NEXT CHES PROGRAM, MARCH 14TH
Can we save our oaks from oak wilt?
There are not many things more heartbreaking for Texans than to watch our mighty oaks succumb to Oak Wilt. There are several things we can do to prevent the spread of oak wilt and keep oaks as part of our local landscape.
Rachel McGregor, Texas Forestry Service’s Oak Wilt expert for our region will introduce us to Oak Wilt, including prevention, identification and disease management (when to prune, how it spreads and options for stopping the spread) at our Monday evening meeting.
We will then follow up with a field day at High Hope Ranch, Tuesday morning from 10:00 AM – noon, so we can put what we’ve learned to the test. We will see live oaks with and without oak wilt and discuss the best interventions and protocols. This will help us all be able to identify what is going on in our own property and neighborhood. If you would like to join us at High Hope Ranch (adjacent to Fossil Rim’s Overlook) please let our program chair, Sandra Skrei know by emailing her.
A great link for your further research: http://texasoakwilt.org/oakwilt/
Rachel McGregor is from Springtown, Texas. She is married and has an almost two year old red headed son, Resin, and yes what they say about a red heads temper is true. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelors of Science in Urban Forestry in 2010, while working on undergraduate research with Dr. David Appel at Texas A&M University on oak wilt. Rachel received a Masters of Science in Plant Pathology with an emphasis on Nematology from Tarleton State University in 2012. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council and is an ISA Certified Arborist . Rachel has been working as a Staff Forester II in Granbury for almost three years and her goal is to educate the public on the importance of early detection and management options for Oak wilt, while also assisting landowners with helpful stewardship information and resources for their property.
Rachel was recruited from Texas A&M to attend Tarleton as one of the first graduate students in Forestry. She is the Staff Forester in the Forest Resource Development & Sustainable Forestry division for Texas A&M Forest Service. She is one of seven foresters to cover land owner outreach in the entire state of Texas. Each state in the United States has a forestry agency, but Texas was the first in the nation to establish its state forestry agency as part of a land-grant college.
The Prairie Rose Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas has a short business meeting starting at 6:00 PM Monday, March 14 (and the second Monday of every month), followed at 6:30 by a joint program with the Somervell County Master Gardener’s CHES program. The public is always welcome to attend. We meet at the Somervell County Senior Citizen’s Building, just off Glen Rose’s square.
Composting – A Healthy Garden Starts in the Kitchen
by Merilyn Cranford, Somervell County Master Gardener
A healthy garden starts in the kitchen. That’s right—at the kitchen sink! If you make a pot of coffee every morning you are well on your way to improving your garden’s soil. Enjoy a crisp salad for lunch, and the prettiest plants are within reach.
So what does cooking have to do with composting? Everything. All of those nutrient-rich scraps you are scraping into the disposal or trash are food for your soil. Change the location where you are putting them—not in the garbage, but into a compost bucket. And, if done right, the compost won’t stink or attract bugs.
Use a compost bucket with a double charcoal filter in the lid which keeps odors contained. To keep things simple, whenever you take out the trash, empty the compost bucket into a bin for outdoor disposal.
Dos and Don’ts: DO add vegetable scraps, grains and pasta, fruit rinds and peels, breads and cereals, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, crushed eggshells, paper napkins or towels. DON’T: add meat, fish or poultry, cheese, oily foods, butter, or other animal products. AND be patient! In less than two months you’ll be rewarded with nutrient-rich compost.
Dealing With Fungus Gnats
by Jes-c French, Somervell County Master Gardener Intern
Even in our relatively warm climate here in Somervell County, I’m sure there are many who brought some plants indoors to help them survive the cold of winter. I did, and with them some unwanted pests: fungus gnats.
I was asking for trouble from the moment I moved the plants indoors, because I didn’t adjust my watering appropriately. When plants are outside, they require more water because of the strong sunlight, heat and wind evaporation. Once they are brought inside, less water is needed because of lower light, temperature and wind (Browning). I had a routine to watering my plants, and when I brought them inside I continued on with the routine for a while before realizing I was overwatering.
