From the Ground Up, Spring 2011

Spring

Volume 2, Issue 1

2011

From the Ground Up A Gardening and Native Plants Quarterly

Colorado State University Extension-Pueblo County 701 Court Street · Suite C · Pueblo, CO 81003 · 719-583-6566 · coopext_pueblo@mail.colostate.edu GARDEN WALKS

YAMPA RIVER BOTANIC GARDEN

by Linda McMulkin, CSU Extension

Steamboat Springs boasts many attractions for tourists, but next time you visit be sure to find time to tour one of the most interesting public gardens in Colorado. The Yampa River Botanic Garden is a showcase of varied and inspired design techniques and of plants that thrive at high elevation.

My husband and I visited the garden on a beautiful late September afternoon last year. We had seen hundreds of aspen on our drive from Fort Collins and I wondered if touring a nearly dormant garden would be anticlimactic. We discovered a place filled with well designed ―rooms‖, lots of subtle color, and many benches where we stopped to enjoy the sunshine and the sights.

The five acre garden is located just west of US 40 south of downtown Steamboat Springs (map and directions available at http:// steamboatsprings.net/departments/parks_recreation/parks/ botanical_park/). You will pass through a residential area before you reach the park; drive slowly because the speed bumps are huge. Park in the lot next to the Rock garden. Photo by L. McMulkin soccer fields and then walk the path parallel to the highway to reach the entrance to the garden. As you enter the gate, pick up a brochure/map from the kiosk. The brochure outlines the history of the garden and information on design and maintenance. The map will help you orient yourself and keep you from missing some of the nooks and crannies in the garden.

Individual gardens within the 5 acres feature culinary and medicinal herbs, butterfly and hummingbird friendly plants, and Colorado and Rocky Mountain natives. Other areas focus on specific plants, including roses, conifers, Penstemons, iris and daylilies, spring-flowering bulbs, and fall blooming perennials (plants are labeled with scientific and common names). The gardens include paths and benches of different materials, raised beds, berms, lots of rock, and a wealth of garden art and sculpture. My favorite spaces were a garden in a low area where mature trees and shrubs created a cave-like atmosphere, the extensive rock garden on a large berm, a vine covered pergola on a high spot overlooking the river, and the view across the still green lawn toward a pond framed by littleleaf cottonwoods in full fall color.

Continued on page 3 View from the lawn toward the pond. Photo by L. McMulkin

INDEX Garden Walks Fabulous Families Know Your Natives Digging Deeper Ag workshops Wicked Weeds

1&3 2 3 4&5 5 6

Yard/Garden classes Native Plant Master Perennial People Taxonomy Harmonious Hardscapes Food Preservation

6 6 7 8 9 10

FABULOUS FAMILIES

LAMIACEAE

by Marilynn Chambers, Colorado Master Gardener, 2000, and Native Plant Master, 2007 The Lamiaceae family is recognized by the presence of square stems and pungent, distinctive, minty aromas.

Known commonly as the mint family, it is comprised of mostly herbaceous and shrubby perennials, some annuals and also a few shrubs such as the caste tree (Vitex negunda) and beautyberry (Callicarpa americana). Many of our familiar kitchen herbs are in this family.

It is the flowers which gave Lamiaceae its former name of Labiatae, meaning lips. The upper lip of the flower consists of two lobes and forms a hood over the three-lobed lower lip, which can serve as a landing platform for pollinators. The flowers are zygomorphic, or bilaterally symmetrical, with 5 united petals and 5 united sepals. There is a single pistil and stamens can be 2 or 4; the leaves are opposite and contain glands with scented oils. The superior ovary is divided into four lobes which become single seeded nutlets.

Lavender (Lavandula spp.) and rosemary (Rosemarinus spp.) are grown commercially for use in perfumes, soaps, aftershaves, detergents and disinfectants. Also of commercial value are the culinary spices which make our food so much more interesting and complex - oregano (Origanum spp.), basil (Ocimum basilicum), sage (Salvia officinalis), savory (Satureja spp.) and thyme (Thymus spp.). Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) and spearmint (M. spicata) as well as horehound (Marrubium vulgare) are grown as crops. While there is some use of spearmint, peppermint is far more widely used for oils, flavorings and teas.

Its primary components are menthol and menthone. Horehound was used for generations as a homemade remedy for coughs and is produced today for use in cough drops, liquors and candy.

In the landscape we enjoy the colorful and fragrant agastaches, brilliant Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris), a Colorado salvias, low-growing catmints (Nepeta spp.), scutellaria, self-heal (Prunella) and native, shows the typical mint flower shape (and a visiting pollinator) on the lower left dead nettles (Lamium). If there is a kitty in your household, he will thank you bloom Photo by L. McMulkin for planting a little patch of Nepeta cataria every time he romps with great delight through the catnip. In the annual bed there may be coleus (Solenostemon scutellaroides), a member of the family with colorful foliage but which has no scent at all.

The mint family can be confused with the closely related Verbenaceae family, plants of which will also have a superior ovary and may present square stems and sometimes aromas. The verbena family mainly consists of woody plants, most of them tropical, including the economically important teak (Tectona grandis). If there is an aroma, it is never minty.

Some of the family members have a long history. Lavender has been used for 2,500 years and in bygone times, a cross of lavender was hung over doorways to protect those inside from evil. Medieval ladies embroidered thyme on scarves for their knights believing that it provided strength and fortitude.

Some of the over 200 genera in this family are known to be rampant growers. Peppermint or any other of the mints can easily overtake a flower bed if not contained. Common horehound is highly invasive, although better behaved species are available.

Rosemary used to be a plant you would pot up to bring inside for the winter, but in recent years some cultivars have become available that are winter hardy here – Arp Rosemary and Madelaine Hill are two. We can also grow lavender here, English lavender being the hardiest, but many of the hybrid intermedia lavenders also do well in our climate. For kitchen use, Greek oregano Basil (Ocimum basilicum) grows well in (O. hirta) is considered to have a better flavor than O. vulgare; both are easy to containers. Many cultivars of the species are available . Photo by M. Chambers grow, as is basil, an annual, which makes a fine container plant.

Subscribe to this newsletter by contacting Carolyn at 583-6574 2

Yampa River Botanic Garden - continued from page 1 The Yampa River Botanical Garden has a growing season of only about 60 days and is covered by snow (and closed to the public) from November through April. When I visited last September, many of the beds had already been cleaned up for winter. While some cold hardy annuals and perennials were still in bloom, I was most aware of the textures of rocks and evergreens, the rustle of fallen leaves, and smell of the late blooming roses.

I hope to find time to visit the Yampa River Botanical Garden during the height of the growing season in Steamboat Springs (June-July) this year. In the meantime, I’ll watch the slideshow posted on the Colorado Gardening website (http://www.coloradogardening.com/yampa_river.htm) and imagine sitting on a bench above the river and listening to the kids playing soccer.

KNOW YOUR NATIVES

BUFFALO GRASS

by Warren Nolan, Colorado Master Gardener, 2008

Buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides) is a warm season "native" perennial. It needs heat--consequently, it greens up later and turns brown earlier than cool season grasses like Kentucky Bluegrass. Buffalograss spreads by stolons and rhizomes, is sod forming, and will grow 3-12 inches high if left unmowed. Drought tolerant, it requires 6 to 8 hours of daily sun, and does best in heavier soils like clay. Buffalograss has both male and female plants (dioecious); the male forms a compact pollen head giving the grass a somewhat wild appearance.

I planted buffalograss more for ideological congruence than for its alleged virtues. I wished to transform my scraped and barren lot into a native plant landscape where the buffalo could roam. How? Well, I could sod, plug, or seed Buffalograss. At the time neither sod nor plugs were available locally*, and I worried that mere seed would blow or wash away. In the end I hired a landscaper to hydromulch a mix of Bowie buffalograss and Blue Grama seed.

The Blue Grama (Chondrosum gracile) seed germinated in four to six days, and within weeks formed a loose mat that held the still germinating buffalograss in place. On my stomach I would look across the plane of my lot patiently waiting for any sign of buffalograss. At the end of that first summer I wasn't sure I had any buffalograss actually growing--it didn't help that I didn't know what it looked like.

The following spring began with a surfeit of bright green weeds and cool season grasses taunting my still brown lawn. Disappointed, my wife and I pulled buckets of weeds, and I also spot sprayed with glyphosate.

Neighbors, convinced my lawn was dead, urged me to water. However, in May my sketchy turf exploded from dormancy in an explosion of buffalograss stolons shooting everywhere. I now knew what buffalograss looked like.

Many internet sites, books, and self-ordained experts proclaim the advantages of buffalograss without firsthand experience--they don't know what they are talking about. Here are some hard-earned truths.

Buffalograss is able to survive drought, but it will not remain green without sufficient water. During the heat of mid-summer I water about as much as my Bluegrass neighbors. The lengthy dormancy of buffalograss accounts for most of my water savings. My lawn will be four years old this June, and as it matures it seems to require less water.

The mat of buffalograss sod is thinner than Kentucky Bluegrass, making it somewhat more susceptible to weeds. Actually, cool season grasses are a bigger problem in my lawn than broadleaf weeds. My lawn is immune to the many diseases (fungus) and insects that annually plague my neighbors.

