Kent Summer Workshops

Growing your own herbs and vegetables can be fun, rewarding and challenging. Planting, caring for and harvesting your crops provides a sense of accomplishment. It aids good nutrition and helps a family to better stretch their income. These free summer Master Gardener Workshops continue to provide valuable information and tips for both

new and experienced gardeners. Come learn, share and enjoy!

Ask The Gardener

Wednesday, June 3, 2009 6:30 pm at the Paradee Center

Panel of Master Gardeners: Marian Brewington, Charles Overmiller,

George Brewington, Tom Dix, John Pugh & Maggie Moor-Orth

We have gathered a group of Master Gardeners to answer your gardening questions. They will help you with flowers, shrubs, trees, lawns and vegetables. Come with your questions and concerns as the planting season begins.

Bugs in The Garden

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

6:30 pm at the Paradee Center

Presenter: Todd Hohberger

Learn to identify beneficial bugs, the insects that frequent your garden and lawn. Methods will be discussed to keep plant damage to a minimum while keeping crops safe with as little impact on the environment as possible.

Clever Composting For Healthy Soils

Thursday, July 9, 2009 6:30 pm

at the SORC Garden Presenter: Carolyn Donahoe

Join our Master Gardener in the garden to see a demonstration on how to set up for easy composting. Learn how to improve the soil you have (sand, silt or clay) by adding homemade compost.

Help: The Zucchini & Tomatoes are Taking Over the Garden

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

6:30 pm at the Paradee Center

Presenter: Kathleen Splane

This workshop will give you tools and resources to can, freeze and dry the abundant harvest from your garden.

Participants will take home plenty of recipes to turn their extra veggies into dishes to share. Also learn how you can

share your abundant crops with the local food banks.

Don't Let That Rain Water Escape-Catch It!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

1:00 pm at the Paradee Center

Presenter: Paul Myers

Discover the importance of catching and conserving rain water to use on your plants. Learn how to make your own handy rain barrel to hold collected water until needed to water your garden.

Photographing Your Garden

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 6:00 pm

at the SORC Garden Presenter: Dr. Kathleen Berhalter

Learn to capture moments in your garden from an art prospective.Look at color, space and detail. Bring your own digital camera and discover wonderful scenic treasures in the garden.

Growing a Lawn From Seed

Wednesday August 26,2009

at the Modern Maturity Center Presenter: Tom DIx

Learn the simple steps involved to grow your lawn from seed. Information discussed will be how to prepare the soil for planting, seed planting and care after planting. Lawn diseases will not be discussed.

Iris Care

I am, sadly, near the end of my great iris show. It is important that the flower stalk be cut right down to the rhizome. Their beds should be weeded now, as it was impossible to do so while the iris were blooming; the flower stems are too brittle and easily break. Delaware has had an exceptionally wet spring. To keep the rhizomes from rotting, all of the dead leaves must be cleaned out and the rhizomes exposed to the sun and air. I do not cut back the remaining fan leaves as I like their architectural interest in my garden. Iris should not be divided or moved until they are dormant, after the 4th of July. Their window of dormancy is from 6 weeks following bloom until about the end of August.

BTW there were some preschoolers field-tripping in the Sussex Demo Garden last week. I happened to be there working on the containers and so enjoyed talking with a 4 year old who was very pleased to have dirty hands from planting a marigold. ..........
Mary Sue

Cedar Apple Rust

This is a picture of my 25 foot Eastern Red Cedar that has cedar-apple rust. The fungus requires two host, over winters on galls, and causes the woody tissue to swell into galls on the cedar tree. My tree had eleven visible galls. The significant amount of rain and warm temperatures forced the galls to expand and burst into orange tendrils which at a distance I thought were gorgeous. But seeing the tendrils up close, I quickly changed my mind. While I do not know of any apple trees (the other host) in my community, my MG training tells me that there could be one as close as half a mile from my home. Now what to do? Eliminating one of the host is the recommended prevention. That is not an option. A fungicide is not recommended for the Eastern Red Cedar so I have removed each goal. The galls should have been removed before the tendrils burst open spreading the spores. Hopefully, next year I won’t be sharing this same information! Does anyone think the apples I left in my habitat for the rabbits could be responsible for the cedar-apple rust?

submitted by Cece Sussex MG in Ocean View