EXTENSION MASTER GARDENERS - Sequatchie County
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EXTENSION MASTER GARDENERS
A Program of the University of Tennessee Extension Sequatchie and Bledsoe Counties
Gardening News and Notes
July 2021
What is it?
• This is a lawn with sparse fescue grass, some
clover, and wild violets.
• The problem was noticed on June 10 and I
took the photo on June 11.
• The week of June 7 was humid, rainy, and
cloudy
The answer to what it is can be found on the last
page
UT Publications and videos
• The latest two sessions of Back Porch Forestry, by Dr. Dave Mercker, have been posted. These segments
address common insects and diseases that create problems for trees in our region. All sessions are located on YouTube
at this site: https://tiny.utk.edu/BPF
• W 1007 Laurel Wilt - Authored by Walker Fowler, Alan Windham, and Denita Hadziabdic, Department of Entomology
and Plant Pathology. https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W1007.pdf
• Emergency Broadband Benefit The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is a program to help families and
households struggling to afford broadband internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our own Kim Davis is listed
as a co-author for this fact sheet. https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/D145.pdf
• Container Tomatoes For The Tennessee Gardener Containers can be successful and accessible for both novice and
experienced growers while providing ready access to the kitchen to make use of harvests quickly and easily.
https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/D142.pdf
Contact the Extension office if you would like a hard copy of any publications mentioned in the newsletter.
Sequatchie Valley Master Gardeners July 2021
TENNESSEE URBAN FORESTRY COUNCIL WEBINAR
SERIES
The Tennessee Urban Forestry Council (TUFC) and the UT Residential and Community Forestry Workgroup have joined
forces to bring you free educational seminars to help you manage urban forests.
Webinar replays:
• Plant Disease in Urban Forests, presented by Alan Windham
• Proactive Pest Management in Winter and Spring, presented by Dr. Frank Hale
• Stand Dynamics in the Old Forest State Natural Area, presented by Eric Bridges
• Rethinking Trees, presented by Dr. Paul Ries
• Emerald Ash Borer: What to Expect; How to Respond, presented by Dr. Cameron Stauder
• Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) Grant, presented by Diane Warwick
• Introduction to Tree Identification, presented by Joellen Dimond
Coming this month
7/15 Webinar: The Five Best Native Tree Genera to Support Food Webs
Presented by Dr. Desiree Norango. Information coming soon.
Register for this webinar.
2021 SVMG Calendar
• Quarterly Meeting and Tomato Tasting, July 24, 2021 - Pikeville, Bledsoe County Extension office
• August 2021 County Fairs
• Quarterly Meeting November 6, 2021, 9:00 AM Central, Dunlap location to be announced
2021 Area Events and Programs
• Turf Tuesdays – Monthly, first Tuesday April-October, online at http://tiny.utk.edu/TurfTuesday
• August 26, Turf & Ornamental – TBA, East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center Plant Sciences Unit at Knoxville
• August 31, 8 a.m. CDT, Fall Gardener’s Festival - Plateau AgResearch and Education Center at Crossville
• September 2, 8 a.m. CDT, Steak and Potatoes – Plateau AgResearch and Education Center at Crossville
• September 18, UT Arboretum Butterfly Festival – 10 a.m. EDT, Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center – UT
Arboretum Auditorium at Oak Ridge
Friday Focus Series
• July 23- Cut flowers and MGs in TN
• Sept. 24- MGs and Arboretums in Lebanon and Ohio
Friday Focus Series Signup Form: https://forms.gle/bg6HaoSDSGHE5Dc4A
Playlist at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XEhPXe1-zw&list=PL1yNe3Yb9E37WrVhvEZnI07ID_ntc_G2s
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Sequatchie Valley Master Gardeners July 2021
UT Gardens
Plant of the Month
Perfectly Named for Summer: Suncredible!
Submitted by James Newburn, Interim Director, UT Gardens, Knoxville
Sunflower. The very name brings a smile to our
faces as we picture the bright yellow blooms in our
mind’s eye. We think of warm summer days, sweet tea,
fireworks, and the gigantic flower, whose name was the
first flower many of us learned. Helianthus annus, as its
name implies, is an annual, and is often grown from
seed. In the garden though, they can exhibit two
shortcomings. One, they can get a bit too large for the
area planted. Two, they can have a relatively short
blooming time—a one-and-done type scenario.
