Fruit Trees

Two beehives have sweetened Jessamine County's implementation of Kentucky's Farm to School program. The bees will pollinate an orchard of 16 fruit trees that could produce food for school cafeterias by fall 2013. After approval from the board of education, the bees arrived at their new home behind Jessamine Career and Technology Center in April. Agriculture teacher Matt Simpson says he hopes the apple, pear and peach trees will be in the ground by the end of the school year. The money to purchase the hives and trees came from a Kentucky Department of Agriculture grant.

During the winter months, home orchard owners need to protect their fruit trees from rabbits and voles. But hold off on any pruning until after the worst of the cold, winter weather has passed. Rabbits and voles injure fruit trees by chewing the bark from the lower trunk and portions of the roots. This damage may kill or severely weaken the trees. If grass has grown up around the base of the trees, it should be removed so as not to provide cover for rabbits and voles. If your trees are mulched, pull the mulch back for five to six inches at the base of the trunk to keep the rodents away.

Some of your fruit trees' best friends are pruning shears and loppers. Using these tools properly will help you control pests and promote production of high quality fruit. Fruit trees benefit from an annual pruning from the time they're planted on for years to come. Prior to spring growth, prune out dead, diseased or insect-infested wood to reduce pest problems during the growing season. Pruning increases air movement within the tree canopy. This reduces the amount of time foliage remains wet from rain or dew and lessens the likelihood of diseases the develop under wet conditions.

During the winter months, home orchard owners need to protect their fruit trees from rabbits and voles. But hold off on any pruning until after the worst of the cold, winter weather has passed. Rabbits and voles injure fruit trees by chewing the bark from the lower trunk and portions of the roots. This damage may kill or severely weaken the trees. If grass has grown up around the base of the trees, it should be removed so as not to provide cover for rabbits and voles. If your trees are mulched, pull the mulch back for 5 to 6 inches at the base of the trunk to keep the rodents away.

The results of soil analyses are no better than the core samples you collect for your home lawn, garden or orchard. It's like the adage, "garbage in, garbage out. " The Boyle County Cooperative Extension Service has information on how to properly take samples and the benefits of soil tests. Boxes for samples also are available at the office. When collecting soil cores from your home garden or lawn, be sure to take samples from the area on which you want fertility data and separate them according to land use. You'll need to take different samples for a lawn, garden, fruit trees, ornamental shrubs and azaleas because each may have distinct fertility, acidity or alkalinity requirements.

Winter probably doesn't seem the right time to eliminate pests that will infest your landscape plants next spring. But we need to remember that many problem pests will spend the winter on or near plants they'll munch on this coming spring and summer. One way to get an early handle on problem pests is to use horticultural, formally called dormant, oils that are specially formulated for pest control. Horticultural oils suffocate overwintering pests like scale, aphids and certain mites.

Time and money are two benefits of taking soil core samples during the fall. Fall soil sampling allows you ample time to implement research-based fertility recommendations before spring planting. When you receive the soil test results, read the pH and lime recommendations. You may need to apply lime to neutralize soil acidity. To be fully effective, agricultural lime should be applied in the fall because it takes about six months to break down and react with the soil.

Saved time and money are two benefits of taking soil core samples during the fall. Fall soil sampling allows you ample time to implement research-based fertility recommendations before spring planting. When you receive the soil test results, read the pH and lime recommendations. You may need to apply lime to neutralize soil acidity. To be fully effective, agricultural lime should be applied in the fall because it takes about six months to break down and react with the soil.

Periodical cicadas appear in predictable generations, known as "broods. " Brood XIV, which is the brood that is most widespread in Kentucky, is due to emerge again in 2008. The first cicadas can be expected about the first of May, and the last of them will die about mid-June. They are most numerous in or near forested areas. In preparation for emergence, the nymphs, or juvenile stage, often create mud tubes that stand up several inches from the soil surface. After the nymphs emerge from the ground, they climb to a vertical surface and shed their exoskeletons to become adults.

