Horticulture
Horticulture
Our horticulture program provides educational training and technical assistance to our community. Our technical services include soil testing, master gardener classes, site visits and more. They also manage the Boyd County Farmers Market.
Master Gardener Program
Master Gardeners is a program that helps train and manage volunteers to assist in the county's horticulture education. They are trained by the University of Kentucky and the Boyd County Extension Office in subjects such as botany, entomology, propagation, pesticide use and safety, plant pathology, soils and fertilizers, volunteerism, home composting, and landscape design. Other subjects may include flower gardening, lawn care, fruit and vegetable gardening, tree and shrub care, and organic gardening.
In addition to training, Master Gardeners are required to volunteer 40 hours their first year to the Boyd County CES. Each year thereafter, they are required to complete 20 hours of volunteer work and 10 hours of continuing education.
Service hours can be completed by teaching Master Gardener classes, speaking to civic organizations, performing beautification projects throughout the county, working informational booths at various events, or helping with educational programs.
Current Master Gardeners meet each 3rd Tuesday of the Month.
Classes to become a Master Gardener will resume in January 2026 - please call our office for additional Information.
Follow Boyd County Master Gardeners on Facebook to stay up to date on upcoming programs and volunteer opportunities.
Soil Testing
Soil testing is a chemical analysis that provides guidelines for lime and fertilizer needs of soils when considered in conjunction with post-fertilizer management and cropping history.
A basic soil test will determine your soil’s pH, as well as the levels of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and zinc (Zn). Results inform residents of fertilizer needs for their farm, lawn, or garden, based on the type of plants grown and the growing conditions of the property. Additional types of special or specific soil tests are available for an additional charge.
A soil testing service is available to every Kentucky citizen through the University of Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.
Boyd County CES offers residents two free soil tests per year, compliments of Boyd County Farm Bureau and Boyd County Conservation Office. Each additional test is $6. Soil testing for properties outside of Boyd County or on commercial property will be charged the $6 fee.
When taking samples of your soil, go 4 to 5 inches deep in several spots of the property. Collect all samples in a non-metallic container and mix thoroughly. Bring approximately 2 cups of the dry mixed soil with no grass or rocks to the Boyd County Extension office at 2420 Center Street in Catlettsburg. Results will be mailed to you in about 2 to 4 weeks.
Fundraisers
Boyd County Master Gardeners sell jars of apple butter and pie filling every year, starting in September. Jars are $7/pint or $14/quart, and are available at the Boyd County Farmers Market, through members of the Master Gardener program, in the office, or at the wreath making program.
APPLE PIE INSTRUCTIONS
• Preheat oven to 425°
• Line a 9” pie plate with pie crust
• Pour the apple pie filling into the pie crust in the pie plate
• Use a second pie crust to lay over the surface of the apple pie filling
• Moisten your fingers with water and crimp the edges of the pie crusts together by pinching to make a fluted design
• Using a sharp knife, cut slits in the top of the pie crust
• Place the pie in the center rack of the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until the crust is golden brown and pie filling appears to be bubbling. Be sure to place your pie plate on a baking sheet in the oven to catch any drips while it is baking
• Remove from oven and allow to cool well before serving
Northeast Kentucky Beekeepers
The Northeast Kentucky Beekeepers is an organization made up of a wide range of beekeepers from beginners to more experienced. There are even members who do not yet have bees but attend our meetings to learn as much as they can until they feel confident enough to get their own hives going. Then there are those beekeepers who have kept bees in the past but are no longer able to, yet still come to talk with active beekeepers and share their knowledge.
Our group is made up of men, women and children and we have members from not only Kentucky but also Ohio and West Virginia. We welcome anyone interested in beekeeping to join our group.
How do I become a Northeast Kentucky Beekeeper Member?
You simply join us for a meeting and pay your annual dues of $15. You will then be issued a membership card.
Ways Beekeepers can Volunteer
• Speak to civic organizations
• Speak at one of our meetings
• Informational booths at various events
• Teach or help with educational programs
We offer a beekeeping school once a year to offer more in-depth information to new or beginning beekeepers.
We have a booth at the Boyd County Fair to encourage interest in beekeeping and our organization.
Meetings are held the 2nd Monday of each month at 6 pm in the Franks Community Building at the Education Center, 1758 Addington Road in Ashland.
For more information, follow us on Facebook.
Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability. UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND KENTUCKY COUNTIES, COOPERATING
Lori Bowling
Extension Agent, Horticulture
(606) 739-5184 lori.bowling@uky.edu Boyd County Extension Office 2420 Center Street, Catlettsburg, Kentucky 41129-1279In the News
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