Pesticide Applicator Recertification Training

Commercial pesticide applicator credits can be earned by attending a training scheduled to take place on August 21, in Cartersville, GA.

Date: Friday August 21, 2015
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Bartow County Extension Office, 320 W. Cherokee Ave., Cartersville, GA 31020

Registration fee is $55 until Thu., August 13, & $65 afterwards.  

Celebrating Horticulture in Cobb County

For the week of  July 27 - August 1, our local UGA Extension office has planned several activities to highlight horticulture in Cobb County. The scheduled presentations are free and open to the public.

Supporting Our Pollinators

Monday, July 27, noon—1:00 p.m.

At the Cobb Water Training Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, 30060.   

Free Compost for Community Gardens

One component of healthy soil is composted organic matter.

Providing enough compost for a community garden, though, can be difficult. Recognizing that difficulty, Food Well Alliance is offering compost for community gardens in the metro-Atlanta counties of Clayton, Cobb, Fulton, Dekalb, and Gwinnett.

The "catch" is that registration closes on July 28 and that someone from the community garden requesting compost and a compost kit needs to attend one of a series of offered (and also free!) workshops to learn about compost.

Lawn and Garden Tips for July

Cobb County Extension staff member Louise Weyer assembles a list each month of tips for keeping your lawn and landscape in good order. As summer heads into high gear, following Louise's checklist of tasks can  improve the odds of your yard's shining through to fall.

Louise's Tips for Trees and Shrubs for July includes this information:

• Spring-planted trees and shrubs need an inch of water each week. Irrigate in dry weather.
• Mature trees need deep watering; they can lose leaves if they have inadequate water.
• Prune Knock-out roses.
• Remove dry flowers from butterfly bush to encourage more blooms, and remove flowers from shrub roses as they fade.
• Remove suckers from the base of cherry, apple, crape myrtle, dogwood, and crabapple trees.

For annuals and perennials:

Upcoming Events and Classes

Celebrating National Pollinator Week

Thursday, June 18, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Family fun learning about pollinators will include a butterfly craft, bug hunt, and education stations, at the Wildlife and Rain Garden of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.). Free.

4-H Story Time

Wednesday, June 24, 3:30-4:30 p.m. West Cobb Regional Library, 1750 Dennis Kemp Lane NW, Kennesaw, 30152. Free.

Recycling in Cobb County

Do you have a pile of assorted metal, paper, old computer equipment or other electronics, fluorescent bulbs, plastic containers, motor oil, batteries, or other items that you would like to have recycled?

Keep Cobb Beautiful maintains a list of local recycling centers and the materials they accept on its Recyclable Items webpage.

Upcoming Events and Classes

Common Lawn Diseases

Tuesday, May 26, 6:30-8:00 p.m. County Agent Neil Tarver will present information that will help you identify and control common lawn diseases that may be affecting your lawn, at UGA Extension/Cobb County, second floor, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Free and open to the public.  Preregistration is requested – call 770-528-4070, or email uge1067@uga.edu.

Bluebird Trail Tour

Saturday, May 30, 10:00 a.m. to noon. Free and open to the public. Cobb Master Gardener and Bluebird expert Jim Bearden will conduct a guided walk of the 2.3-mile Bluebird Trail at Green Meadow Preserve Park, at 3780 Dallas Hwy., Powder Springs, GA, 30127. Follow the Bluebird Trail blog at bluebirdtrail.blogspot.com.

Compost How-to

Tuesday, June 2, 6:30-8:00 p.m. County Agent Neil Tarver will present the benefits and how-to of creating and using compost in your home garden and landscape, at UGA Extension/Cobb County, second floor, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Presentation is part of the Healthy Soil Initiative of FoodWell Alliance. Free and open to the public. Preregistration is requested – call 770-528-4070, or email uge1067@uga.edu.

Cobb County Watering Restrictions

Area weather has turned from cool and wet to warmer and drier, which means newly planted gardens and landscapes may need some additional water to help establish and maintain good root systems and healthy growth.

County watering restrictions currently in place allow the watering needed, but there are limits to other uses of water outdoors. The Cobb County Water System Outdoor Watering Restrictions webpage includes a brief description of the restrictions:

"You may water landscapes any day between the hours of 4PM and 10 AM. The odd /even schedule is currently still in place for other outdoor uses such as car washing or at home pressure washing. Even addresses may use water for purposes other than landscape watering on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, Odd addresses may use water on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays."