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Master Gardeners of Greene County
February 2023
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Table of Contents for February's Newsletter
Planning Your 2023 Garden Part 2
2023 Home Vegetable Gardening Webinar Series by MU Extension
Sow a Successful Spring Garden - Library Classes
Gardener Conference
Author's Corner - Frank Shipe
Rain Gardens & Rain Barrels Webinar, Article & Video
Mining Bees and Nesting Habitat
Gardening/Horticulture Workshop Videos
The Importance of Rotting Logs
Please Don't Spray the Dandelions
Food Preservation Online Classes
Garden Hour with MU Extension
Newsletters of Interest
Home Gardening Webinar Series Online 2023
Buy Native Trees and Shrubs form MDC
Researched Based Garden Links
Garden Links
One Last Thought
Get Your Soil Tested Now
Previous Newsletter Link
Need a Speaker for One of Your Meetings or Groups?
Gardening Questions Hotline - Phone, Email and Web Questionnaire
Subscribe to the Newsletter
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** Editor's note: There is still plenty of time to get your soil tested. Get it done early so you can have your soil amended before spring planting season. See toward the bottom for more information. | |
Planning Out Your Garden - 2023 - Part 2 | |
'Hobby Greenhouses' by Univ. of GA Extension Topics Include: Introduction; Types of Greenhouses; Locating Your Greenhouse; Designing Your Greenhouse; Types of Frames; Beds for Growing Small Plants; Greenhouse Heating; Greenhouse Ventilation and Cooling; Other Greenhouse Necessities; Plans; References. Continue here.
'Starting Plants Indoors From Seeds' Revised by David H. Trinklein, MU Division of Plant Sciences: Many flowers and vegetables may be started from seeds indoors. Vigorous plants started indoors flower sooner and produce an earlier harvest than plants started outdoors. Seeds of certain species, however, are best sown directly outdoors when weather conditions permit and are actually delayed by transplanting. Continue reading here.
'Native Easy Landscape Plans' by Grow Native! Here are a few design ideas for smaller scale plantings using native plants. If your growing conditions differ from those described here, please talk with a Grow Native! Nursery, garden center, or landscape designer about alternative native plants that will work for you. Learn more here.
REVIEW Planning Your Garden 2023 Part 1 for basic important planning information here.
Lasagna gardening - Layers and layers of goodness' by Linda Geist for MU Extension: Lasagna gardening is no-till, no-dig gardening that uses materials typically thrown away such as kitchen and yard waste. Learn how to layer organic materials to create a garden with minimum work here.
Remember we are in Zone 6B for the SW Missouri area. Don't forget to check the recommended zone for growing plants or seeds when reading your catalogs.
Planting your garden? It is still possible to have frost across Missouri and other Midwest states. These two charts will help you determine possible frost threats, the first from the USDA is their US Hardiness Zone Map and uses zip codes here.
The second is for Hardiness Zones for Missouri counties and cities here.
Missouri Frost/Freeze Probabilities Guide this guide provides frost/freeze probabilities, tables, maps and dates for 103 National Weather Service Cooperative (NWSC) weather stations in Missouri. Learn more here.
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2023 Home Vegetable Gardening
Webinar Series by MU Extension
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February 2 - March 16, 2023
For 7 weeks each Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:00 pm via Zoom.
If you can't make a session each will be recorded so you can catch up. Cost: $50.
Detail review and registration here.
Feb 2 – Garden planning
Feb 9 – Cool season crops
Feb 16 – Warm season crops
Feb 23 – Soils
Mar 2 – Garden diseases
Mar 9 – Garden insects
Mar 16 – Garden weeds
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Sow a Successful Spring Garden
with Midwinter Know-how Gardening Classes
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In-Person Classes Sponsored by Springfield-Greene County Library District
Free
January 28 to February 13
Mark your calendars, check for registration start dates if required. These will be offered at different libraries, so be sure to check the location.
Midwinter Gardening means browsing seed catalogs, swapping seeds, starting a garden indoors and learning how to preserve your harvest. Don’t put away those green thumbs just yet! There’s much to do.
'National Seed Swap Day'
Saturday, January 28, 1-3 p.m. at the Midtown Carnegie Branch, 397 E Central St, Springfield, MO 65802, in the upstairs meeting room. Bring your seeds of any type to swap with other gardeners. Don't have seeds to share? You're still welcome to participate in the swap. Kids can make a garden craft; materials will be provided. *Note: The elevator from the basement to the 2nd floor is not operational. Please contact us two weeks prior to a program if you need special accommodation. Questions, call (417) 862-0135.
