2008 Master Gardener Reading Assignments & Calendar
February 21, 2008: Soils, Planting, Mulches
- 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.
March 13, 2008: Watering Efficiently, Fertilizing Appropriately
- 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 17, 2008: Demonstration Garden Workday
Come with tools
(pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves),
prepared to work.
April 10, 2008: Right Plant, Right Place
- A Guide to Florida-Friendly Landscaping: Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Handbook - Read pp 29-37.
- Scientific Nomenclature: What's in a Name?
- 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
April 21, 2008: Demonstration Garden Workday
Come with tools
(pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves),
prepared to work.
May 8, 2008: Botany, Planting, Watering
How plants grow and why it’s important to understand. Read the following:
- 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.
May 12, 2008: Demonstration Garden Workday
Come with tools
(pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves),
prepared to work.
May 17, 2008: Demonstration Garden Open House
June 12, 2008: Lawns
Read the following materials, and do the 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 16, 2008: Demonstration Garden Workday
Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
July 10, 2008: Trees
- 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).
July 21, 2008: Demonstration Garden Workday
Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
August 14, 2008: Managing Yard Pests Responsibly
- 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 "Twolined 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. Augustinegrass.
- 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.
August 18, 2008: Demonstration Garden Workday
We will observe the special summer hours and start at 8 a.m. Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
September 11, 2008: Vegetables and Herbs
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 15, 2008: Demonstration Garden Workday, 8:00 a.m.
October 9, 2008: Right Place in the Demo Garden
October 13, 2008: Demonstration garden workday, 9:00 a.m.
October 18, 2008: Demonstration Garden Open House Saturday
October 20-22, 2008: Master Gardener State Conference
November 13, 2008: Recycling, Providing for Wildlife
November 17, 2008: Demonstration garden workday, 9:00 a.m.
December 11, 2008: Invasive Plants
December 15, 2008: Demonstration garden workday, 9:00 a.m.
January 8, 2009: Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Checklist
January 26, 2009: Demonstration garden workday
February 12, 2009: Planting, Soils, Mulching
February 16, 2009: Demonstration garden workday
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