University of Missouri Extension Clinton County

The Clinton County Master Gardeners meet the second Wednesday of the month at the Clinton County Youth Building 1 mile east of Plattsburg.

Gardening with the Masters

Looking for a new plant to add to your garden or flower bed? Are you looking for an annual or a perennial? Do you know the difference?

Annuals are those great bloomers that grow and bloom profusely but only last one season. Then the cold of the winter kills the plant. Perennials are those plants that can survive the winter cold and return for several years. Depending on the type of perennial, you may have blooms for a few weeks or for a couple of months. Some bloom only during one season and some bloom from midsummer into fall. For perennials you save on planting each year, but may give up the constant bloom of the annuals.

Daylilies are a favorite of many people even though each bloom lasts for only one day. Most of the modern varieties have several stems with several flower buds that open over a period of several days or weeks. The Stella d'Oro is a variety that many homeowners use in landscaping because it reblooms and seems to produce yellow blooms most of the summer into the fall. There will also be peach colored daylilies for sale.

Bee Balm or Monarda attracts not only bees but also hummingbirds into your garden. Purple coneflower is a popular native species. The black-eyed Susan or Rudebeckia will bloom twice if you cut the first blooms. They make nice cut flowers for bouquets.

Decorative grasses have become a popular addition to flower beds in recent years. Ribbon grass is attractive with its white and green blades. Miscanthus is a clump forming grass that needs little care.

Several shade loving plants will be offered. Solomon's seal, may apple, hardy ferns, hosta and lily of the valley can all be grown in shade. Ground covers from the sedum or stonecrop family come in several colors and varieties. They can be grown in partial shade or sun.
Please visit us on Saturday to buy a perennial, ask a gardening question, or just to visit with enthusiastic gardeners like yourself.

If you have a gardening question, you can call the Master Gardener hotline at 816-539-3765 (Clinton County Extension Office) or e-mail your question to clintonco@missouri.edu.

Gardening with the Masters

Winter is upon us. With all the ice and snow we have had perhaps you have wondered about the the best way to take care of your lawn and shrubs.

Let's first consider the matter of cleaning your sidewalks. The kind of deicer you use will have a great impact on your grass and possibly shrubs close to the walk. Do not use table salt as a deicer. It is not the most effective deicer, but when the runoff reaches the roots of nearby plants, it is a very effective plant killer. When shopping for a deicing product, look for potassium chloride, magnesium chloride or calcium chloride. Potassium chloride will work best if the temperature remains above 15 degrees. Magnesium chloride calcium chloride will work down to 5 degrees. Anytime it is below 5 degrees. no deicer will work. To get the best results from your deicer, use as little as possible and apply it before the precipitation starts. It will be the least effective applied on top of the snow.

Now let's assume you didn't apply that deicer since the weather just called for snow and you can always shovel that. It is tempting to throw the snow into a pile. That is not a good thing for the lawn under that pile. It is much netter if you will scatter the snow instead of piling it up. Also avoid walking on frozen grass. It may in the grass. What if it is either walk on the grass or fall on the sidewalk that didn't get deiced? Grass heals better than broken bones. If the winter storm brought only snow, you should gently brush off any heavy snow weighing down branches of shrubs or trees. If, however, it was an ice storm, allow the ice to melt naturally from the limbs. Trying to knock off the ice could break the branches. If the ice is so heavy that it does break the branches of the trees, prune those branches as soon as feasible. But do not prune other uninjured branches until the weather has warmed up.

If you have a gardening question, you can call the Clinton County Extension Office Master Gardener hotline at 816-539-3765 or e-mail your question to clintonco@missouri.edu.