'Seed Starting 101'
Saturday, February 4, 1 p.m. in the Library Center auditorium, 4653 S Campbell Ave, Springfield, MO 65810. Get an early start on your spring garden with the Heirloom Seed Library and a Master Gardener of Greene County. Learn how to start your seeds indoors to set your garden up for success in spring and summer. A Seeding a Healthy Life event. Questions, call (417) 883-5366.
'From Seed to Table: Saving, Canning and Preserving Your Harvest'
Thursday, February 9, 6:30 p.m. at the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch, 2214 S. Brentwood Blvd, Springfield, MO 65804. As the spring growing season approaches, learn how you can maximize your gardening efforts through methods such as seed saving, canning, fermentation, dehydration, storage and organization. Christina Raley, a gardening enthusiast and member of the Springfield Community Gardens and Victory Mission Community Garden, will discuss techniques to minimize waste and maximize your gardening game. Learn how your growing efforts can help your family thrive year-round. A Seeding a Healthy Life Event. Questions, call (417) 883-1974.
Seeding a Healthy Life is provided in partnership with the Library’s Heirloom Seed Library. This project is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Missouri State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
BONUS: 'Grow Yor Own Pizza Garden Takeout Kit!'
A delicious way to get the whole family excited about gardening is to grow a pizza garden together! The Library’s free Grow Your Own Pizza Garden Takeout Kit includes peat pellets, tomato and basil seeds along with instructions for planting it at home. Kits will be available starting February 13 at libraries with an Heirloom Seed Library collection – Library Center, Library Station, Midtown Carnegie Branch, Schweitzer Brentwood Branch, Republic Branch and Mobile Library. Available while supplies last.
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2023 International Master Gardener Conference
June 18 thru June 22, 2023
You don't need to be a Master Gardener to attend! Open to the gardening public. Attend the full conference.
Early-bird registration includes the discounted rate through March 1, 2023. IMGC 2023 is taking place in Overland Park, KS which is in the Kansas City, MO area.
Interested? More information here.
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AUTHORS CORNER - Frank Shipe | |
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'Gardening calms, gives creative outlet' from Springfield Business Journal (SBJ) archives posted online April 15, 2007. Frank Shipe shares his love of gardening and the stress-relieving benefits it can provide. SBJ online here.
'Dig in: Must-have tools for hobby gardeners' from Springfield Business Journal (SBJ) archives posted online February 19, 2006. With outdoor living and gardening now such a great part of American life, it might be worth taking a quick look at the most useful gardening hand tools. Here they are, based on the consensus of many Ozarks gardeners. Learn more from SBJ online here.
'Renewal in the Garden' from Springfield Business Journal (SBJ) archives posted online Oct 15, 2006. For Ozarks gardeners, it’s time for the renewal that comes with fall and winter gardening. To learn more about garden care, read SBJ online here.
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Rain Gardens & Rain Barrels Webinar
Article & Videos
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Rain Gardens & Rain Barrels Webinar
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2023 AT 6 PM
Online event by Iowa Master Gardeners. All ages and backgrounds are welcome to attend but participation is limited to the first 500 attendees. Additional details and link to register here.
And
How to Build A Rain Barrel by Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County A step-by-step guide for building and installing a homemade rain barrel. (Check your rooftop materials before watering your vegetable garden with water collected in a rain barrel.) Learn more, pdf here.
PLUS Some added information with videos here.
And here.
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Mining Bees
Did you know that mining bees nest underground and dig intricate tunnel systems to lay their eggs in? These underground tunnel systems lead to slightly larger chambers known as brood cells, where a female mining bee will provide just enough pollen and nectar for a single egg to grow into an adult bee. These brood cells are then sealed off for protection from flooding and predatory insects. Once fully developed, new adult bees will mine their way through the sealed brood cell and make their way above ground where they can start foraging for pollen and nectar on native flowers! Approximately 70% of the 20,000 bee species in the world make their nests underground!
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Gardening/Horticulture Workshops - Videos | |
Sponsored by Springfield Community Gardens (SCG) & USDA:
Couldn't make it to a Zoom Workshop? No worries, our list with 57 videos was updated Sep 27, 2022!
You can access recordings of our Zoom Workshops on our YouTube channel anytime. Workshops presented by Patrick Byers, MU Extension, plus Justine Francesca, Ben Tegeler, Alyssa Hughes, Adam Millsap, Curtis Millsap and others.
Review the topic list, watch one or all here.
