Gardener News June 2017 by Gardener News

TAKE ONE

Gardener News Serving the Agricultural, Gardening and Landscaping Communities

June, 2017

GARDENERNEWS.COM

TAKE ONE No. 170

First-Ever N.J. Public Gardens and Arboretum Day Germinates

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman, second from left, is joined by Jill Barry, left, Executive Director, Morven Museum and Garden; Crystal Pruitt, second from right, Director of Constituent Relations and Community Outreach for Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker; and Samantha Richardson, President of the Garden State Gardens Consortium, just after reading the Joint Legislative Resolution proclaiming the first annual “New Jersey Public Gardens and Arboretum Day.” By Tom Castronovo Executive Editor History was made on May 11, when Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman (R-Mercer, Somerset, Middlesex, Hunterdon)

proclaimed the first annual “New Jersey Public Gardens and Arboretum Day” before a large crowd at Morven Museum and Garden in Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey. The ceremony took place on a cool, crisp, spring

morning, in a beautifully decorated flower-filled courtyard. The flowers were donated by Hionis Greenhouses in Whitehouse Station, Hunterdon County, N.J., and by members of the Garden State Gardens Consortium.

The joint legislative resolution, which establishes the first Friday in June of each year as “New Jersey Public Gardens and Arboretum Day,” was championed in the Assembly by Senator Bateman’s fellow District 16 legislators, Assemblymen

Jack Ciattarelli and Andrew Zwicker. JOINT RESOLUTION WHEREAS, The Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey are pleased to recognize and to observe the first Friday in June of each (Cont. on page 16)

2 June, 2017

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June, 2017 3

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4 June, 2017 OK, it’s a fast-paced world and most everyone seems to think the illusion of time is moving faster than anyone remembers. Here we are, just dipping into summer, and the mass marketers are already trying to push you ahead to think about the next season, and convince you to buy ahead. Is this really healthy? I believe it is totally unnecessary in most cases. Pretty much anything you are looking for will likely be in sufficient supply whenever you do decide you need to make a purchase. Before I was Secretary of Agriculture, I was a grocery store owner. My supplier was the largest food wholesaler in the USA at that time. Operators were (and still are) constantly encouraged to buy as early as a product could be procured and put it out for sale long in advance of any natural cravings from the public. As an example, a month before Halloween, stores were instructed to start displaying for Thanksgiving and Christmas to catch an occasional early sale. I always resisted and held off because

GardenerNews.com NJ Dept. of Agriculture By Douglas H. Fisher Secretary of Agriculture

You can be sure if it’s Jersey Fresh it seemed so unnatural, especially for children to be unseasonably exposed. I lost a few transactions of course, but it bothered me to send a message to customers that said, “You are just a sale.” Why rush the seasons? Each time of the year, wherever you reside, is special and should be allowed to percolate in your minds and hearts before you move on. How many people were just itching to get their hands on Jersey asparagus last month as it broke through the cold soil and into the warmer spring sun? These are the garden’s first tasty green spears of the season. The spring is announced by its arrival and a harbinger of more seasonal favorites to come. Tasty Jersey Fresh items

you can find in farm markets and some supermarkets right now include blueberries, cherries, strawberries, asparagus, beans, beets, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, chard, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, peas, radishes, scallions, spinach, squash, and tomatoes. And it won’t be that long before Jersey sweet corn is available, too. They all arrive on cue from Mother Nature. Now is the time to savor and enjoy the goodness of what our farmers planted months earlier. Favorite recipes are to be looked up or recalled from past family gatherings. The same goes for other spring arrivals. There is a bounty of fresh to be appreciated right now. Enjoy it with gusto while it’s here! The idea of thinking in the present is a growing trend that

Look Who’s Reading the Gardener News!

It’s in the news

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Actor and producer Paul Michael Glaser, best known for his role as “Starsky” on the television broadcast Starsky and Hutch from April 1975 to May 1979 on the ABC network, looks over the May Gardener News during a recent Garden State visit. Under the radio call sign “Zebra Three”, Starsky was known for usually tearing around the streets of fictional Bay City, California, in his two-door Ford Gran Torino, which was bright red, with a large white vector stripe on both sides. Glaser is also known for his roles in Something’s Gotta Give (2003) and The Running Man (1987).

finds its roots from an ancient move toward mindfulness and intention. Sure, we can anticipate the times of year when some of our favorite delicacies are harvested, but when strawberries are in season, we should especially enjoy the time they are available and celebrate their arrival with any variety of recipes they are used in. If you lean toward the more purist side, just enjoy a bowl of strawberries without the amenities that maybe some others like. The point is to savor what is here now. The Garden State is unique in the diversity of foods that our local farmers produce throughout the season. Maybe it’s a particular type of tomato that your taste buds anticipate each year. Perhaps it’s the simple matter of a local farmstand opening and

its constant supply of Jersey Fresh produce on display, depending on what fruits or vegetables are being harvested at the moment. Part of the beauty of buying Jersey Fresh is that while your favorite fruit or vegetable might not be in season right now, it will be eventually. And when the time comes, or if it is happening today, don’t take it for granted. Make sure you make the most of the moment. The season is here for you to find the best fresh fruits and vegetables that you can find anywhere. Enjoy it by making sure your taste buds don’t miss the experience. 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

