Master Gardener Calendar of Monthly Events
2009-2010 (includes new class reading assignments)
2009
January 8, 2009 Basic Training Class: Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Checklist
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
January 24, 2009 Continuing Education Opportunity: Climate Change Workshop
9:00 am - 12:30 pm, NFREC, Quincy (I-10 to exit 181; then right 1/4 mile to entrance) (3 CEU HRS)
January 26, 2009: Demonstration garden workday
9:00 am - 12:00 noon. Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
January 29, 2009 Continued Education Opportunity: Tour of Turkey Hill Farms
10:00-12:00 ( 2 CEU'S) Directions: From the intersection of I-10 and Highway 90(Mahan Drive) going towards Monticello, it is 5 miles to Baum Rd. Turn left onto Baum Rd. and drive 1/4 mile to the farm on the left. The owners do charge a fee of $5 for each of us. So please bring the exact amount as to not delay the tour. Turkey Hill Farm grows vegetables and fruit for market using interesting techniques. Please wear walking shoes as we will be walking around the farm. The owners, Herman Holley and Louise Devine, would like to know how many of us will be attending. So please notify Vicky McClure if you will be attending via her email: mcclure.vicky@gmail.com
February 4, 2009 Continuing Education Opportunity: Deciduous Tree ID in Winter
9:00 am - 12:00 - Meet at Extension Center. (3 CEU HRS)
February 9, 2009 Continued Education Opportunity: Deciduous Tree ID in Winter
1:00 - 4:00 pm - Meet at Phipps Park on Meridian Rd. (3 CEU HRS)
February 12, 2009 Basic Training Class: Planting, Soils, Mulching
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Reading Assignment:
- Visit the
Soil Testing Laboratory Web site and familiarize yourself with it. Pay special attention
to the ESTL Analysis page because it has the soil testing forms. - From UF Edis web site read the following publication about soil pH.
- Protect and Improve Your Soil
- Manage Your Soil
- A Guide to Florida-Friendly Landscaping: Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Handbook - (You will be given a copy of this at the March 13 class) Read pp 22-25 on Proper Tree Planting. Then read pp 57-61 on Mulch.
February 12, 2009 Continued Education Opportunity: How to Start a Spring Vegetable Garden
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm. Leon County Extension Center - Cost $2.00 per person, $3.00 couples - Call 606-5202 to reserve seats
February 16, 2009: Demonstration Garden Workday
9:00 am - 12:00 noon. Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
February 19, 2009 Continued Education: Bats & Owls
11:00-12:00 presentation (1 CEU HR). After presentation there will be installation of the new owl house (can earn additional CEU's)
March 12, 2009 Basic Training Class: Watering Efficiently, Fertilizing Appropriately
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Reading Assignments:
- A Guide to Florida-Friendly Landscaping: Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Handbook - (You will be given a copy of this at the March 13 class) Read pp 39-45 on Watering Efficiently. Read pp 47-56 on Fertilizing Appropriately.
- Read this information on micro-irrigation. This information is provided for the purpose of information only and not as advertising. But this is where we buy the components for the micro-irrigation system in the demo garden.
- Fertilizers for Home Gardeners
- The Florida Fertilizer Label
- Plant Nutrients and Fertilizers for the Non-Farmer
- Soil pH and the Home Landscape or Garden
- Producing Garden Vegetables with Organic Soil Amendments
- Organic Vegetable Gardening
- Soil Plant Water Relationships
- Answer these questions before coming to class (click here).
- Remember to bring your soil test results report to class.
March 16, 2009 Demonstration Garden Workday
9:00 am - 12:00 noon. Come with tools
(pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves),
prepared to work.
March 21-26, 2009: International Master Gardener Conference,
Alexis Park Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada
March 25, 2009: Tour of the Monticello Vineyards & Winery and Ladybird Organic 10:00 am to 12:00 pm - $5.00 per person. 2 CEU Credits
March 28, 2009: Garden Friends of the Big Bend Inc. 2nd Annual Speaker Dinner -Starts at 6:30 pm 155 Research Road, Quincy, FL.