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The Importance of Rotting Logs | |
**See "The Lowly Dandelion" article below. | |
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This self-paced course provides research based information needed to safely and successfully preserve food at home. Participants of all levels of food preservation experience are welcome, including individuals with little or no previous food preservation experience. This course covers pressure canning, boiling water bath canning, steam canning, dehydration, and freezing. Highlights include preserving salsas, pie fillings, pickling, sweet spreads, and harvesting and storage of produce.
Registration is $30.00
Click here for more information and registration.
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Get your Lawn and Garden Questions Answered at the Garden Hour with MU Extension | |
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Virtual Town Hall: Mandy D. Bish - MU Extension Specialists will address lawn, garden, and insect questions during the 'Garden Hour' with MU Extension. NOW EVERY Wednesday of the month from 12-1pm. The virtual event is free. To register for the virtual event and/or ask a gardening question, please visit.
To see recordings from previous events, please check out the YouTube videos on the MU Extension IPM channel here.
For more information visit. Or contact Mandy D. Bish, MU Plant Science & Technology at (573) 882-9878 or email: bishm@missouri.edu
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'The Garden Spade Newsletter January 2023' by MU Extension Articles Include: Don't Guess - Soil Test + Caring for Ice/Snow Damaged Trees + Black-eyed Peas + Grapefruit + Basics of Ordering Seed+ What is It? + Kids Ask Dr. Bug + Jan. Gardening Tips + Upcoming Events & Flyers + Free Subscribe Now! + Share With a Friend + Details & More, Read PDF Here.
'Preserve It Fresh, Preserve It Safe Newsletter' by MU Extension Jan/Feb 2023 Featuring: Canned Soups, read more about the dos and don'ts of canning homemade soup. + Orange Marmalade, a winter-time treat! + More Food Safety News! Learn more here.
'Commercial Horticulture Newsletter' by MU Extension Jan 13, 2023 Topics: Upcoming Workshops, Conferences & Trainings + View Past Issues and Videos Including Missouri Tomato School Recordings + Resources for Growers Including Grant Opportunities + Much More In This Issue, Details here.
Lawn & Garden Newsletter by MU Extension January 2023: Do you miss your garden? Get through the winter season by looking toward spring! January is the best time to start planning your garden. This issue has January Gardening Tasks + Sparkling Amaryllis + 2023 Home Gardening Webinar Course Series. Details here.
The National Gardening Association Garden.org Newsletters (2) January 7th & 14th, 2023: Anyone who thinks gardening begins in spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the year, gardening begins in January with the dream. Review these two issues for news you can use: January 7, 2023 - Issue #599 here. PLUS: January 14, 2023 - Issue #600 here.
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Home Gardening Webinar Series Online 2023 | |
Announced by Iowa State University. (Suggested by David Trinklein, MU Extension, State Master Gardener Coordinator Missouri.) The webinars are scheduled for January 3, 2023 thru March 8, 2023.
Additional information for what appears to be a very informative series of 12 classes can be found here.
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Buy Native Trees and Shrubs from MDC | |
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Buy native trees and shrubs from Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) State Forest Nursery' Order are being taken through April 15, 2023.
Supplies are limited so order early. For complete details use this MDC link.
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Researched Based Gardening Links | |
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TWO LINKS: 'Worm composting reduces household wastes' by Rebecca Gants for MU Extension two links: Vermicomposting, or composting with worms, can reduce food wastes by up to two-thirds without the work and unsightliness of a compost pile. Learn more here. --PLUS “How to Build a Compost Bin” For information on building bins for vermicomposting and other forms of composting, see MU Extension guide G6957 here.
TWO LINKS: 'Strawberry Cultivars and Their Culture' by Michele R. Warmund, Fruit State Specialist, MU Division of Plant Sciences: Strawberries are well adapted to our climate, require a very small investment, and will produce a good crop of fruit within 13 months of planting. Popular and better-adapted varieties for Missouri. Learn more here. --PLUS VIDEO: 'Strawberry Production' A Class with MU Extension Horticulturalist Field Specialist Patrick Byers for Springfield Community Gardens is now on video here.
TWO LINKS: 'Tips for Growing Asparagus' by Rebecca Gants for MU Extension: Asparagus is a dependable perennial vegetable, often lasting in the garden for more than 15 years. continue reading here.
PLUS: To learn more, see MU Extension guide "Growing Asparagus in Missouri" Reviewed by David Trinklein here.
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TWO LINKS: 'Apples, Home Fruit Production' by Michele Warmund MU Department of Horticulture: The production of beautiful, blemish-free apples in a backyard setting is challenging in the Midwest... However, careful planning in selecting the apple cultivar and rootstock, locating and preparing the site for planting, and establishing a season-long routine for pruning, fertilizing, watering, and spraying will greatly enhance the flavor and appearance of apples grown at home. Learn more here. PLUS: More on Training & Pruning Deciduous Fruit Trees (Including Apples) pdf by Peter Andersen for MSU Dept. of Ag. here.
TWO LINKS: Black Walnut in Missouri: This nut could have a real impact on the Midwestern economy, especially in a state like Missouri, which is the leading producer of black walnuts in the world. Learn more about black walnuts in Missouri from the Missouri Dept. of Conservation here. PLUS: "Landscaping and Gardening Around Walnuts and Other Juglone Producing Plants" by Penn. State Ext. here.
TWO LINKS: 'MO Tree Health News 2022 Summary' by MDC Jan 17, 2023: Before spring arrives, look back on some of the major issues affecting Missouri’s trees and forests in 2022! Topics include: Emerald ash borer in MO + Invasive forest pest survey results + Armillaria root rot + Laurel wilt on sassafras + Weather updates + Herbicide injury on trees. Read Missouri Forest Health Highlights 2022 here. PLUS: other tree pest information including Japanese Beetles, Oak Wilt, Urban Tree Decline and more is available in Forest Health News here.
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TWO LINKS: 'Creating a Hügelkultur for Gardening with Stormwater Management Benefits' Published by OSU Ferguson College of Ag. Research Feb. 2020: “Hügelkultur” is a German word that means mound culture or hill culture. A hügelkultur is a sloped and raised planting bed filled with topsoil, wood, and organic materials." Note, "Many consider the Hugelkultur the ultimate in raised garden beds." Learn more here. PLUS: Hugelkultur - What Is It and Should It Be Used In Home Gardens? by WSU Extension here.
‘Learn To Live With Ugly After Freeze Damage to Plants' by Adam Russell, Texas A&M AgriLife: Pruning dead plant material can cause more harm through winter... expert says. The hard freeze occurred early in the winter but depending on the location... as much as two months of potential frost remain, he said. Continue reading here.
'The Lowly Dandelion' by Michele Warmund MU Division of Plant Sciences: The first dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) of the season (are) will be popping up in lawns, gardens, and roadsides. While some may consider dandelions the scourge of a manicured lawn, others relish the thought of collecting these greens for a meal or picking flowers for a batch of dandelion wine. Either way, the dandelion is an interesting and tenacious perennial [herb] plant.... The lowly dandelion has come a long way. Read on to learn more here.
'Sunflowers: A Versatile Native Crop' by Rob Myers for MU Extension: Uses of sunflowers, the largest market of sunflowers in the U.S. and worldwide is for vegetable oil production. Sunflower seeds are high in oil, typically grown for birdseed, confectionary and food use, plus cover crop use. Learn more here.
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'Growing Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) aka Indian jujube' by Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder: Zones 6 to 9. Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Best in hot and somewhat dry climates in full sun. Plants tolerate alkaline soils. Mature plants have some tolerance for drought but perform best with regular and consistent moisture. Avoid heavy, poorly drained soils. Plants will sucker from the roots. Learn more here.
'Growing Home Garden Tomatoes' This is a very popular Missouri gardening topic and we have a large readership. Some of our Missouri readers may want to review this MU Extension guide, 'Growing Home Garden Tomatoes' Reviewed by David H. Trinklein, Division of Plant Sciences here.
'2023 Year of the Sparkling Amaryllis' Published by MU Extension: Nothing brightens a windowsill in winter like amaryllis... There are more than 600 varieties of this native South American bulb currently on the market... David Trinklein, MU Extension, offers tips for growing sparkling amaryllis here.
'Black-eyed Peas for Good Luck and Prosperity' by Michele Warmund MU Plant Science & Technology: In the U.S., consuming black-eyed peas on New Year's Eve is a southern custom for good fortune in the coming year. In general, black-eyed peas are grown much like the common bush or pole types of green beans but require more time to mature. Learn more here.
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'Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei) - Invasive Species Spotlight' by MDC for MU Extension Natural Resources Live. Learn. Grow: This invasive species has escaped from landscaping where it has been used as a groundcover. It can suffocate native plants and trees. Learn more here.
