Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia

By Julie Buratowski, Nutrients for Life Foundation

Get your kids into line with this fun military cadence activity about soil! Have your ‘troops’ march around your garden while practicing this fun call-out and answer activity:

One of the most important things to do when preparing your garden is to know your soil! Want to learn more? Check out this fabulous article on “Soil Sampling for The Home Gardener.”

Hi All,

See you this Saturday, May 18th. We will be part of Spring Garden Day at Green Spring Gardens Park, 4603 Green Spring Road in Alexandria.  Master Gardeners will be selling perennials, native plants and more at Booth #13, between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, rain or shine.  Proceeds from the sale support MGNV’s public education programs.

http://mgnv.org/events/sat-may-18th-mgnv-plant-sale/

By Joyce Hilton

The minister began the sermon by asking how many in the congregation were gardeners.  Then the minister asked what was the first thing they saw when they walked into their gardens.   Silence … followed by the obvious answer … weeds!  To many of us their very existence seems to ruin an otherwise beautiful scene, leading to countless hours grousing about and cursing their existence.  Not to mention the physical labor and money expended in our weed-fighting efforts.

Fortunately, like weeds, hope springs eternal.  And there is hope.  It really is possible to diminish the footprint of these intruders in our gardens and lawns with a little preparation, a bit of persistence, a few ‘special’ tools and some tolerance.

Be forewarned, weed seeds are always present, just waiting for the opportunity to reach sunlight. A case in point, the seed of ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) can last up to 80 years in the soil.

Simple Steps for Better Weed Control

Mulch – In the fall as you put your garden to bed, consider covering it with a layer of newspaper topped with an inch or so of leaf mulch.  When spring arrives there will be fewer weeds to pull.  A light mulch after the plants are growing will continue to deter weeds.

Robin Inspecting ‘Weed free’ Garden Bed

Proper Lawn Care – Lawns, too, can be somewhat weed free. Refer to these excellent publications for further advice.

Cool Season Grasses:  http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-532/430-532.html

Warm Season Grasses:  http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-533/430-533.html

Both types of Grass: http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-520/430-520.html

Still Life With Tools

Hand Weeding – Hand weeding is a viable alternative to a chemical onslaught.  The tools pictured above offer low-tech ways for attacking individual weeds.  Although time-consuming, hand weeding is environmentally friendly and a great stress reliever.

The tools pictured above have similar functions but slightly specialized uses.  The screwdriver, forked weeder, and trowel are great for weeds with deep roots such as dandelions and white mulberry.  On the other hand, the paring knife is great for violets and similarly shallow-rooted weeds.

Organic Herbicides – The golden powder in the picture is corn gluten.  It is an organic preemergent herbicide AND a fertilizer.  It is somewhat effective when used as directed; however, remember you will be fertilizing as well as preventing seeds from germinating.  With that understanding, it is a useful tool in your arsenal.

Cylinder isolating dandelion from Forget-me-nots

Inorganic Herbicides - If a chemical must be used, cylinders in various lengths help isolate a weed so that a herbicide such as glyphosate can be applied with minimal impact on the environment.  Four-inch PVC sewer pipe is inexpensive and easily cut to varying lengths.  However, any cylinder such as a coffee can or oatmeal box with its bottom removed is just as effective.

Stake with open-ended newspaper sleeve

Problem Vine – If the problem weed is a vine growing in a shrub or other difficult to reach area, do the following.  Insert a tall stake into the ground near the vine.  Encourage the vine to wrap around the stake and climb beyond the shrub. Next, place an open-ended newspaper sleeve over the post and vine, tying it at the bottom of the sleeve.  You now have an enclosed area in which to spray the herbicide with minimal impact on the environment.  This is more effective if done early in the growing season.  In addition, though seemingly contrary to usual practice, a lightly fertilized weed will grow faster thereby enabling herbicides to be more effective.

Four Important References When Using a Pesticide

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-706/426-706.html

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-707/426-707.html

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-705/426-705.html

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-710/426-710.html

Before using a pesticide, be very familiar with what it is, how it works, all cautions as to its use, how to apply it properly and how to store it.  Also, know the name of the weed you wish to eliminate.

Get to know the weeds in your garden and lawn on a first name basis.

Weeds of the Northeast by Uva, et al. is an excellent reference.

Weeds of the Northeast by Uva, et al. (Comstock Books) is an excellent reference.

