Freezing Temperatures Threaten Blueberry Crop (January 4, 2001) – Georgia’s freaky freezing temperatures haven’t hurt the state’s blueberry crop yet. But if warm weather arrives soon, it could set up this year’s blueberry crop for significant freeze damage later.Bitter Winter Threatens Elderly Most (January 10, 2001) – The oldest Georgians have a hard time remembering a colder winter than this one. They have a hard time contending with the icy cold, too, that threatens their very lives.Drought Expected to Continue, Likely to Worsen (February 22, 2001) – The drought that has gripped Georgia since May 1998 is expected to continue and will likely worsen during the spring and summer.Cooler, Drier Winter Giving Way to Dry Spring (March 15, 2001) – The winter months of December, January and February were cooler than normal in most of Georgia, while drier-than-normal conditions continued to aggravate moisture deficits statewide.Drought Has Many Farmers Mulling Future (May 22, 2001) – If any farmer could make a profit farming, it would have to be Jimmie Lee Moss. But in the fourth straight year of a drought, the Irwin County farmer now questions whether his children and grandchildren should follow in his dusty footsteps.Rains Benefit Georgia Row Crops (June 19, 2001) – Threatened by another year of continued drought, farmers are relishing the timely relief that recent rains provided most of Georgia’s major row crops. Overall, experts say this is the best crops have looked in three years. Rainy Summer Giving Way to Drought? (July 24, 2001) – Julian Williams is facing an old enemy that just won’t go away: drought. “We’re in bad need of some rain now,” Williams said as he cut a customer’s pasture for hay.Drought Becomes Visible Again in Georgia (August 29, 2001) – A dry August has allowed Georgia’s long-running drought to become visible again as pastures, row crops, lawns and gardens suffer from lack of water.Threat of Drought-fueled Wildfires High (November 9, 2001) – The deepening drought in Georgia is creating high serious wildfire problems, record low stream flows and low reservoir and groundwater levels.Days Without Rain Near Local Records (November 21, 2001) – The number of consecutive days with little or no rainfall is reaching record levels in Georgia. Preliminary analysis by the Office of the State Climatologists indicates that Columbus has broken its record of days with 0.01 inches or less of rain.
Volume XXIXNumber 1Page 14 By Gary L. Wadeand James T.MidcapUniversity of GeorgiaNot many shrubs bloom continuously from spring to fall, then endthe growing season with bright red fruit and rich, wine-red fallleaves. But Summer Snowflake viburnum does just that.The vibrant, snow-white flowers are showstoppers in the springlandscape. Then, as spring blossoms fade and other plants begintheir summer growth phase, Summer Snowflake gears up for anencore performance. It flowers repeatedly throughout the summerand fall, often as late as November.”It’s a great transition plant,” says Dottie Myers, an Atlantalandscape architect, “because it blooms when most other shrubsare done.”Planting tipsSummer Snowflake viburnum is a deciduous shrub, so it’s best toplant evergreens nearby to mask its winter nudity. Little Gemmagnolia, Henry Anise-tree or Japanese cryptomeria, three otherGold Medal winners from years past, are excellent companionplants.Use Summer Snowflake as a single specimen or in groups of threeto five plants for added interest in the landscape. It growssmaller and is more compact than many other viburnums, reaching 4to 8 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide at maturity.If Summer Snowflake viburnum has one flaw, it’s a lack of droughttolerance. Water is essential during periods of limited rainfall.Drip irrigation will keep the plant looking its best.But it’s worth itSummer Snowflake’s leaves are opposite, 2 to 4 inches long and 1to 2 inches wide. It bears flowers in flat clusters 2 to 4 incheswide on top of the branches, giving the plant a layered effect.Each flower cluster consists of many snow-white outer flowerssurrounding a group of inner, less showy flowers. The flowersgive way in late summer to clusters of bright-red fruit that fadeto black. A wine-red leaf color signals the end to anothergrowing season.Few pests seem to bother Summer Snowflake viburnum. However,drought and wet feet will cause leaf scorching or dieback.To look its bestMoist, well-drained soils are essential ingredients for successwith Summer Snowflake. A full sun environment is ideal ifirrigation can be provided during periods of limited rainfall. Aplace with morning sun and afternoon shade is OK, too.Set plants 6 to 8 feet apart to allow them to reach their fullpotential as shrubs. Wait until they’re well established beforefertilizing. Then apply two to three light applications of acomplete fertilizer, such as 16-4-8, during the growing season.Prune the plants as needed after spring flowering by thinningexcess branches within the canopy. Spring blossoms form on theprevious season’s growth. Repeat blooms form on new growth.(Gary Wade and Jim Midcap are Extension Servicehorticulturists with the University of Georgia College ofAgricultural and Environmental Sciences.)
