Cooperative Extension Service Clark County 1400 Fortune Drive Winchester, KY 40391-8292 (859) 744-4682 Fax: (859) 744-4698 extension.ca.uky.edu

I know that rain is the last thing that many want

since we had so much of it last year, and

earlier this year. However, let’s not complain

too much about rain. I’ve seen dry years

before where we would love to have had more

rain. We never know what weather conditions

await us. The fact that we don’t know what is

coming is part of the appeal of the spring of a

new year. Weather related or otherwise, as

you encounter issues around your home, in the

garden, or out on the farm make sure you

come see us at the Clark County Extension

Office. By the way, my wife Leigh and our

baby boy are doing great! I am glad to be back

in the office, so feel free to come by or give me

a call if you need assistance!

Sincerely, David Davis Clark County Cooperative Extension Service Agent for Agriculture & Natural Resources

The Clark County Agriculture and Natural Resources Agents have a weekly radio show every Wednesday on WKYN Radio 107.7 FM after the

noon news. You will also find a weekly news article in The Winchester Sun on Wednesdays.

Not all varieties are the same. Many varieties have been developed to have resistance to certain diseases. So if you have been purchasing the same varieties of garden plants or seeds for years, you may want to think about changing things up a bit this year. Try planting varieties that have resistance to the common diseases. Keep in mind that “resistance” does not mean that a variety is completely protected from disease. Choosing disease resistant varieties is just one of the ways to minimize disease issues in the garden. Remember to put into place other practices as well. These might include keeping the garden clean of weeds, harmful insects, or diseased plants, not working in the garden when the plants are wet to avoid spreading disease pathogens, maintaining proper soil nutrient levels, and applying fungicide sprays preventatively.

Getting back to variety selections, remember that varieties that do well in other locations may not perform as well here. For example, a variety that does really well in California may not do nearly as well in Kentucky since it was developed for the environmental conditions there. When in doubt, try just a few plants or seeds of a different variety this year to see how it will do.

Page 2 May 2019 Issue

In the spring of the year, we often see insects in the windows of homes. If they are small, and

possibly winged, many are afraid that they have termites in their home. Termites do swarm in the

spring, and sometimes they may be a concern. However, many times insects found in the home are

mistakenly identified as termites when they are actually ants. A trained eye can tell the difference

rather quickly. But here are drawings that show the difference between flying ants and termites:

Even in knowing what differences to look for, properly identifying if you are seeing ants or termites

can be difficult. If there is every any questions, feel free to catch what you find, then bring it by the

office for identification.

So what if it is termites that you find in your window in the spring? The literature will tell you that this

is a “telltale” sign that you may have a problem in the home. That is because termites, like many

other insects that live in a colony, swarm in the spring to form a new colony. So, they are coming

from somewhere. The next step would be to hire a pest control company to inspect your home.

Many companies offer preventative annual inspection and treatment contracts. These services

might be worth looking into simply for your peace of mind.

Flying ants may not need treatment. However, there are home owner pesticide formulations that

can be used to treat ants. Some can be applied preventatively, while others have to come into

contact with the ants. Treating termites on your own is possible, but it is still a better idea to have a

trained applicator come in. Applicators are trained to inspect, and properly treat problems based on

what they find. Additionally, they may be able to help you install preventative measures to keep

other insect pests out of your home at the same time.

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It’s that time of year when we are heavily involved in putting out the garden. I often tell people that have little experience gardening that the easiest part is planting. Maintaining the garden throughout the growing season is the next hardest part as this includes weeding, trellising, or other garden maintenance activities. The hardest part of gardening by far is harvesting the garden appropriately. If the garden isn’t harvested on time, and often enough, to the point that some of the produce begins to spoil, the overall seasonal production of the garden will be lowered. Harvesting often, and harvesting vegetables on time actually stimulates more production in most garden plants. Many people will only harvest the garden until they get tired of eating the garden vegetables, or abandon the garden once they have preserved what they need for the winter. It is often too late to come back to the garden after a week or two of abandonment because the garden will quit producing. One way that you might consider making your garden more productive, and to help others in the process, is to donate the extra to Clark County Community Services. Instead of wasting what your garden produces, the food in your garden can go to help others. For instance, gardeners that donate may be helping others that are not physically able to garden, can’t afford to purchase fresh vegetables in the grocery store, or to residents that just don’t have the resources to grow their own gardens. First Christian Church of Winchester has also been conducting a program called Plant a Row for the Hungry. Those involved in this program are encouraged to plant extra vegetable plants in the garden space, then dedicate what is produced by those plants to be donated to those that need it. Participants may even be

able to get someone to come out and pick up what is harvested and deliver it to where it needs to go. Contact First Christian Church of Winchester, (859) 744-3181, to learn more. Vegetables can also be dropped off to a Master Gardener that will be set up each Saturday at the farmers market when gardens start to produce. When the season starts, a Master Gardener will be available at 11a.m. until Noon to pick up donations at the Winchester Clark County Farmers’ Market. The donations are delivered to Clark County Community Services, and each donor receives a donation receipt for their own donation tax reporting purposes. You can also donate directly to Clark County Community Services, but please make sure to tell them that this is donated as part of the Plant a Row program for record keeping purposes.

These donations of home grown vegetables are very much needed. At one point last season, Clark County

Community Services was supporting around 3,000 families, and 900 other individuals with food. Many of these families or individuals would not have enough

to eat if it was not for this service. As far as what to donate, any vegetables or fruits good enough to still consume can be donated. However if you plan to plant a row, consider planting tomatoes, potatoes, sweet corn, green beans, and summer squash. To find out more about how you can be involved in plant a row, what to plant, have specific gardening questions, or would like to find out more about donating fresh fruits and vegetables, contact the Clark County Extension Service by calling (859) 744-4682.

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The Winchester Clark County Farmers Market is now open for the 2019 season. There are at least 27 market vendors this year that will be participating. Like previous years, the market will be accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) EBT, Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) Food Instruments (“Senior Vouchers), and Women Infant and Children Farmers Market Program (WICFMNP)

Food Instruments (“WIC Voucher”). The plan is to also double these benefits when they are redeemed at the market. Don’t forget that the farmers market continues to accept credit and debit cards. Even if you forget to check out tokens, ask the vendor as many vendors can accept debit and credit cards at their booths.

SFMNP distribution is planned for Monday, July 8, at 10:00 a.m., at Beverly White Towers and Tuesday, July 9, at 10:00 a.m., at The Generation Center. Everyone that is eligible is invited to sign up at either of these locations. More specific details will be announced in the June Horticulture Newsletter, as well as in one of our weekly Clark County Extension Ag articles in the Winchester Sun, and the Wednesday Extension Agents Report on WKYN. WIC distribution has been scheduled in early June. Contact the Clark County Health Department for more details.

At the WCCFM, they will have some early season vegetables including baby lettuce, lettuce, green onions, and sugar peas available. It will not be that long before you might see some Clark County grown greenhouse tomatoes make an appearance at the market. You can definitely find the breads, jams, jellies, meats, and other value added products that are available whenever the market is open. Also, don’t forget that some of the market vendors have plants for sale for the garden. To stay updated on what is available, and going on at the market, check out the WCCFM Facebook page.