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Community Garden - Updates from Ann Odvody 1/30 - To put it mildly, it was brisk in the garden this morning. Mary and I did the harvesting of several varieties of lettuce, collard and mustard greens, broccoli, celery and spinach. We also had one Savoy cabbage for a little weight. The harvest for today was 13 pounds 14 ounces. For the year we are at 159 pounds. If I can find seed potatoes, we will get them planted next week. 2/14 - We had two beautiful mornings in the garden this week. The lettuces, greens and broccoli are doing very well. We are almost through harvesting cabbage, but the greenhouse team has us covered and their plants will soon be ready to be set out in the prepared beds. We did get potatoes planted this week and will seed a new bed of lettuce next week. Spring weeds are popping their heads up and we are diligently working at digging them up. A lot of work has been done up by the orchard and the area looks a lot better. Harvest total for the week was 34 pounds 14 ounces, giving us a total of 209 pounds 7 ounces for this year. The guys are done with rodeo for a couple of weeks. YEAH!! we have missed them!

Speakers Bureau

January 12, Liz Romero gave presentation to the Lazy Daisy Garden Club on "Rain Barrels for the Gar-dener"

January 20, Nancy Masterson gave a N.I.C.E presentation to the Nogales Garden Club.

February 16, Peggy Jones a presentation on "Let’s Talk Roses", at the Tye Preston Memorial Library at Canyon Lake.

February 17, Nancy Masterson's presentation to the Nogales Garden Club was "Hello Invasives Good-bye Texas”.

Submitted by, Treva Hicks, Speakers Bureau

Keyhole Gardens at the Rodeo Featured in the Bexar County Raised Garden Beds by the HEB Buckaroo Barns Tent at the SASSR is the Guadalupe County Community Garden's Keyhole Garden that was donated by Cynthia Lyssy from Class 25 and put together by two Class 26 graduates and very recent certified MGs, Cynthia Leos and Donna Wise. Photos provided by Cynthia Lyssey.

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DOWN THE GARDEN PATH BY THE TEXAS MASTER GARDENER

Family up north is enjoying their January thaw with weather in the 50s. By weekend they are expecting weather in the 20s and snow. Sunshine and blue skies – sure glad I don’t live up north! Of course these beautiful spring-like days will be short lived - back to winter.

While the last article covered planting trees, it’s important to care for the trees you have! To ensure the good health of your trees, it’s time to consider pruning. Unless it is a fruit tree, most trees don’t need a major pruning every year. You should trim dead wood, branches that are rubbing or limbs that will damage your home’s roof. You can cause more damage to your trees by over pruning than by leaving them alone. Nothing looks worse than a once stately tree turned into a bonsai tree from over pruning.

While landscape trees can be pruned any time of the year, right now is the best time while the sap is low and in-sect populations are small. Fruit trees, like peaches, should be pruned just before bud break. Pruning at that time will induce bud break and flowering. Timing is everything with fruit trees – early flowers and late freezes equals a lack of fruit.

While pruning trees is based on scientific principles, it’s also an art. It’s important to be true to the character and overall long-term shape of the tree. While you may be tempted to raise the canopy of your tree, restrain yourself. Low growing limbs exist for a reason – they protect the roots. Especially live oaks. Heavy thinning of a tree’s can-opy will throw the tree out of balance, inviting wind and storm damage. The stress from this will create a perfect situation for insects and disease.

Remove limbs that grow toward the center of the tree, limbs that are dangerous or will damage buildings. Avoid “V” shaped crotches by removing one of the co-dominate upward shoots. Do not gut the interior of a tree’s canopy with heavy pruning. Over thinning of the canopy will allow the tree’s limbs to be susceptible to sunburn.

Use proper tools. Make sure your tools are sharp to make pruning cuts. Use loppers, pole pruners, and pruning saws for small limbs. Chain saws can be used for larger limbs. Just use common sense when operating power equipment. Wear protective glasses, gloves, and long sleeves.

Do not make flush cuts. Pruning cuts should be made at the point where the branch meets the trunk, just outside the branch collar. The branch collar is a swollen area at the base of every branch fork. Cuts made at the right place leave a round wound. Improper flush cuts leave an oval cut which can cause cavities to form in the trunk. Pruning at the collar allows the tree to quickly grow new wood over the wound and seal itself in a few years.

Flush cuts encourage decay at the top and bottom of the cuts. Flush cuts destroy the natural protective zone be-tween the trunk and the branch. This can lead to serious problems which include decayed wood, wet wood, resin pockets, cracks, sun injury, cankers and slow growth of new wood. These problems make it easy for insects to invade and cause damage. Branch stubs that are too long can be a problem as well and should be avoided. It is better to err on the side of long stubs than stubs that are too short.

The scientific community has gone back and forth on the use of pruning paint and wound dressings. Current re-search by Alex Shigo, Carl Whitcomb, and the U.S. Forest Service has shown that there is no benefit from the use of these techniques. It has been shown that they can be harmful, slowing the healing process damaging healthy tissue needed for callus formation. Trees have defense cells that work like our white blood cells. These lignin cells are produced on the backside of a wound to prevent diseases from entering fresh cuts. It is the same princi-pal as a cut on our finger that heals faster when exposed to fresh air.

Small limbs and foliage should be shredded and used as mulch under trees or mixed into a compost pile. Large pieces can be used as firewood. What you remove from the land should be returned to the land.

Take care of the trees you have. Keep your trees properly hydrated and mulched. They are a valuable part of your property. Consider adding some for the future. When you plant a tree, you are planting for future genera-tions.

Happy Gardening Gwen DeWitt - 358-9473 or 813-9936

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Are My Hours Creditable?

Question: I work at my subdivision entrance weeding, planting, mulching, etc. I have been reporting those hours as Volunteer Hours. Is this correct?

Answer: No. The ongoing maintenance of a garden/landscape is not reportable volunteer hours, unless the Board has deemed the garden/landscape as an approved GCMG Volunteer Project. Your subdivision entrance is not a GCMG approved garden and, therefore, maintenance work would not be creditable, i.e., watering, weeding, planting, mulching, etc.

However anything you do to help educate the members of your subdivision would be creditable volunteer hours. This includes teaching safe, effective, and sustainable horticultural practices that promote the development of healthy gardens, landscapes and communities. Examples of reportable activity would be holding impromptu classes on gardening in your subdivision, helping your subdivision lay out, design, and build the landscape, help-ing them decide what to plant and why, teaching them how to plant and teaching them how to maintain the land-scape, etc.

When recording your volunteer hours in VMS, describe the educational nature of your contribution to the garden/landscape under “Event Description”, so that someone looking at your hours would have no question that you were educating the public. Identify the “Project” as (h) Outreach to the Public.

Question: How do I credit research for a presentation that I will be giving and the actual presentation itself? I’ve been crediting the research for the presentation as Continuing Education and the presentation itself to include travel time as Volunteer hours. Is this correct?

Answer: You are partially correct. Preparation and research for presentations, workshops and other training of both Master Gardeners and/or the public is creditable as Volunteer Hours as well as the actual presentation and travel to and from the presentation. This also includes preparation for and presentation during the KWED Radio Show. It is all creditable as Volunteer Hours.

When recording your volunteer hours in VMS, the “Event Description” would read something like “Research, preparation and presentation of Vegetable Seminar to the Lions Club”. The “Project” would be (h) Outreach to the Public.

Continuing education is defined as lectures, workshops, hands on training - all important not only for advancing our knowledge, but also for meeting other Master Gardeners and the public. (Attendance at a lecture, workshop, or hands on training is implied in the definition.) Submitted by Cindy Waechter

February Volunteer Recognition Program

31 Certified Master Gardeners qualified for the February Volunteer Recognition Program Drawing. Having done so, all 31 also qualify for one entry into the $150 Annual Recognition Drawing.

