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.

Upcoming Events

Camellias – Queens of the Southern Winter Garden

Tuesday, January 21, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Free and open to the public. Presented by Jim Pruckler of the American Camellia Society, as part of the ongoing Gardeners Night Out presentation series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at East Cobb Regional Library (old Parkaire Mall site), 4880 Lower Roswell Rd. Marietta.

Tomatoes 101

Thursday, January 23, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Free and open to the public. Presented by Renae Lemon, of UGA Extension in Cobb County, at the Smyrna Community Center, 200 Village Green Circle SE, Smyrna. 

Tomatoes 101
Saturday, January 25, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Free and open to the public. Presented by Renae Lemon, of UGA Extension in Cobb County, at the Smyrna Community Center, 200 Village Green Circle SE, Smyrna. 

Green Industry Update

Tuesday, January 28,  8:30 a.m. to noon. Two sessions of pruning for pest and disease control with Rick Smith, owner of The Pruning Guru, and one session of mosquito biology and control with UGA entomologist Elmer Gray. Re-certification credits as follows: 21, 23, 24, 27, 41 - 3 hours, Private - 2 hours, ISA - 2 hours. To register, email emily.harper@cobbcounty.org or call 770-528-4070. Cost $10 per person at the door. Location at Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, 30060.

Seed Saving for the Vegetable Garden
Tuesday, January 28, 6:30 – 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. The class will be presented by Amy Whitney, of UGA Extension at Cobb County, in the second floor classroom at 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Please preregister by calling 770-528-4070. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. 

Dahlias

Tuesday, February 11, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Free and open to the public. Free Seminar covers the basics of growing beautiful Dahlias all summer and preserving the tubers for sharing and for spring planting. Presented by Renae Lemon of UGA Extension at Cobb County, in the second floor classroom at 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Please preregister by calling 770-528-4070.

Weed ID for Weed Control

Friday, February 14, noon to 1:00 p.m. Free and open to the public. Presented by County Agent Neil Tarver as 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.). Neil will help us identify weeds in order to select the most effective method of controlling them.  

Creativity in Growing and Using herbs

Tuesday, February 18, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.  Free and open to the public. Presented by Tracy Minjauw of the Chattahoochee Herb Society, as part of the ongoing Gardeners Night Out presentation series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at West Cobb Regional Library, 1750 Dennis Kemp Lane

Seed Starting for the Vegetable Garden

Thursday, February 20, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Presented by Amy Whitney, of UGA Extension at Cobb County, in the second floor classroom at 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. $5 charge for supplies. Preregistration is required: Call 770-528-4070. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.  Space will be limited.

Start New Tomato Plants from Suckers of Existing Plants for Late-season Harvests

While most area gardeners either already are enjoying or are within a week or so of enjoying those first garden-ripe tomatoes of summer, it isn't too late to think about starting a few more tomato plants to give the last harvests in September and October a boost.

UGA's Frank Watson, in the Georgia FACES article "Rooting tomato suckers can provide great mid-season replacement plants, extend harvest," explains how to start new plants from suckers of existing healthy tomato plants that already are in the garden.

For those who aren't familiar with this particular use of the term "suckers," he clarifies: "Suckers are side shoots that grow between the stem and the branch of tomato plants."

He outlines the procedure as follows:

"To root tomato suckers, select healthy tomato suckers that are three to four inches long. Place several suckers in a jar and add sufficient water to cover the ends one to two inches. The use of a rooting hormone is not necessary but would probably hasten the process. Set the suckers in a cool, well-lit spot until new roots develop. Set rooted plants in the garden and immediately provide shade to each plant for a few days until suckers start to grow. Gardeners can use a few small leafy shrub branches to create the right amount of shade." 

For additional tips, check out his original article linked here, and read UGA's publication Georgia Home Grown Tomatoes.