By The Yard

Fayette County Extension

Fun Facts About Kentucky Forests 2

Pest Patrol: Don’t Let Summer Pests Bug You

4

Planning for Fall Vegetables in the Garden

5

July Quick Tips 6

Recipe: Red Potato Salad with Creamy Pesto Dressing

6

2019 Gardener’s Toolbox Registration

7

Inside this issue:

Cooperative Extension Service

Fayette County Extension

1140 Harry Sykes Way

Lexington, KY 40504

Phone (859) 257-5582

Email: DL_CES_Fayette@email.uky.edu

July, 2019

HORTICULTURE NEWSLETTER

Myth and Facts about Lightning

Continued On Page 2

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Fayette County

Cooperative

Extension

Horticulture

Myth: Lightning never strikes the same place twice.

Fact: Lightning often strikes the same place repeatedly, especially if it’s a tall, pointy, isolated object. The Empire State Building is hit nearly 100 times a year.

Myth: If it’s not raining or there aren’t clouds overhead, you’re safe from lightning.

Fact: Lightning often strikes more than 3 miles from the center of the thunderstorm, far outside the rain or thunderstorm cloud. “Bolts from the blue” can strike 10 to 15 miles from the thunderstorm.

Myth: Rubber tires on a car protect you from lightning by insulating you from the ground.

Fact: Most cars are safe from lightning, but it is the metal roof and metal sides that protect you, NOT the rubber tires. Remember, convertibles, motorcycles, bicycles, open-shelled outdoor recreational vehicles and cars with fiberglass shells offer no protection from lightning. When lightning strikes a vehicle, it goes through the metal frame into the ground. Don't lean on car doors during a

thunderstorm.

Myth: When a lightning victim is electrified, you will get electrocuted if you touch them.

Fact: The human body does not store electricity. It is perfectly safe to touch a lightning victim to give them first aid. This is the most chilling of lightning myths. Imagine if someone died because people were afraid to give CPR.

Myth: If you are outside in a thunderstorm, you should seek shelter under a tree to stay dry.

Fact: Being underneath a tree is the second leading cause of lightning casualties. Better to get wet than to get fried.

Myth: If you are in a house, you are 100 percent safe from lightning.

Fact: A house is a safe place to be during a thunderstorm as long as you avoid anything that conducts electricity. This means staying off corded phones, electrical appliances, wires, TV cables, computers, plumbing, metal doors and windows. Windows are hazardous for two reasons: wind

By The Yard Page 2

Myths and Facts about Lightning, continued

generated during a thunderstorm can blow objects into the window, breaking it and causing glass to shatter and second, in older homes, in rare instances, lightning can come in cracks in the sides of windows.

Myth: If thunderstorms threaten while you are outside playing a game, it is okay to finish it before seeking shelter.

Fact: Many lightning casualties occur because people do not seek shelter soon enough. No game is worth death or lifelong injuries. Seek proper shelter immediately if you hear thunder. Adults are responsible for the safety of children.

Myth: Structures with metal or metal on the body (jewelry, cell phones, MP3 players, watches, etc.) attract lightning.

Fact: Height, pointy shape and isolation are the dominant factors controlling where a lightning bolt will strike. The presence of metal makes absolutely no difference on where lightning strikes. Mountains are made of stone but get struck by lightning many times a year. When lightning threatens, take proper protective action immediately by seeking a safe shelter, don’t waste time removing metal. While metal does not attract lightning, it does conduct it so stay away from

metal fences, railing, bleachers, etc.

Myth: If I’m trapped outside and lightning is about to strike, I should lie flat on the ground.

Fact: Lying flat increases your chance of being affected by potentially deadly ground current. If you are caught outside in a thunderstorm, keep moving toward a safe shelter.

If you have questions, contact your Fayette County Cooperative Extension Service.

Source: Tom Priddy and Matt Dixon, University of Kentucky Agricultural Meteorologists; NOAA National Weather Service

Kentucky has an abundance of trees—about 12.4 million forested acres. In Eastern Kentucky, forests are full of dense stands of hardwoods. In Western Kentucky, you’re more likely to see a riparian forest along a winding river, and in Central Kentucky, stately bur oaks often populate urban landscapes. Regardless of the species or climate, these forests help all of us breathe cleaner air, drink cleaner water, enjoy forest wildlife and we use

Fun Facts About Kentucky Forests products from them every day.

Because we have a diverse climate and soil composition, many tree species grow in Kentucky. The array of trees gives us a chance to have some forest fun. Here’s an interesting tree species quiz. (Answers are at the end of this section.)

1. What tree is often found in people’s mouths?

2. What tree always sighs and languishes?

3. What tree makes war on crops?

4. What tree grows nearest the sea?

5. What tree grieves more than others?

6. What tree is older than most others?

Tree species answers:

1. gum

2. pine

3. locust

4. beech (beach)

5. weeping willow

6. elder

Now let’s look at the impact trees and tree products on our lives by answering the questions below. (The correct answers are at the end of this section.)

1. Kentucky has to replant many of the acres after tree harvesting. True or false?

Continued On Page 3

Page 3 By The Yard

QUICK TIP

Japanese Beetle

emergence has

begun. For more

information,

download the

following

publication: https://entomology.ca.uky.ed

u/files/efpdf2/ef451.pdf or call the Fayette

County Extension

at (859) 257-5582,

to have one mailed

out to you.

2. Forest and related industries are important to Kentucky’s economy. True or false?

3. What percentage of Kentucky is forested? Is it 35, 50 or 60 percent?

4. The best time to view Kentucky’s fall foliage usually is between the second and third weekends in October. True or false?

5. Sun is the only energy required to grow a tree. True or false?

6. How many products are produced from trees? Is the answer 3,500, 4,700 or 5,000?

7. How much paper does each person in the United States use on average every year? Is the answer 250, 500 or 750 pounds?

8. Nationwide, approximately how many tons (2,000 pounds equals 1 ton) of paper are recycled? Is the answer approximately 28, 40, 46 or 53 million tons?

9. What percentage of a tree can be used to make wood and paper products? Is the answer 50, 67, 75 or 100 percent?

Impact of trees, tree products answers:

1. False. Sprouting from stumps and from fallen seeds will quickly repopulate a harvested area.

2. True. In Kentucky, 105 of 120 counties have some types of wood industries that employ approximately 51,000 people.

3. Fifty percent, or more than 12 million acres, of Kentucky is forested.

4. True. For more information on times and locations to view fall foliage colors as October approaches, call 1-800-225-8747, or visit http://www.kentuckytourism.com.

5. True. Sun is the only energy needed for trees to grow. As they grow, trees remove carbon dioxide from the air and produce oxygen through photosynthesis.

6. Some 5,000 products are produced from trees, ranging from our homes and furnishings to the toothpaste we use.

7. Each person in the United States uses 750 pounds of paper per year.

8. We recycle about 46 million tons of paper each year.

9. All of a tree (100 percent) can be used to make wood and paper products.

You can find more information about Kentucky forests in this publication http://www.ca.uky.edu/forestryextension/Publications/FOR_FORFS/for53.pdf

If you have questions, contact the Fayette County Cooperative Extension Service.

Source: Doug McLaren, UK Extension Forestry Specialist; Kentucky Division of Forestry

Fun Facts About Kentucky

Forests, continued

FAYETTE COUNTY

EXTENSION OFFICE

WILL BE CLOSED

THURSDAY,

JULY 4, 2019

Mosquitoes, chiggers and ticks can make the outdoors anything but fun, but there are ways to limit exposure to these itchy pests.

Some mosquitoes come because of a consistent water

source and are generally an annual problem. They also can come from areas that are prone to flooding. Eggs are laid in areas likely to flood, and when it does 10 days later there is a flight of adults. This happens generally in the spring.

If a person has a repetitive difficulty with mosquitoes, then something has to be done to alter the environment. It can be as simple as a town putting on a massive drive to make sure there is nothing that collects water. Tires top that list.

A tire is the greatest mosquito breeder ever invented. It is black. It holds water. It is rubber, and it gets warm very quickly. But old pools, soda cups or anything that holds water for two weeks after a rain can be a producer of mosquitoes.

Other breeding sources may be more difficult to control such as a wetland that produces them constantly and has for several years. There can be some relief through treating the area with an insecticidal product that inflicts naturally occurring diseases into the mosquitoes.

For farm ponds, the key is to have a stable water level because it eliminates one type of mosquito. In

By The Yard Page 4

Pest Patrol: Don’t Let Summer Pests Bug You

addition, insecticides targeting mosquitoes with natural diseases can also be used. Control has to be done all year long and with a plan.