When I understood my watering errors, I cut back on the frequency, hoping that the larvae would die off if they didn’t have a nice, wet environment to thrive. I also used yellow sticky traps to trap the adult gnats, keeping them from laying more eggs in the soil. Placing the sticky traps horizontally on top of the soil, beneath the foliage seemed to be the most effective way to trap the adults.
Fortunately, this method effectively solved my minor gnat problem. In some cases it might not be enough though. If there are still gnats flying around, you haven’t gotten to the root of the problem. Since the adults have short lives, one can assume there are still larvae in my soil (Savonen, 2006).
One way to address the gnats when simply letting the soil dry out doesn’t work is to completely repot the plants. The plants should be rinsed, the pots disinfected, and fresh soil that isn’t infested should be used. The infested soil can be solarized to kill the larvae. There are, however, other options if you do not want to repot your plants.
Adjusting our watering practices is a great first step of integrated pest management, but there are also chemical treatments that can be incorporated in the overall strategy. One highly recommended microbial insecticide for the larvae is Bacillus thuringiensis. Alternatively, parasitic nematodes, predatory mites, insect growth regulators, such as azadirachtin, or nerve-active insecticides, such as chlorphyrifos, can be used to kill the larvae (Drees, 1994).
For several other insecticide recommendations for killing both larvae and adult fungus gnats, see Drees’ Fungus Gnat Management at http://extentopubs.tamu.edu/bulletins/uc/uc-028.html.
Sources:
Browning, Sarah. “Winter Care of Indoor Plants (winter_houseplants).”Winter Care of Indoor Plants
(winter_houseplants). UNL Extension, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
Drees, Bastiaan M. “FUNGUS GNAT MANAGEMENT.” FUNGUS GNAT MANAGEMENT. Texas A&M
University System, 1994. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
Savonen, Carol. “Do Your Potted Plants Have Fungus Gnats?” Do Your Potted Plants Have Fungus Gnats?
Oregon State University Extension, 29 Dec. 2006. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
The Monarchs Are A’Comin’
By Shirley D Smith, Somervell County Master Gardener
If you are receiving this Newsletter, then I assume you are interested in gardening – and – if you are interested in gardening then it stands to reason you are interested in all its aspects. One very important aspect is the pollinators that keep almost all plants reproducing. One pollinator that has been in the news of late is the Monarch butterfly and it is in trouble. Many factors have contributed to the decline in Monarch butterfly numbers (i.e. climate change, encroachment into their habitat, etc.)
One important issue is the decline of the space on which the milkweed grows. So much of the prairie, which runs through the middle of America has been and is in decline. If you find milkweed growing on your property, leave it! IT IS NOT A WEED! The monarchs lay their eggs on all different species of milkweed and this is what the caterpillar eats. Many folks are trying to grow milkweed by using seeds. This is not an easy task as many wildflowers are very picky about this sort of thing and prefer to “do it myself.”
We have milkweed in Somervell County and I actually have a lot of it on my property. I make sure that our pasture is not mowed until the late fall when most of the wildflowers have done their thing.
If you want to learn more about milkweed then get online and read about it. There is a lot of information about it and the more you know the better. The scientific name is Asclepias. Look up and see what the “baby” milkweed looks like so you won’t accidentally pull it up.
I have actually heard that over the past few years, the Monarch numbers seem to be steady but let’s you and I do all we can to make certain we continue to see this beautiful butterfly for many, many years.
CHES Program Monday, February 8th
Community Horticultural Education Series
Presented by Somervell County Master Gardeners
Everyone is invited. Program begins at 6:30 pm
at the Citizens Center, 209 SW Barnard, Glen Rose.
Featuring Dr. Christine Morgan, who will share her knowledge on
“The Importance of Greens in the Diet and How to Grow Them”
This will be a discussion about the importance of green leaf vegetables in the diet. For thousands of years it made up 45-60% of the daily diet of humans.
The availability of plant nutrition in leaves is unequal to any other vegetable we eat. The ability to alkalize the body’s pH and the ease of absorption of nutrients will be covered.
The lecture will include a PowerPoint presentation, covering the many varieties we have to choose from; how to have proper soil to grow the most nutritious greens; how to plant in succession plantings; how anyone…no matter their living situation, can begin to grow their own greens and why they really should; and how to enjoy greens for all seasons.
