pets, friends, etc. Our state’s most recent salmonella outbreak is a harsh reminder of this as many of the victims are children.

Some types of bacteria may cause diseases like salmonella in susceptible humans. When dealing with animals in any situation personal hygiene is important. This is especially true when handling chicks in your backyard and small

poultry flocks. Here are some reminders of proper hygiene practices.

Hand-washing is necessary to reduce any risk of bacterial infections. Wash your hands after coming in contact with any animals, birds or eggs. Proper hand-washing techniques include using soap and warm running water and rubbing your hands together vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Make sure you wash the back of your hands and wrists, in between fingers and under

Safe handling of chicks

Photo: Carrie Spry, Fayette County Horticulture Technician

By The Yard Page 5

Safe handling of chicks, continued

your fingernails. Rinse well and thoroughly dry your hands with a paper towel. Turn off faucets with your elbow or a paper towel.

If there is no access to running water, you should use antibacterial hand sanitizers or wipes with at least a 99 percent bacterial kill rate and then wash your hands as described above as soon as possible.

Supervise children when handling birds or animals. Don’t allow them to nuzzle or kiss animals, chicks and ducklings. Don’t allow children to touch their mouths or eyes with their hands during or after handling animals and birds prior to hand washing. Make sure children don’t

eat and drink before thoroughly washing their hands.

You can do a few other things to reduce your risk of exposure of bacteria. Always clean and sanitize an incubator prior to incubating eggs and only set clean eggs from a reliable source. To prevent the potential transmission of bacteria from adults and children to your chicks or eggs, make sure to wash your hands prior to handling the eggs or birds. You should always thoroughly clean any surfaces that have been contaminated with animal feces. Clean and sanitize the incubator immediately after use and properly dispose of the

shells and eggs that do not hatch.

For more information, contact your Fayette Co. Cooperative Extension Service.

Source: Jacquie Jacob, University of

4-Easy Steps to Lower Maintenance in Lawn Care

1. Only apply fertilizers in the fall. Spring fertilizer applications benefit warm season weeds more than our desirable cool season grasses. Lawns that have been encouraged to grow in the warmer months have less pest and drought resistance.

Simple turf care in a nutshell

2. Apply Crabgrass preventer in late March and again in late April. Use a product that does not contain ferilizer.

3. Use summer weed killers in May and June for broadleaf weeds. Again, use a product that does not contain fertilizer. This will likely be a liquid application.

4. Raise mower heights to 2.5-3”. This will result in healthier turf, deeper rooting, improved drought tolerance, and a competitive advantage with many weeds.

Photo: Cornell Cooperative Extension

Visit http://www.uky.edu/Ag/ukturf/lawns.html for more info from these useful lawn care publications:

Low-Maintenance Lawn Care, Stressing Pest Avoidance and Organic Inputs, ID-154

Turf Care Calendar for Cool-Season Lawns in Kentucky, AGR-55

Fertilizing Your Lawn, AGR-212

Weed Control for Kentucky Home Lawns, AGR-208

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Fayette County Cooperative Extension

Horticulture

Leggy Oddities: House centipedes in the home

By The Yard Page 6

Over the winter, some folks might see a wiggly and weird house guest in their basements or on the ground floors of their home. These are house centipedes, and while native to the Mediterranean, are now found worldwide in various structures. House centipedes are often alarming to people who see them traipsing through their home. A colleague of mine describes it as “if mustaches got up and started walking around your house.” Other people say they seem to float like ghosts. They pose very little danger to people or pets, though, and actually may be helping to eliminate some more distressing critters from your house.

Description

The core body of house centipedes is between 1 to 1 1/4 inches long, but if you throw in the legs, they can be up to 3 or 4 inches in size. They have a yellow-orange color with three dark stripes that go down their back (Figure 1). They are also auto-mimics, meaning that the legs

in the back of their body are longer to create confusion when trying to visually differentiate between the head end and butt end. All centipedes have an odd number of

pairs of legs, house centipedes specifically have up to 15 pairs of legs. I bet it would be annoying to tie the laces of 30 sneakers every morning, so I imagine that centipedes would wear Crocs if they had to wear shoes.

Habitat & Habits

House centipedes are naturally found in cool, damp places and tend to be under logs, vegetation, and rocks. They try to find similar areas inside of structures, therefore basements, crawl spaces, and bathrooms tend to be popular hangouts for them. As with all centipedes, the house centipede is a predator that uses a pair of highly adapted, venom delivering “legs” (called forcipules) to subdue their prey (Figure 2). Their

venom poses little to no hazard to humans. Because of their habitat, they normally feed on silverfish, cockroaches, spiders, ants, and termites. They have also been observed to eat bed bugs, but I don’t know if anyone is willing to go all-in on biological control for

Figure 1: House centipedes are quick, home invading predators that often give people the heebi jeebies.

