Pam Barron – Demo Garden Chairperson. I was not here when the Demonstration Garden was created in 2013, but I know it got off to a great start with some great Master Gardeners. There were some great ideas and demonstration gardens introduced. But, as with most things, the garden as well as the gardeners, has gotten older and in need of… Read more »
by Carl Parsons, Tennessee Master Gardener. Who wouldn’t love a beautiful ornamental tree, not too large or too small, with an abundance of leaves, pure white buds and blossoms in late spring followed by bright red edible berries in the fall, a tree that lives for up to 200 years and has the added (albeit folklorish) benefit of protecting us… Read more »
by Colette Mancke, Tennessee Master Gardener. What is basil downy mildew? Basil downy mildew is a devastating disease that affects the leaves, branches and stems of many types of basil (ie.,plants in the genus Ocimum) commonly used for cooking. Green-leafed varieties of sweet basil are particularly susceptible to the disease, while purple-leafed varieties of basil, Thai basil, lemon basil and… Read more »
by Alan Bruhin, Director Sevier County TN Extension. For those looking for CEU’s or just some additional training in interesting topics, here is a link to a series of webinars being offered by eXtension.org. Each month a new topic video is posted for you to view. Currently there have been three topics posted that are available for you to view…. Read more »
By Roger Simpson Knowing how to propagate plants from cuttings is one of the most useful skills anyone interested in plants can have. With it, a gardener gains the ability to grow plants without any cost except time and effort. The advantages of propagating with cuttings are many: Cuttings are cheap and convenient Large plants are much quicker to get… Read more »
By Carl Parsons With this post, the Sevier County Master Gardeners who man the SCAMGA Ask a Master Gardener Hot Line are introducing a series of articles based on some of the most interesting calls we receive. We begin with “The Case of the Callery Pear.” Client’s Problem Late last summer a client visited the Extension Office with a sample—branches… Read more »
Casey Berg I love all the flowers and plants on my porch but one of the most fascinating and beautiful blooms I have ever seen comes at night on a Night Blooming Cereus. I try my best to share with friends this phenomenon but they usually think I am crazy when I call at midnight and ask them to come… Read more »
Have you ever put out your transplants and the very next day you go out to check on them and they are mowed down by some unseen creature? It’s something all gardeners face one time or another. Here is the culprit: Cutworms . They are plump, smooth-skinned, greasy- looking caterpillars up to one inch long and they often are found… Read more »
Two new web-only publications are available on the UT Extension publications site: W 804-A Getting the Most Out of Your Home Vegetable Garden Soil Test Report W 804-B Getting the Most Out of Your Raised Bed or Potting Mix Test Report For more information about these publications, contact Natalie Bumgarner in the Dept. of Plant Sciences.
by Leo Lubke, IMGC Committee What better way for MGs to ‘dig into their roots’, both horticulturally and historically, that to attend the 2019 International Master Gardener Conference at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The planning of this biennial event has been years in the making and is sure to meet Master Gardeners’ diverse interests and needs. The focus of this conference from… Read more »