Gardener News July 2021

TAKE ONE

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July 2021

GARDENERNEWS.COM

TAKE ONE No. 219

USDA Confirms Box Tree Moth and Takes Action to Contain and Eradicate the Pest

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has identified box tree moth (cydalima perspectalis) in the United States. This is the first detection of this invasive species in the nation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis, in the continental United States and is taking action alongside state partners and industry

to contain and eradicate the invasive pest that was imported on nursery plants shipped from Ontario, Canada.

The box tree moth can significantly damage and potentially kill boxwood plants if left unchecked.

Between August 2020 and

April 2021, a nursery in St. Catharines, Ontario, shipped boxwood (Buxus species) that may have been infested with box tree moth to locations in six states – 25 retail facilities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, and South Carolina – and a distribution

center in Tennessee.

At this time, the pest has been identified in three facilities in Michigan, one in Connecticut, and one in South Carolina, and APHIS is working with state plant regulatory officials to determine whether other facilities may be impacted.

On May 26, 2021, APHIS issued a Federal Order to halt the importation of host plants from Canada, including boxwood (Buxus species), Euonymus (Euonymus species), and holly (Ilex species). In addition, APHIS is coordinating closely with the affected (Cont. on Page 20)

2 July 2021

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July 2021 3

Around The Garden

By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

Landscape Licensure in New Jersey: Round Two The first Landscape Licensure bill that was introduced into the New Jersey Legislature was on October 23, 2008,

by State Senator Nicholas P. Scutari. That same year, Gardener News bestowed its “Person of the Year” honoring the Senator for sponsoring S-2302. However, the original Landscape Licensure bill stalled in committee.

Thanks to the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA), a follow-up draft was created over the past several months. This draft is currently being reviewed by legislators in both houses.

According to the text in the draft bill, the Legislature finds and declares that landscape activities are a vital part of New Jersey’s economy, serve a vital role in the protection of New Jersey’s environment, and that professionally installed and maintained landscapes enhance the public health, safety, and well-being of its residents.

The Legislature also finds that New Jersey property owners and residents recognize the value of a professionally developed and maintained landscape. An attractive, healthy landscape enriches the community and enhances the quality of life for all in New Jersey. It reflects positively on the people living and working in the state and enhances property values. A well-maintained and developed property is important to providing a safe, high quality play area for children and pets. A properly developed and maintained landscape also contributes in a positive way to overall air and water quality.

The Legislature further finds that there are no unified Statewide licensing requirements, which would encompass the full scope of professional landscape activities.

The Legislature therefore determines that it is appropriate for the State to recognize New Jersey licensed landscape professionals, encourage awareness of and compliance with industry standards, promote safe landscape operations, and protect the interests of the public by preventing unqualified individuals or businesses from engaging in landscape activities.

Here is a quick summary of the updated draft bill.

An act concerning the licensure of landscape professionals and the registration of professional landscaping businesses, amending P.L.1971, c.60 and P.L.2004, c.16, and supplementing Title 45 of the Revised Statutes.

Provides for licensure of landscape professionals and registration of professional landscaping businesses.

This draft bill establishes licensing requirements for landscape professionals. As defined in the draft bill, “landscape professional” means a person who installs, renovates, or maintains all or any part of the exterior or interior landscape environment and includes persons engaged in each of the landscape categories. The draft bill defines “landscape category” as an area of specialization of a landscape professional which includes: landscape management professional; landscape installation professional; and landscape lighting professional.

The draft bill creates the Landscape Professional License Review Committee, which is to be overseen by the New Jersey State Board of Architects. The board currently regulates architecture and landscape architecture. The committee shall consist of 10 members who are residents of the state. Seven of these members, including the public member, will have voting rights and four of the members with voting rights will constitute a quorum.

In addition, the bill requires the committee to establish continuing education requirements for licensed landscape professionals to complete as a condition of biennial licensure renewal. The bill also stipulates that every professional landscaping business is to register biennially with the committee as a requirement of doing business in this state.

Moreover, the draft bill requires all landscaping contracts in excess of $500 to be in writing and to be in clear and understandable language. The draft bill permits a consumer to cancel a landscaping contract for any reason at any time before midnight of the third business day after the consumer receives a copy of the contract. The draft bill requires that the contract contain a conspicuous notice on the consumer’s right to cancel.

The draft bill requires the Division of Consumer Affairs to establish and undertake a public information campaign to educate and inform landscape professionals and consumers of the draft bill’s provisions. The draft bill also requires the committee to provide a toll-free telephone number for consumers making inquiries regarding landscape professionals and professional landscaping businesses.

All professional landscaping business registrants shall prominently display their registration numbers within their places of business, in all advertisements distributed within this state, on business documents, contracts and correspondence with consumers of landscaping services in this state, and on all commercial vehicles and trailers registered in this state and leased or owned by registrants and used by registrants for the purpose of providing landscaping services.

Every landscaping contract for a purchase price in excess of $500, and all changes in the terms and conditions of the contract, shall be in writing.

Every applicant for licensure as a landscape professional shall file a disclosure statement with the committee stating whether the applicant has been convicted of any crime, which for the purposes of this act shall mean a violation of any of the following provisions of the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice, Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes, or the equivalent under the laws of any other jurisdiction: (1) any crime of the first degree; (2) any crime which is a second- or third-degree crime and is a violation of chapter 20 or 21 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes; or (3) any other crime which is a violation of N.J.S.2C:5-1, 2C:5-2, 2C:11-2, 2C:11-3, 2C:11-4, 2C:12-1, 2C:12-3, 2C:13-1, 2C:14-2, 2C:15-1, subsection a. or b. of 2C:17-1, subsection a. or b. of 2C:17-2, 2C:18-2, 2C:20-4, 2C:20-5, 2C:20-7, 2C:20-9, 2C:21-2 through 2C:21-4, 2C:21-6, 2C:21-7, 2C:2112, 2C:21-14, 2C:21-15, or 2C:21-19, chapter 27 or 28 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes, or N.J.S.2C:30-2, 2C:30-3, 2C:35-5, 2C:35-10, 2C:37-2 through 2C:37-4.

The draft bill also calls for any person who knowingly violates any of the provisions of this act is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.

Your property is one of your greatest investments.

Kudos to the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association and the legislators who are trying to protect that investment. And kudos to these legislators for helping to finally determine how many people are employed in the landscaping industry in the State of New Jersey.

Editor’s Note: Tom Castronovo is executive editor and publisher of Gardener News. Tom’s lifelong interest in gardening and passion for agriculture, environmental stewardship, gardening and landscaping, led to the founding of the Gardener News, which germinated in April 2003 and continues to bloom today. He is also dedicated to providing inspiration, and education to the agricultural, gardening, landscaping and nursery communities through this newspaper and GardenerNews.com.

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4 July 2021 Here in New Jersey at this time of year, the earth volleys forth a fabulous green carpet of endless varieties of fresh fruits and vegetable, as well as flowers and herbs of every description.

It’s fun to scour the markets and to learn of all that is available. When you visit farmers markets, roadside farm stands, supermarkets, or anywhere else you buy fresh farm products, take the time to ask about what is in season right at that moment.

Pretty much every farmer you encounter will have a particular story or tip or recipe that would be a fun thing for you to try out.

Food vendors’ experiences, too, are enriched by what they learn from customers and, as such, they also have much really cool stuff to share with you that will expand your food horizons.

In July, it’s high season for so much that is dewy morning fresh, right? I mean, the lineup that comes to mind is dizzying. Jersey sweet corn, Jersey tomatoes, blueberries, apples, collards, romaine, Jersey peaches.

We all have our favorites from among the many fine products that come from the Garden State, and, really, they are sort of what I would call in our “food comfort As the Executive Director of a 240-year-old organization, sometimes opening the mail can be an interesting experience.

Recently, I received a letter postmarked from Wisconsin.

In opening the letter, an original program from the 1889 New Jersey Agricultural Society’s annual fair tumbled out. The letter explained that the writer’s parents had passed away several years before, and at the time the writer packed up about 20 boxes of papers and mementos to be eventually sorted.

How the letter writer’s parents obtained the fair program remains a mystery. The writer informed me, “My mother grew up in Wisconsin and my father in South Dakota so I have no idea how either one of them would have obtained this piece of history. None the less, I enjoyed looking at the pamphlet and trust you will also.”

How fortuitous that as New Jersey’s agricultural fair season starts to ramp up, I receive this reminder from the ghost of fairs past. Intrigued by this little piece of New Jersey Agricultural Society history, I started to search through the Society’s records for any information regarding this fair.

Agricultural fairs have always played an important role in New Jersey’s agricultural industry.

Historically, these events would

GardenerNews.com NJ Dept. of Agriculture

By Douglas H. Fisher Secretary of Agriculture

Thinking outside your ‘food comfort zone’

zone.”

Everyone has at least one way to enjoy each of our familiar local gems, or a recipe that comes to mind when we think of the regulars of the produce world.

But, while we look forward and get so excited by all the regular fare, there is so much more you can add to the list of enjoyment by venturing out a bit and trying items you do not know much about.

After all, we live in one of the most diverse corners of the world, with a confluence of cultures that is so wonderful, and which adds greatly to our collective menu choices.

There are ethnic specialty crops all over the state and every market has something reflecting a particular culture. All you have to do is ask, and those farmers

who come to your community farmers markets or who greet you at the roadside stands on their own farms will be more than happy to share their special insights.

Now is a great time to venture out of your comfort food zone.

Do you remember when cilantro was not an herb that everyone talked about? Now it’s something used frequency in so many salsa and chip combinations.

Or how about kiwi? Not that long ago, it was considered exotic, but is now more commonly used.

I know a farmer in South Jersey that grows “Jersey Kiwi” fruit on her farm.

OK. So, what might you not have heard of yet? How about a Nasturtium Bloody Mary? I knew Nasturtiums were edible and a great garnish, but this drink

includes rose salt. What is that and where can you find it?

I learned the recipe for this drink from Floral Libations by Cassie Winslow. Turns out you can make it with rose petals and fine sea salt. I am going to make this drink with some Jersey spirits not usually used but which are also called for in this cocktail.

The adventure is out there in every nook and cranny of the world of fresh produce and other agricultural products in the month of July. Take some time, do not hurry, and allow yourself the luxury of random exploration.

Try whatever, and wander the websites like Yummly, Pinterest, etc., to guide you in these meandering and relaxing strolls in the marketplace to try the new while savoring the familiar.

Even seek out ways to combine

NJ Agricultural Society

By Al Murray Executive Director

Fair Memories

bring farmers from all over to a central location where they would learn about the latest techniques and innovations of the industry.

The fair would serve as a setting for an exchange of ideas, as well as host exhibits featuring the latest crop varieties, pest treatments, lectures, and other useful information that could be taken back to the farm.

