LET'S GET READY FOR SPRING PLANTING!
MARCH 2021
VOLUME 168
GOOD NEWS . . . THE OSU EXTENSION OFFICE IS OPEN AGAIN!

The OSU Tulsa County Extension Office is open again to the public so feel free to drop by to ask a Master Gardener any questions you may have and/or drop off your soil samples. You will be required to wear a mask while in the office.

Several Tulsa Master Gardener events are back on schedule for 2021:
  • Spring Plant Sale (2/15 - 3/31: online sales only)
  • Garden Tour (June 5-6)
  • Affair of the Heart (July)
  • Exploring Insects (November)
  • Community Events (various)
  • Tulsa Blooms (Brookside)
  • Habitat for Humanity Landscaping (various)
  • Speakers Bureau (various)
We will not be participating in this year's Spring HBA Home & Garden Show.

The MG phone lines are active so call us with all your questions.

MG e-mail traffic is being monitored daily from the office phone room and will be responded to as quickly as possible.

The Tulsa Master Gardener Facebook page is still live and active.
. . . OR VICE VERSA . . .
March Horticultural
& Garden Tips

Learn about what you should be doing in the month of MARCH. A selection of Garden Tips (Lawn & Turf, Flowers & Vegetables, Trees & Shrubs, and Fruits) can be found by clicking on GARDEN TIPS.
TULSA MASTER GARDENERS
2021 SPRING PLANT SALE
IT'S LIVE ONLINE: PREORDER NOW!
Yes, it's back this year. But, it's a bit different. While we will NOT be offering our usual one day "Day-of-Sale" plant purchases (due to COVID concerns), we will have our usual online pre-order and drive-thru pick up process. Over 250 plant selections available this year, including Milkweed (while it lasts).

The online pre-order process went live on Monday, February 15th. You only have until Wednesday, March 31st to make your preorder purchases. Then, the drive-through pick up will occur on Thursday, April 22nd at the Tulsa Fairgrounds Exchange Building. You will be required to stay in your vehicle while Master Gardeners do all of the work loading your pre-ordered plants into your vehicle.

As many of you know, the Tulsa Master Gardeners organization is a 501(c)(3) organization that is 100% self funded. This spring plant sale is the largest annual fundraiser we conduct to help cover expenses for our many community outreach programs.

Click on SPRING PLANT SALE to make your selection. You'll love the great plant selection and quality!
Note that the Spring weekly sessions start next Tuesday for six weeks. Available through Tulsa Master Gardeners and Tulsa Central Library Facebook pages.

From Green Country Master Composters
MARCH

January began the New Year, AND our Compost Connection, "Beginning A Compost Pile", which is a 3-part article starting with a composting plan. A plan should include the type of compost pile/bin that best suits your needs and the right materials to begin a compost pile.

February brought a discussion of the four essentials of composting, which are: Nitrogen (greens), Carbon (browns), Oxygen, and Water.

This month will end our 3-part series with troubleshooting one of the most common problems beginning composters experience, which is "smelly" compost. If you discover this in your pile, you might have too much nitrogen content. You may fix that issue by adding more carbon (e.g. crushed eggshells, shredded newsprint, dried leaves). Add carbon materials and water to make sure your compost has the consistency of a "rung out damp sponge." Give this up to a week to see if this helps the smell. If not, try adding more carbon.


Next month’s article will explore compost tea and its uses.
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Want to learn more about composting? Here are a few suggestions:


Each month there will be a Composting Connection article in the newsletter for you. So, watch for more information about composting in next month's Compost Connection..
SOIL TESTING: A MUST FOR GREAT RESULTS
So, you can generally see what's going around you above ground, but you cannot tell what's happening underground . . .in the soil. For instance, what's the acidity or alkalinity of the soil? What's the soil pH? Are these things that I should be concerned about? Turns out the short answer is . . . YES! 
 
Grass nutrient uptake is governed in part by the acidity of the soil around it and, as the acidity rises, the nutrient uptake diminishes. Truth is, many plants will grow somewhat ok in almost any soil, but great results start with great soil. And, great soil starts with proper testing.

Don't worry. Soil testing is not something you have to do every year. Taking a soil sample of your yard and/or gardens every 2-3 years is plenty. But not ever doing so can lead to less than expected results and potentially overspending on fertilizers. Think about all of the effort and expense you put into making your landscape great. For just $10 per soil sample the OSU Soils Diagnostic Lab can perform the proper analysis. Drop your samples off at the Tulsa Extension Office and you will get you your results back in just 2-3 weeks.

So, wait no longer if you want to have spectacular spring, summer and fall results. Click on SOIL TESTING to find out how best to take that sample and how to submit it for testing.
LANDSCAPING WITH ORNAMENTAL GRASSES
Monstrous ornamental grass in Erma Roquemore's backyard
One of the most versatile plants you can place in your landscape is an ornamental grass. The myriad of shapes, sizes and colors are virtually endless and their year-round beauty make them a wise choice for your landscape. Determining whether to select perennials or annuals, their watering needs and which are best for our zone is easier than you may think.

Simply click on ORNAMENTAL GRASSES for some clever ideas on how to provide a unique landscape with them along with some awesome pictures of beautiful grasses that would set your landscape apart from others.

Below, check out an innovative mechanical approach (chain saw) to trimming the really large ornamental grasses (note that not all grasses get that large).
VEGETABLE GARDEN SERIES
PART 2 (OF A 4-PART SERIES)
BUILDING THAT GARDEN
Spring is almost here. Can't come soon enough, many will say. Last month we featured Part 1 of a four-part series on Designing, Building, Planting, and Maintaining a vegetable / herb garden. It focused on the planning and designing phase. If you missed it, click on PART 1.

This month, we will move onto building that garden . . . what it takes in terms of time, cost, materials and effort. You can easily take the tips contained herein and scale them up or down as your budget, needs (and back!) dictates.

Click on PART 2 to start the building process. Then, be sure to come back to read more in the following months:

April: Part 3     Planting the Garden
May: Part 4     Maintaining a Healthy Garden        
MATERIALS COMPARISON
Untreated (Dimensional) Lumber: Cheapest of all options but will degrade much faster than other materials. May only last 3-5 years.

Treated (Dimensional) Lumber / Landscape Timbers: Relatively inexpensive. Will last 5-15 years, depending on environmental conditions.

Red Cedar: Looks better and decays slower like treated lumber but will cost more.

Stone Pavers/Blocks: Much more durable, makes a nice looking border, but heavier to handle and more expensive.

Plasticized Lumber: Very durable, gives a more formal look, comes in several colors, lasts many years, but clearly most expensive (particularly the thicker widths). Thinner widths will likely require more inside bracing or risk warping under the weight and pressure of wetted soil.

No liner is needed unless building on top of known contaminated soil.
TOP 12 VEGGIES TO PLANT IN MARCH

  • Beet
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots
  • Lettuce
  • Onions
  • Peas, Green
  • Potatoes, Irish
  • Radishes
  • Rhubarb
  • Spinach
  • Turnips
WINTER ALLERGIES:
WHAT TO WATCH FOR & HOW TO MANAGE
By winter, most outdoor allergens lie dormant. As a result, cold weather brings relief to many gardeners with hay fever. But some individuals may still have allergic reactions because more of us are spending time indoors. So, if you are prone to seasonal allergies, you may also react to indoor allergens such as mold, pet dander, dust mites, or even cockroaches.

To learn more about winter allergens and how to manage them, click on ALLERGIES. There are also four excellent additional resources that area available at the bottom of the article for even more information. 
2021 OKLAHOMA PROVEN SELECTIONS:
THEY'RE HERE!
TREE: TEDDYBEAR SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA
SHRUB: VIRGINIA SWEETSPIRE
PERENNIAL: JAPANESE ANEMONE
ANNUAL: CUPHEA
In 1999, the faculty of Oklahoma State University's Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture began the Oklahoma Proven Program - a program designed to evaluate, recommend and market plants best suited for our challenging Oklahoma climate and soil conditions.

And every year since then, winning selections are released in the four categories - tree, shrub, annual, and perennial - just in time for planting.

Click on 2021 OKLAHOMA PROVEN for descriptions of the this year's winners (as shown above) as well as a link that describes all of the Oklahoma Proven selections dating back to 1999..
LAWN PRE-EMERGENT MYTH BUSTERS
#1 No prior crabgrass issues = no need for pre-emergent
Crabgrass seeds can be transported great distances, by the wind or by animals. And, weed seeds are viable for a long time in the soil. Best to treat the yard every year.

#2 Thick lawns don't need to be treated
While it is true that thick, healthy lawns are able to shade the soil surface and reduce crabgrass germination, there is no guarantee that the lawn will be able to maintain its lushness throughout spring and summer. Applying a pre-emergent herbicide can serve as an insurance policy on the off chance the yard suddenly loses its luster.

#3 Soil aeration breaks the pre-emergent control barrier
Because pre-emergent herbicides create a barrier in the soil, it is a commonly-held belief that aeration will disrupt this layer. There have been several published research articles that demonstrate no reduction of weed control with spring aeration.

#4 Spot-treating is more effective
The consensus among scientists is that this method is ineffective. It is better to treat the entire yard with a pre-emergent herbicide to create a complete soil barrier.

#5 Post-emergent herbicides are better
Pre-emergent herbicides have very little chance of affecting the established turf and require far fewer applications. Pre-emergent applications are easier to schedule because the products won't degrade if applied early. For the cheaper and easier option for controlling crabgrass, beating it to the punch by putting down a pre-emergent is the preferred method

#6 Pre-emergent must be applied at an exact time
There are several timing factors that people tend to go by, either waiting for a specific month depending on their region or monitoring soil temperatures. Crabgrass starts to germinate when the soil temperature has been above 50 degrees for several days. The most important thing is to remember that it is better to apply early than too late.

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! Proud to be a part of the Tulsa area - such a giving community! 

Recognizing those folks that have donated so generously over the past month:

MG FOUNDATION GENERAL FUND
Judy Feuquay

MG FOUNDATION ENDOWMENT FUND


IN MEMORY OF DIANNE NAIL
Jewel & James Naufel
Jerry & Susan Roberts
Jacqueline Rago*
Jeanne K Hutter
Nancy Haas
Ann McKellar
Russell Peterson*

IN HONOR OF BEVERLY KLENDA
L C & S T Young


* Contributed to the MG Endowment Fund
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Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services.