Enter Suncredible® sunflowers, an introduction
from the folks at Proven Winners. These beauties
provide solutions to the issues mentioned above. The
These Suncredible sunflowers were on display at the UT Gardens,
size of the Suncredible is ideal in a variety of gardening
Jackson. Photo courtesy UTIA.
situations. Reaching a height of 24 inches to 36 inches
with a spread measuring between 20 inches to 32 inches, they can be massed together along a fence or behind a low hedge
to provide bursts of season-long color. They are also the perfect size for containers, either alone or in striking
combinations.
Suncredibles are considered everblooming, meaning they keep sending out flowers on strong, multi-branched, bush-
like plants throughout the growing season. The spent flower blooms do not need to be deadheaded as they wither away
and are quickly covered by new branches and flowers. The blooms are about 4 inches across and make for a manageable
cut flower that is not too big for a dining room table arrangement like other sunflowers. They are available in two colors:
traditional Suncredible® Yellow, with the brown eye, and Suncredible® Saturn, with a copper inner ring that is reminiscent
of some rudbeckia cultivars.
This patented sterile plant is sold as a potted annual. It requires full sun (up to 6 and possibly more hours a day), is heat
tolerant, and once established is drought tolerant. The Suncredible sunflower is pretty forgiving of soil conditions, too;
though wet sites are best avoided. Bloom time should last until frost, so it is a good transition plant from the summer
garden to the fall garden. Bring a little brightness into your life with this outstanding sunflower choice.
The UT Gardens includes plant collections located in Knoxville, Crossville, and Jackson. Designated as the official
botanical garden for the State of Tennessee, the collections are part of the UT Institute of Agriculture. The Gardens’ mission
is to foster appreciation, education, and stewardship of plants through garden displays, educational programs, and research
trials. The Gardens are open during all seasons and free to the public. For more information, see the Gardens
website: utia.tennessee.edu/state-botanical-garden
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Sequatchie Valley Master Gardeners July 2021
Gardening Tips
“Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration.”
Lou Erickson
August Gardening
• Sow pansies, ornamental kale and cabbage, and Swiss chard seed in a good quality potting medium. After seedlings
develop true leaves, transplant them into individual cell packs or pots. Feed with a water-soluble fertilizer. By late
September or early October, they should be ready to transplant into the garden.
• For late crops of beets, carrots, collards, kale, lettuce, spinach, turnips, mustards, and radish, sow seeds before the
middle of the month. Transplants of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and onions can be planted mid-to-late August.
• Stop watering amaryllis bulbs late this month and place them in a dry location. After leaves turn yellow, remove the
foliage and store bulbs in a cool, dry, and dark place for about two months. If need be, repot bulbs so that the top one-
half to two-thirds of each is above the soil. Water and place indoors in a well-lit area. The bulbs should bloom in six to
eight weeks.
• Divide and transplant bearded iris during August. Cut back the foliage by two-thirds, dig and divide rhizomes, and
remove any dead portions. Check for iris borers and replant in a sunny, well-drained location with one-third of the
rhizome above the existing soil level. Water well.
• August is also a good time to dig and divide daylilies, using a sharp shovel to split the clumps into desirable sizes. Cut
back foliage to 5 inches and replant in a sunny location.
• Cut back by one-third of early planted annuals that are getting leggy or out of control to keep them looking good into
the fall. Give them a shot of a water-soluble fertilizer. Good candidates include impatiens, salvia, sweet potato vine,
trailing or ground cover-type petunias, and herbs like basil.
• Autumn crocus (Colchicum sp.) bulbs should be ordered now and planted soon after they arrive for a beautiful fall
display. They are sometimes available at garden centers but more often can be obtained from mail-order catalogs, such
as Brent and Becky's Bulbs.
• Avoid pruning trees and shrubs starting in late August, particularly hedging plants, such as boxwood, hemlock, and
hollies, as doing so this late in the season can stimulate new growth that will not harden off before frost. If spring-
flowering shrubs are pruned now, you will be sacrificing next year’s flowers. Delay pruning any tree or shrub until the
plant is dormant. Any major pruning should be done in late winter.
• To encourage another flush of flowers on your chaste tree (Vitex), cut the seed pods off as the flowers fade.
• Avoid fertilizing most trees and shrubs from August to November. Fertilize roses one last time to encourage new
growth and late summer/early fall flowers.
• Photograph your garden to help yourself remember what you did and did not like this year. See what works and what
doesn't. In winter, you will be able to determine which plants you need to move, remove or add when you analyze the
photos.
• To reduce the number of pests on your fruit tree for the coming year, pick up and destroy all fallen fruit.
