Bloomin' News - Oklahoma County Master Gardeners

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From the President ... Surprise! Plant Babies in Pots Thrive in Disposable Diapers By Peggy Garrett ! There's nothing like a snowstorm to put a damper on your gardening dreams. ! As I sludged my way to my car to clear off Mother Nature's latest gift, there they were … beautiful little daffodils poking their heads out of the snow. Talk about perseverance! These guys were some I bought at the MG bulb sale last year; so far I'm impressed with their performance. ! There are lots of advantages to being a member of OK County Master Gardeners: bulb and plant sales, unique garden craft items, excellent speakers and learning opportunities, trips and tours, and don't forget about the food! ! I hope you'll poke your head out of the snow and participate in all our organization has to offer you. Pink Gloves, Tools Don’t Hide in Garden ! ! Racinda Ross shares this garden tidbit from Peggy Lehman. Apparently, Racinda pressed Peggy to buy purple garden gloves sold by Project Sales at a recent meeting, since purple is the best color ever. Peggy told Racinda that although purple or lime gloves can be lost in the garden, pink is never hard to spot. Peggy says she has never lost a pair of pink gloves. ! She also paints the handles of her garden trowels hot pink and never loses them either. ! The things you learn from Master Gardeners! MGHOURS@GMAIL.COM By Susie Moore ! I thought I was finished messing with diapers, both the cloth and the disposable. When the sixth grandchild was potty trained, I rejoiced along with my daughter. Now I’ve got disposable diapers on my garden shopping list of things to buy for my baby summer plants, thanks to my Master Gardener Missouri cousin. ! Last summer my plants were shriveling up from heat. Not every one of my pots is in a good spot to be rigged up with a drip irrigation system, so I tapped my way onto the Internet. Gardeners’ blogs are full of suggestions on how to keep your plants from drying out in the summer. The suggested methods were varied. ! Most eschewed merely using the expensive polymer crystals marketed specifically for potting use which expand with stored water. One suggested using ice cubes because they melt slowly enough for the water to be absorbed by the roots instead of running off. I doubt that particular gardener lived within 200 miles of the scorching heat at my house. ! Another suggested chopping up sponges and mixing the bits with the potting soil – natural sea sponges, of course. Several suggested variations using layered or shredded newspaper or chopped up papier-mâché egg cartons. In the past I tried and abandoned the suggestions of putting a filled clay pot within a larger pot to reduce evaporation and of punching holes in a large soda bottle, filling it with water, and hiding it in the foliage. None of those worked very well for me. ! My cousin said she had great success using disposable diapers when planting pots and hanging baskets. Fresh diapers, not filled. I’m talking about retaining moisture for thirsty roots, not using natural fertilizer for better blossoms. Last summer I diapered two pots of mums and was pleased with the results. 2 D i s p o s a b l e diapers contain water absorbing polymer crystals that absorb water and expand when wet. That’s why the diapers puff u p w h e n wet. When put in a flower pot, the polymers in the diaper absorb water when the plant is watered, and becomes a reservoir for the plant to use when it is dry, keeping your plant moist. ! As suggested, I bought the cheapest disposable brand on the shelf. When I got ready to fill the pots, I peeled off the soft layer that goes next to baby’s skin, not the plastic side. I then fit the diaper in the pot, plastic side down to form a bowl. Depending on the size, you may need to use two. Since I was filling porous clay pots rather than plastic pots, I did not poke drip holes in the plastic side to avoid excess water. ! Next, I scooped in some potting soil, situated my baby plants, and filled in with the appropriate amount of soil as usual. Then I watered well. On the first try I was over-generous because I used several infant-sized diapers in the pot. I soon discovered the expansion caused by the water actually pushed my little plants up too far, and I had to make some adjustment. The next pots I prepared worked just fine. ! This method can be used for hanging baskets with the fiber liners. Just put the diaper on top of the fiber before filling it with soil and plants as usual. MASTERGARDENER@OKSTATE.EDU
Plant Sale Changes Promise Better Shopping Experience By Schroeder Wilson, Chair Project Sales ! Project Sales hopes to improve your plant shopping experiences this spring. We’re moving plant sales to a new day so we can offer better service. ! To avoid the crowds at meetings, sales are set for Tuesday before the meetings in April, May and June. The first two sales will use both classrooms, and the June sale will be in the auditorium. ! This new plan offers shoppers better access to plants and allows room for better customer service. ! At the April sale, we will feature plants grown for us by Barry Fox at the Horticulture Center greenhouses, with plants donated by Master Gardeners. ! In May and June we offer more plants from the Horticulture Center greenhouse along with plants from our Extension gardens and member-donated plants. ! Master Gardener plant donations are needed. Pot your babies up a couple of weeks before the sale so they can recover from transplant shock. Then, bring them to the Extension on the Mondays before sale days. We appreciate past donations and hope everyone will share selections to make these sales a great Mark Your Calendar for Plant Sales! • Tuesday, April 3, 9 to 2: Extension classrooms • Tuesday, May 1, 9 to 2: Extension classrooms • Tuesday, June 5, 9 to 2: Extension auditorium opportunity for everyone. Time spent potting up plants for the sale counts as service hours. ! Please note these Plant Sale dates on your calendar: • Tuesday, April 3, 9 to 2: Extension classrooms • Tuesday, May 1, 9 to 2: Extension classrooms • Tuesday, June 5, 9 to 2: Extension auditorium ! Also plan to contribute to and shop our garage sale for Master Gardeners, Friday, June 23, 9 to 2: Extension auditorium. Another garage sale will be held on Saturday, June 24, for the public. ! Accumulated committee items need to be cleared out of the Master Gardener sheds before the big move, so they will be offered for sale along with nearly new garden items and household items that are donated by Master Gardeners. ! Please bring donations for the garage sale on Thursday, June 22, 8 to 4. Please, don’t bring appliances, clothing or shoes. ! Last year’s plant sales were crowded and the atmosphere less than pleasant. The new plan will give browsers more room to shop and will allow better presentation and service. Bylaws Committee Needs Input By Susan Hill, Bylaws Committee ! Our organization is growing, and with growth comes change. President Peggy Garrett has asked the newly-selected Bylaws Committee to review the Bylaws and Standing Rules passed in November 2009 and printed in the directory. The Committee is asked to suggest changes to keep up with the growth of the Association. ! Some changes may involve committees and their status on the Board, some will bring us into compliance with Robert's Rules of Order but other changes may affect the Association's path in the future. ! The Bylaws committee is composed of Susan Hill, chair, Kay Condren, Janet Webster, Ray Hopkins, Michael Butler, Margo Miracle and Susan Putnam. ! The Committee requests input from the membership. If you have suggestions or comments, please call, e-mail or write Susan Hill, Chair, by the May 2 monthly meeting. All suggestions will be considered, and responses will be made. ! Thank you for allowing us to serve you. susankhill@yahoo.com 694-8456 262-8097 MGHOURS@GMAIL.COM 3 MASTERGARDENER@OKSTATE.EDU
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Bloomin' News - Oklahoma County Master Gardeners

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