Union County Master Gardeners

06/09/2026

Master Gardeners Cherie Simpson, Brenda Maddox and Diane Cole pruned the salvia plants and sweet potato vines in the black downtown planters.

Pruning the blue salvia and sweet potato vines allow the Vinca and Nandina plants access to the sun ☀️… and better air flow. The green sweet potato vine is stunning but you have to give it ‘a hair cut’ or it’ll ‘take the hill.’ 😉

06/09/2026

⚠️🪰 New World Screwworm (NWS) has been confirmed in South Texas for the first time in decades and Arkansas producers and animal owners need to be aware.

NWS is a parasitic fly whose larvae burrow into the flesh of warm-blooded animals. It can affect livestock, pets, and wildlife. The good news: there are NO confirmed cases in Arkansas at this time, and NWS is both preventable and treatable.

✅ Here's what to watch for: wounds that aren't healing, foul-smelling discharge, tissue damage, or visible maggots in or around a wound. Animals may also appear lethargic, refuse to eat, or show signs of pain. Symptoms can progress quickly, so check animals more frequently than usual.

A few things producers can do now:
🐄 Dip navels in iodine solution on newborns
🩹 Treat all wounds promptly
🪰 Work with your vet to establish a fly control program
📋 Postpone elective procedures like castration, dehorning, and branding until cooler months when NWS flies are less active

If you suspect NWS, isolate the animal immediately and do not move it off the premises. Contact the Arkansas Department of Agriculture at 501-225-1598 or [email protected].

Visit our NWS resource page for the latest updates:
🔗 uaex.uada.edu/screwworm

Arkansas Extension Small Ruminants Arkansas Extension Beef Systems

06/05/2026

Union County Master Gardeners attended the State Master Gardener Conference in Conway, where they were inspired by beautiful garden tours, innovative and knowledgeable speakers and fellow master gardeners throughout the state. The decorations were off the charts!👏🌸

06/01/2026

Grow your own food!

06/01/2026

😎It’s summertime! Harvest vegetables in the morning for best flavor. Replant warm-season vegetables as you harvest.

For June garden chores and to know which vegetables to plant then open the link below:
https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/arkansas-garden/garden-guides/june.aspx

Find out what to do in your Arkansas garden in June!

05/31/2026

Purple Coneflower
Latin: Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus'

The purple coneflower is an herbaceous perennial that is native to Arkansas, meaning they are hardy.

Purple coneflowers can grow 2 to 5 feet tall and benefit from support. These coneflower plants (pictured) are grown in El dorado, AR. They were staked with tomato cages cut in half when they were just 1 foot tall.

Thank you to Union County Master gardener, Diane Purvis, for sharing pictures of her beautiful plants!

05/31/2026

💚Limelight Hydrangea would be a beautiful addition to your yard! For a smaller variety (4x4) try Little Lime Hydrangea. Union County Arkansas is in garden zone 8b. 🪴

One of the most popular landscape shrubs is the ‘Limelight’ Hydrangea paniculata. This is a ColorChoice® Flowering Shrub from Proven Winners®. These are the PeeGee or panicle-type hydrangeas. Use these in more sunny landscape settings. While garden hydrangeas bloom in zones 8 and 9 in May, these hydrangea are later bloomers, starting with flowers in June and continuing into September. ‘Limelight’ and similar varieties grow to 8 feet tall. This variety in an award winner in many states, including Louisiana, where it is a 2018 LSU AgCenter Louisiana Super Plant. If you need a smaller growing variety, try the 4’x4’ growing ‘Little Lime’®.

MORE NOTES - Well-drained beds. Higher water users than other hydrangeas. Fertilize at first leaf out in the spring. Plant mid to late spring and in the fall. Prune as needed for branching, size control. No insect or disease issues.

05/29/2026

👩🏼‍🌾 Yum! Master Gardeners harvested lettuce, radishes, onions, wax beans and cucumbers. We are growing many vegetables in 4x8 ft. raised beds located on the grounds of the Extension Office.
🥬🫜🧅🫛🥒