Good news! The indoor Boyle County Farmers Market will continue to operate until the outdoor market opens in the spring. The indoor Boyle County Farmers Market will be set up  in the Professional Building on Main Street, next to Hilliard and Lyons. We are open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday through Dec. 29. Stop in for fresh vegetables, baked goods, jams, jellies, sorghum, honey, frozen meats and more. EBT and Debit services available. Many thanks to our community of friends and neighbors who support our market.

Two beehives have sweetened Jessamine County's implementation of Kentucky's Farm to School program. The bees will pollinate an orchard of 16 fruit trees that could produce food for school cafeterias by fall 2013. After approval from the board of education, the bees arrived at their new home behind Jessamine Career and Technology Center in April. Agriculture teacher Matt Simpson says he hopes the apple, pear and peach trees will be in the ground by the end of the school year. The money to purchase the hives and trees came from a Kentucky Department of Agriculture grant.

Nice weekend! There is still a little chill in the air but the trees, grass and flowers know it’s time to grow. Everything is leafing out and many of the fruit trees are in blossom. The birds are nesting and our bees have been out in force gathering pollen everywhere they could for the past few days. We are trying to finish up household projects before we get too busy with gardening and the Farmers Market. I need to finish painting inside and do some spring cleaning. I don’t mind painting walls and trim but moving everything in order to do it is a chore.

In a faraway land called Colliephoneya (known by locals as California), there was a big, strong king named Arnold. Blessed with natural resources and manmade waterways, abundance graced his people. And the king was known for his wisdom and courage. Diligent farm labor, along with precious water from a dam called Hoover, turned a desert into one of the world’s great valleys of fruits, nuts and vegetables — even honey. Life in The Land of Arnold was good! Farms prospered; schools were built.

Saved time and money are two benefits of taking soil core samples during the fall. Fall soil sampling allows you ample time to implement research-based fertility recommendations before spring planting. When you receive the soil test results, read the pH and lime recommendations. You may need to apply lime to neutralize soil acidity. To be fully effective, agricultural lime should be applied in the fall because it takes about six months to break down and react with the soil.

The onset of cooler days and longer nights is no time to slack off on gardening chores. Now is the time to perform a myriad of tasks to prepare the garden for winter and ready flower beds for a beautiful spring display. Cleaning up dead plants and other debris in the vegetable garden this fall will help reduce the potential for fungal, bacterial and other disease problems in next year's crops. When tidying up the garden, check for disease problems. Cut off tomato plants and dig up the roots to check root knot nematodes.

MORELAND - Helen Simpson, 84, may be a farmer first, but in her heart, she's a quilter. To her, quilting is a challenge and an inspiration. Since the weather last summer was too dry to grow a garden, Simpson spent a majority of her time on a special project, one that has great meaning for her. She worked a little less than a year on a commemorative Iraqi soldier quilt featuring a pattern of yellow ribbons. Simpson pieced together the full-size quilt by herself. Sometimes she will work 200 hours or more on a quilt project.

Periodical cicadas appear in predictable generations, known as "broods. " Brood XIV, which is the brood that is most widespread in Kentucky, is due to emerge again in 2008. The first cicadas can be expected about the first of May, and the last of them will die about mid-June. They are most numerous in or near forested areas. In preparation for emergence, the nymphs, or juvenile stage, often create mud tubes that stand up several inches from the soil surface. After the nymphs emerge from the ground, they climb to a vertical surface and shed their exoskeletons to become adults.

The results of soil analyses are no better than the core samples you collect for your home lawn, garden or orchard. It's like the adage, "garbage in, garbage out. " The Boyle County Cooperative Extension Service has information on how to properly take samples and the benefits of soil tests. Boxes for samples also are available at the office. When collecting soil cores from your home garden or lawn, be sure to take samples from the area on which you want fertility data and separate them according to land use. You'll need to take different samples for a lawn, garden, fruit trees, ornamental shrubs and azaleas because each may have distinct fertility, acidity or alkalinity requirements.