Members reporting 5 or more hours in January 2015 were: Kathy Bennett, Mary Bowe, Joyce Briscoe, Carol Cal-entine, Mike Chandler, Robert (Bob) Cox, Jon Elia, Joyce Friesenhahn, Susan Hadley, Beth Henry, Elizabeth (Betty) Hughes, Peggy Jones, James Knight, Jr., Ellen Laubhan, John Lewicki, Janet Magee, Cindy Martin, Kay McElveen, Elaine McIntyre, LaVerne McKenney, Ann Odvody, Dale Odvody, Karen Patterson, Jerilyn Preston, Liz Romero, Polly Ruppert, Pat Schultze, Iris Seale, Judy Stanley, Carol Suchan and Pamela (Pam) Turner. Con-gratulations to Cindy Martin our February winner. As our February Volunteer, Cindy won a $20 gift certificate to Maldonado’s Nursery.

To qualify for the Monthly Volunteer Recognition Program drawing, Certified Guadalupe County Master Gardeners must report a minimum of 5 volunteer and continuing education hours earned during the month in VMS by the last calendar day of the month. Hours earned for attendance at the monthly GCMG Membership Meeting are not in-cluded in the minimum 5 hours, except those earned for meeting setup. Board members do not participate in the Volunteer Recognition Program.

Don’t forget to earn and report your hours by 31 March 2015 to be eligible for the April Membership Drawing. Submitted by Cindy Waechter

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Volunteer OpportunitiesVolunteer OpportunitiesVolunteer OpportunitiesVolunteer Opportunities

Guadalupe County Master Gardeners Volunteer Opportunities

Every Monday the MG office/library is open from 8:30am-noon except for holidays. Volunteers are al-ways needed. Contact Betty Hughes. 830-401-4066 or e-mail ehughes5@satx.rr.com.

Every Tuesday and Friday are work days at the Guadalupe County Community Garden. Check with Ann Odvody (odvodyd@swbell.net 830-914-3593) for start hour and access at other times.

Every Friday 9 am is a workday in the gardens at the Big Red Barn. Check with Janice Knobles, 830-379-6193 or e-mail jmknobles@yahoo.com or details.

KWED Master Gardener Lawn and Garden Show is always looking for volunteers. Contact Janet Grafe at 830-639-4199 or e-mail to janetgrafe@hotmail.com.

Chairperson is needed for the June 18th Summer Social. Contact Jose Contreras at elmero-jose@gmail.com

Volunteers are needed to set up the chairs before each monthly meeting. Contact Treva Hicks at hickslt@lycos.com

Volunteer Chair Wanted Wilson County Gardening Days - Saturday, March 21st

Guadalupe County Master Gardeners has had a booth at the Wilson County Gardening Days for the last six years under the leadership of Peggy Jones. Peggy is ready to step down and take a well deserved rest. The theme of this year’s event is butterflies and hummingbirds. The event, a huge plant sale, is held in Floresville at the Floresville Alternative School, 335 Alternative Lane off Sutherland Spring Road and benefits the South Texas Alternative School Gardening Program. This is a great opportunity to attend workshops for education hours, participate in the children activities and buy plants. Guadalupe County Master Gardeners will give away seeds, lots of gardening information, answer gar-dening questions and promote Class 27 and our organization. To volunteer to CHAIR this event email Jose Contreras at elmerojose@gmail.com

Speakers Bureau

I just got a call from Valery Posey (contact information: val_posey@hotmail.com #210-723-1563). The Elm Creek EEE Club Ladies need a speaker for Wednesday March 11, 1:30pm at the Extension Office. The Marion EEE Ladies Club need a speaker for Thursday March 12, at 4pm at the Marion Li-brary.

I know this is very short notice but would you let me know if you would be able to do one of these events? Treva Hicks, Speakers Bureau, hickslt@lycos.com

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Seguin Earth Day - "Living Green in Seguin"

Unless you haven’t heard through the grapevine or you have been purposely ignoring your emails (we know who you are!), you know that we are currently planning for Seguin’s Earth Day, “Living Green in Seguin”. As Master Gardeners, we are educated so that we may assist and inspire the communities we live in with the joys and sometimes frustrations that come with gardening.

