WINTER IS AMONG US
JANUARY 2021
VOLUME 166
Current Status of Your Tulsa Master Gardeners

  • The OSU Tulsa County Extension Office building remains locked but you can ring the doorbell and someone will let you in. If you don't have a mask, you will be given one and social distancing rules apply. 

  • Most Master Gardener events are postponed until further notice.

  • Soil samples can be left at the Southwest door of the OSU Extension Office in a black lock box. There is a form and a soil bag in a tub on top of the lock box. $10/sample.

  • While walk-ins to our Diagnostic Center are not available at this time, hotline voice messages are picked up daily and will be responded to as quickly as possible.

  • The MG phone lines are active again, so call us with all your questions.

  • MG e-mail traffic is being monitored remotely and will be responded to as quickly as possible.

  • The Tulsa Master Gardener Facebook page is still live and active.
January Horticultural
& Garden Tips

Learn about what you should be doing in the month of JANUARY. A selection of Garden Tips can be found by clicking GARDEN TIPS.

From Green Country Master Composters
Happy New Year, Composters!

January is often a month of fresh starts and new beginnings. If you have been thinking about starting a compost system or revamping your current compost system, this is the month to get started.

First, you will need a plan - a plan that should begin by making a few basic decisions:
  • How much space do I have for my composting project?
  • Where would I locate a compost bin or pile?
  • What materials do I plan to compost?
  • How big do I want to make the bin or pile?
  • How much time and effort do I want to spend maintaining my compost system?

All good questions. Then, once you decide what you want, know that there are many options available to you, such as:
  • You can make your own bin
  • You can purchase a manufactured compost bin
  • There are cylindrical bins you can turn with a handle
  • There are square bins
  • Some bins are adjustable to accommodate the size of your compost pile as it grows
  • You can rake leaves into a corner of your yard and let nature take its course
  • You can spend hundreds of dollars on a system

Some people have been composting for decades, though they didn't know it at the time! Remember all those leaves that were left in your flower beds or piled near the garage? If so, when you cleaned up the debris the following spring, you may have found rotting leaves & tiny composting critter assistants. That's a compost system started by humans and finished by mother nature - who is really the one in charge!

Want to learn more about composting? Here are a few suggestions:

Each month there will be a Composting Connection in the newsletter for you. So, watch for more information about getting started with composting in next month's Compost Connection.
GARDENING THERAPY:
IT'S HEALTHY TO GET OUTDOORS
Getting cabin fever from a combination of the pandemic and colder weather? Want to improve your physical and mental health? Want to find something to do that doesn't take a lot of time, space, and money? Gardening may just be the answer.

Clearly, most of us have been affected in one way or another. Last year was one of the most challenging years in recent history in so many ways. Commercial closures, travel restrictions, social distancing, gathering size limitations, and mask wearing took a toll on many of us. Luckily, 2020 is behind us now and, hopefully, 2021 will be much better.

For some perspective on how gardening can help you both physically and mentally, and some easy ideas on how to make it happen, click on GARDENING THERAPY.
2021 GARDENING RESOLUTIONS
It’s that time of the year again when we look forward to establishing new year resolutions. Research shows that many people put exercising and healthy eating at the top of their list. Well, what better way to meet both goals than by gardening! You can achieve both while learning new things, going green, and just having a great time outdoors.

Click on 2021 RESOLUTIONS for some inspiring ideas, ways to achieve your gardening resolutions, and to get you started on your best gardening year ever.
WINTER COMPOSTING:
IS IT DOABLE?
Homemade compost may be the single best way to add nutrients and organic matter to both your flower beds and vegetable gardens. Using a stationary compost bin or one with several bins can allow the gardener to continue to ‘make’ compost all winter long. So, yes, it is doable but there are a few keys to success.

