In This Issue ~
- From the Desk of Shelley King-Curry, Southern Area Extension Director
- Get well financially!
- Gardens flourish at Extension
- Got gardening questions? Here's some help . . .
- 4-H'ers to shine at the County Fair
- Summer camps bring life-changing experiences for 4-H'ers
- Nutrient Management Program continues!
- SNAP-Ed offers ways to help financially
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Greetings to all our friends
and supporters!
I hope you are enjoying the summer season, despite the hot, hot days and some fierce storms that passed through.
Colorful plants and flowers are in full bloom everywhere, especially in the gardens in front of our offices. The Master Gardeners have done a wonderful job developing the demo garden! Please read their article in this newsletter on their latest efforts and for some helpful information on answering your horticulture questions.
We have good news! Deon Littles joined us as the Family Consumer Sciences Extension Agent Associate for Charles and Prince George's Counties! She fills the faculty position for financial wellness education and will alternate working in the Prince George’s and Charles County offices. (Read the news announcement we sent out.) Deon is working on setting up classes, so be sure to check our website for learning opportunities!
And, we have more good news! Extension will continue to provide Nutrient Management Plans for producers. Extension has worked to finalize an agreement with the Maryland Department of Agriculture to continue this program with no break in service.
The Charles County Fair is next month and
4-H will play a major role in the events. Mark your calendar for September 14-17, to visit the Fairgrounds and tour the 4-H Building and animal exhibits located in the barns.
The SNAP-Ed program provides financial assistance. Read the article about different ways you can benefit.
We are looking for candidates to apply for the Home Horticulture Educator/Master Gardener Coordinator position. Visit the ejobs website to get the full description. Please consider applying or sharing with others interested in this position. Check out our home website page for more information on other opportunities in Extension. UME provides an excellent opportunity for working in the community and serving Maryland residents by providing knowledge they can use. All our positions offer an extensive benefits package, flexible working hours and opportunities for professional development.
You know how fast time flies; so take time to appreciate the opportunities around you and through Extension. We are here to serve and are grateful for your support!
Shelley
Shelley T. King-Curry, MS
University of Maryland Extension
Area Extension Director -
Southern Maryland Cluster
Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's Counties
9501 Crain Highway, Box 1
Bel Alton, MD 20611
skingcur@umd.edu
301-934-5403, Ext. 300
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Family and Consumer Sciences
Deon Littles
Financial Wellness Extension Agent Associate
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Look How The Gardens Have Grown!
Terry Thir
Master Gardener Volunteer
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Our gardens have flourished during the spring, and now, after three years, all gardens have matured.
We have five themed gardens: our historic garden acknowledging the significance of the Bel Alton High School property, and a Bay-Wise garden that focuses on drought-tolerant plants, grasses, sedges and flowers.
Our pollinator gardens were created to attract all kinds of butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects. Container gardens demonstrate small place gardens and our herbal spiral garden is a showpiece that holds many different cooking and medicinal herbs.
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Coral Honeysuckle Trellis |
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Ascelipias Tuberosa (butterfly weed)
nectar plant for Monarchs
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We have had lots of on-going beautiful blooms and pollinator visitors. Since the gardens are established, we did not need to set-up a watering schedule - one of the key benefits of growing natives. We added additional stones on the spiral herbal garden to increase the height and planted lots of fresh herbs. We also added a few vegetables in front of the herbal garden. Wood slats were installed across the trellis to allow the coral honey suckle to grow on top, a real hummingbird favorite.
We encourage all to drop by the gardens and enjoy the flowers, aroma and pollinators. Self-guided tours are available since the plants are identified. We are also happy to schedule site visits for individuals and groups. Contact Terry through the Extension office at 301-934-5403.
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Container gardening for small spaces |
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Photo credits: Terry Thir |
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Get Answers to Your Garden Questions
through Ask Extension
Kaitlyn Baligush
Program Management Specialist
University of Maryland Extension
Home & Garden Information Center
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Not sure when to prune your crepe myrtle? Maybe you have a dead patch of grass or need a solution for the critters in your vegetable garden? Send your questions to Ask Extension!
This is a free, online service provided by the University of Maryland Extension. There is a team of horticulture specialists with different expertise such as plant pathology, turfgrass management, or indoor plants, who are consulted to answer the wide variety of questions submitted by homeowners. The service is open to anyone in Maryland or Washington, D.C. You can submit your question and up to three photos using a computer or your phone. Download the instructions for uploading photos using your phone.
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It’s really helpful to take photos from a variety of angles. Close up photos are good for capturing details of the problem or parts of the plant for identification. Be sure your camera is focusing on the right part of the plant. Try placing a white piece of paper behind the plant to help your camera focus. Wide-angle photos are also helpful for identifying the plant/insect and showing more context of its environment. Many of the issues we face in our gardens are environmental. Something that looks like a problem might even be a natural part of the plant’s (or insect’s) lifecycle or behavior.
Let’s take a look at this Japanese cedar for example. From a distance, in picture 1 it looks like there may be some browning at the tips of the leaves, but if you look closer in picture 2, these are actually pollen cones.
