Texas Master Gardener State Conference

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April 23-24 & 25, 2009
Marshall, Texas

Registration Information Forthcoming!!!
Our Goal - To have registration information up by January 1st!

Make plans to join us for the 2009 Texas Master Gardener State Conference, that will be held in beautiful East Texas. The conference will feature world class azaleas, dogwood and crape myrtles, as well as unique bed & breakfast establishments, just to name a few. This year, something new, the Earthkind Rose Workshop, an all-day session will be presented the day before the '09 conference and will feature some of the most renouned experts in the earthkind rose field!! Information on registration for this workshop will be added to the regular registration form, come a day earlier and don't miss-out on this added feature!
Keep checking back often!!

Flowers and the Hospital

The article below is from Dr. Charles Halls Blog.
I think most Master Gardeners felt sure of this trial's results.

Effects of Flowering and Foliage Plants in Hospital Rooms

According to a new study recently published in HortTechnology, plants and flower in hospital rooms have definite healing benefits, especially for anyone recovering from surgery.

Researchers studied ninety patients recovering from appendectomy, assigning them randomly to hospital rooms with or without plants. During recovery, the patients were able to see eight varieties of flowering plants or foliage.

Scientists measured recovery times, heart rate, temperature and blood pressure, perceived level of pain, fatigue and anxiety levels. The results showed that plants and flowers facilitated recovery from abdominal surgery, as evidenced by less pain medication use, lower heart rate and systolic blood pressure, and decreased anxiety levels in the hospital patients who were exposed to plants and flowers.

In addition, the patients indicated greater satisfaction with their hospital rooms, when compared to the control group. The study concluded that plants and flowers are good medicine when it comes to promoting recovery from surgery

Overton Seminars

FYI: The Overton seminars for 2009 has been published. All the seminars are from 1PM - 5PM.

January 15 - Jayla Fry, Texas MG Coordinator (the Texas MG program, and
Intro to Earth-Kind Landscape Gardening

January 27 - Scott Ludwig - Extension IPM Entomologist - (Entomology and
Pesticide Safety)

February 3 - Karl Steddom - Extension Plant Pathologist - (Plant
Pathology)

February 19 - Jim McAfee - Extension Turfgrass - (Turfgrass/Weeds)

keith

High Phosphorus Fertilizer Does NOT Mean More Blooms

Phosphorus for Blooming Plants

Mitchell, C.C.; Pinkston, C.B.; and Wheeler, E.J.

Garden centers and retail fertilizer companies often promote high P fertilizers for blooming plants with no regard to soil test P levels. Master Gardeners in Cullman and Marshall Counties in northern Alabama wanted to determine if applying a high P fertilizer to a soil that was high in P would actually improve flowering for summer annual flowers. Identical experiments were conducted in 2006 at two locations in North Alabama. Soil test prior to establishment indicated that both sites tested very high in extractable P; no additional P was recommended. Ten treatments replicated 4 times were applied that included various N: P ratios, two commercial fertilizers for blooming plants and poultry broiler litter (a 3-3-2 grade fertilizer). The highest N and P rate applied was equivalent to 120 lb. N and 120 lb. P2O5 per acre applied twice during the growing season. Annual blooming plants were planted in each plot and monitored during the growing season. Additional P fertilization had no effect on number of blooms, bloom quality or vegetative quality. Nitrogen fertilization alone up to 120 lb. N per acre produced healthier plants and more blooms at both locations. This applied research activity provided local Master Gardeners with an opportunity to contribute to agricultural experiment station research.

Next Class Meeting November 21

Composting will be the topic of the next class. The class will include a tour of the Angelina & Neches River Authority Neches Composting Facility located 8 miles west of the city of Jacksonville on Highway 79. Those wishing to car pool should meet at the Agri-LIFE Extension in Rusk at 10 a.m. Those wishing to just make the tour, should plan to meet us a little before 11 at the composting facility. It is located just north of the Anderson/Cherokee county line.

Master Gardeners Team With Texas Forest Service

Cherokee Master Gardeners planted wildflower plots at the Jacksonville office of the Texas Forest Service. Seeding took place on October 3.

Maypop - Passion Flower

The photo on the left is of the bloom of the perennial passion flower discussed at the last meeting of the 2008/2009 class. It is an evergreen vine here most winters in Cherokee County.
The one below does not make it through our winters.
~Joe