April 9, 2009 Basic Training Class: Botany and Tree Biology
9:00 am - 1 pm
Reading assignments:
- Scientific Nomenclature: What's in a Name?
- How Trees Grow in the Urban Environment
- Read this simple but important understanding of botany called How Plants Work.
- If you want to do further reading on the subject, Stan suggests the book, Botany for Gardeners by Brian Capon.
- Answer these questions (click here) and come to class prepared to be called on to answer them.
April 20, 2009: Demonstration Garden Workday
9:00 am - 12:00 noon. Come with tools
(pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves),
prepared to work.
April 30, 2009: Master Gardeners Spring Tour of Gardens
Who: All Active Certified Master Gardeners, no need to preregister
When: Thursday, April 30, 2009
Meet at 9:00am to begin tour at 9:15a
Where: Car pooling is mandatory Parking is limited. Four to a car is a must!
May 14, 2009 Basic Training Class: Right Plant, Right Place
9:00 am - 1 pm
- A Guide to Florida-Friendly Landscaping: Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Handbook - Read pp 29-37.
- Groundcovers for North Florida
- Vines for Florida
- Vines in Georgia
- Visit this website and its associated links to know where to find various information on flowers, http://horttips.ifas.ufl.edu/Flowers/Flowers/flowers.htm
- Selected Shrubs for North Florida
May 14, 2009
Floriculture Field Day (click on link for details)
May 18, 2009: Demonstration Garden Workday
9:00 am - 12:00 noon. Come with tools
(pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves),
prepared to work.
May 21, 2009: Farmhouse Daylily Garden
May 29, 2009: Demonstration Garden Open House Final Prep Meeting
9:30 am - 11:30 am.
May 30, 2009: Spring Demonstration Garden Open House
MG'ers needed 8:30 am until 1:00 pm
June 11, 2009 Basic Training Class: Lawns
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Reading Assignments:
Do these homework questions (click here).
- Read this on growing grass in shaded areas.
- Visit
this site from the Florida Lawn Handbook and read the material on "other pests".
Then look
through the rest of the Lawn Handbook to familiarize yourself with what it contains: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_BOOK_Other_Pests No, you don't have to read it all! - See this site on a fire ant control product, Over 'N Out:
- Practice using this lawn problem diagnostic flow chart.
- Read this info on summer and fall lawn problems.
- Here's a site on identifying common lawn weeds.
- The section in this publication for lawn care professionals has the best information on weed control products.
- http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP141 ; More good info on weed control in lawns. Especially note the info about timing of herbicide applications.
- Here is some information on effectiveness of lawn fungicides for gray leaf spot of St. Augustine grass.
- If someone wants to submit a plant sample to our Plant Diagnostic Clinic in Quincy, this is the form.
June 15, 2009: Demonstration Garden Workday
8:00 am - 11:00 noon. Note the time change because of the heat. Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
JUNE 25, 2009: Master Gardener Visit at Mission San Luis - http://www.missionsanluis.org
Come join fellow master gardeners for a tour of Mission San Luis. The focus of the program is gardening and horticulture in the 17th century when Florida climate was different. Emphasis is on organic gardening, heirloom plants, herbal and medicinal plants and field crops. There are also decorative plants at the Spanish House that would have been brought over from Spain at the time. We are to meet with costumed interpreters who provide an introduction to life at the Mission.
The tour is two hours long, so wear comfortable shoes for walking and bring your water bottle.
Who: All Certified Master Gardeners, no need to preregister.
When: Thursday, June 25, 2009
Visit begins at 9:00 a.m. Be there at least 10 minutes before!!!!!
Where: 2020 Mission Road 487-3711
The only way to enter is at the formal entrance on Tennessee Street (Hwy. 90), west of Ocala Road.
In case of rain, an alternate day may be rescheduled. Contact Lana Arnold 422-7758 h or 509-7758 call for questions.
