Monthly Archives: July 2024

sunflowers at mckee-beshers wildlife area

August Garden Tips

Hello Friends, Neighbors, Fellow Gardeners,

Happy August! It’s the end of summer, so now is the time enjoy your harvest and prepare for the fall. Here are some garden tips, educational opportunities, and videos for August. A lot of gardening events are announced on Facebook as well as on our website. Some upcoming events/resources include a Muddy Branch Alliance’s Meadow Tour, Climate Resilient Gardening Webinar Series, Master Gardener Lectures – Climate Change for Gardeners, The Montgomery County 75th Agricultural Fair, Garden Discovery Day, Volunteer Gardener Opportunities with Montgomery Parks for SSL Hours, Montgomery Park’s – Flora & Fauna Program, Montgomery College’s Home and Garden Lifelong Learning classes, American Horticultural Society’s Great American Gardeners Webinar Series, and more! These events will be hosted as online or live events. 


Planning Tips

  • It is harvest time and also a good time to start taking stock of what worked well for you this season and what didn’t.
  • Mark and photograph your bulb plantings now, while they are still visible.
  • Plan where fall bulbs will go.
  • Check your local garden center for end-of-summer bargains.
  • Order spring-flowering bulbs to arrive for planting this fall.
  • The heat of summer is here. Time to start doing chores during early morning or evening. Take a break during the hottest parts of the day. Leave the big projects for this fall. For now, concentrate on maintaining the beds you’ve already established and nurturing your new plantings.
  • Check out gardening books from your local library to read on vacation.
  • Start or update your garden journals.
  • Read a good gardening book or magazine.
  • Plan who is going to water plants during your vacation.
  • Volunteer at a local public or historic garden.
  • Plan for 2024 with these Free resources: Landscaping with Native Plants by the Maryland Native Plant Society, Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas by the National Park Service, Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia Reading Room. Visit our Online Gardening Resources page for more helpful online resources.
  • Buy a good gardening book or magazine subscription for a gift for your favorite gardener.
  • Have a question about gardening? Check the University of Maryland Extension’s New Maryland Grows blog for garden tips.

Join Mill Creek Towne Garden Club!

MCTGC Join Us Photo Collage
  • Are you interested in gardening? Perhaps you’re a beginner, looking to learn more, or an experienced gardener interested in sharing your experiences and learning from others?
  • Are you interested in making your home and community a more beautiful place to live?
  • Are you interested in getting more involved in your community and getting to know your neighbors better?

Visit Our MCT Garden Club Website for Gardening Resources

online gardening resources
  • Local Gardening Resources: Looking for a Master Gardener as a guest speaker, need gardening advice, or want to learn about resources in or near Mill Creek Towne? Visit our Resources page for details.
  • MCTGC Blog: Check our monthly blog for garden tips and local/online garden-related events.
  • Gardening Books: Looking for a gift for your favorite gardener? Visit our Gardening Books Resources page for holiday gift ideas.
  • Local Gardens: Visit our Local Gardens page to learn about local gardens in our area.
  • Montgomery County Farmers’ Markets: Support our local farmers. Check this page to learn about local farmers markets in our area or join a CSA and get fresh local produce year-round!
  • Online Gardening Resources: Looking for gardening apps or online resources to help with your gardening? Check out our Online Gardening Resources page for some apps for your smartphone and online gardening resources focused on the DMV area.
  • Recipes: Looking for a recipe for your home-grown veggies and fruit? Check our Recipes page for ideas.

hg_md_grows_blog

Maryland Grows Blog

In weekly posts on MD HGIC’s blog, learn about pollinator conservation, growing native plants and food, and how to solve plant pest and disease problems.

MD HGIC Video Tips

Our Extension experts are sharing one-minute video tips to help you in the garden this summer. We’re talking about pest management in the vegetable gardentree and lawn diseases, native plantsmowing lawns, and more!

For more information, please visit:

https://marylandgrows.umd.edu/

Montgomery County Master Gardeners logo

Montgomery County Master Gardeners - Maryland

What can Master Gardeners do for you?

  • Help you select and care for annual and perennial plants, shrubs and trees.
  • Determine if you need to test your soil.
  • Provide you with information on lawn care.
  • Identify weeds, beneficial and noxious insects, and plant diseases and remedies.
  • Teach you how to use pesticides, mulch and compost.
  • Guide you in pruning trees and shrubs.
  • Provide you with options for managing wildlife.
  • Provide you with gardening resources.
  • Help you submit a plant sample for diagnosis

Plant Clinics are held at several sites in the county on a weekly basis and at special events such as garden festivals and the county fair. Regularly scheduled Plant Clinics are located at public libraries and farmers’ markets throughout the county as well as at the Audubon Naturalist Society in Chevy Chase.  There are also clinics three days per week at Brookside Gardens.  The busiest season is April through September, but some clinics are open year-round.  Bring your plant samples and questions to one of these locations in Montgomery County, MD (see link below to find a location near you):

https://extension.umd.edu/mg/locations/plant-clinics


New HGIC Publications

yellowjacket

Social Wasps: Yellowjackets, Hornets & Paper Wasps

Our updated resource page includes a downloadable picture guide to help you identify some of Maryland’s most common social wasps. You can also send photos to us for ID help.