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June, 2017 5

6 June, 2017

RUTGERS NJAES/RCE

Rutgers Cooperative Extension Plant & Pest Advisory Water testing requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Water testing is a major component of FSMA. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that growers begin sampling agricultural water to create a microbial water quality profile when they need to start complying with FSMA. No grower needs to start sampling until January, 2018 (growers over $500,000), small growers 2019 (growers between $250,000 and $500,000) and very small growers 2020 ($25,000 to $250,000). All growers have 2 to 4 years to complete sampling. How many samples are needed is not clear at this point. FDA is revisiting the water requirements outlined in the Produce Safety Rule (PSR). At present, the Rule states that for surface water 20 samples collected over 2 to 4 years would be needed then 5 samples every year following. For well water it would be 4 samples then 1 sample every year after. They are working to simplify the standards. We do not know when the new standard will be published. What is needed from the water test? Water should be tested for generic E. coli. There is no need to test for any other organism. There are different methods that laboratories use to assess generic E. coli, but the one FDA has set as the standard is EPA Method 1603. This method is available in some laboratories in New Jersey and if possible ask the lab to use it. The problem with the method is some states do not have any labs that can use this method. When thinking about water testing, growers should understand the definition of “Agricultural Water” under the PSR. Agricultural Water – “Water used in covered activities on covered produce where water is intended to or is likely to contact covered produce or food contact surfaces, including water used in growing activities (including irrigation water applied using direct water application methods, water used for preparing crop sprays and water used for growing sprouts) and in harvesting, packing and holding activities (including water used for washing or cooling harvested produce and water used for preventing dehydration of covered produce).” In other words, any water that touches the final harvestable produce including spray water is agricultural water. If the grower uses drip and it is working properly, it is not “Agricultural Water”. However, if that same water source is used for spraying or over irrigating it is “Agricultural Water.” So what should a grower do now? Any grower who has been sampling for a third party audit should continue to sample using the same method and frequency. Any grower who has not been sampling may want to begin sampling just to get an idea of their water quality. Difference between a third party audit and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) There is continued confusion about the difference between a third party audit and the produce safety rule under FSMA. The biggest difference is one is voluntary (third party audit) and one is government regulation (FSMA). Whether you need a third party audit depends on who is purchasing the produce. Some buyers will require an audit and specify the audit firm. This is mainly related to wholesale growers. Whether you have a third party audit or not, FSMA applies to operations with produce sales over $25,000 (adjusted for inflation) averaged annually over three years. Farms may be eligible for a qualified exception and modified requirements (section 112.5 and 112.6). To be eligible the farm must meet two requirements: 1. The farm must have all food sales (including animal feed) averaging less than $500,000 per year adjusted for inflation during the previous three years. 2. The farm’s direct sales to qualified end-user (restaurants, CSA, farmers markets, etc.) that is located in the same state or within 275 miles must exceed sales to all buyers combined during the previous three years. A farm with the qualified exemption must meet modified requirements, including prominently displaying the name and the complete business address of the farm where the produce was grown either on the label of the produce or at the point of purchase.

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From the Director’s Desk

Rutgers Outreach Provided by Larry S. Katz, Ph.D. Director

Rutgers Cultivates Student Engagement in Urban and Community Agriculture As part of Rutgers’ ongoing commitment to expand engaged learning around New Jersey’s complex urban-agriculture interface, the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences’ Office of Agriculture and Urban Programs serves a vital role in connecting students with experienced-based learning opportunities on campus and with our urban communities. The Office includes faculty and staff with expertise in landscape architecture, public health, environmental science, and ecology in order to provide different perspectives and approaches to research and program development. A key responsibility of the Office is to provide resources to support New Jersey urban agriculture. Along with reports and links, our website includes a series of “urban agriculture profiles” – video clips to convey the diversity of approaches – from for-profit direct marketing ventures, to socially driven community activities. We are busy preparing for the upcoming fall 2017 Ag in the City conference that will bring together organizers, activists and practitioners from around the state to discuss pressing issues in urban agriculture viability. We are also working with an honors student to compile data on the impact of the “Five Acre Rule” on urban farmers seeking to qualify for reimbursement of SNAP and WIC vouchers. For the past two years, the Office has run the New Jersey Youth Institute of the World Food Prize, which seeks to educate and inspire young people to seek careers addressing world hunger and food access. This year, approximately 94 New Jersey high school students registered and submitted research papers. On March 3, these students convened on campus to present their work to a panel of experts of Rutgers faculty, staff and guests. Many New Jersey students come to this event via their participation in 4-H or FFA; our goal for 2018 is to increase participation from non-agricultural high schools. The top three students and their teachers represent New Jersey at the Global Youth Institute that runs in conjunction with the World Food Prize celebration in Des Moines, Iowa, every October. A long-cherished resource on campus, Rutgers Gardens is also part of the Office of Agriculture and Urban Programs and is steadily developing its capacity as an educational and outreach resource for students and community. Just over 100 years ago, Rutgers officials purchased land in New Brunswick for plant research and display. Over the years, Rutgers Gardens has evolved into a public garden with many layers of education, research, and outreach programming. Its recently revised mission statement – “Rutgers Gardens cultivates inquisitive minds, great plants, and inspired gardening through educational exploration and enjoyment” – spurs our ongoing strategic planning efforts to become a local, national and international model of a university public garden. Last month, Rutgers Gardens was acknowledged as a horticultural landmark by the American Horticultural Society of America. A new feature at Rutgers Gardens is the Student Sustainable Farm, which provides the foundation for a broad spectrum of community outreach and programs, research opportunities, and entrepreneurial pursuits related to small-scale organic production. The Student Farm builds on the legacy of the first Rutgers Student Farm, started in 1993 and serving as a pioneering example of Community Supported Agriculture in the state. By moving this venture to Rutgers Gardens, we have expanded access and educational programming opportunities, which include internships, a summer course, and student volunteerism. Currently at a halfacre, the ultimate goal is for a four-acre farm with outdoor teaching spaces, production fields, composting, bees, orchard, and more. Of the food grown, half is donated to the emergency food system and half is sold to help support the Farm. In addition, we are preparing The Student Farm Annex, a half-acre site adjacent on the Cook Campus, for its first season of cultivation in partnership with Elijah’s Promise and other community groups. The Office of Agriculture and Urban Programs supports the development of learning labs for students and the community that address urban agriculture and urban ecology on campus. We are building the capacity of a roughly two-acre community garden on campus that serves faculty, staff, students and local residents by offering small plots of land for gardening and food production. Recently, the undergraduate Compost Club built demonstration bins on campus, with the intention of collecting food waste from dining services and teaching students about waste reduction through composting. In addition to two new beehives on campus, there are plans to restore a native pollinator meadow on open fields behind the Rutgers Inn and Conference Center. Our work with urban communities continues, primarily through the Center for Urban Environmental Sustainability (CUES). Current projects include park systems master planning, open space design, research on green infrastructure opportunities, water quality and habitat, and urban ecological restoration. To learn more, please visit our website: agriurban@rutgers.edu. Editor’s Note: This month’s contribution is by Laura Lawson, Dean of Agricultural and Urban Programs, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. Dean Lawson supports academic and outreach efforts that connect urban and suburban communities with agriculture in order to enhance the economy, landscape and culture of New Jersey.

