Plants & Pests with Nicole
January 2023
Upcoming Events
- Gage County Extension is closed January 1st in observance of New Years Day.
- Gage County Extension is closed January 15th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
- Master Gardener Appreciation Luncheon is January 12th at 11:30am. Please RSVP by January 10th.
- Classes for returning Master Gardeners starts January 30th, see more information below.
Master Gardener Calendars are Ready!
If you ordered a Master Gardener Calendar, they will be ready for pickup starting January 2nd. I will also have them available for those who ordered them at the Master Gardener Appreciation Luncheon on January 12th.
If you haven't ordered one yet, there is still time. Please let Nicole know if you would like one and which size you prefer (8.5 x 11 or 8.5 x 14).
Master Gardener Luncheon
Join us on January 12, 2024 at 11:30am for the Master Gardener Luncheon. This is the 2nd annual luncheon to celebrate all of you and all of the wonderful volunteering you do for your communities! Thank you all!! You should have received your invitation in the mail. Let me know by January 10th if you can attend so I can have a head count for the meal.
Master Gardener 2024
The classes begin on Tuesday, January 30th. They are all available on zoom or recorded. I will also hold in-person classes for those who cannot do zoom on Tuesdays at 6:30pm in Beatrice and Wednesdays at 1pm in Wilber. I will have you sign up weekly for the in-person options to ensure that enough people will be attending to necessitate the Beatrice evening in-person options.
The cost to remain a Master Gardener is $20 per person. You can send your payments to the office or bring them to the luncheon or one of the classes you attend. The office address is listed below.
Poinsettias
Order Seeds
January and February are the best months to start planning your garden for this spring. If you have seed catalogs already get those out and start flipping through the pages. If you don’t receive any seed catalogs, you can go to any of their websites and request a free catalog, try Burpee, Jung, Johnny’s, Park, and Gurney’s. Make sure that any plants you are interested in are listed as hardy up to zone 6a, which is where we are in Southeast Nebraska. Remember to count backward from your planting date to know how soon to start your transplants. Don’t start them too early or they will get leggy.
Snow in the Landscape
The snow and ice season has begun now. Ice and snow build-up on trees can lead to limb breakage or less obvious splits and cracks. However, if snow or ice builds up on the branches of deciduous trees and shrubs, do not hit the branches to knock the accumulation off. You may carefully brush snow off of snow-laden branches if you think it is necessary but leave ice to melt naturally. Trying to knock ice off may result in broken branches. If branches of evergreen trees and shrubs become heavily weighted with snow, this can be carefully and slowly brushed off. When it comes to ice, let it melt naturally. As long evergreen branches are not broken, they usually return to a normal position with time.
Firewood Storage
When piling up your firewood this fall to keep you warm and toasty all winter long, be careful of where you pile it to avoid insects coming into your homes. Insects tunnel into trees and then pupate or lay dormant through the winter. If you pile wood in a basement or in your home where it warms up, those insects may think it is spring and they can emerge in your home. These insects will not cause any damage in your home, other than be a nuisance to you. To avoid problems with insects in your home from your firewood, pile your firewood outside and only bring in logs as you need them. You also need to make sure that your firewood is not piled directly on the ground to avoid termites coming into the firewood and then into your house that the wood is piled next to.
Recycle Christmas Trees
About Nicole
Email: nstoner2@unl.edu
Website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/gage/gage-county-horticulture/
Location: 1115 West Scott Street, Beatrice, NE, USA
Phone: 402-223-1384
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NicoleStonerHorticulture
Twitter: @nikki_Stoner