Helping With the Beef Cook-Off

Last Friday, March 6, Chilton County Master Gardeners and interns helped with registering the participants at the 4-H Beef Cookoff, which is sponsored by the Chilton County Extension Office and the Chilton County Farmers Federation.
L to R- Interns Linda Church, Karol Collier M.G. Harriett Jackson, Interns Jane Rabey, Jim Rabey, and Julie Garris. Not pictured, MG Pat Farmer.

Weed Science and Propagation

Our Master Gardener Intern class on March 4 started with a visit from Renee Thompson,  ACES Outreach Coordinator for the Harvest For Health program. She told us a little bit about the program and how she loves working with the people involved in it. For more information about this amazing program, go to https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/lawn-garden/harvest-for-health-making-an-impact-on-cancer-survivors/

Our first speaker for the day was Shane Harris, Tallapoosa County Extension Coordinator, on Weed Science and Control. 

After lunch, Dr. Arlie Powell, owner of Petals from the Past, Ph.D. in Agriculture, University of FL, and former Auburn Professor, taught Propagation. Both speakers kept your attention! We also had Master Gardeners Lamar Giles and Karen Mims there auditing the classes. It’s always good to refresh your memory!

Touring Tulip Festival at American Village

Several Master Gardeners and Intern Class members enjoyed a trip today to the Tulip Festival at the American Village in Montevallo . The weather was perfect! Everyone also toured the American Village and stepped back to colonial days. Great reminder as to how thankful we should be to our forefathers for our independence! Thanks so much to our V. President and Program Chairperson, Charla Doucet for arranging this trip. If you’ve never been, plan now to go!
Photos by Susan Cleckler and Charla Doucet.

Front row, , L to R MGs Harriett Jackson, Susan Cleckler, Wally Walters, Joan Barber, Intern Ruby Moberg and daughter
Back row, L to R – MGs Rick Miller, Charla Doucet, Interns Peggy McGraw, Patty Frye, Kathryn Martin, Julie Garris, MG Lee Walters, Intern Patricia Agee.

Growing Tomato Plants From Seeds

Master Gardener Lanell Baker did a short program February 26 on starting plants from seeds at the 2020 Intern Class. She did a hands on demonstration of transplanting tomato plants grown from seeds. She explained how to get them ready to plant outdoors. ‘Hardening off‘ is the process of gradually acclimatizing indoor-sown plants to outdoor conditions. For most plants, begin hardening off a week before the final frost date for your area. Water plants before they go outside.

Bethany O’Rear was the main speaker, teaching “Plant Care and Management Pruning.

Thanks, Gay West for these photos.

Master Gardener Lanell Baker
Bethany O’Rear teaches Plant Care and Management Pruning

Tree Giveaway

Brian Smith with the National Forestry Commission and members of the Chilton Natural Resources Council held the annual tree giveaway Tuesday in the City Hall parking lot. There to help and provide information on planting the trees was Chilton County Master Gardener Lamar Giles. Retired Director of Chilton Research and Extension Center Jim Pitts was also there. This event is one of the ways that Clanton keeps its certification as a Tree City USA.
Photos by Gay West.

Giving away trees at City Hall
Jim Pitts and LAMAR Giles at tree giveaway

Soils and Plant Nutrition

Our Feb. 19th speaker was Dr. Charles Mitchell, retired Ph.D., CCA, Professor Emeritus, Dep. Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University. Dr. Mitchell taught “Soils and Plant Nutrition” to our Master Gardener interns. His program is always very interesting and most informative. Thanks, Dr. Mitchell!!

The Interns paying attention!

Home Lawns, Ornamentals, and Invasive Plants

Our Master Gardener class on January 29 was a good one, with the morning session by Taylor Hatchett of Boozer Farms in Thorsby on “Home Lawns” and the afternoon session by Extension Agent Sallie Lee from Jefferson County on “Woody Ornamentals and Invasive Plants”. Thanks to both of these ladies for two very interesting classes!

Taylor Hatchett teaches Home Lawns
Taylor Hatchett from Boozer Farms teaching “Home Lawns”
The class was taking it all in!
Sallie Lee, Regional Extension Agent, Jefferson County, teaches “Woody Ornamentals and Invasive Plants”. Photo by Gay West.

Meet Our 2020 MG Class

Our 2020 MG Class got started yesterday with 20 enrollees! We are so excited about the vitality and interest of this group. I’m sure we will learn as much from them as they do from us. Stay tuned!

2020 Intern class group photo
Trisha Williams Facilitator
Mother-Daughter Interns from Wilsonville and Mountain Brook areas.
Intern Gail Brooks has been attending meetings and waiting on a MG Class since last year.