Newsletter from Master Gardener Program of Burlington County, Summer 2022

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Coordinator Notes

Hello All! As we are learning to adapt to the issues we are currently facing, 2022 has been a good year so far for the Rutgers Master Gardener Program of Burlington County. Twenty-one students completed the Rutgers Master Gardener course that ran from January 2022 until the end of May 2022.

The students are now Rutgers Master Gardener Interns, and are already contributing at the different project sites, community programs and Helpline. For those unfamiliar with Helpline, it is a resource available to the residents of Burlington County who have questions about lawns, gardens, insects, plants, soil testing, etc. The Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office provides research based information in response to these questions or can direct the individual to a resource that can offer the best information or solution.

The Master Gardener Interns are in the process going through Helpline training and the Certified Master Gardeners are going through office updates. In the long run, the training and updates will well serve the residents of Burlington County with their Lawn & Garden questions.

The two programs with the Moorestown Library – the virtual “Ask a Master Gardener” program and the monthly garden topic presentations have run for almost 2.5 years and continue to grow. The Traveling Helpline program with the Burlington County Library System is coming up on its 1-year anniversary. The Master Gardener Earth Fair 2022 display was Fragrant Natives. The Farm Fair 2022 display featured plants that were flowering along the roads and wood lines at the time of Farm Fair. Both displays were well received.

The 4 Master Gardener project sites – the Burlington County Agricultural Center Demo Plots, the Butterfly Garden at Smiths Woods, Medford Leas Donation Garden, and the Rancocas Wood Nature Center are up and running. All four sites are flourishing and are doing good work. In cooperation with the Burlington County Park System, the Master Gardeners of Burlington County planted the first “Scarlet Grove” at Chestnut Court Park in Mt. Holly in April, 2022. The Master Gardeners planted 20 Scarlet Oak trees to help to improve the neighborhood park. The Master Gardeners are looking forward to planting more “Scarlet Groves” in the future.

I look forward to seeing what the rest of 2022 and what 2023 will bring. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your continued support of the Rutgers Master Gardener Program of Burlington County.

Mike Johnson, Coordinator

Rutgers Master Gardener Program of Burlington County

Drought Watch & Watering Tips

The State of New Jersey recently issued a “Drought Watch”. Information can be found at https://nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2022/22_0809.htm.

In regards to watering your lawn or garden, check with the link above and your municipality to see if/what restrictions may be in place. Below are some watering tips.

• Do I need to water my lawn today? Try the screwdriver test.
  • Get a flat head screwdriver and push it into your lawn. Did it go into the soil easily?
    • If yes, you most likely do not need to water at this time. If it does not go into the soil easily, it is time to irrigate.
• Under normal conditions, a healthy lawn needs 1 inch of water a week.
• If it is going to rain and the soil is dry, consider watering for a few minutes before the rains to open the pores in the soil. This will allow the rainwater to penetrate the soil deeper, create less run off and be more effective.
  • Vice versa, if it is dry and a there is a short rain shower, you may want to water right after the shower. Hopefully it has rained enough to open the pores in the soil and the water will have a chance to penetrate into the soil deeper, meaning less runoff.
• Try to water early in the morning before sunrise or not too long after sunrise so the maximum amount of water can be absorbed by the soil before the heat of the sun starts evaporation.
• Make sure all hoses and irrigation connections are tight and not leaking so water is not wasted.

Consider Having Your Soil Tested

The Rutgers Soil Test Laboratory information can be found at https://njaes.rutgers.edu/soil-testing-lab/.

Consider getting your soil tested soon and start working on recommended improvements with an eye towards next year.

Rutgers Lawn & Garden Fact Sheets

Rutgers offers Fact Sheets on different Lawn and Garden topics. First go to the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station publications page website at https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/ then Click on the “Gardening & Landscaping” section and enter the topic you are interested in.

Have a Lawn or Garden Question?

Email: Questions can be emailed to burlingtonmg@njaes.rutgers.edu. Please include pictures of the issue in question if possible.

Call: You may call the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office of Burlington County at 609-265-5050 with your question between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Visit: Bring a sample or pictures of the issue to the help window in our office. Please make sure all samples are in a sealable plastic bag or sealable plastic container. The office address is 2 Academy Drive, Westampton, NJ 08060. Visitors are encouraged to come between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Find Master Gardeners all throughout the county:

At the Farmers Market at the Burlington County Agricultural Center on the first Saturday of the month from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

• 500 Centerton Road, Moorestown, NJ 08057
• If stopping by with a lawn or garden question, please try and bring a sample or pictures of the issue in question.

On Zoom with the Moorestown Library from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month to answer Lawn and Garden questions and do a presentation on different lawn & garden topics.

• To register and for updates, go to www.moorestownlibrary.org

At different branches of the Burlington County Library system from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month (except November, the 1st & 4th Tuesday). The schedule through November 2022 is below. Please check the Burlington County Library website for any schedule changes or call the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office of Burlington County at 609-265-5050. If stopping by with a lawn or garden question, please try and bring a sample or pictures of the issue in question.

• August 23 – Riverton – 306 Main Street, Riverton
• September 13 – Main Branch – 5 Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton
• September 27 – Maple Shade – 200 Stiles Avenue, Maple Shade
• October 11 – Pemberton – 16 Broadway, Browns Mills
• October 25 – Maple Shade – 200 Stiles Avenue, Maple Shade
• November 1 – Cinnaminson – 1619 Riverton Road, Cinnaminson
• November 22 – Bordentown – 18 East Union Street, Bordentown

Spotted Lanternfly

Spotted Lanternfly continues to be an issue across Burlington County. If looking to apply a treatment for Spotted Lanternfly, consider starting with insecticidal soap or neem oil, or horticultural oil. If these do not work to your satisfaction, other treatment options (and additional information) can be found at the Spotted Lanternfly management sections on the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and Penn State University websites listed below.

We also welcome you to join us for an educational seminar on “Spotted Lanternfly Management Options for Homeowners and Land Managers” to be held at the Burlington County Amphitheater on Thursday, September 29, 2022 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. This is a free event and no registration required. Call our office at 609-265-5050 with questions.

Interested in Becoming a Rutgers Master Gardener?

Email your interest to burlingtonmg@njaes.rutgers.edu. The next class starts in January 2023.

With Gratitude

The Rutgers Master Gardener Program of Burlington County would like to thank the following for their continued support:

• The Burlington County Board of County Commissioners
• The Burlington County Parks Department The Burlington County Library System The Moorestown Library
• New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association
• The Certified Rutgers Master Gardeners of Burlington County
• The Rutgers Master Gardeners of Burlington County Interns
• The Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office of Burlington County Staff
• Other Rutgers Master Gardener Programs throughout New Jersey