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RUTGERS NJAES/RCE

The Gardeners Dove

Like people, every plant has a story. Sometimes the stories are romantic, sometimes funny and at other times boring, but there is always a story. Many a time I have stood in front of a plant with a phenomenal tale to tell, only to walk away none the wiser. The Dove Tree is one such plant. I have met and planted many a Dove Tree, but never did it mention its interesting tale of how it came into our gardens. Dove Tree is botanically named Davidia involucrata, and is a member of the Nyssaceae or Tupelo Family. The genus name honors Father Armand David (1826-1900), a French missionary who was also an avid naturalist, possessing a deep interest in both plants and animals. Among his several hundred “discoveries” in China, David was the first European to witness and describe panda bears and the Dove Tree.

The tree was first found near the Tibetan border of China, with the botanical description and genus name published in 1871 by the French physician and botanist Dr. Henri Ernest Baillon (1827-1895). However, he described the plant from dried specimens, as there were no living plants in Europe. Many years later, the Scottish doctor and botanist Augustine Henry (1857-1930) travelled to the remote village of Ichang in Hubei Province in search of medicinal plants. During his expeditions, he found a single specimen of Davidia in 1887. Unfortunately, the samples and seed of the plant were lost en route back to Europe. Wishing to be the first to have this elusive plant, the nursery of James Veitch and Sons hired Ernst H. Wilson (1876-1930) to find the tree that Henry had seen and to send back seed. After an arduous journey, Wilson arrived at the site of Henry’s tree, only to find a stump. Evidently, some members in the local community found the lumber

better suited for a homestead than for ornament. Undaunted, Wilson eventually found more specimens, with the seed arriving back on English soil in April 1902. However, this was not the first seed to reach Europe. In 1897, unbeknownst to Veitch, the French missionary and botanist Père Farges (1844-1912) sent back seed from China to Maurice L. de Vilmorin, a wealthy landowner in France. Of the 37 seeds he sent, one reluctantly germinated in June of 1899. This seedling had pubescent foliage and was distinctly different from the plants that Wilson brought back, which had smooth foliage and was given the varietal status of var. Vilmoriniana. Today, this variety is a bit more common than the forms with glabrous leaves and it also appears to be slightly hardier, tolerating zone 5 winters as opposed to zone 6. Was the effort involved with obtaining this tree worthwhile? Yes! The main garden interest is the unique

RU Goes Organic: New Organic Landscaper Guide Helps Professionals Protect the Environment Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) Cooperative Extension has always promoted and researched environmentally-friendly horticultural practices, and now a new publication is available to help landscapers go organic. The Rutgers Organic Land Care Best Practices Manual provides recommendations to land managers and landscape contractors on how to effectively conduct organic land care in New Jersey. Many landscapers in New Jersey have incorporated organic services into their businesses, but often there is confusion in the industry and among clients about what “going organic” actually means. This guide provides clarification and will assist industry professionals in determining what is, and what is not considered organic landscaping. Organic land care is not simply about substituting organic-approved products for synthetic materials. In other words, just because you are using an organic pesticide on a lawn does not mean the lawn is organic. Organic land care involves treating a landscape as a whole living system where the soil, plants, and animals within that system are interdependent and should sustain each other. This type of thinking is based in ecology, which is the study of the relationships that living organisms have with each other and the nonliving environment. When transitioning to an organic landscape, the goal should be to create a healthy lawn and garden that are self-sustaining with few material or product inputs. The goal is to eliminate the use of synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and synthetic soil amendments. The types of practices an organic landscaper uses involves determining soil health through soil testing and applying products only based on soil test results, raising mower blades to at least three inches to promote deep root growth, and utilizing native plants to promote biodiversity and low-maintenance turf grass varieties to conserve water. The new manual covers site assessments, soil health, turf care, native and invasive plants, planting and caring for trees and shrubs, water conservation, weed and pest management, and wildlife control. For most topics there are recommended, and not recommended practices that landscapers can review to determine what is appropriate under an organic program. This document is not to be confused with the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program for agriculture. That program provides federal standards for how to grow food organically which producers must adhere to in order to be certified as organic. That is not the case for landscapers. There are currently no federal standards for organic land care, although the new manual incorporates many recommendation from the federal guidance for agriculture. This document is meant to provide guidance in the absence of those standards. The manual was written by industry professionals and Rutgers faculty. On January 31, 2017, Rutgers graduated 17 land care professionals from its Organic Land Care Certificate Program. This is the fifth year of the program which teaches basic organic land care practices to landscapers, land managers, and Rutgers Master Gardeners. One hundred individuals have gone through the program. New Jersey residents can search a Rutgers online database for local landscapers who have met the requirements of this program which is listed by county. For more information about the Rutgers Organic Land Care program or the new manual visit njaes.rutgers.edu/organiclandcare or contact Amy Rowe via email at rowe@njaes.rutgers.edu.

floral display from May into June. The species epithet of involucrata refers to involucre, which is a flower surrounded by one or more bracts located closely behind the flower. For Davidia, the flower is subtended by two large white bracts of unequal size. The larger bract reaches 6-7” long and 4” wide, while the smaller is 3-4” by 2”. From a distance, the dangling bracts literally give the appearance of white Doves perched upon the Tree. Within the two bracts is a three-quarter-inch spherical flower consisting of numerous red tipped anthers and loosely resembling a small sputnik satellite. The biggest challenge is patience, since the gardener will wait 10 to 15 years before flowering begins. Recently, a new selection named “Sonoma” has appeared, which blooms at a very young age and is well worth seeking out. The foliage of Davidia is attractively coarse in texture and dark green with a purple blush when unfurling. There is no fall color of note, but

June, 2017 7 the platy orange bark provides attractive winter interest. Stretching to over 50 feet with time, the plants grow readily in light shade or full sun in average soils. Although the flowers require the patience of time, its ease of growth, alluring bark and interesting stories are all compelling reasons as to why more gardeners should invite this beautiful dove into their garden. Editor’s Note: Bruce Crawford is a lover of plants since birth; is the managing director of the Rutgers Gardens, a 180-acre outdoor teaching classroom, horticultural research facility and arboretum; an adjunct professor in Landscape Architecture at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; regularly participates in the Rutgers – Continuing Education Program; and the immediate pastpresident of the Garden State Gardens Consortium. He can be reached at (732) 932-8451. For more information, please visit www.rutgersgardens.rutgers.edu

5ඎඍ඀ൾඋඌ &ඈඈඉൾඋൺඍංඏൾ (එඍൾඇඌංඈඇ 3ඁඈඇൾ 'ංඋൾർඍඈඋඒ 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: 856-307-6450 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

8 June, 2017

GardenerNews.com

New Jersey Legislative Update Now Law: Bill Requiring Use of Native Plants for Roadside Planting New Jersey State roadways will now be lined with native plants for landscaping and reforestation purposes due to the efforts of Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Dave Wolfe and Greg McGuckin (all R-10). The bill, S-227/A-963, was signed into law on May 1, 2017 by Governor Christie. “During the rebuilding of State Highway 35 on the barrier island following Superstorm Sandy, we worked on this bill to benefit the state both economically and ecologically,” said Senator Holzapfel. “We worked alongside Save Barnegat Bay to craft this important piece of legislation in an effort to restore the bay and prevent pollutants from entering local waterways.” Under the bill, when planting vegetation for the purpose of landscaping, land management, reforestation or habitat reforestation, the Department of Transportation, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the South Jersey Transportation Authority would be required to plant vegetation that is native to the State and that will thrive in the area being planted. Native plants generally grow well and require little care, resulting in the use of fewer pesticides which pollute surrounding waterways. “Native plants that are adapted to local conditions are more likely to survive, preventing the need for replanting and saving taxpayers from an unnecessary expense,” said Assemblyman Wolfe. “Choosing plants that are indigenous to the area also provides vital habitats for birds and other wildlife, while limiting the growth of potentially invasive species.” “We are very grateful to the legislators who helped achieve this victory for water quality,” said Britta Wenzel, Executive Director for Save Barnegat Bay. “This initiative will benefit clean water and wildlife throughout the state of New Jersey.” The Department of Environmental Protection would be required to identify the particular species of vegetation that are native to the State and thrive within the Plant Hardiness Zone Map established by the United States Department of Agriculture. “Using native vegetation is a better choice for the environment and for taxpayers. Native plants allow developed landscapes to coexist with nature, rather than compete with it,” added Assemblyman McGuckin.

New Tree License Law in New Jersey CHAPTER 237 AN ACT concerning the licensure of tree experts and tree care operators and the registration of certain employers, supplementing Title 45 of the Revised Statutes, and repealing P.L.1940, c.100 and sections 7 and 8 of P.L.1996, c.20. C.45:15C-11 Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Tree Experts and Tree Care Operators Licensing Act.” The New Jersey Register posted the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts’ rule, which will directly affect all tree care companies doing business in New Jersey, even if your company is headquartered elsewhere. The new law repeals the Tree Expert Act of 1940, and creates two new licensing titles: Licensed Tree Expert (LTE) and Licensed Tree Care Operator (LTCO). It requires that at least one person from each company doing tree work in New Jersey be licensed. The Licensed Tree Care Operator will be able to offer tree pruning, repairing, brush cutting or removal, tree removal, and stump grinding or removal. The Licensed Tree Expert will be able to offer all the services of the Licensed Tree Care Operator plus tree establishment, fertilization, cabling and bracing, lightning protection, consulting, diagnosis, and treatment of tree problems or diseases, tree management during site planning and development, and tree assessment. For the purposes of this act: “Board” means the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts established pursuant to section 3 of this act. “Licensed tree care operator” means a person licensed to provide tree care operator services in the State pursuant to subsection b. of section 7 of this act. “Licensed tree expert” means a person licensed to provide tree expert services in this State pursuant to subsection a. of section 7 of this act. “Tree care operator services” means and includes tree pruning, repairing, brush cutting or removal, tree removal, and stump grinding or removal. “Tree care services” means tree care operator services and tree expert services as established by this act. “Tree expert services” means and includes tree pruning, repairing, brush cutting or removal, tree removal, stump grinding or removal, tree establishment, fertilization, cabling and bracing, lightning protection, consulting, diagnosis, and treatment of tree problems or diseases, tree management during site planning and development, tree assessment and risk management, and application of pesticides or any other form of tree maintenance. The provisions of this act shall not apply to: Landscape construction activities, including those performed by, or under the direction of, a landscape architect, or ground based landscape maintenance activities such as pruning, fertilization, insect and disease control, planting, transplanting and all other forms of ground based landscape maintenance, in compliance with the sections of the American National Standards Institute practice standards set forth by the board by regulation, with applicable safety standards and regulations promulgated by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and with any pesticide regulations promulgated by the Department of Environmental Protection. For the purposes of this subsection, ground based landscape maintenance means operations that do not involve climbing, the use of aerial lifts, cranes, rope and rigging operations, or the removal of trees over 6 inch D.B.H. Tree care companies have until June 16, to register their business and then have 360 days (until April 12, 2018) or four exam periods, whichever is later, to have at least one licensed individual working full time in the company. Companies must also provide the Board of Tree Experts with documented proof that they have administered proper safety training to their crews. To view or download a copy of the adopted Rules, visit the Board’s website at: njtreeexperts.org

