Welcome to a New Year and a new newsletter from the Fayette County Extension Office. In this new format, you will be linked to different publications from the University of Georgia as well as be able to sign up online for some of our educational programs.
January is National Radon Awareness Month and Georgia Homes Remain at High Risk for Unsafe Radon Levels
Radon is an odorless gas that seeps out of soil and rock and into the air. It is formed when uranium that is found in soil and rock, breaks down, emitting radon gas. While radon is not dangerous outdoors, if it emerges under a home it can seep in and reach dangerous concentrations. The only way to detect radon is to test for it.
Exposing yourself and your family to a high level of radon over several years increases the risk of developing lung cancer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking.
About one in fifteen homes have an elevated level of radon (4 picocuries per liter or greater). In much of Georgia, homes are much more likely to have elevated levels of radon when compared to the national average. Granite rock found in the soil beneath our homes elevates the risk for radon intrusion.
To help you identify the risk of radon in your county, the University of Georgia Radon Program recently updated its radon map. Visit radon.uga.edu to view an interactive map of radon risk throughout the state. In some Georgia counties, one in two homes tested has an elevated level of radon. In most of the counties north of Columbus, Macon and Augusta, the risk of having an elevated level of radon in your home is significantly above the national average.
Regardless of where your home is or how it is built, we recommend testing for radon gas. To learn more about radon, please consider joining on zoom session on January 29th. Rebecca Cantrell, UGA Radon Educator, will be sharing more details about this natural element and ways to protect your family. Please see our upcoming programs at https://extension.uga.edu/county-offices/fayette/Upcoming_ANR_Programs_and_Events.html to RSVP for this educational program.
Plant Spotlight- Dendrobium Orchid
Dendrobium is a large genus within the orchid family. They grow best in bright, indirect light, in either a west or a south facing window. Using a well-draining potting mix, allow the plant to partially dry out, but never fully dry, in between waterings. Due to their small root systems, consider planting them in the smallest container they will fit. Flowers come in a wide variety of colors with some being fragrant. Plants have few problems but be on the lookout for mealybugs. Lighting will affect blooming, so if there is not enough, you will not have blooms. To find out more, consider coming to our educational program on February 24th at 10am.
Dendrobium Orchid Photo- K. Toal, UGA Extension
Did you know?
The Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program trains volunteers to help Extension share research-based gardening information in our communities.
We will hold a required orientation session on Tuesday, February 3rd at 1pm for those that are interested. At this orientation session, we will cover the purpose of the program, program requirements, the program fee, and you will be able to pick up an application. We only have 14 spaces available for our training session this year.
We will hold a required orientation session on Tuesday, February 3rd at 1pm for those that are interested. At this orientation session, we will cover the purpose of the program, program requirements, the program fee, and you will be able to pick up an application. We only have 14 spaces available for our training session this year.
Please go online to RSVP for the orientation session at https://extension.uga.edu/calendar/event/26350/fayette-county-master-gardener-extension-volunteer-mgev-2026-program-orientation.html
If you are not available this year, we will offer the MGEV training program again in 2028. Please call the office or email Kim to be added to the 2028 program interest list.
Upcoming Programs
Please check out our Upcoming ANR Programs and Events listed at the Fayette County Extension Website, https://extension.uga.edu/county-offices/fayette/Upcoming_ANR_Programs_and_Events.html
Listed below are our programs for January. A listing of additional programs coming up are available on our website.
January 20th-10am-Milkweed for Monarchs- two-part series (part two March 10th)
January 29th– 10am-Radon Education Zoom Program- Take Action this January!
Milkweed Plant Photo-M. R. Boman, Fayette MGEV
Kim Toal, is the Fayette County Extension Coordinator and Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources. For additional information about Fayette County Extension, please call our office at 770-305-5412 or check out our website at https://extension.uga.edu/fayette.
