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Impact Report

For plan Plant Management Systems: Urban Horticulture (Otero County)
Date October 23, 2009, 5:47 pm
For Objective Short-term Show short-term objectives
Impact Report Otero County Pruning Workshop The Cooperative Extension Service office and Otero Master Gardeners receive a considerable amount of calls in the winter about when is the best time and how to prune fruit and ornamental trees. In response a hands-on pruning workshop was presented where participants received instruction and then actually had the opportunity to practice their newly learned skills on several trees in an old tree nursery site. Participants received such instruction as: when planting trees choose a tree of appropriate height and size for the growing site, correct pruning of trees according to variety and purpose for optimum health and production of the tree, and avoiding common misnomers such as topping and pollarding trees. A pretest and posttest were delivered to the 14 participants. Participants averaged 15% on the pretest and 86% on the posttest resulting in an overall average gain of 71% in their pruning knowledge. Native Plant Presentation to the Flowering Desert Garden Club The Flowering Desert Garden Club (a club for primarily rose growers) requested a program on “Native Plants of Otero County and Their Uses”. The Agricultural Agent presented a program on the uses of Native Plants in the past and present with emphasis on the benefits of landscaping with low water consumptive native plants and their ability to provide an aesthetically pleasing landscape.. The 15 attending members were encouraged to use their status as esteemed horticulturists in the community to pass this information on to the community through their programs and contacts, enabling others to select plants for their landscapes that use less water. Vegetable Gardening in Otero County Presentation to the Sertoma Club The Sertoma Club requested a program on Vegetable Gardening in Otero County. Due to the short time constraints (45 minutes) a program was delivered to the 18 members in attendance on gardening basics with slides highlighting the techniques and outcomes of successful gardeners (Otero Farmers’ Market Growers) in Otero County. The program concluded with the dates and times for the upcoming opening of Tularosa and Alamogordo Farmers’ Markets. “Walk-n-Talk” through Tularosa’s Green Zone with Dr. Curtis Smith” As per the request of the Otero Master Gardener’s a “Walk-n-Talk Master Gardeners Advanced Class on the plants of the Tularosa Green Zone with Dr. Curtis Smith” was presented. Master Gardeners who attended got to see firsthand such horticultural problems as: spittle bug, fire blight, nutrient deficiency in young peach trees and a huge amount of species that do well in arid Otero County along with species that do well with extra water in Otero county. Participants were so enthused over the walk they requested another for the near future. “Xeric Ornamental Trees and Shrubs, Fruit Trees , and Container Vegetable Gardening For The Tularosa Basin” Information Tables On six separate occasions (Otero County Fair, Holloman AFB Exchange Spring Celebration, Alamogordo Arbor Day Celebration, Holloman Air Force Base New Subdivision, Alamogordo Earth Day Celebration, and the Tularosa Water Fair) information was given out by the agricultural agent and Master Gardeners to the public on the benefits of landscaping with low water consumptive native plants and that it is possible to have an aesthetically pleasing landscape using native plants. They were also given explanations and NMSU publications on fruit tree varieties that do best in Otero County and information on container gardening.. This information will enable urban residents with limited yard and garden space and restricted water use the ability to maximize their gardening space and minimize their water usage.