GardenerNews.com

June, 2017 9

Around The Garden By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

Beware of the Uncontrollable Itch and Rash I really enjoy the outdoors. But when I’m outdoors, I keep my eyes peeled. I look up, down and around. In my eyes, poison ivy is a very dangerous plant. It grows everywhere, even in the best maintained gardens and landscapes. I recently found it growing in a newly established pachysandra bed, under a deck, and under a dwarf globe Colorado blue spruce. In the past, I’ve seen it growing in shopping center parking lots, along sidewalks, in lawns, creeping up firewood piles, at the Jersey shore, and in the woods. Poison ivy can sometimes make a home for itself on or around dead tree stumps. It also loves to play hide and seek and commonly imitates tree branches. While not typical, poison ivy can even develop into a shrub, usually in a sunny location. The leaflets of this nasty plant are sometimes notched. Each group of three leaflets grows on its own thorn-less stem and alternates arrangement. Just thinking about poison ivy gives me the Tom Castronovo/Photo heebie-jeebies. I’ve heard this rhyme a lot when I was a kid, “Leaves of three, let it be.” Young poison ivy plants often start out in spring with reddish leaves, turning green in the summer. The foliage yields to brilliant red, yellow or orange in the fall. The plant loses its leaves in the winter. Poison ivy vines are “hairy”—they’re covered in thin roots that help anchor the plant to the thing it’s climbing. In fact, another one of the many rhymes associated with this plant is, “Hairy rope, don’t be a dope.” These stems all connect to the main vine, which is covered in hair. Poison ivy rash is caused by an allergic reaction to an oily resin called urushiol. This oil is in the leaves, stems and roots of poison ivy And, beware of the plant’s leafless vines, as they can still produce rash-causing oil. Poison ivy spreads either vegetatively or sexually. Flowering occurs from May to July. The yellowishor greenish-white flowers are typically inconspicuous and are located in clusters above the leaves. The berry-like fruit matures from August to November. The fruit is a favorite winter food to a few birds and other animals. Seeds are spread after passing through their digestive tract. For heaven sake, don’t burn it. If you inhale the smoke or fumes, you can develop a serious lung problem, along with a nasty itch and rash. You can also annoy your neighbors and friends. By the way, I Tom Castronovo/Photo always look over my firewood for hairy rope vines. If I do encounter poison ivy, I head on over to Edgewood Pharmacy in Warren Township, Somerset County, N.J. They sell a great product that clears up the poisonous oil in 30 seconds. As always, I hope you find the information in the Gardener News informative and enjoyable. Until next time…Keep the “garden” in the Garden State. -Tom 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 and landscaping communities through this newspaper and GardenerNews.com.

Zanfel® Poison Ivy Wash is the only product known to remove poison ivy (urushiol) from the skin before or after breakout, providing virtually immediate relief of itching and pain. Also effective on mosquito and chigger bites, bee, wasp & hornet stings, and most ant and insect bites. No known side effects. Safer and more effective than steroids or antihistamines.

AVAILABLE AT Edgewood Pharmacy 62 B Mountain Blvd. Warren, NJ (Next to Kings Food Markets) 908-754-4400 www.EdgewoodPharmacy.com

10 June, 2017

GardenerNews.com

Not A Snapdragon, But Smart Anyway! By Hubert Ling Penstemon digitalis, an easy-to-grow, longlived perennial, has been called wild snapdragon and botanists put it into the snapdragon family because it has a superficial resemblance to other members of this group; the tubular flowers of Penstemon have two petals in the upper lip and three petals in the larger lower lip. However, recent genetic research with DNA showed that this plant is actually more closely related to plantains (those difficult weeds that frequently take over lawns that are neglected). The accurate and informative common name is beardtongue, which is a reference to a long, hairy, modified stamen which protrudes from the middle of each flower. The scientific name Penstemon is from the Greek meaning â&#x20AC;&#x153;five stamensâ&#x20AC;? and digitalis is from the Latin for â&#x20AC;&#x153;fingers,â&#x20AC;?

which refers to the fingertip shape of the expanding buds. Beardtongue is generally two to three feet tall and grows well in average to dry soil, in full sun or partial shade. The plant overwinters as a basal rosette of semievergreen leaves. During spring and early-summer, these rosettes develop several long, leafy shoots, which are finally topped with flowers facing in all directions. The white flowers are modest in size, one to one and a third inches, but make up for their size with their impressive numbers, which lead to spectacular displays. Flowering starts in June and lasts about a month. The flowers which are produced on stiff stems make great additions to fresh wildflower bouquets. Beardtongue is found naturally in almost all of eastern and central North America, except for Florida. The plant is common in most of northern New Jersey, but does not grow well in Pinelands soil. Beardtongue

is a vigorous, trouble-free plant but can develop root rot in poorly drained soil, and occasionally develops minor leaf spot. It is easy to grow from seed, and plants bloom well in their second year. Root divisions can also be used to build up a large population rapidly. The plants are drought resistant, somewhat deer and rabbit resistant, and survive in clay soil. They are also moderately salt and acid soil resistant, and can tolerate black walnut roots. The flowers are utilized by honeybees and several types of native bees, butterflies, moths and hummingbirds; violet nectar guides can be seen running deep into the flower tube. However, the seed capsules, which develop in the fall, are not extensively used by birds or by other animals for food, perhaps because they are small, hard, shiny smooth, and difficult to open. The leaves are utilized by the chalcedony midget moth and the Baltimore checkerspot

