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Coordinator's Comments By Bev Lillie

This month I would like to bring to your at-

tention our participation in the Brucemore

Lawn/Garden Show. The 2009 show will be

held on Saturday, August 22nd. Last year the

chairpersons for coordinating our part of the

day were Karmin Mullins and Debbie Main.

MGs invest many volunteer hours in the follow-

ing: giving presentations from the stage, assist

those giving presentations, assist at demonstra-

tions and displays, serve as garden guides, dem-

onstrate composting, and give related informa-

tion, direct people to our displays from the

greeter booth and are plant doctors. In addition,

there is set up and take down. There are four

shifts for most of the categories listed. Need-

less to say, the chairpersons of this event spend

hours on the phone and e-mailing potential vol-

unteers. Thank you, Karmin and Debbie for

this past year‘s efforts; and to those of you who

chaired the project before that. We appreciate

your dedication. As the time comes closer for the event the

chair(s) will be asking for your help. Be sure to

say yes when asked. It is a fun day; usually the

weather man cooperates, and it is great to be at

the beautiful historic Brucemore mansion. The first quarter of 2009 is history – can you

believe it? It‘s time once again to get your hours

in. You may download the forms from the Linn

Co. Extension website

www.extension.iastate.edu/linn/info/

mastergardener/

Info+for+MG+and+Interns.htm.

Volunteer Hours Quiz

Last month four situations were presented to

you to determine how certain projects should be

credited for volunteer or education hours. Here

are four more situations to be answered either:

(A) Volunteer Hours, (B) Needs Revision, (C)

Education Hours, or (D) No Credit. The correct

answers are on page 4. 1. Digging holes, staking trees, and spreading mulch for a local community beautification pro-ject. 2. You are making pest control recommenda-tions for a commercial greenhouse grower. 3. Travel time to the Farm Progress Show to a work shift at ISU Master Gardener booth. 4. Researching and preparing slides/PowerPoint presentation to local garden club. A garden is never as good as it will be next

year. Thomas Coope

Spring Banquet We are looking forward to seeing all MGs and

their spouses/significant others who have made

reservations to attend the Spring Banquet on

April 9, 6:30 pm. We will be honoring the

2008 MG of the Year and the 2008 New MG of

the Year. In addition, recognition will be ex-

tended to those who have achieved major mile-

stones in their service to the MG program.

MASTER GARDENER EVENTS Apr.6, 6:30 pm. Steering Committee Meeting. E.O.

Apr. 7, 6:30 pm. CGS, Prairie Wildflowers and Native

Grasses. KCC, Cedar Hall, rm. 234.

Apr.9, 6:30 pm. Spring Banquet. Prairie Hill Pavilion.

Marion.

Apr. 13. 6:30 pm. Plant Sale Meeting, E.O.

Apr. 14, 6:30 pm, CGS, Garden Rooms Without Walls.

KCC, Cedar Hall, rm. 234.

Apr. 18, 9:30 am -3:00 pm. CGS, Three Hands-on

Workshops. Extension office

April 22, 6:30 pm. Know Your Mushrooms. E.O. Apr. 23, 6:30. Garden Walk Planning Meeting. E.O.

Apr. 25, 9:00 am – noon. Lowe Park Demo Garden

Clean-up. Marion.

April Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

Volunteer Spotlight on —

Cathy Wyatt As Cathy says, ―No moss grows

under my shoes.‖ Indeed Cathy

keeps extremely busy, but more

than that, her enjoyment of her

work, gardening and life in gen-

eral, are apparent in everything she

does. Cathy has worked at HyVee for

the past 25 years (the last four

have been at the new Edgewood

Road HyVee). She most enjoys

assembling the specialty ―goodie‖

baskets for the holidays and she

has worked in the HyVee Garden Center for the past 15

years where she is now the Assistant Manager. Cathy‘s interest in gardening was sparked as a young

girl of five or six when she helped her mother and grand-

mother in their flower and vegetable gardens. Her mom

had a lovely garden of day lilies and her grandmother had

a beautiful collection of irises. Cathy remembers pulling

weeds, and picking, cleaning and chopping vegetables. It

gave her an appreciation of growing what you eat. Cathy and her husband Matt have an acreage outside of