• Every weed that produces seed means more trouble next year. Don’t give in to the heat, and control weeds before they
go to seed. Do not add weeds with mature seed heads to the compost pile. Many weed seeds can remain viable and
germinate next year when the compost is used.
• Gather herbs and flowers for drying and preserving. The best time to gather herbs for drying is during the midmorning
hours, just after the dew has dried off the herbs but before the sun causes them to wilt. Cut the herbs in clusters with
the stems attached.
• Many trees and shrubs are now setting fruit and flower buds for the next season, so the plants need to have sufficient
water at this time. A lack of water now will reduce next season’s crop of fruit or flowers. Use mulch to help conserve
moisture and keep the soil temperature cooler during the dog days of August. Also, use soaker hoses to water deeply
and minimize water loss due to evaporation.
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Sequatchie Valley Master Gardeners July 2021
The UT Plateau AgResearch and Education Center is pleased to once again host in-person events. The Fall Gardeners’ Festival
will be August 31, 2021, and the Steak and Potatoes Field Day will be September 2. Both events are free to attend and begin at 8
a.m. CDT. Photo of previous event by P. McDaniels, courtesy UTIA.
Plateau AgResearch and Education Center to Host Two
In-Person Events
Mark Your August and September Calendars
The University of Tennessee Plateau AgResearch and Education Center is pleased to welcome the public back to the
center for two events later this season. The Fall Gardeners’ Festival and the Steak and Potatoes Field Day will be in-person
and will include presentations from the UT Institute of Agriculture experts.
• Fall Gardeners’ Festival – August 31, 8 a.m. CDT
• Steak and Potatoes – September 2, 8 a.m. CDT
The Fall Gardeners’ Festival will cover 13 diverse topics for home gardeners ranging from edible landscaping and fruit
and nut crops to gardening under trees and rain gardening. The festival opens at 8 a.m., but presentations begin at 9 a.m.
and will conclude at 3 p.m. Pre-registration is offered, but it is not required.
The Fall Gardeners’ Festival is held in cooperation with the Cumberland County Master Gardeners Association. More
information can be found online.
The Steak and Potatoes Field Day will feature presentations geared more for producers on topics that range from cattle
production to land management. Topics include an introduction to cattle genomics, forages and beef nutrition, long-term
impacts of reproductive management decisions on herd profitability as well as treatment of tree pests. An update on the
U.S. Sustainability Round Table and what it means for Tennessee producers will also be presented.
Pre-registration is not required for the Steak and Potatoes Field Day.
Both events are open to the public and are free to attend.
Learn more online about these events and more field days scheduled throughout 2021.
The Plateau AgResearch and Education Center is located off of Highway 70N at 320 Experiment Station Road in
Crossville. A map to the facility and complete directions are available online at plateau.tennessee.edu.
Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu.
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Sequatchie Valley Master Gardeners July 2021
Slime Molds
Cause: Mucilago crustacea, Physarum species, and Fuligo species
Hosts: Nearly all turfgrasses
Symptoms: Many small white, gray or several other color fruiting bodies of these fungi
may suddenly appear on leaves of turfgrasses in small patches. Slime molds usually appear
during or after extended periods of warm-wet weather. These fungi grow on the surface of
leaves and do not kill the leaves, but may cause some yellowing by shading the affected
leaves. Slime molds are unsightly but are not considered harmful. Factors Affecting Disease
Development: Spores survive in the soil and on the thatch. The spores germinate and
develop into a colorless slimy mass that grows over the soil and nearby plant parts during
wet weather. Reproductive structures are the small colored bodies that develop on leaves
during warm, wet weather.
Control: The slime molds may be removed by brushing, mowing, or washing the turf.
Although fungicides are not needed, some can be used to control these fungi.
Sources and additional information
Windham, Alan Turfgrass Diseases and Their Control UT Extension Publication PB842
https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/pb842.pdf
Rimelspach Joseph W. and Michael J. Boehm, “Slime Molds on Turfgrass” Ohioline Ohio State University Extension
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-3074
https://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/diseases-in-turf/slime-mold-in-turf/
The Extension Master Gardener Program is a program of the University of Tennessee Extension
Sheldon Barker J. C. Rains
County Director & Extension Agent County Director & Extension Agent
Sequatchie Co. Bledsoe Co.
170 Church St PO Box 289
Dunlap, TN 37327 Pikeville, TN 37367
423-949-2611 423-447-2451
UT Extension Sequatchie County web page UT-TSU Extension Bledsoe County Webpage
Sequatchie County Facebook Bledsoe County Facebook
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