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Picture 1: Japanese Cedar |
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Picture 2: Japanese Cedar |
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Here is another example of a potential problem on the same Japanese cedar. You could not see this in the far away picture, but close up in the picture to the right, you can see browning leaves and a vine wrapped around some branches. Japanese cedars do naturally shed off some of their lower, inner leaves, but the vine, and the drought we’ve had this year, could be adding stress. |
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Japanese Cedar from a distance |
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Visit the Home & Garden Information Center’s (HGIC) webpage for more gardening information and to submit your questions. You can find more tips and tricks for taking photos here at Ask Extension. You can also follow HGIC on social media- Facebook page, YouTube channel, or Instagram (@umdhgic)HC).
Photo credits: Kaitlyn Baligush
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Charles County Fair is Almost Here!
Bonnie Boyden
Program Management Specialist, 4-H
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September 14 marks the beginning of the 99th Charles County Fair!
Charles County 4-H will have lots of exhibits, both in the 4-H building and in the barns. You can see the 4-H clubs' displays of their booths, banners and scrapbooks, as participants will be showing off their livestock, rabbits, dogs, food, crafts, and flowers, just to name a few areas.
There will also be many contests that the youth can participate in such as Rabbit, Poultry and Horticulture Judging, Livestock Skillathon, Horse Hippology and Dog Show competitions. 4-H’ers from Charles County are busy studying and practicing for these contests and are very excited for the Fair! We look forward to many of the 4-H’ers participating in these events on Friday, September 15.
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For the livestock 4-H'ers, the highlight for them is the Livestock Auction on Saturday, September 16. NEW TIME THIS YEAR FOR THE AUCTION - 4:00 P.M.
4-H'ers will be auctioning off hogs, sheep, goats and steers. You can come early and get your bidding number at 2:00 pm in the barn area. For more information about the sale, contact Bonnie at bboyden@umd.edu or call 301-934-5404.
Please come join us at the 99th County Fair!
Photo credits: Bonnie Boyden
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Charles County 4-H Celebrated a Great Camping Season
Bonnie Boyden
Program Management Specialist, 4-H
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The Charles County 4-H program just completed a fantastic summer of camps where the youth participated in both our day and overnight camps. 4-H'ers between the ages of 8 and 18 experienced many wonderful activities and classes from canoeing to team building. At both our day and overnight camp youth learn, independence, mastering of new projects, working together as one unit and creating friendships that last a lifetime.
The camp could not happen without the outstanding group of volunteers who give freely of their time to help each youth have that once in a lifetime feeling of accomplishment. Day and Overnight camps both allow the youth to sign-up for 3 classes of their choice, such as ceramics, archery, woodworking, and gardening to name a few, that they participate in each day. Then in the afternoons the youth have the opportunity to work as a team in recreation and have group meetings to plan the closing campfire program activities.
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At the closing campfire program, youth participate in a long-standing 4-H tradition that has been passed down through generations. The 4-H’ers get to showcase the different cheers, songs, skits, stunts, and challenges they have been preparing all week for the closing. They also have a time to reflect on what camp has meant to them by presenting a serious skit. Some of the comments from the skits were “4-H camp has made me the person I am to today.” “4-H camp is a life-changing experience, enjoy each year because it goes so fast.” and “Camp is my favorite place in the world. I cry every year at the end and talk about it non-stop during the year. I love 4-H camp!”
As we close out our camping season, many campers are already looking forward to next year. Charles County 4-H Camp is known as a safe place where youth can enjoy getting to know others and making friends that last a lifetime. Many of these youth only see each other once a year at camp, but it is like time stood still and they pick up their friendship right where they left off the year before. Our staff and volunteers pride themselves on making sure that each youth has a valuable camping experience and that is what makes for a successful 4-H camp. Caring for others!
For more information about camp, contact Bonnie Boyden at bboyden@umd.edu.
Photo credits: Bonnie Boyden
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Nutrient Management Update
The 2023 harvest marks the close of this year's growing season and is an excellent time to make plans for the 2024 coming year. Now is a good time to start gathering the information needed to updating your nutrient management plans for 2024.
Below is an abbreviated list of important items that will need to be addressed in order to
update your plan for the next cropping season:
Soil tests (less than three years old)
- Pastures must be sampled as well, even if no nutrients are applied.
Manure samples (less than 1 year old)
- Required every year that manure is spread
Livestock information
- Type of animals, average weight, confinement periods, and amount of bedding material
Field histories and Intended Crop Rotation
- Multiple cropping scenarios can be planned
Yield Goals
- Should be developed based on prior yield records
Farm Maps
- Note any changes, bring maps of new farming properties
Our office is currently open so if you have a question or would like to start the process of updating your nutrient management plan, please contact me at 301-539-3058.
I look forward to working with you!
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Francis Warring
Nutrient Management Advisor
fwarring@umd.edu
301-539-3058
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Do you or someone you know use SNAP/EBT or receive the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks for seniors or WIC?
You can double those benefit dollars at the following locations in Charles County:
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Example: WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program Check |
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Example: Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program Check |
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Jessica Conjour, MPH
Project Leader and Nutrition Educator
Maryland SNAP-Ed
jconjour@umd.edu
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Feel free to contact our staff with any questions
or ideas you have to help make our community better.
Please send an email to jcrawfo4@umd.edu or visit our website.
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University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity, please contact us at (301) 934-5403.
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