F EB RUARY 2021 - Scott County
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FEBRUARY 2021
Season Two of the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays presentations begin in Febru-
ary. The webinars begin at 12:30 pm EST/ 11:30 am CST, every Thursday for the next
several months. Register at https://tinyurl.com/UKYHortWebWed21.
Visit https://kentuckyhortnews.com for information on webinars and more.
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make your own seed starting soil
February Garden Ideas: Around the U.S. in Extension
CORVALLIS, Ore. – It may be too early to put seeds in the ground, but itchy gardeners can get
ready to grow by mixing up a batch of clean potting soil for starting seeds. Mixing up your own
is more economical than buying sterile potting mix at a garden store.
A good germinating medium is fine textured and free of pests, diseases and weed seeds. It
should be low in fertility and soluble salts and
capable of holding and moving moisture.
But beware: Soil straight from your backyard
just won’t do the job, says Barb Fick, home
horticulturist with the Oregon State University
Extension Service.
Typical backyard soil is compacted and full of
weed seeds. Native soil may not drain as well
as potting mixes, and it can develop a crust
that prevents seedlings from pushing though
the surface. And if it's not pasteurized, it can
cause diseases in seedlings.
Fick’s recipe for a good basic pasteurized soil
for starting seedlings is a mixture of one-third
Photo by Sharon Flynt, Agent for Horticulture, Scott County
pasteurized soil or finished compost, one-third sand or
perlite, and one-third peat moss.
You can use your oven to pasteurize a small quantity of seedling soil. Put slightly moist garden
soil or compost in a heat-resistant pan and cover with a lid or foil. Place in a 250-degree oven
with a food thermometer, to ensure that the mix reaches a temperature of 180 degrees for a full
half-hour. Avoid overheating it, as the structure of the soil may be damaged.
Sand, peat moss and perlite are available at most nurseries and garden stores, and a mixture of
half peat moss and half perlite or sand also works well, according to Fick.
Another task is to clean your pots, trays, and flats in preparation for planting. Scrape old dirt
from containers, and then rinse them in a solution of one part chlorine bleach to 10 parts water
to kill remaining plant disease microorganisms that could invade your tender young seedlings.
Oregon State University
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Pesticide Training and Certification in
Kentucky and Covid-19
Applying pesticides safely and effectively takes training and experience. Applying pesticides im-
properly can result in risks to one’s health, to food safety, and to the environment. From a regulatory
perspective, pesticides are classified as either General Use Pesticides (GUP) or Restricted Use Pesti-
cides (RUP). General Use Pesti-
cides can be purchased and
used by the general public with-
out training or certification; Re-
stricted Use Pesticides can only
be purchased and used by pes-
ticide applicators that have
completed training and are cer-
tified by the State of Kentucky.
Some herbicides, such as
dicamba and paraquat, require
additional training and certifica-
tions.
Figure 1. Face-to-face training opportunities for applicators will be limited for the near future. (Photo: Types of Certifications
There are two types of pesticide certifications in Kentucky: (1), private applicator certification and
(2) commercial and non-commercial applicator certification.
Private applicator certification is for persons using Restricted Use Pesticides for purposes of producing
any agricultural commodity on property owned or rented by him/her or an employer, or to the lands
of a farmer-neighbor, if applied without compensation other than trading of personal services be-
tween producers of agricultural commodities.
Certified commercial applicators may use or supervise the use of any pesticide that is classified Re-
stricted Use for any purpose or on any property other than as provided under the definition of private
applicator. Noncommercial applicator means any individual employed by golf courses, municipal
corporations, public utilities, or other governmental agencies making applications of pesticides to
lands owned, occupied, or managed by his or her employer. There are 21 categories of commercial
applicators in Kentucky.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) also clarified that an individual making any pesticide
application to an agricultural commodity must be a certified pesticide applicator. This is where there
is some confusion—producers often think certification applies only to restricted-use products, when it
applies to any and all pesticide applications to agricultural commodities. Certification can be
through private applicator or commercial certification.
Private Applicators Training
Private applicators are trained and certified through their county Cooperative Extension Service of-
fice. Unlike commercial applicators, there is no mandatory test. Instead, they attend training classes
every 3 years. This spring, because of COVID-19 restrictions, private applicator certifications will be
offered using several methods:
For Online-training classes through the Scott County Cooperative Extension office .,please call 502
863 0984 for more information.
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