STAY SAFE AND WARM!
FEBRUARY 2022 / VOLUME 179
IT'S BACK!
The highly anticipated Tulsa Master Gardener (TMG) Annual Spring Plant Sale is back again. The online shopping cart is NOW OPEN, but will close at midnight on Saturday, March 12th. Drive-through plant pick-up is from 7am-7pm on Thursday, April 14th at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds Exchange Center. There are 256 varieties to choose from this year, the highest number ever. And, there are some items that you cannot find anywhere else in Tulsa. However, for some items, supplies may be limited. To show our appreciation for early shoppers, plant orders will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. So, be sure to order soon.

Your Tulsa Master Gardeners are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and, as such, receive no city, state, or federal funding. Public and private donations, contributions, and plant sales help fund the many TMG horticultural outreach programs in our area. Last year, we hit an all-time high plant sales record and we feel like similar results may occur again this year. We are so proud and thankful for our patrons.

Click on 2022 PLANT SALE to go directly to the plant list, pictures, and shopping cart. Happy shopping!

To learn more about your Tulsa Master Gardeners and the organization as a whole, click on TULSA MASTER GARDENERS.
COMING BACK IN MARCH AND APRIL:
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
FEBRUARY HORTICULTURAL
AND GARDEN TIPS

Learn about what you should be doing in the month of JANUARY by clicking on GARDEN TIPS.
From Green Country Master Composters
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The Compost Council met for compost-related movies and documentaries during the pandemic lockdown. The "Compost Movie Nights" were informative and successful. The Council has continued this monthly event and wanted to share some of these movies and documentaries with Tulsa gardeners. We streamed some on Netflix, some on YouTube, and some are available in DVD format. All of the movies and documentaries led to lively discussions and further research into compost usage and production beyond backyard usage as well as the relationship between soils and environmental wastes. We hope you find them interesting and worth viewing as we did.

Some of our viewings have included:
  • The Biggest, Little Farm
  • DIRT, The Movie
  • The Intelligence of Trees
  • Kiss the Ground (documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson)
  • Tar Creek, a documentary
 
February is NOT too early to work on your compost area. That's really a year-round task. Though microbic action slows in winter, composting still occurs. This is the perfect time to rethink, regroup, repair, relocate, and renew your compost plans and area. Along those lines, here is a reminder of DO'S and DON'TS for compost ingredients.

DO'S/OK:
  • eggshells (should be rinsed and crushed)
  • vegetable & fruit scraps (should be cut into smaller pieces)
  • leaves left from autumn
  • shredded newsprint (not the shiny inserts)
  • small tree branches cut into smaller pieces
  • paper towel or bathroom tissue inserts torn into pieces
  • cut up plain cardboard boxes

DON'TS/NOT OK:
  • bones
  • dairy products
  • fats and oils
  • meats
  • animal waste
  • seeds
  • plastics
  • Styrofoam

When in DOUBT, leave it OUT. Good luck planning for the success of your 2022 compost production!
TOOL OF THE MONTH:
CLASSIC SOIL SCOOP
A few months ago we featured a high-quality ergonomic soil scoop. Here's another one that's darn good. This product is a 100% USA manufactured tool with a premium stainless steel blade designed for years of use. The Classic Soil Scoop is great for digging holes, weeding, and making seed furrows. It's also excellent for filling pots and baskets with soil. As an added feature, the scoop has serrated edges that can easily cut through roots. It measures roughly 11" x 3" x 3".

While we don't specially support any particular tool brand or retail outlet, this tool can be found online from Garden Works for about $35.
FEEDING BIRDS IN WINTER AND BEYOND
AMERICAN BASSWOOD
AMERICAN BEAUTYBERRY
CHOKEBERRY
ELDERBERRY
POSSUMHAW
We talked about feeding our birds last month from the wide array of seeds available. To supplement that, this month we are continuing that line of thought by looking at ways to attract birds with native plant materials.

Now is a good time to take advantage of the colder temps by staying inside and considering what we can plant for birds and other wildlife. Consider adding native plants to your yard as other plants need to be replaced because they are not thriving.

What can be better than to provide plant materials that not only attract beneficial insects and sometimes act as host plants, but also provide flowers with ample nectar and even fruit! Interested in learning more? Click on NATIVE PLANTS FOR BIRDS.
PRUNING & CARE OF ORNAMENTAL GRASSES
One of the most versatile plants you can place in your landscape is an ornamental grass. The myriad shapes, sizes, colors, and textures are virtually endless and their year-round beauty make them a wise choice for your landscape. They sport green fronds with colorful tops most of the year and, in winter, they turn a natural tan color that is still striking. For most, simply cut them nearly to the ground in the spring and they will start their performance all over again.