Mount Vernon, IA. They have a small pond, grow dwarf

fruit trees and Cathy is currently working on establishing

a moon garden (all white flowers). Cathy and Matt have

built a small solar-powered greenhouse where she is able

to grow spinach and ―cole‖ plants during the winter sea-

son. Cathy has just applied to the National Registry to list

her garden as a Monarch Way Station. Her garden con-

tains many host and nectar plants that attract Monarchs,

Black and Yellow Swallowtails and Red Admirals. MG activities for Cathy include helping to establish the

new Lowe Park Greenhouse and traveling to many parks

in the area to help eradicate invasive plants such as garlic

mustard and teasel. In Mount Vernon, Cathy teaches

home composting and dividing and sharing perennial

plants. She also enjoys providing the neighborhood chil-

dren with books on insects and gives them caterpillars to

observe and identify. Cathy and Matt have a grown son, Tony. She also has

three dogs, one cat and a horse. (Cathy jokes that if she is

not digging she is feeding.) Her hobbies include garden-

ing, horseback riding and fishing. Her family recently

purchased a cabin on the Wapsipinicon River where they

share their love of the great outdoors. With Cathy‘s en-

thusiasm for life and love of gardening, we can be sure

there will continue to be ―no moss under her shoes‖ for

years to come! Interview by Sandra Holterhaus.

2

Change in Awards Banquet By Linda Bigley

Some of you will notice a change in that the April

Awards Banquet does not include a social hour this year.

Recently we reviewed the Linn County Extension

personnel policy and the Iowa State University personnel

policy and both documents prevent staff from being a part

of events at which alcohol is served. I doubt that a ―no

alcohol‖ meal will keep any of our MGs from attending,

but I also felt that you might like to know the reasoning

behind the decision.

Creative Gardening Series By Kay McWhinney

The 2009 Creative Gardening Series promises to be an-

other education-filled series. The programs will be held

on April 7, and April 14 (6:30 - 8:30 pm each day) at

Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Hall, Room 234.

On April 7, Neil Diboll, an internationally known Prai-

rie Ecologist from Westfield, WI, will speak on Using

Prairie Wildflowers and Native Grasses in Iowa Land-

scapes. He will discuss the process of establishing prairie

gardens and meadows using plants or seed in both small

and large scale venues. Neil has spent his career champi-

oning the use of prairie plants, native trees and shrubs..

April 14, promises to offer a hot topic, Don’t Fence Me

In: Creating Garden Rooms Without Walls by Shirley

Remes. Shirley will illustrate how to easily create garden

rooms in your own yard, whether large or small. Dividing

landscape space into ‗rooms‘ solves practical space is-

sues. Shirley is field editor for Better Homes and Gar-

dens, photographer, and a popular lecturer.

On April 18, three popular ―Hands-On‖ workshops will

be offered at the Linn Co. Extension Office.

Twig Art - 9:00 to 10:30 am. LCMG Shelby Foley will

lead participants in making a pot trellis complete with

vining green plants. Workshop materials will be provided.

Participants are asked to bring a hand pruner, wire cutter

and scissors (needle nose pliers optional). Cost $10. Class

is limited to 20 participants.

Build a Toadhouse - 11:00 am to 12:30 pm LCMG Karla

McGrail will instruct folks on how to build a mosaic toad-

house. This delightful and decorative project could be

enjoyed with a child, grandchild, or alone. All materials

are provided. Cost $10. Class is limited to 25 participants,

age 7 and up.

Building a Gourd Birdhouse - 1:00 to 3:00 pm Iowa

Gourd Society members will demonstrate how you can

create your own natural birdhouse. Sturdy gourds and

decorating materials will be provided to construct this

functional and decorative project. Cost $30. Class is lim-

ited to 25 participants.

Register and pre-pay for the workshops by April 10th,

call: 319-377-9839.

3

Things We Love Cardinal Flower Becki Lynch

Garden Walk 2009 and Annual MG Picnic By Dolly Brown

The 2009 Linn County MG Garden Walk is poised for a

successful day. It is scheduled for June 13, from 10:00

am to 3:00 pm. (Pray for a dry day!) Since last year‘s

garden walk was cancelled due to the Great Flood of

It‘s amazing how much is learned

as we move through the seasons in

gardening! I only became a gar-

dener four years ago, and I could not

have imagined then how my life

would change with this new love.

