Somervell County Master GardenersTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Sunflowers

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by Katie Hunholz, Somervell County Master Gardener Intern

sunflowerThe Sunflower, a native of North America, is another plant that has a rich history of being utilized by the human race.  First cultivated by the Native Americans, the sunflower was brought to Europe by the Spanish, during the early years of North American exploration.  After being extensively researched and cultivated in Russia, the sunflower gradually made its way back to North America, where it continued to be utilized in the areas of food, industry, and transportation.

Originally, sunflowers were greatly valued for their use as flour in cakes and bread, and as a medicinal ointment used in the treatment of snakebites or dry skin.  The stalks were used as a building material, especially useful in areas that lacked large expanses of timber with which to build housing, and in weaving baskets.  The Native Americans were known to extract a yellow and black dye, which was used as a body paint, from the petals and flowers of the sunflower.

Over time, however, sunflowers became valued in many other ways, including their aesthetic quality.  Not only are fields of sunflowers a vision of beauty, and the inspiration behind the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh, but they play a vital role in many areas of our everyday lives.  For example, sunflower oil is highly valued in the food industry as a natural source of margarine and cooking oil- often used in frying or baking.  In fact, it is the only oil that naturally produces margarine with a rich, yellow coloring.  The seeds of the sunflower are valued as a nutritious snack, which provide a rich variety of vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids- for both humans, and birds!   Despite being an expensive ingredient, due to its high demand by the cooking industry, sunflower oil has found its way into many industrial items as well- including, paints, varnishes, plastics, soaps, and detergents.  It even has the potential to be used in biodiesel.  The stems of sunflowers can be used in the production of paper and latex, or they can become a fibrous treat for cattle.  One very unique use of the sunflower has been the use of the sunflower pith, used as a buoyancy device- such as a life preserver.  In fact, the life preservers used on the Titantic were apparently filled with sunflower pith! Recently, sunflowers were even used in the process of phytoremediation- whereby toxins such as arsenic and lead, are removed from the soil.

Sunflowers, as a cultivated species, can come in various colors and sizes- usually 5-12 feet in height.  The flower itself is actually made up of numerous tiny florets.  Ray florets eventually develop into the petals, whereas the disc florets are the ones inside of the sunflower’s flower head, and they produce the seeds of the sunflower.  A favorite of many gardeners, sunflowers are known for being drought tolerant and resistant to deer.  With all of the amazing qualities of a sunflower, it is somewhat puzzling to discover that despite the sunflower’s origination being in North America, the sunflower is actually much more popular, and prevalent, in Europe.   Such a useful, yet beautiful, plant deserves to be admired and preserved for future generations.  Hopefully, this article will encourage you to appreciate this amazing flower, and all it has to offer- not only in the past, but so much more in our future.

 

Sources:

  • Laws, Bill. 2012.  Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History.  New York. Firefly

Books, Inc. p. 94-97.

  • National Sunflower Association. (2014). Sunflower Sustainability: The substance behind the seed. (online). Available: www.sunflowernsa.com (2014, January 30).

What the Worms Taught Me

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By Sheryl Kleinschmidt, Somervell County Master Gardener

Learning how to garden successfully in Somervell County has been a real challenge to this native Central Texas gal.  Little did I know how blessed we were to have the sandy, loam soil we all took for granted.  I’m always bragging how easy it was “down south”.   You simply toss the seeds on the ground, stomp them a couple of times, water and wait.  It was a done deal.

Not so in the land of rock, cactus and juniper ash.  My yard has only a few inches of viable soil before my spade hits stuff so hard it would take a jack hammer to bust it loose.   Therefore, I’m always on the look-out for ideas to improve my vegetable gardens.

With little yard space to spare, I decided to put in a square-foot garden last year.  Prior to my Master Gardener training, I unwittingly chose soil from a dairy that I thought would be suitable for my bed.  It turned out to be a mistake as it packed when watered.

