Payne County Master Gardeners

08/24/2026

So informative!! Leave the goldenrod!!

🤧 Goldenrod Gets the Blame. Ragweed Gets the Job Done. 🤧

As summer winds down, you may notice bright yellow flowers popping up along roadsides and pastures. That’s goldenrod, and despite its reputation, it’s usually not the plant making you sneeze!

- Goldenrod has bright, showy flowers that attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Its pollen is heavy and sticky, making it more likely to be carried by insects than float through the air.

- Ragweed is the real fall allergy culprit. Its flowers are small and easy to overlook, but the plant releases large amounts of lightweight pollen that can travel through the air and trigger seasonal allergies.

The easiest way to tell them apart? Look at the flowers! Goldenrod is bright and showy, while ragweed is much less noticeable.

Learn more in Laura's Home Grown: https://tinyurl.com/ztmk353v

08/24/2026

Home Grown
Goldenrod vs. Ragweed: Fall Allergies
August 18, 2026
Laura Payne

As summer starts to wind down, two plants begin to attract attention along roadsides and in pastures and fields. One plant produces bright yellow flowers that seem to announce the arrival of fall. The other has much less impressive flowers and usually go unnoticed. These plants are goldenrod, Solidago spp. and ragweed Ambrosia spp..Goldenrod often gets blamed for the fall sneezing and itchy, watery eyes that many of us suffer with in the fall. However, the real culprit is usually ragweed.

Goldenrod is a group of native perennial plants in the sunflower family. Several species occur in Oklahoma, including Canada goldenrod, Solidago canadensis.
Goldenrod"s bright yellow flowers are easy to notice, particularly when plants are growing in large groups. They are also highly attractive to pollinators. Bees, butterflies and other insects visit goldenrod flowers for pollen and nectar. The pollen is relatively heavy and sticky and is designed to be carried by insects rather than floating through the air.

Ragweed is the real allergy culprit in the fall. Ragweed belongs to the genus Ambrosia, which is also in the sunflower family. And Oklahoma has several species, including western ragweed, giant ragweed and lanceleaf ragweed.

Unlike goldenrod, ragweed flowers are small, greenish and relatively inconspicuous. Giant ragweed can become a very large plant, reaching more than 6 feet tall. And ragweed relies primarily on wind pollination rather than depending on insects to carry pollen from flower to flower. Ragweed releases large amounts of lightweight pollen into the air that can travel considerable distances and is a major source of seasonal allergy symptoms.

One of the easiest ways to distinguish goldenrod from ragweed is to look at the flowers.

Photo: Oklahoma Asthma and Allergy Clinic

08/23/2026

Registration is still open for Saturday's Fall Gardening Workshop!!

Call to register. You can also register at the door. Registration opens at 12:30 Saturday, August 29th.

Here's a glimpse of the Agenda.

Fall Gardening: Why and Where?

What to Plant and When?

Using Cover Crops in your Garden

Planting for Fall Impact

We'll also do a seed planting activity & have some cover crop seeds for you to take home!!

We hope to see you there!!!

08/20/2026

It's not too late to register! Do it today!!

08/19/2026

Just do it! Register today!!

🌱🍂 Ready to Fall Into Gardening? 🍂🌱

Don’t put your gardening gloves away just yet! Fall is one of the best times to get growing in Oklahoma, and our Payne County Master Gardeners' Fall Gardening Workshop is here to help you make the most of the season.

Register to learn what to plant, when to plant it and how to prepare your garden for a productive fall.

Details:
- 1 p.m., August 29
- Horticulture Education Center, The Botanic Garden at OSU
- Pre-registration Cost: $10
- At the Door Cost: $15

Registration Deadline: August 19

Come learn, grow and get ready for a great fall garden!

Learn more and register here today: https://tinyurl.com/mr2n9k3s

08/19/2026

Steve Owens from Bustani Plant Farm shared his vast knowledge of sunflowers and asters with the Payne County Master Gardeners this evening. Even in the heat of an Oklahoma summer, Steve's passion for native flowers doesn't disappear.

08/17/2026

Home Grown
Hort Tips for August
August 12, 2026
Laura Payne

It’s August and the heat is on!

Here are some horticulture tips to get you through August:

 Delay planting woody ornamentals until temperatures cool.
 Be on the lookout for the second generation of fall webworm.
Small webs can be pruned out if practical. Established trees usually tolerate
feeding with minimal long-term damage. Good pe*******on with appropriate
insecticide may be necessary in severe cases.
 Expect some leaves to fall from trees. This is a normal reaction to stress..
Water newly planted trees and shrubs deeply during prolonged dry periods.
 Avoid heavy pruning during periods of extreme heat.

Flower Beds

 Discontinue deadheading roses by mid-August to help initiate winter hardiness.
 Scout for aphids, spider mites, thrips, scales, and other insects on plant material
in the landscape and treat as needed.
 Continue removing spent flowers from annuals and repeat-blooming perennials
until cooler weather.

Vegetables

 Continue planting fall vegetables. Many cool-season crops can be planted during
August. Afternoon shade may be needed to improve germination and
establishment.
 Maintain consistent soil moisture to reduce cracking in tomatoes.
 Harvest vegetables frequently. Regular harvest encourages continued production
of crops such as beans, squash, cucumbers, peppers, and other summer crops.
 Water deeply and consistently during hot weather. Most vegetables perform best
with about 1- to 1.5-inches of water per week from rainfall or irrigation.
 Continue scouting for spider mites, squash bugs, and hornworms. Early detection
makes management much more effective.

Lawn and Turf
 Tall fescue should be mowed at 3 inches during the hot summer and up to 3 ½
inches if it grows under heavier shade.
 Irrigated bermudagrass lawns may receive their final nitrogen application mid-
August.
 Brown patch disease of cool-season grasses can be a problem.

Photo: OSU Extension

08/13/2026

We know it's hot, hot, hot out there but it's time to think about Fall Gardening!!!

Please mark your calendars for Saturday, August 29th for the Payne County Master Gardeners & Payne County OSU Extension Fall Gardening Workshop!!

To register contact the Payne County Extension Office!

Register fee is $10.

08/11/2026

🐔🥚 Thinking about adding a few feathered friends to your backyard?

Whether you're dreaming of farm-fresh eggs or you're already caring for a flock, join the Payne County Master Gardeners' Tuesday Garden Series to learn the basics of raising backyard chickens!

It's a great opportunity to ask questions, learn from experienced speakers and connect with others who share an interest in backyard poultry.

Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your flock management, this program is for you!

📅 Details:
- 6 p.m.
- Tuesday, Aug. 11
- The Botanic Garden at OSU Horticulture Education
- Free and open to the public!
- No registration required.

Click here for more information: https://tinyurl.com/mdsjakar

Join us Tuesday and bring a friend!

08/11/2026

This is TONIGHT!!!

SEE YOU AT 6PM!!!