Welcome to the 2009 Back to School Packet. In this edition, experts from University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offer tips to help get students, and parents, ready for school. Feature articles address school safety, healthy eating, kids and technology, teen relationships, tax-free shopping, after-school care and 4-H programming. These featured articles are provided to help you give your readers the timely, valuable information they want and need. Your UGA Cooperative Extension county agent (call 1-800-ASK-UGA1) can help you localize these features. News Articles 20091. Plan healthy after-school snacks – April Sorrow2. 4-H helps students improve writing test scores – Sharon Dowdy3. Home alone: When is your child ready? –Faith Peppers4. Keep lunch safe– April Sorrow5. Teach children to eat for health – Brad Haire6. Cooperative Extension helps grow green kids – Stephanie Schupska7. Relationships healthy, normal for teens – April Sorrow8. Take time to play – Stephanie Schupska9. Kids and technology – April Sorrow10. Shop during the tax-free holiday – Sharon DowdyA printable newsletter is also available with additional articles and resources. (April Sorrow was principle editor of the 2009 Back to School Packet and is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)
The garden was full of berries, lettuce and radishes. But what grew best was knowledge. School gardens are a catalyst for learning. And Lindsay Wyczalkowski, a third-grade teacher at Atlanta’s Mary Lin Elementary School, understands that power.She uses her school’s garden to teach Greek mythology. Dressed as Greek gods and goddesses, she and her students stood about spinning myths on a spring day. In the process, they learned about science, art, literature and math. Garden mythology“We have a worm in the classroom and we wrote a myth to explain why worms are decomposers,” Wyczalkowski said. “We went to the garden to read about Demeter and Persephone and explained our observations about the changing seasons through myths.”Wyczalkowski takes her students to the garden for class two to three times a week. Several of her fellow teachers do the same. “Children out here are more focused, more energized, more engaged,” she said. “They are using their senses to learn, whether it is taste, touch, smell. These experiences are going into their long-term memory. They are not pouring out part of their brain onto a scantron; they are experiencing, and I think they will hold onto it for a lot longer.” Learning agricultural scienceIn Putnam County, both 4-H and a Junior Master Gardener Program support a growing school garden program.“We saw two things going on in our schools. “[First,] the students had little to no knowledge of agricultural activity in the state and no knowledge of how food was produced and brought to the table. [Second,] these kids lacked basic horticultural skills that I had at that age from hanging out with [my] parents and grandparents,” said Keith Fielder, UGA Cooperative Extension coordinator in Putnam County. “We saw science curriculum waning about the time schools started teaching for the test. Kids weren’t getting a lot of science.” Fielder was asked to come into the elementary school with master gardeners to spruce up a memorial garden. After the garden project, they decided to stay and do more. The master gardeners designed and built a U-shaped raised garden bed and, with the help of retired teachers, they wrote classroom lesson plans. “We were responding to requests,” he said. “We came into schools through 4-H and started teaching about the water cycle and delivering environmental programs on resource use.” Touching hundreds of studentsThe program began in 2003 with a single garden. Today, more than 200 students meet after school twice a week. They learn in several garden locations and in greenhouses. The students grow just about every Georgia crop, except cotton and tobacco. “We talk about the importance of the commodities to Georgia’s economy,” Fielder said. “And we grow watermelons for the watermelon contest.” Fielder also incorporates healthy eating lessons. Produce from the garden is given to the lunchroom to be included in the school menu.“We are teaching kids vegetables aren’t yucky,” he said. “In the fall, we dig sweet potatoes and make sweet potato chips. I see kids going back and stuffing them in their pockets to take home.”Outdoor educational toolA garden can be much more than just a garden. While in it, students’ thoughts are directed to what they are doing, and they are developing interests in agriculture, the environment or horticulture, he said. And, most importantly, they are learning science.“If you ever start it, it will hand you more opportunities than you ever thought,” Fielder said. “It is a wonderful educational tool you can tailor to whatever your situation is. But, you need support. We were lucky to have teachers to embrace it. The people who embrace it are why it works.”
