Gardening Goodies
Reviving Boston Ferns after Winter by Guest Writer, Kevin Smith
March is when Spring blows in and the time we start thinking about plants, planting, and green. If you have saved your Boston fern since this Fall, I hope this will help you to keep it and get it to looking as great (or greater) than it did the Summer of 2017. More than likely your fern has a few dead fronds, so it’s time to give it a trim. Take your fern outside to do the following so you won’t have a mess inside. Take a pair of sharp scissors and snip out those dead fronds. However, if over 1/2 of the fronds are dead or not looking good, then you might consider giving it a complete haircut. Take your scissors and cut all the fronds off, about an 1 inch up from the top of the soil. Once you are done, it will look like a bunch of sticks sticking up or it may resemble a ‘burr’ haircut. Dump the soil and root ball out of the pot on a hard surface. Take a larger knife such as a butcher knife, cut the soil and root ball in 1/2. Then cut about 1/3 of the soil off of the bottom of the soil/root ball. Now cut each 1/2
into 1/2. You should have four sections of fern. At this point. the next step is your personal decision. Take a larger pot such as a 8-10 inch size, with a plant saucer, put a layer of rock or packing peanuts in the bottom of the pot for drainage. Then put about an 1 inch layer of potting soil on top of the drainage materials. You can either put both halves in this same pot OR pot each half separately. Either way place the section(s) in the pot. Fill the sides with potting soil up to about an 1 inch to the top of the pot. Water until the water comes out of the saucer at the bottom of the pot. Keep your fern(s) outside as long as the temps stay about 5055 degrees so they get plenty of sun. Within a few weeks you should see new fern fronds coming up from the root ball. Keep them moist over the months ahead. No need to fertilize them until the end of May or the first of June. Fertilize them about every two weeks with a good fertilizer (follow the fertilizer directions) during the major growing months. Hopefully, you’ll now have two Boston ferns...or possibly four to hang around your house, on hooks in front of a window, under a tree around a sitting/ outdoor area, or to possibly give as a gift to someone who needs a little Spring in their life.
A Master Gardener Profile ~ Rose Mary Robinson by Guest Writer, L. M. Smith
A “plant person with the greenest thumb I know”, that is how Nancy Harper – past President and now Secretary of the Gibson County Master Gardeners - describes this Master Grower. Rose Mary calls herself “an old Master Gardener” and I would add, with a young, excited heart and mind. Plants are her thing. At last spring’s plant sale for Gibson County’s Master Gardeners, she brought 50 succulents and house plants that sold immediately. Green thumb, indeed. Here, in Rose Mary’s own words, is her story of plants, her husband and the Master Gardener’s Association.
1. How long have you been a Master Gardener? It was in 1999, when I took the Master Gardener course, so 19 years. We met at the Franklin School building. It was so enjoyable. We learned so much wonderful information about plants, plant diseases, fertilizers, soil tests, different types of soil, compost, mulch, and so much good information. When they told us no one had ever failed the class, I completely enjoyed it from then on. 2. What does being a Master Gardener mean to you? I gained so much knowledge and had more confidence in myself as a grower. I was so enthusiastic
EASTER
ON THE SQUARE Gibson County Courthouse March 31, 9 am
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Egg Hunt will be at 9 am on the courthouse lawn Over 5,000 eggs and 4 Grand Prize Baskets
Easter Bunny will be there to visit with all the kids!
March 2018
Small Town Living