This year, in addition to our information booth and our children’s activities booth, we are going to have a plant sale, in which we plan to both educate our visitors and raise funds to support our ongoing endeav-ors in Guadalupe County. Jim Johnson (vegetables), Carol Calentine (non-native annuals, perennials, ornamentals) and Bob Teweles (donations) will be organizing the sale section of event. At our February general meeting, vegetable seeds, clean pots and soil were available for our members to take home and start producing some wonderful offerings. If you would be interested in assisting with this “foster plant program”, please let one of them know so that we may have proper plant descriptions and space needed. Karen Patterson will be coordinating the planning and volunteers for our information and children’s activi-ties booths (Bug Identification Game, Worm Composting Exhibit, and Herb Adoptions). Based on the meetings with the city Earth Day committee, we are anticipating larger crowds due to past interest and the use of local school groups for entertainment throughout the day. This said, we have a wonderful op-portunity to interact and educate those that will be visiting the event. So in the days ahead, please keep your ears to the ground, read your emails, and start looking for ways to assist our group with this exciting endeavor! Submitted by Karen Patterson

Save the Date – Saturday, April 25th

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LUNCH AND LEARN PROGRAMS

The first Lunch and Learn program for the year was presented February 5, by Jim Johnson on "Growing Vegetable Transplants from Seed", at the AgriLife Extensions Office. There were 37 Master Gardeners and visitors who learned how to build their own Grow Light and grow spring vegetables from seed and transplant their garden.

On March 5, the Lunch and Learn Program will be presented by Peggy Jones ,"How to Use Compan-ion Plants in the Landscape" at the AgriLife Extension Office.

Starting in May Guadalupe County Master Gardeners will host Lunch and Learn Programs at the GVEC Community Room at 908 Curtis St., Schertz (just off Schertz Parkway). The first program will be “Great Herbs for South Texas".

Saturday April 11, Dale Odvody and John Lewciki will host a demonstration workshop on "How to build Elevated and Key Hole Garden Beds" at the Schertz Community Garden from 9am-12. There will be a $15 fee.

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Native Plant Society of Texas Guadalupe County (Schertz-Seguin) Chapter

St John’s Lutheran Church, FM 465, Marion, TX

Tuesday March 10, 2015, 7:00 PM St John’s Lutheran Church, FM 465, Marion, TX

The Beautiful, Bountiful, Bewitching Botany of Texas Food Plants

Dr. Karen Clary PhD, Program Manager for Plant Conservation at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, will introduce some of our native plants that have been domesticated for food. She will also tell about some of the most famous food plants on earth, and some that are not so famous but are native to Texas and are still delicious.

Meetings are open to the public. Visitors are welcome. There is a plant/seed exchange and greeting at 6:30 PM followed by the program at 7:00 PM. For more information, directions or membership applica-tions see our website at: http:/www./npsot.org/wp/guadalupe/

The purpose of the Native Plant Society of Texas is to promote research, conservation and use of native plants and habitats through education, outreach and example.

Spring Floral Design Classes March 3, 2015 from 12n - 3pm

San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels

Learn how to design your own floral arrangements in these hands-on classes with Instructor Melissa White. Fresh flowers, greenery, container, and instruction for a take-home finished project each week with emphasis on flowers and colors of spring. Tuition is $75 for the 3 classes. Further information at www.sanantoniogardencenter.org or call (210) 824-9981. Registration deadline is February 13, 2015. Make check payable to San Antonio Garden Center. Tuition for missed classes cannot be refunded.

Carnivorous Plants - BCMG Meeting Thursday, March 19, 2015, 6-8:30pm

3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 208, San Antonio

1.5 CEUs for MGs. Free. Bexar County Master Gardeners Meeting begins with a social time at 6pm followed by the special presentation at 6:30pm at the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Office. For more information, email Barbara Lutz, BCMG President, or call: 467-6575. You don't have to be a kid to be fascinated by plants that eat bugs! Learn all kinds of interesting information about Carnivorous Plants. Speaker is Dr Dotty Woodson, Water Resource Program Specialist, Texas AgriLife Research & Exten-sion Center, Dallas

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

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TEXAS MASTER GARDENER SPECIALIST TRAINING Plant Propagation

12:30 pm May 7 - 12:00 Noon May 9, 2015 Tarrant County Master Gardeners – Ft. Worth, Texas

All Master Gardeners with an up-to-date Master Gardener Certification are eligible to participate in this high quality training combined with hands-on experience. . Registration is $200. For additional informa-tion http://txmg.org/event/plant-propagation-specialist-tarrant-county/ or contact Billie Hammack, P. O. Box 1540, Fort Worth, TX 76101-1540.

DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS APRIL 1, 2015

Texas Master Gardener Specialist training Entomology

September 28 through October 2

Montgomery County Extension Office, Conroe The training is designed to provide an in-depth exposure to the world of insects: 4.5 days of insect-oriented field trips, lectures and hands-on insect collecting and photography. Montgomery County is not currently accepting applicants for the program, but for updates and further information see http://agrilife.org/insectspecialist/

Master Gardener Specialist - Irrigation Efficiency Training Monday, March 23 - Wednesday, March 25, 2015

San Antonio Botanical Garden 555 Funston Place, San Antonio, TX This hands-on training will include practices for determining irrigation efficiency, setting controllers, soak and cycle method, minor irrigation repairs, system trouble shooting, catch can test, converting spray head irrigation to new water conserving head, converting spray irrigation to drip irrigation and many other water conservation practices. Master Gardener Irrigation Efficiency Specialists will volunteer for 12 hours above their current volunteer obligation, train Master Gardeners in their county, present the information to at least 3 other groups and do a catch can demonstration for Master Gardeners, a garden club, neighborhood association or civic organization. Cost: $200.00 (includes manual, power points, two lunches, snacks and drinks). Registration and more information available at http://dallas.tamu.edu/courses/or contact Karen Sanders, Program As-sistant, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, 17360 Coit Rd | Building D,| Dallas, TX 75252, Phone: 972.952.9671, karen.sanders@tamu.edu, http://dallas.tamu.edu

Spring Vegetable Gardening Seminar Sat, Mar 7, 10:30am-Noon

Fanick’s Garden Center.on Holmgren in San Antonio Free. This is an Earth-Kind Educational Seminar. For more information, email Angel Torres at: mator-res@ag.tamu.edu. Speaker: David Rodriguez, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service–Extension Horticulturist.

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30 Bugs Every Gardener Should Know

March 24th from 10am-12pm 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 208, SA

As you start to plan your spring garden, you may be wondering how to keep the bad bugs at bay. learn which bugs are good, which are bad, and which will just annoy you, as well as how to prevent and man-age those that are bad See live insects, preserved insects, and pictures for references. And be sure to bring any insects, damage, or pictures you want identified! Cost is $10, please RSVP to Molly at mekeck@ag.tamu.edu

Weeks Rose Production Monday, March 9th, at 7 pm

San Antonio Garden Center 3310 N New Braunfels @ Funston

San Antonio Rose Society meeting program presenter is Lothar Behnke, of Weeks Roses one of the largest commercial rose growers in the US since 1938. Behnke will tell us about their cultivation prac-tices, how roses are field-grown in large quantities and grown from “bud to market”, their greenhouse operations, including their research and hybridizing programs to produce new roses for the market. Please come join us for a special program. Free and open to the public. For more information go to www.sarosesociety.org

Digging Into Spring Wednesday Wed, March 4, at 10 am

3310 N. New Braunfels @ Funston, San Antonio

San Antonio Garden Center Clubs meeting program will feature Horticulturalist David Rodriguez from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service who will talk about the Bexar County Master Gardener Program and give home gardening tips for "Digging into Spring." Join us for coffee at 9:30 am. Free and open to the public. For more information, go to www.sanantoniogardencenter.org or call (210) 824-9981.

Backyard Basics Expo Sat, Mar 28, 9am-3pm

James Madison High School, 5005 Stahl Road, San Antonio

Fee: $20.00 per person (after Noon March 25 & on-site $25.00 per person). Under 16 years FREE. For information, call: (210) 467-6575. Vendor area and snack bar will be open all day. Proposed concurrent workshops include Rainwater Collection, Food Preservation Basics, Gardening with Kids, Beekeeping Basics, Container & Vertical Gardening, Home Aquaponics, Patio & Landscape Citrus, Growing Olives & their Uses, Outdoor Grilling Safety, Making Sausage, Flavored Vinegar & Herb Mix, and more. Keynote Speaker will be Daphne Richards, Travis County Extension Agent - Horticulture and Augie the Plant Doggie. Proposed DIY afternoon demo sessions include How to build a Chicken Coop, Rain Barrel, or Raised Garden Bed. Door Prizes will be given in the DIY classes.