I keep my suburban buffalograss lawn at a height of 3.5 inches, and in July I mow as often as my neighbors.

I feel this constant mowing somewhat diminishes the lawn's performance. If I could let my lawn go wild, it would require less water and be better able to fight off weeds.

While buffalograss is not perfect, I would plant it again. I love its wildness, its relative low maintenance, and its seasonal colors—soft blue-green in summer color, and straw in winter. *Southwest Farms in Pueblo now carries both Prestige and Legacy Buffalograss plugs.

3

Garden Tip: Tomato Cultivars For Local Gardens Dr. Michael Bartolo, Vegetable Crop Research Scientist at the Arkansas Valley Research Center in Rocky Ford, recommends the following tomato cultivars for southeastern Colorado: Slicers: "Shady Lady", "Sunbrite", "Celebrity", "Mountain Spring" Plum/roma type: "Monica" Cherry: "Mountain Belle", "Cherry Grande" DIGGING DEEPER:

THE SEARCH FOR NEW GARDEN TOOLS

by Cheryl DeLong, Colorado Master Gardener, 2008 We still have a few weeks to go before the fever hits full force but I find myself already wandering the aisles of our local stores hoping to find a new tool that will be this year’s addition to my tool collection. I’m looking for the one tool that will be my ―partner‖ for the challenges I face each year and that will be in my hand every morning when I go out to enjoy the many pleasures that gardening brings to my world.

Two years ago I was introduced to the Hori Hori Knife, a very sturdy knife with one side beveled for shoveling and cutting and dividing roots and the other edge is serrated, perfect for sawing and digging out weeds. This has been my partner for the past two years and I love it! While it has its own identified duties, this knife has much more potential and gets used for cutting open bags and has made digging out dandelions a quick job.

I wondered what tools my Colorado Master Gardener colleagues would identify to be their favorite gardening tool. Thanks to those who responded to my survey, I would like to share some favorite tools, their primary use, and descriptions as submitted by CMGs: 

 

 

 

A heavy duty 4-tine Cultivator, or ―Potato Rake‖ – I call it ―THE CLAW‖. I use it as a light Mattox/Pick especially for trenching; a rake especially to sort out buried stones and debris, and a trash retriever for hard to reach spots.

I am disabled and unable to use a full sized shovel. I use the children’s size for almost everything, from bulb planting to digging a hole for a tree.

A garden gadget called Grandpa’s Weeder is great for digging longer-taproot weeds out of tough soil. It consists of two ―forks’ on the end of a longish pole. One fork is hinged. You press down hard on the whole assembly, centering the culprit weed between the two forks. Lean the pole over backwards so that the lever attached to the movable fork hits the ground, forcing the one fork into the other and thus grasping the weed. As you continue to push down the weed pops up.

I have a pair of shovels, one long-handle and one short D-handle, which have large teeth on their push-into-theground ends. These are excellent for digging in hard clay and for cutting stubborn roots.

My bare hands. I need to get my fingers in the dirt to get hold of the root to pull out that weed, or to put in that new plant. My fingers do the best job of separating the roots of plants I’m trying to separate. My next favorite is a bulb planter.  My favorite is a garden tool we call a scuffer hoe. It is a long handle hoe but has a square loop of metal on the end. The loop is hinged so that when you drag it toward you in the dirt it digs in and cuts off weeds beautifully.  One of my favorites is a cheap pair of scissors. They are great for opening plastic bags, shearing and deadheading. If you lose them or they wear out, you can get another pair for a dollar or two.

A great tool for pruning flowers is a one-handed flower snip. Saves my back in that it holds the stems after cutting so the flower doesn’t drop and can be easily bagged.

My husband created one of my favorite tools. He took a 40-gallon plastic trash container and cut the bottom out.

I pull my plastic bag over the outside and the edges of the bag stretch over the handles to hold the bag in place. I can load it up with twigs, leaves, tumbleweeds and other debris without tearing the bag and simply pull the hard container out leaving all the debris neatly inside and no torn bags or branches poking out. Has made clean up very easy! Continued on page 5 4

Garden Tools - continued from page 4 I was very interested in some of the garden gadgets that people shared and started exploring the internet for more information. I found loads of information on garden tools, but found the tools specifically designed to help with gardening aches and pains most interesting. I would encourage you to check on the internet or ask for ―therapeutic‖ or ergonomic garden tools. The Denver Botanic Gardens Center for Horticultural Therapy has ergonomically designed garden tools permanently on display at the Morrison Center, across the street from DBG’s main entrance on 11th and York in Denver.