But, there is one plant that, more

than any other, caused me to become

passionate about gardening – what is

it? Lobelia cardinalis – the Cardinal

Flower. As a complete novice, I simply

looked at plants that I liked in a cata-

log, and planted them in a bed dur-

ing the Fall of 2004. I didn‘t know

what to expect from any of them the

next year, but found that by mulch-

ing, watering, and fertilizing, they

all did pretty well in that partially

shady bed. I had forgotten when the Cardinal

Flower was to bloom, but watched

as it grew higher and higher

throughout the summer. It stood

straight and tall up to about 3 feet,

and I didn‘t even need to stake it.

Without much care, it began to fill

out in late July, when the lilies in the

bed were dying back. And then it

began to bloom in early August. I‘ll

never forget going out and seeing

those bright red petals on a tall bot-

tlebrush begin to unfold. Each day I

became more breathless as the

blooms lengthened until the full, soft

bottlebrush left me stunned. The

petals shone luminously in the sun

and even seemed to shimmer in the

shade! Every day for over three

weeks, I made sure to spend a few

minutes just enjoying the beauty of

this plant. And when I saw the hum-

mingbirds and butterflies that hov-

ered around it, I thought I was in

heaven. Even my husband (not

noted for noticing individual plants)

asked me about that ―gorgeous‖

plant! Since then I have learned so much

more about this herbaceous peren-

nial – that it loves moisture, can

thrive in full sun to partials shade,

and even that it is an Iowa native – a

real plus! Somehow, through luck, I

had placed it in an ideal location,

and it has rewarded me with count-

less hours of enjoyment and awe. I

now have added it to my stream, and

other places in the landscape, but I

will never forget that first year of

2005. The Cardinal Flower renewed the

wonder of nature for me, and every

year since it has shared its wondrous

blooms to remind me of that first

year.

2008, the same MG gardens will be on the tour in 2009.

These gardens include: Kevin Weiss, Deb Walser, Ellen

Skripsky, Darrell Hennessey and Val Ortberg. To make the walk a success, we need many volunteers

for the wide range of work areas. Please note the volun-

teer sign-up sheet on page 9. We are sure you will be able

to find something of interest and it will be a fun, exciting

way to pick up volunteer hours. Our next meeting will be

April 23, 6:30 pm at the Extension Office. It has been suggested that we have our Annual Picnic

following the Garden Walk. This would be a great time

to relax and reflect after a successful MG event, and of

course, enjoy great food. Please contact Bev Lillie or

Dolly if you would be willing to organize the picnic. We would like suggestions about gardens to include on

the 2010 Garden Walk. The Garden Walk will be the lat-

ter part of July, so if your garden or a fellow MG‘s garden

would be in it‘s glory at that time, please e-mail Dolly

Brown at dolly1231231@msn.com. The garden selection

committee would like to visit those gardens this summer.

Continuing Ed By Doug Smith

Do you wish you could extend your mushroom hunting

knowledge beyond the morel? Then come to Dick Faas‘

presentation Know Your Mushrooms and Know Which are

Good to Eat on Wed., April 22, 6:30 pm at the Extension

conference room. Dick will do a PowerPoint presentation

to illustrate how to identify various kinds of mushrooms

based on their anatomy. Special attention will be focused

on the edible ones.

The class is free and open ONLY to MGs and their

guests. No registration required.

MG Plant Sale By Charlene Woeste

It is time to prepare for the Spring Plant Sale on May 16

at the Extension Office parking lot. Lots of volunteers are

needed to process the plants prior to the sale, transport

them to the sale site and conduct the sale. If you can help

with this fund raising project, please contact me at gar-

denerwoeste@nealitybrand.net or 378-1343. We will hold

a Plant Sale planning meeting on April 13, 6:30 pm at the

Extension Office (small conference room) for those who

will be helping with the sale. To make the planning phase a little easier we are asking

MG volunteers to give us some early information:

If you have an idea of what you might be able to do-

nate, please give us an approximate list.

If you have plants you would like to donate, but don't

have the time or inclination to dig and divide, let us

know…we will match you up with 'Willing Diggers'.

If you are willing to help dig and divide and tend

plants, let us know…we will match you up with the

‗Plant Donors'.

