Hot off the presses is the latest edition of the “Growing Athens County” newsletter. Take a look at all of the events going on in the county and around the state. There is also a survey on the last page that will help the Athens Extension program. Enjoy. Growing Athens County Jan 2018
Master Gardener Training Class Forming
It is time to start applying to be a Master Gardener volunteer. You can find a document explaining what is required to become a Master Gardener and an application on our website athens.osu.edu/program-areas/master-gardener-volunteers . The application is a fill-able PDF that can be saved and emailed to brown.6000@osu.edu (you must download it to your computer and open it in Adobe before it’s fill-able). You can also mail it or bring it to the office. The deadline is January 5, 2018. We will need a minimum of 10 enrolled in order to hold the classes.
During the week of January 8, we will be holding applicant interviews in order to make sure that everyone knows what they are getting into.
Time: Wednesday nights 6 PM – 9 PM and Saturday, March 3 & Saturday March 24
Cost: $110
The cost covers travel for expert speakers from around the region and state and a 3-ring binder with hundreds of pages of information on all of the class topics
This class may not be offered again until 2020.
Please contact Ed Brown at the Athens County Extension office with any questions that you might have.
740-593-8555
November Master Gardener Newsletter
The Athens County Master Gardeners have started publishing a monthly newsletter this year. Take a look at the November issue to see all that is happening with the Master Gardeners. If you are not already a Master Gardener, maybe this will inspire you. The next volunteer training class is forming now and will begin on January 17. Check back with us as will start publicizing this week. November 2017 Newsletter
A Day in the Woods finishes with upcoming programs in November
A DAY in the WOODS offers two programs, “Identifying Trees in Winter” and “Night Skies”, offered for woodland owners and enthusiasts on November 17th at the Vinton Furnace State ForestA DAY in the WOODS will wrap up the 2017 season with two opportunities on Friday, November 17th: IDENTIFYING TREES IN WINTER Fall is in the air, and many of the trees in Southeastern Ohio have already shed their leaves. This makes tree identification more difficult, but there are still many clues that you can use to identify trees in their leafless state. “Identifying Trees in Winter” will provide you with the knowledge to differentiate among the variety of trees on your property in the coming winter months. This program will take place from 9 am to 3:30 pm and will include lunch. Participants in this program will:
NIGHT SKIES The forest at night can be quite a different world, and the Vinton provides a great viewing opportunity for the stars. The program begins with an evening meal at 5:30 PM. The program will conclude at 9:30 PM. Program attendees will have the opportunity to:
There will be a registration fee of $10 for each program. To register for “Identifying Trees in Winter”, “Night Skies” or both, please RSVP by calling OSU Extension Vinton County at 740-596-5212, or email Dave Apsley at apsley.1@osu.edu by November 13th. If you are attending both programs you are welcome to hang around and explore the forest while you wait for the evening program. If you are attending the “Night Skies” program and you have a headlamp with red light, please bring it along. “A DAY in the WOODS” and the “2nd Friday Series” programs run from May through November and are sponsored by the Education and Demonstration Subcommittee of the Vinton Furnace State Forest with support from Ohio State University Extension, ODNR-Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service, Vinton County Soil and Water Conservation District, National Wild Turkey Federation, Glatfelter, Ohio Tree Farm Committee, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hocking College, Ohio Bird Conservation initiative and Ohio’s SFI Implementation Committee. 2017 Brochure: DAY in the WOODS -2-27 Final dka-20vq9o6 Map and Directions: Directions – Experimental Forest
by David Apsley on October 24, 2017 |
Athens Shade Tree Commission
Athens City has a Shade Tree Commission (ASTC), and three of its members are Master Gardeners! Master Gardeners bring different areas of expertise to the Commission: Emilie Wood has a vast knowledge, and personal experience with many species of trees, including cultivars. Nancy Walker has created a rural forest, and is the only commissioner to do the Tree Commission training. Lee Gregg is a botanist and has taught Trees and Shrubs at OU. In Athens, the ASTC is composed of seven members and an attending member of Athens City Council and works to manage and promote Athens’ urban forest.
The ASTC meets every month to deal with various issues regarding city trees, i.e. trees on city land (e.g. parks) and trees in city right of way (ROW). If you have trees in your front lawn, you may have a city tree! The good news is that the city prunes or removes hazardous city trees. On the other hand, if you want to prune or remove a city tree, you need permission. That’s where the Shade Tree Commission comes in; it decides what should be done (taking into consideration what is good for the urban forest and the householders’ situations). Another important task is guiding developers to plant the appropriate number and types of trees in any new or expanded development. The approval of the ASTC is necessary before a development can go forward.
Want to know whether you have a city tree? It really depends on your street, the right of way can differ, but often it’s 20 feet from the center of the street. The city has the information on each street.
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The ASTC meets monthly to deal with various issues involving city trees – trees on city land and in city right of ways. If you have a tree growing 20 feet from the center of the street you may have a city tree. The ASTC makes recommendations concerning pruning and removing city trees. The ASTC also makes decisions on how to maintain a healthy urban forest, including guiding developers to plant the appropriate number and types of trees.
