extension newsletter volume 13, issue 77 · 2019. 3. 1. · exclusion tactics, dr. ayanava...

Dear Friends of Extension,

It’s almost fall and you know what that means—football season and time for our annual 4-H FOOTBALL DAY! This year’s big day will be held on September 29th during Auburn’s Homecoming. There is a $10 registration fee for 4-H members & volunteers which will include a game ticket & t-shirt. The cost for all other guests (non 4-H members or additional family members) is the $10 registration fee PLUS $30 for their game ticket ($40 total). Registration is limited to the first 500 paid participants and must be completed online. Registration closes Tuesday, September 18th at 4:45 p.m. For more information, please contact Becky Staples, 4-H Agent Assistant, at 205-338-9416 or email [email protected].

As always, thank you for your continued support of the St. Clair County Extension Office! Happy fall y’all!

Alabama Cooperative Extension System St. Clair County Office

Extension Newsletter September/October 2018 Volume 13, Issue 77

Inside This Issue Successful Food Plots Begin with Soil Testing Publication Spotlight: Basics of Fall Vegetable Gardening Farming 201 Course Offered St. Clair County Young Farmers Workshops Offered: Should I Be a Business Entity? Interpreting Tax Cuts & Jobs Act Donor Recognition Your Money, Your Life Program Gardening Corner: What to Plant, What to Prune & What to Watch Out For! St. Clair County Master Gardener’s Lunch & Learn Workshop Scheduled Roses Welcome Cooler Fall Temps Recipe Corner: Lemon Zucchini Cake Agent Spotlight: Josh Elmore In Memory of Mr. Roger Gilbert Blue & Black Colon & Melanoma Cancer Awareness Luncheon

This Newsletter Made Possible by the

St. Clair County Commission

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Extension Newsletter Volume 13, Issue 77

any vegetables are well adapted to planting in the summer for fall harvest, which will extend the gardening season so you can continue to harvest

fresh produce after earlier crops have finished producing. The fall harvest can be extended even further if you protect the plants from early frosts or plant them in cold frames or hotbeds.

Many cool-season vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, cauli-flower, and Brussels sprouts, produce their best flavor and quality when they mature during cool weather. In Alabama, the spring temperatures often heat up quickly making vegeta-bles such as lettuce and spinach bolt or develop a bitter flavor when they mature during hot summer weather.

Growing a productive fall vegetable garden requires thought-ful planning and good cultural practices. In Alabama, August and September are the main planting times for a fall garden. Depending on your specific location, you may need to adjust the planting dates. For a more accurate planting schedule, determine the average date of the first killing frost in the fall, and then count backward from the frost date, using the number of days to maturity to determine the best time to plant in your area.

Preparing the Site Before preparing the soil for a fall garden, you must decide what to do with the remains of the spring garden. In most cases, the decision is not difficult because the warm-season vegetables are beginning to look ragged. Remove the previous crop residue and any weed growth, and then till or spade the soil to a depth of at least 6 to 8 inches.

If the spring crops were heavily fertilized, you may not need to make an initial preplant fertilization. If not, you can apply 1 to 2 pounds of a complete fertilizer such as 10-10-10 per 100 square feet of bed space. Be sure to thoroughly incorpo-rate the fertilizer.

Planting the Fall Garden Direct seeding, which involves planting seeds rather than using transplants, for crops such as broccoli, cabbage, and collards is often used in the fall. However, the success of this planting method depends on having adequate moisture available to keep the young seedlings actively growing after germination. An overhead sprinkler can help provide seeds with sufficient moisture to germinate.

Alabama summers can be hot and dry, and soils may form a

hard crust over the seeds. This crust can interfere with germi-nation, particularly in heavy clay soil. Lettuce and spinach seeds will not germinate if the soil temperature exceeds 85 degrees F. Be sure to keep the soil moist until the young seedlings have emerged.