If you have more 4, 5, and 6 inch pots and gallon pots

than you can use, you may drop them off at my home at

45 Amy Drive, Robins, IA.

If you need pots and/or soil for potting we will get you

what you need. White plastic labels will be in the MG office. Please note the potting guidelines on page 6. We need a lot of volunteers for this sale. This is an ex-

cellent way to earn your volunteer hours. If you can vol-

unteer for sale preparation on Friday, May 15, or the day

of the sale, please let me know at gardener-

woeste@nealitybrand.net or 378-1343.

4

Lowe Park Spring Clean-up By Shelby Foley

The spring cleanup at the demonstration garden at Lowe

Park will be held on Sat. Apr. 25th from 9:00 am until

noon. We will clear the beds, prepare new beds, and

spread compost. Please bring shovels, rakes and garden

carts. Rain date will be Sat. May 2nd.

Recycled pots By Phil Pfister

Thanks to a number of sources, I have quite an assort-

ment of plastic pots. When I collected them, I thought we

would be using them in the greenhouse. But since that is

delayed, we will make them available for everyone to use.

There are 3", 4" and 6" square and round pots, 4 and 6

cell packs, 6" hanging pots (without wires), 6" saucers,

and some gallon and larger pots. If you are interested in

any of these, please e-mail me at ppter4@aol.com.

MG Projects on Review By Claire Smith

So……you‘re a Linn County MG. You know who you

are: ―The purpose of the MG program is to provide cur-

rent, research based, home horticultural information and

education to the citizens of Iowa through Iowa State Uni-

versity Extension programs and projects.‖ But, do you

know what you can ―do‖ as a MG? I‘ve been a MG for a few years now and I am continu-

ally amazed at the scope of this program. We‘re talking

about building and maintaining a greenhouse in a Marion

park. We‘re talking about partnering with Kirkwood

Community College to provide demonstration gardens at

their new horticulture facility. We‘ve planned a Garden

Walk. We‘ve donated funds to flood victims and we‘re

going to provide plants to them as well. The list goes on

and on and on. However, HEARING about all of these

projects and actually KNOWING what is involved are

two quite different things. To remedy the project knowledge gap, we plan to pro-

vide at least one in-depth explanation in the Germinator

each month of each project -- old and new -- that you, as a

MG, could participate in. Knowing the purpose and

scope of each project should make it easier for you to par-

ticipate in projects that fit your interests and talents.

Watch for articles coming soon to the Germinator near

you! Questions and suggestions are welcome. You can

contact me at smithclairel@msn.com.

Volunteer Service Answers Q1. (B) Needs revision – make it a demo garden, with

signage, etc., and the hours would count

Q2. (D) No Credit – MGs advise home horticulture cli-

ents, not commercial

Q3. (A) Volunteer hours – be sure to include travel time

5

Steering Committee Minutes 3/3/09 Members present: M. Anderson, L Azeltine, B. Brown, S.

Foley, G. Frye, D. Johnson, B. Lynch, D. Main, K.

McWhinney, J. Michels, P. Pfister, L. Smith and C. Smith.

Guest present: Bev Lillie. COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Fiscal Status (G. Frye): Current balance is $11,123.

Creative Gardening Series (K. McWhinney): All arrange-

ments made for three lectures on March 31, April 7 and

April 14 plus the Hands-on Workshops on April 16.

Garden Walk (D. Brown): All but one garden hosts have

been contacted and agreed to participate in the walk on

June 13.

Winter Gardening Fair (B. Lynch): Full financial report

will be available in April. The event was very successful.

Tentative date for 2010 Fair is February 6, 2010.

Expert Ed (D. Smith): 45 people attended the Tall Grass

Prairie film. On March 11, Zora Ronan will present two

sessions on daylilies. On March 28, Patrick O‘Malley will

conduct an apple grafting workshop. Other classes are be-

ing planned.

Media (D. Dietz): Committee reviewed publicity proce-

dures for CGS and Expert Ed. series. Broadcast and print

media all contacted as well as online calendars.

WMT Lawn, Garden & Home Show (D. Dietz & T. Mur-

phy): 26 MG. volunteers have received their assignments.

Publications, both free and cost items, have been ordered. OLD BUSINESS:

Greenhouse Project (M. Anderson): A volunteer survey is

being conducted to determine who is interested in con-

struction work, volunteering in the greenhouse and teach-

ing. Greenhouse price quotes, complying with Marion‘s

City Code, were sent to four or five vendors. A response is

expected within a month. The committee‘s next meeting

is April 7.

Project Awareness Articles (C. Smith): Plans are being

developed for monthly Germinator articles regarding all

MG projects.

Plant Sale Guidelines: New guidelines were adopted by

the Committee as follows: (1) Sale preparation day will be

extended to 7:00 pm Friday evening to allow volunteers

and plant contributors to purchase plants prior to the sale.

(2) No plants will be sold to MG volunteers or plant con-

tributors on Saturday morning prior to the 8:00 am open-

ing of the sale to the general public. B. Brown clarified

that bulbs are accepted for the sale but shrubs and trees are

not as those items require nursery certification. NEW BUSINESS:

Alcohol-Free Events (B. Brown): The Committee adopted

a motion to make MG events consistent with the alcohol-

free policy as stated in the Linn County Personnel Hand-

book.

Awards Banquet: The Committee adopted a motion to

continue subsidizing a portion in the $15.35 per person

cost of the MG dinners at the Awards Banquet. Treasury

will pick up $5.35; MGs will pay $10.00 each.

Annual Picnic (B. Brown): Brown suggested the annual

picnic be scheduled at Bever Park following the Garden

Walk. She suggested having a plant swap at that time as

well. Action deferred pending discussion with the Garden

Walk committee. OTHER:

Garden Produce: K. McWhinney is writing an article for

the Germinator listing local food pantries that will accept

garden produce. She questioned if the program, ―Plant a

Row for the Hungry‖ is within the MG mission. B. Lillie

will check with L. Bigley and report back.

Demonstration Gardens South: B. Lynch has two groups

interested in the demonstration gardens at Kirkwood. She

and Kirkwood staff will meet this week.

Garden Connection: B. Lynch and L. Slattery have readied

the May MG television program on perennials.

for Kirkwood TV. Next meeting: Monday, April 6, 6:30 pm. Respectfully submitted: Claire Smith, Secretary.

Horticulture Scholarship Do you know a Linn County graduating senior who is

interested in pursuing a college degree in the field of hor-

ticulture? The Linn County Master Gardener program

offers a one-year $1,000 scholarship to a horticulture stu-

dent enrolled in an Iowa college. Details about the appli-

cation process can be obtained from the Linn Co. Exten-

sion Office or can be downloaded at

www.extension.iastate.edu/linn/news/

horticulture+scholarship.htm. Interested students should mail or deliver completed

application to Scholarship Committee, Linn County Mas-

ter Gardeners, ISU Extension Office, 3279 Seventh Ave.,

Marion, IA 52302, no later than May 8, 2009. Donna Anderson, Thea Cole and Wil Carew at MG booth during WMT Lawn, Garden & Home Show.

Master Gardener Plant Sale - 2009 By Charlene Woeste, Plant Sale Chairperson

The Master Gardener Plant Sale will be on May 16, in the

Extension Office parking lot. Perennials, and other plants

as well, need to be planted up in their pots for at least 3 to

4 weeks before the sale. This gives them time to recover

from transplant shock. Most plants will put on some nice

growth during this time. As MGs we want to be proud of

the plants we are selling to the public. The people buying

our plants expect to get really good plants from a Master

Gardener sale. Two kinds of perennials that need to be potted up when

they are still small (no more than 3 or 4 inches) are the

daylilies, and hosta. Both of these will lop over, and sel-

dom straighten up and look right if they are too large

when divided and placed in a pot. So, if you are planning

on donating either of these kinds, get them dug, divided,

and planted up early to allow them to recover. The following are some guidelines we would like to have

you follow:

Do not plant up your plants the night before the sale. Do not plant up plants that are too large. Make divisions of day lilies with 2 to 4 plants in each pot.

