Burn Permits

Did you know that you need a burn permit for to burn yard debris?

It is very easy to get a burn permit from the Georgia Forestry Commission.
Simply dial 877.OK2.BURN (877.652.2876) or your local forestry unit (Thomas County is 229.225.4003), or visit www.gatrees.org

Here is a little part of what you will see when you visit http://gatrees.org/OnlinePermits/

From this page you can apply for a Daily Permit. See boxes below.

From this page you can obtain a burning permit for yard debris type burns such as leaf piles and small limb piles (approximately 6' x 6' or smaller). Fires should not be initiated before 8:00 am and should be completely extinguished before dark. In highly populated areas burning should be conducted from 10:00am until 30 minutes before dark. If you are burning large brush piles or conducting an acreage burn please contact your local county office of the Georgia Forestry Commission.

Hope this helps!

Master Gardener Class - Rescheduled

Thomas County Extension will offer a Master Gardener Class beginning in March 2010. All classes will be held at the Thomas County Extension Office, 227 West Jefferson Street. The class has been reschduled for March 2010 so there is more time to sign up if you missed the previous deadline!
The new deadline is Thursday, February 25, 2010.

Applications may be obtained at Thomas County Extension Office at 227 West Jefferson Street or by visiting our website www.thomascountyextension.com. You may download an application here.

The Georgia Master Gardener Program is a volunteer recruitment and training program of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. The main purpose is to train volunteers to provide unbiased, research-based, environmentally sound, horticulture information to the public. Those completing the course will have a much greater knowledge of horticultural practices and will be expected to share their knowledge by volunteering 50 hours back into the community.

Most potential Master Gardeners want to know what community service entails. Community service is any activity in which your newly acquired horticultural knowledge is shared with others. These activities may include advising other citizens with caring for their landscapes, writing horticultural newsletters, working with youth, assisting with beautification projects, judging school projects dealing with agriculture, or civic and garden club presentations.

Most classes will be taught by extension agents and specialists from the University of Georgia. The following classes will be taught:

Introduction to the Master Gardener Program
Soil and Plant Nutrition
Botany/Plant Physiology
Basic Entomology/Pathology
Weed ID and Control
Using the Pest Control Handbook
Vegetable and Herb Gardening
Insects and Diseases of Vegetables
Herbaceous Ornamentals
Selecting Woody Ornamentals
Trees
Maintenance of Woody Ornamentals
Turf Selection and Maintenance
Diseases of Turf and Ornamentals
Developing a Waterwise Landscape
Insects of Turf and Ornamentals
Composting and Mulching
Fruit Gardening
Structural and Household Pests
Nuisance Wildlife

Registration fee for this class is $125.00 which includes a copy of the Georgia Master Gardener Handbook. A minimum enrollment of 10 participants is required to conduct this training. Maximum enrollment is 20 participants. More details on the course will be given during sign-up and be posted on our blog and website.

The deadline to apply is Thursday, February 25, 2010. Applications may be obtained at Thomas County Extension Office at 227 West Jefferson Street or by visiting our website www.thomascountyextension.com. You may download an application here.

If you have any questions, please contact R.J. Byrne, Thomas County Extension Agent at 229.225.4130 or rjbyrne@uga.edu.

Pesticide Training - Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Pre-register by calling 229.225.4130

Cost: $10
Time: 9AM to 12PM
Location: Thomas County Extension Office

For more info contact rjbyrne@uga.edu. This training will be for persons interested in obtaining pesticide credit hours and also persons needing a private pesticide license (must be used in producing agriculture commodities, ie: row crops, forestry).

Do you have a garden plan for 2010?

So if you are planning to plant a garden this year in Thomas County, then let me help you out some.

Take some time to think about what has worked well for you this past year and also maybe think about trying something new.

Its time to pull soil samples if you have not yet done so. We have soil test bags in our office, just bring in a sample to transfer to the sample bag. A basic soil test [pH, P, K, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese] is currently $6.00.

Visit our site to find a very helpful garden calendar here:
http://www.ugaextension.com/thomas/anr/VegetableandFruitGardening.html

As always, you can contact us for more help if you need to.

Composting: Recycling Landscape Trimmings

What do you need to know about composting landscape trimings?

Visit this publication to find out: http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/C981/C981.html

Citizens throughout Georgia are recycling newspaper, cans, glass and plastic in an effort to divert these materials from the waste stream. Another important part of waste reduction involves recycling leaves, lawn clippings, and tree and shrub trimmings instead of placing them curbside for the county or municipality to pick up. These landscape riches from Mother Nature can be easily recycled and turned into nutrient-rich organic matter right in your backyard through a process called composting.

This publication answers some commonly asked questions about composting.