Ticks and chiggers are a part of summer in Kentucky. Chiggers can be controlled in lawns through mowing. Mowing also can help with ticks, but they are more mobile.

If there is a tick problem in the yard, it can be

treated with an insecticide but often people do not get the results they were expecting. The problem is not with the insecticide but with the amount of water used to apply it. It takes a large volume of water because all the plant tissue in the treated area must be covered with the insecticide.

If you know where they are coming from, you can spray only in that area and force them to crawl through an insecticidal barrier.

When venturing out on hikes or fishing, try to stay way from tall grass to avoid chiggers and ticks. Undergrowth, not trees are where the bugs are going to be. There are two types of protection that can be used. One is the insecticide called permethrin for

use only on shoes and clothing, and there are also the types that can be put on the skin. It is also helpful to wear light color clothes so you can see them moving around on you. These insects have a tendency to crawl up, so tucking in pants or shirts can help keep them from crawling under clothing.

Protecting for ticks will also help in avoiding chiggers. If you get chiggers, all those things your grandmother used aren’t going to help. The fact is, when you itch from a chigger it is already gone. It has already fed. When it feeds, it causes a reaction in your body. Treat topically for the itch.

If a tick is attached, try to remove all its mouth parts and try not to burst it sending blood and entrails go all over the place. The best way to remove it is to use forceps to get as close to the skin as possible and pull steadily on the tick and it will eventually let go. Leaving the tissue of the tick behind may lead to an infection.

People have varying degrees of sensitivity to all these insects along with bees and wasps. If a person is more sensitive to these things, then they need to be aware that they may have to take additional measures to relieve their irritation.

The UK Entomology department has publications available on mosquitoes, chiggers and ticks. These can be obtained through the Fayette County Cooperative Extension Service.

Source: Doug Johnson, University of Kentucky, Extension Entomologist

By The Yard Page 5

Planning for Fall Vegetables in the Garden

It’s time to start planning how you can continue to enjoy your garden and even add new plantings. You can plant a variety of produce in Kentucky gardens in the coming weeks allowing fresh items to be available well into the fall.

The cooler nights experienced later in the year as these vegetables mature may increase the sugar content of many crops and thus increase their quality. Cooler nights also slow growth, so crops can take longer to mature than in the

summer. Keep this slower pace in mind when you check seeds for days to maturity.

Late July or early August would be the time to make a last planting of bush beans, carrots, sweet corn, kale, collards, Bibb lettuce, turnips and cole crops such as kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. For late August and into September try planting mustard greens, spinach greens, radishes, turnip greens and leaf lettuce.

Before planting, remove any existing debris including crops and weeds to the compost bin and cultivate the soil.

If the previous crop was well fertilized and grew vigorously you may need to add little if any additional fertilizer, otherwise apply about 2 to 3 pounds of a

complete fertilizer such as 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 per 100 square feet of planting area.

Remember to keep fall gardens well watered as this tends to be a fairly dry time in Kentucky. A weekly irrigation sufficient to wet the soil to 6 or 8 inches should be adequate. This is more or less equivalent to a weekly one-inch rain.

To learn more about fall gardening options, contact the Fayette County Cooperative Extension Service.

Source: Rick Durham, University of Kentucky, Department of Horticulture, Extension Professor

Food Preservation

Publications:

Home Canning Basics

Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products

Canning Salsa

Canning Fruit

Canning Vegetables

Canning Pickled and Fermented Foods

Canning Jam and Jellies and Other Soft Spreads

Home Freezing Basics

Freezing Vegetables

Freezing Fresh Fruits

Drying Foods at Home

Can be found on our website: fayette.ca.uky.edu/content/family-

consumer-sciences or call the Fayette County Extension Office, (859) 257-5582 to have the information mailed to you.

By The Yard Page 6

July Quick Tips

Now is the time to plan and plant

a fall garden. Most plants with

shorter growing seasons can be

grown in the fall and often produce

better results. Allow a little more

time to mature than the seed

package says as cooler nights will

slow growth somewhat.

When watering, try to avoid

wetting foliage or watering late in

the evening as both can promote

disease.

Garden ponds will need to be

topped off regularly in the heat.

Make sure to use a de-chlorinator

every time to protect your fish.

Water lilies will benefit from

regular feeding. If you aren’t

getting many blooms feeding may

help.

Do not spray chemicals in the

heat of the day. Many plants can

be damaged. Spray in the early

morning or late evening when

temperatures are cooler.

