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Master Gardeners of
Greene County Newsletter
September 2023
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Drone photo by Gage Rudick featuring the Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden at the Springfield Botanical Gardens, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, MO 65807. Master Gardeners of Greene County, Springfield, MO is a MU Extension outreach program aimed at providing unbiased, research-based horticultural information and education. MU Extension/Master Gardener's volunteer program offices for Greene County are located inside the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center (417) 881-8909. | |
TABLE OF CONTENTS - SEPTEMBER 2023
Japanese Fall Festival
Organic Gardening Online Course
Native Plants: Planting in the Fall
Effective Composting on Large and Small Farms
Missouri's Amazing Oaks Zoom Classes
Upcoming Class/Workshop Offerings for MO Growers
Food Preservation Ongoing Online Classes
Weekly Lawn and Garden Hour with MU Extension
Ladybugs vs Look Alikes
Research Based Articles
Poisonous Plants
A Dozen Butterfly Eggs
Monarch Migration
Plant Insects & Disease
Flying Yellow Stripy Insects
Native, Invasive & Other Plants
Newsletters of Interest
Luther Burbank: The Plant Wizard
Dragonflies eat Mosquitos
Garden Links
Get Your Soil Tested Now
One Last Thought
Previous Month's Newsletter Link
Need a Speaker for One of Your Meetings or Groups?
Gardening Questions Hotline - Phone, Email and Web Questionnaire
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Forward to a Friend
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ORGANIC GARDENING ONLINE COURSE
Access anytime
Information shared by David Trinklein, MU Extension, Missouri State Master Gardener Coordinator July 31, 2023: Oregon State University Extension has just announced the availability of a new online course in organic gardening.
The course builds on the basics of gardening and provides students with a better understanding of organic gardening techniques & methods and how to apply them to your own garden.
On demand, access any time, 15-30 hours online, price $250. For additional details, go here.
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Native Plants: Planting in the Fall
Friday, Sept 8 from 3:30-4:30 pm
By MDC: This FREE virtual program is online.
To plant a yard or flower garden that provides good habitat for insects and local wildlife... All you need are the right plants in the right places. With several species, you don’t have to wait for spring to begin planting. Learn more about plantings that can be made in autumn to establish good habitat in yards.
More details and online registration here.
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Effective Composting on Large and Small Farms
Thursday Sept. 14, 2023 at 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Online Zoom Free Event.
Join SCG and Justine Francesca, Board Pres of Springfield Compost Collective, for an informative webinar discussing effective composting on large and small farms.
This webinar will cover considerations for designing your composting system no matter how large or small your growing area.
Registration link and more details here.
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Missouri's Amazing Oaks by MU Extension
FREE Webinar Series on Zoom Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning August 31st. Live broadcast at Noon CDST with a rebroadcast at 6:30 P.M.
Topics covered: oak ecology, oak management for wildlife, oaks for birds, and goods from the woods. For complete details and register online here.
Questions? Contact Brian at schweissb@missouri.edu or call 573-882-4775
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This ongoing self-paced course provides research based information needed to safely and successfully preserve food at home. Participants of all levels of food preservation experience are welcome, including individuals with little or no previous food preservation experience. This course covers pressure canning, boiling water bath canning, steam canning, dehydration, and freezing. Highlights include preserving salsas, pie fillings, pickling, sweet spreads, and harvesting and storage of produce.
Registration is $30.00
Click here for more information and registration.
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Get your Lawn and Garden Questions Answered
at the Garden Hour with MU Extension
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Virtual Town Hall: Mandy D. Bish - MU Extension Specialists will address lawn, garden, and insect questions during the 'Garden Hour' with MU Extension. NOW EVERY Wednesday of the month from 12-1pm. The virtual event is free. To register for the virtual event and/or ask a gardening question, please visit.
To see recordings from previous events, please check out the YouTube videos on the MU Extension IPM channel here.