Daylilies should be planted in a 6 to 8 inch pot or better

yet a gallon pot. Put a label in each pot with the name of

the daylily. If the name is unknown just put ―Name Un-

known‖ on the label. If it is an expensive daylily, put the

suggested selling price on the label. Make divisions of hosta with 2 to 3 plants in each pot. If

you are sharing some of your more expensive hosta, then

one plant could be enough, but two will make it sell bet-

ter. Put the name of the hosta in each pot. Again, if the

name is not known just put ―Name Unknown‖ on the la-

bel. If it is an expensive hosta, put the suggested selling

price on the label. Other perennials should have large enough divisions that

will be attractive to our shoppers. Put the name of the per-

ennial, and the cultivar if you know it, on a label in each

pot. After planting up, water with a water-soluble fertilizer

according to package directions. Repeat in two

weeks with the same fertilizer but at ½ strength. A day or two before the sale: Groom each plant by re-

moving any yellowed or dead leaves. Water each plant thoroughly. Look at each plant. Decide if it looks like a plant you

would buy. If it does not, leave it at home and plant

it out in your garden for next year. Plants should be at the Extension conference room (drive

up to the back ramp) no later than Friday, May 15, 3:00

pm. If you are unable to bring your plants out on Friday

call Charlene Woeste, to have them picked up on Thurs-

day afternoon or evening. If you need pots, please contact Phil Pfister at 377-2483

or ppter4@aol.com. He has an assortment of sizes of re-

cycled pots that have been donated by MGs for the plant

sale. If you have questions you can contact me at gardener-

woeste@nealitybrand.net or at 378-1343. Be as generous as you can with plants to donate for the

sale. We need a good selection of many kinds of plants

and choice of plants within each kind.

Swing Into Spring Garden Series Linn County MGs are presenting four gardening classes

in April at the Kirkwood Training & Outreach Center,

3375 Armar Dr., Marion. The classes are held on Tuesday

evenings, 6:00-8:00 pm and cost $25 per class. You must

register for the classes you would like to attend through

Kirkwood: http://www.kirkwood.edu/site/index.php?p=2607&topic_code=Family-Lawn+%26+Garden&location=&section=&instructor=&description=&search=search

Classes are: April 7, New & Unusual Annuals and Perennials for 2009 (Deb Walser) CFLG-571-XCH02

April 14, The Garden Journal (Jean Minehart & Laura Ap-pleget) CFLG-572-XCH02 April 21, Create A Natural Habitat in Your Back-yard (Becki Lynch) CFLG-573-XCH02 April 28, Raised Beds/Square Foot Gardening CFLG-574-XCH02

MG Presentations Five gardening classes will be presented at the Hiawa-

tha Public Library in April that are eligible for MG educa-

tion credit. All classes begin at 6:00 pm. The library is

located at 150 W. Willman St., Hiawatha, IA. The classes

are:

April 1, Starting Garden Transplants, by Zora Ronan.

April 8, Garden Lighting, by Deb Walser.

April 15, Revitalizing Your Garden, by Lori Klopfenstein.

April 22, Container Gardens, by Deb Walser.

April 29, Lawns Green With Envy, By Jerry Schmidt.

6

Volunteer Hours Keep current with your volunteer and education hours

by submitting quarterly service reports to Bev Lillie.

Susan Long prepared the following Q&A‘s that are fre-

quently asked of Hortline volunteers in April.

Q: When should I apply pre-emergent crabgrass kil-

ler?

A: Typically, the blooming of the forsythia or the redbud

is a good indicator of when to apply pre-emergent crab-

grass herbicide. Pre-emergents must be applied before the

crabgrass germinates. If the material is applied too early,

crabgrass seeds that germinate late in the season will not

be controlled. If applied too late, some crabgrass will have

already germinated. In central Iowa, this is usually mid-

April to May 1. However, if the weather warms up early

or stays cool longer, then adjustments must be made based

on the conditions. Having a thick, healthy lawn that is

fertilized, watered and mowed certainly discourages the

growth of crabgrass. Reference: www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/2007/4-4/

preemerge.html

Q: When and how much should I prune my clematis?

A: Knowing which type of clematis you have helps when

pruning. If in doubt, don‘t prune until the plant flowers.

Clematis bloom on either last season‘s growth or on new

growth. Most large-flowered clematis varieties bloom in

the spring on old growth. These are pruned lightly in late

winter or early spring. Start pruning from the top down,

removing only dead and damaged stems to the highest pair

of healthy buds. These may be only 2 or 3 feet above the

ground, depending on the age and vigor of the plant and its

variety. Some popular clematis pruned in this way are Dr.

Ruppel, Duchess of Edinburgh, Henryi, Elsa Spaeth, Nelly

Moser and General Sikorski.

