Cooperative Extension Service Pulaski County PO Box 720 Somerset KY 42502-0720 (606) 679-6361 Fax: (606) 679-6271 pulaski.ca.uky.edu July 2020

Pulaski County Cooperative Extension will be transitioning to electronic newsletters. I sincerely hope that many

of you will decide to continue to receive the newsletter albeit in your email inbox.

This is a much greener way of doing business in the 21st century. Color printing costs are outrageous and Exten-

sion will no longer have bulk mail discounts after July 1, 2020. This is a logical step.

Horticulture newsletters have always been archived here: https://pulaski.ca.uky.edu/content/horticulture-

newsletter and they will continue to be posted there.

However, you will have to go to the website each

month on your own.

If you sign up and subscribe to the horticulture

newsletter through MailChimp, each month you will

receive a nice, clean newsletter with links. These news-

letters can be more up-to-date than the printed &

mailed ones.

You can sign up here: https://pulaski.ca.uky.edu/

content/horticulture-newsletter .

Farmers markets are a segment of agriculture which is considered essential. So be sure to buy locally produced fruits and vegetables this spring and summer.

In these weird times, everyone will have to ex-ercise patience when purchasing. Although cash will be accepted, understand that several vendors take credit cards, which would be a preferred pay-ment method.

Get out and support your local farms!

There are two farmers

markets to serve you this

season.

The Somerset Farmers

Market at the Mall will still

be open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am til 1pm.

OPENING DAY IS JUNE 6!!

The Lake Cumberland Farmers Market is the new mar-

ket in downtown Somerset. It will be open Tuesdays (8am

to 2pm), Thursdays (1pm to 7pm) and Saturdays (8am to

2pm). OPENING DAY IS JUNE 11!!

The Extension office is opening back up in a deliberate way according to state health officials. In the meantime, please be sure to follow my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and/or YouTube feeds for the most up-to-date infor-mation.

Please read the front page of this newsletter. We are transitioning to electronic newsletters. If you don’t want to miss an issue of this news-letter, please sign up for the electronic one TODAY. It takes just 1 minute of your time.

I will be coordinating with several other Hort Agents in KY in scheduling the 2020 Master Gardener Program. I’m sure remote sessions will be part of the program this year, just unsure how big of a part. It’ll be different but it’ll still be a great program.

Get outside, wear sunscreen, and stay safe.

Beth Wilson

Pulaski Co Horticulture Agent

beth.wilson@uky.edu @hortagentbeth @kyplants Pulaski County Horticulture

We are currently taking applications for the Fall

2020 Master Gardener Program. This has historical-

ly consisted of 13 weeks of weekly face-to-face ses-

sions. The program will still be conducted even if

we have to do it remotely. We will figure it out.

Baled pine straw is sold out. We are now only selling loose pine

straw by the truckload. It will only be sold on Tuesdays. Master Gar-

deners will be getting more in soon so stay tuned.

Master Gardeners will suspend their outreach visits to Lowe’s over

the next month or more, depending on the situation. Please be pa-

tient and stay safe.

For the safety of our clientele and staff, as of June 1, 2020 the Pulaski County Extension Office has been open by ap-

pointment only. As of June 29, groups of up to 50 may use office facilities as long as there is enough room to practice

social distancing. No food or refreshments are allowed during meetings, spaces must be properly sanitized before

and after, and face masks are highly encouraged.

To schedule an appointment, you may contact us by calling any of the following phone numbers or by email:

Pulaski County Extension Office: (606) 679-6361

TJ Adkins (Ag & Natural Resources): (606) 875-5094 or t.j.adkins@uky.edu

Jennifer Cole (4-H): (606) 669-9965 or jennifer_cole@uky.edu

Edith Lovett (FCS): (606) 259-6290 or edith.lovett@uky.edu

Beth Wilson (Hort): (606) 305-6647 or beth.wilson@uky.edu

Clientele may continue to submit soil samples, plant samples, or any other applicable items now that the office is

transitioning to phase one of reopening. Please call any of the numbers above for directions on how to submit these.

The CDC and Kentucky officials recommend wearing face masks or cloth face coverings in public settings. Protect

yourself and others by wearing a face mask or cloth mask while visiting our Extension facility.

Several dead hornets came into the office this spring

from observant Pulaski Countians thinking they had

found the Asian giant hornet. Egad, they were big!

But they were NOT the Asian giant hornet, but were

the ubiquitous European hornet, likely the queens.

Very impressive size. (I am not responsible for the

incorrectly spelled ‘miss identified’ to the left)

Weeds are an indication of a problem. In most cases, the problem is caused by humans. We create bare soil or disturb an area. The disturbance could be big or small, from digging with a backhoe or a hand trowel.

Wild violets are a plant we love to hate. In my own landscape (I laugh when I call it that), I’ve decid-ed to let the majority stay while digging some as they get out of hand.

Before we send wild violet to plant heaven, let’s give some love to wild violet. Viola sororia, common blue violet, is a Kentucky native. If you like fritillary butterflies, Viola species serve as its only larval host. So no violets, no fritillaries.

Violets are perennial. They tend to start in shady areas but will easily venture out into the more sunny parts of your garden or turf.

Enough with the love. How do we kill it?

Cultural Options

Hand-pulling plants seems fruitless. The growing point is at or below the soil line and produces tough rhizomes that can be extremely hard to dig up in their entirety. Seeds have eliosomes attached and are distributed by ants.

In turf, good maintenance and fertilization practic-es can help.

Chemical Options

Wild violet is one of the toughest weeds to control with herbicides. The common broadleaf herbicides will not work.

Herbicides containing triclopyr are the best option for controlling violets. There are several brand names, but the active ingredient list should contain triclopyr. Be sure the herbicide you choose is labeled for the crop you are trying to grow (fescue, herba-ceous perennials, etc).

One application may not do the job so follow-ups are important. ALWAYS READ THE ENTIRE LABEL AND USE ACCORDINGLY.

Greater fritillary adult Greater fritillary larva Root type (Photo: NCSU)

Leaf and flower

Some Fun Information

Female fritillaries do not lay their eggs on the host plant. She conceals them in debris and a newly hatched caterpillar must find its way.

The waxy leaf cuticle confers resistance to many herbicides.

Violets live in every state (except Hawaii) in Zones 3 to 10.

Violet flowers are edible. Throw them in a salad.

Pulaski County PO Box 720 Somerset KY 42502-0720 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

The Pulaski County

Cooperative Exten-

sion office is open to

the public by appoint-

ment only through

the month of July.

The office will close

July 3 for the 4th of

July holiday

All agents are availa-

ble by phone, email,

or social media ac-

counts.

https://

pulaski.ca.uky.edu/