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August 2025 UME Master Gardener
State Office Announcements
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We had a much needed break from the heat, but high temperatures are in the forecast again. Super hot days are a great time to enter volunteer hours!
Our newsletter this month includes a new basil study, box tree moth update, new continuing education opportunities, and more!
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Our docent list is full! Huge thanks to all of you who have signed up. This week we will mail parking and admission passes along with other information for navigating the fairgrounds.
If you signed up for a docent orientation, you will receive an email reminder a few days prior to the date.
| | | Basil Downy Mildew Research | | |
Basil production is still threatened by downy mildew because current methods of prevention and resistance are wavering. It appears that the pathogen is evolving rapidly, and we need your help to understand this phenomenon. Researchers at Rutgers (who are part of an international team addressing this) are asking anyone who observes basil downy mildew on their plants in the USA and Canada to send infected leaf samples and to report occurrence to the following website: https://basil.agpestmonitor.org/. These samples will be used to better understand the existing pathogen populations and help drive solutions towards the downy mildew problem.
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Shipping Instructions:
Please collect as many infected leaves showing sporulation (or classic yellow leaf banding of this disease) as possible and wrap in a dry paper towel before placing inside a quart-sized ziplock bag. Seal the bag partially (leaving about a quarter open) before placing in an envelope with
Piece of paper with sample source address, basil variety if known, and contact information (email, phone number) in case there are questions about sample.
Mailing Address (regular mail fine as just pathogen’s DNA needed; not live pathogen):
B.A.S.I.L.
Foran Hall, Rm 392
59 Dudley Rd
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
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The Maryland Department of Agriculture and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) have confirmed the presence of box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) in a state park in Washington County. This is the first detection of this destructive pest in Maryland.
Read more about detection and prevention of box tree moth at the button below
| | Statewide Meetings and Continuing Education | | Monthly Plant Clinic Updates | | |
First Wednesday of the month, April-October, 12:00 – 1:00pm, Zoom
Join us for monthly updates from our UME experts on what questions or hot topics you might encounter at your upcoming Ask A Master Gardener Plant Clinics!
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity, please contact Stephanie Pully on or before 2 weeks prior to the webinar at pully@umd.edu or (301) 226-7616.
| | Companion Planting in the Home Garden: Myths, Science, and Smart Strategies | | |
Thursday August 21st, 12:00pm- 1:30pm, Zoom
Join Jon Traunfeld, UME Extension Specialist in Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, for an evidence-based look at companion planting in the home garden. This webinar will explore the principles behind plant partnerships, separating garden folklore from research-supported practices. Learn how to use plant diversity, spacing, and timing to improve garden productivity, support pollinators, and reduce pest pressure. Whether you're growing vegetables in raised beds or backyard plots, this session will help you make informed decisions about what to plant—and what to plant it with.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Stephanie Pully on or before August 7, 2025 at pully@umd.edu or (301) 226-7616.
| | Shrink Your Lawn Footprint | | |
Tuesday September 9th, 12:00pm- 1:30pm, Zoom
Did you know that 1.3 million acres are devoted to lawn in Maryland? Join Stacy Small-Lorenz, Ph.D. Extension Specialist, Residential Landscape Ecology and Dave Clement, Ph.D. Extension Specialist, Plant Pathology to learn a variety of ways to reduce your lawn's environmental impact, turfgrass alternatives, and sustainable lawn care practices promoted in the MD Living Landscapes Metric.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Stephanie Pully on or before August 26 at pully@umd.edu or (301) 226-7616.
| | Catch Up on Continuing Education | | |
Did you miss any of our continuing education webinars last year?
Check out the recordings below! You can always see both upcoming continuing education opportunities and recorded webinars on the State MG Continuing Education webpage.
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Navigating the Spotted Lanternfly Buzz: Separating Science from Sensation
This webinar provides key facts about the invasive spotted lanternfly, debunks common myths, and provides options for what you can do if you find spotted lanternflies in home and community gardens in Maryland.
| | | Maryland Native Plant Society Annual Conference | | |
September 6th & 7th, Washington College, Chestertown, MD- Zoom option available
Registration deadline: August 23, 2025
Come Experience the EXTRAORDINARY ECOSYSTEMS OF MARYLAND'S EASTERN SHORE. The Maryland Native Plant Society's Annual Conference has returned to the Eastern Shore to showcase the plant communities that make this part of the state so special and the efforts being taken to conserve them. This event qualifies for Continuing Education hours.
Conference highlights:
- Visit a Coastal Plains Arboretum and beautiful Eastern Shore natural areas
- Learn about rare and threatened plants of Maryland’s Delmarva Bays
- Visit a serpentine barren and learn about the special geology and soils that support an unusual plant community
- Explore an ancient shell midden supporting calcareous-rich plant communities
- Learn about efforts to restore Eastern Shore grasslands and meadows to benefit declining wildlife
- Hear how a native sparrow helped biologists design a coastal habitat restoration program
- Purchase Maryland's native plants
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The Wanna-BEES, Wasps
In this month's episode, we’re chatting with Maddie Potter, UME Faculty Specialist for Entomology and Integrated Pest Management, all about WASPS!
How are they different from bees, what roles do they play in the environment and we play "Wasp Fact or Fiction".
| | | Home and Garden Information Center | | |
Discovering Maryland's Moths: The Joy of Slowing Down and Looking Close
By Madeline Potter, Faculty Specialist for Entomology and Integrated Pest Management, UME
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Bacterial Leaf Spot Resistant Peppers in Two Gardens
By Erica Smith, Montgomery County Master Gardener
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Stephanie Pully
UME Master Gardner State Coordinator
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Kaitlyn Baligush
Program Management Specialist
| | The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to any person and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression. | | | | |