Smaller-flowered summer or early fall blooming clematis

flower on new growth. Prune them hard at the end of the

growing season or in early spring. Start from the bottom

and work upward from healthy pairs of buds. Some popu-

lar clematis pruned in this way are Jackmanni, Niobe,

Comtesse de Bouchaud, terniflora (Sweet Autumn),

Hagley Hybrid, tangutica, texensis and the viticellas, like

Julia de Correvon and Polish Spirit.

References: www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/2000/2-11

-2000/prunetime.html and http://extension.missouri.edu/

extensioninfonet/article.asp?id=1452 Q: I want to start a new strawberry bed. What is the

difference between June-bearing, everbearing or day-

neutral varieties?

A: These three types of strawberries each have their own

characteristics. June-bearers are the most widely planted

type of strawberry. They produce one crop per year, the

majority of fruit ripening in June. 'Earliglow,' 'Allstar,'

'Honeoye,' 'Surecrop,' 'Redchief,' 'Jewel,' and 'Kent‘ are

good varieties to look for. Everbearing varieties typically

produce in June and again in late summer/early fall crops

with little flowering or fruiting in the intervening weeks.

'Ozark Beauty' and 'Ogallala' are good everbearing varie-

ties. Day-neutral varieties can flower and fruit throughout

the growing season if temperatures are moderate. Flower

and fruit production stop during hot weather. 'Tristar' and

'Tribute' are the best performing day-neutral varieties. Reference: www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/2008/4-3/

strawberrieshomegarden.html

Q: How can I prevent weeds from overtaking my as-

paragus bed?

A: The best way to control annual weeds is to periodically

hoe or till gently. Use of a pre-emergence herbicide such

as Preen can also be applied early in the season and needs

to be incorporated into the soil mechanically or with water.

Established perennial weeds, such as quackgrass, can be

effectively controlled by applying Roundup (glyphosate)

to the weeds immediately after the last harvest of the sea-

son. Trifluralin can also be used on asparagus. When

selecting pre-emergence herbicides, see the herbicide label

for the list of vegetables and ornamentals for which the

herbicide has been approved. Do not use a herbicide if it

does not say it is indicated for asparagus. Reference: www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1998/3-27-

1998/aspring.html

Q: My arborvitae has brown leaves due to winter burn.

Will it recover and/or should it be pruned?

A: Avoid pruning browned, burned areas from evergreen

trees and shrubs in the early spring since these branches

may still have viable buds that will produce new foliage

when growth resumes. The brown will eventually fall off.

If the buds did not survive, then prune dead branches back

to living tissue. The affected trees and shrubs should look

much better by late June or July. There is no need to fertil-

ize affected evergreens. However, if the weather this

spring is dry, periodically water evergreens to encourage

new growth and speed their recovery. References: www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/2001/3-9-

2001/winterstress.html and www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/

hortnews/2001/3-9-2001/treeshrubdam.ht

7

Hot Topixs

EDUCATION OPPORTUNITES Apr. 1,

6:00 pm

Hiawatha Public

Library

Starting Garden

Transplants

Zora Ronan Free Registration not required.

Apr. 3 & 4,

9:00 am -

6:00 pm

Bridge View

Center,

Ottumwa, IA

All Iowa Horticulture

Exposition

(Iowa State Hort.

Soc. & ISU Ext.)

24 breakout ses-

sions

1 day =

$10

2 days =

$15

For more info go to

www.iowahort.org,

or Neric Smith 641-472-

4166

Apr. 7,

6:30-8:00

pm

KCC,

Cedar Hall,

Room 234

CGS—Using Prairie

Wildflowers & Na-

tive Plants

Neil Diboll Free Registration not required.

Apr. 8,

6:00 pm

Hiawatha Public

Library

Garden Lighting Deb Walser Free Registration not required.

Apr. 14,

6:30-8:00

pm

KCC,

Cedar Hall,

Room 234

CGS–Creating Gar-

den Rooms Without

Walls

Shirley Remes Free Registration not required.

Apr. 15,

6:00 pm

Hiawatha Public

Library

Revitalizing Your

Garden

Lori Klopfenstein Free Registration not required.

Apr. 22,

6:30 pm

LC Extension

conf. room

Know Your Mush-

rooms

Dick Faas Free Registration not required.

