When it comes to the home landscape, the lawn is typically the pride and joy.  Everyone wants it to look well manicured, and nice and green, just like you see on those TV commercials and at the golf course.  But very few of us have those picture perfect lawns worthy of admiration.  Heck, most of us are just glad that our lawn is green and not brown.  To obtain the almighty perfect lawn, homeowners have to have two things: luck and a basic understanding how take care of it.  I can’t help you with the luck part, although you might try looking for a four-leaf clover amongst all those weeds, but I can help you with the knowledge you need to take care of your lawn the right way.  I invite you to come to the area home lawn care workshop this Saturday in Montgomery and hear from several experts how to properly take care of your home lawn.

The area home lawn care workshop for homeowners will be conducted by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System this Saturday June 18^th in Montgomery.  The workshop will be from 8 a.m. until 12 noon and will be held in room 112 of Goodwyn Hall on the campus of Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM).

Yours truly will be there, since I am the organizer, along with other lawn experts and specialists from Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Topics to be discussed include lawn nutrition, lawn maintenance, and the three main lawn pests – diseases, insects, and weeds.   There will also be local businesses and lawn product companies on hand with exhibits, information, and door prizes.  And yes I did say door prizes.  Everyone who attends will be eligible to receive some sort of door prize, including Amdro fire ant bait, Sta-Green fertilizer, and Bayer Advanced Lawn grub control.  Salzmann Farms is giving away an entire pallet of bermudagrass sod!  And don’t forget about the chance to win the grand prize - a Husqvarna push behind lawn mower, courtesy of Lawn & Leisure.

There is a $10 fee to attend.  Not a bad investment given you will likely win something worth at least that amount. Everyone interested in participating in the area home lawn care workshop is asked to pre-register through the Montgomery County Extension office by calling 334-265-0233.  Seating is limited and payment in advance is required. All participants that attend will also receive a packet of Extension home lawn care publications and earn the chance to win a door prize. You have to be present to win so plan to come join us.  You never know what you might learn and win.

Do you like growing your own plants? How about getting some for free?  One of the easiest and inexpensive ways to have more plants in the landscape is through propagation. For the average homeowner, to propagate, all that is needed is a pot, a cutting from a plant, some type of growing medium, rooting compound, and a cover.  Many plants, such as azaleas, gardenias, roses, camellias, hollies, boxwoods, crapemyrtles, hydrangeas, and butterfly bushes can all be reproduced by rooting stem cuttings. The easiest type of propagation is softwood cuttings, which are taken during the summer months while plants are still actively growing. They are called softwood cuttings because they are taken from the plant's new growth, which is still flexible and non-woody. Propagating stem cuttings becomes much harder to root as the wood becomes older.

Taking softwood cuttings in the spring when the new growth is tender and succulent is not a good idea, since at this time the new growth hasn't matured beyond its succulent stages. For most plants, the best months to propagate and take softwood cuttings are June, July, August and September when the new growth is sufficiently mature. As a rule, test the stem of new growth before taking it as a softwood cutting. If the stem of the shrubs snaps easily instead of bending under pressure, then it is ready. Choose wood from vigorous, healthy branches, preferably from the upper parts of the plant; avoid weak, spindly growth.

All cuttings should be about four to six inches long. Cutting directly below a node will help callus the cut surface and help reduce the entrance of disease organisms. Once the cutting has been taken, remove the lower half to one-third leaves leaving about four leaves on the terminal end or tip. Cuttings will root faster and form a better root system when treated with some type of rooting hormone. Before placing the cutting in a growing medium, dip the base of the cutting into a rooting compound and add water to the growing medium contained in a pot. Rooting compounds are available in powder form in small, inexpensive packages from most garden supply stores. Mediums can range from peat moss, to perlite, to vermiculite, to sand, to ground pine bark or a combination of each. Then insert the cuttings one to two inches deep into the moisten rooting medium. Finally, cover the cutting with a cover, such as a clear plastic bag or the cut-off end of a plastic 2 liter drink bottle. The cover will create a miniature greenhouse that will help maintain the humidity over the plant and aid in the rooting process. It also will conserve water so don't add water to the plant again until it is rooted. Lastly, place the cutting in a shady area or window so it can receive light but not direct sunlight. The cutting will grow roots and become a new plant in about 4 to 6 weeks.

For more information, contact the Tallapoosa County Extension office at 256-825-1050.