Many home gardeners are already planning for 2013’s garden, but the 2012 garden season has one more chore in store for you. It’s not as fun as planning what varieties you will try next year, but taking the time to clean out your old garden now can save you a lot of heartache, disease and insect problems next spring.First, take note of any particularly productive or unsatisfactory crop varieties and any problems you encountered this past growing season. This information will be very useful during garden-planning time next spring.Then you can start dismantling your spring garden. Here are some tips provided by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension experts. Be sure to take up any plants that are not producing. Remove diseased or insect-infested plants. Old plants can harbor disease and pests through the winter. Left in your garden plot, this plant material can sicken your new plants and give pests a head start in your garden next spring. Cucumber beetles, squash bugs, Colorado potato beetles and European corn borers all pass the winter in garden debris, so it’s worth the time to remove dead plant material, compost it or plow it under. Landscape refuse, such as grass clippings, dead plants, trimmings and fallen leaves, can no longer be placed in landfills — so fall is a good time to learn about composting. Composting is something that everyone can do to help control yard waste, and the finished compost product can be use to make garden soil more productive.To learn more about how to compost, pick up a publication at your local UGA Extension office or read one online at www.caes.uga.edu/publications/.
The University of Georgia-bred ‘Cowboy’ perennial peanut plant doesn’t produce edible peanuts, but this new cultivar offers homeowners a colorful addition to ornamental beds and a supplemental source of nitrogen for surrounding grasses.UGA scientist Wayne Hanna released the perennial ornamental peanut in 2015 while working on the UGA Tifton campus. He believes the cultivar’s versatility allows it to be used in multiple ways and makes it an appealing option for homeowners.“It can be used as an ornamental and, at the same time, provides vital nutrients to your lawn or citrus orchard. You can also grow it on hillsides along roadways to provide erosion control,” Hanna said. “It is a very versatile plant that should warrant consideration.”The ‘Cowboy’ perennial peanut produces a robust, yellow flower that’s a little darker than a normal peanut bloom. If it’s mowed regularly, the peanut plant will flower proficiently. It usually flowers from May through September.If it’s not mowed regularly, the peanut plant can grow as high as 12 to 14 inches and can be cut for hay. Horses with sensitive palates may desire the finer stem and leaf over conventional peanut hay.The plant also provides an attractive option for ornamental beds.“Ornamental plants provide color and character to a homeowner’s lawn. With the ‘Cowboy’ perennial peanut and its distinct yellow blooms, this is an attractive option that will not only bring life to a lawn but also serve as a tremendous source of nitrogen,” said Larry Baldree, a research professional in UGA-Tifton’s turfgrass program.The ‘Cowboy’ perennial peanut also returns atmospheric nitrogen to the soil. Nitrogen is a vital nutrient for all plants. ‘Cowboy’ perennial peanut’s presence in a landscape benefits surrounding grasses and other plants by providing excess nitrogen.Prior to releasing the ‘Cowboy’ peanut two years ago, UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences researchers planted it in a citrus grove in Turner County, Georgia. As a result, no supplemental fertilizer was used or needed in the citrus grove. All the nitrogen for the citrus crop was and is supplied by the ‘Cowboy’ peanut.“That is organic farming at its best,” Baldree said. “There’s no need to make a fertilizer application when the ‘Cowboy’ perennial peanut is meeting your needs.”The ‘Cowboy’ peanut plant is also highly drought tolerant. The plant requires moisture to become established, then it grows well, with or without water.“Once it takes hold, it has a low water requirement. That is not to say it can live forever without water because all plants require water to live. Rainfall can provide all the water requirements it needs. It will outlast any grass on the market,” Baldree said.UGA-Tifton researchers tested ‘Cowboy’ with turfgrass varieties by planting ‘Cowboy’ rhizomes under zoysiagrass. Baldree said that the results speak for themselves as, during drought conditions, the zoysiagrass was healthier where the ‘Cowboy’ rhizomes were planted.Established potted plants can be planted any time of year, but it is best to plant dormant rhizomes in February and March, Baldree said.The ‘Cowboy’ perennial peanut should be available from 1 DOG Ventures in Mitchell County, Georgia. For more information, contact the nursery at (850) 830-2644.To see ‘Cowboy’ in full bloom, visit UGA-Tifton, where it is produced in multiple plots. For more information, contact Hanna at whanna@uga.edu.
