Tree Fest, opening of farmers market this weekend

The first Saturday of April brings the annual Tree Fest celebration at the Extension Center and the opening of the Kansas Grown Farmers Market in the center’s parking lot at 21st and Ridge Road.

The Sedgwick County extension and master gardeners sponsor the celebration of trees, their first big event of the season. This year it will be on April 2, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Seminars, plant vendors, tool sharpening, answers to gardening questions by the master gardeners, a tour of the arboretum on the grounds, and demonstrations of tree planting and care, rose pruning and composting are on the schedule.

A pancake and sausage breakfast will be available for $5, and there will be a bake sale and a sale of magazines and books. Smoky the Bear will be there, and activities for kids will include a tree photo opportunity.

Project Beauty, with advice from the city arborist, each year chooses a tree that does well in the Wichita area to study and sell. This year, the group will have seedlings of the willow oak (Quercus phellos) to sell at Tree Fest.

The farmers market will be open from 7 a.m. to noon.

Admission is free.

Seminars

Here is a list of the seminars during Tree Fest:

▪ 8:15 a.m., correcting iron chlorosis in trees, by retired extension agent Bob Neier, owner of Harvest Gardens

▪ 8:50 a.m., update on the nonprofit ICTrees tree-planting project, by Barney Barnhard

▪ 9:15 a.m., after-planting tree care and the benefits of mulch rings, by Jason Griffin, director of the John C. Pair Horticulture Center

▪ 10:15 a.m., pruning tips and techniques for shrubs, by Botanica horticulturist Janet Gordon

▪ 11:15 a.m., proper pruning techniques for training your trees, by extension agent Matthew McKernan

Demonstrations

Here are the demonstrations that will be taking place:

▪ 9:30 a.m., Composting 101 (starts in the Bison Room and moves out to the demo garden for a demonstration)

▪ 10:30 a.m., pruning roses (meets in the Meadowlark Room and moves outside to the hybrid-tea rose garden)

▪ 11:45 a.m., tree planting, mulching and watering demonstration (meets in the Meadowlark Room then moves outside)

▪ Noon, tour of the arboretum by Cathy Brady of Brady Nursery.

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 7:27 PM with the headline "Tree Fest, opening of farmers market this weekend."