Think of fall in the eastern U.S. and fall foliage is likely to be high on the list of things that come to mind. People will drive for hundreds of miles to admire a forest ablaze in bright red, orange, and yellow leaves. More than one vacation, wedding, or other special event is planned each year with the hopes of hitting peak fall color in an area. Kids love tromping through the fallen leaves and making them crunch as loud as they can. And I’ve yet to meet anyone who enters the woods during the fall and proclaims how ugly the woods look with so many leaves on the ground.
Continue readingCategory Archives: Lawns
Soil Testing
Soil testing is a soil-management tool we use to determine the fertility of soil as well as the optimum lime and fertilizer requirements for crops. Fall is the best time of year to test your soil. Most nutrients take some time to break down and become available to the plant. If you give them all winter to break down, by the time you are ready to plant in the spring, the plants can better take up the nutrients.
Continue readingRestarting Your Lawn After The Drought
On Wednesday, August 3, the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays presents a training on Restarting Your Lawn After the Drought with Kenneth Clayton, UK Turf Associate. The webinar begins at 12:30 pm EST/ 11:30 am CST.
Register for the meeting here.
See what other webinars are coming this season here: https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/season-three/
View Season Two webinars here: https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/season-two/
View Season One webinars here: https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/season-one/

Deer Management in Gardens
On Wednesday, July 27, the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays presents a training on Deer Management in Gardens with Matt Springer, UK Wildlife Specialist. The webinar begins at 12:30 pm EST/ 11:30 am CST.
Register for the meeting here.
See what other webinars are coming this season here: https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/season-three/
View Season Two webinars here: https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/season-two/
View Season One webinars here: https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/season-one/

Summer Lawn Management
Cool-season grasses such as fescue or bluegrass do not enjoy high temperatures or prolonged periods of drought. These grasses are originally from cooler, more temperate regions of Europe. Cool-season grasses make food using photosynthesis and nutrients from the soil but during very hot summers, they are much less efficient at the process and also use much more water than normal. We can help out our cool-season grasses during stressful conditions with a few good practices, however.
Continue readingManagement Practices for Growing Grass in Shady Lawns
Growing grass in the shade is a problem for which there are no easy answers. Grass is a full-sun plant and when planted in shaded areas (defined as a site that receives less than 4 to 5 hours of direct sunlight daily) it performs poorly. The filtering effect of trees significantly reduces the amount and quality of light grasses receive. This has an adverse effect on photosynthesis, the process that produces energy needed for the grasses to grow. What we see from this effect are grasses that are thin, weak, and have a lower tolerance to disease, drought, and foot-traffic stress.
Continue readingPETScaping: Tips for Creating the Perfect Landscape for You and Your Dog
On Wednesday, February 16, the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays presents a training on PETScaping with Sharon Flynt, Horticulture Agent in Scott County. The webinar begins at 12:30 pm EST/ 11:30 am CST.
Register for the meeting here: https://tinyurl.com/22FEBHWW
See what other webinars are coming this season here: https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/season-three/
View Season Two webinars here: https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/season-two/
View Season One webinars here: https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/season-one/

Soil Basics
On Wednesday, August 4, the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays presents a training on Soil Basics with Alexis Sheffield, UK Horticulture Agent in Boyle County. The webinar begins at 12:30 pm EST/ 11:30 am CST.
Register for the meeting here: https://tinyurl.com/HortWWAug
See what other webinars are coming this season here: https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/season-two/
View Season One webinars here: https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/season-one/

Mossy Lawns
Moss in a lawn is not necessarily a bad thing. Usually moss becomes established in lawn areas where turf is thin or nonexistent. This may be a shady or full-sun site that remains wet for long periods of time. Areas with poor surface drainage, like low spots that collect water, or poor air circulation found next to buildings or wooded lots may also have moss. In these cases, it is not so much that the moss is crowding out the grass but rather the moss is filling in as the grass thins out.
Continue readingSummer and Fall Lawn Care
On Wednesday, April 28, the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays presents a training on Summer and Fall Lawn Care with Ray Tackett, UK Horticulture Agent in Bourbon County. The webinar begins at 12:30 pm EST/ 11:30 am CST.
Register for the meeting here: https://tinyurl.com/UKYHortWebWed21
See what other webinars are coming this season here: https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/season-two/
View Season One webinars here: https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/season-one/
