Feature Article - for release the week of March 23, 2008

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent

Spring Cleanup

Hope you had a wonderful Easter.  With spring now underway up here on the Lake, there’s still plenty to do to help your Florida Yard get green with envy. Today’s column will be an assorted collection of news and ideas for the Okeechobee lawn and garden.

Okeechobee Fair Horticulture Contests

At the recently completed Okeechobee County Fair, I helped out with two of the horticulture contests that were on-going in the Exhibit tent.  I’d like to recognize those youth and adults that entered their home-grown produce and ornamental plants at the fair.  Here’s the list of top exhibitors in the Fruit and Vegetable contest:

*       Youth Market Garden Basket: 1^st place Joey Allen; 2^nd place Joshua Canevari

*       Youth Produce Plate (3 of one kind): 1^st place Joshua Canevari (cherry tomatoes)

*       Youth Biggest Vegetable contest: 1^st place: Joey Allen (onion, 18 pts);  2^nd place: Jordan Canevari (carrot 16 pts.)

*       Adult Produce Plate (3 of one kind):     1^st place: Angela Sachson (carrot);  2^nd place: Janice Trent (oranges)

*       Adult Biggest Vegetable contest: 1^st place: Janice Trent (cabbage, 7.2 pts); 2^nd place Angela Sachson (cherry tomato 2.1 pts.)

I looked at the results of last year’s biggest vegetable contest and found that the records from the 2007 contest still stand.  The largest vegetable contest involves multiplying the weight by a point value so that big cabbages can get “a-head” of smaller tomatoes.

 

New to the fair were our ornamental contests, where potted plants are judged on their quality.  Here are the winners among those exhibitors:

*       CACTI AND SUCCULENTS:  Youth 1st place Jordan Canevari (Pencil Cactus).  Adult   1^st place David Hench (Succulent & Cactus Dish Garden); 2^nd place Angela Sachson (large-leaf succulent); 3^rd place Janice Trent (flowering cactus)

*       FLOWERING PLANTS: Youth 1^st place Joshua Canevari (Strawberry pot); Adult 1^st place Janice Tent (African Violet); 2^nd place Forest Trent (Petunia basket)

*       FOLIAGE PLANTS:   Youth 1^st place David Daniels (Dill plant); Adult 1^st place Janice Trent (Wandering Jew)

*       FERNS: 1^st place Janice Tent (Asparagus fern)

 

Upcoming Programs

This Monday night will be a green night here at the Extension office.  The monthly meeting of the Okeechobee Garden Club will enjoy a presentation by our FYN Program Assistant, Angela Sachson.  She will give a brief overview at 6 PM of what Florida’s new Fertilizer Rule will do to remove phosphorous from turf fertilizers and keep from moving from local lawns to the Lake.

The Garden Club will be immediately followed by the monthly meeting of the Orchid Club at 7 PM.  Marilyn Marr and Peggy Shaw from the Martin County Orchid Society will highlight some of their group’s activities, and will be available to help solve problems for local orchid enthusiasts. They have promised am orchid basket which will be raffled off at the end of the meeting.

The weekly Spring Gardening ShortCourse will take this week off, but will return next Wednesday April 4^th with presentations on Vegetable Gardening and Fruit Gardening.  The conferences start at 9:30 and end by 2:30 PM here at our Extension office.   Future topics will be wildlife on April 16 and Lawns on April 23^rd.  Call and reserve you spot!

 

Reading up on Green

I’ve rediscovered two valuable informational resources for local gardeners that are worth sharing. The first is a classic book produced by recently retired Orange County Horticulture Agent Tom MacCubbin, Month-by Month Gardening in Florida.  He’s recently revised the whole book.  Here are a few examples from his section on Annuals:

*       March is a good time to cleaning out the tired beds of winter annuals and preparing the beds for more heat and drought tolerant flowering plants.

*       Rethink the irrigation system to be sure that annual beds are not going to be overwatered with lawn sprinklers heads. Drip and microjet heads on separate zone are better for flowers and for conserving water too.

*       Fertilize with slow release granular fertilizers rather that the soluble products that don’t last long and can sneak into waterways if overdone.

Another resource I’d recommend is the monthly magazine Florida Gardening.  I’ve met the authors, Kathy and Wae Nelson several times at plant shows and events all over Florida.  They seek to publish down to earth articles with wit and wisdom for Sunshine State gardeners.  The April/May issue has some great guidance about growing Sunflowers, Florida bulbs, Bananas, plus ideas on drought condition your lawn and creating great plant combinations in the flower garden.  You can come by and take a peek at our office copy, look for your own copy in your favorite bookstore, or even have it sent you’re your mailbox.

I’ve placed more information on our Okeechobee web page, http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu.  If you need additional information on these horticultural topics, please email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu or call us at 863-763-6469.  Local residents can stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee, and visit our Okeechobee County Master Gardeners from 1 to 3 PM on Tuesday afternoons.  GO GATORS!     

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Trade  names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.  Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS / University of Florida.  Larry A.  Arrington, Dean. Last update: 03/20/2008.  This page is maintained by Dan Culbert