Phytotoxicity: Chemical Damage to Garden Plants

Pesticides, cleaning agents, and salts can damage garden plants in various ways. The risk of damage can be higher during drought and when temperatures are above 85℉.


New Invasive Plants Law

In May, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed the Agriculture and Biodiversity Protection Act, which went into effect on June 1, 2024. This new law will change the regulation of invasive plants in Maryland. Invasive plants are non-native species that cause harm to the economy, environment, or human health.

Currently, 6 plants are prohibited for sale in Maryland. The new law will expand this list. Updated regulations will be posted on the Maryland Department of Agriculture website.

Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas is a field guide you can use to identify and manage terrestrial and aquatic species that are threatening our region.


UMD Home and Garden Information Center: Ask a Master Gardener

ask-extension-master-gardener-a-question

Do you have a gardening question? Our Certified Professional Horticulturists, faculty, and Master Gardener Volunteers are ready to answer – year-round!

See below to ask a master gardener a question on the UMD Extension website:


pollinator plants
(Photo: Xerces Society / Jennifer Hopwood)

Check out the revised list of Mid-Atlantic native plants for pollinators and beneficial insects, from the Xerces Society.


Flowers and Groundcovers

  • Cut petunia stems back by 2/3rds and fertilize.
  • Start seeds of pansies, calendula, flowering cabbage, kale, other fall annuals.
  • Don’t fertilize plants that slow down in the heat, but keep them watered. Fertilize lightly plants that are blooming heavily.
  • Check your container plants daily and keep them well-watered.
  • Gently clean up the garden.
  • Water thoroughly, especially if you receive no rain for more than seven days.
  • Divide and cut back Bearded Irises and Peonies.
  • Divide Hostas and Daylilies.
  • As the days get cooler; plant hardy mums.
  • Check for black spot on your roses – remove and discard any affected leaves in the trash, never back into your garden or in your compost – apply fungicide with Neem oil every two weeks during the growing season.
  • Inspect your garden from powdery mildew. If seen, prune back perennials to create needed circulation. Discard properly (i.e., not in your compost bin).
  • Hand-pick Japanese beetles or shake them off over a bucket of dishwater. Early morning is a good time to catch them, while they are still drowsy.
  • Annuals are now hitting their peak. Keep them well-watered and add a little liquid fertilizer every few weeks to keep them going until September.
  • Pinch back asters, mums, salvias, Joe-Pye weed, and other late-season bloomers to encourage bushy, not leggy growth.
  • Weed. Especially look for fast-growing vines such as honeysuckle, autumn clematis, bittersweet, wild grape, Virginia creeper, and poison ivy.
  • Pests to watch for: Aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, deer
  • Diseases to watch for:  Powdery mildew, Rust
  • See UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips for more details.
  • For a list of native plant resources, visit: https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/native-plant-resources

Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping


5 Million Trees Initiative

Maryland’s goal is to plant and maintain 5 million native trees by 2031. There are various ways you can get involved – plant trees and register them — or volunteer! A number of tree-planting assistance programs are available at the municipal, county, and state levels.


THIS is the SUPERPOWER of YOUR KEYSTONE NATIVE PLANTS.

  • No exotic plant could ever achieve this.
  • Want butterflies? Feed the caterpillars with keystone plants!
  • Exotic plants will never support as many different species of caterpillars as the Keystone Natives can.
  • Find your keystone native plants here by zip code.

If your zip code doesn’t give you enough information try zip codes of the nearest larger town or city. LINK: https://www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/


Trees and Shrubs

  • Don’t transplant azaleas this month.
  • At this time of year, it is best not to fertilize trees, shrubs, and perennials. They do not need the burst of growth; they need to wind down for the winter.
  • Avoid late summer pruning.
  • Water slowly and deeply if summer is very dry.
  • Hold off on planting any new trees and shrubs until the summer heat has passed.
  • Contact an certified arborist to have your trees’ health inspected.
  • Check often and water newly planted trees if they don’t pass the finger test (stick your finger deep into soil – dry? Water!)
  • If you MUST mulch, remove old mulch then add 2″ – 3″ shredded pine or pine needles, keeping 3″ away from trunk.
  • Keep an eye out for bark damage from rabbits and deer.
  • Spray broadleaf evergreens with anti-desiccant to prevent dehydration.
  • Use fallen leaves for mulch or compost.
  • Look out for any Poison Ivy vines, which will turn crimson in the late fall and be easy to distinguish from other vines.
  • Remove Ivy, Pachysandra, and other vine-like groundcover from under shrubs.
  • Mulch or compost healthy leaves.
  • Soil test established trees that have not been performing well.
  • Put diseased leaves, pesticide-laden grass clippings and weed seeds out for recycling rather than the compost pile.
  • Spray with dormant oil to decrease pest infestations.
  • Remove dead and dying trees.
  • Pests to watch for:  Eastern tent caterpillar, voles, and deer.
  • Diseases to watch for:  Gypsy moths, sawfly, azalea lacebug, webworm, spidermites, leafminers, caterpillars, adelgids, scale, aphids, borers, bagworms, and Japanese beetles.
  • For more tips, see UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips for more details.