Some of the recommended tools and how they help save our bodies are:  Oscillating hoes relieve pressure on the back and are helpful to persons with diminished strength and endurance. These hoes work through a push and pull movement from a standing position. No crouching!  Ratcheting pruners and loppers limit the amount of pressure to cut through branches by magnifying the force applied. This tool has been beneficial by eliminating bruised palms.  Long handled pruners offer longer-than-average handles that promote good balance for a safe pruning. This type of pruner has been recommended for gardeners with mobility issues or who are in wheelchairs.  The Good Grips line of garden tools provides rubber grips that aid anyone with swollen hands or joints or limited griping capability. Small hoes, cultivators and spades are designed to allow use of elbow joint strength rather than that of the hand or wrist.

Therapeutic or ergonomically designed garden tools are becoming more popular and can be found in many of our local stores. I typed in some of the names of tools suggested by our CMG friends and was able to see pictures of the tool, read more testimonials and found businesses that sell these tools. So, I hope you go explore!

Note: When trade names are used, no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by CSU Extension is implied.

Spring Ag Workshops

Noxious Weed Identification and Control Workshop – Wednesday, April 13 Time: 6-8 p.m.

Create a Grazing Plan for Ranch or Pasture Workshop – Wednesday, April 27 Time: 6-8 p.m.

Raising Poultry on a Small Scale – Saturday, May 14 Time: 9-12 noon Raising Hogs on a Small Scale—Saturday, May 14 Time: 1-4p.m.

Range Monitoring– Saturday, May 21 (Location and time TBD) All workshops except Range Monitoring will be held at Pueblo County Conference Room 1001 North Santa Fe Ave. Pueblo, CO 81003 Pricing: Each workshop is $10 per person/ $15 couple. Exception: Poultry and Hog workshop combined is $20 per person/$30 per couple lunch included.

Registration: Registration and payment is due one week prior to each workshop and an additional $5 charge will be applied to late registration/payment. You can bring payment to the CSU Extension Pueblo County office or mail payment.

If less than 10 people sign up for a workshop it may be cancelled.

Garden Tip: Growing Greener Large dogfood bags (40 or 50 lbs) are not accepted for recycling, but don't just throw them away. Use them for yard cleanup. They are especially good for disposing of tumbleweeds and small branches, which can poke right through an ordinary yard bag. Wearing gloves, of course, you can crush quite a few into a dogfood bag, and the material is so tough that the weeds/branches won't poke through.

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WICKED WEEDS

ALIEN INVADERS

by John Powell, Certified Native Plant Master, 2008

For several years, our state, counties, cities and other government agencies have applied methods appropriate to the characteristics of each of their sites in an effort to control noxious weeds. Most of these imported invaders are native to arid areas of the world and are very capable of surviving, even thriving in our country in our wide-ranging weather cycles.

Healthy riparian systems are important for purifying water by removing sediment, dissipating the energy of flood waters and reducing stream bank erosion. Non-native plants, such as Saltcedar (Tamarix chinensis, T. parviflora, and T. ramosissima) and Russian-olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia,) replace native streamside communities, changing ecosystems and waterways by lowering water tables, eliminating surface water, and even reducing the native vegetation needed for wildlife. Saltcedar is an aggressive colonizer, forming monotypic stands that replace willows, cottonwoods and other native riparian vegetation. Although Saltcedar provides some shelter, the foliage and flowers provide little food value for native wildlife species that are adapted to the nutrient rich native plant resources.

Diverse native plant populations with roots filling all of the niches represent a healthy plant community.

Unhealthy plant communities, represented by non-native noxious weeds with root systems that fill all of the niches, choke out the native plant populations. Some of the knapweeds release a hormone that acts as an herbicide to other plants further decreasing the diversity of the native population.

Winter annuals such as Downy brome (Anisantha tectorum,) persist during the winter, bloom in the spring and the seeds lie dormant until fall germination, but their persistent stems can add to fuel loads for up to 2-3 years after the seeds have dropped. Changes in southwestern deserts that result from these plant invasions and the resulting fires are only beginning to be understood by researchers. Some research in Arizona indicates a small percentage of desert tortoises die as a direct result of desert fires. The problems of non-native plant invasions and increased fire frequency are interrelated, requiring long-term research programs to gain valuable information for managers.

Numerous invasive plant species are triggering serious problems across the southwestern United States, degrading water quality, changing wildlife habitat, and increasing fuel loads. Invasive vegetation spreads rapidly, creating monoculture stands with thick canopies and reducing the density of native vegetation. The natural balance between vegetation and wildlife is disrupted when these invasive, noxious weeds invade and become established.

These problems occur when the aggressive growth habit and lack of natural controls allow noxious weeds to produce and maintain large, dense populations very rapidly crowding out the native species.

CSU Extension/Pueblo County Yard and Garden Classes March 29, 2011, 6-9 p.m.