Watering/Fertilizing Most vegetables require 1 inch of water per week. It is best to make a single watering that penetrates deeply rather than make frequent shallow applications. However, young seed-lings and germinating seeds may need more frequent, light waterings. Do not allow seedlings to dry out. New transplants will also benefit from frequent light waterings until they develop new roots.

Many fall-maturing vegetables benefit from sidedressing with nitrogen just as spring-maturing vegetables benefit. Most leafy vegetables benefit from an application of nitrogen 3 and 6 weeks after planting.

Insects and Diseases It is not uncommon for insects and diseases to be more abundant in the fall, mostly as a result of a buildup in their populations during the spring and summer. You may be able to keep these pests at tolerable levels, if you follow a few strategies. Strive to keep fall vegetables healthy and actively growing because healthy plants are less susceptible to insects and diseases. Check the plants frequently for insect and disease damage. If significant damage is detected, use an approved pesticide. Certain vegetables, such as squash, corn, and cucumbers, are especially insect and disease-prone during late summer and fall.

Frost Protection You can extend the season of tender vegetables by protecting them through the first early frost. In Alabama, we often enjoy several weeks of good growing conditions after the first frost. Cover growing beds or rows with burlap or a floating row cover supported by stakes or wire to keep the material from directly touching the plants. Protect individual plants by covering them with milk jugs, paper caps, or waterholding walls.

Most semihardy and hardy vegetables require little or no frost protection, but semihardy vegetables should be harvested before a heavy freeze, and root crops such as carrots and

M BasicsofFallVegetableGardening

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radishes should be harvested or mulched heavily before a hard freeze. Mulched root crops can often be harvested well into the winter, and during mild winters, harvest may continue until spring

For a complete copy of this publication, visit our website, www.aces.edu/StClair. Then just click on publications and search for ANR-1422 to download a copy or stop by the Extension Office located in Suite 103/BO4 which is on the lower level of the St. Clair County Courthouse in Pell City to pick up a free copy.

Source: ANR-1422 Basics of Fall Vegetable Gardening; J. M Kemble, Extension Vegetable Specialist, Professor, Horticulture, Auburn University, Revised August, 2013

“Most of us have far more courage than we ever dreamed of.”

~Dale Carnegie

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October9th,16th,23rd,

&30th,20186:00—8:30p.m.

St. Clair County Farmers Federation Bldg.

32775 U.S. Hwy. 231, Ashville, AL 35953

Farming201Course

Last year we offered a Farming 101 course for those of you who were interested in making your hobby farm profitable. Due to its overwhelming success, this year we are offering a more advanced course. Class times, topics to be covered, and presenters are as follows:

Tuesday, October 9th: Advanced Forage Management for Livestock Producers, Joshua Elmore, Regional Extension Agent

Tuesday, October 16th: Plasticulture Vegetables and Irrigation/Fertilization Program, Dan Porch, Blount County Extension Coordinator

Tuesday, October 23rd: Sustainable Insect Pest Management Using Trap Crops and Pest Exclusion Tactics, Dr. Ayanava Majumdar, Extension Entomologist

Tuesday, October 30th: Bio-Insecticide Application Methods, Tank Mixes & Pre-Mixes for Vegetable Production, Dr. Ayanava Majumdar, Extension Entomologist

Cost is $25/person for all 4 classes or $10/person, per class. Dinner will be provided. To register, please call the St. Clair County Extension Office at (205) 338-9416. Registration deadline is Tuesday, September 25th. Funding and support provided by Alabama Extension’s St. Clair County Office, ALFA Farmers—St. Clair County, and Alabama Farm Credit.

St. Clair

County

The St. Clair County Young Farmers is an organization for adults 35 and younger in St. Clair County. Their purpose is to promote agriculture and advocate on its behalf. They participate in activities around the community and also on a state level. Their group meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. For more information about joining their group and for updates please join their Facebook page, St. Clair County Young Farmers.

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Do you know if your operation should be a business entity? If so, do you know which one it would fall under? Alabama Extension System is here to help answer these questions. Alabama Extension is now offering a program on business entities at 14 locations across the state. Dr. Robert Tufts, an Alabama Extension farm management specialist and attorney, said that this program is open to anyone. “The main outreach for this program is to farmers, but it is applicable to anyone with a business,” Tufts said. “The program is for anyone looking for more information on business entities. Whether they are just starting a business or have been in business for years and are looking for a different structure, all can take something from this program.” Accountants can request to take this program for three Continuing Professional Education (CPE) hours. Continuing education credit is also available for foresters and professional logging managers. There are nine different business entities available in Alabama, with each of them offering different advantages.

General partnership

Limited partnership

Registered limited liability partnership

Limited liability limited partnership

Corporation, S or C

Cooperative

Limited liability company

Business trust

Real estate investment trust “During this program, I will discuss the differences in the entities and why a person may choose one instead of another,” Tufts said. The program will also cover a variety of topics such as liability of owners, classification for income tax purposes and much more. The cost to register for the program is $15 for individuals and $60 for accountants requesting CPE. There are three options for people to register: online, mail or also phone. Online registration can be done at www.aces.edu/business-entity. People registering by mail must send a check to: Kathryn Thurlow, 301 O.D. Smith Hall, Auburn University, Alabama 36849-5608. Make checks payable to Auburn University and specify the location and workshop. To register over the phone please call 334-844-5100. This workshop will be held at our neighboring Talladega County Extension Office, located at 132 N Court Street, Talladega, AL 35160 on Thursday, September 6th from 8:30 a.m.—11:30 a.m. The workshop will also be held at 13 other locations across the state. Please visit Alabama Extension, www.aces.edu, to learn more about these other locations.

The new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will benefit many individuals and businesses. While most of the business changes are permanent, many individual provisions will end Dec. 31, 2025. Dr. Robert Tufts, a visiting professor with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, suggests contacting a tax professional to discuss these changes and their potential effects on individuals and businesses. Tufts will also be leading a series of workshops on this topic to assist individu-als and business owners.

This workshop will also be held at our neighboring Talladega County Extension Office, located at 132 N Cour t Street, Talladega, AL 35160 on Thursday, September 6th from 1:30 p.m.— 4:40 p.m. and the cost is the same as the Business Entity Workshop. The same three registration options (mentioned above) are also available: online at www.aces.edu/taxes, mail or phone. Dr. Tufts will cover the following as related to the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: individual tax changes, estate tax changes, business tax changes, and the comparison of tax liability for a small business if it was organized as a C corporation, sole proprietorship, limited liability limited partnership, or S corporation.

Both this workshop and the Business Entity Workshop are designed to be stand-alone meetings but many individuals may find participation in both to be very beneficial. CEU’s are available for both workshops.

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The St. Clair County Commission

We gratefully acknowledge the St. Clair County Commission and all our Extension Newsletter readers who have donated monies

that make it possible for you to continue to receive the printed version of the Extension Newsletter.

Pictured: (l to r) Commissioners Tommy Bowers, Jimmy Roberts, Chairman Paul Manning, & Commissioners Jeff Brown and Rick Parker

For Your Donation A special thanks to all these readers who generously donated funds that has

helped us to continue to provide the printed version of the Extension Newsletter!

Mrs. Julia Allred

Applewood Farm

Wayne & Sheila Armbrester

Ms. Jane Bailey

Ms. Sally Bailey

Mrs. Joyce Balch

Mrs. Pam Bedsole

Mrs. Kristi Blackwell

Mrs. & Mrs. Dennis Bourland

Mrs. Gale Bunt

Mr. Don Campbell

Ms. Linda Clarke

Mr. James Cole

Dr. Larry Chasteen, Logan Martin Veterinary Clinic, LLC

Mrs. Juanita Crowson

Mrs. Patsy Dawson

Mr. & Mrs. Bill Dean

Mr. & Mrs. Roy Dye, Jr.

Mr. Ronnie Flanagan

Ms. Bev Gattis

Ms. Charlotte Gibson

Ms. Caroline Gover

Mrs. Ann Hamilton

Mrs. Teresa S. Hayes

Judge Bill Hereford

Mrs. Judy Hicks

Mrs. Faye Howard

Mr. & Mrs. James Hursh

Ms. Sandy Huston

Mr. David Jackson

Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Johnson

Mr. & Mrs. William Jones

Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Kuykendall

Ms. Marianne Landman

Ms. Nancy Lehe

Mr. Norman McClure

Ms. Betty McKinney

Ms. Frances Matukas

Mr. & Mrs. Emery Mayoros

Ms. Carolyn Mills

Mr. Donnie Murray

Ms. Patricia Peoples

Mrs. Vickie Prosch

Mrs. Jeraldine Reynolds

Ms. Judy Reynolds

Mr. Edward Rice

Mrs. Gigi Sadler

St. Clair County Beekeepers Association

Ms. Carol Schultz

Mr. & Mrs. Charlie Sewell

Mr. Wilburn D. Smith

Ms. Ann Sweat

Ms. Sandra Tucker

Ms. Margaret Vaughn

Mr. & Mrs. Henry Wadley

Ms. Janice Wadsworth

Mrs. Catherine Walker

Mrs. LaTonya Williams

Ms. Joan Wright

Mr. Arthur Woods

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HEADS UP! The very successful Reality Check Program has recently been refreshed! It now has a new name and look. The program will now be called Y our Money, Y our Life: Living in the Real World. The new program offers two informative sessions above and beyond the original simulation. We look forward to conducting this new program with ALL St. Clair County & Pell City school system 8th graders in the spring!

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Issue 1 Page 5 Extension Newsletter Volume 12, Issue 77

Alabama Cooperative Extension System is committed to affirmative action equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce.

Educational programs of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or national origin.

Football season is approaching! We’re anticipating and hoping for a break in the heat. Summer gardens are winding down, at least many of them are. Warm season vegetables are still producing but volume is declining, some plants have already joined the compost pile or are on their way.

While pruning isn’t recommended for most plants this time of year, we can cut back annuals by about half, give them a shot of quick-release fertilizer, and watch them bounce back with new blooms. Annuals such as Petunias, Alyssum, Geraniums and others will continue providing color into fall if cut back in September. Some perennials will behave the same including rudbeckia, Echinacea, and chelone (Turtlehead).

Canna lilies are likely to continue providing colorful foliage until nights start getting cooler, along with many varieties of coleus and caladium.

Those questions about ‘can I prune back foliage of spring bulbs’ like daffodils, daylilies, and iris, yes once it’s turned brown, cut it to the ground! These bulbs, tubers, rhizomes and corms have stored the energy needed for blooms next spring, and dead plant material can better be used in the compost pile!

Most pruning activities should be postponed until late winter or early spring if the target is a tree or shrub (see above). What we can prune or remove in this Septem-ber/October window are dead, damaged, or diseased portions of a tree or shrub. Leave removal of major limbs or structural pruning until late winter (February and early March).

What about planting? The best time to plant most trees

By: Sallie Lee,

Urban Regional Extension Agent

Home Grounds, Gardens and Home Pests

and shrubs is fall which officially goes all the way to December! Fall planting gives roots time to establish and acclimate to conditions in your garden or beds, so wait until temperatures moderate if possible.

Want the pleasure of harvesting your own vegetables after warm season crops have us salivating for more fresh food? September and October are good months to plant beets, carrots, kale, Swiss chard and collards. Also try sugar snap peas, kohlrabi, leaf lettuce and spinach as all of these vegetables prefer cooler weather in which to germinate and produce. Since September and October can still be warm and dry, plant seeds in the ground after a rain, sew them a little deeper than in spring, and water gently.

By the way, if garden space is at a premium in your world, all of the above mentioned crops can be grown in containers or pots! Follow the same procedure for planting seeds in pots as you would in ground or raised beds.