Vegetable Planting Calendar

Download vegetable planting calendars from University of Maryland Extension, in English and Spanish. This page also has a link to a frost/freeze date calculator. 

https://extension.umd.edu/res…/vegetable-planting-calendar


VIDEO: How to use row cover to protect crops from pests


Herbs, Veggies, and Fruit

  • Harvest leaves of herbs used in cooking (rosemary, basil, sage) in the early morning for best flavor.
  • At the end of the month, begin planting cool-season vegetables (turnips, carrots, beets, spinach, Chinese cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts).
  • Order garlic, onions, and shallots for fall planting.
  • Attend a county fair and enter some of your garden bounty.
  • Preserve gourds and dry flowers for display in the fall.
  • Buy raspberries and peaches at a local pick-your-own farm or visit a local farmer’s market.
  • Water deeply when needed.
  • Remove finished plants.
  • Cut off bottom, yellow foliage on tomato plants.
  • Harvest regularly from your vegetable garden to prevent rot and waste.
  • Harvest onions when tops die back.
  • Deadhead garlic chives before they go to seed. Makes a nice cut flower.
  • Harvest strawberry beds daily.
  • Pinch back any straying strawberry runners.
  • Direct-sow vegetable seeds.
  • Harvest herbs to use in salads and summer dishes.
  • Start planting heat-tolerant fall crops (Malabar spinach, Swiss chard).
  • New fruit plants – keep watered their first spring, summer, and fall.
  • Hand-pick cabbage worms from cabbage and broccoli.
  • Thin seedlings.
  • Apply dormant oil spray to fruit trees.
  • Pests to watch for: Asparagus beetle, aphids, cabbage worms, corn borer, corn earworm, cutworms, Japanese beetles, squash vine borer, and tomato hornworm.
  • Diseases to watch for: Powdery mildew, fungal, bacterial, viral diseases.
  • Here are some more UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips.

Lawns

  • Let the lawn go dormant for now; it will green back up in the coming rains.
  • Cool season lawns go dormant in hot, dry weather — Do Not Water.
  • Over seeding may be done now through October.
  • Keep newly seeded lawns well watered.
  • Move in the early evening and cut off no more than one-third of the grass height at one time. Leave clippings on the ground to provide nutrients.
  • Sharpen your lawnmower blade.
  • Test soil if you haven’t already.
  • Dethatch if necessary and plug aerate BEFORE applying weed control.
  • Clean yard of all leaves and other debris.
  • Turn your compost pile.
  • Diseases to watch for: brown patch, and red thread
  • Pests to watch for: Grubs
  • See UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips for more details.

Indoors/Houseplants

yellow and pink orchidsyellow and pink orchids

  • Prune potted bougainvillea or hanging baskets that will overwinter inside.
  • Bring Christmas cactus and poinsettias indoors if you took them out for the summer in preparation for holiday blooming. Fertilize them and put them where they’ll get just 10 hours bright light per day.
  • Give your houseplants a quarter turn every few weeks.
  • Keep all houseplants out of drafts and away from heat vents.
  • Keep succulents and cacti on the dry side.
  • Repot root-bound houseplants and start fertilizing them.
  • Change water in cuttings started last fall and add 2-3 pieces of fish tank charcoal. 
  • Do not over water house plants.
  • Check on your container plants daily and keep them well-watered.
  • Remove old leaves, damaged stems.
  • Pinch out growing tips of leggy cuttings and plants that are overwintering.
  • Clean the leaves of your indoor houseplants to prevent dust and film build-up.
  • Pests to watch for:  aphids, spider mites, mealybug, scale, and whitefly .
  • See UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips for more information.

Read and follow label instructions on all pesticides and herbicides.

Start the year off by minimizing your #risk to #pesticides and always #ReadTheLabel! Learn more here: http://npic.orst.edu/health/readlabel.html

Questions about your label? Call us! 800-858-7378 M-F 8am-12pm PST


deer

Indoor/Outdoor Insect and Wildlife Tips

  • Check indoors for termites and winter ants.
  • This is the perfect time to apply grub control.
  • If you see spotted lanternfly in your garden, do not spray with chemicals or home remedies because it may harm beneficial insects and pollinators.
  • Caulk and seal your outside walls to prevent insect entry into your home.
  • Check for any stagnant water mosquito breeding grounds, especially your gutters. Dump out any water that sits stagnant for more than three days.
  • Add Mosquito Dunks to any standing water in your yard such as birdbaths, downspouts, plant saucers, and gutters.
  • Check your plants at night with a flashlight for any night-feeding insects like slugs.
  • If you find slug damage, set out beer traps or Sluggo pellets.
  • Watch for insect and disease problems throughout your garden.
  • Put suet out for birds.
  • Keep bird feeders clean and filled.
  • Wash out birdbaths weekly with diluted bleach solution.
  • Clean your hummingbird feeders and add new sugar-water every three days.
  • Switch your deer deterrent spray.
  • Set out traps for mice, moles, and voles.
  • Watch for: eggs, larvae, overwintering stage of many species, carpenter ants, flies, stink bugs, termites, rabbits, raccoons, groundhogs, deer, mice, moles, snakes, squirrels, and voles.
  • For more information, see UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips.

Source: University of Maryland’s Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) and the Washington Gardener.

See more tips from HGIC:

hgic-banner

HGIC GARDEN TIPS & TASKS
 
 

Meadow Tour | Muddy Branch Alliance

Saturday, August 3 at 9:00 AM

Izaak Walton League of America

707 Conservation Ln

Gaithersburg, MD 20878

Would you like to know how to transition larger areas of turf to a gorgeous low-maintenance meadow? This is a FREE event courtesy of the Muddy Branch Alliance Lands Green Waters Clean program.

Join us on Saturday, August 3 at 9:00 AM for a Meadow Tour at the Izaak Walton League of America Meadow (707 Conservation Ln, Gaithersburg, MD 20878)!

Our meadow managers will be there to walk you through the process of creating a meadow, what we did, what is working well and what we need to do to keep it looking beautiful. This walk and talk is perfect for HOA Green Teams, grounds managers and anyone who wants to add meadow to their property. You will be able to see what a maturing meadow looks like and ask our sustainable landscaping professional questions. We can discuss funding opportunities, native plant identification, why native plants help pollinators, how native plants help manage stormwater, weed identification, weed management strategies, and much more!

Please RSVP for your household to help us plan for the number of attendees: https://forms.gle/hBJJ9Cpk39UzArt69 (UPDATED LINK)

We’ll send you more details ahead of the event, as well as announcements about weather delays or any other changes in plans.


Climate Resilient Gardening

2024 Climate and Biodiversity Action Webinar Series

Select Wednesdays, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. | FREE

This year’s theme is regeneration. Join Dr. Sara Via, Professor and Climate Extension Specialist, for webinar discussions on these topics:

  • August 7 – Regenerative Agriculture and Other Fixes to the Food System
  • August 28 – Rewilding: Regenerating Communities and Ecosystems
  • September 18 – Progress in the Energy Transition

Recordings will be available afterward. | Details and registration


Master Gardener Lectures – Climate Change for Gardeners

Saturday, August 10: 2:00pm – 3:00pm

UMD Montgomery County Master Gardener Extension logo

Rockville Memorial Library – 2nd Floor Meeting Room

21 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850

AGE GROUP:  TEENS, OLDER ADULTS, ADULT

EVENT TYPE:   LECTURES AND DISCUSSIONS  ENVIRONMENT

Master Gardener Irene Eckstrand’s lecture covers topics about adapting gardens to climate change.


The Montgomery County 75th Agricultural Fair

Friday, August 9th – Saturday, August 17th, 2024

Montgomery County Fairgrounds
501 Perry Parkway
Gaithersburg, MD 20877

Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Montgomery County Fair on August 9-17th at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg. Enjoy amusement rides, carnival games, food, contests, exhibits, live music, homegrown entertainment and more! The fair has activities for all ages and includes special events for children, the military, and seniors. Be sure to visit the Montgomery County Master Gardener Demonstration Garden. Master Gardeners will be there to answer your gardening questions!

More info found at their website.


Montgomery Parks – Hot Volunteer Opportunities!

Are you looking for a way to complete your Student Service-Learning Hours? Or are you looking for a way to give back to your community? Check out these gardening volunteer opportunities:
Gardener | Various dates and times | Ages 16+ | Agricultural History Farm Park
Gardener | First Tuesday of every month beginning May 7 through October 1 | 9 am to 1 pm | Ages 21+ | Silver Spring Intermediate Neighborhood Park
Crop Production Aide | Various dates and times | Ages 18+ | Pope Farm Nursery 
Grown@Pope Volunteer Coordinator | April through September | Ages 18+ | Pope Farm Nursery
Grown@Pope Workdays | Various dates and times | Ages 16+ | Pope Farm Nursery

Garden Discovery Day

Saturday, September 21, 2024

Montgomery County Agricultural Center
16 Chestnut Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20877

University of Maryland Extension and Montgomery County Master Gardeners are proud to present Garden Discovery Day for children grades K-12 on September 21st at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Programs will cover a variety of topics from growing seasonal plants to sustainable food systems in the county. Plant a garden to take home! Find out what are good and bad bugs! Children will experience live demonstrations and participate in take-home activities. The event is open to all, but registration is required. Session prices range from $10 to $18 depending on the session. Find all the details and register here:


Montgomery Parks – Flora & Fauna Program

montgomery parks flora and fauna program

Montgomery Parks is pleased to offer a new online learning series for adults that teaches you to recognize the most common species of Montgomery County. Led by our expert Parks staff, you’ll practice identification skills, learn the best ways to see wildlife, and be empowered to practice conservation in your own neighborhood. Montgomery County is a biodiverse place with so many interesting plants and animals, and we can’t wait to share them with you!

Go to Montgomery Parks event calendar for a complete list of special events and programming and to learn how to sign up using ActiveMontgomery.


