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Landscape design and Horticultural classes
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Date Posted: Thu, Oct 31 - 11:19 am
- Hello. I've been cutting grass and pulling weeds for some time. I currently work as a grounds keeper. Id like former training to help me learn more and progress. Where can I go to get formal landscape landscape design and horticultural classes. thanks
- Thanks for reaching out to the Master Gardeners about educational opportunities! We are actually currently accepting applications for our upcoming internship program which provides 20 hours of education on a variety of topics including landscaping and turf management. Here is a quick synopsis about becoming a Master Gardener: Information about the upcoming class: The class will be run through the Chesterfield County Extension office and will meet January 9, 2025- March 27, 2025 on Tuesdays 9am-12p (virtually) and Thursdays 4p-7p (in person). Cost to participate is $225 (and includes all educational materials) Requirements for Master Gardener interns: Complete 20 educational hours and 50 volunteer hours Ongoing requirement for Master Gardeners: Complete 8 educational hours and 20 volunteer hours per year The Richmond Master Gardeners are a small, but fun unit! We have not had an extension agent since 2021 and operate mostly independently. We typically meet every other month on the first Monday of the month at 6pm at the West End Branch library and will often have speakers come to our meetings. Currently, our volunteer efforts are primarily focused at the Richmond Public Libraries and Richmond Public Schools. To apply, follow this link: https://bttr.im/70gik Another option to keep an eye out for is the Landscape design class offered through Lewis Ginter. Looking at their website, it seems like they just wrapped up a course, but this should be one they offer again in the future: https://www.lewisginter.org/event/basic-residential-landscape-design/ You could also consider the certificate program that is available through the Univeristy of Richmond: https://news.richmond.edu/features/article/-/10441/horticulture-professional-certificate-new-landscape-program-focuses-on-sustainable-landscape-practices.html And I always keep an eye on our amazing local nurseries and garden shops for the variety of classes that they offer: Sneeds Nursery, Great Big Greenhouse, Strange's, etc. Hope this list of opportunities and options will help you connect with what you are looking for!
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Speaker request
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Date Posted: Thu, Oct 24 - 12:16 am
- Hello! My name is Korey Ruhnow, I am a work-study student with the Highland Support Project in downtown Richmond. We are reaching out to request a speaker from your esteemed organization for our informal virtual gatherings on Wednesday nights. This event is organized by an informal group comprising students, teachers, Rotarians, and members of faith-based communities who have participated with the Highland Support Project in service learning trips to Guatemala and Arizona. Our group is dedicated to supporting projects which maintain the local ecosystem through the growing of native plants. Your organization's insights would be an incredible addition to our discussions. We would be thrilled to host you at a Zoom meeting on a Wednesday evening that suits your schedule. Please let us know your availability and any requirements you might have. Thank you very much for considering our request. We eagerly await the possibility of collaborating with you. Best regards, Korey
- Hello Korey! Thank you for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners with an invitation to speak to your organization. I will connect with you directly via e-mail to follow up on this request.
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Is my new maple tree healthy?
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Date Posted: Sun, Oct 20 - 1:26 pm
- Good morning! I am reaching out in regard to a maple tree I recently ordered. I am concerned that we may have been sent an unhealthy tree. It arrived with a lot of dead leaves, including many of the "baby" leaves at the top of the tree, and spots on many of the larger leaves. There is also a wound on the bark where the stake rubbed it, and the trunk is not straight. Since I don't have much experience with trees, I am unsure whether the tree will bounce back, or whether this is indicative of larger issues, and we should refrain from planting. Any insight you can offer would be greatly appreciated! I can only upload one photo through this form, but am happy to email more if needed. Thank you so much!
- Hello! Thank you so much for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners for help with your new tree. From what I have read, the trunk will likely correct itself as it grows so it shouldn't be too worrisome that it isn't straight right now. Reaching out to the grower you purchased fromm is always a good idea to see what information they are able to share about their trees. From the picture you sent, I think your new tree may have some maple spider mites. These can be common in trees coming from a nursery setting and can often be easily controlled when planted in a healthy environment. Here is a helpful site with more information about spider mites: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/maple-spider-mite-oligonychus-aceris-shimer-acariformes-tetranychidae I've also reached out to the Richmond Tree stewards to see if they have any other helpful information to pass along about your new tree and I will reach out to you via e-mail if I get anything new from them!