The Sept/Oct season is a good time to start or add to a compost pile as it’s an excellent place for raked- up leaves. Some gardeners with an existing compost pile add that material to their gardens or flower beds as a natural soil amendment! Something about the earthy smell of damp composted leaves is as reassuring as a hug from Mother Nature!

If you’re into bulbs, and what gardener doesn’t have a corm (crocus, gladiolas, freesia), rhizome (iris and canna lily), bulb (daffodils, tulips, hyacinths) or tuber

What to Plant, What to Prune & What to Watch Out For!

continued on page 10

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St. Clair County Master Gardeners Association’s

Lunch and Learn FREE Admission!

Soft Drinks Provided!

Bring a Lunch & Bring a Friend!

October 23rd—Landscaping for Birds Location: First Baptist Church, Odenville

Roses Welcome Cooler Fall Temps Roses are tough plants when grown in well-drained soil, enriched with organic matter, and where there is good sunlight and air circulation. Fall is an excellent time to rejuvenate roses for a beautiful show of color before they rest for the winter.

“Roses welcome the relief of cooler fall temperatures. It is one of the best seasons for plant growth and flowering. With adequate watering, some fertilization and clean up, rose growers can enjoy many weeks of colorful blooms and help prevent overwintering disease problems next spring,” said Nelson Wynn, a regional horticulture agent with Alabama Extension.

Prune any dead or diseased canes and spent blooms, especially those crossing into the center of the plant. Also, prune vigorous canes 1/3 inch above a five-leaflet leaf growing to the outside of the plant.

Continue disease and insect control sprays in the fall. “This is important to maintain healthy foliage, which is necessary to produce flowers. Tender new growth needs protection from sucking pests such as aphids, thrips and beetles.” Insecticidal soap is your first line of defense against aphids and sucking insects. A pyrethrin insecticide, Orthene or Sevin is recommended for control of adult beetles.

Fall is also a good time to rake out old mulch and diseased leaves that have shed during the summer. Nelson recommended replac-ing the mulch with 3 to 4 inches of clean pine straw. If you don’t have enough pine straw, use leaves shed from shade trees and top off with an inch or so of pine straw. The leaves will decay over time, adding humus to the soil.

Roses respond well to cooler nights and less humid days if you provide the moisture they need and one last application of fertilizer in early fall. If you used a complete fertilizer, such as 10-10-10 during the spring and summer months, only a small amount of nitro-gen should be used. Wash any fertilizer off leaves and keep roses well-watered. An alternative would be to continue using a water-soluble fertilizer about every two weeks until six weeks before the first expected killing frost. This will allow roses time to begin their dormancy period before freeing weather arrives.

Source: Extension Daily, 11/06/14

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Lemon Zucchini Cake 1¼ cups granulated sugar 6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 2 eggs, room temperature ⅓ cup vanilla almond milk 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract 2 cups cake flour (can substitute all-purpose flour) 1¼ tsp baking powder ½ tsp kosher salt 1½ cup shredded zucchini, drained and squeezed dry 2 Tbsp. lemon zest Glaze 1 cup powdered sugar 1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a loaf pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and olive oil. Whisk to combine. Add eggs and almond milk and whisk together. Add lemon juice and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Add flour mixture and stir just until incorporated. Fold in zucchini and lemon zest. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. The top of the cake should look dry. Place the loaf on a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper to carefully life the cake from the pan. Let cool completely on rack. For glaze, in a small bowl combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cake. Slice and serve. Yield: 10 servings Source: Denise Olivastri of Pell City and friend of Extension. This Lemon Zucchini Cake is definitive proof that lemon and zucchini belong together! Beautifully moist and undeniably delicious, this easy cake is topped with a lemon glaze that will keep you coming back for one more slice. An excellent way to use up that zucchini from your garden!

(caladiums, tuberous begonias) growing somewhere in the yard, bed, or container, now is a good time to purchase many of these while the selection is good. Some varieties are planted in fall for spring bloom, some planted in spring for summer and fall flowering. Check with a local nursery or online information to know which to plant in September and October.

