Cooperative Extension Service Clark County 1400 Fortune Drive Winchester, KY 40391-8292 (859) 744-4682 Fax: (859) 744-4698 extension.ca.uky.edu

In observance of Labor Day,

the Clark County Extension Service will be CLOSED on

Monday, September 4

David Davis Clark County Extension Agent for Agriculture & Natural Resources Education

It is hard to believe that school is back in session! Where has the summer gone? We are starting to kick off our

fall programs. We have several sessions in the works that will be conducted at the Clark County Public Library and are focused on home horticulture topics throughout the fall. We are also kicking off our 2017 Master Gardener Training. Becoming a Kentucky Master Gardener can be very rewarding, and it can also be a lot of fun. I hope that you will take a look at your plans and obligations over the course of the next year, and plan to join us!

Thursday, August 31

5:30 pm

Clark County Public Library

Our Fall Lawn Care Class will be conducted on Thursday, August 31, at the Clark County Public Library starting at 5:30 pm. We will be discussing preparing the lawn for winter. Topics will include fall lawn care practices for maintenance including fall fertilization, over-seeding the lawn, and much more. We will also talk about fall lawn renovation,

The Clark County Public Library is located at 667 Burns Ave. in Winchester. We will be meeting in the large meeting room, to the left as you go in the main outside entrance of the library. Help us plan by pre-registering, but if you forget to pre-register, come on out and join us. There is no cost to attend!

To receive more information about this upcoming program, or to pre-register, feel free to contact us at the Clark County Extension Office by calling (859) 744-4682 or e-mailing me david.davis@uky.edu.

Page 2 August 2017 Issue

The start of our next Master Gardener Class is just around the corner. Our first session is planned for September 5 at the Clark County

Extension Office. Applications and registration materials are available. We can e-mail the application, or feel free to stop by to pick one up. Anyone wishing to be trained as a Kentucky Master Gardener in our upcoming class should have their application into our office by Friday, September 1.

The Kentucky Master Gardener program is a volunteer training program for individuals having an interest in horticulture. Twelve training sessions will be offered throughout the fall. One session will be held each week excluding the week of Thanksgiving, and a week for a break provided in October. Each session is approximately 2-3 hours. Sessions are planned on a variety of topics ranging from vegetable gardening to lawn and tree care. Sessions begin at 5:30 pm. In return for receiving the training, each participant must complete 50 volunteer service hours in their initial year to become a Kentucky Master Gardener, and 20 volunteer hours of service per year beyond to maintain certification. Due to the potential nature of some of the volunteer service, a background check is required for all participants of the Master Gardener Program. There is a registration fee of $100 to cover the cost of meeting materials, and to cover the cost of the background check. This fee will not be due until the first session on September 5.

Many of the initial volunteer hours will be spent completing an individual Master Gardener project. Some examples of potential projects may include teaching a session at the library on a gardening related topic, assisting agents with a program at the farmers market, assisting with various Extension programs, and many more. Master Gardener participants often come up with their own projects, or choose projects that are closely aligned with their interests. In addition to the project, other Kentucky Master Gardeners in Clark County have assisted with the County Fair booths, helped judge 4-H speech competitions and, conducted demonstrations with school gardening projects. There are many ways to volunteer at the Clark County Extension Service as a Kentucky Master Gardener.

If you would like to know more about Kentucky Master Gardener program, or to register, contact the Clark County Extension Service by calling (859) 744-4682. You can also contact me to receive registration materials by e-mail david.davis@uky.edu.

Now is the best time to soil test your lawn, garden, or landscape. I recommend fall soil testing, and I soil test my own garden in the fall because I like to take advantage of the downtime of the winter months. If lime application is required, putting lime on the garden or lawn in the fall is a great way to give it ample time to work before planning spring planting or seeding. If you are looking at seeding your lawn this fall, or simply to maintain an existing lawn, a soil test will help you determine the amount of fertilizer needed. Soil testing eliminates the guess work. You can avoid applying of excess fertilizer which is both costly to your pocket and the environment. Soil testing is FREE to Clark County farmers and residents, and we have soil testing supplies available at the Clark County Extension Office.

