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AGRICULTURE AND HOME HORTICULTURE
Winston Eason
Clayton County Extension Agent
Phone (770) 473-5435
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Bird Ticks
killing Birds in Clayton County (pdf)
Encountered a Stinging
Caterpillar lately? These urticating Lepidoptera larvae
are most prevalent in late summer and fall throughout Georgia. more info
>>
Seeding Tall Fescue Lawns
Tall fescue is one of the most
popular grasses in the mountain and upper Piedmont areas of
Georgia, an area that extends as far south as Atlanta. Its
popularity relates to its ease of establishment through seeding and
its attractive green color during spring and fall, when warm-season
turfgrasses are dormant and brown. Tall fescue is a perennial
bunch-type grass that grows rapidly during spring and fall.
Download the full article (pdf)
More from the Center of Urban Agriculture (UGA Griffin
Campus)
Clayton County
Extension Service Agriculture programming is directed toward two
separate entities: Home Horticulture and the Commercial
Green Industry. The two are uniquely different but in many
ways are interdependent.
Home Horticulture
Home and community gardens,
residential landscape design, lawn care and management, social
insect control, community beautification, to name a few, are all
concerns and issues expressed by local residents. The Extension
Service responds to these needs through office and site
consultations, telephone contacts and formal educational programs
such as seminars and workshops. The Clayton County Master Gardeners
play an important role in addressing some of these issues.
Educational program offerings in these areas included the
following:
The Home Horticulture Program serves a clientele which in most
cases is less horticulturally aware and possesses an insatiable
need for horticulture information.
- Pesticide Safety
- Water Quality Issues
- Public Policy Education On Waste Reduction
- Backyard Composting
- Designing a Low Maintenance Landscape
- How To Control Weeds In Home Lawns
- Basics Of Pruning Plants
- Weed Control In Home Lawns
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- Grass Cycling
- Caring For Ornamental Plants
- Backyard Vegetable Production
- Installing a Water Wise Landscape
- Establishing and Caring For Home Lawns
- Rose Culture and Pruning
- Reducing the Yard Waste-stream
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- The Extension Service also offers diagnostic laboratory
services in the areas of plant tissue sampling, insect and plant
identification, plant disease identification, soil testing, hay and
forage testing, and domestic water analysis and problem
solving.
Clayton County Green Industry
& Agribusiness
The Green Industry is one of the
fastest growing industries in the state. Green Industry consists of
commercial landscape contractors, municipal landscape maintenance
personnel, recreational fields and golf courses, as well as
nurseries, sod farms and all related sales and products. Most raw
materials are produced in the lower half of the state, with
manufactured goods and final utilization occurring in the metro
counties.
Clayton County contributes
significantly to the revenues generated by this industry. On an
aggregate revenue generated by all the local garden centers and
plant nurseries in the county is substantial. The commercial green
industry in Clayton County, generates over $40 million dollars
annually. The State Farmers' Market is home to some of the most
lucrative agribusiness's in the state.
Increase in demand for products and
services, and the subsequent use of these inputs have created a
heightened awareness of environmental issues associated to the
industry. Consumers (end-product users) have become more aware of
the environmental impact of agricultural inputs that go into
producing edible products, or used in establishing and maintaining
a very well cared for landscape.
This awareness is putting pressure
on landscapers and suppliers of fresh produce to become more
familiar with these issues and to take a more responsible proactive
approach to best management practices in delivering their products
and services.
Clayton County Extension Service
planned, designed, and implemented Ornamental Integrated Pest
Management Scout Training Programs specifically designed to teach
landscapers the importance of environmental stewardship.
The following training opportunities are offered to the
commercial industry:
- Training for the mandatory pesticide certification license.
This certification is required for all landscapers who apply any
form of pesticide.
- Advanced subject matter training in several horticultural
topics.
- Plant disease and soil analysis diagnostic service.
- Timely workshops and seminars in commercial horticulture.
Several local organizations and municipalities benefit from the
agricultural expertise of the Extension Service including the
following:
- Clayton College and State University
- Clayton County Parks and Recreation
- Clayton County Water Authority
- City of Lovejoy
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- City of Morrow
- City of Jonesboro
- Clayton County Department of Traffic & Engineering
- Several local Homeowners Associations
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The UGA Cooperative Extension Service offers educational
programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to
race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability
status