Cup Plant (Sylphium perfoliatum)

The Virginia Native Plant Society strives to inform members and the community about the beauty, value, and importance of native plants to our environment. They host monthly lectures, lead nature walks, and propagate and sell native plants for landscapes. There are two area chapters: Potowmack Chapter – Annandale and Prince William Wildflower Society – Manassas

Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants

Golden ragwort (Packera aurea)

Locally grown landscape designer and author C. Colston Burrell has authored a book “Native Alternative to Invasive Plants”, published by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Other sites which may be of use:

USNA Invasive Alternatives
VA DGIF Invasive Alternatives
Connectivut Alternatives
Butterfly Food

Male Cardinal on Solidago

Thu, May 16th
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Fairlington Community Center
3308 S. Stafford St, Arlington, VA 22206

Interested in becoming a Master Gardener?  Join current Master Gardeners for an Orientation meeting on Thursday, May 16, to learn about the Master Gardener program for Arlington/Alexandria City, including the structure of the program, course topics, and the valuable services Master Gardeners perform for their communities.  The Orientation meeting will be held in Room 118 from 6:30 to 8 :30 pm at the Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford St. (off Quaker Lane) in Arlington.  The Orientation meeting is free but please register by calling the Horticulture Help Desk at 703-228-6414 or sending an email to mgarlalex@gmail.com.

The dates for the 2013 training program are September 10 – November 21, and the fee for the program is $225 for residents of Arlington and Alexandria City and $275 for residents of other jurisdictions.

The Master Gardener program is sponsored by Virginia Cooperative Extension. Trainees receive a total of 60 hours of science-based instruction from local experts on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 am until noon (and two Saturday-morning field trips to area gardens developed and maintained by Master Gardeners).  At the end of their course work, trainees serve as interns until they have completed 60 hours of horticulture-related volunteer work in the community, following which they become certified Master Gardeners.

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Arlington Unit Administrator Kisha Simpson at 703 228-6400 during business hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.

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Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity-affirmative action employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; Jewel E. Hairston, Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State Petersburg.

 Extension is a joint program of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state and local governments.

 If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact the Arlington County Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension, 3308 S. StaffordSt., Arlington, VA 22206; (703) 228-6400/TDD/PC 1-800-1120 during business hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations at least five business days prior to the event.

If you wonder how to grow great tomatoes, which tree is best for your home landscape, or what strange insect you have found, VCE Master Gardeners can help you find the answers. We offer Plant Clinics in Arlington and Alexandria to help with these questions.  The plant clinics are held in the following four locations:

• Arlington County Farmer’s Market, intersection of N. 14^th Street and Courthouse Road, Saturdays, from 8 to 11 am, April 20 through September 28.

• Arlington Central Library Plant Clinic, 1015 N. Quincy Street, Thursdays, from 6:45 to 8:45 pm, April 11 through November 21.

• Old Town Farmers’ Market, 301 King Street, City Hall Market Square,  Alexandria, Saturdays, from 7:00 am to 9:00 am, May 4 through September 28.

• Del Ray Farmers’ Market, intersection of Mt. Vernon and East Oxford Avenues, Saturdays, from 8:30 to 11 am, May 4 through September 28.

Please bring fresh samples of problem plants, weeds or insects with you to ensure the accurate identification of any diseases or pests. VCE recommends carrying samples in plastic bags or other clear containers. For instructions on submitting live insect samples, please call the Master Gardener Help Desk.  All clinics and Help Desk are free of charge.

VCE Master Gardener Help Desk (703-228-6414), or mgarlalex@gmail.com; staffed from 9 am through 12 pm, Monday through Friday, year round.

Home gardeners are also welcome to visit the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) office weekdays at 3308 S. Stafford St., Arlington, VA, 9 am through 12 pm.

Virginia Cooperative Extension and Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia will hold a free workshop on Outdoor Pests of the Landscape on Monday, May 6, from 7 to 8:30 pm, at the Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford St., off Quaker Lane.   Kirsten Conrad Buhls, Extension Agent, will review the life cycle of mosquitos, ticks and chiggers that are common in Northern Virginia and discuss ways to prevent infestations and bites.

Registration is free and open to the public. If you are having any problems registering, please email mgarlalex@gmail.com or call 703-228-6414.

Extension is a joint program of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state and local governments. Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.