To facilitate vibrant livestock and horse breeds, livestock shows would be held and competing farmers would be awarded prizes for top breeds. And of course, these fairs provided a social setting with entertainment, amusements, horse races, plowing competitions, and other events to entertain and inform the attendees – just like today.

From 1867 to 1899, the N.J. Agricultural Society sponsored a fair. Known as “annual exhibitions” in the society’s reports, these fairs were held during fall in Newark, N.J. on grounds owned by the

Society. The fair’s official name was Waverly Fair, and would feature the usual exhibits of cattle, horses, farm products, and agricultural exhibits.

In addition, attendees were treated to baseball matches between the Amateur Club of Newark, and the Amateur Club of Harlem. The fairs also conducted horse racing, foot races, and in 1869 velocipedes (forerunner to today’s bicycles) were introduced as a novelty. Apparently, not all the action occurred inside the fair.

Accounts of the day indicate the police had their hands full with drinking and gambling outside the gates.

As the fair grew in popularity, so did the crowds. Early fairs attracted approximately 25,000 to 30,000 people. By the 1890s, over 200,000 people visited the fair. Prior to each fair, the N.J. Agricultural Society would advertise extensively in

newspapers. Additionally, handbills were mailed to New Jersey hotels, gristmills, and blacksmith shops.

The Society even negotiated special train lines to take fairgoers to and from the event.

Horseracing became a major attraction, and the Society sponsored purses to encourage entries. “Premiums” were also offered as prizes for livestock shows, as well as the newest agricultural tools. Prizes were also given for contests featuring quilts, needlework, ladies’ hats, butter, bread, and jelly.

One fair included a trial of an English Road Locomotive drawing an eight-ton load. (These were steam powered, early versions of the tractor, and originally called “Road Locomotive” to distinguish from the “Rail Locomotive”.) There were also trials of new engines and once featured a race between a steam wagon and a horse-drawn

the new with the old and you’ll be surprised how some of your longtime favorites can take on compelling new forms and blends.

For a list of community farmers markets, on-farm markets and farm stands, visit findjerseyfresh. com or our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ NJDeptofAgriculture/) and Instagram page (https:// www.instagram.com/explore/ locations/448325393/unitedst ates/t renton-new-jer sey/ new-jersey-depar t ment-ofagriculture/?hl=en) Enjoy!

Editor’s Note: Douglas H. Fisher is New Jersey’s Secretary of Agriculture.

He is the department’s executive officer, secretary to the State Board of Agriculture and a member of the Governor’s cabinet.

Secretary Fisher fulfills executive, management and administrative duties prescribed by law, executive order or gubernatorial direction. He can be reached at 609.292.3976. For more info, please visit: http:// www.state.nj.us/agriculture wagon. The steam wagon won by four or five wagon lengths.

In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant visited the fair, drawing huge crowds and publicity.

The last fair was held from October 3-6, 1899. Society records do not indicate why the fair ceased.

However, indications show that attendance, exhibits, and public interest began to wane from its peak in 1894.

After the last fair, the Society’s Board of Trustees sold the 65 acres that comprised the fairgrounds to Essex County Park Commission.

Today, the site is part of the Weequahic Park.

Editor’s Note: Al Murray is the Executive Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Society. Established in 1781, the Society is New Jersey’s oldest organization whose purpose is to advocate, educate and promote on behalf of New Jersey’s agricultural industry. Mr. Murray previously spent his entire career at the NJ Department of Agriculture, serving as the Assistant Secretary. He can be reached at njagriculturalsociety@ gmail.com

GardenerNews.com

July 2021 5

6 July 2021

R U T G ER S N J AE S / R C E Office of Continuing Professional Education

HomeGardeners Gardeners School Home School Fall Finale & Blooms Winter Prep Cultivate Summer & Bounties May 15, 2021 | 8:30am - 12:30pm EDT | $75 Online Event

Saturday, 21,increase 2021 | 8:30am 12:30pm EDT | $75 With a little August education, the fruits-of your loving labors.

Designed to offer something for everyone, our virtual event is Learn put(9) your garden tothat bedwill forprovide winter and much made how up oftonine workshops information more in our half-day online event this August.

Designed to on growing and maintaining your summer garden. offer something for everyone, you can choose three of eight workshops will provide information on maintaining your Session #1:that 9:00am to 10:00am fall garden andIrrigation preparing it for winter.

Easy Drip The Basics of Butterfly Gardening Workshop Topics Include: Berrymania Putting Your Garden to Bed for the Winter Native for Fall/Winter Session #2:Plants 10:15am - 11:15am Interest/Ecology Soil Techniques Processing DeerSampling Control Methods and&Deer Resistant Plants Peony Propagation A Homeowner's Guide to Container Gardening A Cook's Herb Designing withGarden Native Plants The Wonderful World of Bulbs Landscaping for Winter Interest Session #3: 11:30am - 12:30pm Composting and Soil Health Walkways, Pathways, and Stairways Principles of Healthy Ecosystem Gardening For aGarden greener thumb, register Accessories, Alias today!

Garden Bling

Register Online at: Today!

Register Online go.rutgers.edu/HGSFall go.rutgers.edu/HGSSummer

Rutgers Cooperative Extension Phone Directory Atlantic County Phone: 609-625-0056 Bergen County Phone: 201-336-6780 Burlington County Phone: 609-265-5050 Camden County Phone: 856 216 7130 Cape May County Phone: 609-465-5115 Cumberland County Phone: 856-451-2800 Essex County Phone: 973-228-2210 Gloucester County Phone: 856-224-8040 Hudson County Phone: 201-915-1399 Hunterdon County Phone: 908-788-1339 Mercer County Phone: 609-989-6830

Middlesex County Phone: 732-398-5260 Monmouth County Phone: 732-431-7260 Morris County Phone: 973-285-8300 Ocean County Phone:732-349-1246 Passaic County Phone: 973-305-5740 Salem County Phone: 856-769-0090 Somerset County Phone: 908-526-6293 Sussex County Phone: 973-948-3040 Union County Phone: 908-654-9854 Warren County Phone: 908-475-6505

GardenerNews.com

From the Director’s Desk

Rutgers Outreach Provided by Brian Schilling Director

The Unexpected Health Benefits of Gardening Summer has arrived in New Jersey, and with it, the longer, sunnier days that can inspire people to (literally!) dig in and garden.

This year, gardening may be an especially beneficial activity as people emerge and recover from any negative experiences or feelings that COVID-19 restrictions imposed.

The Dirt on Gardening About one-third of the United States’ population, or 117 million people, participate in gardening, making it second in popularity only to walking. However, gardening is more than just a simple pastime. Those who garden may experience the many health benefits it offers.

You Reap What You Sow: Improved Nutrition Being able to choose what you plant and having your own fresh-picked produce are major benefits of gardening. Gardening tends to take place close to home (either in one’s own yard or in a local community garden), making it easy to know exactly when produce is ripe and ready to harvest.

Eating at peak ripeness is ideal for getting the most nutrients from produce. Most Americans do not eat enough fruits and vegetables. However, studies show that people who grow their own produce are likely to eat a wider variety of fruits and vegetables, which are an important part of a nutritious diet.

No Gym? No Problem!

Gardening is considered a whole-body, moderateintensity physical activity when it involves actions like raking, bending, weeding, and digging. Depending on the activity, gardening can burn between 250 and 500 calories per hour. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, which breaks down to about 25 minutes per day.

Those who garden are likely to participate in physical activity, on average, for 40 to 50 minutes longer than those who walk or bike, making it an ideal activity to meet those CDC guidelines. Exercise offers many health benefits, such as improved sleep and reduced risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure, as well as other diseases. Research shows that physical activity also helps people to relax and de-stress and helps to improve cognitive functioning.

Let the Sunshine In! Gardening takes place mainly outdoors – this means sunshine! Being in direct sunlight stimulates your body to produce vitamin D. This important nutrient supports your immune system and helps with calcium absorption and bone health.

Just 10 to 15 minutes of sunshine on the arms and legs can be enough to meet daily requirements.

Exposure to sunlight is the most efficient way for our

bodies to produce vitamin D, compared to getting it through food or supplements.

Emotional well-being is also enhanced by gardening. Sunlight can increase levels of serotonin in your brain, which can have anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects; serotonin is a hormone that helps you relax.

Get Dirty!

Digging in the dirt may bring additional health benefits, thanks to the bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae. This organism has been studied for its antidepressive and anti-inflammatory qualities on the brain, as well as for its ability to increase serotonin.

Simply breathing in this bacterium while gardening may help to boost immunity and decrease stress levels.

Focus and Purpose Some studies suggest that simply being in nature may help improve feelings of life satisfaction and may even improve focus, especially in those with ADHD. Gardening can inspire a sense of purpose and agency; seeds, seedlings, and plants have specific needs that gardeners must meet for them to survive. Seeing plants grow and thrive can be a rewarding experience for the gardener.

Very Handy Gardening tends to involve weeding, digging, and planting. In addition to keeping the garden healthy, these actions can also help to improve the strength of your hands, as well as improve dexterity and fine motor skills.

For Kids Some studies suggest that exposure to the microbes present in soil at an early age has lasting benefits, such as reduced risk of allergies and certain auto-immune diseases. Research also shows that kids who garden tend to eat more fruits and vegetables throughout their lifetimes.

For Older Adults Older adults in particular may enjoy improved health from gardening. Studies show that gardening can greatly decrease risk of dementia, combat loneliness (which tends to disproportionately affect older adults), and even improve balance, which in turn can decrease the risk of suffering fractures resulting from falls.

Remember the benefits of sunshine! Because vitamin D production tends to decrease as people age, gardening can be an especially good activity for older adults to help ensure that they get enough sunlight to stimulate vitamin D production.

Ready, Set, Go! Now, get out there and get gardening! Your mind and your body will thank you. Check out the RU Ready to Garden series to learn more about starting and maintaining your garden: go.rutgers.edu/i217fnc5

Editor’s Note: This month’s contribution was written by Jennifer Shukaitis, Assistant Professor/Educator, Department of Family & Community Health Sciences.

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R U T G ER S N J AE S / R C E

July 2021 7

Bugbane - A Plant of Great Depth I find it interesting how we often see attractive native plants in gardens before we see them in the wild.

I first saw Bugbane, Actaea racemose, at the home of Fred and Mary Ann McGourty. Fred had been the editor for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s informative Handbook Series and wrote the book “The Perennial Gardener.”

They had sited the Bugbane such that you could view a piece of artwork through the mass of leafless, six- to eight-feet tall floral stems produced in July. It created a wonderful feeling of depth and a lifelong appreciation for how best to use this elegant plant.