Also, mark your calendars for the Gardening Friends of Big Bend Crape Myrtle Field Day featuring Dr. Michael Dirr on June 27.
Coming up CEU programs are:
July to be announced
August - SPIDERS! Held at 7pm at the Ag. Center and in demo garden. Get up close and personal with the spiders.
September - Salter Tree and Wildflower and O’Toole’s Herbs in Madison, Fl.
July 9, 2009 Basic Training Class: Managing Yard Pests Responsibly
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Reading Assignments:
- A Guide to Florida-Friendly Landscaping: Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Handbook - Read pp 67-78.
- Read "Homeowner's Guide to Pesticide Safety"
- Interpreting Pesticide Label Wording
- Read "Insect Management on Landscape Plants". Consider downloading the PDF version and printing yourself a copy.
- Read "Southern Chinch Bug Management on St. Augustinegrass"
- Read "Two-lined Spittlebugs in Turfgrass"
- Read "Lawn Caterpillars"
- Read "Nematode Management in Residential Lawns"
- Read about "Take-all Root Rot" in lawns.
- Read about "Brown Patch" disease in lawns.
- Read about "Gray Leaf Spot" of St. Augustine grass.
- Review "Weed Management in Home Lawns" again.
- Review the Roundup label. (View at 150% if you're having trouble reading the fine print)
- Regarding weed control in beds, read "Weed Control in Annual Color Beds", from NC State University.
- Read about carpenter bees.
- Read about Subterranean Termites and the Formosan Subterranean Termite
- This Division of AES, Bureau of Entomology and Pest Control - Termite Help.Org - FDACS site is a valuable resource of information about termite control in Florida.
- Read about Powderpost Beetles and Other Wood Infesting Insects.
- Read about Nuisance Wildlife.
- Read about Moles.
- Read about Fire Ant Control Materials. Also read this on Stinging or Venemous Insects or Related Pests and this on Fire Ant control principles.
- Read about Cockroach Control.
- Print and answer these questions; bring them to class.
July 20, 2009: Demonstration Garden Workday
8:00 am - 11:00 noon. Note the time change because of the heat. Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
August 13, 2009 Basic Training Class: Trees
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Reading Assignments:
- Go to this Division of Forestry website, and study the sections on insect and disease pests of trees.
- Go to this web site and read the publication Dispelling Misperceptions About Trees
- Also check out the Urban Forestry Section on our web page.
- Then answer these questions, (click here)
August 17, 2009: Demonstration Garden Workday
8:00 am - 11:00 noon. Note the time change because of the heat. Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
September 10, 2009 Basic Training Class: Vegetables and Herbs
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Reading assignments:
Vegetables. Answer these questions (click here) before coming to class. References:
- Soil Preparation And Liming ;
- Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide ;
- Planting Guide: An easy-to-read and helpful chart. ;
Then study these two color insect sheets: Vegetable Garden Insect sheet 1, and 2. Then... so that you don't confuse the bad guys with the good guys, go to the insect sheets on beneficial insects:
- Beneficial Insects Sheet 1
- Beneficial Insects Sheet 2
- Beneficial Insects Sheet 3
- Beneficial Insects Sheet 4
Then, for vegetable disease references, go to the UF-IFAS Extension Plant Disease Control Guide section on vegetable crops, and the Cornell vegetable diseases website , and familiarize yourself with how they work and how you can find descriptions and photos of diseases there. Don't concern yourself with any pesticide recommendations given there; they are for commercial vegetable crops and not home vegetable gardens. As a MG, you will stick to control recommendations given in the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide.
September 21, 2009: Demonstration Garden Workday
8:00 am - 11:00 noon. Note the time change because of the heat. Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
October 8, 2009 Basic Training Class: Right Place in the Demo Garden
Open this Word document and save it to your computer. Then follow the directions for filling in the information about the plants in your section of the garden. To research your plant, see it in the demo garden, note when it was planted, etc. Then Google the plant and see what you can find out about the plant, keeping in mind that we want to know how it does here, not in south Florida or in New York as an indoor plant. You may also see the plant in local nurseries and ask about it there. Learn all you can. But your information needs to be concise and fit in the space provided.