Nematode control is one of the costliest hurdles to blueberry production on replanted sites. Through research trials in Appling County, Georgia, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent Shane Curry found that adding pine bark mulch when replanting blueberry fields helps to combat the pests.Growers typically replant highbush blueberries every 10 years, often around the time too many of the blueberry plants in a crop are no longer viable. When various diseases and other problems reach a certain threshold in a highbush blueberry crop, the plants must be replaced.Nematodes are microscopic, worm-like parasites that attack the plant’s roots. If growers replant the crop in infested soil, the blueberry plants will be severely damaged over time as the nematodes feed on the young plants’ tender roots.Damaged plants are no longer viable, which causes growers to continually replant highbush blueberries at a cost of more than $6,300 per acre.“The nematodes build up year after year. An older plant can handle nematode damage, but a high population of nematodes is devastating to a young plant,” Curry said.The optimal time to treat a field for nematodes with fumigants occurs during replanting, Curry said. Further, combining the soil fumigants with pine bark, and then treating the soil with that composite during replanting, greatly reduced the nematode populations and slowed the pest’s development over time, according to the research.“The plants growing with added pine bark reacted better than with those with soil fumigants alone. Growers have been using pine bark with highbush blueberries for years, so this isn’t new. It does reiterate that we don’t need to cut corners or try to save money by leaving pine bark out,” Curry said.To treat plants organically, Curry suggests growers employ “solarization,” the process of using a clear, plastic cover over the plants to overheat and kill the nematodes.Solarization isn’t as effective as soil fumigants, though.“In drier climates, like California, where they see more sun than we do, solarization would work better,” Curry said. “It’s good, but not great at treating them (the plants) because of the humidity and cloud coverage we receive.”Growers used soil fumigants in the replanting of about 400 acres of blueberries in Appling County. Curry said this saved them almost $2.52 million.The results of the study have been shared at county Extension meetings, and 15 local growers have visited the research site to see the benefits.“Without research, we never would have known about or found a solution,” Curry said. “Blueberries can be infected with other diseases, but without specific research, we couldn’t have treated the problem.”Across the state, UGA Extension agents, like Curry, conduct research in their respective counties to help local farmers.“We’re here to find new and effective ways to help farmers and, ultimately, all the people of Georgia,” Curry said.To read more news about Appling County’s research trials, visit blog.extension.uga.edu/applingcrop/.(Julie Jernigan is a student intern at UGA-Tifton.)
4-H20 camp, sponsored by the University of Georgia, educates south Georgia 4-H’ers about the importance of water conservation in agriculture.The three-day camp, held June 5-7, attracted 4-H members from Georgia’s Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Crisp, Decatur, Dougherty, Mitchell, Randolph, Sumter and Terrell counties.On Tuesday, the camp started at Gin Creek Plantation in Hartsfield, Georgia, where campers received tips on watering food gardens, studied Gulf Coast creatures and learned about the weather from meteorologist Kerri Copello, who’s based at WFXL in Albany, Georgia.“Our goal is to help our 4-H kids gain a better understanding of how important water is to us as humans, to our crops, to our other plants and to animals. A lot of those animals are critters that live in the lakes, rivers or streams,” said Calvin Perry, superintendent of the C.M. Stripling Irrigation Research Park (SIRP).The 128 campers visited SIRP in Camilla, Georgia, on the second day of the camp. SIRP is a research station where UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences researchers study water’s impact on different agricultural crops. Emily Braswell, a graduate student studying with UGA Cooperative Extension irrigation specialist Wes Porter on the UGA Tifton campus, taught the students about healthier, more beneficial ways for plants to receive water. At the end of her presentation, the 4-H’ers briefly escaped the south Georgia gnats and heat by running under water sprayed from irrigation pivots.“Teaching kids about irrigation is fun and educational because it helps them understand the value of water in the growth of plants or any living organism,” said Braswell, who was one of six presenters during the second day of camp. “It’s also refreshing for these 4-H’ers to get cooled off.”The camp concluded Thursday at Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia.The 4-H20 camp began in 2008 as a way to teach kids about using water wisely while in a fun, enjoyable environment.Learn more about the research conducted at SIRP at www.striplingpark.org.(Lydia Connell is a Young Scholar at UGA-Tifton.)