I started adding compost material to the bed, but it wasn’t breaking down quickly enough to help the situation.  WORMS!   Worms came to mind, so I started doing a little on-line research and came across an article showing how to make worm towers.  Perfect!

After gathering all the materials needed and enlisting the help of a friend, my PVC worm towers were ready to be placed in my garden.  I followed the directions step-by-step and proudly deposited my store-bought worms into their very own Holiday Inn.  How could they not “go forth and multiply”?  After all, they had a ritzy little house, food and water.

Every day I checked my towers to see what the worms were up to.  Not once did I actually see a worm, but assumed they were well and happy.   But, as spring turned into summer it became apparent that not only were my worms not happy—they were DEAD!

What did I learn from the worms?  1)  Their towers needed to have more ventilation holes.  2)  Their towers needed to be buried further down in the soil.  3)  They don’t like to be soaked with the hose at full-blast every day (or ever).  4)  Pampered worms kept in cold storage don’t adapt too well to the Texas heat.

For those of you interested in making/using worm towers, here are a few simple instructions:

  1.  Cut PVC pipe into 2-3 foot sections.   Pipes with a larger diameter should do better (6-8”).
  2. Sheryls worms, 2Drill ¼ “ holes at various intervals up/down the pipe, leaving the top 4” undrilled.
  3. Dig a hole in the center of your garden that is deep enough to bury all but the top 4” of the pipe.
  4. Bury the pipe and back-fill dirt around it.
  5. Fill the tube about ½ full of moist organic material such as straw, shredded newspaper, leaves and kitchen scraps (no grease or meat).
  6. Add about 50 worms to the tube.  I recommend digging them from another flower bed or area that is rich in worms as these critters have already adapted to the environment.
  7. Place a square of screen wire over the top of the tower to keep out flies/critters.  You can also cover that with a flower pot to keep the wire in place.  Terra cotta works best.Sheryls worms
  8.     To maintain, keep the inside of the tube moist, but spray the water gently.  Add organic scraps as needed.

So, that, my friends, is what the worms taught me.   Nature is like that, you know.  If we will just sit still and observe what is right before our eyes, we can learn a lot—even from worms…………….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pruning and Planting Tips for February

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by Linda Heideman, Somervell County Master Gardener

Finish pruning before the trees start to leaf out in your area.  A well-trained tree should need very little pruning later in life.  However, in many cases a tree is not trained well when young, necessitating more severe pruning later to try to fix the problems caused by a lack of pruning.

Shear hedges just prior to the onset of new growth.  Shrubs that are not hedges can be pruned in a more natural form for less ongoing work.  Cut long shoots extending out of bounds back to where they join another branch.  If the shrub is an older, multi-stemmed shrub that lacks vigor and doesn’t bloom well, cut 20% of the oldest branches out at just above the soil line.  Do this every year and in five years you will have rejuvenated the entire bush without detracting from its overall appearance.

Go through your fruit trees and grape vines to check for fruit left dried  and hanging on the tree or on the ground.  Remove it from the orchard to remove a source of potential disease infection when the new crop comes on in spring.

This is the time to complete your fruit- and nut-pruning chores.  Pecans are pruned primarily when they are young trees to train them.  Once they get older, pruning is often not practical in a home planting;  but it is often necessary to remove dead and broken limbs both in winter and during the course of the season.  Apples, pears, peaches, plums, and grapes require both training when young and annual pruning when they get older.  Persimmons, jujubes, and citrus need minimal pruning.  Figs need little if any pruning, although you may be removing dead branches killed by freezes.  Blueberries won’t need much pruning until they get older and then you can start the five-year rejuvenation schedule mentioned for ornamental shrubs above.

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Keep your pruning equipment sharp as it makes pruning easier and tends to make cleaner cuts that heal better.  Read up on pruning each species you grow so your training and pruning decisions will be ones that make the tree stronger and more fruitful.

