March - April 2023 Hort Newsletter
Preview This Newsletter
As quickly as Christmas has come and gone, spring will be here shortly. We have some great programs coming up and our plant sale.
Make sure to follow us on Facebook: "Mason County Extension Horticulture."
Macy Fawns
Horticulture agent
Tulips are typically planted in the fall and start blooming in March. There are 150 species with over 3000 varieties, and they are a part of the lily family. Blooms usually last 3-7 days and have one flower per stem. However, some varieties can have four flowers on one stem.
In this Edition
Gardening Publication
Timely Tips
Plant order
Up Coming Events
Recipe
Home vegetable gardening publication is a must have
Source: Jamie Dockery, UK extension horticulture agent
Each spring, we get a lot of questions about gardening and growing vegetables. One of the first places we direct people to is the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service’s ID-128, Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky. Some people refer to this publication as the Bible for home vegetable gardening in this state because it provides educational foundation for successful gardening in Kentucky.
Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky is available in all county extension offices. It is also available online and can be downloaded to any device. The 50-page book has information to benefit new and seasoned gardeners. The publication walks you through plant selection, soil preparation, site selection, crop rotation, crops, planting dates, diseases, pests and their treatment options for organic and conventional operations. You can also find information on gardening small spaces, intensive gardening, container gardening and how to extend the growing season.
The booklet covers the ins and outs of caring for your vegetables during the growing season and how to store your vegetables after harvest.
Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky and is available online at http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs.
March & April Timely Tips
Flowers
What should be pruned in March:
- Roses, Summer/Fall flowering shrubs
(Crape Myrtles should wait until April)
- Burning Bush/Privet/Hedges, Boxwood, Holly, Taxus, Laurel & all other evergreens (March-July)
Vegetable
- Cool-season plants can be planted such as cabbage, kale, lettuce, onions, peas, etc.
- Start seeds indoors for tomato, eggplant, pepper, and watermelon.
- Garden soil should not be worked when wet.
Fruit
- Prune fruit trees in Feb-March. Peach trees are sensitive and should wait to prune until harsh weather is over.
- Prepare a spray schedule for your fruit as spraying on time is very important for disease and insect control.
Plant Order Form
- Farmers Market Training Flyer
- Farm Management Strategies For Improved Decision Making Flyer
- Apple grafting/ pruning workshop flyer
- Farm Family Night Flyer
- The Monarch Class Flyer
- Beekeeper 101 Flyer
- Growing Strawberries Class Flyer
- Seed Library Flyer
- Scale Check Flyer
- Butternut Squash Health Bar Recipe