October 19, 2009: Demonstration Garden Workday
9:00 am - 12:00 noon. Note the change back to the normal hours. Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
November 2 - 4, 2009: State Master Gardener Conference,
Hilton Hotel, Ocala, FL
November 12, 2009 Basic Training Class: Recycling, Providing for Wildlife
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Reading assignments:
- Read the chapters on "Attracting Wildlife" and "Recycling" in "A Guide to Florida-Friendly Landscaping". Here's the link http://fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/materials/handbook.pdf but remember that you have a copy of this book.
- Read through "Landscaping
Backyards for Wildlife: Top Ten Tips for
Success", http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/education/digital_teacher_notebook_june_2007/part_4/General Native, Non-native and Invasive Plant Info/13_IFAS UW175 Landscape Backyard Wildlife.pdf - Read "Wildlife Food for the Fall", http://leon.ifas.ufl.edu/News_Columns/2004/103104.pdf
- Read "Dead Wood: Key to Enhancing Wildlife Diversity in Forests"
- Read "Brush Piles for Wildlife", http://santarosa.ifas.ufl.edu/portal/module 8 recycle/8BrushPile.html
- Although this publication, "Build a Brushpile", is from Iowa, it still applies to our area,
- This University of Georgia
publication, "Building Shelter for Wildlife",
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0785/ even talks about building a living brush pile.
- Go through Florida's On-line Composting Center, http://compost.ifas.ufl.edu/tutorial/
- TAPP Think About Personal Pollution http://www.tappwater.org/
November 16, 2009: Demonstration Garden Workday
9:00 am - 12:00 noon. Note the change back to the normal hours. Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
December 10, 2009 Basic Training Class & Holiday Party for All MG'ers: Invasive Plants
9:00 am - 12:00 noon
-
Bring a covered dish or dessert for lunch. We will have a program followed by lunch.
-
Visit the IFAS Assessment of Non-native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas website. This is the source we use for which plants are invasive and which ones aren't. It is the IFAS assessment of individual plants for invasiveness. Look at north Florida plants which are considered invasive.
-
Answer these questions. Bring them to class.
December 14, 2009: Demonstration Garden Workday
9:00 am - 12:00 noon. Note the change back to the normal hours. Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
2010
January 14, 2010 Basic Training Class: Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Checklist
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
January 25, 2010: Demonstration Garden Workday
9:00 am - 12:00 noon. Note the change back to the normal hours. Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
February 11, 2010 Basic Training Class: Planting, Soils, Mulching
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Reading Assignment:
- Visit the
Soil Testing Laboratory Web site and familiarize yourself with it. Pay special attention
to the ESTL Analysis page because it has the soil testing forms. - From UF Edis web site read the following publication about soil pH.
- Protect and Improve Your Soil
- Manage Your Soil
- A Guide to Florida-Friendly Landscaping: Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Handbook - (You will be given a copy of this at the March 13 class) Read pp 22-25 on Proper Tree Planting. Then read pp 57-61 on Mulch.
February 15, 2010: Demonstration Garden Workday
9:00 am - 12:00 noon. Note the change back to the normal hours. Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
General Resources
- University of Florida
- Books Can Save Lives
- Environmental Horticulture Department
- Florida Master Gardener Notebook
- Florida Master Gardener Program (State Level)
- Handy Web Sites for the Master Gardener
- Local Gardening Info Sources
- Master Gardener Books On-Line
- Reliable Web Resources for Tallahassee Gardeners
- Vegetable Planting Calendar for North Florida
- Other Universities
- Alabama Cooperative Extension Service
- Georgia Cooperative Extension Service
- Mississippi State University Extension System
- Associations & Organizations
-
Understanding Plant Names (Botanical Names)
--Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society