Bugbane is in the Buttercup Family, or Ranunculaceae, and has 12 to 18 species found throughout temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Actaea racemosa is native from southern Ontario to Georgia and west to Missouri and Arkansas, where it is typically found in This Lifelong Learning column is dedicated to amplifying innovations in teaching and learning - spotlighting educational and professional development courses and webinars available at Rutgers throughout the year. Please visit the website at the bottom to obtain the full list of classes available. We R Here When You Need Us. July Trivia Question: What flower can grow to nearly 15 feet tall?

Hint: it can also take decades for the initial bloom.

Spotlight Program: Radon Measurement Proficiency Course (July 13-14, 2021, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST). Do you want to become a certified radon measurement technician in New Jersey? This two-day instructor-led webinar will prepare you for the NJ Radon Measurement Technician exam.

It also fulfills the approved class requirement from the NJDEP. From radon science basics to certification test preparation, our Radon Measurement Proficiency course is your best introduction to the why, how, and when of measuring radon gas. In addition to learning the science of radon, this course will prepare you to sit for the New Jersey state radon measurement certification exam.

In this two-day online radon measurement training class, you will learn about selection, placement, and set up/operation of radon measurement

rocky woodlands.

The botanical name has certainly endured its share of change over the years and remains a point of contention to this day. The original genus name of Actaea was assigned in 1753 by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778).

Linnaeus was most likely struck by the similarity of the foliage of Bugbane to that of the shrub Elderberry.

Recognizing that Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) had named Elderberry Aktea, he adapted it for the genus name. However, in 1818 the British botanist and zoologist Thomas Nutall (17861859) changed the classification to the genus Cimicifuga. He altered the name based on how the seed develops inside dry follicles rather than in fleshy fruits typical of Actaea.

Interestingly, the name Cimicifuga was also crafted by Linnaeus in 1753. The name comes from the Latin Cīmex for “bug” and Fugae for “avoid or drive away,” based upon the supposed ability of the plant to repel insects. The insect-repelling

trait also led to the common name of Bugbane.

The plant remained under Cimicifuga until the late-1990s when genetic analysis determined it was more closely aligned with Actaea and the original genus name was reassigned. However, some authorities are resisting the change, feeling the difference in the seed-bearing structures are sufficient for the name to remain as Cimicifuga. The species epithet reflects the flower structure, with the flowers appearing along an unbranched stem called a raceme.

As the historical reference to Elderberry alludes, the foliage of Bugbane is very lacey in appearance, with each leaf divided three individual times.

The crown of each plant develops a number of leaves, which curve outward as they near their twofoot-plus height. Ultimately, the mass of foliage creates a very neat, flat-topped plant through which the flower stems extend in June.

The flower stems typically grow to five to six feet tall, although they can be shorter or taller, depending upon

the soil fertility and moisture.

They terminate in one to three racemes, with each raceme upwards of 12 to 18 inches long and initially sporting 55 to 110 gleaming white buds arranged radially around the stem.

Come July, the buds gradually open from the base upwards, with each bud yielding close to 60 white male stamens surrounding a central white stigma. Each individual flower is three-eighths to one-half inch in diameter and, although there are no showy petals, the flowers are amazingly attractive.

In the shaded woodland, they appear like candles atop tall wands, providing another common name of Fairy Candles.

They bear an attractive, sweet fragrance that attracts a bevy of pollinators, including bees, flies, beetles, and ants.

Plants prefer filtered sunlight beneath a tall canopy in soils that are rich in organic matter and not prone to becoming droughty.

I have seen large populations blooming stunningly well in oak woodlands along rocky hillsides.

Woodland gardens have a

Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education

By Kenneth M. Karamichael Continuing Education Professional

Lifelong Learning

devices; how to calculate radon levels and conduct quality assurance tests to ensure accurate results; how to make mitigation referrals for your customers if radon exceeds dangerous levels.

Topics covered in the Radon Measurement Proficiency Course include: Radioactive decay; Types of radiation; Health risks associated with radon; How radon enters and moves through buildings; Radon measurement devices.

Who Should Attend the Radon Measurement Course? Anyone who wants to learn about the field of radon measurement and prepare for the NJDEP radon measurement certification exam can benefit from taking this course. Past attendees have included: Radon Technicians and Measurement Professionals, Contractors, Building and Grounds Managers, Construction Foremen, Environmental Consultants, Environmental Scientists,

Environmental Technicians, Environmental Health Professionals, Home Inspectors, Building Inspectors, Radiation Protection Specialists, Hydrogeologists, Lab Analysts and Assistants, Realtors, and Real Estate Brokers.

NOTE: This class is only approved for people seeking New Jersey certification or New Jersey continuing education credits. If you want to become certified by the NRPP for use in a different state, you need to take our class that teaches the new NRPP standards: Radon Measurement Professional Certification Webinar (August 17-18, 2021, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST).

Meet the Instructor: Harry Grafton is the owner of Environmental Consultations in Columbus, Ohio, and has over 20 years of experience in the field of radon testing. Harry provides a variety of licensed environmental testing services, consulting services,

and instruction on the topics of radon gas, lead-based paint, mold, and general indoor air quality. He has experience as a local public health official and developed one of the most effective public radon awareness, measurement, and mitigation programs in the United States.

This radon measurement course has been approved for the following credits: National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP): 16 credit hours for NJ ONLY. National Radon Safety Board (NRSB): 16 hours. This class is not for people seeking NRPP Radon Measurement certification. If you’re planning to take the NRPP Measurement exam, the class you need to take is the Radon Measurement Professional Certification Webinar.

This course is also approved by the New Jersey State Approving Agency for Veterans Training for educational benefits through the GI Bill.

Learn the Basics of Radon (Anytime). Basics of Radon: 4-Hour

wealth of blooms and interest in spring, yet, come summer, the wealth of flowering plants and in particular those with height dwindles rapidly. Bugbane fills that void, and through the act of peering through a veil of tall, leafless flower stems, it provides an incredible feeling of depth to a garden; a design trick that I “borrowed” from an expert gardener and a trick that I hope you will “borrow” as well.

Editor’s Note: Bruce Crawford is a lover of plants since birth, is the Rutgers State Program Leader for Home and Public Horticulture, a part time lecturer in Landscape Architecture at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, regularly participates in the Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education Program, and Past President of the Garden State Gardens Consortium. He can be reached at crawford@njaes. rutgers.edu.

Online Course: In this self-paced online course, you will review basic information about radon, including the physics of radon, common entry methods, health effects of radon, and basic mathematical tools that can assist in radon measurement and mitigation.

Trivia Answer: The flower of the titan arum (Amorphophallus titanium) is the largest flowering (unbranched) in the world. In full bloom, it can reach up to 15 feet tall!

The bloom produces a smell of rotting meat - giving it the common name of corpse flower – attracting flies as their lead pollinator. The cost of a single bulb can range from $30 to over $100.

Visit CPE.RUTGERS.EDU to learn more about the hundreds of programs available at OCPE, Rutgers Cooperative Extension and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.

Editor’s Note: Kenneth M. Karamichael, Ed.M., NCVE, is an internationally recognized continuing education professional with Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education within Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Ken can be reached at kenneth@ rutgers.edu.

8 July 2021

GardenerNews.com TM

Introducing the The New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association and the NJLCA Education Fund are excited to announce that we are back in person! On October 1st and 2nd of this year, we will be holding a two-day trade show/demo days/in-person event for all to attend! This event will be like no other in the entire northeast, which is why we have named this new and exciting event, the Northeast Green Industry Showcase!

The Northeast Green Industry Showcase is so much more than a trade show. So, what is different?

• Outdoors – Booth space will be available in open air pavilions and on a grass concourse.

• Demo space – All equipment vendors will be provided with an equal amount of demo area space to match their booth space for attendees to try out equipment.

• Live music – There will be a live band on Saturday (don’t worry, it will be far enough away from the booths for you to have normal conversations).

• Food trucks – Instead of the usual concession stand fare, this event will host several food options from multiple food truck vendors.

• Location – The Hunterdon County Fairgrounds are within minutes of a great nightlife in Lambertville, NJ and New Hope, PA. Plus, we expect attendees from throughout NJ, NY, PA and DE to come to this centrally located event.

• Limited education – Means more time for you to spend with attendees and exhibitors, networking, demonstrating and discussing products and services.

• Space – With over 1 acre of covered exhibit space, 1.5 acres of outdoor space and 1.25 acres of demonstration area, this will be the biggest event on the east coast.

Attendance at this event will be to the level permitted under New Jersey Executive Orders in effect at the time of the show. Additionally, all participants must adhere to all CDC and state guidelines regarding COVID-19. However, we are back and better than ever and invite you to be part of the beginning of the northeast’s biggest green industry event ever!

Plus, we’re still hosting our Landscape New Jersey Trade Show and Conference at the Meadowlands in February. So, you will now have two opportunities to meet and greet, network and learn.

Exhibitors should reserve their booths at the Northeast Green Industry Expo today! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 201-321-5111 or NGIS@njlca.org.

Sincerely,

Richard Goldstein President

Gail Woolcott Executive Director

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*Attendance at this event will be to the level permitted under New Jersey Executive Orders in effect at the time of the show. Currently there are no limits to the number of attendees. Additionally, all participants must adhere to all CDC and state guidelines regarding COVID-19.

GN-IntroAd.indd 1

6/10/2021 10:29:08 AM

GardenerNews.com When you are planning to renovate or overhaul your landscape, there are many things you’ll need to think about.

First, will you be working with a landscape professional (which I highly recommend)?

They have the tools and expertise to handle your project and avoid common mistakes that can cost you time, money and aggravation. Regardless, you will need to figure out the details before buying your first plant or paver.

Current Issues: Do you have low spots that fill up with water when it rains? Do you have divots and/or dips that you and guests step into regularly?

If you are installing a patio, you will need to be sure that the area is completely level and compacted, otherwise you’ll end up with a patio that looks like Q-Bert (I know, I’m aging myself).

Is there wildlife eating your current plants? Conversely, is there wildlife you’d like to attract? Do you have enough of or the correct lighting to make it usable space in the evening?

Finally, do you have areas in your yard that are currently One of the things I’ve learned from my time on the Assembly Agriculture Committee is that we produce better legislation when we listen to farmers. That may seem obvious, but too often there is a disconnect between legislation that sets standards for agriculture and the reality of farming.

When you don’t listen to the people in the industry you’re regulating, you don’t know what you don’t know. Many people hold onto a Norman Rockwell-like image of farmers and the “simple life” on the farm. The reality is that farming in New Jersey is anything but simple.

Our farmers live a delicate balancing act of meeting regulations on things like pesticides while trying to combat a growing number of invasive pests - think spotted lantern flies and hordes of cicadas - as well as the vagaries of weather and climate. Farmers now frequently find themselves butting heads, as well as property lines, with residents of new housing developments amid our state’s suburban sprawl.