(Photo: Jim Kalisch, University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

Figure 2: As predators, house centipedes use their forcipules to inject venom and subdue

termites, ants, cockroaches, and other arthropods. Here you can see the forcipules as they are raised off the sides of the “neck” area.

(Photo: Jim Kalisch, University of Nebraska-Lincoln).

that pest.

Management

If you want to manage house centipedes in your home, there are several options to consider. First and foremost, will be pest-proofing the structure. Not only will pest-proofing stop centipedes from entering, but it will also prevent their prey from coming in, reducing the attractiveness of your home becoming their home. Use caulking, screens, and weather-stripping to seal up possible entry points. You can also set out glue board traps to capture wandering centipedes or consult with a professional to provide crack and crevice treatments in possible house centipede hiding spots.

Source: Jonathan Larson, University of Kentucky, Extension Entomologist

By The Yard Page 7

March quick tips

Sow grass seed. First half of the month is ideal but you can seed all month with reasonable results. Turf type tall fescue is your best choice. Dwarf varieties equal less mowing.

Feed bulbs a balanced fertilizer now to promote nice blooms next year. Do not cut leaves down after flowering. They provide food for the plant. Let them die naturally.

Vegetable gardens are awakening. Only work soil when crumbly. Squeeze a handful of soil into a ball. Drop it from waist height. If it crumbles easily soil is dry enough to work. If not wait for drier times as wet soils form hard clods.

Remove old stems from rhubarb and asparagus. Fertilize with nitrogen, compost or rotted manure.

Time to plant cool crops in the

garden. These include: asparagus, beets, cabbage plants, carrots, chard, collards, kale, lettuce seed and plants, onions, peas, potatoes, radishes, spinach, and turnips.

Repot houseplants. Increase pot size gradually. Plants may be fed a weak fertilizer solution (one quarter strength)

Plant pansies and other cold tolerant flowers.

Use sunny days to begin bed clean up. Be careful not to tread on emerging plants.

Cut back perennials and ornamental grasses. Most grasses can be divided at this time. Grasses are very woody and may require an ax.

Prune and fertilize brambles and blueberries.

Clean out birdhouses or if you don’t have any, now is the perfect

time to hang a few.

Seeds of hardy annuals such as larkspur, bachelor’s buttons, Shirley and California poppies should be direct sown in the garden now

Spray peach trees with a fungicide for the control of peach leaf curl diseases. See HO-57 for more info on peaches.

Don’t forget to register for 2020 Gardener Toolbox Classes. A condensed registration form is enclosed in this edition of “By The Yard” newsletter. For a detailed listing of the 2020 Gardener’s Toolbox class, visit: http://fayette.ca.uky.edu/files/ gardeners_toolbox_2020.pdf

or call (859) 257-5582 to have a copy mailed to you. You can now register and pay online for classes visit: http://fayette.ca.uky.edu/ registration

First day of Spring will be Thursday, March 19th.

For More Plate It Up Recipes, Visit: http://fcs-

hes.ca.uky.edu/content/ plate-it-kentucky-proud

Household hazardous waste

Products that contain corrosive, toxic or flammable ingredients are household hazardous wastes

(HHW). These materials include common household items such as paints, cleaners, oils, ba eries

and pes cides. Improper disposal can pollute air, water or soil and pose a threat to human health.

From me‐to‐ me, the city offers a household hazardous waste collec on. During these events,

Faye e County residents can drop off the hazardous materials that have accumulated in their

homes. The city will properly dispose of them, free of charge.  

The next event will be held between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, 2020, at 1631 

Old Frankfort Pike. Enter via Jimmie Campbell Drive.

Visit lexingtonky.gov/household‐hazardous‐waste to see a list of acceptable items and to learn how

to dispose of HHW safely. If you have any ques ons about HHW disposal in Lexington, contact

LexCall at 311 or (859) 425‐2255.0

The Kentucky Christmas Tree Association's Annual Plant Auction

The Kentucky Christmas Tree Association’s Annual Plant Auction will be held Saturday, April 18, 2020, in the Fayette County Extension Office front parking lot, 1140 Harry Sykes Way (formerly Red Mile Place), Lexington. The sale begins at 10:00 a.m.