Montgomery College Lifelong Learning Home and Garden Classes – Fall 2024

montgomery-college-squarelogo

See Schedule of Fall Classes below:

HOW TO GROW AND BLOOM – LLI 022
View Catalog Description & Prerequisites
CourseCRNCreditsDaysTimeStart – End DatesCampusLocationInstructors
LLI022243550.300S6:30 PM – 9:30 PM11/09/24 – 11/09/24WDCE Virtual-RemoteDLJanet S. Johnson 
GARDEN DESIGN – LLI 519
View Catalog Description & Prerequisites
LLI519243680.800T6:30 PM – 8:30 PM10/22/24 – 11/12/24RockvilleMK 101Janet S. Johnson 

Let’s Talk Gardens

Thursdays 12 to 1 p.m.

Smithsonian Gardens

Lets Talk Gardens October Speakers Panel
 
“Grow” your gardening know-how! Our free online gardening program, Let’s Talk Gardens, covers a wide range of topics presented by our own professional staff, as well as guest speakers. 

And we encourage you to watch videos in our Let’s Talk Gardens Video Library.

mctgc-logo-with-flowers
zinnias-rock hill orchard 2023

July Garden Tips

Hello Friends, Neighbors, Fellow Gardeners,

Happy July 4th! We wish you a happy and safe Independence Day! In June, Mill Creek Towne Garden Club members had a farewell luncheon for one of our longtime members, Lynn Hughes. Some photos from our luncheon are included here. Here are some garden tips, educational opportunities, and videos for July. A lot of gardening events are announced on Facebook as well as on our website. Some upcoming events/resources include a Gardening Tech at A Glance at the Benjamin Gaither Center in Gaithersburg, Montgomery County Tastemakers Trail, Annual Farm Tour & Harvest Sale, Volunteer Gardener Opportunities with Montgomery Parks for SSL Hours, Montgomery Park’s – Flora & Fauna Program, Montgomery College’s Home and Garden Lifelong Learning classes, American Horticultural Society’s Great American Gardeners Webinar Series, and more! These events will be hosted as online or live events. 


Planning Tips

  • Mark and photograph your bulb plantings now, while they are still visible.
  • Plan where fall bulbs will go.
  • Order spring-flowering bulbs to arrive for planting this fall.
  • The heat of summer is here. Time to start doing chores during early morning or evening. Take a break during the hottest parts of the day. Leave the big projects for this fall. For now, concentrate on maintaining the beds you’ve already established and nurturing your new plantings.
  • Check out gardening books from your local library to read on vacation.
  • Start or update your garden journals.
  • Read a good gardening book or magazine.
  • Plan who is going to water plants during your vacation.
  • Volunteer at a local public or historic garden.
  • Plan for 2024 with these Free resources: Landscaping with Native Plants by the Maryland Native Plant Society, Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas by the National Park Service, Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia Reading Room. Visit our Online Gardening Resources page for more helpful online resources.
  • Buy a good gardening book or magazine subscription for a gift for your favorite gardener.
  • Have a question about gardening? Check the University of Maryland Extension’s New Maryland Grows blog for garden tips.

MCT Garden Club Farewell Luncheon for Lynn Hughes

In June, the MCT Garden Club had our annual summer luncheon at Fontina Grill. The luncheon included lunch, a gift swap, and a farewell to one of our members, Lynn Hughes, a Mill Creek Towne resident for 27 years, who is moving to Gettysburg, PA to be closer to family. Lynn has been in the club 25+ years serving as social chairperson, vice president, and 8 years as president!


Join Mill Creek Towne Garden Club!

MCTGC Join Us Photo Collage
  • Are you interested in gardening? Perhaps you’re a beginner, looking to learn more, or an experienced gardener interested in sharing your experiences and learning from others?
  • Are you interested in making your home and community a more beautiful place to live?
  • Are you interested in getting more involved in your community and getting to know your neighbors better?

hg_md_grows_blog

Maryland Grows Blog

In weekly posts on MD HGIC’s blog, learn about pollinator conservation, growing native plants and food, and how to solve plant pest and disease problems.

MD HGIC Video Tips

Our Extension experts are sharing one-minute video tips to help you in the garden this summer. We’re talking about pest management in the vegetable gardentree and lawn diseases, native plantsmowing lawns, and more!

For more information, please visit:

https://marylandgrows.umd.edu/

Montgomery County Master Gardeners logo

Montgomery County Master Gardeners - Maryland

What can Master Gardeners do for you?

  • Help you select and care for annual and perennial plants, shrubs and trees.
  • Determine if you need to test your soil.
  • Provide you with information on lawn care.
  • Identify weeds, beneficial and noxious insects, and plant diseases and remedies.
  • Teach you how to use pesticides, mulch and compost.
  • Guide you in pruning trees and shrubs.
  • Provide you with options for managing wildlife.
  • Provide you with gardening resources.
  • Help you submit a plant sample for diagnosis

Plant Clinics are held at several sites in the county on a weekly basis and at special events such as garden festivals and the county fair. Regularly scheduled Plant Clinics are located at public libraries and farmers’ markets throughout the county as well as at the Audubon Naturalist Society in Chevy Chase.  There are also clinics three days per week at Brookside Gardens.  The busiest season is April through September, but some clinics are open year-round.  Bring your plant samples and questions to one of these locations in Montgomery County, MD (see link below to find a location near you):

https://extension.umd.edu/mg/locations/plant-clinics


UMD Home and Garden Information Center: Ask a Master Gardener

ask-extension-master-gardener-a-question

Do you have a gardening question? Our Certified Professional Horticulturists, faculty, and Master Gardener Volunteers are ready to answer – year-round!