That’s why what farmers have to say is always a top priority for the Agriculture Committee. And it’s why we need to work harder to make sure the viewpoint of the people who till the land is considered when legislators talk about how to

July 2021 9 make it the entrance to our garden. Is there an old tree you just love? Incorporate it into the new landscape. Have a pool already? Maybe a new coping

By Gail Woolcott and patio are what you need to spruce it up.

Executive Director Whatever you decide, make sure to speak with as many professionals as you can and understand that undertaking area be used for? Would you plant material is correct to a landscape project is not like a place to dine with your allow it to grow to maturity simply demanding work, family or entertain family and without overcrowding. Are you but knowledge, the tools, the friends? Do you need a play willing to spend time and/or equipment and the experience.

Good luck on your new area? Would you like to create money maintaining the plant a serene outdoor workspace material or are you looking landscape! or gym? Will it be used for for something with very little relaxation or would you like to need for maintenance? Are Editor’s note: Gail Woolcott make your backyard a stay-at- you knowledgeable in proper is the Executive Director for home vacation space? Do you pruning techniques? Do you the New Jersey Landscape need a space that is pet-friendly have an irrigation system to Contractors Association. (artificial turf dog run or plants provide the correct amount of She was presented with a that are not toxic to animals)? water to the plants and turf? community service award from Are you trying to increase curb What types of pests do you have the Borough of Fairview for appeal? Do you just want old, that will need to be treated? Is her assistance in leading the overgrown plant material moved the plant material invasive?

9-11 Memorial Park project or removed? Does anyone in Finally, look at your current and the Legislative Champion the family have allergies that property. Are there trees, plants of the Year award from the you may need to consider when or materials you would like Federation of Employers and choosing materials? to keep, move or replace. For Workers of America. She is Planning: When planning instance, we had an old concrete currently the State Licensee a project on your property, you patio where my husband’s Chair on the National also need to take into account mother and brothers had carved Association of Landscape the future. You’ll need to make their names. We decided to cut Professionals International sure the size and spacing of out and keep this piece and Certification Council.

The NJLCA Today

Things to Discuss with Your Landscape Professional

unused, where you might create a pocket garden, sitting area or a spa?

Budget: What is your budget for the project? I know, nobody wants to tell a service provider what their budget is.

But if they are given a budget (even a range) to start with, they can make sure to get the best value for your money. And if you’re still thinking of DIY’ing the project? Well, you’ll need to know the costs you are willing to spend, because we all know how out of hand it can become when you need “just this one more thing” or “oops, we need to rent equipment to do that.”

A landscape professional can also help you break your project down into phases, thereby allowing you to spread the costs over time.

Function: What will the

Agriculture and Natural Resources

By Eric Houghtaling New Jersey Assemblyman

Keeping Farmers at the Legislative Table

regulate it. By we, I mean farmers as well as legislators.

Farmers made their voices heard on the state minimum wage bill and succeeded in getting a slower rate of increases toward a $15-a-hour minimum wage. They had to become educators and help legislators learn that farming’s labor needs are unique, seasonal, and driven by weather and other factors that can produce either a successful or disastrous season.

But because of their feedback, legislators set lower annual increases in the minimum wage for agricultural workers, bringing them to $12.50 by 2024, when most other industries will pay $15 an hour. The law requires the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development and the Secretary of Agriculture to evaluate the impact of the minimum wage increase on farmworkers,

farmers, and the agriculture industry in 2024 to determine what to do next.

Another example: We heard from landscapers late last winter on reopening garden centers. They pointed out that customers shopped outside, and most garden centers had outside-only entrances. They also argued the values of gardening as therapy at a time everyone was stressed. The Agriculture Committee interceded with Governor Murphy and he rescinded his executive order so gardeners could get back to planting and landscapers could stay in business.

Part of the challenge for farmers with legislators is that bills concerning the farming community are not always vetted through the farming community. Often, wellintentioned legislation designed for a specific aspect of farming could

have major consequences on how farmers can use the land they rely on to make their living.

Life on the farm is not as easy as most farmers make it look.

Success comes from balancing many intertwined aspects of farming. Additional regulations must be examined closely to ensure they will fix a specific problem without creating other unintended problems, whether the changes are really needed, and how the changes contribute to the success of the farming community.

I’m thankful for the many resources we have in New Jersey from the Department of Agriculture, New Jersey Farm Bureau, New Jersey Agricultural Society, county boards of agriculture and Rutgers University – to name just a few.

These organizations understand the daily needs and problems

Garden State farmers face. They provide great help to me and the Agriculture Committee as we navigate the numerous pieces of legislation presented to us.

For various reasons, not all bills impacting agriculture get assigned to the Agriculture Committee for review, so it’s especially important for farmers to watch closely, follow the legislative process, and develop relationships with the legislators who represent them.

Legislators need to know your feelings about matters being discussed that affect life on the farm.

Staying informed about what is going on in Trenton can be as critical to successful farming as keeping an eye on the weather because, like the weather, government can be unpredictable.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our office at (732) 695-3371.

Editor’s Note: Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling is Chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in the New Jersey State Assembly.

He can be reached at 732-6953371 or AsmHoughtaling@ njleg.org, or by mail at 802 W Park Ave, Ste 302, Ocean Township 07712.

10 July 2021 Now that we are getting into the month of July, it is time to start thinking about gearing up for sweet corn season here in the Garden State.

While fresh sweet corn is available in stores almost all year-round anymore, sweet corn that was grown in New Jersey is generally only available from late June through October.

Normally, growers will start planting corn in late March if we have a mild winter or early spring, or early April.

Southern New Jersey growers, with their warmer climate and sandy well-drained soils, have a distinct advantage over their counterparts in the northern portion of the state.

In South Jersey, fields could be ready to plant while in North Jersey, fields might still be snow covered!

Nevertheless, in order for sweet corn to grow well, it needs to have warm soil. If it is planted when the ground is too wet or too cold, it will not germinate and will need to be replanted. Also, if corn does germinate and comes up out of the ground, and temperatures dip below freezing for too long, it can be killed. For these My buddy Fran has lived in the same Jersey shore town that I have for the past 25 years. He has a nice lawn and, of course, it has its share of good and bad months throughout the year.

Let’s find out what problems he has faced with his lawn.

Fran, it’s great to see you again.

You too, Todd, how is it going?

Well, we have had a very busy spring just like last year, it seems everyone has a house project going on and plenty of people are working on their lawns.

Fran, what are your concerns with your lawn?

Todd, you know I am trying to go organic as much as I can with my lawn products. I have the kids and now the grandkids, the dog and the pool, too. To be honest with you, going allorganic has not always presented the lawn I had hoped I would have. Using corn gluten for weed control has been OK, but I guess Mother Nature is pretty tough and continues to bring me a flurry of weeds each spring in my lawn and landscape beds.

Fran, I agree. You may think she is sweet, but Mother Nature

GardenerNews.com The Town Farmer

By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

Sweet Corn Season

reasons, it is a good idea to wait until growing conditions are suitable.

But with growers being growers, they are always looking for a way to get a jump on the season. And because the first sweet corn of the season usually demands a premium in the marketplace, growers will try to push the envelope somewhat.

On our farm, we grow our first couple of plantings under clear plastic mulch. While the corn seed is planted in the ground, this plastic film is laid over the top of the rows and acts as a mini greenhouse, which warms the soil around the seed. Although this is quite a bit of extra expense and work, it usually allows us to start

harvesting sweet corn a week to 10 days earlier than if we had just planted it normally.

There are other tricks and techniques that growers can utilize to get sweet corn earlier in the season. The first is to simply plant early-maturing varieties. Some of the earliest ripening varieties will mature as many as two weeks before their main season counterparts.

Although they might not be as large or might not be as sweet as some of the best main season varieties, they will still produce an ear of corn.

Also, another tactic that growers will utilize is simply planting the earliest sweet corn in an early field. You might ask, what’s an early field? It is simply a field that is very well

drained, does not lay wet, and has a good southern exposure to the sun. Just a combination of these simple things can mean a few days difference in maturity.

I have also known growers to till their soil into ridges and plant the corn seed into them.

These ridges, or this “ridge-till system,” does two things. First, it allows any water to drain away from the seed, thereby raising the temperature of the soil. Secondly, and especially if the ridges run in a north south direction, they will capture more of the heat from the sun, which will in turn, raise the temperature of the soil.

On our farm, we generally start to plant sweet corn in early April. We then continue to plant

Turf ‘s Up

By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

My friend Fran...

can be tough. Have you seen a reduction in weeds in your lawn over the years?

Yes, but still there are some real tough-to-get ones that drive me crazy, too much to pull out.

Todd, why does crabgrass seem so plentiful during the summer months?

Fran, summer weather in New Jersey is usually hot, dry and humid. These traits are not ideal for healthy lawn growth.

Crabgrass loves to take over when turf areas go dormant and cannot flourish. Crabgrass also loves hot, dry, and sunny lawn areas. Along the walkways and driveway, the summer heats up the concrete and the grass at the edges are scuffed by children and visitors to your home and pool. The same goes for the curb

strip suffering from ice melt damage, concrete heat, and dogs walking and doing their thing create ideal growing conditions for crabgrass. Sometimes watering bills get too high but a healthy lawn can go dormant and hopefully bounce back in late summer to early fall. (See the News Alert below.)

Todd, I also want to keep my yard safe for my kids and the grandkids and don’t forget Stella, the dog. I know I have a choice and I’d rather have a few weeds and feel better about everyone playing in my yard. I also used a competitive product once and the iron stained my pool concrete. It was a mess to clean off and it took a few years for, yes, you guessed it, Mother Nature to clean off all of the

concrete stains.

Todd, I do like using the organic insect control oils to kill and deter fleas, ticks, and ants from my yard. That seems to work pretty well.

Fran, I’m glad to hear that, I didn’t want to hear only bad news with your lawn struggles.

Have you been reading my articles?

Of course, Todd, I’m just kidding.

Todd, hey I forgot, I hate it when the ice melters kill the grass on the edge of my driveway, sidewalk, and curb line.

Fran, I guess this is the tradeoff of safety for your family and friends; you can always re-seed these areas in the spring.

Fran, thanks for sharing your lawn experiences with me.

sweet corn weekly through the third week of July. Our goal is to have a steady supply throughout the summer and fall. But with the weather being what it is, there are usually times when we have too much corn or not enough corn.

We like to start harvesting corn in early July and finish up around the end of October.

Although demand for sweet corn falls off quite a bit once the weather turns cooler in the fall, the quality of sweet corn remains high right up until it gets too cold to grow any longer.