Gardening with the Masters

      It is time for all that work in the vegetable gardens to start paying off. Those Master Gardeners that raise vegetables were asked to share their favorite vegetable or a new vegetable they are trying this year.
      Master Gardener Larry W. Golubski responds: This year I have planted a vegetable for the first time - Leeks. It was a result of having some extra space in the garden and seeing plants at Cameron Greenhouse when shopping for potato seed. The plants were in a rectangular peat pot and only cost $1.69, so I thought why not try them.
   Each plant was so small and thin, not even as thick as a pencil, but there were so many! I asked the owner about how many were in the pot, she said they try for about a hundred. What would I do with 100 leeks! Don't worry she says only about half will live, so plant them close together.
      I dug a five inch deep trench, planted the leeks, and watered them well. Waited for half to die, but all except two are alive and well! At the current time they are about 12 inches high and healthy. I have even hilled up additional soil around them. It won't be long till harvest - and then what? A family can eat only so much leek and potato soup!
Master Gardener Valerie Wright responds: My favorite vegetable. That's a hard one since I really enjoy the variety of vegetables my garden produces. I'm going to pick Garlic. While it's a member of the Allium or onion family and it's considered an herb, it is a hardy, pest resistant, and an easy to grow plant. The variety I have, I've grown since the early '80's. Though the years I've lost its name, but it doesn't seem to mind. It rewards me with nice sized bulbs packed with cloves every summer. All I have to do is plant separate cloves every fall in a 4' by 4' section of average garden soil. I try to keep the plot weeded and I pinch the tops so they don't go to seed. Once the tops have died back I dig up the bulbs and store them in a cool dry place. There are very few dishes at my house that don't use garlic. I can't think of anything better than an entire bulb roasted on the grill. Once freed of the paper like skin and mixed with a little olive oil and oregano, it's a feast when the roasted mixture is spread on fresh, warm bread.
     Master Gardener Ron Adam responds: This year I am trying a new tomato. It is called Juliet. It is considered a "grape" tomato because it is one of the smaller cherry tomatoes. It matures in only 60 days, so you start eating the sweet little things early. And it is prolific, so you have a good harvest.
Master Gardener Darrell McGee responds: I would not even consider planting a vegetable garden without the old reliable Big Boy tomato. The fruits are uniform in size, plentiful and extremely tasty. I might try other types of tomatoes, too, but Big Boy is always a standard to which they are compared.
    Master Gardener Val Blosser responds: This year I am trying one of the heirloom tomatoes called Brandywine. They have not ripened yet but I am so impressed with the strong stems and huge tomatoes. My grandmother was part Cherokee and she always put fish guts under or around her tomatoes. So I do the same. This year it was trout fish guts. They were added about three weeks after the tomatoes were planted. We just dug a hole beside the plants and buried the innards. It seems to really produce healthy plants! The Brandywine tomato plants are so much taller and the tomatoes are so much bigger, I can't wait to taste them.
        Master Gardener Clara Hanks responds: This year we added a white eggplant to our many varieties. A friend recommended the white eggplant because they are sweeter and don't get bitter like the purple ones can. Looking through the catalogs this winter, I found a white eggplant named "Clara". So we just had to try it! And it is sweeter than the classic purple variety. It will go down in our records as one to plant again.

Sometimes just getting started is a tough step, especially if you’re not sure where you’re suppose to start. When my husband & I moved out onto our small acreage, I was like a chicken with ADD. All that land, so many dreams of gardens and flowerbeds and designs. I couldn’t focus on what, where and how to get myself started.

After the first year of putting out plants before preparation and mourning lost plants, failed garden attempts and more weeding than seeding, I learned my lesson…..sorta. It’s amazing how dangerous one can be armed with only bits & pieces of knowledge.

I contacted the local extension office and signed up to take the master gardener course. I found out lots of stuff I didn’t know that I didn’t know. The basics provided here are just that, the basics. There is always more to learn. Hopefully, this will help beginning gardeners know what they can do to start out successfully.

First. Know what zone you’re located in. Then you can get the right plants for your zone or better yet, grow native plants. Brief definitions: Perennials: ornamentals that don’t die off after only one season. Annuals: live for only one growing season. You have to replant the following year.

Start Small. Pick a few areas you’d like to improve on and start with those. Managing a small area and getting your hands dirty still takes time, but allows you to concentrate on a few areas. See what works that first year and what doesn’t. Keep a gardening journal. These are a wonderful help, especially if you’re middle-aged like me. Mind like a colander; just as much flows out as stays in.

Consider The Site. Once you’ve picked out the area, look at it closely. Is it shady, sunny? The same all year round or will it change as the season progresses? What’s the soil like: clay, sandy, loamy? How does water drain, does it drain? Before you buy plants have the soil tested. This will help greatly in choosing what you plant.