For more information visit. Or contact Mandy D. Bish, MU Plant Science & Technology at (573) 882-9878 or email: bishm@missouri.edu
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Vegetable Planting Calendar (Includes Fall Crop) Guide 6201, by MU Extension: Some vegetables may be planted for a fall crop. When a fall crop is possible, a second set of dates is listed under the dates for spring planting in the guide. All gardeners can benefit, the guide provides an extensive list of planting dates and varieties that do well in Missouri. (If you live within the 'Ozarks plateau', you may want to follow the north Missouri planting dates due to the possibility of late spring or early fall frost. If you follow the south Missouri planting dates, be prepared to cover plants for frost protection.) The guide also provides information on the following: how much to plant per person; how much seed to purchase for a 100-foot row; row spacing; inches between plants in the row; depth of planting; days from planting to eating; and vitamin content of the vegetable. Download and read a copy of the guide here.
Improving Poor Soil: Turning Lemons into Lemonade by David Trinklein, MU Plant Science & Technology Aug 23, 2023: The soil that sustains plant life is very complex and quite variable... it is important to be patient since it takes time to accomplish the transition of creating topsoil out of subsoil or, "turning lemons into lemonade." Learn more here.
Selecting a Good Topsoil for Lawns and Gardens by Manjula Nathan, Plant Science & Tech for MU IPM: Quality topsoil is the basis of quality landscapes. The growth rate, health, and visual appearance of landscape plants are directly related to soil quality, water and nutrient availability, atmospheric temperature and the amount of sunlight received. Learn more here.
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Zucchini Plants Flowering But Not Producing Fruit by UNH Extension: While you may have tons of flowers, in order to produce fruit, you must have both male and female flowers at the same time. Bees and other pollinators are usually responsible for transferring pollen from the male flowers to the female flowers, which ultimately leads to fruit development. If there are few bees in your garden, you’ll likely have poor pollination and fruit set. Learn more here.
TWO LINKS: Managing Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes and Peppers by Ajay Nair, ISU Extension: growers and home gardeners often confront the issue of Blossom End Rot (BER) in their tomato, pepper, and eggplant. Also... non-solanaceous crops such as pumpkins, squash, and watermelons. The BER is a physiological disorder caused by a localized calcium deficiency in the blossom-end of the fruit... and is not caused by fungi, bacteria, or any other living disease microorganisms. Learn more here.
ALSO: Blossom-end rot of tomato tip sheet by MSU Extension: Blossom-end rot first appears as water- soaked spots on the blossom end, or bottom, of the tomato... Rapid early growth of the plants can cause the rot because the calcium is needed by the tomatoes when they are actively growing and the plants may not be able to take up sufficient calcium quickly enough through the roots. Read on here.
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TWO LINKS: Caster bean (Ricinus communis} an ornamental cultivar, every part of this plant is POISONOUS if ingested, probably native to tropical Africa, this species is invasive in some US locations. Learn more from Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder at here.
PLUS: Garden Q&A - by K.B. - Are Castor bean plants dangerous for birds (and animals)? Excellent question! Some additional information from Colorado State University: Birds that eat the seeds will be affected because their muscular stomach grind the seeds to release the toxins. (All animals including humans are affected.) The leaves of the castor bean plant are also poisonous causing transitory muscle tremors, ataxia, and excessive salivation.... After ingestion of the well-chewed seeds, signs of colic and diarrhea develop. Learn more here.
Perilla mint poisoning of livestock worsens during drought by Linda Geist Aug 1, 2023: Perilla mint (Perilla frutescens), a toxic summer annual, is also known as rattlesnake weed, purple mint and beefsteak plant... when pastures are thin and overgrazed, hungry cows and ruminants will eat what they can. (It is suggested not to grow it as an ornamental or garden plant.) Learn more here.
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Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) Field Guide by Missouri Dept. of Conservation: Poisonous species native to Missouri. Pokeweed is a tall, smooth, branching perennial with red stems and juicy, dark purple berries. Stems smooth, often reddish- or purplish-tinged. Learn more here.
To get rid of 'Common Moonseed' plants, cut the vines very near the ground, and immediately after cutting each vine, use a cheap foam brush and paint the surface of the cut stem left in the ground with an appropriate herbicide. POISONOUS, don't burn it. Learn more about Common Moonseed (Menispermum canadense) from MDC here.
Poisonous Plants for Dogs by Jan Reisen for American Kennel Club (AKC) July 1, 2022: It’s important to protect your pet from plants that are poisonous to dogs. Whether you’re an avid gardener or have a few potted plants on your front stoop, some plants might not be your dog’s friend. In fact, many shrubs, trees, and flowers commonly found in the garden and in the wild are dangerous if your dog eats them. Some can cause discomfort, some will make your dog miserable, and some can even be fatal if ingested. Learn more here.