Who is ready for some fresh picked New Jersey sweet corn?!

Editor’s Note: Peter Melick is co-owner of Melick’s Town Farm in Oldwick and a 10th-generation New Jersey farmer. Peter is Mayor of Tewksbury Township, Hunterdon County, NJ. He also served as a director for the New Jersey Farm Bureau and is a past president of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture. Peter has also been featured on NJN, News 12 New Jersey and on the Fox Business Network.

Hang in there, you just may beat Mother Nature someday.

News Alert – It has been unusually dry in the last few weeks of May in many areas of the country, causing early turf stress and damage. By the time you read this article, perhaps this stress is even worse since summer weather will be here and your lawn may not look very good.

Even extra watering may not save it from suffering and going dormant brown. Do not apply lawn fertilizers if the lawn is under too much stress. Consider applying calcium-based products, which can help the grass resist extreme heat damage and it can also help repair lawn traffic damage. Dormancy is a defense mechanism; do not apply fertilizers, apply calcium.

Go to the beach and enjoy your summer!

Editor’s Note: Todd Pretz is Vice President of Jonathan Green, a leading supplier of lawn and garden products in the northeast. For more information, please visit: www.jonathangreen.com

GardenerNews.com

July 2021 11

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July 2021 13

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14 July 2021

GardenerNews.com

Red Root, NJ Tea, and Snowballs

By Hubert Ling

By the time of the American Revolution, imported tea was cheap and had widespread popularity. However, after the Boston Tea Party, drinking tea, with its hated tax, was considered unpatriotic.

The colonists turned to local herbs such as New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus), dandelion, and mints. New Jersey tea contains no caffeine, but the flavor is somewhat similar to commercial black tea and New Jersey tea became widely enjoyed.

However, the popularity of New Jersey tea greatly diminished after the War of Independence as American citizens became more prosperous and trade again flourished.

New Jersey tea is a bushy shrub that produces a multibranched mound about three feet high. It generally grows in full sun in dry, well drained,

neutral soil. Once established, it is quite drought and black walnut resistant, tolerates road salt, and recovers well after fire because it has deep penetrating red roots; the older name for New Jersey tea was red root tea. The plant will also thrive in moderate shade, with moderate moisture, and in sandy or loamy soil.

New Jersey tea is a member of the buckthorn plant family and is one of the few plants outside of the bean family which can fix its own nitrogen fertilizer. This ability is an important asset for plants in nutrient poor, rocky soils.

The plant has oval leaves, which are toothed and two to four inches long; they are green on top and graygreen and hairy on the lower surface. The young twigs are an obvious yellow and stand out noticeably in winter.

In July, New Jersey tea is covered in roughly spherical, white, loose flower clusters which are one to three inches in diameter; thus the alternate

common name, wild snow ball.

The individual flowers are only one-eighth to a quarter inch wide, but hundreds of flowers make an attractive display and call in swarms of pollinators such as bees, flies, wasps, and beetles.

Butterflies also utilize the nectar and this plant is the larval host for the mottled duskywing skipper, spring azure, and summer azure butterflies, and several types of moths.

Hummingbirds are attracted to the plant since they feed on the small insects which are attracted to New Jersey tea in large numbers. Unfortunately, rabbits, deer, elk, and cattle also enjoy grazing on New Jersey tea and thus it may be difficult to grow unless it is provided with protection.

New Jersey tea flowers are followed by interesting triangular fruits with hard walls containing three seeds.

The ripening seeds are forcibly released when the fruits burst open. Finches, quail, and turkeys enjoy the seeds.

If you want to collect the seeds for propagation, you may need to tie small bags around the fruit clusters. The seeds need scarification and stratification before they will germinate. Propagation can also be done using root or branch cuttings.

Once established, the plant is difficult to transplant because of the deep penetrating, very tough roots, which have been known to break plows. New Jersey tea is not susceptible to serious diseases, but may occasionally show minor leaf spot or powdery mildew.

New Jersey tea is found throughout Eastern Canada and the Eastern United States.

In New Jersey, it is relatively common in the north and is found in scattered locations to the south. Native Americans occasionally used the leaves for tea but more commonly the red roots were used medicinally for a variety of diseases.

The flowers are fragrant and contain saponins, which form a good lather in water; thus they

have been used for cleaning clothing and as a body wash and shampoo, particularly by women when preparing for marriage. Recent research has shown that the roots contain a compound with blood-clotting properties.

Obviously, I discourage unregulated ingestion of any plant drugs known to strongly affect human metabolism. Use of the red root is especially discouraged since it will kill the plants.

The real value of this plant is as a pollinator friendly, beautiful, low-growing garden shrub. It has also been very useful to stabilize hillsides and prevent erosion. If you have a sunny, well drained spot in your yard, this very versatile plant will reward you and your friendly pollinators with years of service.

Editor’s Note: Hubert Ling is President of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey. He can be reached at milhubling@verizon.net.

GardenerNews.com

July 2021 15

USDA Announces The Garden Historian Dates for

By Lesley Parness Garden Educator Conservation Reserve Program General and “The Crybabies: Small Weeping Trees” Grasslands Signups We admire the many this tree loves part shade of changing leaf colors and tiny

architectural forms of trees.

Conical, columnar, fastigiate, vase, and weeping.

Whether deciduous or evergreen, the graceful cascading branches of weeping trees add year-round interest to the landscape. They can add a sense of elegance, provide a place for refuge, and bring the elusive elements of movement and sound to a garden. Snowfall only enhances their natural attributes, as does the simplest of lighting.

Weeping trees arise in these ways. Through grafting, through chance genetic mutation, or through plant breeding. Many pendant trees on the market are the result of grafting, so can sprout errant upright suckers. Be mindful of this and prune them.

Some weepers are small – around 20 feet tall at maturity – and these “crybabies” are easy to work with even in pocketsized spaces. Here are some of my favorite small weeping trees.

Pinus strobus “Pendula,” the Weeping White Pine. These weeping evergreen trees have a graceful structure that remains attractive year-round. A sun lover, it’s very cold hardy and reaches 12 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. Its pendulous branches are covered with long, soft needles that droop beautifully toward the ground.

Picea abies “Pendula,” the Weeping Norway Spruce, is one crybaby that needs “support” to train it. At home in full sun and average soil, this tree is tough as nails. It can spread on the ground and rise depending on how it’s pruned and trained. Deer resistant, this funky weeper can reach five feet tall but 12-plus feet wide and provides a lot of winter interest.

Fans of hemlocks who don’t have enough room to grow them, think Tsuga canadensis “Pendula.” Smaller in stature, five feet tall and 10 feet wide,

and acidic soils. Give this slow grower room and some direction, and it will reward you with its stately, if small, appearance.

For a needled, but deciduous tree, there’s Larix decidua “Pendula,” the Weeping Larch.

Along its pendulous branches, tufts of green needles turn a bright yellow in fall and then drop. With a soft look and mound-like structure, they can be showstoppers, are fastgrowing and can be trained into unique shapes and forms.

Reaching 12 feet tall and 10 feet wide, its cold-tolerant, likes full sun or part shade, and moist, well drained soil.

Among f lowering ornamental crybabies, my first pick is Prunus mume “Pendula,” the Weeping Flowering Apricot.

This charmer flowers in early spring with a burst of sweet smelling white, semi-double flowers. Its glorious display of perfumed blossoms is never too far from your nose as it only reaches 10 feet tall. Full sun will encourage the blooms, but it will tolerate part shade.

Weeping cherries come to mind at the mention of pendant. When small is all, consider the petite Prunus x Snofozam, or Snow Fountain Weeping Cherry. An avalanche of fragrant, frosty white blossoms engulfs its branches in spring. In fall, crimson and orange foliage blaze. Reaching about 12 feet tall and wide, this crybaby likes to be wellwatered.

Weeping redbuds have benefited from recent breeding.

Cercis canadensis “Pink Heartbreaker” features charcoal grey stems lined with a parade of delicate pink blossoms in spring. Stronger and hardier than other cultivars, it is also a little less formal in its growth habit – but will still only grow 12 to 15 feet tall and wide.

Also, in this family is the easyto-grow Cercis canadensis “Ruby Falls,” with its display

size. Reaching only six feet tall, it will thrive in a container right next to your front door.

The leaves of Cercidiphyllum magnificum pendulum, the Weeping Katsura, resemble those of the redbuds. Starting out as purple, they change to green in summer and spectacular golden in the fall.

It reaches 20 feet tall and about 15 feet wide. In autumn, clamber under one and breathe in its scent of caramel or cotton candy. Delicious!

Most willows are far too large for small spaces, but what about Salix caprea “Pendula.”

This delightful ornamental tree adds grace and beauty to the garden. A willow, it naturally lends itself to use near water features. The silvery catkins cover the stems in late winter, heralding the approach of spring.

Finally, among the many weeping Japanese maples, is Acer palmatum va. Dissectum “Waterfall.” A mature one grows in the shade beside a pool at Willowwood Arboretum, where this cultivar was bred.

This perfectly proportioned laceleaf sports neon green foliage in spring and retires in autumn shades of burnt orange.

Add a tiny, pendant treasure to your garden and you will never weep a tear of regret.

Editor’s Note: Lesley Parness offers a variety of presentations and workshops for garden clubs, plant societies, and horticultural gatherings.

Recently retired from her position as Superintendent of Horticultural Education at the Morris County Park Commission, and with four decades of teaching environmental science and garden education, her focus now is garden history.

A complete listing of her talks can be seen at lesleyparness. com and she can be reached at parness@verizon.net. This column will appear in the paper every other month.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has set a July 23, 2021, deadline for agricultural producers and landowners to apply for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup 56. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will accept applications for CRP Grasslands from July 12 to August 20. This year, USDA updated both signup options to provide greater incentives for producers and increase its conservation benefits, including reducing the impacts of climate change.

Both signups are competitive and will provide for annual rental payments for land devoted to conservation purposes.

General Signup Through CRP, producers and landowners establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil erosion, improve water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland. Lands enrolled in CRP also play a key role in mitigating impacts from climate change, and FSA has added a new Climate-Smart Practice Incentive for practices that sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

FSA is also adding a one-time “inflationary” adjustment for payment rates, as well as having more flexibility on adjusting soil rental rates.

FSA opened the General Signup in January 2021 and extended the original deadline to July 23, 2021, to enable producers to consider FSA’s new improvements to the program.

How to Sign Up To enroll in the CRP General signup, producers and landowners should contact their local USDA Service Center by the July 23 deadline. To enroll in the CRP Grasslands signup, they should contact USDA by the August 20 deadline. While USDA offices may have limited visitors because of the pandemic, Service Center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email, and other digital tools. To work with FSA, producers and landowners should contact their local USDA Service Center. Contact information can be found at farmers.gov/service-locator.

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16 July 2021 The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal Plant Program evaluates the best trees, shrubs, vines, and perennials for the region.

Winners need to exhibit multiple seasons of ornamental interest, ease of cultivation, and have wildlife value, such as being great pollinator plants or providing food for birds and mammals. These plants also need to be hardy in USDA zones 5 to 7.

The program started in 1979 and has since promoted dozens of great plants for the home garden. The program originally was conceived by and funded by noted local nurseryman, Dr. J. Franklin Styer, who realized that gardeners needed to learn about superior plants for the landscape.

There is a nomination process by home gardeners, garden designers, horticulturists, landscape architects, and nursery owners. Once nominated, plants are reviewed by a committee of expert horticulturists who make yearly recommendations.

Gardeners who acquire a Gold Medal-designated plant can be assured the plant will exhibit the highest standard of beauty in the landscape, as well as be free of pests and disease and be relatively easy to cultivate.

The 2021 recipients include trees, shrubs, and perennials.

Cercis canadensis “Appalachian Red” is one of the many cultivars of the native redbud that has been

GardenerNews.com Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

By Andrew Bunting Vice President of Public Horticulture

Winning Plants

released in the past two decades.

There are many to choose from in the market, but this is one of the very best.

Before the leaves emerge in April, the branches are covered by bright rose-pink flowers. At maturity, it reaches 15 to 25 feet tall and is more upright than broad spreading. It is a great tree for a small garden. It will thrive best in full sun to part shade.

With so many great perennials to choose from at the garden center and nursery, it is hard to pick the best of the best. Rudbeckia “American Gold Rush” is one of them. This is an improvement on the many selections of black-eyed Susan.

This is a more compact cultivar with an incredible abundance of golden-yellow flowers from July to September that have the traditional black center, which becomes the seed that attracts many birds, including the American Goldfinch. It also exhibits reasonable resistance to deer.

Another deer resistant plant is one of the new hybrids, intersectional peonies, Paeonia “Bartzella.” This hybrid between the tree peony and herbaceous peony has qualities of both species.

For all intents and purposes, the flower resembles the tree peonies, but dies to the ground in the fall like a herbaceous peony.

This selection has fragrant, semidouble, sulphur-yellow, eightinch flowers on sturdy stems in the late spring and reaches four feet tall.

One of my favorite summer flower shrubs are the panicle hydrangeas, Hydrangea paniculata. This species has experienced an incredible renaissance in the past 15 years with dozens of new cultivars making the market.

The traditional pee gee hydrangea, Hydrangea panicultata “Grandiflora” is a fantastic large shrub to tree, but it can get 25 feet tall and can be too big for many.

Hydrangea paniculata Bobo® is a diminutive selection that only reaches three feet tall in the garden, which makes it a perfect selection for the small backyard or city garden.

In mid-summer, it is covered by cone-like pure white flowers which ultimately fade to pink in the fall. It is a great flowering shrub planted in masses. Because it flowers on the current season stems, it can also be pruned back in late winter and be kept even more compact.

Another small shrub or groundcover is a selection of the sweetbox, Sarcoccoca hookeriana “Fragrant Valley.”

This boxwood relative is truly deer resistant. Growing only 18 inches tall and spreading by underground stems, it makes a great evergreen groundcover for shady parts of the garden. The tiny white flowers that emerge in late winter have an intense fragrance.

Platanus x acerifolia Exclamation! is an improved

selection of the classic London plane tree, which lines the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

This amazingly tough street tree has a very upright, pyramidal habit. Reaching 60 feet tall, it is perfect as a shade or street tree.

More information on all of the Gold Medal Plants can be found at PHSonline.org.

Editor’s Note: Andrew Bunting is Vice President of Public Horticulture for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. He is one of the most recognized horticulturists in the Philadelphia, Pa., region and a highly regarded colleague in the world of professional horticulture.

Bunting has amassed a plethora of awards, including the American Public Gardens Association Professional Citation, Chanticleer Scholarship in Professional Development, Delaware Center for Horticulture’s Marion Marsh Award, and the Certificate of Merit from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

In addition, Bunting has lectured extensively throughout North America and Europe, and participated in plant expeditions throughout Asia and Africa. Learn more at https://phsonline.org/team/ andrew-bunting

Update on the Leadership at Rutgers Gardens

Announcement by Laura J. Lawson, Interim Executive Dean of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and Interim Executive Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.

Dear Friends, and current State Program Leader in Public and Home Horticulture with Rutgers After a very thoughtful and effective search, I am pleased to announce that we have Cooperative Extension. In this statewide position, Bruce is elevating home and public successfully recruited the new Rutgers Gardens and Campus Sustainability Director. garden education in New Jersey through new educational programs, resources, and other Ariana Arancibia will join us to serve in this important role, effective June 14, 2021. statewide outreach activities. Moving forward, Bruce will continue to support Rutgers Please join me in welcoming Ariana.

Gardens, along with the various other programs and sites at Rutgers.

Ariana grew up in East Brunswick and visited Rutgers Gardens as a child. While I also thank Lena Struwe for her steadfast leadership as Faculty Director of the getting her undergraduate degree at Rutgers – a BFA in Photography and Art History Rutgers Gardens since 2018. Lena steered the Gardens through the unexpected from Mason Gross – she made sure to introduce other students to the Gardens. Ariana challenges of the pandemic and set the path for a successful transition. Lena continues went on to receive an MS in Nonprofit Management, specializing in Food Systems and as Director of the Chrysler Herbarium and as a committed supporter of the Gardens. the Environment, from The New School. For five years, she rose through the ranks Thank you to the Rutgers Gardens staff. It has been a challenging year, with lots of of GreenThumb, the division of NYC Parks that manages 550 community gardens ups and downs. Our Gardens staff have done a phenomenal job pivoting as programs across the five boroughs. Prior to that, she worked with the Lower East Side Ecology were suspended and new safety protocols set in place. As more and more people have Center NYC Compost Project and as an Americorps team leader and member. Ariana’s needed access to green spaces for mental and physical health, the Gardens staff have excellence has been recognized in multiple awards, including the NYC Parks Latino done their best to keep the Gardens accessible and safe. Thank you!

Society Alma Achiever Award for Aprecio, the Hunter College New York City Food And lastly thank you to the Rutgers Gardens Advisory Board. With expertise in Policy Center 40 under 40 award, as well as others. She is highly organized, a great horticulture, landscape architecture, management, education, volunteerism, and much listener and team-builder, and experienced with program development and management. more, our board not only provides insights and vision for the Gardens’ future, but also Thank you to the search committee, which included representatives from Rutgers share their passion for the Gardens with others and roll up their sleeves to get work done.

Gardens advisory board, membership, and volunteers and SEBS/NJAES faculty and Thank you all! staff. We look forward to supporting Ariana’s plans to build on the Garden’s legacy With the state and university opening to more in-person activities, I look forward while also expanding participation and programming opportunities. to Ariana’s leadership making Rutgers Gardens a place of peace, beauty, and safety for I want to extend special thanks to the Gardens’ leadership that has brought us enjoyment by all of our visitors and an example of the Rutgers Land Grant mission of to this exciting time. Thanks to Bruce Crawford, past director of Rutgers Gardens teaching, research, and service in the 21st century.

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July 2021 17

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NORTHEAST DEPARTMENT VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Maple Syrup Production Down 21% in Vermont

The 2021 Vermont maple syrup production totaled 1.54 million gallons, down 21% from the previous year, according to Pam Hird, New England State Statistician of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New England Field Office. Vermont remains the top producing state in the Nation.

Vermont maple syrup producers put out 5.90 million maple taps in 2021, an increase 4% from the 2020 total. Yield per tap is estimated to be 0.261 gallon, down from 0.342 gallon from the previous season. Location played a significant part in individual production. The earliest sap flow reported was January 25 in Vermont. On average, the season lasted 28 days, compared with 38 days in 2020.

Vermont’s 2020 value of production totaled $52.7 million, down 9% from the previous season. The average retail price per gallon was up 2% at $45.50 per gallon.

Vermont’s Ag Secretary Anson Tebbetts adds, “Mother Nature was the story in 2021. Vermont maple producers were faced with wild weather changes, ups and downs, starts and stops. But as always Vermont producers rode the waves and produced another national leading high quality crop. We are proud of our sugar makers who are producing a natural sweetener that’s being served at breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE New Jersey Floriculture Sales at $285 Million, Fourth Highest in U.S.

The 2020 wholesale value of New Jersey floriculture crops was almost $285 million from 294 growers according to Bruce Eklund, state statistician of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New Jersey Field Office. These 294 growers with $10,000 or more in sales is up from 239 such growers in 2019. Grower counts increased in 5 of the 6 sales categories with the largest increase for those whose wholesale values landed between $50,000 and $99,000.

For the U.S, the 2020 wholesale value of floriculture crops is up 9 percent from the 2019 valuation. The total crop value at wholesale for all growers with $10,000 or more in sales is estimated at $4.80 billion for 2020, compared with $4.42 billion for 2019.

The statistics contained in this report represent data from all known growers in the 17 Program States with $10,000 or more in annual gross sales (both retail and wholesale) of fresh cut flowers, potted flowering plants, foliage plants, annual bedding and garden plants, herbaceous perennials, cut cultivated florist greens, propagative floriculture material, and/or unfinished plants.

DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Delaware Secretary’s Award for Agriculture

With COVID restrictions in place earlier this year, the annual presentation of the Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service to Delaware Agriculture looked a lot different than a ballroom full of agriculture supporters. Recently, Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse took a road trip down to Sussex County to make a surprise presentation to a family farm in Laurel.

Scuse recognized the Vincent Family for their commitment to Delaware through agricultural production and equipment sales, for providing gainful employment to community members, and for continuing to alleviate hunger through their participation in the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program.

“The Vincent Family has a truly outstanding family farming operation that has contributed tremendously to Delaware agriculture,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “The Vincent Family is very deserving of the 2021 Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service to Delaware Agriculture, and it is my pleasure to present them with this honor.”

A fifth-generation farm family, Vincent Farms has a long history of growing food sold in retail markets up and down the Eastern seaboard and even into Canada. While the sixth-generation is beginning to grow – currently, two young granddaughters are waiting their turn to get a role on the farm – the fourth generation, brothers Clay and Ray Vincent, along with their children Jonah, Haley, Nathaniel, Josh, Connor, and Erin,

and even their mother Carole (third generation) are involved in the day-to-day operations of Vincent Farms.

“We are really blessed to be operating in the state of Delaware because there are a lot of states that don’t have the support at the state level that we do in Delaware, and that’s a testament to our Department,” said Ray Vincent. “We see it as a partnership, not a regulatory agency. I think everybody benefits when there is a partnership.”

