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Summer Tips for Gardeners
Doing a few simple
things this summer can go a long way to help keep gardeners safe and healthy,
as well as improve the environment. These things include:
- Protect Yourself from the Sun
- Avoid the Heat
- Consider Air Quality
-
Remember the Environment
Steve Mayer,
Purdue Extension Educator, Horticulture- Marion County

Water in the
Landscape
"Waste not, want not"
Water stress, in its most basic form, occurs when
the amount of water exiting the plant through transpiration to the atmosphere
exceeds the amount of water that the plant is able to absorb from its
roots. In a dry, windy environment even plants with adequate soil moisture
may begin to wilt. Some plants are well adapted by various means to avoid
water stress.
Roy Ballard, Purdue Extension Educator, ANR- Floyd
County

You Don't Have to
Travel Far to visit Beautiful Gardens
You can grow as a gardener by visiting
public gardens. They can be a great source of education and inspiration
as well as enjoyment. And you don't have to travel very far to visit some
great botanical gardens and arboretums.
Steve Mayer, Purdue Extension Educator, Horticulture-
Marion County

How to Have a Good
Lawn Without Pesticides
If you envy your neighbor's beautiful
lawn but don't want to use the pesticides suggested in a typical home
lawn care program, don't give up.
Home lawns can be maintained with little or no pesticide use if some very
basic lawn care principles are carefully followed.
Steve Mayer, Purdue Extension Educator, Horticulture- Marion
County

This
Garden Grows Children
There's a new garden in town. No, it may not be the
biggest or prettiest and it probably won't grace the list of the "Top
Ten Places to See in Floyd County" but one might suspect that it
will be the most productive gardens around. The focus of the new Children's
Garden will be on the nurturing and development of young children into
future gardeners and, more importantly, future stewards of our natural
resources and our community.
Roy Ballard, Purdue Extension Educator, ANR- Floyd County 
Zones and Exposure
Do you understand hardiness zones for planting? What about sun exposure?
Here are some handy information for you on both zones and exposure.
A publication of the Morgan Country Master Gardener Association

Septic
Tank Maintenance or
"How to Keep That Green Water Out of Your Lawn"
A key feature of common household wastewater treatment
systems is the septic tank and soil absorption system. These systems,
often referred to as conventional waste water disposal systems, under
the right conditions can be quite effective in providing a safe way to
eliminate household wastewater and its contaminants. The following article
suggests ways to extend the useful life of your septic system and protect
our environment and quality of life.
Roy Ballard, Purdue Extension Educator, ANR-
Floyd County

Extending
the Growing Season with Plastics
Home and market gardeners alike are aware of the climatic
limitations and uncertainties afforded by the Ohio River Valley. The use
of modern horticultural plastics -often referred to as Plasticulture-
makes possible the production of warm season crops (tomatoes, squash,
peppers etc) up to a month earlier in the spring (or later into the fall)
or of growing cool season greens on nearly a year-around basis.
Purdue University Extension- Floyd County
Building
a Garden Bed
Have you ever heard the phrase- "You've made
your bed now you can lie in it." I often would like to tell
folks who complain about the performance of their garden plants. Often
the plants were installed in lousy subsoil. So my phrase would be "You
didn't prepare your garden bed and now you call me!" Anyway,
here is some general advice on how to prepare a garden bed for planting
a bed your plants will be happy to lie in!
Excerpts from the February 2002 Issue of Home Horticulture
by Ricky D. Kemery, Allen County Horticulture Extension Educator

Garden
Festival to Come
The Sunnyside Master Gardeners will be holding their
5th Annual Herb and Garden Festival from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on
Saturday, June 1st in Clark County.
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