Herbs are still growing, most will continue until frost, so make pesto with your basil leaves to enjoy during football games.

Refrain from fertilizing warm-season turf grasses as they are in the process of entering dormancy. If you’ve had weeds cropping up in your lawn in past years, identifying the weed(s) goes a long way toward learning the methods for controlling it/them. Many annual cool season weeds respond to a pre-emergent herbicide, which should be applied in September to be effective.

Football! Fall gardens! Mums! Pumpkins! It’s that time of year!!

Contact the St. Clair County Extension Office at 205-338-9416 for more information and assistance now or anytime!

Photo included is courtesy of Philadelphia flower show blog

~Gardening Corner Continued~

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InMemoryofMr.RogerGilbert

It is with great sadness that we share the loss of one of our very own Master Gardeners and Extension volunteers.

Mr. Roger Gilbert completed the Master Gardener class in 2008 (pictured with his class on right) and from that point forward he became a wonderful addition to our St. Clair County Extension family.

Roger was a retired military chaplain in the Army and had a HUGE heart for service. He loved his fellow military veterans, and visited the VA Home residents frequently. He took pride in working for the American Red Cross and we could always count on him to help with all of our Extension activities like the Military Resource Fair, Health Fair and Cancer Awareness Luncheons.

I'll never forget what Roger told me one day while he was volunteering & helping us yet again. This time he was helping me paint a vinyl curtain in our demonstration kitchen after it had been remodeled. Out of the blue he said, "Lee Ann, you saved my life!" Shocked to hear this, I asked how could I have done that. He went on to say that if we had not offered the Master Gardener class and encouraged him to get involved, he did not know what would have happened to him. He went on to share that he had been in a very bad place in his life, battling issues that many veterans deal with, and this new opportunity to volunteer and get involved through the Master Gardener class helped him tremendously, hence saving his life.

We are so thankful for Roger and all he did to help us at the Extension Office and our community, especially the veterans. He will be greatly missed! Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and the St. Clair County Extension office staff would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to his family.

Joshua Elmore Regional Extension Agent

Animal Sciences & Forages

Joshua Elmore has worked for Alabama Extension for 19 years. Prior to that, he worked in the turkey processing business in South Carolina. He currently serves as a Regional Extension Agent in the area of Animal Sciences and Forages. He is an Alabama native but spent a good portion of his life in Florida. He currently lives in Clanton and graduated from the University of Florida and Auburn University where he earned two Bachelor’s of Science degrees, one in Animal Science and the other in Poultry Science as well as a Masters of Agriculture degree in Animal Science. He is a member of the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS) and the National County Agents Association (NACAA). Outside of work, Josh enjoys hunting, fishing, dog training, and coaching youth soccer.

Josh looks forward to working with the farmers and ranchers of St. Clair County. His future programming efforts include grazing management programs, livestock management programs, and weed control options in pastures and hayfields. For more information related to animal sciences and forages, please contact Josh by calling the St. Clair County Office at 205-338-9416, his cell phone 334-850-7859 or email [email protected].

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1815 Cogswell Avenue Suite #103/B04

Pell City, Alabama 35125

Alabama Cooperative Extension System St. Clair County Office

Phone: 205-338-9416 Fax: 205-338-9417

www.aces.edu/StClair


For Colon & Melanoma Cancer Awareness

FREE! Everyone Welcome!

Lunch Will Be Provided, But Seating Is Limited!

Please call the St. Clair County Extension Office at 205-338-9416 to make your reservation no later than October 4th.

To be a sponsor or for more information, please contact Lee Ann Clark, County Extension Coordinator

Guest Speakers

J-P Dice, WBRC Chief

Meteorologist & Colon Cancer Survivor

Meredith Gore, Board Certified

Physician Assistant Inverness Dermatology

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extension newsletter volume 13, issue 77 · 2019. 3. 1. · exclusion tactics, dr. ayanava...

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