Make Your Bed. You may not be sleeping in it but a good bed benefits you and the plants. Debris should be cleaned up and cleared out. You may need to add some organic matter to improve the conditions. The soil test will indicate if fertilizer is needed.

Choose Wisely. Learn what will grow in your type of soil & available light. One of the best resources is talking to neighbors who have gardens. What’s growing in your neighbors soil, most likely will grow in yours. Is there full sun on your site? Don’t place a shade lover in a spot filled with sunshine or a sun lover in the shade. Once you know your site, choose 3-5 plants you like and start with those.

The Root Of It. When you’re ready to plant, water the seedlings the day before. Don’t pull them from containers until you’re ready to put them in the ground. Make sure you get the proper depth for the plant you’re placing. Roots should go no deeper than the container it came in. Lightly press the soil over the roots, not too tightly. As you water, the soil will settle in. Until plants are established, water on a regular basis. This will help keep them healthy. Mulching will help keep in moisture and weeds out. Unless you like pulling weeds, you can’t over mulch.

What Is That? Trust me on this. Label what you have. Not only in the flowerbed, but draw a diagram in your gardening journal and label that as well. My memory isn’t what it used to be and as I age it only gets worse. Trying to remember what I put where a week later is only entertaining to my spouse.

The Garden Of Weed’N. No matter how nice it would be to just plant and enjoy, there is always work to be done. Perennials need care the same as Annuals. What they need and the amount depends on what you’ve planted. If you’ve planted flowers, you should “deadhead”, this means taking off the dead and dying blooms. It keeps the plant blooming longer. If you planted some shrubs, you may need to prune a bit. The amount of weeding and watering depends on weather, site and other factors.

Afternoon Delight. Your flowerbed is in. The garden is growing well and yard chores are caught up….well sorta. Now is the most important thing that too few gardeners actually do. Stop doing. Look at the beautiful plants growing. Listen to the birds, bees in the garden, the breeze passing through the trees. Relax. After all isn’t that the point, to enjoy our gardens? Grab a chair or a warm piece of ground and sit. Take a deep breath. Enjoy.

If you have gardening questions, please call the Clinton County Extension Office Master Gardener hotline at 816-539-3765 or e-mail question to clintonco@missouri.edu

What is a rain garden? In essence it is a low-lying area in your yard that catches rain water runoff from downspouts, or other impervious surfaces. Planted and mulched with a purpose, a Rain Garden lets water slowly drain into the soil, versus a sudden run off swamping the streets and over loading the sewer systems.

Using native plants: shrubs, flowers and grasses you can create not only a beautiful area or areas on your property, you can help alleviate the amount of water sewers and gutters must handle during the rainy season.

Most of us have an area that catches and holds water after it rains. With a little work and planning these sections can be areas of beauty that attract birds and butterflies.

When water rushes hither and yon after a rain it picks up grease, oil and other pollutants, carrying them along into the sewers and waterways where they affect all of us one way or another. With a rain garden, water is collected and over several hours or days the water slowly drains into the soil. The plants in the rain garden help cleanse the water as it infiltrates down roots and into the groundwater system.

Some of you are probably thinking, “Yeah, standing water, that’s what I want in my yard, a rooming house for mosquitoes”. But, depending on the depth and drainage of the area, most “skeeter” larva won’t have time to grow and hatch. As long as the drainage has the water moving out within 3-4 days mosquitoes won’t have a chance to develop.

Many native plants are able to handle the feast/famine of a rain garden. Dry tops and periodically wet feet won’t bother them. The deep roots enable the plants to obtain water during the summer and also allow water to seep into the ground after a rain.

A rain garden is meant to handle a normal rain, not a deluge. So when designing, you should have an area to let the over-flow pass on its way. You can use a piece of PVC pipe, broken pottery or even half a pop bottle.

Now, first things first: Do you know how good your drainage is? Depending on the size of the area and depth, water should filter into the ground in 4-6 hours. Deeper areas or slower draining soil can take up to 3 days; however if it takes longer than this, you should till in additional organic matter, such as grass clippings, leaves etc. You can get a rough idea of the rate of drainage before you prepare the area. After the area has been saturated, either with a hose or after rains fill the area you’re considering, note how long it takes to drain away.

When digging your rain garden, areas that drain quickly can be deeper than soils that drain slowly. After you’ve chosen your spot and know how long water takes to funnel out, dig the section down to a depth of about 6 inches, making sure the bottom is level.

Started plants with good roots are best to begin with. Once your rain garden is on its way to becoming established you can direct seed or plant with young seedlings. Go ahead and mulch after you’ve planted. It’ll help keep weeds down until your garden is entrenched and will also help trap oil & pollutants, giving the roots and good bacteria a chance to break it down into less harmful particles.

Two things to remember: never situate a rain garden over a septic tank drain field or within ten feet of your foundation. Those placements could over load existing systems.

The past few summers in Missouri have been warmer than usual with less (overall) rain fall. Rain gardens can help hold the water where it’s needed most, giving it a chance to filter into your yard, refreshing plants, trees and shrubs versus rushing off into the ditches and gutters with little benefit to anyone.

Perennials are most recommended, along with various grasses, trees and some shrubs. A few plants you might consider are: Shooting Star, Prairie Blazing Star, Black-Eyed Susan, Indian Grass, Prairie Drop Seed, Asters, Astilbe, Hosta, Lobelia, Joe Pye Weed, Switchgrass, River Birch, or Glossy Black Chokeberry.

If you have a gardening question, please call the Clinton County Extension Office Master Gardener hotline at 816-539-3765 or e-mail your question to clintonco@missouri.edu.

Gardening with the Masters

Do you want to save money, get an early start on spring, and beautify your yard or put healthy food on your table? Try starting your own seeds.

Now is the time to start thinking about what seeds you would like to start indoors. Seed packets are showing up in racks at store after store. The choices seem endless. Here are some things to think about as you make your choices.

The average last frost date for the area around Plattsburg is May 10th. Most seed packets tell you to start the seeds indoors a certain number of weeks before the last frost date. So look at a calendar and count backwards. That's when you need to plant the seed indoors.

Planting pots can be as simple as egg cartons with a small hole in the bottom for drainage or as fancy as the pellets that expand when placed in water. If you are reusing plastic pots from previous plants, be sure to sterilize them first. Wash them in a solution of one part bleach to ten parts water.

Potting soil can easily be found wherever seeds are sold. Don't use garden soil. It compacts too easily in a small pot. The soil with extra plant food will not help the seed to sprout faster, but after it has grown it will help it get a good start before planting outdoors.

Watch for problems with damping off. Damping off is caused by a fungus that attacks the roots and stem base of seedlings. The plant rots at the ground level and falls over. Over watering increases the chances of having this problem.

Master Gardener Valerie Wright's experience:
Depending on time, space, and the year's garden plan, I have started tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and flowers from seed. Every year tomatoes and peppers are started because I want to grow varieties that are not readily available to buy as plants. The Black Krim tomato has a flavor I liken to fine wine and the Tennessee Cheese Pepper once ripened and dried can be ground for homemade paprika.

To get a jump start on the season, the flowers I have started have been alyssum, a nice little border plant, snapdragons, and Sweet William. The herbs have included different flavored basils such as Magical Michael, Thai and Purple Ruffles. I have also tried Sweet Cicely, Sweet Woodruff, and parsley.

I have had varying degrees of success over the years and here is what I have found works for me: a plain potting soil mixed with vermiculite and perlite, sturdy trays to hold individual pots and a heating mat. At first I cover the pots with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out as the heat mat warms the soil. For light I have used florescent light at varying heights. But now I put the seed trays in the natural light from my sunroom windows and still have success.

When the plants start to emerge, off comes the plastic wrap. To prevent damping off, I water the seedlings by placing them in shallow trays of water allowing them to wick up moisture. They are left in the tray for only a few minutes whenever they become dry. After the plants true leaves emerge, I add a little fish emulsion to the water for fertilizer. When it comes time to harden off the plants, I place them in my south facing garage's doorway out of direct sunlight. Gradually I move the plants out into direct light and wind.