Vegetable Gardening 

 Improve the soil Straw bale and container gardening  Irrigation and fertilization

April 2, 2011, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Irrigation  

Design and maintenance Retro fit existing system  New products

April 12, 2011, 6-9 pm Tree Care  

Choosing the right plant Soil preparation and planting  After planting care

Native Plant Master Program This is a fun way to spend time in the field this summer, getting to know the plants of Colorado. You’ll learn how to use native plants in your landscape and how they grow in nature.

Courses are taught in the field by Certified Native Plant Master instructors with extensive field experience using living examples of Colorado flora.

Course Dates, Times & Locations 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., 12 hours/course May 14, 21, 28 Pueblo Reservoir June 11, 18, 25 Pueblo Mountain Park July 9, 16, 23 YMCA Camp Jackson

Visit the CSU Extension-Pueblo County website, http://pueblo.colostate.edu, for more information on upcoming classes.

6

PERENNIAL PEOPLE

GROWING NEW GARDENERS

by Georgi Lipich, Colorado Master Gardener, 2007

If you are like me, your heart welcomes the sights, sounds and smells that mean spring is in the air. Your MIND, however, starts thinking of all the work that lies ahead….weeding, turning the soil, watering, bagging, nurturing your plants…..the list goes on and on. It is very easy to become overwhelmed by the list of chores to be done in order to maintain a healthy, productive garden. We’ve all found ourselves at one time or another thinking, ―Hmmmmm….maybe I’ll just buy my produce at the grocery store this year! I just don’t know if I’m up to all this work.‖ The secret to revitalizing your energy and greening up your thumb is a simple one: find a child, preferably one of your own, or a grandchild, niece, or nephew will also fit the bill. Dress them in old clothes and shoes, a sun hat, gloves and sun glasses, and then slather them with sunscreen. Have popsicles, cool water and lots of goodies on hand to help them recharge. Now, take a deep breath and put away all your so-called perfect gardening ideas and let the fun begin!

Seeing your garden through the eyes of a child will give you a totally new perspective. First of all, they’re closer to the ground. Secondly, they’re rarely afraid of bugs…any bug! And, most importantly, they really don’t CARE if they get dirty, have mud under their fingernails or even if the rows are straight! ―See that lady bug? She has children at home. Grandma! Grandma……come look at my mud pie!!! Wow! Look! I made a moat! Where do the bees keep their honey? Do they put it into the jars for us? Grandpa… I just saw that bird EATING a worm!!! Will he get sick? Can I eat worms???? Daddy! How do the ants know to stay in that line? Do they talk to each other?‖ Multiple children can be handled by turning the weeding into a contest to see who can fill a bag the quickest. Order can be maintained by promises of treats and the prospect of running through the sprinklers when the work is finished. Suddenly, you’ll realize that your garden area is clear of weeds. When the chores are done, take a break…..run through the sprinkler with the kids….eat a popsicle! You all deserve some fun.

Now that they have had a taste of how much ―fun‖ it is to work in a garden, schedule a time to begin planting. They’ll be anxious to help you put those seeds into the ground. Assign them a space of their very own and they can garden to their hearts’ content. The excited voices you’ll hear when the first seedling pushes its way up through the ground can make the toughest of us grin from ear to ear!

Books and the internet abound with ways to garden with kids. Some suggestions involve keeping gardening journals and calendars, taking digital photos of each growth stage, identifying garden insects and learning what role they play in the plant life cycle, making seed sticks, designing irrigation plans (have them figure out which way the water will run and help them build the ―canals‖), and using interesting alternative planting methods such as growing potatoes in bales of hay. Other ideas involve making plant troughs, starting an insect collection, creating a ―how it grows‖ sketchbook with colored pencil drawings, teaching them how to tell when it’s time to harvest ―crops‖……the list goes on and on.

Suddenly, you’ll realize that you’ve laughed your way through that backbreaking work and had fun! And, yes, you will have a great garden. Not perfect but great. The greatest benefits will come when that child’s muddy little body snuggles up against you at the end of each day and says, ―THAT was FUN!!! Thanks for teaching me all that stuff. Can I do it again next year? I love you. ‖ So, as you’re wandering around your garden on that first warm spring day, wondering where you will find the time and energy to weed, dig, and plant again this year, think of those little ones you know and love. Reach back in your own childhood memories to that special person who planted the ―gardening seed‖ in YOUR heart. What did they do to plant that seed? Then, find yourself a little hand that fits in yours, plop a hat on that shiny head, and stock up on popsicles! You’ll be giving them and yourself one of the greatest gifts you can imagine - a garden nurtured with love and laughter…and memories that will last a lifetime.

