Fluvanna Master Gardeners

Educating the Fluvanna County community to use environmentally sound and sustainable horticulture practices.

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Welcome

If you are looking for gardening and horticultural information we hope you will find it here. We have pages of Frequently Asked Questions, a curated list of links to science-based gardening topics, and our online Help Desk, where you can ask questions of our Master Gardeners.

Our Facebook group is our primary public communication media. We hope you will visit our group and "Like" us to see us in your Facebook feed. You can view our most recent posts here.

Please explore our site and Happy Gardening!

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2 months ago

Considering doing some fertilizing before you get summer crops in? Want to sidedress plants you've already got in the ground? If you prefer organic gardening methods, you've probably noticed there are lots of fertilizer options, from manure to fish emulsion. Which is the right choice?

Some fertilizers are great for a full season supply of nitrogen (for example poultry manure or cottonseed meal), and some are great options to sidedress plants (fish emulsion or dried poultry manure).

If you have lots of organic matter in your soil (for example, you added plenty of compost when you planted), you may not need additional nitrogen.

To learn more about fertilizing the vegetable garden, check our pub: www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubsextvtedu/426/426-323/SPES-295.pdf

For considerations when fertilizing with manure: www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/452/452-705/452-705.html

And for the full chart of organic fertilizer/soil amendments: extension.unh.edu/sites/default/files/migratedunmanagedfiles/Resource003737Rep5330.pdf

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How do common organic fertilizers compare?

If you go shopping for an organic fertilizer, here are a few types you might see, average NPK content for each, and what to use it for!

Some of these can be used to sidedress crops mid-season, and some are better for full season supply.

Nitrogen source, NPK Content, How fast does it release?, Use for and when

Alfalfa meal, 2.5% N, 2%K, medium, full season supply, when K is also needed

Bloodmeal, 13% N, 1%P rapid, mid-season sidedress, or full season

Cottonseed meal, 6-7% N, also 2% P, 2% K, medium, full season supply, when lime is also needed

Fish emulsion, 4-5% N, also 2-3% P, rapid, mid-season sidedress or supplement

Poultry manure, Variable (up to 3% N), 3% P, 2% K; also provides phosphate and lime, rapid full season supply, when both lime and P are needed

Poultry manure, dried, 4% N, 3% P, 3% K, medium, mid-season sidedress or supplement

Composted mature , 1% N, 1% P, 1% K, very slow, when low in organic matter

Note: For all N sources; if organic matter levels are very high (>10%), additional N may not be necessary for crops, and may present a risk of leaching to the environment. Nitrogen will become available over time as organic matter breaks down.

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2 months ago

Deer appetizerDaylilies are very easy to grow in Virginia. Though their blooms only last one day, it's possible for a healthy plant to flower for many weeks. But should you cut off old, spent blooms?

There are two reasons to consider deadheading daylilies!

Aesthetics: Daylily flowers last only one day, and after they fade they quickly turn to mush.

And plant health: Daylilies spend a tremendous amount of energy on seed production. Seed production in turn takes away from root and shoot development and future flowering potential.

From a plant health perspective, seed pods should be removed so that daylilies will produce more flowers next season.

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Should you deadhead daylilies? Two reasons to deadhead:

Aesthetics: Daylily flowers last only one day, and after they fade they quickly turn to mush.

And plant health: Daylilies spend a tremendous amount of energy on seed production. Seed production in turn takes away from root and shoot development and future flowering potential.

From a plant health perspective, seed pods should be removed so that daylilies will produce more flowers next season.

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2 months ago

Butterfly Garden in Pleasant Grove Park!

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2 months ago

Can anyone one tell me what the yellow/brown stuff is and how to get rid of it and prevent it from coming back?

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2 months ago

There is still time to join our pond program this Saturday! Call today 434-591-1950~

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Horticultural Help Desk

The Fluvanna Master Gardeners Horticultural Help Desk at the Fluvanna Public Library Opens April 5th!

The Help Desk is staffed from 2 to 5pm every Tuesday until October. Come visit us to chat about all things horticultural. We're here to answer your gardening questions.

You can also get help by contacting us here or through the Help Desk tab at the top of any of our web-pages and completing the Contact Us form. 

You can also call the Fluvanna Virginia Cooperative Education office in Fork Union at 434-591-1950 and ask the staff to convey your message to us.

Bring us your gardening questions!

 Special note: If you wish to send a plant or insect sample to the VT Plant Clinic - PLEASE contact us FIRST for instructions on how to do this correctly or the Clinic may not be able to process your sample. Click on our Help Desk page for instructions for submitting plant samples.


Additional Announcements

Coming Events

  • 23 Aug 2022 2:00 PM
    Horticultural Help Desk
  • 30 Aug 2022 2:00 PM
    Horticultural Help Desk
  • 06 Sep 2022 2:00 PM
    Horticultural Help Desk
  • 13 Sep 2022 2:00 PM
    Horticultural Help Desk
  • 20 Sep 2022 2:00 PM
    Horticultural Help Desk
  • Master Gardeners in Action

    FMG-people
    Master-Gardeners

    How The Master Gardener Program Works

    Purpose

    Extension Master Gardeners are trained volunteers that educate and train the public in the latest gardening information and techniques. These volunteers run plant clinics; answer phone requests for horticultural information; establish and maintain demonstration gardens; work with people who have disabilities, youth, the elderly, and other special groups in the community; design and implement community involvement projects; and much more!

    Activities:

    • Provide guidance on sustainable landscapes.
    • Conduct plant clinics.
    • Oversee teaching and demonstration gardens.
    • Staff the VCE Master Gardener Help Desk.
    • Run annual spring educational seminars.
    • And more!

    Fluvanna Master Gardeners Are Busy In The County

    Fluvanna Master Gardeners Activities

    Public Events

    We host many public events around the county. Click the link below to find out where we will be next.

    Find An Event

    Contact The Help Desk

    Contact our Help Desk for any of your problems or questions.

    Contact Us

    Read Details Of Our Many Projects

    The Fluvanna MGs have a wide variety of projects that will interest you.

    Find Out More

    Our Mission

    We are a local chapter of the Virginia Master Gardeners Association.

    Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners (VCE-MGs) are volunteers working in partnership with the Virginia Cooperative Extension to encourage and promote environmentally sound horticulture practices in the community through sustainable landscape management. VCE-MGs play a vital role in educating and reaching out to their local community. Each Master Gardener contributes at least 20 service hours per year in addition to completing 8 hours of continuing education.

    Master Gardeners help the Extension Service solve gardening problems and teach environmentally sound practices by:

    • Working in information booths at community events and fairs
    • Maintaining demonstration gardens
    • Answering garden questions at plant clinics
    • Teaching horticulture to beginning gardeners and youth
    • Using special talents, such as writing and photography, to benefit the program.

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