To learn some tips on taking care of these beauties, click on PRUNING AND CARE OF ORNAMENTAL GRASSES..
BERRIES, BERRIES, AND MORE BERRIES
Who doesn’t love a fresh, juicy strawberry? One of the most popular home fruit crops in Oklahoma, strawberries are some of the easiest, most versatile, and most rewarding fruits to grow. But, you must choose the correct location to grow them (full sun), plant them in the correct soil (well-drained sandy loam), in the right climate (warm), and protected (away from wildlife).

For tips on growing strawberries successfully, click on STRAWBERRIES.

But, wait, there's more! In the next few newsletters, we will be highlighting how best to grow other berries such as blackberries and blueberries. So, read on, then stay tuned.
GET A HEAD START ON SPRING GARDENING:
PROPER SOIL SAMPLING & TESTING
Yes, we have talked about this subject many times before. But we're doing it again because it is so important to know what nutrients are in your soil. Without knowing that, you are essentially flying blind in gardening. Not only are the proper amount of nutrients in the soil important but proper soil pH is also needed for good nutrient uptake. Not good to have too little AND not good to have too much!

Good test results start with good soil sampling. While it's not practical to take soil samples when the ground is frozen, winter is actually a good time to have the testing done. Just do the soil sampling after a few sunny days which allows the upper part of the ground to thaw and warm a bit. By sampling, testing and receiving results now, this allows the gardener time to tweak the soil, as needed, before spring planting time....which will be here before we know it.

Click on PROPER SOIL SAMPLING for more information.
TREE PLANNING (PART 1 OF 3-PART SERIES)
B&B (Balled & Burlapped)
For some, tree planting is an exciting way to beautify a yard. For others, it simply represents hard work. Either way, planting a tree should be done with a fair amount of forethought and planning ahead of time. There are a few ways to do this correctly, but there are many more ways to do it incorrectly. Hopefully, this series on trees will help.

This will be a 3-part series:
  • February: Tree Planning & Selection
  • March: Proper Tree Planting
  • April: Proper Tree Pruning

So, click on TREE PLANNING to learn about the planning phase, then watch for the planting phase next month.
VEGETABLE GARDENING 101:
THE PLANNING PHASE
Several requests have been made recently to run a series of basic vegetable gardening articles. We heard you and so here 'tis.

There are a lot of aspects about successful vegetable gardening that may not be thought of or go unnoticed or assumed to not be important. So, hopefully, this will get you off to a good start on this year's vegetable garden, starting with the Planning Phase. Here's what's in store in this 4-part series:

  • February: Planning a Vegetable Garden
  • March: Building a Vegetable Garden
  • April: Planting a Vegetable Garden
  • May: Maintaining a Vegetable Garden

So, let's get ourselves started by clicking on PART !: PLANNING A VEGETABLE GARDEN.
DID YOU KNOW?

Since 1983, the Tulsa Master Gardeners have been serving the public by offering research-based horticultural information to residents of Tulsa and the surrounding area. The Tulsa Master Gardener Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) organization. As such, it receives no city, state or federal funding for its Tulsa community outreach programs. In fact, the Tulsa's Master Gardener programs are self-funded by its own fundraisers, from member donations, and from public donations.

The main Tulsa Master Gardener fundraiser is its Annual Spring Plant Sale that is held each April. Other fundraisers include the Garden Tour and Garage Sale in June. And, one of the most important income sources that sometimes gets overlooked are the personal and corporate donations. These are so important in helping us to meet our financial obligations and we want you to know they are very much appreciated. 

MG Endowment Fund
 
The Tulsa Master Gardeners have been around for over three decades and we plan to be around for many more decades. Furthermore, we are considered one of the top five Master Gardener county programs in the entire nation. We are because of the size of our Foundation membership, the number, diversity and activity level of our various community outreach programs, and our overall financial strength! 
 
So, we are pleased to announce, in partnership with the Tulsa Community Foundation, the Master Gardener Foundation has established an Endowment Fund to ensure our long-term financial strength. Our plans are to build this fund for many years before making any withdrawals from it. Please consider us as you make your annual gift giving as well as longer-term estate planning decisions. Remember, all donations are fully tax deductible! 
 
If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to help fund the long-term success of the Tulsa Master Gardener program, click on  
 
If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to help fund the Tulsa Master Gardener program's annual expenses, click on
 
We thank ALL of you for having been such faithful contributors both in the past and in advance for your future consideration and participation! So proud to be a part of the Tulsa area - such a giving community!

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