Two handouts will be included: (1) Growing Greens for All Seasons and (2) Seven Fast-Growing Low-Labor, Edible Greens
There will be a short question and answer session at the end.
Christine Morgan is a long time resident of Glen Rose and has been quietly in practice for 26 years. She holds a Doctor of Naturopathic Ministry degree from Southern College of Natural Health. She started her career in the pre-veterinary program of St. Mary’s University and received a Bachelor of Science in Biology, majoring in Animal Nutrition Studies, and a Master of Science degree in Holistic Nutrition from the American College of Holistic Nutrition. She is also a Certified Nutritional Counselor, and a Holistic Health Care Practitioner from Leymans University. She has certification as a GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) and Gluten Sensitivity practitioner also. She also is an Amino Acid Therapy Practitioner, and EFT practitioner as well. She has been a researcher of human health all her adult life, and is passionate about continually learning about true health and effective living. She is a Master Gardener and a certified square-foot gardener, teacher and lecturer.
Growing Greens For All Seasons
GROWING GREENS FOR ALL SEASONS ©
by Christine Morgan, ND, Somervell County Master Gardener
Kale, collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, Chinese cabbage (bok choy, and pac choi) from the brassica family are the best known greens available to the home gardener. Also important are Swiss chard and spinach. They can all be grown as cool season greens.
Collards, kale, mustard, turnips and pac choi are related to cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and kohlrabi. They are tolerant of cooler temperatures, and where winter is not too severe, kale will re-sprout from stems in the spring. They can be grown in spring and fall, but fall may be the preferable season because they benefit from frost which increases the sugar content and flavor of the leaves. These vegetables are quick to mature, being ready to pick in 30 to 60 days, depending on variety. I have grown collards all year long here…they will slow down growth in the summer…and then pick back up as the nights get cooler!
Turnips are a two way vegetable in that certain varieties can be grown to produce both greens and roots (ie. ‘Purple Top,’ ‘White Globe,’ ‘Just Right’ and ‘Tokyo Market’). Other two-way vegetables are beets and rutabaga. It is usually for sale in the store as a root only, but the greens are quite good. I think rutabaga is a sweet tasting love child between cabbage and turnip! The leaves taste more like cabbage, and the root tastes sweeter than a turnip.
Besides the greens mentioned above, lettuces, many Japanese greens, and other salad greens can be grown that have some kind of protection from the cold.
Herbs also included in cool season cultivation would be rosemary (which lives and produces year round), cilantro, parsley, and chives. Herbs are great additions in small amounts that help clean and strengthen your body.
Warm Weather Greens
Other greens are commonly called “spinach”, but are not in the spinach family. New Zealand, Ceylon, Red Malabar, and Purslane are four separate species of greens, but are grown in late spring and /or summer, as they require heat. Also sweet potato, and winter squash and pumpkin leaves are quite edible.
There are many Japanese greens to choose from…too many to list…and easy to grow. Dandelion, basil and other warm season herbs are delicious also.
Wild greens are another place to get greens as long as you know for 100% they have not been sprayed with herbicides! Purslane, chickweed, lambs quarters and miner’s lettuce are common here in Texas.
Another very heat tolerant green is Molokhia; it is from the okra family and is common in the Middle East, such as Lebanon. It can be grown in containers easily and does have some of the thickening ability like okra, but is quite good in stews or smoothies.
Cultivation:
In spring, plant seeds as soon as soil can be worked (3 to 4 weeks prior to frost date). You can also germinate seeds indoors and plant 3 to 4 week old transplants into garden soil.
For fall planting, determine time to maturity (i.e. 55 days), then add 10 to 14 days (“the short day factor”) and plant seeds that many days prior to the first fall frost date (i.e. 65 to 69 days).
As in the spring, transplants can also be used in the fall. Also, many greens can be successfully grown in large pots or in “container gardens” that have a wide surface and a water reservoir in the bottom fed via a tube. I use container gardens from www.gardenerssupply.com with great results.
Sow seeds of these vegetables about 4 inches apart in rows 8 to 12 inches apart. In fertile raised beds, seeds can be broadcast and thinned later.
Soil Remineralization and Amendments:
It is important to use beds or containers that have been remineralized with rock dust (Azomite) and contain amendments like course vermiculite, and/or perlite, and peat moss. In general, leafy greens should be spaced about 4 inches on center and the thinned plants can be eaten in their entirety! As with most vegetables, closer spacing will result in smaller, “baby leaved” plants, and farther spacing will result in larger heads or plants.
Fertilizing:
Leafy greens are medium feeders. Incorporate well-rotted manure (fall) or compost (fall and spring) at planting. Addition of manure or compost can add micronutrients and organic matter to soil. I prefer to keep all fertilizers organic because of the strong uptake ability of greens in regard to minerals, nutrients, synthetics, and poisons. I would not even consider eating non-organic commercial greens!
Harvesting:
With the exception of the Chinese cabbages…where the entire plant is usually harvested, the outer leaves of these greens are usually harvested. Make sure the outer leaves show no sign of yellowing, since at this stage they are past prime and should be composted. Alternatively, a raised bed can be thickly sown with your favorite leafy green and thinned to an 8 inch spacing after they are 6 to 10 inches tall. These thinned plants are your first harvest (the entire plant is edible), with future harvests coming from the outer leaves of the remaining plants.
Resource list:
Arrow Feed in Granbury has:
Azomite 44lbs. $34.99
Course Vermiculite 4 cu. Ft. $35.99
Perlite 4 cu. Ft. $26.99
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R-95 dust masks home Depot or Lowes
Mushroom compost- Lowes
Organic garden soil-any of the above places
Gardening Tips and Hints – February 2016
By Shirley D Smith, Somervell County Master Gardener
Don’t know about you, but the sap is starting to flow in my veins and I am ready to start gardening seriously – NOW! But, this is Central Texas and I know from experience that I had better wait just a bit before planting anything outside (unless it is located in one of those microclimates we all have around our homes).
So, I will sit here reading my seed catalogs and gardening magazines making grandiose plans for the upcoming Spring. In the meantime, I would like to share with you some tips and hints that might make things a little easier on you as you garden.
Bunnies eating your winter veggies? When you trim your rose bushes (which date is coming up very soon), put these trimmed, spikey canes around those veggies the rabbits seem to favor to discourage them.
Do you have a stash of smaller (lunch size) paper bags? These make great vessels in which to start seeds. Before you add the soil, first brush the inside of the bags with canola oil, let them dry, then fill with soil. Now, they are ready to accept your newly purchased plant or seeds. When it is time to plant these into the garden, leave the seedling or plant in the bag and plant the entire bag directly into the prepared soil. The bags will decompose over time and the plants take root.
Those big red plastic Folger coffee cans make wonderful catch-alls for using around the garden. They can even be used for plants (after poking several drain holes in the bottom). Free! The built-in handle make them easy to carry.
For those of you who have a wood-burning fireplace, save your cooled, clean wood ashes in a covered trashcan. In early spring, mix 4 dry gallons of ash with ½ cup Epsom salts and sprinkle ½ pound of the dry mixture per 100 square feet of soil around your awakening bulbs. Apply only once a year. Wood ash contains calcium (35%), phosphorus, and potassium. Epsom salts are high in sulfur (13%) and magnesium (10%) which are rapidly utilized by plants.
Are you lucky enough to have asparagus? Spray an awakening bed of asparagus with a mixture of 5 ounces sugar and 1 tablespoon yeast in 1 quart of water to feed the soil and attract beneficial insects that do battle with the injurious asparagus beetle.
Need sun protection for your arms? Take a pair of old, holey socks and cut the foot off. Now, slip them over your wrists and arms to protect not only from the sun, but also to keep anything off your skin that might cause irritation or small cuts.
Keep bunches of long twigs or small branches around to be used as a trellis or stake for your plants and enjoy them as free-form garden sculpture.
“It’s better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.” –James Thurber
Source: Trowel & Error – Over 700 Shortcuts, Tips and Remedies for the Gardener by Sharon Lovejoy
My Favorite Plant – Christmas Cactus
By Sheryl Kleinschmidt, Somervell County Master Gardener
I have had my Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera) for approximately four years now. It is actually a combination of two plants I got from my cousin. One is red, and the other is white. The red one is a pass-along plant she acquired about twenty years ago, but the white one is much younger.
In talking with her, she confirmed what I have already observed—the red-blooming cactus is much heartier than the white cactus. Since I put them both in the same pot (on a lark), I wondered whether the white would stay true to color or turn pink. So far, it has stayed white.
Of course, the main goal of owning said plant is to try to get it to actually bloom for the holidays. According to Nikki Phipps, author of The Bulb-o-licious Garden, there are a few things we can do to force Mother Nature’s hand:
- Limit water in the early fall
- Put plant in total darkness for 12-14 hours/day
- Keep it in cooler temperatures (50’s are good)
- Once buds form, move plant near a window
- Keep plant away from heaters/drafts/direct sunlight
I have also had some success from moving the cactus from outdoors (in the shade) to indoors prior to first frost. This seems to force some dormancy needed for the plant to bloom.
Further study told me that I need to mist my cactus regularly and feed it several times a year after it blooms. To promote branching, prune the cactus back about one month following the last bloom. These cuttings can then be used to propagate new plants—only two or three joints are sufficient.
Once established, Christmas Cactus needs to be repotted at least by the third year. Although it likes a crowded pot, the soil gets depleted. So, move on up to the next sized pot and you should enjoy your cactus for many years to come!
Purple Martins
by Mary Ann Steele, Somervell County Master Gardener Intern
The purple martin is one of the earliest neo-tropical birds to return to the United States each year. After spending approximately five months in South America, purple martins make their appearance in Texas during the first half of February. Sometimes individuals arrive as early as January. These are called scouts. Males usually arrive before the females of their age. The oldest (five-seven years) generally are the first to arrive. These scouts can be seen soaring and swooping high overhead as they search for nesting sites and insects.
The purple martin has been managed intentionally by humans longer than any other North American songbird. Martins are very social birds, but they hate clutter; therefore, martin houses should be built between 10 -15 feet off the ground and, at least, forty feet from trees or structures. They can be made of wood, gourds, plastic, etc. Natural nesting sites include cavities of trees, tree snags, pipe organ cacti, and even between large boulders. Historically, most nesting probably occurred in woodpecker holes in tree hollows.
The purple martin is one of eight species of swallows that occurs in the United States. All members of the swallow family are aerial insectivores. They are the largest of the swallows, weighing approximately 1.75 ounces and having a wingspan of 15 inches. They have broader wings and tails than any of the other swallows. Males do not acquire their adult plumage until their second winter. Females are duller with a sooty gray forehead, gray neck, and grayish underparts.
Martins breed in all but the Trans-Pecos and western third of the Panhandle and South Plains. They do most of their feeding 100-200 feet above ground. Their diet is 100% insects. Martins do devour large quantities of mosquitoes. Most mosquitoes are not available to martins because of their nocturnal and low-flying habits.
Nest construction is a contiguous activity. Once a few pairs begin, many others quickly become active in nest-building. Both sexes construct the nest. Nests are of coarse material, such as twigs, straw, pine needles, or coarse grass. Prior to egg-laying, the nest cup is lined with green leaves. Green leaves are thought to contain a natural insecticide to help reduce parasite numbers or aid in maintaining sufficient moisture for the eggs. The green leaves are added throughout the incubation period. Three to seven eggs are added throughout the sixteen day incubation period.
Males and females are on and off the nest in fifteen minute intervals. The parents feed small insects to the young birds until they fledge at about 28 days. The brood is kept together for one to two weeks, returning to the nest at night or during daytime thunderstorms. After fledging, they return to South America. By the end of September most have left Texas. Ninety percent are believed to winter in and around the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Others can be found from Venezuela to Northern Bolivia. Martins can live to be thirteen years old in the wild.
House sparrows and starlings are their worst enemies. Starlings will lay their eggs in the nest and push a martin egg out. The mother martin does not know the difference and will hatch and feed the starling baby as her own. Of course, the starling is much larger and will eat more, sometimes starving the martin babies to death. House sparrows make nests in the martin houses, often destroying the nests and eggs that belong to the martins. Whereas sparrows can raise several broods a year, the martins can have only one. People who have the enjoyment of martin houses also have the responsibility of protecting these special birds from the sparrows and the starlings.