 

From Texas Gardener Magazine, January/February 2014

Community Horticultural Education Series – CHES

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Next CHES Meeting – Monday, January 13, 2014, 6:30 pm

Senior Citizens Center

209 SW Barnard

 Glen Rose, Texas

“Firewise Landscaping”

presented by Phylliss Webster, Hood County Master Gardener

During extended periods of drought, when the risk of wildfires is highest,

your plant choices and their placement in the landscape could make your home

vulnerable to fire damage.  We will learn how to protect our homes from wildfire

by using methods that are effective in our area.

Gardening Tips for January 2014

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by Shirley D Smith, Somervell County Master Gardener

Have you been outside lately?  Well, do so and look at the ground.  Unwanted plants (i.e. weeds) are coming up everywhere – especially where you don’t want them!  Well, here are a few ideas to help with that problem.

Layers of newspaper are a good way to cover areas where you don’t want weeds.  But, another is using some of that cardboard you now have after Christmas.  Just cut the cardboard into the shape you need and lay it down.  Now, cover it with a layer (2”-4”) of mulch.  Cardboard tends to last longer than the newspaper so you are spared at least one garden chore.

Vinegar 20 %Another way to get rid of weeds is to spray them with 20% vinegar.  This is not your grocery store vinegar.  The white vinegar that I have here at home is 4% and my apple cider vinegar is 5%.  The 20% vinegar can be bought at most places that sell organic gardening products.  Spray the weeds in the morning and wait for the sun to do its work.  By that evening the weeds should show definite signs of wilting.  Not sure how well it will work in cold weather, but on a hot summer day it works wonderfully.  Be careful when using it, however, because it can and will burn your skin, eyes and nose.  I have used it for years with no problems because I am aware of how strong it is and am very careful!

If you are a dedicated to using only organic methods to rid your area of weeds, then try boiling water.  This works especially well when the weeds are firmly settled into cracks in sidewalks, stone walks, or a flagstone patio.  Just DON’T do this to poison oak or poison ivy because you can get an allergic reaction from the oils in the steam!

Goats browsingAnd speaking of poison ivy, it won’t be long before the weather is warm enough for that noxious plant to show itself.  One of the best ways of ridding your place of poison ivy is to use a goat (yours or borrowed).  Goats are browsers and would rather eat brush than grass.  They strip bark from shrubs, eat twigs, and reduce fire hazards by chomping their way through overgrown weeds.  However, you might want to fence off any trees, bushes, and plants where you don’t want the goats to go, then let ‘em at it.

Enjoy your “down time” because it won’t be long before spring will be here and all gardeners know what that means!

A Miracle of Nature

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by Katie Hunholz, Somervell County Master Gardener Intern

Used for 8000 years…known for its versatility, appearance, performance, and comfort…America’s number one value-added crop…provides thousands of products and millions of jobs.  What plant could I possibly be describing? It’s Gossypium hirsutum, or Upland Cotton.

Used throughout history in places all throughout the world- China, India, Pakistan, Africa, and North America- cotton continues to play a vital role in the economy and industry of the United States.  In fact, the US is the second biggest producer of cotton (China is the top producer), and 37% of the world’s cotton is exported from the United States.

With a growing season that lasts 150-180 days, cotton is an extremely time-consuming crop (the longest of any annual crop in the US).   However, the products that are produced from this crop make it all worth the wait.  Cotton farmers have an advantage since all parts of the cotton plant are useful. The cotton boll (the white, fluffy part of the seed head) forms when the plant is ready to seed (~130 days after planting).  It is then plucked from the plant, ginned (separating the lint from the seeds), carded (combed to straighten out the fibers), spun into yarn, and woven into cloth.   Cottonseed oil, from the seeds, is found in many of our foods.  And the leftover seed portion becomes food for livestock.  The leaves and stalks of the cotton remain behind with the farmer, who can then till the plant material back into the soil- acting as fertilizer for future crops.

As the desire for cotton increased throughout the world, new technologies, such as the Spinning Jenny and cotton gin, made the production of cotton a more efficient process.  Cotton was the inspiration for much of the technology developed in the 1700s, as well as a huge contributor to the Industrial Revolution.  As cotton production increased in North America, the economy began to rapidly increase as well.  The economy of the northern states was booming through the selling of cotton products, whereas the southern economy was being fueled by the farming of the cotton crops.  In fact, the need for more land for growing cotton was one of the main impetuses behind the Western expansion.

Despite the many benefits that come from such an influential plant, the production of cotton is not without its trials.  As America’s biggest export in the mid 1800s, the production of cotton fueled the increase of the slave trade.  This increase of slavery was a large contributor to the American Civil War, as many people objected to the owning of fellow human beings.  Another negative impact of the production of cotton has been the increase in the use of aggressive pesticides.  Even though less than 3% of the world’s farmland is dedicated to the production of cotton, this production uses 25% of the world’s pesticides.  The boll weevil, a small insect with a huge appetite for cotton, costs the industry almost $300 million each year as farmers fight to control this pest.  And, this financial impact does not consider the inevitable impact this will have on the environment.

Cotton Diagram of Uses

The advance of modern technology makes many things obsolete, but cotton is not one of them.    Cottonseed oil is found in food, margarine, cosmetics and soaps.   Cotton fibers are still used to make clothing, sheets, and towels.   Even with the creation of synthetic cotton, the authentic cotton has many superior qualities- including,  better absorbency, a texture ideal for cleansing, and the ability to withstand extremely high temperatures (a quality necessary for sterilization).  All of these facts concerning cotton, point to one obvious conclusion: the impact of cotton- both in the past, and in the present- has greatly changed our world.

Sources:

  • Laws, Bill. 2012.  Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History.  New York. Firefly Books, Inc. p. 88-93.
  • Cotton Counts. The Story of Cotton.  Cotton.tamu.edu. cotton.tamu.edu/kidseducation.html. (12/20/2013)

Favorite Winter Flower – the Pansy

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by Linda Heideman, Somervell County Master Gardener

PansiesMy favorite flowering plant for January is the pansy.  Their little brightly-colored faces are still cheerfully blooming in my yard after being covered in ice a few weeks ago!  As I read about pansies, I learned that they are the number one flowering plant for winter in North Texas. Once these flowers are placed up for sale in plant or home improvement stores, you need to get there early to beat the landscapers from buying them up first. That is how quickly they can sell around here. It may not appear to most who are not from North Texas that these flowers are so popular. Take a look around at businesses that landscape what little land they have. You will find pansies everywhere you go.

These cool climate loving flowers have such a range in color it will make your head spin. They can come in white, yellow, red, orange, blue, purple, green (which looks odd), and even as dark as black. The deep purple ones are the most popular as this may also be the original color. The reason for this being is that these are the most fragrant out of all of the other colors.

Once your Esperanzas start losing flowers, you know it is time to start planting your pansies. Be patient in finding healthy plants if you are not going to plant from seeds. Any unhealthy pansies can infect the others nearby. You can start them from seeds, and it will take anywhere from two to three weeks before you might see them sprouting up from the ground. Try not to over-water them.

Pansies should not be planted any closer than six inches from each other, as their foliage will spread out quite a ways. The recommended distance for planting pansies is 8″ to 10″ apart. Keep in mind that if you are going to plant these delicate flowers in containers, they not live as long as if they were planted in your yard. You may find that you need to feed them once a month as their root systems grow quickly.

You will find that pansies can survive through mild snowy conditions without any protection. These hearty winter flowers are a showcase around any home or business. Accentuate your boring green garden or dying green yard with these colorful flowers.

Community Horticulture Education Series (CHES)

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 Community Horticulture Education Series (CHES)

Meeting on the 2nd Monday of every month except December

No Meeting in December

209 SW Barnard St, Glen Rose, Texas

Next Regular Business Meeting of the Somervell County Master Gardeners

January 15, 2014 at 10:00 am

1405 Texas Dr, Glen Rose, Texas

December Tips

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DSC_8271 by Bonnah Boyd, Somervell County Master Gardener

*Cover flower and shrub beds with from 3 – 4 inches of mulch to prevent moisture evaporation and to modify soil temperatures.

*Clean out warm-season flower beds, add an inch or two of compost and mix it into the soil.

*Water the entire landscape at least once in December in the absence of significant rainfall to prevent freeze damage.

*If a hard, prolonged freeze (24 hours or more) is predicted, cover freeze-sensitive plants with cardboard boxes or blankets.

*Move tender container plants indoors near a very bright window to keep them healthy through the winter.

*Mow winter weeds to keep them in check.

*In areas of the vegetable or herb garden that are void of plants, pull winter weeds and plant a cover crop, such as cereal rye grain.

*Cover crops reduce weed establishment and can be tilled into the soil later to improve the soil.

*Use leaves from the trees to build a compost pile or as walkway materials. Continue to add leaves to the walkway as they press down with foot traffic.

*Remember to provide water for the birds during winter.

*This is a great time to plan next year’s gardens. Try some new things.  Add a new “feature” to your garden.

Have You Used A Plant Today?

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by Katie Hunholz, Somervell County Master Gardener Intern

The Importance of Plants

The importance of plants, and the impact they have on our world, is something that is commonly overlooked. However, no matter your age, occupation, or lifestyle, we use plants everyday of our lives. In fact, without plants, we wouldn’t even be able to survive! Plants are contributors in products used as food, soap, cosmetics, medicine, clothing, paper, housing, and numerous other purposes. Not only do we use plants for manufactured products, but they also benefit us in other ways such as erosion control, aesthetics, air quality, recreation, protection from the elements, etc. As we consider the importance of plants, I want to begin by focusing on how plants are essential to our very survival. In order to live, humans need 4 basic things: air, water, food, and shelter. Plants provide us with all of these things.

irrigation-photosynthesisIn a process called photosynthesis, plants absorb sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water, in order to produce carbohydrates (which give the plant energy to make food) and oxygen. The oxygen that is produced is then released into the atmosphere, allowing humans and other wildlife to be able to breathe. Plants also act as air filters, cleaning the air by capturing harmful particulates such as smoke, dust, and lead, and releasing harmless compounds back into the air through a series of chemical reactions.

Not only is oxygen essential for human life, but food is also necessary. Without plants, we would not have food! Everything that we eat is a product of a plant- except salt and water. All animals eat one of two things- other animals, or plants. This means that even if your diet consists entirely of meat, that meat would not exist without plants.

The third essential element of survival is shelter. We all need shelter- it is what protects us from wind, rain, heat, and cold. Plants are the building blocks for the lumber used in houses and the threads used in clothing. Without plants, we wouldn’t even be able to start a fire in order to keep us warm.

The final element essential to life is water. There would still be water in the world, even without plants. However, plants are necessary because they act as filters in the water, removing dangerous impurities. As water flows through an ecosystem, by way of rain, streams, lakes, wetlands, etc., it gathers dangerous pollutants from the environment. But, while moving through soil, those impurities are filtered through plants and microbes. The plants and microbes absorb the harmful chemicals and release cleaner water back into the environment. If we didn’t have plants, those impurities would slowly build up in the human body as we drank the water, leading to sickness, disease, or death.

As you can see, plants are extremely important! In fact, they are so important, that it would be impossible to elaborate on their uses in just one article. I invite you to join me as we begin a series of articles discussing the many things that plants are used for in this modern world, and how they have affected us in the past. I guarantee that this journey will be filled with amazing, eye-opening information that is applicable to all areas of life.

 

Literature Cited:

American Forest Foundation. Project Learning Tree. Pre K-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide. 2009.

Murphy, Margaret. Plant and Animal Ways. 1990. Chicago.

Laws, Bill. Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History. 2010. Quid Publishing.

Sustaining Life: how human life depends on biodiversity. 2008. Oxford University Press