Oh, the things that you will learn

The knowledge you gain as a trainee in Lynchburg’s 2009 Master Gardener program will be useful in your own yard. Here is what you can expect to learn in a few of the 24 classes.

It all starts with a session on soil and fertilizer. You will learn how to work with the local red clay soil and how to choose the best fertilizer for your plants. Adding leaves, compost and other forms of organic matter to maintain soil tilth will be stressed.

An introduction to botany will be provided by Dr. Al McDaniel, a horticulture professor at Virginia Tech. He plans to talk about roots, stems, leaves and flowers, and how they function. McDaniel has an enthusiasm for botany and gardening that is infectious.

You will learn how to save money on your food bill by growing your own vegetables and fruits. Two classes will introduce you to planting methods and times, plus the recommended varieties for growers in our area. On a field trip to Morris Orchard, everyone will learn the pruning techniques used on apple and peach trees.

A grower of organic vegetables is going to teach a class and share his knowledge of compost, cover crops and beneficial insects. He plans to illustrate the organic approach to keeping broccoli free of worms and potatoes free of beetles.

Planting and maintenance of lawns will be addressed in one class. Trainees will learn the secrets to having an attractive lawn: selecting the right grasses, planting seed in the fall, fertilizing in fall and mowing at a height of 3 inches.

Flowering and evergreen shrubbery are also covered in this course. Participants will learn how to recognize common shrubs and how to provide the inputs needed to grow them. After learning to distinguish English from American boxwood, you will be introduced to lesser known boxwoods, such as Dee Runk, Justin Brouwers and Vardar Valley.

The pruning class will equip you with the skills necessary to maintain the shrubbery and trees in your yard. This class is taught by a certified arborist, who will demonstrate pruning on a variety of plants growing on the community college campus.

Lessons in plant propagation are going to be given by an amateur plant grower with years of experience. She plans to demonstrate ways to increase your supply of plants by cuttings (leaf, stem, root), layering and division. Propagating plants such as vegetables and flowers by seed will also be illustrated in detail.

Toward the end of the course, you will learn about gardening with the seasons. This class will focus on the chores needing to be done in your lawn and garden each month of the year. Blooming times for ornamental plants will be reviewed by month.

Applications for this volunteer training program are due on Jan. 9 and they are available from the Lynchburg Extension Office (434) 455-3740 or visit http://www.hcmga.com.

So noted
Last week’s column had two photos of arborists in trees taken by Rachel Sledge.

Don Davis is an Extension Agent for the Virginia Cooperative Extension. He can be reached by calling 455-3740.