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Bagworms (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis) - Integrated Pest Management Strategies' by Missouri Botanical Garden: Bagworms produce conspicuous spindle-shaped cocoons on trees and shrubs throughout the United States. Bagworms feed on over 128 plant species. Learn more here.
Grasshopper by Missouri Botanical Garden: grasshoppers are not a major pest for most gardeners. They actually prefer grasses, clovers and some weeds to prized flowers and garden vegetables. However, if drought renders their favored foods scarce and there are sufficient numbers present, grasshoppers may strip the leaves and stems of your crops. Controls you can use are suggested here.
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Invasive Jumping Worms Can Change Their World by Sarah Farmer for USDA FS Posted by National Invasive Species Information Center: (Now in Missouri.) The invasive Asian jumping worm (Amynthas agrestis) has many common names: Alabama jumpers, Jersey wrigglers, wood eel, crazy worms, snake worms, and crazy snake worms... Like other earthworms, Asian jumping worms eat tiny pieces of fallen leaves. But there’s a problem. Those fallen leaves make up the top layer of forest soil. The litter layer, as it’s called, is home to a vast number of tiny animals. Many plants can’t grow or spread without the layer of leaf litter. “Soil is the foundation of life – and Asian jumping worms change it,” says Mac Callaham. “In fact, the earthworms can have such huge impacts that they’re able to actually reengineer the ecosystems around them.” Learn more here.
PLUS: Asian jumping worms (Amynthas agrestis) are now spreading including Missouri. Learn more from MDC here.
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TWO LINKS: 'Squash Bugs - Integrated Pest Management Strategies' by Missouri Botanical Garden: Squash bugs (Anasa tristis) are pests on all cucurbits including cucumbers, muskmelons, pumpkins, squash, and watermelon. Squash and pumpkins are the most susceptible to squash bug attack. Learn more here.
PLUS Video 'Squash Bug Management' by UT ST Extension here.
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Native, Invasive & Other Plants | |
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Natives for Pollinators Grow Native! by Missouri Prairie Foundation: Citizens in the lower Midwest and beyond are concerned about the dramatic drop in pollinator populations. Caterpillars need native plants for food (host plants). Adult pollinators, including butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, and beetles need pollen and/or nectar sources throughout their lives. This information will help you attract and sustain pollinators on your farm, at your home, and in your community. Continue here.
Missouri Invasive Plant Council Summer News by MPF July 20, 2023: MoIP Vision: Missouri is committed to reducing the impact of invasive plants through early detection and control. | Mission: To benefit Missouri, MoIP advances efforts to reduce the impact of invasive plants. Invasives to treat in Summer + MoDOT Statewide Invasive Plant Control. Learn more details here.
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TWO LINKS: Growing Cactus in Missouri - Grow Native: Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa) by MDC Field Guide: Cacti make us think of the desert southwest, but there is at least one species native to Missouri. Similar species, plains prickly pear (O. macrorhiza) is uncommon and found mostly in southwestern Missouri. Learn more here.
PLUS: Another article for review, Growing Cacti in Missouri: How to Thrive in Extreme Weather Conditions here.
NOTE: In addition, you can try others that will grow in zone 6, some are on display in the sheltered Succulent Garden at the Springfield Botanical Gardens. Ask at desk.
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Pine Trees for Missouri Landscapes by Michele Warmund, MU Division of Plant Sciences: During the winter months, it's a great time to appreciate evergreen shrubs and trees.... Generally, pines tend to tolerate poor soil conditions and environmental stress better than fir and spruce. Although many species are available, five pines are recommended in Missouri. Continue reading here. | |
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The Garden Spade Newsletter August 2023 Articles: Pin Oak Problems + A Heavenly Scent + Tomato Recipe + Tropical Milkweed -Plant or Not to Plant + Smoketree -Hot Specimen Plant + Sweet Corn Types + Lambsquarters -Weed or a Wonderful Plant? + What is It? + Kids Ask Dr. Bug + Aug Gardening Tips + Upcoming Events & Flyers. Details & more pdf here.
