March 2015
S p r in g N e w s l e t t e r
March 20 – June 21, 2015
M ONTGOMERY C OUNTY
E XTENSION N EWSLETTER
Eastmont Shopping Plaza
5340 Atlanta Hwy. /Montgomery, AL 36109
Phone #: 334-270-4133/ Fax: 334-260-6206
We always want to say
“Thank You” for your
support of Extension
programs during the year.
We appreciate the many
kind words and notes that
we receive during the
year’s activities.
Please take a moment to
view our new Webpage
at:
http://offices.aces.edu/
montgomery
Jimmy D. Smitherman
County Extension Coordinator
Animal Science and Forages;
Aquatic Resources; Economic
& Community Development;
Forestry, Wildlife and
Natural Resource
Management
MC Extension Newsletter Page 2
Gloria Maxie
USNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator
Urban Program
Menu planning can be made easy with the concept of preparing 3 meals a day, 21 meals
a week or 1,092 meals a year is pretty mind bogging when you stop to think about it.
Doing it all while short on cash is even more challenging. This is where the art of menu
planning comes into the picture. By taking the time to plan ahead of time we are more
likely to stay within our budget and we are able to find ways to use up what we already
have on hand. Using up food we already have is the best way to stretch limited funds.
Purchasing the healthiest food possible, when eating on the cheap it is still important to
think about the quality, purity of the food you purchase. Shop at your local grocery
stores, discount stores, and farmers market and be sure to use coupons for great
savings.
Healthy foods make healthy eating, easy, and tasty with nutritious meals. Most
Americans are used to eating processed foods, so let’s break the habit, and enjoy our
home cook’s meal again. Having healthy dinner must be great when you eat together
with your family. MyPlate will guide you to eat the right amount of nutritious food for
your body. So Plan it, Buy it, and Enjoy it, because it’s the way to go!
Happy National Nutrition Month
Urban Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program - Education
(USNAP-Ed)
MC Extension Newsletter Page 3
Helen Jones
Regional Extension Agent
Human Nutrition, Diet and Health
You already know that living an active life is critical for a healthy heart. In fact, it lowers your heart disease risk
from head to toe. The good news is that it doesn’t take much to reap the benefits for regular cardio. The American
Heart Association and American college of Sports Medicine recommend getting at least 30 minutes of moderateintensity aerobic activity (the equivalent of a brisk walk) five days of each week – or vigorous aerobic activity
(jogging, for instance) for at least 20 minutes of three days. Even better, you can meet that 30 minute goal by
breaking up your activity into 10 minute bouts. Rev up your activity level with the following 10 – minute exercise
suggestions from Larysa DiDio, a personal trainer and owner of PFX Gym in Pleasantville, New York. They all count
toward your daily goal, and you’ll get a calorie-burning boost as well:
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Dance to your favorite songs (54 calories)
Go for a walk with a friend or your spouse after dinner (38 calories)
Play a game of tag with your kids or grandkids (46 calories)
Challenge your spouse to a game of badminton (52 calories)
Work in the garden with a shovel (46 calories)
Sit on a physioball instead of a chair when working at your computer (28 calories)
Walk your dog (32 calories)
Push your child or grandchild in a stroller (28 calories)
Jump on a mini trampoline (such as the Bosu) in front of the TV 940 calories)
Information taken from www.smartbalance.com/nutrition/articles/20100511/healthier-heart-10-minutes
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Metara T. Austin
Urban Regional Extension Agent
Nutrition and Health/Resource Management
Urban Affairs, New and Nontraditional Programs
Do you want to be more involved, learn
something new, improve your health or enjoy
more economic freedom in 2015? You can do it
all with one call to your local extension office.
The Urban Affairs and New Nontraditional
Program Unit of the Alabama Cooperative
Extension System (ACES) offers a variety of
programs to educate, encourage, and empower
individuals and families across the state. Some
of the programs include:
The Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program: a
low-impact, joint-safe land exercise program
that helps decrease arthritis pain and relieve
stiffness. It is offered twice a week and can be
implemented at many approved locations such
as senior centers, churches, boys and girls clubs,
YMCA’s and many other sites.
Community Health Aerobic Motivational
Program
Initiating
Optimal
Nutrition
(CHAMPION): a wellness program designed to
help youth and adults achieve a healthier
lifestyle. This program series includes nutrition
education, physical fitness training and provides
strategies for taking control of your health.
