Bonne Terre Garden Fair

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Houma’s newest celebration for garden enthusiasts is scheduled for Saturday May 3, 2008 at Southdown Museum (1208 Museum Drive) in Houma from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Admission for adults is $3.00 and children under 12 get in free.

Some of the program highlights are:


* Expert speakers & demonstrations


* Vendors selling plants, supplies, and lawn and garden merchandise

* Plant disease clinic where you bring in diseased plants, weeds and insects to be identified by LSU AgCenter experts


* Soil test station, bring in one pint of soil in a sealed plastic bag along with a $7.00 check made out the STPAL


* Garden-themed art show

* Kids’ hands-on activities


* Museum tours, food, and more


Educational Programs Schedule: These programs are free with admission to the Garden Fair

Speaker’s Tent (Located in rear of Plantation)


9:30AM


Linda Franzo (The Passionate Platter), “Herbal Pizzazz, From Garden to Table”

11:00AM


Peggy Martin (The New Orleans Old Garden Rose Society) “Organic Rose Gardening”


12:30PM

Carl Motsenbocker, Ph.D. (LSU AgCenter), “Basics of Organic Cultural Practices”


2:30PM


Dan Gill (LSU AgCenter), “A Few of My Favorite Things”

Demo Tent 1 (Located in front of Plantation)


10:00AM


Chuck Helmer (Master Gardener), “Watering Made Simple But Efficient”

11:00AM


Gregg Henderson, Ph.D. (LSU AgCenter), “Virtues of Vetiver Grass”


12:00PM

Ron Strahan, Ph.D. (LSU AgCenter), “Top Ten Weeds of Southern Lawns”

1:00PM

Bobby Fletcher, Jr., Ph.D. (LSU AgCenter), “Calibrating Lawn Spreaders for Proper Fertilization”

Demo Tent 2 (Located on west side of Plantation)

10:30AM

Gloria Hebert- “Gourdous Gardening”

11:30AM

Mike Hebert (LSU AgCenter), “Tropicals in the Landscape”

12:30PM

Yvette Cutrer (Master Gardener), “Living Wreaths”

1:30PM

David Bourgeois (LSU AgCenter), “Ornamental Fish Ponds & Water Gardens”

For additional information on the 2008 Bonne Terre Garden Fair, call 985-446-1316.

Vegetable Garden Update

The weather has been beautiful and most home gardens are in full swing. Many residents are working in their yards and getting the spring cleaning done. Some problems have been seen throughout the region that can be avoided by reading and following label directions when pesticides are being used.

The first issue we will discuss is damage to the top growth of tomato plants during this period. We see two types of damage caused primarily by herbicide (weed killer) drift in home gardens. The first is caused by phenoxy herbicides used to control broadleaf weeds in lawns and other turf areas. I have seen this damage several times this spring, and it causes the foliage of the plant to be irregular or twisted. It usually causes the end of the plant as production and growth will cease.

It is imperative that you READ, UNDERSTAND AND FOLLOW label directions when using all pesticides, especially herbicides used to kill weeds.

A second type of herbicide injury we are seeing is caused by products containing glyphosate, which are nonselective products that kill everything they come into contact with. We commonly think of Roundup, but there are numerous products on the market containing glyphosate. This type of damage caused yellowing to the tomato plants foliage where the herbicide comes into contact with the plant. It can be caused by the wind or other factors moving the herbicide off of the intended target and onto beneficial plants such as tomatoes.

Remember to apply herbicides according to label directions, make sure the wind is not blowing and that temperatures are below 85 degrees.

It is important to remember that you need at least two backpack or potato pumps to ensure that you do not cause this to your own plants. One sprayer should be used only for fungicides and insecticides and one should ONLY be used for herbicides. Always triple rinse your sprayer after each use.

Another problem we are seeing related to tomato production is caused by poor pollination due to the cooler nights. We call this symptom cat-facing, as the fruit will take the appearance of a cats face and be somewhat malformed. This is common during this time of the season and will decrease when the night time temperatures increase.

Louisiana Agricultural Fact: According to the 2007 Louisiana Agriculture and Natural Resources Summary (LSU AgCenter, 2007), the total value of agriculture in Louisiana is $10.9 Billion.

For more information on these and other horticultural topics, please call me at 985-446-1316, email me at bhfletcher@agctr.lsu.edu or visit the LSU AgCenter web site at www.lsuagcenter.com.

It is the policy of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability.

Bonne Terre Garden Fair