Complaint Procedure

To file a complaint of discrimination, contact Tim West, UK College of Agriculture, 859-257-3879; Terry Allen or Patty Bender, UK Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity, 859-257-8927;or the USDA, Director of Civil Rights, Room 326-W Whitten Bldg., 14th & Independence Ave, SW, Washington DC 20250-9410 (202-720-5964).

Page 3 August 2017 Issue

Many see that growing strawberries commercially is a lot of hard work in the spring of the year. After all, it takes a lot to pick all those delicious strawberries, which often need to be harvested every other day. Strawberries are a very labor-intensive crop at harvest, and it takes a lot to grow them until the harvest season.

There are two different methods of producing strawberries commercially. One method is called matted row. These are strawberries that are planted in rows, and that planting is maintained for several years. There are a lot of obstacles that have to be overcome with any strawberry planting, but two of the main obstacles with matted row production are weeds and disease. Another method of producing strawberries that is becoming increasingly popular among growers in Kentucky is using black plastic mulch to produce “Plasticulture Strawberries”. Using this method, strawberry plants are grown in black plastic mulch as an annual crop to be harvested in the spring. The planting is often killed with herbicide at the end of the picking season, and will be replanted in a different location the following fall.

Using black plastic mulch to grow strawberries has many benefits. Weeds are suppressed much better using black plastic mulch, but that is not the main benefit. Using black plastic heats the soil in the spring, and will often result in a harvest that is 2 to 3 weeks earlier than when using matted row production. Growing the crop as an annual crop has its benefits as well. At the end of the season, the crop is destroyed and allows for replanting of a new crop, resulting in less disease tissue. The risk for disease carryover from one season to the next is much greater with matted row production. The downside to plasticulture strawberries is expense. Plastic mulch, and drip irrigation are fairly expensive. Not to mention the fact that a plasticulture producer has to purchase new plants every year. To have plasticulture strawberry production, a grower also needs access to water for irrigation. Due to the earlier harvest, putting in sprinklers and row covers for frost protection is also essential. This is in addition to the normal expenses ( i.e. fertilizer, fuel, labor, and many other costs that are associated with any commercial crop).

If you are considering producing strawberries with black plastic mulch, and haven’t already purchased plants, you are already behind. Plants are usually purchased in June or July before they are started by a nursery. The soil should have already been tested, fertilizer applied, and black plastic mulch should have been laid. That’s because they should be planted sometime between September 1 thru September 10 to ensure winter survival..

Farmers care for the crop all winter long. The closer we get to harvest time, the harder the work gets. Weather conditions in the spring are always a consideration. Many strawberry farmers spend hours running sprinklers to protect their crop. They also protect the crop from diseases, insects, and weeds. Like many of our other crops, it takes a lot of work to grow that delicious spring strawberry.

A field of strawberries grown on black plastic mulch ready to harvest in mid to late May.

Row covers used to protect strawberries

through the winter months to promote early

spring harvest. Each row is connected to

drip irrigation which will be used to supply

early season nitrogen, phosphate, and

potassium soil nutrient needs.

Growing on plastic mulch produces

strawberries 2-3 weeks earlier than matted

row production.

Page 4 August 2017 Issue

Phil Craft to Visit with Clark County

Bee Keepers

Former Kentucky State Apiarist, Phil Craft, is scheduled to visit with us at the next meeting of the Clark County Beekeepers Interest Group. We will be discussing Varroa Mite Management, and other fall beekeeping activities. This is a great opportunity for our beekeepers that you will not want to miss.

Our next Bee Keeper Meeting will take place Monday, September 18, starting at 7:00 pm at the Clark County Extension Office. You do not have to be a bee keeper to attend. Please help us plan by letting us know that you

are coming. Give us a call at (859) 744-4682 to register. **This meeting will meet the CAIP Educational Requirement**

September 7: Clark Co. Farm Bureau Annual Mtg.(Thursday) Clark Co. Farm Bureau Office

September 14-15: Ky. Master Gardener State Conf. (Thursday & Friday) Georgetown, KY

September 24-29: Clark Co. Cattlemen and Clark Co. Extension Hay Testing

September 27: Industrial Hemp Update (Wednesday) 6:00 pm Powell County

October 5: Clark Co. Farm Bureau Ag Day (Thursday) 4:00 pm Winchester Municipal Utilities (Van Meter Road)

October 7-10: Clark County Cattlemen Beef Tour to Pennsylvania