See below to ask a master gardener a question on the UMD Extension website:


New Gardening Books

Gardening Books
Looking for a gift for your favorite gardener?

See our list with recently published books. This cumulative list for 2023-2024 serves as a great resource for holiday gift ideas. Visit our Gardening Books Resources page for gardening ideas.

Kevin Philip Williams and Michael Guidi’s new book “Shrouded in Light: Naturalistic Planting Inspired by Wild Shrublands” (photo above) is one of the books in our July 2024 garden books list.


Online Gardening Resources

online garden resources
Here are some online gardening resources focused on the MD/DC area:

Local Farms

We are so thankful for our local farms each and every day. During this challenging time, consider supporting your local farms, whether they farm produce, flowers, animals, or specialty. Our food supply is safe and secure, and many farms are continuing to offer delivery or curbside pickup.
#LocalIsTheNewNormal #BuyLocal

How to Support Farmers and Safely Shop at Farmers’ Markets

Montgomery County MD Food and Beverage Guide

The 2024 MoCo Food & Beverage Guide is here! The Guide from the Montgomery County Food Council is available online – delicious baked goods, prepared foods, condiments and more. The craft beverage list grows each year and find two dozen local and amazing farms:

https://mocofoodcouncil.org/foodguide/

Download Montgomery County’s Office of Agriculture 2024 Farmers Market Flyer to find a farmer’s market near you.

i-love-farmers-markets

Support Our Local Farmers – Join a CSA and have fresh local produce delivered to you!

CSAs are seeing record numbers of subscribers http://ow.ly/eiQT50zD5lW – find your farmer here: http://ow.ly/jbO250zD56M

Montgomery County Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

CSAs can take many forms, but essentially they are community supported farms in which members contribute to farming projects, usually by way of membership fees, in exchange for fresh, local produce. The concept came to the United States from Europe in the 1980s.  They are a great way to take advantage of fresh, locally grown fruit, vegetables, herbs, and more while supporting nearby farms. Each one is different, some offer pickup locations in urban areas, some offer only farm-based pickups.

There are multiple CSAs located around the County offering a wide variety of products. CSAs begin taking sign-ups for spring and summer seasons in the early part of the year, and they tend to fill up FAST! Know of another CSA not on our list? Let us know! Montgomery Countryside Alliance also maintains a list:

 http://www.mocoalliance.org/community-supported-agriculture.html


pollinator plants
(Photo: Xerces Society / Jennifer Hopwood)

Check out the revised list of Mid-Atlantic native plants for pollinators and beneficial insects, from the Xerces Society.


Hydrangea

Flowers and Groundcovers

  • Don’t fertilize plants that slow down in the heat, but keep them watered. Fertilize lightly plants that are blooming heavily.
  • Cut back spent stalks on common daylilies.
  • Check your container plants daily and keep them well-watered.
  • Gently clean up the garden.
  • Divide and cut back bearded irises.
  • Water thoroughly, especially if you receive no rain for more than seven days.
  • Stake and tie-up any tail-growing perennials such as phlox or delphiniums. 
  • Take cuttings from azaleas, boxwoods, and camellias to start new plants.
  • Feed your roses and new plantings with slow-release fertilizer sparingly.
  • Check for black spot on your roses – remove and discard any affected leaves in the trash, never back into your garden or in your compost – apply fungicide with Neem oil every two weeks during the growing season.
  • Inspect your garden from powdery mildew. If seen, prune back perennials to create needed circulation.
  • Hand-pick Japanese beetles or shake them off over a bucket of dishwater. Early morning is a good time to catch them, while they are still drowsy.
  • Annuals are now hitting their peak. Keep them well-watered and add a little liquid fertilizer every few weeks to keep them going until September.
  • Pinch back asters, mums, salvias, Joe-Pye weed, and other late-season bloomers to encourage bushy, not leggy growth.
  • Deadhead spent blooms on your annuals and perennials to encourage re-flowering.
  • Weed. Especially look for fast-growing vines such as honeysuckle, autumn clematis, bittersweet, wild grape, Virginia creeper, and poison ivy.
  • Pests to watch for: Aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, deer
  • Diseases to watch for:  Powdery mildew, Rust
  • See UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips for more details.
  • For a list of native plant resources, visit: https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/native-plant-resources

Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping


5 Million Trees Initiative

Maryland’s goal is to plant and maintain 5 million native trees by 2031. There are various ways you can get involved – plant trees and register them — or volunteer! A number of tree-planting assistance programs are available at the municipal, county, and state levels.