Making Money Count: focuses on educational
outreach to facilitate responsible management
of resources and help participants improve their
overall economic well-being. Each unit includes
interactive and hands-on activities to reinforce
financial management concepts.
Promoting
Readiness
for
Employment
Possibilities (PREP) is designed to assist
unemployed and underemployed individuals
improve their chances of securing employment
by providing the education and training needed
to successfully enter the workplace.
Volunteer In Urban Programs (VIP) recruits,
enrolls, and trains volunteers to assist with
extension sponsored events and activities. This
structured program provided volunteers with
the specialized training necessary to
successfully support extension programs. To
view ACES programs in your area, please visit
www.aces.edu.
MC Extension Newsletter Page 7
Janet Johnson
Regional Extension Agent
Food Safety, Preparation & Preservation
Spring is on its way and now is the time to plan
what produce you may want to plant in your
garden. In order to get the most out of your
garden space, it’s important to plan what to put
in the ground, and also plan how to preserve
the bountiful harvest. Careful planning and
careful attention throughout the growing
season can provide your family with delicious
home grown fruits and vegetables throughout
the year.
Two resources can help with your planning. The
first is the Alabama Extension publication “The
Alabama Vegetable Gardener”. It gives
vegetable yields per 100 feet of land – an
essential planning tool for the home food
producer. For example, 100 feet of tomatoes
should yield 100 pounds of tomatoes. The
publication also contains information about
planting, soil fertility, weed control, disease
control, and insect control.
Based on what is planted, plans can be made to
preserve the produce. To can the tomatoes in
the above example, the 100 pounds of
tomatoes will make about 35 quarts of whole
canned tomatoes. A yield chart, canning
recipes, and freezing instructions can be found
in the Alabama Extension Home Food
Preservation Book. More recipes and resources
can be found online at the National Center for
Home Food Preservation (http://nchfp.uga.edu/)
hosted by the University of Georgia.
Want to plant more and provide your local
community with fresh fruits and vegetables?
Think about selling some of your excess at a
Farmers Market. It’s a great way to earn a little
extra money this summer and help build our
local food system. Farmers markets are located
throughout the state. Check out the Alabama
Farmers Market Association website to find one
near you (http://www.fma.alabama.gov/).
For more gardening and food preservation
information, go to www.aces.edu or call your
local county Extension office.
MC Extension Newsletter Page 8
Mallory Kelley
Regional Extension Agent
Home Grounds, Gardens, Home Pests
Starting Seeds Indoors
Many home gardeners become discouraged
starting their seeds indoors because the plants
become weak, spindly, leggy or even die of
diseases. It's not that difficult to grow good
quality seedlings at home, but there are some
important things you need to know before you
begin to ensure success.
When asking yourself, “Is it time to sow seeds?”
It is always better to lean on the side of being
too late rather than too early. Keep in mind
that you can continue to grow seeds
throughout the summer to have a succession of
vegetables in your garden rather than planting
them all at once. When picking a start date to
start seeds, calculate based on the average date
of the last frost for your area. Then according
to the seeds you are growing count back the
number of weeks to when you should sow.
Plants like beans, okra, carrots and corn should
be seeded directly into the soil, but other plants
like tomatoes, eggplant and peppers respond
well to a head start indoors.
One advantage to starting seeds indoors is that
you can order from a reputable source and
select varieties that you would most likely not
be able to find in the garden centers. From the
“heirloom” varieties to the latest hybrids,
starting seeds indoors opens a whole new world
of plant varieties and types of vegetables to try.
Now that you have the seeds and know when to
sow them, what should you sow them in?
Select containers that provide good drainage. If
you use containers you have previously grown
plants in, it is best to wash them in a 10%
bleach solution to remove any fungi or bacteria.
Then select a growing media that is sterile and
free of weed seed. It is best to start seeds in a
media that is labeled “Seed Starter Media.”
Always make sure to moisten the soil well
before you sow any seeds and prepare all of
your labels to identify your plants ahead of
time.
Very few seeds need light to germinate so it is
not necessary to provide light to the media and
seeds until after they germinate. If the seeds
are very tiny you may want to cover them
lightly with vermiculite. As a rule of thumb,
plant seeds a depth of two and a half times the
diameter of the seed.
For good germination, the seeds will need warm
soil and humidity. To create the humidity place
a clear plastic bag over the container or a clear
lid to hold in the humidity. If you see water
dripping inside it is too hot and wet and could
cause disease problems so make sure to vent
the lid or cover if it is too warm.
The best place in the home to put your
container with seeds is on a warming pad to
MC Extension Newsletter Page 9
warm the soil or if you do not have a warming
pad place the planted container on top of your
refrigerator. Your seeds will need to remain
moist and humid and should begin to
germination in 10-12 days.
Once the seedlings germinate you can remove
the cover that you have over them creating the
humidity and place them directly under lights as
close as you can without touching for 14-16
constant hours to prevent them from becoming
long and leggy. No fertilizer is needed until
after the first set of true leaves appear. Then
use a water soluble fertilizer at half strength
every 2-3 weeks.
If you sow the seeds in very small cell packs or
sow all of the seeds together in one container
you would then need to transplant them into
bigger containers as they grow.
This
transplanting should be done early and carefully
to avoid damaging the plants delicate roots and
stems. Then once your plants get larger and
stronger and it is close to planting time
outdoors you should begin to harden off your
plants by taking them outside for a few hours a
day and bringing them back indoors. This is
done to prepare young plants for the harsher
environments outdoors such as the full sun,
wind, and varying moisture.
When the day finally arrives to plant outdoors,
a cloudy day with little wind is the most ideal.
MC Extension Newsletter Page 10
Mallory Kelley
Regional Extension Agent
Home Grounds, Gardens, Home Pests
Azaleas are a staple plant for the southern landscape with many different varieties and types. The first
southern hybrid azaleas were planted in Charleston, South Carolina in 1848. Today, azaleas can be found
in each climatic region in the Eastern half of the United States and also in most of the Pacific Coast
region. In this area of the south we have deciduous and evergreen varieties of azaleas. The native
deciduous azaleas lose their leaves in the winter, but have very beautiful clusters of honeysuckle like
flowers in early spring adding great flower texture to the
landscape. More commonly seen in the landscapes are the
evergreen azaleas that are available in many different
varieties.
If you are thinking of adding azaleas to your landscape both
the native deciduous and evergreen are a great choice for
areas with filtered shade. Very heavy shade throughout the
day may reduce flower production and result in weak growth.
Azaleas require an acid soil pH (4.5-5.5) to grow properly.
Check the soil pH of your site before you plant azaleas and
fertilize according to your soil test results in early spring and
again mid-summer.
In Alabama many azaleas begin to set flower buds in July. Therefore, pruning after early July may reduce
the next year's flower production. The best time to prune is soon after the flowering period in the
spring. Cut limbs that have grown out of the main body of the plant. Do not shear unless your intention
is to create a formal hedge as shearing destroys the natural form of the plant and the even distribution
of flowers.
Azaleas often become too large for the area they occupy, especially when they are used as foundation
plants around a home. If this happens, azaleas can be renewal pruned. This means the plants will grow
back when cut severally (12-18 inches) from the ground. The plants will respond best if this is done in
early spring, but keep in mind there will be no flowers for that year.
Spider mites are serious pests of many ornamentals such as roses, boxwoods, and azaleas. Adult spider
mites vary in size and color, but red is the most common. .
MC Extension Newsletter Page 11
Spider mites puncture the tissues of leaves and flowers with needle-like mouthparts and suck juices
from the plant. This destroys the chlorophyll around the puncture giving the leaves and flowers a
speckled yellow appearance. As mites multiply, entire leaves become discolored and distorted, and they
may drop off. These pests are very small and feed mainly on the underside of leaves. They often go
unnoticed until plant damage is obvious and usually are active when it is hot and dry in late summer and
early fall.
Azalea lace bugs are small insects with black bodies and lace-like wings. They feed on the underside of
leaves. The upper leaf surface opposite the feeding areas becomes speckled, and the leaf looks light or
bleached and eventually turns brown. Lace bugs produce large amounts of a black, sticky substance on
the underside of leaves; this is an obvious symptom of this insect.
Chemical control gives best results when used in the spring to control the spider mites and the first and
second generations of Azalea lace bug. Products such as; insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, neem oil,
and most synthetic insecticides will provide control and often times multiple applications are necessary.
For optimal coverage be sure to direct the spray to the undersides of the leaves. Using a recommended
systemic insecticide drench in spring could prove to be a season long remedy. Always maintaining a
healthy plant with sufficient water and nutrients and planting in a shadier area would be a good cultural
practice to deter these damaging pests.
If you have questions about your azaleas or any other garden related topic:
Our Master Gardener Helpline is open!
March through August the Alabama Cooperative Extension System offers a Gardening Helpline for the
general public each Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. This helpline is operated by
Master Gardener Volunteers who use research based information to best answer all of your gardening
questions.
If you've got home garden questions, we've got answers!
Call 1-877-252-GROW (4769)
Interested in learning more about seasonal gardening topics? Please join us for the FREE
Master Gardener Lunch and Learn Program in your area EVERY MONTH from 12:00-1:00, Bring
a Sack Lunch, Drinks Provided:
Next month’s topic and location:
st
Montgomery: The 1 Wednesday of EVERY month, Armory Learning Arts Center on Madison Ave.,
Montgomery, AL. For more information: (334) 270-4133
st
Topic: Creative Twists on Container Gardening - April 1 .
MC Extension Newsletter Page 12
William East
Regional Extension Agent
Commercial Horticulture
If you are going
to fertilize a crop
it is important to
perform a soil
analysis in order
to find out what
type of fertilizer is needed and how much. It
costs $7.00 for Auburn University Soil Testing
Laboratory to analyze your soil. The Alabama
Cooperative Extension Publication number
ANR-6-A, titled Home Soil Testing: Taking a
Sample, describes the procedure of how to
collect and send off the soil sample to Auburn
University. From this simple procedure you will
get recommendations of what nutrients (such
as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium along
with possible lime requirements) are needed in
the soil. When your soil test results come back,
it will tell you how much nutrients to apply on a
per acre basis. The report will also tell how
much to apply per 1000 square feet for those
with less than one acre plots. This article is
written for those calculating fertilizer
requirements on a larger scale.
What do the numbers such as
8-8-8, 10-10-10, 13-13-13, and
17-17-17 mean when they are
written on fertilizer bags?
Those numbers represent the
percentages of nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium that are in that bag.
A 50 pound bag of 13-13-13 does not have 50
pounds of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium
in that bag, but only 6 ½ pounds of each. (50 x
13% = 6.5)
Let’s go over a couple of examples. If your soil
test results recommended 80 pounds of
nitrogen, 80 pounds of phosphorus, and 80
pounds of potassium per acre, what fertilizer
materials should be applied? Since nitrogen,
potassium, and phosphorus are all needed, a
complete fertilizer such as 8-8-8, 10-10-10, 1313-13, or 17-17-17 will work, but different
amounts of each are needed. Simply divide the
pounds of fertilizer needed, in this case 80
pounds, by the percentage of the nutrient in
the bag. If 8-8-8 is used, dividing 80 pounds by
8% will give the answer of 1000 pounds. That
means 1000 pounds of 8-8-8 is required to
fertilize one acre with 80 pounds of nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium. If 13-13-13 is used,
dividing 80 pounds by 13% will give the answer
of 615 pounds. That means 615 pounds of 1313-13 are required to fertilize one acre with 80
pounds of nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium. If you were to calculate this with
10-10-10 and 17-17-17 you would work them
the same way. It would take 800 pounds of 1010-10 or 471 pounds of 17-17-17 to obtain the
desired 80 pounds of nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium per acre. (80/10% = 800 and 80/17%
= 471)
MC Extension Newsletter Page 13
These calculations will tell you not only how
much to apply, but will also help you decide on
the most economical fertilizer. For example, it
would take twenty 50 pound bags of 8-8-8 per
acre to add the 80 pounds of nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium. (1000/50 = 20) It
would take 12.3 bags of 13-13-13 per acre to
add the 80 pounds of nitrogen, phosphorus,
and potassium. (615/50 = 12.3)
Try another example. Let’s say the soil test
recommended 120 pounds of nitrogen and no
phosphorus and no potassium. It is common to
have a soil test with this type of
recommendation. This means the soil has
proper amounts of phosphorus and potassium
and does not need any more of these elements
for proper plant growth. Applying fertilizers
such as 8-8-8 or 13-13-13 would be applying
unneeded nutrients. Applying more than what
is needed will not cause the plants to grow any
better but will cost more money. A fertilizer
with nutrient content of 34-0-0 is easy to find
and just what this example needs. Divide the
pounds of fertilizer per acre needed, in this case
120 pounds, by the percentage of nutrient
being used. If 34-0-0 is used, dividing 120
pounds by 34% will give the answer of 353
pounds. (120/34% = 353) This field would need
353 pounds of 34-0-0 per acre to obtain the
recommended 120 pounds of nitrogen.