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GARDENING EVENTS

Texas Master Gardener Conference for 2015 The Blooms on the Old Chisholm Trail

April 16 -18. Bell County Expo Center in Belton, TX

Please check http://txmg.org/2015tmgaconference/

or for all the details.

Texas Master Gardener Board of Directors

Two Year Term - Dave Elder - Alternate - Marvin Borth One Year Term - Peggy Jones - Bob Teweles, Alternate Membership Outreach Committee - Virginia Biggs

Speakers Bureau - Treva Hicks

Guadalupe Co. Community Garden - Dale & Ann Odvody

Master Gardener Office/Library - Betty Hughes

Refreshment Coordinator - Treva Hicks

Big Red Barn - Janice Knobles

Gutierrez Xeriscape Garden - John Lewicki & Kim Darrough

Historian - Sandy Foss

Class 27 Coordinators - Kay McElveen & Mike Murley

Facebook Editor - Cynthia Leos

Newsletter Editor - Elaine McIntyre

Web Master - Bob Teweles

M E M B E R S I N S E R V I C E

Seguin Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event Scheduled with

Spring Clean-Up Day March 7th

For more information see: http://www.seguintexas.gov/news/article/household_hazardous_waste_collection_event_scheduled_with_spring_clean_up_d/

Vanishing of the Bees Monday, March 9th, 7 PM

REI at Huebner Oaks on IH-10 West Please join Green Spaces Alliance for a screening of the important environmental film “Vanishing of the Bees” examining the disappearance of honeybees and what it means for us. Plus, Alamo Area Bee-keepers will give an overview about cultivating bees in our area. Free and open to the public but space is limited. RSVP online at greensatx.org or call 210-222-8430. First come, first served. Families with older children welcome.

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednes

day

Thursday Friday Saturday

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Master Gardener Office/Library 8:30 - Noon

3 GCCG Workday

4 5

Lunch & Learn Noon to 1 PM

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GCCG Workday Red Barn 9 AM

7

KWED Radio 1580 AM Lawn & Garden Show 9 a.m.

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Master Gardener Office/Library

10 GCCG Workday

11 12

GCMG Board Meeting

Plant a Flower Day

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GCCG Workday Red Barn

14 KWED Radio Lawn & Garden Show

15 16

Master Gardener Office/Library

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GCCG Workday

18 19

GCMG Meeting

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GCCG Workday Red Barn � NEW MOON

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KWED Radio Lawn & Garden Show .

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23

Master Gardener Office/Library

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GCCG Workday

25 26

Newsletter Deadline

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GCCG Workday Red Barn

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KWED Radio Lawn & Garden Show

29 30

Master Gardener Office/Library

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GCCG Workday

GCCG - Guadalupe County Community Garden

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Guadalupe County Master Gardeners http://www.guadalupecountymastergardeners.org 830-379-1972 Ext 210 Guadalupe County Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension http://www.guadalupe-tx.tamu.edu/ 830-379-1972 Texas Master Gardeners http://www.txmg.org

Guadalupe County Master Gardeners, Inc. 210 East Live Oak St. Seguin, TX 78155

March Meeting Thursday, March 19, 2015 - 7 PM

AgriLIFE Extension Building 210 E. Live Oak, Seguin, Tx

Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination by the Master Gardeners is implied, and no endorsement by the Master Gardeners is implied. Educational programs conducted by the Guadalupe County Master Gardeners and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status.

Elaine McIntyre, Editor

GCMG Officers & Board of Directors Jose Contreras President Bob Teweles Past President Marvin Borth President Elect Cynthia Lyssey Vice President Welta Burris Secretary Jim Johnson Treasurer Treva Hicks Education Chairman Dave Elder Publication Chairman Open Volunteer Chairman Cindy Waechter Membership Chair Travis Franke AgriLIFE Agent Master Gardener Coordinator

Extension Service