New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association Hires New Executive Director (/0:22' 3$5. 1- Ę&#x160; 7KH 1HZ -HUVH\ /DQGVFDSH &RQWUDFWRUV Association (NJLCA) is proud to announce that they have appointed Alexander Gettler as the Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Executive Director. Gettler has extensive experience in association management, having held management positions at several local and national trade associations, including the National Fire Sprinkler Association. In these positions, he has been responsible for the overall administration of the associations, handling the associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finances, membership retention and recruitment and government relations. Mr. Gettler has also taught various courses in employee benefits at New York University, Fairleigh Dickinson University and the College of Insurance. He earned his MBA in Economics from New York University and a Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree from Cornell University. He also holds the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist accreditation. He lives in Pearl River, New York with his wife and two children. NJLCA President, Nelson Lee, says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are truly pleased to announce that Al Gettler has been selected for the Executive Director position at the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association. We are looking forward to working with Al to accomplish all of our goals.â&#x20AC;? About the NJLCA The New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA) is a group of professional landscape contractors dedicated to advancing the integrity, proficiency, profitability and personal growth of the landscape professional. Through educational seminars, trade shows, social events, networking opportunities, membership meetings, magazines and professionalism in all that they do, the Association is able to fulfill its mission.

butterfly larvae. Bees also collect the pollen, but the plant has done its best to ensure that bees help fertilize beardtongue. Each flower has both sexes, but the anthers, which are located near the roof of the flower tube, mature first. When bees enter the flower for pollen or nectar, they generally get dusted on the head and back. These locations are difficult for the bee to groom and considerable pollen remains on the bees as they visit many plants. The pistils mature later and extend into the position formally occupied by the anthers. As dusted bees enter such a flower, pollination is ensured. Thus, beardtongue is at least as smart as a bee, or if looked at in a different way, beardtongue is intelligently designed. The fact that flowers â&#x20AC;&#x153;payâ&#x20AC;? the hired help while using many ingenious stratagems was recognized by Darwin, who in 1862 wrote â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fertilization of Orchids,â&#x20AC;? a seminal work

on plant-animal cooperation (coevolution). Plant beardtongue in large masses in a dry, sunny meadow, on the edges of beds, or in the drier areas of a raingarden. These versatile plants naturalize well with butterfly weed, purple field bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), purple coneflower, mountain mints, New England aster, and little blue stem. Beardtongue sparkles in the sun and twinkles in a moon garden. Sources and pictures of beardtongue (use Penstemon digitalis to look it up) are easy to find on the internet and one named cultivar, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Husker Red,â&#x20AC;? has become popular. Check beardtongue out at www.npsnj.org Native Plants: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Galleryâ&#x20AC;? & â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where To Buy.â&#x20AC;? Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: Hubert Ling is the Horticulture Chairman for the Native Plant Society of New Jersey. He can be reached at milhubling@verizon.net

GardenerNews.com Having never been a fan of “plant guarantees,” there is a new idea on the horizon that I feel will help bridge the gap of a plant’s success, one that the customer and merchant are so desperately looking for. Acknowledging that there is an overabundance of new plants being thrust into the market place, Handpicked for You® (HPFY®) is a new idea that is now out of its embryonic stages. Handpicked for You® is a Trust Mark, reassuring the customer that their plant selection will be successful in their garden. The idea, much the same way Good Housekeeping and UL (Underwriters Laboratories) test their products and certify them to be trusted, HPFY® is assuring gardeners that these plants, in fact, stand out from the overwhelming choices in the market place. This is an independent collaboration of retailers, growers and breeders put in motion by some of the country’s top growers. The group, SynRG™, includes five wholesale nurseries: New Jersey’s Overdevest Nurseries; Virginia’s Saunders Brothers; Ohio’s Willoway Nurseries; Connecticut’s Prides Corner Farms; and Ontario’s Sheridan Nurseries. The goal for all of them is, quite simply, to show their continued dedication to the independent garden center. Out to identify and introduce the absolute best, tested

I grew up in the Midwest, Illinois to be specific, right on the Mississippi River. Mark Twain country. Any parcel of land that is flat has been cleared and tilled for crops, mostly corn and soybean. The black alluvial soils of the Mississippi River Valley are some of the richest in the world, producing bumper crops almost every year. Yet, not all of the Midwest is flat, and where the combine cannot go, there remains forest. Along the rivers, forests are composed of red and silver maple, sycamore and willow, all species capable of dealing with spring floods. But when you move inland, to drier uplands, we encounter the oak-hickory forest, the dominant forest ecosystem of the Midwest. Yes, we all know the oaks, but it is hickory that eludes most of us along the Atlantic seaboard. While we have several species in New Jersey, it is in the heartland that we find better representation, and the greatest hickory of all, the pecan. Hickorys, genus Carya, are members of the Juglandaceae, the

June, 2017 11 Unique Plants By Bob LaHoff Nursery Specialist

Handpicked for You and most trusted new plants in the industry, this is not another new branding program. Rather, it is a certification program that buyers can depend on. It positions the IGC (independent garden center) as your trusted plant experts, all the while overcoming the consumer’s apprehension associated with their overwhelming choices today. Many of us in the industry identify with the sometimes redundancy of plant material and can only imagine the confusion, at times, customers have. The selection criteria not only amount to plants performing well, it goes beyond that. Plants are being tested regionally for their success and older varieties are not exempt from this list of winners. The core performance criteria identify low-maintenance plants, those with foliage and bloom interest, heat and cold tolerance, disease resistance, non-invasive, and ease of producing, to name just a few. Trialing plant material in all settings, production, landscape and

retail, the goal is to identify the best of the best and help everyone garden with confidence. Interestingly and appropriately, certain plant material may receive the HPFY® certification in one state and not another. Why? Because crape myrtle simply doesn’t perform as well in the north as it does in the south. However, “new genetics are the adrenalin of our industry”, says Ed Overdevest, president of Overdevest Nurseries (www. nurserymag.com), and perhaps new varieties of Lagerstroemia, that are “hardier,” are on the horizon? One of the top growers in our country, Saunders Brothers, is trialing a group of plants that everyone in New Jersey and beyond should be grateful for… boxwood! Significant efforts are underway to try and selectively “breed out,” if you will, boxwood blight and leaf miner. The combined efforts and knowledge of Saunders Brothers and Kelly Ivor, previously with