Garden Tip: Gardening blogs by CSU Extension staff Front Range Food Gardener by Carl Wilson, Denver County: http://frontrangefoodgardener.blogspot.com/ Gardening After Five by Carol O’Meara, Boulder County: http://gardeningafterfive.wordpress.com/ 7

The Future of Taxonomic Classification, Part 1: History and Practice of Plant Names

by Marge Vorndam, Colorado Master Gardener, 1997, and Native Plant Master, 2008 When we discuss plants, we use a method of plant taxonomic classification to identify the specific plant to which we are referring. A plant’s taxonomic name is the same, scientifically, world-over. Thus, tomatoes are internationally named Solanum lycopersicum, even though they are called ―Love-Apples‖ in some other countries.

Plant names have been standardized by scientists who have agreed on a set of protocols to use in establishing each plant’s scientific name.

Carolus Linnaeus first proposed the binomial system of taxonomic classification in the mid-1700s. The binomial system, which we still use today, relies on a plant’s specific epithet constructed of the genus and species names of the plant. Linnaeus divided the living entities of the world into the two categories; plants or animals. The Linnaean system was based on morphology—what plants look like-- and Linnaeus introduced the use of Latin as the common language for classification. In 1969, Robert Whittaker suggested that living organisms could be more accurately divided into five kingdoms: Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista (mostly unicellular organisms) and Monera (bacteria). Beyond their broad Kingdom groupings, plants are defined into taxonomic sub-groups based on shared morphological characteristics such as the presence or absence of a vascular system, type of leaf structure, similarity of flower parts, venation patterns, type of root system, and so on.

Similar morphological structures result in groupings of plants within smaller taxon units. For instance, tomatoes are in the Solinaceae Family, which includes potatoes and nightshade, all of which share common structures like flower shape. A complete name for a given plant includes Kingdom ↔ Division ↔ Class ↔ Order ↔ Family ↔ Genus ↔ Species.

In this listing order, the larger grouping of plants showing more generally shared morphological characteristics is at the top of the following table. The smaller grouping of organisms with similar specific morphological characteristics is at the bottom of the table. For example, here is the Linnaean classification for a tomato, a potato, and a rose:

All three plants share the same Kingdom, Division and Class names. The tomato and potato are both similar enough in form to share identical names all of the way through to a genus designation, while a rose is different enough to be classified in a different order altogether.

Rather than writing the entire taxonomic designation when referring to a plant, the specific epithet is given alone. The specific epithet consists of the genus name or initial (capitalized) and the species (lower case) name and should be italicized or underlined, as in S. lycopersicum. A knowledgeable botanist will be able to examine and know Family characteristics well enough to not need to see the entire ―genealogy‖ of a plant to locate it in the Plant Kingdom.

Today, scientists accept that present-day plants developed from prehistoric common ancestors. Over time, the processes of genetic drift, natural selection and gene mutation have favored the development of plants better suited to their modern environments. This has led to the forms of the plants that we know today. The processes that created and modified the plants that we know are still continuing. Consequently, new species are evolving and will change further, though this is a slow process. Botanists have helped the process along via genetic modification, i.e., breeding disease resistant plants, creating varieties that result in different colors of flowers and leaves, or producing plants with more or larger fruit.

With new approaches to genetic plant research, scientists are also able to be more definitive about taxonomic approaches. Next time, we’ll explore the changing field of taxonomic classification as it is illuminated by these new techniques.

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HARMONIOUS HARDSCAPES

YOU NEED BATS IN YOUR BELFREY

by Jerry Stimpfl, Colorado Master Gardener, 2009 Bats are essential to the health of our natural world. They help control pests and are vital pollinators and seed-dispersers for countless plants. Yet, these wonderfully diverse and beneficial creatures are among the least studied and most misunderstood of animals.

Centuries of myths and misinformation still generate needless fears and threaten bats and their habitats around the world. Bat populations are declining almost everywhere. Losing bats would have devastating consequences for natural ecosystems and human economies. Knowledge is the key.

The more than 1,100 species of bats – about one-fifth of all mammal species – are incredibly diverse. They range from the world's smallest mammal, the tiny bumblebee bat that weighs less than a penny to giant flying foxes with six-foot wingspans. Except for the most extreme desert and polar regions, bats have lived in almost every habitat on Earth since the age of the dinosaurs.

Bats are primary predators of night-flying insects, including many of the most damaging agricultural pests and others that bedevil the rest of us. More than two-thirds of bat species hunt insects, and they have healthy appetites. A single little brown bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquito-sized insects in a single hour, while a pregnant or lactating female bat typically eats the equivalent of her entire body weight in insects each night.