When presented with the opportunity to participate in the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program, the farm applied because they recognized this was about directly feeding people struggling because of the pandemic. In addition, Vincent Farms also helped boost the local economy by hiring more staff to process boxes, contracting with truck drivers to deliver food boxes in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, and provided more sales to their box supplier to meet the demand.

“Being a part of this program was extremely rewarding for us as a family and for our business to know that we were making a difference.

All of the employees stepped up as well as the family members because we explained what was going on, what we were doing, and what the consequences were if we didn’t do this for the people,” said Vincent. “It was absolutely remarkable. My wife uses the term astonishing, but that probably is an understatement. But it was astonishing how we were able to get it all

done, but it was bigger than just the Vincent Farm team, and it was because everyone knew what the overall objective was.”

All of the people involved in getting the food out to individuals and families in need were involved in agriculture directly or indirectly.

However, the production side is a very small part of the grand scheme of what agriculture is about today.

As Mr. Vincent shared, “There is demand for motivated, dedicated people in agriculture.

We need young people in agriculture because there are plenty of opportunities. As digital technology gets more mainstream, the caliber of people we need in this industry will increase dramatically. We need to encourage education, and while many people like to go away to school and there are opportunities elsewhere, there are many opportunities right here in Delaware between the grain industry, the poultry industry, and the vegetable industry. We are fortunate to be able to grow just about anything here that farmers can grow elsewhere in the country, and we are so close to the markets that there are so many opportunities for young people to get into agriculture and, ultimately, to help feed the world.”

In 2008, Secretary Scuse developed the Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service to Delaware Agriculture to recognize individuals and families who make significant contributions to Delaware’s agricultural industry.

GardenerNews.com

July 2021 19

OF AGRICULTURE NEWS NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

New York State Institutes Strictest Standards in the Country in its Testing of Spices

Kids are the Future of Pennsylvania Agriculture, Explore Hands-On Ag Opportunities this Summer

New York State announced it has instituted the strictest action levels in the country for the presence of heavy metals in spices and related recall actions. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ (AGM) testing of spices in recent years has shown a need for tighter regulation of the heavy metal content and working with the Department of Health (DOH) has set new actionable limits of heavy metals in spices to protect public health. Based on AGM spice sampling data and the DOH’s development of health-based values, AGM lowered the State’s limits for heavy metals in spices by almost five times to establish the lowest action levels in the country.

The announcement coincides with the third annual World Food Safety Day, highlighting the importance of food safety and New York’s efforts to protect the food supply.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball said, “What these new action limits mean is that our Department now has the authority to pursue recalls or seize spice products that are found to have even the smallest amounts of the most harmful metals. With no federal action limit to follow, the Department has taken action to achieve this new standard for New York State, leading the way for the country and resulting in safer spice options for New Yorkers.”

Department of Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said, “Heavy metal exposures to lead, cadmium, and arsenic from commonly used adulterated spices have been a public health problem for years nationwide. The Department has partnered with New York State Department Agriculture and Markets to investigate and recommend action levels for these metals most commonly found in food and we are proud of New York’s national leadership role on this issue.”

Since 2016, New York’s previous action limit on heavy metals in spices has resulted in the recall of almost 100 contaminated products to date. As part of AGM’s work to ensure that the food and feed supply is safe, the Department’s Division of Food Safety and Inspection routinely inspects New York’s retail food establishments, investigates consumer complaints of foodborne illnesses, verifies product labeling, and collects food products for analysis and testing for adulterants and contaminants by the Department’s Food Laboratory. The New York State Food Laboratory tests many types of food as a regular course of business and laboratory results trigger inspectors to initiate recalls where necessary. The Food Laboratory has found that heavy metal contaminants are identified most often in spices.

The effort to derive action levels for heavy metals in spices was a joint project of AGM and DOH as an outgrowth of the Governor’s 2018 State of the State announcement that a Center of Excellence on Food Research would be established to tackle this problem.

With these new action levels established, AGM hosted a webinar for the food industry—both manufacturers and retailers—and will begin an 18-month phase in, education, and outreach period before enforcement begins. The agency will also work with partners at the national level to raise awareness about the presence of heavy metal contamination in spices.

With Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry providing $132.5 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy and the industry leading the nation for production in many sectors, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega today stressed the importance of cultivating the next generation of agriculturalists by offering kids opportunities for hands-on agriculture experiences over the summer.

“Kids are the future of the industry that we all rely on for three meals a day and the clothes on our backs,” said Redding. “It’s all of our responsibility to show them the value of farming and agriculture, to grow an interest in being a part of this meaningful industry.

“Whether you’re taking them to an on-farm creamery for an ice cream cone or talking about the origins of their favorite foods, with early guidance from caring adults, kids can explore a variety of career opportunities in ways that enrich their childhood and position them for a successful future,” added Redding.

Redding and Ortega were joined by members of the Pennsylvania FFA and Commission for Agriculture Education Excellence today at the Farm Park at Paulus Farm Market.

The Farm Park is an ideal destination for raising agriculture-aware kids with opportunities to see and feed a diverse variety of farm animals and seasonal activities such as flower and pumpkin picking. Following their time on the farm, families can enjoy local agriculture products from the market or a cone of ice cream.

“Every time I visit a farm, I learn something new about the agriculture industry,” said Ortega. “Farms present hands-on opportunities for learners of all ages to explore our leading industry and create connections to a variety of engaging, rewarding careers.”

Pennsylvania has long faced a looming agricultural workforce shortage, at one point estimating a deficit of 75,000 workers as farmers retire and new, technology-based positions become available. In recognition of these workforce needs,

the Wolf Administration created a 15-member Commission for Agriculture Excellence – co-chaired by Secretary Redding and Acting Secretary Ortega – and proceeded to invest heavily in the future of the industry through Pennsylvania Farm Bill Programs such as the Ag & Youth Grant Program, Farm to School Program, and Farm Vitality Grant Program.

Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry supports the state’s economy to the tune of $132.5 billion and provides more than 593,000 jobs which pay $33 billion in wages annually. The number of jobs in the industry has increased by 2.4 percent since 2018. To ensure the industry continues prosperously that food remains available, accessible, and affordable, we need to grow a new generation of agriculturalists.

Parents and caregivers of children are encouraged to seek out opportunities for hands-on agriculture experiences over the summer to foster an early appreciation of this life-sustaining industry. Careers in agriculture offer opportunities in science, technology, engineering, management, and traditional farming. It’s meaningful work that both feeds the soul and provides for families.

“Our children are our future - they are our future farmers, statisticians, engineers, veterinarians, scientists, and leaders,” said PDE’s Special Consultant to the Secretary for Career Readiness, Laura Fridirici. “Hands-on learning opportunities, like the ones you can find at Paulus Farm, build employability skills, expand awareness of industries like agriculture, and create opportunities for kids to see and even start planning for future careers.”

“Paulus Farm Park is always changing and striving to be a genuine, hands-on and play-based agricultural experience for all ages with opportunities to explore gardens and connect with animals,” said Amy Paulus. “We created the Farm Park to provide a way for kids to enjoy a simple wholesome day on a real working farm.”

Learn more by visiting agriculture. pa.gov/kidsarethefuture.

20 July 2021

USDA Confirms Box Tree Moth (Continued from page 1)

states to: Find and destroy the imported plants in the receiving facilities; trace imported plants that were sold to determine additional locations of potentially infected boxwood; provide box tree moth traps and lures for surveys in the receiving facilities and other locations that received potentially infected boxwood; and prepare outreach materials for state agriculture departments, industry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists stationed along the Canadian border, and the public.

These immediate measures are focused on protecting the economic viability of the thriving U.S. boxwood industry, as well as nurseries and other establishments that sell these plants wholesale and direct to consumers.

The box tree moth is native to East Asia and has become a serious invasive pest in Europe, where it continues to spread. In 2018, it was found in the Toronto area of Canada. The caterpillars feed mostly on boxwood and heavy infestations can defoliate host plants. Once the leaves are gone, larvae consume the bark, leading to girdling and plant death.

Members of the public can prevent the box tree moth from spreading. Please allow state or federal agricultural officials to inspect your boxwood trees and place an insect trap if they visit your home.

If you find an insect that you suspect is the box tree moth, please contact your local Extension office or State Plant Regulatory Official to have the specimen identified properly.

To locate an Extension specialist near you, go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) website at www.nifa.usda.gov/Extension. A directory of State Plant Regulatory Officials is available on the National Plant Board website at www.nationalplantboard.org/ membership.

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GardenerNews.com Unique Plants

By Bob LaHoff Nursery Specialist

Whiteout

This past spring, there seemed to be an explosion of color in our landscapes.

Every couple of years the stars seem to align and many deciduous beauties bloom, overlapping one another.

Forsythia, magnolia, cherries, crabapples and pear trees were all blooming at the same time this year. Mother Nature dished out a harsh winter, gave us colors we were all starving for, and then deprived us of any significant rain. Who could ever predict the weather?

Blessed that I am able to not only work with my wife every day, but her family as well, our garden center is truly a family business and we all have our responsibilities. My wife, Allison, is much more interested in the business/fiscal part of our operation, yet sometimes she surprises me and remarks on the “greener” side of things.

Not that she doesn’t know her plant material. Far from it! Let’s just say she wouldn’t stand on a ladder and photograph a tree’s leaf color seldom seen from the ground, something my wife and daughter caught me doing the other night.

So, when my two special ladies both caught me off guard this spring, remarking about two particular plants in bloom, there was an “a-ha moment” for me.

As many plants were overlying one another this spring, with their respective attributes, two plants in particular seemed to cause a “whiteout” which was enough for my wife and daughter to comment on. That in itself was a “win-win” for me.

“Whiteout”, defined by merriam-webster.com is “a surface weather condition in a snow-covered area (such as a polar region) in which no object casts a shadow, the horizon cannot be seen, and only dark objects are discernible.”

While we were not blanketed with snow in early May – thank God – we did seem to be smitten with a handful of white flowering plants screaming for

attention. Two, in particular, that held the attention of nearly every customer that walked through our door earlier this spring, were viburnum and spirea.

Viburnum is a genus and has about 175 species. “With their abundance of flower, handsome foliage, robust constitution, and frequently stunning fruits, viburnums are among the most beautiful and versatile hardy shrubs available to gardeners.”

(Michael Dirr Viburnums Flowering Shrubs for Every Season.)

And despite the fact that many can grow well over 10 feet tall, providing excellent screening with all of the aforementioned characteristics, many continue to dimple, into their limited spaces, behemoth Giant (Western) arborvitae “Green Giant,” Thuja plicata “Green Giant.”