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Tree Girdling
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Date Posted: Tue, Oct 08 - 11:35 pm
- I have what appears to be a very intense girdling root situation happening with my ruby red falls (red bud cultivar). The top of the tree died off entirely this year so I cut the dead part off (about 1 ft) earlier in the spring and just now decided to check the roots. It did produce a lot of leaves and appears to be in just ok health, but is not thriving by any means. Is this tree salvageable? Any suggestions?
- Thanks for reaching out to the master gardeners for help with your tree. I've sent your photo to a handful of other master gardeners in our group so that we can have a few opinions to share with you. Overall, we do not see serious concern for girdling in the photo that you sent. If you are seeing girdling that we can not see (maybe on the other side of the tree) you could always cut those roots away taking care to not cut into the stem/trunk of the tree. Your heavy pruning of the tree earlier this year could certainly be a cause of the abnormal growth you saw this year. From your photo, it does appear that your tree may have been planted too deep. You could pull a lot of the soil back from the tree in order to create a more shallow planting and see if this helps to improve the health of your plant. If ultimately the tree does not survive and you are looking to replace it, we would recommend going with a straight species like Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)
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Becoming a Master Gardener
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Date Posted: Mon, Oct 07 - 11:58 pm
- Recently moved to the RVA. Interested in becoming a MG. What're next steps? M
- Micah, welcome to Richmond! We are so glad you are here and hope you will truly enjoy your new hometown - Richmond has so much to offer! And we are excited to hear about your interest in becoming a master gardener. The city of Richmond has been with out an extension agent for the last several years and our group of master gardeners has been operating without direct city leadership. Because of this, we have not been able to offer the program to bring new master gardeners on. This year, however, we have been able to partner with one of the other localities in the area and will have the opportunity to have two people go through the master gardener training on behalf of Richmond. We are very excited and will have more information coming out soon about this! I will send you an email so that we can stay in touch and I can be sure to get these details over to you when they are available. Thanks for reaching out!
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New backyard garden planning
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Date Posted: Mon, Oct 07 - 11:52 pm
- I would like help with planning a small garden (32”x73”) at the back of my house.
- Hi Maria! How exciting to be dreaming about a new garden for your back yard. I will reach out to you directly through e-mail to follow up with you and get more information in order to see if we have a master gardener available to help you with your endeavors!
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Starting a garden in a city apartment
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Date Posted: Mon, Sep 16 - 12:40 am
- I want to start gardening more seriously but I live in a city apartment with no ability to open my windows. I still have sunlight though, what kind of small plants are good to start with in this situation?
- There are plenty of options for small plants that can thrive indoors. Indoor plants are such a great way to brighten your space and clean your air. Here are a few great options to get you started: 1. Herbs: Many herbs grow well indoors with sunlight. Some easy ones to start with are basil, mint, parsley, and chives. They’re compact, easy to care for, and perfect for adding fresh flavor to your cooking. 2. Succulents and Cacti: These are ideal for small spaces and don’t require much maintenance. Plants like aloe vera and jade plant thrive in sunlight and only need occasional watering. 3. Spider Plant: A hardy plant that tolerates a range of indoor conditions. It’s also great for air purification and is easy to grow in small pots. 4. Snake Plant: Also known as Sansevieria, it’s a low-maintenance plant that does well in indirect sunlight and can thrive in indoor conditions without open windows. 5. Pothos: This vining plant is highly adaptable, tolerating low to bright indirect sunlight. It’s also great for small spaces, as it can trail from shelves or hang from a small pot. 6. Microgreens: If you want to grow something edible, microgreens like radish, sunflower, or pea shoots are fast-growing, require little space, and only need sunlight and water. This is a great time of year to be thinking about adding some plants inside! It will be so nice to have them around as we transition into winter. Just ensure they get the sunlight they need, and water them according to their specific needs.
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Cover crops for shaded compacted lawn
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Date Posted: Mon, Sep 16 - 12:32 am
- Hello! I have a very compacted front lawn that only grows Japanese clover (and just barely). It’s in full shade below large willow oaks. A shovel only gets a couple inches deep, and that’s after jumping on it a few times. I have a dream of planting groundcovers like Chrysogonum, Fragaria, and Ajuga, but I don’t think they’ll do well in compaction. Are there any cover crops I can plant to overwinter that will help with this? I was thinking daikon, but don’t know if they’ll do well without sun. Any tips for combatting this compaction would be very helpful!