Almost a third of the world's bats feed on the fruit or nectar of plants. In return for their meals, these bats are vital pollinators of countless plants (many of great economic value) and essential seed dispersers with a major role in regenerating rainforests. About 1 percent of bats eat fish, mice, frogs or other small vertebrates. Only three species, all in Latin America, are vampires. They really do feed on blood, although they lap it like kittens rather than sucking it up as horror movies suggest. Even the vampires are useful: an enzyme in their saliva is among the most potent blood-clot dissolvers known and is used to treat human stroke victims.* In Pueblo, bats are found near water and streams. Bats need to replenish their body moisture level that is lost during roosting. THEY CAN LOSE 40% OF THEIR BODY MOISTURE A DAY! Installing a backyard bat house is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to nature. And your bat-tenants will pay you back with some wonderful benefits. Just be careful where you place the bat house. Bats produce guano! This is great fertilizer but not good on walkways or landscapes.

Bat houses are very easy to construct. Plans are available on line at free.woodworking-plans.org/bat-houseplans. I used the set for plans from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Another good set of plans is from the Pennsylvania Game Comm. Wildlife Diversity Section. Both plans use 5/16‖ CDX exterior grade plywood. The construction time will depend on your woodworking skills and the number of tools you have. I built one house in two hours.

The best time to install a bat house is early March. Returning bats are looking for a new roost. Pups are born in early spring. Once a roost is established, bats will usually return to the same place. *Bat Conservation International Garden Tip: White grubs and Japanese beetles Japanese beetles were a problem in the City Park area in 2010. The adult beetles were reported feeding on grapes and shrubs in the Rosaceae family. The larval stage feeds on roots and is one of the white grubs found in turf and flower beds. Control measures include:  Reduce irrigation when adults are laying eggs (late June through July). Irrigate deeply every 7-10 days and allow soil to dry between waterings.  Hand pick the adults from infested plants and destroy.  Appropriate nematode species, Heterhabditis species, will enter the Japanese beetle grubs and release bacteria which kills the grub. A Colorado Springs nematode supplier, Hydro-Gardens, recommends that nematodes be applied in late April while the soil is relatively cool. The nematodes can survive for up to 90 days without food and will be available to combat the grubs as they hatch in July.  For more information, see CSU Extension Fact Sheets at www.ext.colostate.edu.

If you need any special accommodation(s) to participate in any Colorado State University Extension event, please contact CSU Extension-Pueblo County at 719-583-6566. Your request must be submitted at least five (5) business days in advance of the event. Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pueblo County cooperating. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.

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Preserving Summer’s Bounty Do you want to savor and save the goodness of Pueblo’s natural bounty? Learn how to preserve food at home safely while retaining high quality with the CSU Extension Food Preservation class series.

2011 Date Time Topic Price May 19 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. ―Splish-Splash, Let’s Water Bath‖ $15.00 Learn the basics of water bath canning for fruits and tomatoes June 2 1:00-5:00 p.m. ―Under Pressure‖ $15.00 Learn the basics of pressure canning for meats and vegetables June 16 6:00-8:00 p.m. ―Time to Jam‖ $10.00 Learn the steps to perfect jams and jellies July 26 6:00-8:00 p.m. ―Rooty-Toot, Can Your Fruit‖ $10.00 Learn the basics of water bath canning for fruits and tomatoes Aug 4 6:00-8:00 p.m. ―Let’s Veg Out‖ $10.00 Learn the basics of pressure canning low-acid vegetables Aug 9 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. ―In a Pickle‖ $15.00 Learn the basics of water bath canning with a focus on pickling Aug 23 1:00-5:00 p.m. ―Some Like It Hot‖ $15.00 Learn the basics of pressure canning with a focus on how to preserve green chiles All Classes Location: CSU Extension - Pueblo County, 701 Court Street, Suite C, Pueblo, CO 81003 Fee: Fee must be paid in advance payable to Extension Program Fund (check or cash only) PAYMENT ONE WEEK PRIOR TO CLASS(ES) IS REQUIRED. Space is limited to 20 participants Contact: Christine or Lois at 719-583-6566 for more information.