One Viburnum type that provided “shock and awe” to almost every gardener this spring was Doublefile Viburnum, Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum. And two cultivars that really did steal the show were “Shasta” and “Summer Snowflake.”

Doublefile Viburnum offers everything you could truly want in a shrub. Broad-spreading branches with flowers rising on two-inch high peduncles, held above and against heavily textured leaves with more than appreciable fall color and colorful fruits.

“Shasta” is an outstanding introduction from the U.S. National Arboretum and Don Egolf’s breeding program. If you have never heard the name Don Egolf before, Google this renowned shrub breeder from the U.S. National Arboretum.

“Shasta’s” pure white flowers smother its outline and the summer bright-red fruit maturing to black and fall color are equally exciting to me.

“Summer Snowflake’s” features are more diminutive across the board than the species.

Flowers, leaves and fruit all fit tidily on its frame and its ability

to flower prominently in spring and sporadically through the fall distinguishes this one from other Doublefile types. This type of Japanese snowball, another common name for this plant, attracts birds and butterflies, is drought tolerant and was introduced by the Canadian Ornamental Plant Foundation.

Interesting side note, in China, viburnums have been part of their botanical pharmacopeia for centuries.

The other notable white flowering plant that most everyone commented on this past spring was “Snowmound” Nippon Spirea, Spiraea nipponica “Snowmound.” Touted as a superior alternative to Spiraea x vanhouttei, “Snowmound” grows four to six feet tall and wide and certainly didn’t disappoint this year. Small dark blue-green leaves were engulfed by white flowers in small corymbs this past May. The species is native to the island of Shikoku, Japan, and is hardy in zones 3-8.

It’s not often that my wife and daughter comment on plants in landscapes. In fact, my daughter often says to me, “Dad, give it a rest! Why do you always have to point out all these plants to us?”

To which I reply, “Liv, I only hope one day you love your work as much as me, then you really will never have worked a day in your life.”

At least that’s what Confucius said.

Editor’s Note: Bob LaHoff is co-owner of Hall’s Garden Center and Florist in Union County, a member of the Union County Board of Agriculture, the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association, past member of Reeves-Reed Arboretum Buildings and Grounds Committee, a lifetime member of the Conifer Society and past member of the retail council for Monrovia Growers.

He can be reached at (908) 665-0331.

GardenerNews.com

July 2021 21

Growing Gardeners

By Diana Dove Environmental Educator

Invite Children to a Butterfly Count

Growing Gardeners of all ages find something magical about observing butterflies and caterpillars.

Consider planning a Butterfly Count! This involves gathering volunteers to list butterfly species on a designated date and time, in a specified location, with butterfly experts called Lepidopterists. Their data reveals the status of butterfly population fluctuations, reflecting changes in the quality of the environment.

The Youth Garden Club of the Karen Nash Memorial Butterfly Garden (KNMBG) has held Butterfly Count events for many years. They provided butterfly and caterpillar field guides and set up an erasable board to list the species observed.

Everyone is asked to bring drinking water and invited to bring lunch. An old-fashioned picnic by the garden with a blanket and lawn chairs adds to the fun. Enjoying Italian Ice or having an ice cream break in the afternoon has become a tradition at this event. We set up a nature and pollinator kids’ craft table as an added “Art and the Environment” activity, with teens working with younger children.

“The old Victorian stereotype of butterfly hunters going into the field with huge nets and wearing pith helmets to collect specimens is a thing of the past,” said Tomas Gonzales, the KNMBG Garden Designer.

“Through the use of close-focusing binoculars, and photography, we can enjoy studying butterflies without harming these fascinating creatures or our environment.”

Participants are invited to bring binoculars and/or a camera to a Butterfly Count.

According to the website, www. bestbinocularsreviews.com, closefocusing binoculars with a distance of six feet fill your field of vision, making this ideal for identifying butterflies. In our Butterfly Counts,

we do not use nets. A camera is used for photo-documentation.

Engaging children in a Butterfly Count teaches them how to use observation skills and to move slowly and quietly, since butterflies can feel vibrations. According to “Science Magazine,” researchers found that butterflies perceive fast-moving objects, which includes fast-moving children. Scientists say the vision of a butterfly is not as sharp as that of a human, but butterflies have a larger visual field, so they detect motion easily.

Youth learn to record data, gain experience with classification and identification methods, and they apply reading skills when using field guides or apps. They observe that a diverse amount of nectar and host plants attract a wider variety of butterfly species.

We discuss our findings and learn about weather and how environmental factors affect a species’ population from year to year.

It’s a great experience for all ages to be part of a research team with Lepidopterists.

Field guides and butterfly plant lists are easily used by children.

Youth of all ages can become proficient in using field guides with practice. For very young children and beginners, I recommend Zim Golden Guide to Butterflies and Moths, and Peterson Field Guides for Young Naturalists/ Butterflies, then advance to National Audubon Society Field Guide to Butterflies, and Peterson Field Guides/ Eastern Butterflies.

There are many others… borrow a variety of field guides from the library and see which ones you like best. Free New Jersey Butterfly and Plant lists are found online on www. naba.org/chapters/nabanj/. Each plant listed is followed by associated New Jersey butterfly species.

When is the best time to schedule a Butterfly Count? Here in New

Jersey, we choose a Saturday in mid July when NABA Lepidopterists are available and the garden is in full bloom; 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. is the time we designate each year. Sunday is our alternate date in case of rain or an excessively high heat index on the original date.

How do you find a Lepidopterist?

Contact your local or state Garden Club, Master Gardeners, NABA (North American Butterfly Association), Cooperative Extension Service, a 4-H Club, ANJEE (Alliance for NJ Environmental Education), or teachers, naturalists, and college professors.

Visit sites such as arboretums, plant nurseries with GCNJ Pollinator Education Centers, science museums, Audubon or Nature Centers, park and wildlife refuge visitor centers, zoos and your local library, which is an information hub.

Publicize your Butterfly Count with flyers in schools, nature centers, and libraries. Contact youth/adult garden and hiking clubs, scouts, teachers, 4-H, environmental and FFA clubs.

Notify your radio station and local newspapers. Submit a Community Announcement on Facebook and on community websites. With more volunteers, you’ll get better results.

Kids are great spotters!

Encourage growing gardeners to participate in a Butterfly Count.

Their findings may answer critical questions relating pollinators to environmental quality and will help us understand the need to protect pollinators…because our lives depend on it.

B U T T E R F LY C O U N T INVITATION: Saturday, July 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Karen Nash Memorial Butterfly Garden, Memorial School, 300 West Stewart St., Washington, NJ 07882 (Warren County). Rain date/high heat index date July 18.

Updates: KNMBG Facebook page.

Editor’s Note: Diana Dove is an Environmental Educator who can be reached at dianadove13@gmail.com Please like the Facebook page of the garden she founded at Facebook/Karen Nash Memorial Butterfly Garden. Diana serves as the GCNJ Youth Consultant for Environmental Education. She has a BS in Forestry & Wildlife Management with a concentration in Biology, plus a BA in Communications from Virginia Tech. Diana has been teaching Environmental Science to all ages since 1975, and is a former Senior Naturalist for a County Park System. She currently co-teaches Clean Communities environmental programs with her husband, Mike.

Numerous Health Benefits Found in Summer-Favorite Watermelon No summer barbecue is complete without fresh watermelon.

As the nation moves towards the summer grilling season, you may want to consider how watermelon’s fruit chemistry can affect your overall health. Researchers in the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) recently identified over 1,500 small molecules of diverse chemical characters in the fruit, known as phytochemicals. They concluded that eating watermelon is an excellent way to increase your intake of antioxidants, non-protein amino acids and lycopene. This means that every time you eat watermelon, you’ll be improving the health of your cells, organs and nervous system.

The research specifically finds that the antioxidants in watermelon can help your body fight free radicals and slow down cell damage. The fruit’s non-protein amino acids will also help to repair your body tissue, break down food from other meals, and even regulate your blood pressure.

“Watermelon could be part of the refreshing and healthy fruit options on your summer picnic table,” said USDA-ARS scientist Larry Parnell. “The fruit has gone through many years of evolution, domestication, and selection for desirable qualities—mainly those associated with flesh color, texture and nutrient and sugar content. But our research continues to find that the fruit contains a wide range of nutrients that improve your overall health.”

Most Americans purchase the sweet dessert watermelon species, Citrullus lanatus, at their local grocery store or farmer’s market. This species is among the most important vegetable crops grown and consumed throughout the world, with over 100 million tons in annual global production. The fruit also has more lycopene than a raw tomato, which is linked to healthy eyes, overall heart health and protection against certain cancers.

Other nutrients, like carotenoids, flavonoids, carbohydrates and alkaloids, are also found in the flesh, seed, and rind.

“I worked with Dr. Parnell and the team to develop a pioneering concept of using big data and computational biology to identify and catalog all of the phytochemicals that exist in edible fruit,” said ARS researcher Amnon Levi. “The research to identify the metabolic pathways and genome sequence of genes involved in the production of beneficial phytochemicals could be highly useful for plant scientists and breeders aiming to improve nutrient content in fruits and vegetables.”

The watermelon’s phytochemicals are human-cell-protecting compounds found in fruit, vegetables, grains and beans. All of these nutrients can contribute to your overall health in numerous ways.

Watermelon was introduced to Europe via Moorish Spain in the 10th century. Since then, watermelon has been cultivated successfully in warmer Mediterranean regions before being brought to the Americas by European colonists during the 16th century. Today, watermelon is grown in 44 U.S. states, while major production is centered in California, Florida, Georgia and Texas.

Fruits and vegetables are a part of a healthy, balanced diet, with the recommendation being 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day.

Editor’s Note: The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $17 of economic impact.

22 July 2021

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Germinated in 2003

Deadheading is the horticultural practice of removing spent flowers from ornamental plants.

When you deadhead or remove spent flowers, you are channeling energy away from seed production and into further flower production.

Not only does the process clean up a plant’s appearance, but it also controls the spread of seeds and encourages your flowers and plants to continue to grow thicker and fuller than before.

When deadheading, remove the flower stem right below the spent flower and above the next set of healthy leaves. Perform deadheading as soon as a flower’s appearance begins to fade. You can use garden shears, or simply pinch off the dead flower with your fingers—just make sure to remove any seed pods that may have started to form behind the flower.

After a plant has been deadheaded, the second blooms typically last longer than the originals.

For a basic rule of thumb, deadhead your spent flowers and stems back to ¼ inch above a new lateral flower, lateral leaf or bud.

Remember to keep a regular fertilizer schedule so your plants continue growing strong and healthy. Annuals are especially heavy feeders. Standard water-soluble fertilizers with balanced numbers will provide all the essentials your flowers need for continued blooming.

Not all flowers require deadheading. If you have any questions, contact your local Cooperative Extension office.

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