'Pando, the World’s Largest Organism, Is Being Eaten by Deer' by Richard Walton for Atlas Obscura: Utah’s 106-acre stand of quaking aspen clones has survived for millennia, but faces threats... Aspen trees do tend to form clonal stands elsewhere, but what makes Pando interesting is its enormous size. Most clonal aspen stands in N.A. are much smaller, with those in the western U.S. averaging just 3 acres. Learn more here.
'Gardening Advice: Fact or Fiction' by David Trinklein, MU Plant Science & Technology Jan 9, 2023: The beginning of the new year seems like an appropriate time to address some axioms pertaining to gardening that (for better or for worse) have been passed along from gardener to gardener for decades. Learn more here.
'Get Kids Excited About Birding this Year' by National Audubon Society January 2023 Topics: Here’s to a Birdy New Year! Don’t forget to add 'Get to Know Birds' + DIY Cardboard Binoculars + How Do I Find Birds? + Meet These 20 Neighborhood Birds + Art Lesson - How Do Birds Get Their Names? + More details here.
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'Restored Prairies Bring Wildlife Back to Missouri' by Allison Kite Missouri Independent Jan 12, 2023 'Everybody can do their part.' As beautiful as a tallgrass prairie in bloom is, establishing one is equally unglamorous. Learn more, continue reading here.
A Companion Planting Technique: 'The Three Sisters of Indigenous American Agriculture' U.S.D.A. Stories from the Collection: According to Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Ph.D. Administrator, Agricultural Research Service. U.S.D.A., "in agricultural parlance, 'The Three Sisters' are crops planted together in a shared space: maize, beans, and squash…. Developed through indigenous agricultural practices, these three plants protect and nourish each other in different ways as they grow and provide a solid diet for their cultivators." Learn the history and current day aspects of this companion planting technique here.
'Biochar: An Emerging Soil Amendment' by MSU Extension (Soil Health): Biochar looks like charcoal. Lehmann and Joseph define biochar as biomass (wood, corn husks, poultry manure, etc.) heated at high temperatures in closed containers with little to no oxygen. Learn more about this here.
'Clean and Disinfect Gardening Tools and Containers' by UMN Extension Educators: Plant pathogens like bacteria, fungi and viruses cause diseases that can kill plants. Prevent the spread of disease between plants by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting your tools, equipment and garden implements. Learn how here.
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Your Integrated Pest Management Strategies
'Squash Bugs - Integrated Pest Management Strategies' by Missouri Botanical Garden: Squash bugs (Anasa tristis) are pests on all cucurbits including cucumbers, muskmelons, pumpkins, squash, and watermelon. Squash and pumpkins are the most susceptible to squash bug attack. Learn more here.
'Squash Vine Borers - Integrated Pest Management Strategies' by Missouri Botanical Garden: squash vine borer, Melittia cucurbitae, is native to Missouri. It is a serious pest of both summer and winter squash. The insect will also attack cucumbers, pumpkins, muskmelons, and watermelons. Learn more here.
'Organic Management Options for the Japanese Beetle at Home Gardens' by Lincoln U & MU Extension IPM Programs: To control this invasive pest, many people are interested in using less or no insecticides, and other control options that are safer for home-owners and also compatible with organic production. Learn more about this here.
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ONE LAST THOUGHT Have you been to the Springfield Botanical Gardens at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park, 2400 S. Scenic Ave, Springfield, MO? If not plan a group or family fall's visit today. In addition to the many beautiful floral and demonstration gardens, a number of gardening organizations are headquartered there, including MU Greene County Extension office and the Master Gardeners of Green County Hotline. Questions call 417-891-1515 or tour the gardens and all of the other attractions online. | |
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**Basic soil testing analysis is done by the MU Soil Lab in partnership with our Master Gardeners of Greene County. Results include fertilizer and lime recommendations. Additional tests are available for nutrient management plans, environmental issues, potting mixes, compost, manure and water usage. Each sample should contain a total of 2 cups of dry soil and from 6 to 7 inches deep and about 5 or 6 different areas. Results are typically provided within two weeks.
Bring the soil sample(s) to the Greene (or local county office) County Extension office between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Thursdays. Master Gardeners can complete the paperwork and submit your test. One of our extension specialists will review your results. In most cases, gardens, lawns and fields should be tested every two years.
The cost is $30 per sample. Feel free to call if you have any questions:
417-874-2963.
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Need a Speaker for a Meeting or Group? |
Master Gardeners of Greene County are unavailable at this time to speak to garden clubs, civic organizations, schools and other groups on a wide variety of topics within the world of gardening, horticulture, landscaping and the environment.
Please keep us in mind for a future date.
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