To calculate on smaller areas simply divide the
amount of fertilizer needed per acre by 43560
(square feet in one acre). This will give you the
amount needed per square foot then multiply
that by how many square
feet are in the small area to
be fertilized.
Call around and find out
what fertilizer materials are
selling for in your area. Then calculate the price
of fertilizing an acre, not prices per bag. Since
more bags of one product may be needed than
another, the cheapest price per bag may not be
the most economical. On a larger scale the
cheapest price for fertilizer may be purchasing
it in bulk or per ton.
The soil test will also tell you how much lime is
needed per acre or per 1000 square feet and
when to apply the fertilizer during the year. If
120 pounds of nitrogen was needed per acre we
would not apply that much at one time. If lime
is needed in small plots, 50 pounds of lime per
1000 square feet is equivalent to 1 ton per acre.
If the soil test calls for 2 tons per acre of lime,
you could apply 100 pounds per 1000 square
feet and so on. We have several publications on
soil testing and gardening on our web site at
www.aces.edu. Contact your local Extension
office for additional information.
MC Extension Newsletter Page 14
Josh Elmore
Regional Extension Agent
Animal Science & Forages
The Southeastern Hay Contest is going through some major expansions. Massey Ferguson has
joined as the title sponsor for the SE Hay Contest and will be providing the Grand Prize of a new Massey
Ferguson RK Series rotary rake for the 2016 hay production season AND a $1000 cash prize!
Additionally, Massey Ferguson will be providing the 1st place winner in the Warm Season Perennial Grass
Category with the use of a new DM Series Professional disc mower for the 2016 hay production season.
Rules for the contest can be found at: www.alabamaforages.com
Weeds continue to be a constant source of phone calls and conversations with livestock
producers throughout the region. Two of the most prevalent weeds discussed have different growing
seasons and different control methods. Both of these weeds are discussed in-depth on our Alabama
Cooperative Extension System Website. www.aces.edu
Thistle Control in Pastures and Hayfields (ANR-2149) and a timely information sheet entitled
Thistle control for pastures: It’s time to get cracking! ; will help you with controlling this troublesome
weed on your farm or ranch.
Broomsedge is a frequent source of discussion and is common throughout Alabama. The
Alabama Forages website: www.alabamaforages.com has a great article regarding Broomsedge.
Upcoming Animal Science and Forages Programs
Practical Ranch Management 101- April 17th at the Blackbelt Research and Extension Center
Practical Ranch Management 101- April 18th at the E.V. Smith Research Center
This is a hands-on program for cattlemen from castration to soil testing and everything in
between. Cost: $75 per person. Participation will be limited to the first 50 paid participants.
Beginning Farmer Rancher Series – May, June, July at the Chilton Research and Extension
Center
This is a series for beginning farmers and ranchers exploring various aspects of agriculture. The
program will include livestock, horticulture, soil, water, and farm planning.
For more information and registration regarding any of these upcoming programs contact your
local county extension office or Josh Elmore, Regional Extension Agent Animal Science and
Forages. 205-646-3610 or 334-850-7859
MC Extension Newsletter Page 15
FROZEN FRUIT COCKTAIL
1 quart ginger ale
8 springs of mint
4 cups mixed melon ball
8 maraschino cherries, well drained
Freeze ginger ale to a mush. Prepare melon and chill.
Spoon ginger ale mush into sherbet glasses. Top with
melon balls. Garnish with a cherry and mint sprig.
Lula K. Tyson
Administrative Support Associate
Makes 12 servings. One serving: about ½ cup.
 One serving contains: 49 calories; 0 mg cholesterol; 23
mg sodium; 12 g carbohydrates; -1 g protein; -1 g fat or 3%
of total calories.
“The Auburn Cookbook” page 38
Montgomery County Extension Office
Eastmont Shopping Plaza
5340 Atlanta Hwy.
Montgomery, AL 36109
334-277-4033
http://offices.aces.edu/montgomery
www.facebook.com/MontgomeryCountyAlabamaExtension
www.facebook.com/4HMontgomeryCounty
Published by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University), an equal
opportunity educator and employer.