Sweet Potato Harvest Time

Mr. Hugh Byrd of Kennesaw with sweet potatoes from his garden.
PHOTO/Ellen Shelnutt, Master Gardener Volunteer

Many sweet potato varieties reach maturity in about 110-120 days, which means that, for most of our gardens, it is just about harvest time.

Here at the Cobb Extension office, we had a wonderful reminder from a local gardener, Mr. Hugh Byrd, that harvest time is here.  The reminder was in the form of four giant sweet potatoes that he harvested from just one plant in his garden!

The variety that he grew this year is Beauregard, which is a great variety for home gardeners in our area. The tubers are sweet, getting even sweeter after curing for a couple of weeks in a warm location, and they cook up soft.

Mr. Byrd has been gardening in his Kennesaw yard for about 20 years, having taken over the task when his wife, the original  family gardener, developed health problems. She now focuses her food-growing efforts on growing tomatoes in large containers near the house. The couple has been married for 60 years.

We have been assured that, if the next plant Mr. Byrd digs up has even larger sweet potatoes, he will let us know.

Workshop: Garden Color for All Seasons

UGA Horticulture is offering the workshop "Garden Color for All Seasons in the Landscape" at its Griffin campus research garden. The workshop will teach how to select colorful annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees for year-round interest in your landscape, including landscape design tips, plant selection, and container gardening.

Each participant will have a hands-on experience creating his or her own colorful container garden to take home.

UGA horticulturists Bob Westerfield and Sherri Dorn will be the program speakers.

Date: Friday, October 2

Upcoming Events and Classes

The Contained Garden: The Evergreen, The Elegant, and the Whimsical

Tuesday, August 11, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Cobb Master Gardener Shirley Priest will explain how to use elements of garden design to create beautiful contained gardens,  as part of the ongoing Gardeners Night Out presentation series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at East Cobb Regional Library, 4880 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta,  30068. Free and open to the public.

Plant Propagation

Friday, August 14, noon - 1:00 p.m. Cobb Master Gardener Shirley Priest will reveal how to create new plants from existing ones. Part of the ongoing Lunch & Learn series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.). Free and open to the public.

Pond Management Workshop is Scheduled

A Pond Management Workshop sponsored by UGA Extension- Cherokee County ANR Agent Josh Fuder and featuring UGA Aquaculturist Dr. Gary Burtle is scheduled:

When:  September 1, 2015

Where: 
Bluffs Business Center
Cherokee County Administrative Offices
1130 Bluffs Parkway
Canton, GA 30114

What:
Dr. Burtle will be speaking on water quality and testing, liming & fertilizing a pond, weed ID & control, and population assessment and management.

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: