DEKALB DIMENSIONS
HORTICULTURE, FAMILY LIVING & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
April – June 2014
Clean Green This Spring
Yes, spring is finally here. No more snow,
ice and cold weather. For me, spring brings
to mind cleaning. Growing up (a long time
ago), when spring was ushered in, our
home was thoroughly cleaned. My four
sisters and I beat carpets, cleaned windows,
scrubbed floors, organized closets and
washed blinds all in one day!
When everything was finished, a clean
house was defined by how the air smelled.
Little did I know we were breathing in
potentially harmful chemicals.
Fast
forward to the present and fortunately my
spring cleaning now includes healthy
cleaning by using less harsh chemicals. So
what can you do to foster healthy cleaning?
Choose or make products that you can use
from items in your pantry that you can use
for several purposes.
Products such as baking soda, white
vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, borax,
essential oils such as tea tree oil, lavender
oil eucalyptus oil or lemongrass oil, fresh
herbs, citrus peels olive and vegetable oil
and water will work. For example an allpurpose cleaner can be made by mixing 3
tbsp. of white vinegar, ½ tsp. of washing
soda, one tsp. of vegetable oil based liquid
soap, and 2 cups of hot water.
For slow drains, use the following recipe
once a week to keep drains fresh and clogfree: 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of white
vinegar, and 1 gallon of boiling water. Pour
the baking soda down the drain/disposal,
followed by vinegar. Allow the mixture to
foam for several minutes before flushing
the drain with boiling water.
For more “Green Cleaning recipes” for a
healthy home, visit the DeKalb County
Cooperative Extension Website at
www.ugaextension.com\dekalb.
Things To Do in Your Landscape and
Garden from Spring to Early Summer
Lawns:
Mow regularly and remove 1/3 of grass
height per cutting and leave your clippings.
Grass cycling reduces your need for lawn
fertilizer by 33%. Follow IPM (integrated
pest management) techniques and watch out
for signs or symptoms of pests and diseases.
Early control can be as simple as a quick
pruning. Pesticides should be considered as
the last resort!
Annual Flowers:
Start to plant summer annuals in April. A
good prepared planting bed is composed of
1/3 native soil (often clay), and 1/3 organic
matter, 1/3 drainage material (granite sand).
A good bed height would be at least 6-8
inches above grade. Locate it in sun or shade
depending on plants you are using. Annuals
are HIGH maintenance so space them well,
keep them well watered and well fertilized.
Shrubs & Trees:
Summer shrub care involves mulching,
watering and pruning to shape. If you must,
shearing can be done all summer long to
maintain a hedge or screen. To reduce
maintenance and head towards a more
“Natural Screen” plants should be well
spaced and allowed to grow to their natural,
genetically determined form. Pruned meat
balls and boxes are not natural. Trees
should be well mulched to their drip-lines
(branch tips). Dead wood can and should be
pruned out at any time for tree health. Live
wood best removed in winter if possible.
Vegetables:
Plant warm season vegetables (tomatoes,
squash, peppers, etc.) after the last average
frost date around April 15. Refer to the
UGA Garden Calendar located at
www.caes.uga.edu. There you will find
great information about varieties, spacing,
depth of planting, harvesting, etc. Keep
your eyes open for early summer pests and
diseases (aphids, stink bugs, spring diseases
like rust and leaf spots).
Call us to discover all the resources we have at
the Extension office to help you be successful
with your money in 2014!
Helping Teens Prepare For Work
Summer jobs provide teens with an
opportunity to learn more about the work
environment, earning money, learning skills
and developing a positive work ethic. While
the principles of character remain the same,
it is helpful to talk with teens about how
their character applies to the workplace:
Trustworthiness:
Work scheduled hours. Give proper notice of
anticipated absences. Keep confidences. Never
reveal proprietary information, and honor a
person’s right to privacy. Be honest, reliable
and ethical in all business dealings. Refuse to
steal, misuse, or abuse company time, property
or equipment. Refuse to lie, cheat, deceive,
manipulate, exploit or take advantage of
others.
Respect:
Treat supervisors, co-workers, vendors and
customers with courtesy, honor and respect.
Build mutual respect and long-term
relationships
by
listening
to
and
communicating openly with others within the
workplace and with customers. Value and
honor all people and follow the Golden Rule.
Be open to and accept instruction or
correction. Accept instruction and modify
behavior when necessary. Use good manners,
be courteous and polite.
Responsibility:
Take pride in work—show initiative, recognize
what needs to be done, pay attention to detail,
pursue excellence and be prepared. Be loyal in
attendance and always punctual.
Follow
instructions. Persevere and get the job done.
Manage time and resources wisely.
Set
realistic goals and strive diligently to achieve
them.
Fairness:
Promote and model a positive attitude. Be
willing to negotiate and exercise “give and
take” to achieve group success. Use tact and
courtesy.
Caring:
Demonstrate a positive attitude.
Show
kindness and sensitivity to the feelings of
others. Take time to help others. Do quality
work and attend to details. Be a team player.
The University of Georgia
Colleges of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
& Family and Consumer Sciences
Cooperative Extension
DEKALB COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
MAIN OFFICE
4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 200
Decatur, GA 30032
404-298-4080 (phone)
404-298-3084 (fax)
Dear Friends:
Finally, some relief from the cold and spring has finally sprung. In
this edition, learn more about green cleaning and what important
things to do in your landscape. Finally, assist youth in preparing for
entering the workforce.
NOTE: Our North and South Offices have been closed.
Please visit our Main Office on Memorial Drive for all of
your Extension needs.
Jessica E. Hill, County Extension Director, Editor
www.ugaextension.com/dekalb
Contributors: Jessica E. Hill, Gary Peiffer, and Marie Trice
The University of Georgia * College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences * Cooperative Extension
The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state
cooperating. Cooperative Extension offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to
race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability. We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action organization
committed to a diverse work force.
Upcoming Events
April – June 2014
Home Gardening Series**
Cost: $10.00 per class
Time: 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Date:
Topic:
“What
GrowClasses
in Your Spring
Vegetable
** toAll
are
heldGarden”
at 4380
Date:
Topic:
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
“Butterfly Garden”
Date:
Topic:
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
“New Plants & Gold Medal Plants”
Date:
Topic:
Tuesday, May 06, 2014
“Heirloom Flowers for Today’s Gardens”
Date:
Topic:
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
“Using Hardscaping Practices to Solve Drainage
Issues in the Landscape”
Date:
Topic:
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
“Developing and Maintaining a Snake-Free
Landscape”
Date:
Topic:
Thursday, June 26, 2014
“Retention & Detention Ponds”
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Diabetes Education Group Meetings**
A Cost:
il Free
J Admission!
2011
Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Jessica E. Hill
4-H Youth Development++
Event:
Place:
Date:
Annual 4-H Awards Program
Maloof Auditorium
Friday, May 9, 2014
Event:
Place:
Date:
Georgia 4-H Senior Extreme Camp
Rock Eagle, Eatonton, GA
June 9th -13th, 2014
EVENT:
Place:
Date:
Southeastern College Tour
UT, Clemson, and UGA
June 10th -12th, 2014
EVENT:
Place:
Date:
Cloverleaf Camp
Rock Eagle, Eatonton, GA
June 23rd -27th, 2014
Memorial
Drive in Decatur. Please pre-register at 404-298-4080. **
Date:
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Topic:
“Eye Health and Diabetes”
Date:
Topic:
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
“Diabetes and Sleep Loss”
Date:
Topic:
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
“Skincare Tips for Summer Fun with Diabetes”
**Unless noted, all upcoming events will be held at the DeKalb Cooperative Extension Main Office located at 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 200, Decatur, GA 30032.
++ For more information, contact our 4-H staff at 404-298-4080.
A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF
The University of Georgia
Cooperative Extension in DeKalb County
DEKALB DIMENSIONS
HORTICULTURE, FAMILY LIVING & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT