EXTENSION REPORT

Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers.

The temperatures are rising and the daffodils are blooming. With these signs of spring, come questions concerning our landscapes. There is a new tool available to help provide solutions to your landscape problems – The Home Grounds & Garden Info-line.  The Home Grounds and Garden Info-line is operated by Master Gardeners who provide reliable research-based answers to those who request information. If our Master Gardeners can’t provide an immediate answer, your question will be researched and backed up by the agents and specialists of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.  The Info-line serves the coastal region which includes Baldwin, Butler, Conecuh, Clarke, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe, and Washington counties. The Home Grounds Info-line will begin receiving calls on February 1st. The hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m. The Info-line is a free service and can be reached at 1-866-855-1909.

Gotta Prune Those Plants? Maybe Not.

When it comes to yard work during the winter, pruning plants is one of the top priorities of homeowners. It is common to see your neighbor or other homeowners spending their February Saturday’s cutting on plants around their homes. They are just working away, busy as bees, pruning back those plants. All this interesting work and funny-shaped plants left behind might inspire you to get your pruning shears out and start pruning your plants. Before you do that, let me ask you this important question: Why are you pruning your plants? Is it because your neighbor is pruning theirs?

From the puzzled look on your face, I’m guessing you aren’t real sure. Let me tell you a secret – the truth is you may not have to prune your plants.

The practice of pruning plants is somewhat over-rated and many times not even necessary. Pruning is a technique used to aid in the health and beauty of ornamental plants. Pruning allows you to remove dead and poor growth, and control a plant’s size and shape. It encourages flower or fruit production, promotes growth by letting air and light to the interior of the plant, and can discourage the development of diseases. Care-free pruning, especially if done wrong, can actually do more harm than good. If your plants look fine and are doing great, then there may be no reason to prune.

            As a homeowner, you should have a logical reason for pruning. The right plant placed in the right location can prevent the need to spend countless hours pruning your plants.

When to prune is important and depends on the type of plant and the reason for pruning. For almost all plants, fall and early winter are bad pruning times because the tender growth stimulated by pruning will be damaged by cold weather. February tends to be the best time for pruning most plants, especially evergreens. When it comes to flowering plants, the general rule of thumb is this:  if the plant begins blooming before May, prune immediately after the blooms fade; if the plant begins to bloom in May or later, prune in late February or early March, before the start of new spring growth.

For more information, contact the Baldwin County Extension Office at 251-937-7176.

Peanut Money Maker Meetings

The purpose of these meetings is to give peanut growers and those in the peanut industry a thorough knowledge of growing a peanut crop for maximum profits.  This will be a series of 7 classes that will be held every Wednesday for 7 weeks.

The classes will be at Mama Lou's Restaurant in Robertsdale from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The cost will be $10 per class to be paid at the meeting.

The speakers will be:

February 22, 2006, Dr. Dan Gorbet with the University of Florida Peanut Plant Breeder.  He will be speaking on the peanut varieties for 2006 and managing them for maximum profits.

March 1, Dr. David Wright, University of Florida Peanut Agronomist.  He will be speaking on peanut fertility, twin row peanuts, tillage and various rotations.

March 8, Dr. Barry Brecke, University of Florida Peanut Weed Scientist.  He will be speaking on peanut weeds and herbicide programs.

March 15, Dr. Austin Hagan, Auburn University Peanut Plant Pathologist.  He will be speaking on peanut diseases and their control.

March 22, Dr. Steve Brown, University of Georgia Peanut Entomologist.  He will be speaking on peanut insects and the TSWV Index.

March 29, Hank Van Reisen with “In Time” will be speaking on various aspects of precision agriculture. These topics will include auto steer, aerial imagery, and variable rate applications of lime, plant nutrients, growth regulators, insecticides and defoliants.

April 5, Marshall Lamb with the National Peanut Research Lab in Georgia will speak on Peanut Economics for 2006.

Please contact Richard Petcher at 251-847-2295 if you need additional information.

One Day Grazing Management Course

There will be a One Day Grazing Management Course on March 8 at the Jon Archer Agricultural Center, 1070 Schillinger Road North in Mobile at 8:00 a.m. Another One Day Grazing Management Course will be held at the USDA Service Center in Monroeville on March 9 at 8:00 a.m.

This course offers a comprehensive class on grazing management taught by experts in the grazing and grazing management fields. This will be a one day class with lunch provided. There is a $40 registration fee for taking the course and it must be paid in advance. This fee includes a number of valuable educational materials including the book Southern Forages. The meeting will end around 4:30 p.m. There is a minimum number of participants that the grazing school needs in order to have the class, so please register as soon as possible if you are interested . For more information about the March 8 meeting, contact Ken Kelley (251) 238-0373 or for the March 9 meeting, contact Anthony Wiggins (251) 575-3477.

Email address: mcquegj@aces.edu
Phone number: 937-7176 or 943-5611, 928-0860, ext. 2222

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.