Horticulture
What is Horticulture Extension?
The Boone County Extension Office Horticulture program provides educational training and technical assistance to our community. Our technical services include soil testing, disease diagnosis, and plant, weed, and insect identification. Cooperative Extension is the major provider of research-based information for consumers and horticulture businesses.
Boone Hort News
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Sign up for our newsletter!Kentucky Extension Master Gardener
Join the Kentucky Extension Master Gardener Program!
Learn about botany, tree identification, soils, propagation, disease and insect identification, and much more. Complete the program requirements, then use your new knowledge by volunteering 40 hours at Extension-approved sites in order to become a Certified Master Gardener!
Looking for volunteer hours?
Contact our Horticulture Staff to learn more about current opportunities
SOIL TESTING
Soil testing is free for Boone County residents. Stop in for soil probes or bags if needed.
Click here for instructions!Additional Information
Fire Blight Alert and Risk Map Overview
Apple and pear trees are at or approaching bloom. Infection by the fire blight bacterium occurs during bloom, thus, protectant antibiotics should be applied when the risk is high.
The risk for infection can be assessed using the Fire Blight Disease Prediction Model. Growers can assess local risk by selecting their county and orchard history. This model incorporates the previous 4 days of weather data plus adds a 7-day forecast for estimating leaf wetness and temperature (thereby estimating the risk for bacterial growth and infection). There are 66 Mesonet weather stations throughout Kentucky, thus, weather information for the model is based on data from the closest weather station. A mobile friendly version of the Fire Blight Disease Prediction Model.
Remember that apple and pear trees must be in bloom for predictions to be accurate. The map overview presented here indicates fire blight risk as of March 28, 2022 (Figure 1). According to the current assessment, the risk is low for the state. Growers are encouraged to check the model regularly for the most accurate analyses and county-specific forecasts.
Additional Resources
Information regarding the prevention and management of fire blight can be found in:
This 1-acre garden and orchard located on the property are used to teach hands-on programs such as Evenings in the Garden, the Power of Flowers, best gardening practices, how to raise cut flowers, best vegetable varieties, and lots more. Thousands of pounds of fresh produce are grown every year from the garden and donated to local food banks providing healthy, nutritional food to many of our neighbors in need.
Sophia Becker
Extension Assistant, Horticulture
(859) 586-6101 sophia.becker@uky.edu Boone County Extension Office 6028 Camp Ernst Road, Burlington, Kentucky 41005-0876Robert D. Brockman
Extension Agent, Horticulture
(859) 586-6101 rdbr232@uky.edu Boone County Extension Office 6028 Camp Ernst Road, Burlington, Kentucky 41005-0876Melissa Pilcher
Extension Assistant, Horticulture
(859) 586-6101 melissa.pilcher@uky.edu Boone County Extension Office 6028 Camp Ernst Road, Burlington, Kentucky 41005-0876Boone County Arboretum
Be sure to check out the Boone County Arboretum! Located at 9190 Camp Ernst Road, Union KY 41091.
Boone County Arboretum is also known as Central Park and was the nation’s first arboretum within an active recreation park setting. The specialized arrangements of plant families and 12 athletic fields are connected by a 2+ mile winding multi-use trail.
ARBORETUM - (ar-bo-re'-tum): A place for the scientific study and public exhibition of many species of trees and shrubs.