Apr. 22,

6:00 pm

Hiawatha Public

Library

Container Gardening Deb Walser Free Registration not required.

Apr. 29.

6:00 pm

Hiawatha Public

Library

Lawns Green With

Envy

Jerry Schmidt Free Registration not required.

June 11,

9:00am-

2:30 pm

Wickiup Hill,

Toddville, IA

Invasive Species

Field Day

Keynote + seven

classes

Free For more info go to http://

www.extension.iastate.edu/

linn/yardgarden.htm

Invasive Species Field Day Non-native invasive plants, e.g., garlic mustard, are

threatening native habitats in Iowa. A consortium of con-

servation agencies will hold a day-long field day on June

11 to educate people in Eastern Iowa about various as-

pects of this problem. Several of the sessions may be of

particular interest to MGs. Learn more about invasives,

including identification and management, by attending the

June 11th field day at the Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning

Center in Toddville, Iowa. The program is FREE, but reservations are requested.

You can obtain details about the program and registration

information via the Linn Co. Extension website http://

www.extension.iastate.edu/linn/yardgarden.htm

All-Iowa Horticulture Exposition Date/Time: April 3, 2009 9:00 PM - 7:00 PM

April 4, 2009 9:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Description:

The largest Iowa Horticulture Exposition in over 100

years supported by over 20 State of Iowa Horticulture

Associations & Organizations, Iowa State University Hor-

ticulture, Iowa State University Extension, and Iowa Hor-

ticulture Community Colleges. The All-Iowa Horticulture

Expo will feature 24 breakout sessions covering a vast

number of horticulture topics and a large 30,000 square

foot trade show room representing many facets of the hor-

ticulture industry. Contact: Neric Smith 641-472-4166

ndsmith@iastate.edu

Location: Bridge View Conference Center

Address: 102 Church St, Ottumwa IA 52501

URL: http://www.iowahort.org/

Registration: No The exposition, billed as the state fair of horticulture, is

sponsored and coordinated by the Iowa State Horticultural

Society.

8

First Annual MG Garden Tour – Saturday, June 13, 2009

Volunteer Form

Please complete this form and return it by April 25, 2009

to Shelby Foley or Jean Minehart, Volunteer Sub-Committee

We need Master Gardener volunteers for the First Annual MG Garden Tour which will be held rain or shine on

Saturday June 13, 2009. We anticipate that volunteers will be needed in May, so please complete this form and

return it to Shelby Foley, 451 42 St. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 or Jean Minehart, 6606 Berry Rd. SE , Cedar

Rapids, IA 52403 by April 25th. Listed below are 4 different task areas that you may sign up for.

FIRST VOLUNTEER POOL – #1 – These volunteers agree to work any day, any time, in any capacity.

SECOND VOLUNTEER POOL – #2 – These volunteers will help prepare the Garden Walk gardens. Work

might include planting annuals, mulching gardens, reorienting garden beds, or other gardening chores to

spruce up the gardens of those that have consented to add their garden to the Garden walk.

THIRD VOLUNTEER POOL – #3 – These volunteers will set up tents and tables & chairs at the home of the

Master Gardener the day of the tour, They will also set up the drink table.

FOURTH VOLUNTEER POOL – #4 – These volunteers will sit at the welcoming table at the Master Gar-

dener‘s tour home on tour day, June 14th. You will check that tour guests are wearing the bracelet they receive

when they pay for the tour. You will also take payment for guests that start the tour at the home you are work-

ing and give them a bracelet. You will give each guest a card that lists addresses of the homes included on the

tour.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Volunteer Name: ___________________________________ Phone Number: ______________________

E-mail Address: ______________________________________________

Please place a checkmark in the brackets below for the positions and times for which you are available.

1. ( ) I am available to work the First Volunteer Pool – any day / any time / in any capacity.

2. ( ) I am available to work in the Second Volunteer Pool

Preferred day/s of week _________________________ ( ) 9 AM – Noon, ( ) 1 PM – 4 PM

3. ( ) I am available to work in the Third Volunteer Pool on June 14th

( ) 9 AM – Noon, ( ) 1 PM – 4 PM

4. ( ) I am available to work in the Fourth Volunteer Pool on June 14th

( ) 9 AM – Noon, ( ) 1 PM – 4 PM

9