THIS is the SUPERPOWER of YOUR KEYSTONE NATIVE PLANTS.

  • No exotic plant could ever achieve this.
  • Want butterflies? Feed the caterpillars with keystone plants!
  • Exotic plants will never support as many different species of caterpillars as the Keystone Natives can.
  • Find your keystone native plants here by zip code.

If your zip code doesn’t give you enough information try zip codes of the nearest larger town or city. LINK: https://www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/



Trees and Shrubs

  • Prune foundation shrubs and trees to be no closer than 1 foot from the house.
  • Prune and thin shrubs that have already flowered.
  • Water slowly and deeply if summer is very dry.
  • Thin out small trees and cut off any suckering branches growing from the bottom root ball.
  • Hold off on planting any new trees and shrubs until the summer heat has passed.
  • Prune Wisteria.
  • Contact an certified arborist to have your trees’ health inspected.
  • Directly after blooming, prune flowering shrubs and vines.
  • Check often and water newly planted trees if they don’t pass the finger test (stick your finger deep into soil – dry? Water!)
  • If you MUST mulch, remove old mulch then add 2″ – 3″ shredded pine or pine needles, keeping 3″ away from trunk.
  • Fertilize plants not getting ready to bloom, if needed.
  • Prune broken, dead, or diseased branches.
  • Keep an eye out for bark damage from rabbits and deer.
  • Spray broadleaf evergreens with anti-desiccant to prevent dehydration.
  • Use fallen leaves for mulch or compost.
  • Look out for any Poison Ivy vines, which will turn crimson in the late fall and be easy to distinguish from other vines.
  • Remove Ivy, Pachysandra, and other vine-like groundcover from under shrubs.
  • Mulch or compost healthy leaves.
  • Soil test established trees that have not been performing well.
  • Put diseased leaves, pesticide-laden grass clippings and weed seeds out for recycling rather than the compost pile.
  • Spray with dormant oil to decrease pest infestations.
  • Remove dead and dying trees.
  • Pests to watch for:  Eastern tent caterpillar, voles, and deer.
  • Diseases to watch for:  Gypsy moths, sawfly, azalea lacebug, webworm, spidermites, leafminers, caterpillars, adelgids, scale, aphids, borers, bagworms, and Japanese beetles.
  • For more tips, see UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips for more details.

Vegetable Planting Calendar

Download vegetable planting calendars from University of Maryland Extension, in English and Spanish. This page also has a link to a frost/freeze date calculator. 

https://extension.umd.edu/res…/vegetable-planting-calendar


Herbs, Veggies, and Fruit

  • Water deeply when needed.
  • Remove finished plants.
  • Cut off bottom, yellow foliage on tomato plants.
  • Harvest regularly from your vegetable garden to prevent rot and waste.
  • Harvest onions when tops die back.
  • Harvest strawberry beds daily.
  • Pinch back any straying strawberry runners.
  • Pick blueberries at a local pick-your-own farm or visit a local farmer’s market.
  • Direct-sow vegetable seeds.
  • Harvest herbs to use in salads and summer dishes.
  • Start planting heat-tolerant fall crops (Malabar spinach, Swiss chard).
  • Sow seeds of fall crops such as broccoli, turnips, cauliflower, etc. in late July.
  • New fruit plants – keep watered their first spring, summer, and fall.
  • Hand-pick cabbage worms from cabbage and broccoli.
  • Thin seedlings.
  • Apply dormant oil spray to fruit trees.
  • Pests to watch for: Asparagus beetle, aphids, cabbage worms, corn borer, corn earworm, cutworms, Japanese beetles, and tomato hornworm.
  • Diseases to watch for: Fungal, bacterial, viral diseases.
  • Here are some more UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips.

Lawns

  • Move in the early evening and cut off no more than one-third of the grass height at one time. Leave clippings on the ground to provide nutrients.
  • Sharpen your lawnmower blade.
  • Test soil if you haven’t already.
  • Dethatch if necessary and plug aerate BEFORE applying weed control.
  • Clean yard of all leaves and other debris.
  • Turn your compost pile.
  • Diseases to watch for: brown patch, and red thread
  • Pests to watch for: Grubs
  • See UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips for more details.

Indoors/Houseplants

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  • Give your houseplants a quarter turn every few weeks.
  • Keep all houseplants out of drafts and away from heat vents.
  • Keep succulents and cacti on the dry side.
  • Repot root-bound houseplants and start fertilizing them.
  • Change water in cuttings started last fall and add 2-3 pieces of fish tank charcoal. 
  • Do not over water house plants.
  • Check on your container plants daily and keep them well-watered.
  • Remove old leaves, damaged stems.
  • Pinch out growing tips of leggy cuttings and plants that are overwintering.
  • Clean the leaves of your indoor houseplants to prevent dust and film build-up.
  • Pests to watch for:  aphids, spider mites, mealybug, and scale.
  • See UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips for more information.

Read and follow label instructions on all pesticides and herbicides.