North Carolina State University and now Cal Poly, their research speaks directly to the most significant issues facing boxwood today. Additionally, SynRG™ is working toward marketing virtually sterile forms of Barberry, a contentious topic in the industry today. An exclusive marketing agreement between SynRG™ and Mark Brand, Professor of Horticulture at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, may help resurrect Barberry sales now prohibited in many states. So, by now you should be asking which plants have already made the list. There are a number of “Tried & True” plants many of you will be familiar with. “Green Velvet” Boxwood, “Ivory Halo” Redtwig Dogwood, “Nikko” Deutzia, Siberian Cypress and “Magic Carpet” Spiraea are just a few of my personal favorites that have made the list. I’m sure everyone will also be happy to know that “Green Giant” Arborvitae also made the list given

Tree Notes By Steve Schuckman NJ Certified Tree Expert

The Hickorys walnut family, but there the similarity ends. Walnut (genus Juglans) and hickory both have compound leaves, beautiful bark, and become big trees, up to 60 feet or more (I have seen pecan along the Mississippi over 80 feet!) The wood is dense, hard, and burns hot. Commercially, both genera are valuable for their wood. Black walnut, Juglans nigra, produces exceptionally beautiful wood, used as veneer for cabinetry. Hickory, think barbeque, or hickory-smoked bacon…I love bacon. Fruits of both genera are hard-shelled nuts. In the case of walnut, the nut is encased in a tough outer husk, and must be mechanically removed to get to the delicious nut inside. Our native black walnut is

far better in taste than the European walnut we find in the stores and gift baskets. More work, but worth every minute of labor. Hickory nuts, on the other hand, are encased in a four-valved husk that usually splits open to reveal the inner nut. Either bitter or sweet, some find them delicious, others not so much. They are a valuable wildlife food source, ripening in October and providing excellent nutrition to woodland fauna. In New Jersey, the hickory we most frequently encounter is Bitternut Hickory, Carya cordiformis. This is the easiest hickory to correctly identify, as the terminal winter buds are strikingly sulfur yellow. Nuts are bitter and ignored by squirrels.

The other hickory we often encounter in New Jersey is pignut hickory, C. glabra. This is a spectacular tree, often reaching 70 feet or more, and has - in my opinion – a stunningly beautiful form, tall and slender with a spreading crown. Found on dry ridges in often stony soils, the fall color is a blazing golden yellow, only rivaled by Gingko. Sorry Bob, ginkgo has met its match! So why is hickory not a part of our landscape? I would certainly use it as a street tree, as it is tough, beautiful, and native (everyone’s favorite go-to word). However, it is almost impossible to transplant, due to a persistent taproot in youth and coarse root system. It is best grown from seed in the spot it is to remain. I

its recent, and much deserved, rise to stardom. Herbaceous plants are not to be outdone, a few of the best include: “Visions” Astilbe, “Jack Frost” Brunnera, the ever architectural grass “Karl Foerster,” “All Gold” Japanese Forest Grass, “Patriot” Hosta and “Rocketman” Russian Sage all affirm my beliefs. As for the latest and greatest varieties to make the list, 2018 should be the inaugural year for HPFY® and retail sales. For now, a select group of garden centers are testing the waters with Certified Handpicked for You™ tags. Information is being collected, and tests are being done, both on the shelf in garden centers and in the garden beds of consumers. Sustainability and success are the primary goals for HPFY® and perhaps this new era in plant marketing will blur the lines of success and guarantees. 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, 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.

have dug small trees from the woods and every one of them died. I think the tree is saying, “Let me be.” Some plants just don’t belong in the landscape. The only hickory that has been successfully grown commercially is the pecan. Carya Illinoensis. This species follows the river basins, and can reach 150 feet with a wide crown. It is a TREE-MENDOUS plant. There has been much research on this tree, as the fruit (nut) is a major horticultural crop. As a child, with Mom and Dad we would go down to the river in Autumn, collecting native pecan and the spending the afternoon shelling them. Pecan pie, anyone?! Editor’s Note: Steve Schuckman is owner of First Mountain Aboriculture, which provides horticultural consulting and community forestry services. He is currently the consulting forester for Bloomfield, Hawthorne, Maplewood, and Montclair, in New Jersey. He is also a New Jersey Certified Tree Expert. He can be reached at smschuckman@verizon.net

12 June, 2017

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June, 2017 13

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14 June, 2017

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June, 2017 15

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16 June, 2017

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First-Ever N.J. Public Gardens and Arboretum Day Germinates (Continued from page 1)

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Bob Heitzman, left, President, New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association; Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman, center; and Jeannie Geremia, Garden Club of New Jersey. year as New Jersey Public Gardens and Arboretum Day; and, WHEREAS, New Jersey Public Gardens and Arboretum Day, which will be celebrated this year on June 2, 2017, is an appropriate time to take note of this State’s numerous repositories of plant-based science and ex situ plant collections, which serve as cultural resources connecting historic and artistic themes through horticulture; and, WHEREAS, The public gardens and arboreta of New Jersey are renowned as institutions committed to research, conservation, and higher learning, and they are staffed by dedicated and driven professionals, trained in their given areas of expertise, who meticulously maintain active plant records systems; and, WHEREAS, In addition, these public spaces provide for the citizens of the aptly named Garden State many programs for education and

entertainment, as well as offer the therapeutic benefits of wonder, solace, and comfort that are found in the embrace of nature; and, WHEREAS, It is both proper and fitting that this Legislature pause in its deliberations to note the significance of New Jersey Public Gardens and Arboretum Day, and to reflect upon the profound positive impact of public gardens and arboreta within our American society; now therefore, Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: That this Legislature hereby joins in acknowledging New Jersey Public Gardens and Arboretum Day, and urges all New Jerseyans to participate fittingly in its observance on June 2, 2017, and every first Friday in June henceforth; and, Be It Further Resolved, That a duly authenticated copy of this resolution be signed by the Senate President and the Assembly

Speaker and attested by the Senate Secretary and the Assembly Clerk. Senator Bateman was joined at the celebration of his resolution by Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert; Crystal Pruitt, director of Constituent Relations and Community Outreach for Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker; Bob Heitzman, president of the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association; Jeannie Geremia, a featured columnist for this paper, the Community Gardens Chair, the Butterflies & BeeGAP Chair and the Backyard Wildlife Habitat Chair for The Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc., and a National Garden Clubs, Inc., Accredited Life Flower Show Judge for the Garden Club of New Jersey. Geremia will also be installed as the new vice president of the Garden Club of New Jersey during the 92nd Annual Meeting of the Garden Club of New Jersey; scheduled for Thursday, June 8, 2017.