Bid and take home some Kentucky grown nursery stock. It’s the perfect time of the year to plant. Sale will include trees, shrubs and perennials. A portion of the proceeds will be used to provide one or more scholarships for students majoring in Forestry or related sciences in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Kentucky. For more information, please call, 859 223-1140.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

2020 GARDENER’S TOOLBOX - REGISTRATION FORM Name: ________________________Phone: _____________E-Mail:________________________

Address: ______________________________City: ______________State: ____ Zip: _________

TOTAL Amount Enclosed $ ________

NOW AVAILABLE - Register and pay online for Gardener’s Toolbox classes if you would like at: http://fayette.ca.uky.edu/registration

IMPORTANT REMINDERS!

Sign up early for classes to avoid being turned away because class is full. ALL classes, including the “Free” ones are “PRE-REGISTRATION” only. If you need to cancel, you must do so 2 weeks prior to the class time to receive a refund or

credit for a different class. If handouts and/or plants are not picked up 3 days after class, items will be donated.

Please make check payable to: Fayette County Master Gardener Association Mail To: Gardener’s Toolbox ~ Fayette County Extension Office

~ 2020 GARDENER’S TOOLBOX CLASSES ~ Majority of the classes will be held at the

Fayette County Extension Office ~ 1140 Harry Sykes Way, Lexington at 6:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Class and Time Class and Time

Tuesday, 1/28/20: Starting Transplants Indoors, Cost: $5.00

Thursday, 2/20/20: Jamie’s Recommended Vegetable Varieties, Cost: $20.00

Tuesday, 2/25/20: Easy Houseplants, Cost: $10.00 Thursday, 2/27/20: Understanding Fertilizers, Cost: Free

Thursday, 3/5/20: Pruning Trees and Shrubs, Cost: $5.00 Tuesday, 3/10/20: Vegetable Gardening for Beginners, The Basics & Early Spring Crops @ Southern States, 2570 Palumbo Drive, Cost: Free

Tuesday, 3/24/20: Local Plant Societies and Garden Clubs Fair, Cost: Free

Thursday 4/2/20: Achimenes & Other Gesneriads, Cost: $10.00

Thursday, 4/9/20: Asparagus, Cost: $20.00 Tuesday, 4/28/20: Straw Bale Gardening, Cost: $10.00

Tuesday, 5/5/20: Easy Cut Flowers from Seed, Cost: $10.00

Tuesday, 5/12/20: Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Part II, Maintenance and Summer Crops @ Southern States, 2570 Palumbo Drive, Cost: Free

Thursday, 5/14/20: Dahlias, Cost: $15.00 Tuesday, 5/26/20: Succulents, Cost: $15.00

Thursday, 6/11/20: Managing Perennials through Pruning, Cost: Free

Tuesday, 6/23/20: Sex on Six Legs, Cost: Free

Thursday, 7/9/20: Managing Lawn Weeds, Cost: Free Tuesday, 7/28/20: Water Plants, Cost: $10.00

Thursday, 8/13/20: Low Maintenance Lawn Care, Cost: Free

Tuesday, 8/25/20: Dividing Perennials, Cost: $5.00

Thursday, 9/10/20: Japanese Iris, Cost: $20.00 Tuesday, 9/22/20: Garden Worthy KY Native Perennials, Cost: $10.00

Thursday, 10/8/20: Minor Bulbs, Cost: $20.00 Tuesday, 10/27/20: Stump the Hort. Agent, Cost: Free

Thursday, 11/12/20: Common Garden Mistakes, Cost: Free

Thursday, 11/19/20: Begonias, Cost: $10.00

Thursday, 12/10/19: My Favorite Garden Tools, Cost: $5.00

CLASS FULL

NONPROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE PAID

Lexington, KY

PERMIT 112

Newsletter

Enclosed

Fayette County

“By the Yard”

Fayette County Cooperative Extension 1140 Harry Sykes Way Lexington, KY 40504-1383

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

The College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to economic or social status and will not discriminate on the bases of race, color, ethnic origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability. Inquiries regarding compliance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and other related matter should be directed to Equal Opportunity Office, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Room S-105, Agriculture Science Building, North Lexington, Kentucky 40546.

Jamie Dockery

County Extension Agent for Horticulture Cooperative Extension Service

Fayette County Extension Service 1140 Harry Sykes Way

Lexington, KY 40504-1383 (859) 257-5582

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, KENTUCKY STATE

UNIVERSITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND KENTUCKY COUNTIES, COOPERATING