The Stripling Family Foundation of Camilla, Georgia, has been recognized with the Epsilon Sigma Phi National Friend of Extension award for their many years of philanthropic and personal support of agriculture programs in Georgia.Charles and Patsy Stripling, who received the award, credited Charles’s parents, the late C.M. Stripling and Bernice Campbell Stripling, for their many decades of support for agricultural research, education and outreach in the state.C.M. Stripling donated 130 acres in Mitchell County that now house University of Georgia’s Stripling Irrigation Research Park (SIRP), a state-of-the-art irrigation research and education center providing an easily accessible facility to assist farmers in managing irrigation and the general public in understanding the role of water in the economy of the region.“Mr. Stripling was a pioneer in the start of modern irrigation farming in Georgia and national Forester of the Year. His passion and desire to protect our land, water and plant resources motivated him to develop the most advanced irrigation feasible for the Dougherty Plain conditions in Georgia,” said Jennifer Grogan, a former Mitchell County agent with University of Georgia Cooperative Extension who helped present the award to the the Stripling family.UGA scientists, engineers, Extension specialists and staff collaborate at SIRP to define crop water needs; improve food, feed and fiber production under irrigation; investigate the effectiveness of chemigation and fertigation; and find more efficient ways to apply irrigation water. Industry partners are able to test equipment and water conservation strategies for Georgia under the objective eye of UGA researchers. The Striplings also helped to establish the 4-H2O Day Camp, a three-day summer program for Georgia 4-H students held at the Stripling Research Park to teach children about water conservation and stewardship. The Stripling Family Foundation also funds a yearly scholarship for Georgia 4-H students to support youth participation in agriculture.“Their support of Extension programs in all areas has never wavered. The Stripling Family Foundation always looked at Extension as a team and included all program areas — 4-H, Agriculture and Natural Resources and Family and Consumer Sciences,” Grogan said.Laura Perry Johnson, associate dean for Extension at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, lauded the Stripling family for devoting “time, knowledge, and financial contributions to the youth and citizens of the state of Georgia.”“The Stripling Irrigation Research Park is arguably the premier irrigation research and education facility in the Eastern United States. There is much anecdotal evidence that educational and research activities at SIRP are making an impact on the area’s farmers as they are becoming more receptive to opportunities to improve their irrigation systems and methods,” Johnson said. “The Stripling family makes it possible for county programs to continue to educate youth on the importance of water efficiency, proper irrigation methods and conserving water throughout the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin.”To learn more information about UGA Extension, visit extension.uga.edu.Epsilon Sigma Phi is a national honor society that recognizes excellence in the Extension community, provides networking and leadership opportunities, and facilitates professional development.
Tim and Diane Mueller, owners of Triple Peaks, LLC andthe Callaway and Walton families, owners of Crested Butte Mountain Resort,LLC and its subsidiaries have announced that they have signed a Letter ofIntent for the purchase and of Crested Butte Resort and all of its assets.Crested Butte is located in southwest Colorado in the town of Mt.Crested Butte and is best known for its historic town, exciting nightlifeand some of the best extreme skiing in the world. The resort has 85trails spread over 1,058 acres, with 14 lifts and receives over 240 inchesof natural snow each season.Triple Peaks, LLC and Crested Butte Resort are finalizing aDefinitive Purchase and Sale Agreement, while Triple Peaks continues itsDue Diligence. This process should take about 30 days, and the closingwill occur between 3045 days from the signing of the Purchase and SaleAgreement.“Our vision for the future of Crested Butte Resort includes ourcommitment to place guest service and the overall quality of therecreational experience as a top priority,” commented Tim Mueller. “Welook forward to our involvement with Crested Butte Resort and thecommunity, and see this as a unique opportunity for Triple Peaks, LLC tooffer three of the country’s finest resorts to our family of skiers andriders.”“My family has owned and operated Crested Butte Mountain for over 30years,” said Edward Callaway, chairman of the CBMR board of directors,“and consequently want everything to go right for the Gunnison/CrestedButte community in the future. Consequently, we feel great about leavingthe resort with the Muellers, whose reputation in the ski industry forservice and innovation is unparalleled.”