Garden Tip: Nitrogen fertilizer Many gardeners add nitrogen fertilizers to their gardens to stimulate plant growth. Nitrogen is an important part of plant structures and metabolism, and the element is often in short supply in Colorado soils. Adding nitrogen fertilizer stimulates growth and can improve plant health, but timing and proper application is critical. Some general guidelines for nitrogen applications:  Annuals grow quickly and need frequent applications of nitrogen. Vegetable and flowering plants benefit from monthly nitrogen applications throughout the growing season.  Container plantings often need a combination of time release (every 6 weeks) and water soluble (every 2 to 3 weeks) due to their limited rooting space and frequent irrigation.  Generally, herbaceous perennials will do well with 2 fertilizer applications per growing season, one in the spring (April-May) and another about 6 weeks later. Heavy fertilization is not recommended.  Native perennials usually need no additional nitrogen since they are well adapted to our soil.  Apply nitrogen to cool season turf grasses in the fall (September to November) and again in late spring (May to June). Fertilize warm season turf grasses once between May and July.  Do not fertilize newly planted trees and shrubs until they are established, usually 1 to 2 years after planting.  CSU recommends that established evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs be fertilized only if needed. Annual fertilizer is usually unnecessary unless a deficiency is observed or if growth rates change dramatically. Apply fertilizer in spring just after leaf emergence or in the fall after leaf fall. Fertilize evergreens in the spring.

For more information on fertilizing all types of plants, go to the CSU Extension website and type ―fertilizer‖ in the search window. Fertilizer application information is available in fact sheets on specific types of plants.

For example, fertilizer rates for Bluegrass lawns is found in fact sheet 7.202: Lawn Care.

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2011

Xeriscape Tours Of Pueblo & Pueblo West

Take a FREE, self-guided tour of neighborhood Xeric gardens.

Pueblo Locations Saturday, June 4, 2011 only 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Pueblo West Locations Sunday, June 5, 2011 only 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Colorado Master Gardeners and Pueblo West Community Xeriscape Gardeners will be present to answer questions.

Garden biographies and plant lists will be available at each garden location.

Maps and information will be available in early May at CSU Extension-Pueblo County and the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District.

INTERESTING INSECTS

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL MEASURES FOR WEEDS

by Marvin Reynolds, CSU Extension-Pueblo County Most of the severe weed problems in our area are from plant species that have been introduced from other countries or other parts of the USA. Because these weeds spread quickly, are not native, and can harm plants, animals, water or soils, they are called noxious. When they arrived in our area, they left their natural predators behind. Since local predators didn’t know the new plants, they left them alone. Now, we are looking to bring the natural predators here to help control the noxious weeds. Biological control reintroduces the natural enemies of these noxious weeds.

Different species of biological controls (biocontrols) may attack the same plant but in different ways. Or one biocontrol insect may attack different parts of a plant during its (the insect’s) different life stages. Biocontrol of weeds won’t eliminate the weeds but it can reduce the weed population to a level that is manageable. Some advantages of biocontrols are that they are environmentally friendly, cost effective and they reduce labor. Once established they are permanent.  Non-Classical Biological Control: This process uses systems to control another organism that is not a natural enemy. The most common example is the use of livestock to control weeds. Goats are often used to manage weeds in public areas where pesticides may not be safely used.  Classical Biological Control: This is the use of an organism to disrupt the growth of a weed or pest. Often, the organism is an insect or disease and is a natural enemy. On weeds, insects are the most common form of bio control.

There are three locations where classical biological control of weeds is taking place in Pueblo County right now. These releases were made by the Colorado State University – Pueblo County Extension Office. There are controls being evaluated on Musk Thistle and Leafy Spurge. Yes, there are other release sites that have been released by others. I don’t know all the locations or dates of release for these.  Musk Thistle: The musk thistle rosette weevil (Trichosirocalus horridus) has been released in Colorado City.

There are two release sites. One is near the City Water treatment plant. They were released two years ago on the east side of the pond. A second release was made west of the Colorado City waste water treatment facility.  Leafy Spurge: The leafy spurge release is north of Beulah along North Creek. The release is on private land.

Landowner permission must be obtained before looking at the site. The biological controls released here are the Flea Beetles (Apthona spp.).

If the Colorado City biocontrol sites are able to establish insect populations, it is hoped they will expand to other areas and help control the musk thistle across the Greenhorn Creek area. These insects can also help to control Canada thistle in the area, an added bonus.

Biological control insects can be obtained for some plants from the Colorado Insectary; http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/Agriculture-Main/CDAG/1167928159775.

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Fifth Annual Western Landscape Symposium March 19, 2011 Pueblo Community College Fortino Ballroom 900 W. Orman Ave Pueblo · CO · 81004

9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Tickets $18.00 each/ 2 for $30 in advance ($20.00 at the door) Cash or check only - no credit cards

Keynote Speaker: Lauren Springer Ogden Landscape Designer and Noted Author

Design Inspirations for Water Wise Gardeners Other Sessions:  Ornamental and Native Grasses for Every Garden  Successful Strategies for Gardening on the Cheap  Small Fruits for Colorado’s Eastern Slope  Creating Curbside Charm  Art in the Garden  How to Grow Herbs in Dryland Gardens

E SAV The DATE

Tickets on Sale Now! Hurry! Seating is Limited.