Gladiolus – Cinda Morosko
Common and Botanical Name: Gladiolus
Type: Corm
Size: 2 ½ to 3 ft. or more
Hardiness Zone: 7-9
Origin: Southern Europe
Light: Sun or light shade
Soil: Well drained
Gladiolus, gladioli or simply “glads” happens to be my favorite flower in my cottage garden. If you want a tall plant for the middle or back of the border or an addition to the bouquet you just picked for yourself or a friend then this plant is a must in your cottage garden. Make sure you have a few curved link stakes on hand, this plant can get as tall as 3 feet or more. You should plant the corms (pointed side up) from mid-May through mid-June. The dazzling rainbow-colored blossoms appear amid sword-like foliage in July and continue through the summer depending on the variety and when and how deep you plant the corms. The genus contains about 300 species, but I prefer the grandiflorus and primulinus varieties. Gladiolus makes a great Passalong plant as well. Back in the 90’s I joined a gardening club called the Perry County Buds and Twigs. This group of buds and twigs were very generous with passing along plants, stories, and good advice whether asked for or not. Each summer when the Gladiolus is blooming, I reminiscence back to the days of those summer meetings in the backyard of a proud gardener drinking iced tea with a sprig of spearmint along with some of the nicest people I had ever met. Thank you my gardening friends for passing along a memory.
Seed to Sustainability Workshop Series
Southeast Ohio Based Seed Company, Ridge & Hollow Seed Alliance, Partners with Ohio State University InFACT Program for Statewide Workshop Series. Ridge & Hollow Seed Alliance, a program of Community Food Initiatives located in Athens Ohio, invites seed growers to attend Seed to Sustainability Workshop Series –a professional training for seed growers and plant breeders.
The workshops are led by faculty from Ohio State University, Ohio University, Miami University and Antioch College as well as staff from Cleveland Seed Bank. The series involves four workshop locations; each location includes four presenters and a locally catered lunch. Workshops provide professional training for seed savers, growers and plant breeders; create the foundation for a statewide seed savers alliance and expand opportunities and reduce barriers for small-scale seed producers in Ohio.
SEED TO SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOP SERIES LOCATIONS AND DATES:
– SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 9TH OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY ARDEN BALLROOM, WOOSTER, OH
– SATURDAY OCTOBER 21ST ANTIOCH COLLEGE MCGREGOR HALL, YELLOW SPRINGS OH
– SATURDAY NOVEMBER 4TH CLEVELAND METROPARKS WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP CENTER, CLEVELAND OH
– SATURDAY JANUARY 21STATHENS COMMUNITY CENTER, ATHENS OH
For more information and registration please visit: communityfoodinitiativesorg.presencehost.net/s2s-workshop The Seed to Sustainability Workshop Series is a partnership project between Ridge & Hollow Seed Alliance and Ohio State University’s Initiative for Food and AgriCultural Transformation (InFACT). Ridge & Hollow Seed Alliance, a program of Community Food Initiatives, works to build a network of seed growers, preserve Appalachian heritage and increase market demand for locally saved seeds. Community Food Initiatives is an Athens Ohio based non-profit working to foster communities where everyone has equal access to healthy, local food.
Jess Chadwell
Ridge & Hollow Seed Alliance Developer
Community Food Initiatives
740.593.5971 | jess@communityfoodinitiatives.org
Test Your Canner This Saturday
Many of you may have home gardens that are starting to put on summer produce and some may be thinking about canning that produce. Make sure that your pressure canner is working correctly by having it checked. The Athens County Master Gardeners will have an OSU educator at their booth at the Athens Farmers Market on August 19. All you will need to bring is the lid. They will test the pressure gauge and the seal. There is no cost. This will be the last testing of the season.
Farm Science Review
The Farm Science Review will be held September 19,20 and 21. Tickets are available at the Athens County Extension Office, now through September 18. Tickets are $7 now or $10 at the gate. We accept credit and debit cards, checks, and money orders.
The Farm Science Review, one of the nation’s premier agricultural trade and education shows, will be held at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio, September 19-21.
New for this year’s 55th Farm Science Review, visitors will be able to “Map Your Show” on a new mobile app in preparation for the three-day event. The app will be available in app stores beginning in July. Visitors will be able to browse the interactive map and search for specific exhibitors or product categories.
Sponsored by The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, the Farm Science Review offers landowners, farmers and conservationists the opportunity to learn about the latest agricultural innovations in research.
Tickets are $7 and will sell online at fsr.osu.edu. They will also be available at county extension offices and participating local agribusinesses. Tickets can be purchased at the gate for $10 and children ages 5 and under are free.
“Visitors will be able to see over 4,000 product lines exhibited by 640 exhibitors,” said Nick Zachrich, Farm Science Review Manager. More than 120,000 usually attend the event.
Educational presentations, demonstrations and displays are ongoing throughout the three days, said Zachrich. Research tours on water quality, nutrient management and other topics in partnership with Ohio State and Beck’s Hybrids will be available.
Visitors seeking credits for Certified Crop Advisors (CCA) or pesticide application recertification should check the event schedule or watch for press releases in August and September, said Zachrich.
Shuttle wagons will be leaving from the west end of the show site throughout the day to transport visitors to the Gwynne Conservation Area where there will be a focus on wildlife, woodland and aquatics educational opportunities, as well as a streambank protection installation.
Shuttle wagons will also take visitors to a variety of field demonstrations featuring different agronomic operations. Demonstrations include drainage installation, UAV’s (unmanned aerial vehicles), cornstalk baling and much more, said Zachrich.
Squash Beetle is Active in Hocking County
A bug that has been found in Hocking County starting in early summer is the Squash Beetle. It was originally found on honeydew and muskmelon plants.
Squash Beetle adult on muskmelon leaf with feeding damage
They have migrated from the fruit to a nearby planting of mouse melon and have started to feed on the leaves and breeding.
Squash Beetle larvae on mouse melon leaf
University of Maryland Factsheet –> Squash Beetle