- So many of us know this struggle with compacted soil!. Daikon radish is often recommended for breaking up compacted soil due to its deep taproot. However, it does require at least partial sun to grow well, and in deep shade, it may struggle. I'm curious when the leaves typically fall from your willow oaks as that should help the area get more sunlight. You might consider crimson clover or white clover which can tolerate low light levels better and also help improve soil structure by fixing nitrogen. Personally, I would be inclined to seed with both diakon radish and clover. If both end up growing that should be a huge help to your soil! Other ideas to consider include applying a layer of compost or leaf mulch. This will encourage earthworm activity and other soil organisms that naturally aerate the soil over time. If physically possible, aerating the lawn with a manual or mechanical aerator can make a big difference. This opens up the soil, allowing water and nutrients to penetrate more effectively, and provides a better environment for your planned groundcovers. And once the soil has improved, your choices of Chrysogonum, Fragaria, and Ajuga could thrive better. These are excellent for shaded areas once the compaction is reduced. Good luck! We'd love to hear what you decide to go with and the outcome that you get.
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Fig & Cherry trees
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Date Posted: Fri, Sep 06 - 11:33 am
- Planted two fig trees (brown Turkey, Hardy Chicago) and a cherry tree (sweetheart) in mid July that have really been struggling recently. I’m wondering what diseases they might have and would love advice on how to treat them. Thank you! Hardy Chicago fig picture attached
- Fig and cherry trees can be a bit sensitive to grow, especially when planted in the heat of summer. The best time to plant is typically in May, or if you are eager to get them in the ground you can plant larger saplings in the fall. Thank you for including the picture, its helpful to see what you are seeing. It's possible the browning you are seeing is related to environmental stress (transplanting, summer heat, etc). However, it also seems likely that your plant is suffering from fig rust, a common issue for fig trees that is caused by a fungal pathogen that can impact the health of the tree if not managed properly. Fig rust symptoms are worse during hot, wet, humid weather in late summer. Fig rust starts out as small, yellowish or reddish spots on the upper side of the leaves. As the disease progresses, these spots may turn brown and become surrounded by a yellow halo. On the underside of the leaves, you may see small, rust-colored pustules, which contain the fungal spores. Fig rust is caused by the fungus Fusicladium effusum. This pathogen thrives in warm, humid conditions and can spread rapidly if the environment is favorable. There are a few things you can do to try to control the fungus from a cultural standpoint that focus on reducing the time that leaves are wet in order to stop spore germination and infection. This includes: avoid overhead irrigation and water at the base of the plant instead, do not plant the trees in shady areas, regularly weed to help keep humidity around the tree lower, and avoid planting in areas that flood or have free-standing water after rainfall. It's also important to remove and destroy any downed leaves from near the plant to remove the fungus.
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Blueberries and Lavender
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 27 - 11:37 pm
- Hello, I have 3 questions - I have blueberry bushes that were not properly tended to over the summer heat. They produced lovely berries but since have grown scraggly and I need to trim them back. Is there a proper time and way to do this? I have attempted several times to take cuttings and start new plants. Failed every time. Any suggestions? I have lavender plants in front of the blueberry bushes. They are half alive and half dead. Do I need to move them? I am thinking it is from the overgrowth of limbs from the blueberry bushes but not certain. I am presently in the tedious process of soaking the ground in the evenings and pulling the grass and weeds that surround them. I appreciate your help.
- Thanks for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners! You have several great questions that we will do our best to give you some guidance on: 1. When to prune blueberry bushes: The best time to prune blueberries is in late winter or early spring, just before new growth begins. This timing helps the bush recover and grow new shoots for the coming season. You could also have done some light pruning after harvesting, particularly if you noticed any dead or diseased branches. Regular, light pruning is usually better than infrequent, heavy pruning. Always make clean cuts and avoid leaving stubs, as these can become entry points for pests or diseases. 2. How to prune blueberry bushes: Start by cutting out any dead, damaged, or diseased branches. This helps improve air circulation and reduces the risk of pests and diseases. If the bush is very dense, selectively remove some of the older, thicker branches from the center of the plant to improve airflow and light penetration. This encourages better fruit development. Blueberry bushes produce the most fruit on new growth. Cut back older branches that are more than 6 years old to promote the growth of new, fruitful shoots. Aim for a well-rounded shape, which helps the bush maintain balance and supports better fruit production. Trim to keep the bush to a manageable size and shape, typically removing no more than a third of the plant's height in one season. During the growing season, you can also trim any overly vigorous shoots that might be crowding the plant, encouraging a more balanced structure. 3. Using cuttings to start new plants: The best time to take blueberry cuttings is from late summer to early fall when the wood is semi-hard but not yet fully mature. Choose cuttings from healthy, vigorous plants. Look for shoots that are not too old or too young. Ideally, the cuttings should be from the current season's growth and about 4-6 inches long. If possible, select shoots that haven't flowered, as they will have more energy to put into growing roots. - Preparing Cuttings: Make a clean cut just below a node (the point where leaves attach to the stem). This is where the roots are most likely to develop. Strip off the lower leaves, leaving a few at the top. This reduces moisture loss and encourages root growth. Although optional, dipping the cut end in rooting hormone can improve the chances of successful rooting. Rooting hormone is available in powder, gel, or liquid form. -Planting: Use a well-draining rooting medium like a mix of peat moss and perlite or sand. You can also use a commercial rooting mix. Insert the cuttings into the rooting medium about 1-2 inches deep. Firm the soil around them to ensure good contact. -Care: Keep the rooting medium consistently moist but not waterlogged. Water the cuttings gently to avoid displacing them. Cover the cuttings with a plastic bag or place them in a greenhouse or a propagation chamber to maintain high humidity. Ensure the cover does not touch the cuttings to avoid mold. Place the cuttings in a location with bright, indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight, which can be too intense for young cuttings. -Transplanting: After about 8-12 weeks, check for root development by gently tugging on the cuttings. If you feel resistance, roots have formed. Rooting can take time, so be patient and avoid disturbing the cuttings too soon. Once roots are established, transplant the cuttings into small pots with a potting mix suitable for blueberries or a mix of peat and perlite. Gradually acclimate the young plants to outdoor conditions by exposing them to more light and outdoor temperatures over a couple of weeks. 4. Caring for lavender plants: Lavender plants can be a bit finicky, but several common issues could be causing them to struggle or die. Here are a few things to think about: Lavender needs well-draining soil. Heavy, clayey, or waterlogged soils can lead to root rot. Consider improving drainage by adding sand or gravel to the soil, or planting in raised beds or containers with good drainage. Lavender prefers slightly alkaline to neutral soil, ideally with a pH between 6.7 and 7.3. You can test your soil’s pH with a kit and amend it if necessary. Lavender is drought-tolerant and doesn’t like to sit in wet soil. Water sparingly and allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Overwatering can cause root rot and other issues. While lavender prefers less frequent watering, it still needs some moisture, especially in hot, dry conditions. Ensure it gets enough water during prolonged dry spells. Lavender requires full sun to thrive, which means at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day. If it’s not getting enough light, it can become leggy and weak. Lavender generally prefers temperate climates. Extreme cold or heat can stress the plant Lavender doesn’t need a lot of fertilizer. Fungal diseases like root rot, powdery mildew, and rust can affect lavender. Ensure proper spacing for air circulation and avoid overhead watering to reduce disease risk. Lavender benefits from regular pruning to maintain its shape and health. Prune after flowering to remove spent blooms and encourage new growth. Avoid cutting into old, woody stems, as they may not regenerate. Blueberries and lavender can be successfully planted together, but there are a few things to think about to ensure both plants thrive. Both blueberries and lavender prefer acidic to neutral soil. Blueberries thrive in a pH of 4.5 to 5.5, while lavender prefers a pH of around 6.7 to 7.3. This difference in pH requirements means you’ll need to find a balance or be prepared to amend the soil appropriately. Both plants need full sun to grow well. Ensure they receive at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day. Both plants require well-draining soil. Blueberries are prone to root rot in poorly drained soils, and lavender, though drought-tolerant, also dislikes wet feet. Blueberries need consistent moisture, especially during the growing season, whereas lavender prefers drier conditions and is more tolerant of drought. Overwatering can lead to issues for both plants, so careful watering practices are necessary. We hope this will give you some guidance for moving forward. Happy gardening!