To be a successful composter all year long, click on WINTER COMPOSTING to find out how. Also included are some great additional reading resources.
WINTER CARE FOR BIRDS:
HOW WE CAN HELP
Oklahoma’s central North American geographical position offers unique topographical and climate diversity to its 355 regularly-occurring bird species. Of these, not all are migratory. Many nest here and are permanent residents. So, as we enjoy these colder January temps indoors where it's warm, consider what birds have to do to survive outdoors where it's cold.

There are several easy things that we can do to help our avian friends through the winter, starting with supplemental food, water, and shelter. In addition to helping with their current needs, consider now plantings for their next year’s food supply, a year-round water source, and vegetative and natural habitat structures. 

For information on what birds need and how we can help them, click on WINTER CARE FOR BIRDS.
January Short Story:
Southwest Injury / Sunscald
Be on the lookout for this type of injury this winter. Called "Southwest Injury" or "Sunscald", it can potentially do major damage to your trees.

Click on SUNSCALD for more information on what causes it and how to prevent it from happening.
There are two seasonal diversions that can ease the bite of any winter. One is the January thaw. The other is the seed catalogues.

Hal Borland (1900-1978)
Spring Vegetable Garden:
Starting With Seedlings
With the dead of winter now clearly here, more time is obviously spent indoors. What better time than now to start planning your spring vegetable garden! One of the best ways to start that spring vegetable garden is to start some seedlings indoors. While it may still be a bit early to actually plant those seeds, doing some early planning will certainly pay off.

For some proven steps on how best to start seeds indoors, click on SPRING SEEDLINGS.
DID YOU KNOW?

Since 1983, the Tulsa Master Gardeners have been serving the public by offering research-based horticultural information to residents of Tulsa and the surrounding area. The Tulsa Master Gardener Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) organization. As such, it receives no city, state or federal funding for its Tulsa community outreach programs. In fact, the Tulsa's Master Gardener programs are self-funded by its own fundraisers, from member donations, and from public donations.

The main Tulsa Master Gardener fundraiser is its Annual Spring Plant Sale that is held each April. Other fundraisers include the Garden Tour and Garage Sale in June. And, one of the most important income sources that sometimes gets overlooked are the personal and corporate donations. These are so important in helping us to meet our financial obligations and we want you to know they are very much appreciated. 

MG Endowment Fund
 
The Tulsa Master Gardeners have been around for over three decades and we plan to be around for many more decades. Furthermore, we are considered one of the top five Master Gardener county programs in the entire nation. We are because of the size of our Foundation membership, the number, diversity and activity level of our various community outreach programs, and our overall financial strength! 
 
So, we are pleased to announce, in partnership with the Tulsa Community Foundation, the Master Gardener Foundation has established an Endowment Fund to ensure our long-term financial strength. Our plans are to build this fund for many years before making any withdrawals from it. Please consider us as you make your annual gift giving as well as longer-term estate planning decisions. Remember, all donations are fully tax deductible! 
 
If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to help fund the long-term success of the Tulsa Master Gardener program, click on  
 
If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to help fund the Tulsa Master Gardener program's annual expenses, click on
 
We thank all of you for having been such faithful contributors both in the past and in advance for your future consideration and participation! Proud to be a part of the Tulsa area - such a giving community! 

Recognizing those folks that have donated so generously over the past month:

MG FOUNDATION GENERAL FUND
Carol Larson
Teri White
Jackie Rago
Stephanie De Verges
Helen Huntington
Sheryl Chadd
Lora Marshall
June & Kenneth Scoggins
Alyne Eiland
John Mowry
Don Skillern
Tom Rains
Judy Feuquay
Patrick & Estella Franken
Greg & Mary Pittman

MG FOUNDATION ENDOWMENT FUND
Oklahoma Pest Management Association
Teri White
Kathy Supernaw
John Mowry
Carroll Hunt
Debby Bezan
Ann Humes
Phyllis Campbell
Harold & Sheryl Springer
Julienne Lovelace
Janet Dundee

IN HONOR OF BILL SEVIER
John Mowry
Sheryl Chadd
Dianne Nail

IN HONOR OF LARRY WEWERS
Dianne Nail

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Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services.