Monitor evergreens for spider

mite damage. Drought stressed

plants are particularly at risk. If

you see signs of browning shake

the branch over a white surface, if

you see tiny moving red specks

you likely have mites. Minor

infestations can be treated with a

daily spray from the hose. Larger

problems may need chemical

control.

Remove spent blooms from

flowering annuals and perennials

to promote more bloom.

If your late blooming perennials

(Asters, Goldenrod, Butterfly

bush, Mums, etc.) are already tall

and threatening to flop, prune

them back to 1’ in height. This will

result in a fuller, sturdier plant that

will bloom slightly later than

normal.

Don’t forget to register for 2019

Gardener Toolbox Classes.

A condensed registration form is

enclosed in this edition of

“By The Yard” newsletter. For a

detailed listing of the 2019

Gardener’s Toolbox class, visit:

http://fayette.ca.uky.edu/files/

gardeners_toolbox_2019pdf or

call (859) 257-5582 to have a copy

mailed to you.

For More Plate It Up

Recipes, Visit:

http://fcs-hes.ca.uky.edu/content/

plate-it-kentucky-proud

2019 GARDENER’S TOOLBOX

REGISTRATION FORM

Name: ________________________Phone: _____________E-Mail:________________________

Address: ______________________________City: ______________State: ____ Zip: _________

TOTAL Amount Enclosed $ ________

IMPORTANT REMINDERS!

Sign up early for classes to avoid being turned away because class is full. ALL classes, including the “Free” ones are “PRE-REGISTRATION” only.

If you need to cancel, you must do so 2 weeks prior to the class time to receive a refund or credit for a different class.

If handouts and/or plants are not picked up 3 days after class, items will be donated.

Please make check payable to:

Fayette County Master Gardener Association

Mail To:

Gardener’s Toolbox ~ Fayette County Extension Office 1140 Harry Sykes Way ~ Lexington, KY 40504

For more information, call (859) 257-5582

~ 2019 GARDENER’S TOOLBOX CLASSES ~

All classes will meet promptly at 6:00 p.m. at the Fayette County Extension Office

Class and Cost Class and Cost

Tuesday, 7/9: Starting New Plants from Cuttings, Cost: Free Thursday, 7/18: Perennial Plants of the Year, Cost: $5.00

Tuesday, 7/30: Hydrangeas, Cost: $20.00 Thursday, 8/8: Low Input Lawn Care: Seeding and Renovation, Cost:

Free

Tuesday, 8/27: Harvesting and Storing Herbs, Cost: Free Tuesday, 9/17: African Violets, Cost: $10.00

Thursday, 9/26: Peonies, Cost: $20.00 Thursday, 10/10: Tulips, Cost: $20.00

Tuesday, 10/22: Unique Daffodils, Cost: $15.00 Tuesday, 10/29: Garden Clean Up with Emphasis on More Natural

Approaches, Cost: Free

Thursday, 11/7: Jamie’s Farm and Garden - A Virtual Tour, Cost:

$25.00

Tuesday, 11/19: Attracting Pollinators and Beneficial Insects, Cost: Free

Thursday, 11/21: Holiday Gift Ideas From Your Herb Garden, Cost:

$5.00

Tuesday, 12/3: Tips for Decorating with Fresh Greenery, Cost: $10.00

CLASS FULL

CLASS FULL

CLASS FULL

NONPROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE PAID

Lexington, KY

PERMIT 112

Newsletter

Enclosed

Fayette County

“By the Yard”

Fayette County Cooperative Extension 1140 Harry Sykes Way Lexington, KY 40504-1383

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

The College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an

Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education

and employment and authorization to provide research,

education information and other services only to individuals

and institutions that function without regard to economic or

social status and will not discriminate on the bases of race,

color, ethnic origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual

orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy,

marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or

physical or mental disability. Inquiries regarding compliance

with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,

Title IX of the Educational Amendments, Section 504 of the

Rehabilitation Act and other related matter should be

directed to Equal Opportunity Office, College of Agriculture,

Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Room

S-105, Agriculture Science Building, North Lexington,

Kentucky 40546.

Jamie Dockery

County Extension Agent for Horticulture Cooperative Extension Service

Fayette County Extension Service 1140 Harry Sykes Way

Lexington, KY 40504-1383 (859) 257-5582

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

AND KENTUCKY COUNTIES, COOPERATING