In Season - Fall 2017

In Season

Fall 2017 A publication of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program and the Virginia Tech Department of Horticulture Volume 31, Number 4, November 2017

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Dave Close State Master Gardener Coordinator John Freeborn Assistant Master Gardener Coordinator Devon Johnson Communications Project Coordinator Sue Edwards Master Gardener Program Development Gabrielle Sanderson Program Support and Implementation Intern

Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; M. Ray McKinnie, Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State University, Petersburg.

Table of Contents 4 Vegetable Rainbows and Notepads 6 Fall Garden Tips 7 Video Series Highlights Common Plant Diseases

9 Meet Devon Johnson 10 Communications Update 10 2018 EMG College Save the Date

Image courtesy of Joanne Childress

Vegetable Rainbows and Notepads by: Gabrielle Sanderson At this year’s State Fair, Virginia Master Gardeners shared educational activities related to runoff and colorful fruits and vegetables.

The air of early October in Caroline County is filled with screams of joy coming from the Ferris wheel, the smell of funnel cakes, straw filled barns, and the sound of rigorous banjos filtering down to the packed food stands. Even though the State Fair of Virginia, held annually at The Meadow Event Park, packed up for the year on October 8th, there are still memories of the giant pumpkins, the colorful planters scattered about the walkways, and the numerous educational booths that brought joy to eager listeners. The Virginia Master Gardener Association (VMGA) and the Extension Master Gardener Booths were two of the booths that brought delight and excitement to the crowds.

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The Extension Master Gardener Booth, which was part of the State Fair Education Expo Tour this year, had great educational resources for school groups. To help with the booth, 138 Extension Master Gardeners arrived to volunteer. The Hanover Agriculture and Natural Resource Agent and five Master Naturalists also helped to staff the busy booth. They had a learning activity called “Eating a Rainbow” where the Extension Master Gardeners discussed with students the significance of incorporating colorful fruits and vegetables into their everyday diets. The booth was an extreme success, and Christy Brennan, who played a key role in coordinating the booth, stated that, “An event of

this size is truly a team effort.” The children got to use colorful stamps of fruits and vegetables to create their own rainbow that they got to take home!

that visited the booth got to take home rain gauges, Healthy Virginia Lawns note pads, grass cutting guide rulers, and American Selection Seeds for contacts.

The State Fair is always bursting with opportunities to spread the word about Virginia Cooperative Extension. It is an excellent occasion to teach eager learners and for Extension Master Gardener volunteers from different counties and programs to work together on educational demonstrations. The State Fair is a staple for the fall season in the Commonwealth, not only for its adorable livestock and fried food, but also for the unforgettable memories that it creates. Whether a memory is remembered through a rainbow made of vegetable stamps or looking at a notepad with Healthy Virginia Lawns on the top when writing a grocery list, it is special just the same. ■

An educational birdhouse showed State Fair visitors how to protect their bluebirds from predators. Image courtesy of Connie Sorrell.

The Extension educational events did not stop there! The main demonstration of the VMGA booth was called “Soak It Up” and it was a Virginia Conservation Assistance Program model house display that was designed around a similar concept from The Association of Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Districts. This wonderful exhibition “demonstrated how homeowners can clean up…. waterways with the help of the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program,” according to Brennan. The house was complete with a painted landscape, turf, a paved drive, and a sidewalk. The Extension Master Gardeners poured water on the created landscape so that the crowds could watch the water run off into the drainage ditch. Brennan states that “The Extension Master Gardeners educated consumers on storm water runoff, which cannot soak into surfaces like roofs, driveways, or sidewalks.” To demonstrate even further, the Extension Master Gardeners set sponges and material on the “lawn” to simulate Best Management Practices that they demonstrated to the excited onlookers. The people

Master Gardeners demonstrated water runoff from lawns using an interactive model. Image courtesy of Connie Sorrell.

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Fall Garden Tips “Timely planting is the key to a successful garden!” There are some cool season crops that can withstand those frosty Fall mornings. Kale, broccoli, or even cabbage can still prosper in your garden. https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-334/426-334.html#L3 Winter is coming. Make sure to pull up all of those lifeless and barren plants. You can even till them under the soil or put them in a compost heap to get them out of your way. https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/426/426-334/426-334_pdf.pdf Instead of spring cleaning, fall is the time for tool cleaning. If you clean them now, then they will be in top shape for spring! https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/426/426-334/426-334_pdf.pdf Before fertilizing make sure to get a soil test. The optimum pH for turf is 6.5-6.8. Remember to not over fertilize. https://midatlanticgardener.com/fall-lawn-care/ Now is a good time to plant those beautiful bulbs that pop up in the spring. This way you can mulch the recommended amount of 2-4 inches in the winter. http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/426/426-201/426-201_pdf.pdf Have you brought in your houseplants yet? Do not let them die! https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-100/426-100.html#L12 Don’t forget to lower the height on your lawn mower, because the grass grows slower in the fall. https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/BSE/BSE-47/BSE-47NP-PDF. pdf Water is going to start freezing soon, so be sure to empty all of your hoses, fountains, and drip-irrigation systems. Store them in a dry location so they do not get damaged. https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/442/442-452/442-452_pdf.pdf What is your favorite cover crop? They’re nice to plant in the fall because they add nutrients to the soil, prevent erosion and limit the growth of weeds. https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-334/426-344table.html It is smart to label your favorite plants in your garden so that you don’t risk the heartache of pulling plants that are not supposed to be pulled! https://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/26-diy-plant-markers-for-your-springtime-garden

Video Series Highlights Common Plant Diseases by: Devon Johnson A new educational resource brings attention to the plant diseases common to Virginia gardens

Every year, a variety of plant diseases emerge in gardens across the Commonwealth. You might be familiar with some, like Downy Mildew or Fusarium Wilt, but there are many other diseases that can spread across Virginia on the wind, in the soil, and on plant material. A new Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) collaborative video series from Virginia Tech’s Plant Disease Clinic, Insect Identification Laboratory, and the Office of the Extension Master Gardener (EMG) State Coordinator aims to educate Extension agents, EMG volunteers, and the public about plant diseases both familiar and unfamiliar.

“We wanted to be able to show diseases in the landscape at the time they’re occurring,” says

May Ann Hansen, Extension Plant Pathologist with the Virginia Tech Plant Disease Clinic. “To control disease problems, you need to have a good diagnosis first. We hope these videos will help people recognize problems early so that they can either make diagnoses themselves or send samples to the Plant Disease Clinic through their local VCE office.”

Each video in the first set of the new “Common Plant Diseases in the Landscape and Garden” series features Hansen as she describes symptoms of a common plant disease and provides information on control. For example, in one video Hansen shows symptoms of Cedar Apple Rust, caused by a fungus that produces galls on the red cedar tree 7

and develops striking, bright-orange spore horns in early spring.

This Cedar Apple Rust video, along with four more videos in the “Common Plant Disease” series, are currently available on the EMG YouTube channel. A multi-part video series on Boxwood Blight, which poses a serious threat to Virginia’s boxwoods, as well as videos on other common garden diseases, are currently in production and will be posted through the winter and spring.

In addition to this series on plant diseases, videos addressing a variety of common garden insect pest problems, narrated by Eric Day from the Insect Identification Laboratory, are also planned. “I can see a lot of people, including Extension agents and specialists, making videos that cover a range of topics important to garden health,” says Hansen.

Plant disease videos are both a good educational tool for the public and an important resource for Extension agents and EMG volunteers. “These videos are one more resource for Extension Agents and volunteers to have to point to,” says Dave Close, Consumer Horticulture and Master

Gardener Specialist. “They’re a way to give agents and volunteers a heads-up on the types of diseases we’re seeing in Blacksburg, and although that won’t apply to all parts of the state, the kinds of diseases that might be coming their way.”

Hansen also notes that correctly diagnosing a plant disease or pest problem is important for pesticide management. “If you start with a good diagnosis, you can determine the best way to control the problem, and that’s not always pesticide application. You might need to find a resistant cultivar or use cultural methods.” By properly diagnosing the disease or pest problem afflicting a plant, Virginia gardeners can choose the correct control method and avoid inappropriate pesticide application—just another reason to expand your knowledge of common plant diseases and improve your diagnostic skills!

To view the videos in this series, please visit the EMG State Coordinator’s Office on YouTube and stay tuned throughout the winter and spring to learn about more common plant diseases and insect pests! ■

Image of the VCE Master Gardener YouTube Channel available at: http://bit.ly/2AZ2CF8 8

Meet Devon Johnson by: Gabrielle Sanderson Devon is the new communications project coordinator for the State Extension Master Gardener Coordinator’s Office

She has shoulder length brown hair, light-pink glasses, and bright ideas for the Extension Master Gardener Program. Her name is Devon Johnson, and on October 25th she started her job as the new communications coordinator in the EMG office.

She herself is a Virginia Tech alumni, receiving her bachelor’s degree in professional and technical writing with a minor in horticulture. Following her time as a Hokie, Devon worked at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina before returning to Virginia Tech to complete a master’s degree in communication. A lot of her graduate work focused on small nonprofits and how community programs can take advantage of digital media. She was well suited to work for the Extension Master Gardener Program with her background in communications and horticulture!

Devon is excited to jump right in to the action! She accepted the communications project coordinator position because she really likes working with people, talking to volunteers, and working with groups inside the community. “I wanted a job where I had a lot more opportunities to work with people, and work with a program that worked with communities and with plants!” she says.

Since she has become a part of the Extension team, she has expressed many hopes and dreams for expanding the program. “I see part of the position promoting horticulture and getting more people in the Commonwealth interested in gardening,” she says. Devon wants to see the position help Extension strengthen their larger goals of encouraging horticulture practices that are environmentally sound through sustainable landscape management training and education.

She wants the communications project coordinator position to become more of a resource for the units as well; for example, providing documents or help with media, like setting up a website or creating pamphlets, if needed by the units. She is excited to make her mark on the program!

Not only has Devon has just started a new job, she has also just bought her first house. In her vintage bungalow home, Devon lives with her husband and her two cats, Jones and Ella Mae. The two cats were adopted from the Crazy Cat Lady Animal Rescue. With her husband and her two cats by her side, Devon is excited to become a part of the Extension Program and learn from it was well. “We just bought this new house and we have a giant garden, and I’m looking forward to getting new ideas from the Extension Master Gardeners as I build my own garden!”■

Devon joins the State EMG Coordinator’s Office as the new communications project coordinator.

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Save the Date!

EMG College will be held

June 21-24, 2018

Update From the Communications Project Coordinator The EMG state office is looking for ways to streamline and improve our communication with volunteers, coordinators, and agents!

As I settle into my new job as the state office’s communications project coordinator, I’m conducting an evaluation of our current communications strategy, and I’m interested in getting the feedback of volunteers, coordinators, and agents. I want to know what you think of our communications, including our biweekly update, social media feeds, and even this newsletter!

Please be on the lookout for a short communications survey that we will be sending to your VMS email next week (Nov 27). This survey will help us gather information about

the reach of our biweekly email and newsletter, as well as the social media preferences of our volunteers. If you help manage your unit’s social media profiles or website, there is also a space in the survey for you to suggest communications-related training topics for future webinars or leadership development meetings.

I know that you all have great ideas about ways we could improve our communications, reach more people, and fulfill the educational mission of EMG and Extension through communication. If you would like to submit your ideas or feedback, you can always email me at dvj@vt.edu. ■

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