Start the year off by minimizing your #risk to #pesticides and always #ReadTheLabel! Learn more here: http://npic.orst.edu/health/readlabel.html

Questions about your label? Call us! 800-858-7378 M-F 8am-12pm PST


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Indoor/Outdoor Insect and Wildlife Tips

  • Check indoors for termites and winter ants.
  • This is the perfect time to apply grub control.
  • Caulk and seal your outside walls to prevent insect entry into your home.
  • Check for any stagnant water mosquito breeding grounds, especially your gutters. Dump out any water that sits stagnant for more than three days.
  • Add Mosquito Dunks to any standing water in your yard such as birdbaths, downspouts, plant saucers, and gutters.
  • Check your plants at night with a flashlight for any night-feeding insects like slugs.
  • If you find slug damage, set out beer traps or Sluggo pellets.
  • Watch for insect and disease problems throughout your garden.
  • Put suet out for birds.
  • Keep bird feeders clean and filled.
  • Switch your deer deterrent spray.
  • Set out traps for mice, moles, and voles.
  • Watch for: eggs, larvae, overwintering stage of many species, carpenter ants, flies, stink bugs, termites, rabbits, raccoons, groundhogs, deer, mice, moles, snakes, squirrels, and voles.
  • For more information, see UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips.

Source: University of Maryland’s Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) and the Washington Gardener.

See more tips from HGIC:

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HGIC GARDEN TIPS & TASKS
 
 

Gardening Tech at A Glance with Senior Planet Montgomery

TUESDAY, JUL 9 • 11 AM – 12 PM

Benjamin Gaither Center

80A BUREAU DRIVE 
GAITHERSBURG, MD 20878-1431
Phone: 301-258-6380

FREE and open to the public

Want to improve your green thumb or make gardening easier? Technology might be the answer. Join us for an introductory lecture on gardening tech. We’ll explore popular apps that help with garden design, plant identification, and care. Plus, you’ll learn about smart irrigation systems, sensors for outdoor gardens, and indoor gardening devices.


Tastemakers Trail

Did you know that Montgomery County has a number of fantastic wineries and breweries?  You can make a day of it–or even a weekend–by planning your trip through Visit Montgomery.

Many of the establishments are family friendly, so you can bring your kids while exploring the diverse breweries, cideries and wineries in the County. 


Annual Farm Tour & Harvest Sale

Saturday-Sunday, July 27th and 28th

Twenty-four farms will be participating in this year’s Farm Tour over the course of the weekend.
You can also explore the County’s Ag Reserve and/or Farms anytime by checking out 3 self-driving tours: Grape & Grain Tours, Farm-2-Feast Tours, and Revive the Sunday Drive!


Montgomery Parks – Hot Volunteer Opportunities!

Are you looking for a way to complete your Student Service-Learning Hours? Or are you looking for a way to give back to your community? Check out these gardening volunteer opportunities:
Gardener | Various dates and times | Ages 16+ | Agricultural History Farm Park
Gardener | First Tuesday of every month beginning May 7 through October 1 | 9 am to 1 pm | Ages 21+ | Silver Spring Intermediate Neighborhood Park
Crop Production Aide | Various dates and times | Ages 18+ | Pope Farm Nursery 
Grown@Pope Volunteer Coordinator | April through September | Ages 18+ | Pope Farm Nursery
Grown@Pope Workdays | Various dates and times | Ages 16+ | Pope Farm Nursery
Trail Ambassador Program
Two sessions: June 17-28 or July 8- July 19 | Ages 15+ 
Various Locations 
Work with your peers to complete hands-on trail improvement projects in the morning and enjoy a group ride in the afternoon to celebrate! Spots are limited so be sure to apply here!

Montgomery Parks – Flora & Fauna Program

montgomery parks flora and fauna program

Montgomery Parks is pleased to offer a new online learning series for adults that teaches you to recognize the most common species of Montgomery County. Led by our expert Parks staff, you’ll practice identification skills, learn the best ways to see wildlife, and be empowered to practice conservation in your own neighborhood. Montgomery County is a biodiverse place with so many interesting plants and animals, and we can’t wait to share them with you!

Go to Montgomery Parks event calendar for a complete list of special events and programming and to learn how to sign up using ActiveMontgomery. Visit the Spring 2024 Montgomery Parks Program Guide


Montgomery College Lifelong Learning Home and Garden Classes – Summer 2024

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See Schedule of Summer Classes below:

Home and Garden
CourseCRN#Course NameHrs.ModeStart DateEnd DateDaysTimesLoc
LLI02211824Orchids:How to Grow and Bloom3Structured Remote8/10/20248/10/2024Sat1:00 PM – 4:00 PMA-DL-WD&CE Virtual-Remote
LLI02211826Orchids:How to Grow and Bloom3Structured Remote8/10/20248/10/2024Sat1:00 PM – 4:00 PMA-DL-WD&CE Virtual-Remote

Let’s Talk Gardens

Thursdays 12 to 1 p.m.

Smithsonian Gardens

Lets Talk Gardens October Speakers Panel
 
“Grow” your gardening know-how! Our free online gardening program, Let’s Talk Gardens, covers a wide range of topics presented by our own professional staff, as well as guest speakers. 

And we encourage you to watch videos in our Let’s Talk Gardens Video Library.

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