September Gardening Tips, Tricks & Tasks - News by MU Extension Staff - Topics: Outdoor Flowering Plants & Ornamentals ✚ Vegetable Gardening ✚ Fruits & Nuts ✚ Cool & Warm Season Lawns ✚ Indoor Plants ✚ HOT HOT! Find these tips, tricks & tasks to keep you cool and busy in and around the garden throughout the month of September. Learn details here.
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Home Garden News by Penn State Extension Master Gardeners Aug 1, 2023: In this issue check out how to identify and manage pests of some your favorite vegetables.+ Be inspired to include different fruits and vegetables in next season’s garden.+ Home Gardening Categories -Find your interests by topic.+ Details and more read here.
Lawn & Garden Newsletter by MU Extension Aug 7, 2023 Topics: Turnips Grow Tasty Nutritious Plants + Webinar Helps With Organic Production, Series Runs Sept 26 to Nov 28 + Storing Tomatoes Video + August Gardening Calendar + Access Previous Newsletters. Details and more here.
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Natural Resources Newsletter August 2023 by MU Extension NR Team, Topics: Fall Webworm (Hyphantria cunea) Species Spotlight + Forest Ecology & Management + Wildlife Ecology & Management + New Natural Resources Extension Specialist + What's on the event calendar, walks, talks, workshops, conferences. Details and more here.
Missouri Produce Growers Video Newsletter Aug. 11, 2023 Topics: Sweet Corn Post-Harvest + Nitrogen Fixing Cover Crops for Vegetable Production + Pumpkin Weed Control + Soil Blocks Vs. Trays + MDA Urban-Ag Cost-Share Grant + Responding to Herbicide Drift on Specialty Crops + Missouri Produce Growers Bulletin Articles & Archive + Upcoming Class Offerings & New Publications. Details & More here.
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Nutrition, Food & Fitness Resources Newsletter by MU Extension Aug 14, 2023 Topics: Save Herbs for Cooler Seasons Read How to Dry Herbs + Free Online Course 'Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Pain' via Zoom Fridays • Sept. 8 – Oct. 13 from 10:00 am – 12:30 pm + Review Back Issues. Details and more here.
Photos of the Week by Chris Helzer for The Prairie Ecologist – Aug 13, 2023: "at Wilson Lake in central Kansas" – View his excellent photo gallery starting with a "Sphinx moth feeding on clammy-weed (Polanisia dodecandra)", click here.
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Luther Burbank: The Plant Wizard
By David Trinklein, MU Plant Science & Tech for MU Extension July 27, 2023: Once in a great while society is blessed with an individual whose genius causes an indelible mark to be left on life as we know it. Having introduced over 800 new varieties in his 55-year career, Burbank is responsible for many of the plants we enjoy in our lives today. Learn more here.
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Get Your Soil Tested Now
**Basic soil testing analysis is done by the MU Soil Lab in partnership with our Master Gardeners of Greene County. Results include fertilizer and lime recommendations. Additional tests are available for nutrient management plans, environmental issues, potting mixes, compost, manure and water usage. Each sample should contain a total of 2 cups of dry soil and from 6 to 7 inches deep and about 5 or 6 different areas. Results are typically provided within two weeks.
Bring the soil sample(s) to the Greene (or local county office) County Extension office between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Thursdays. Master Gardeners can complete the paperwork and submit your test. One of our extension specialists will review your results. In most cases, gardens, lawns and fields should be tested every two years.
The cost is $30 per sample. Feel free to call if you have any questions:
417-874-2963.
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A LAST THOUGHT Have you been to the Springfield Botanical Gardens at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park, 2400 S. Scenic Ave, Springfield, MO? If not plan a group or family fall's visit today. In addition to the many beautiful floral and demonstration gardens, a number of gardening organizations are headquartered there, including MU Greene County Extension office and the Master Gardeners of Green County Hotline. Questions call 417-891-1515 or tour the gardens and all of the other attractions online. | |
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Need a Speaker for a Meeting or Group?
Master Gardeners of Greene County are available at this time to speak to garden clubs, civic organizations, schools and other groups on a wide variety of topics within the world of gardening, horticulture, landscaping and the environment.
Please keep us in mind for a future date.
For more information.
Email Us
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OUR OFFICES ARE INSIDE
Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center
2400 S. Scenic Ave.
Springfield, MO 65807
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