There were several other local officials, as well as a large number of visitors, local residents, members of the Garden State Gardens Consortium from the tip of Sussex County to the bottom of Cape May County; and the dedicated staffers, and volunteers at Morven Museum and Garden, who graciously hosted the event. Morven Museum and Garden is a National Historic Landmark and the home to five past New Jersey Governors from 19451981. It was also home to Richard Stockton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Its beautiful gardens and grounds feature restored gardens from the 19th and early 20th centuries, including a Colonial Revival Garden and a new Kitchen Garden. Morven Museum and Garden is one of the many New Jersey public gardens and arboreta which have joined together to form the Garden State Gardens

Consortium, a non-profit organization incorporated in 2008. Garden State Gardens works to increase the public’s awareness of and appreciation for the beauty and horticultural, educational, artistic and historic value of New Jersey’s public gardens and arboreta. In autumn 2005, a small group of New Jersey public garden and media professionals met to discuss how to better promote the beautiful public gardens and arboreta of New Jersey. They were: Jim Avens, manager of Horticulture at the Somerset County Park Commission; Tom Castronovo, executive editor and publisher of this paper; Bruce Crawford, director of the Rutgers Gardens at Rutgers University; and Lesley Parness, superintendent of Horticultural Education at the Morris County Park Commission. In the spring of 2006, representatives from many of New Jersey’s public gardens and arboreta attended a meeting at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morris Township. This initial meeting, held on May 19, 2006, generated many ideas and sparked the interest of the numerous attendees. The group continued to meet and the name “Garden State Gardens Consortium” was chosen. Funds from a successful grant proposal, written by Ms. Parness in 2007 to the New Jersey Committee of the Garden Club of America, and sponsored by the Garden Club of Morristown, were used to incorporate the organization. In 2008, the Garden State Gardens Consortium received its nonprofit, tax exempt status. On the occasion of their Fifth Anniversary, Garden State Gardens Consortium also received a special recognition when Senator Bateman presented a joint Resolution from the New Jersey Senate and the New Jersey Assembly on Wednesday, October 16, to the members of the Garden State Gardens Consortium at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum (Cont. on page 19)

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June, 2017 17

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18 June, 2017

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The spring of 2016 was very rough for fruit growers here in New Jersey. From late-March through the middle of May, hardly a day went by when I was not worrying about the upcoming weather forecast and what the projected cold temperatures would do to our sensitive peach and apple blossoms. And, unfortunately for many growers here in the Garden State, some of our fears were realized when we suffered quite a bit of damage to our fruit crops for the 2016 season. Even using some of the most up to date frost protection measures, it is extremely hard to fight Mother Nature! Let’s contrast the spring of 2016 with 2017. While this year, February was much warmer than normal, and I thought that we were in for a repeat of 2016, the weather really cooled off in March and early-April, causing our fruit trees to get back on track with a much more normal spring. In fact, this was only the third time in 122 years that March was actually colder

under our specific growing conditions. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they do not. And while it is important to constantly try to improve, it is also important to not get caught up in the hype of a new product. Just see the above example. One new item that we are trying on a large scale (at least for us) for the first time are Lisianthus. This is a rose type flower which we hope to add to our existing mix of cut flowers. I do not really know what to expect from this flower, but I do know that it looks great in the seed catalogue. I will keep you posted.

The Town Farmer By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

What a Difference a Year Makes than February. Either global warming took a month off or this Trump guy really knows what he is doing! But in comparing the last two spring seasons, while 2016 was full of sleepless nights and analyzing the weather forecasts multiple times a day, 2017 has been a piece of cake. As of the writing of this column, which, true to form, is being written right up against our May 1 deadline, I have not had to get up once to even check the nighttime temperatures in our orchards. And while I hope I am not jinxing myself by writing this, the long-range forecast looks very favorable right through our normal frost-free date, which is in the middle of May.

Every year we try to find some new and different crops to grow that we feel our customers will enjoy. Last year, I heard a presentation over the winter months about the Padron pepper. This relatively small, thumb-sized pepper is very popular in Spain, but has not really caught on yet here in the United States. When describing this pepper, the presenter used terms such as “high value” and “untapped potential” in describing the marketing opportunities for Padrons. With that, we ordered some seed and planted about 150 plants. While the pepper grew very well, it had one major flaw. While the large majority of the peppers tasted great, every once in a while one of the peppers

(which all look alike by the way), would be hot. And take it from someone who can eat hot wings with the best of them, I don’t mean just a little spicy hot. I mean the type of hot which “has you drinking a quart of milk” hot. So, with one year under our belt, I did not think that it would be fair to our customers to offer them something that could be so unpredictable. Plus, they really did not sell that well anyway, even though our milk sales did increase… So what is new for this season? We are always trying many new and improved strains of fruits and vegetables to maximize taste, quality and yield. Every year, we will plant new cultivars on a trial basis so that we can evaluate them

here in the United States and globally as well. The Environmental Protection Agency has a web site on CCD. The USDA is doing research on honeybees as well. Many states, especially those with Entomology departments, have units researching honeybees and CCD. Why CCD is happening. There have been many theories about the cause of CCD, but the researchers who are leading the effort to find out why are now focused on these factors: Increased losses due to the invasive varroa mite (a pest of honeybees); new or emerging diseases, such as Israeli Acute Paralysis virus and the gut parasite Nosema; pesticide poisoning through exposure to pesticides applied to crops or for in-hive insect or mite control; stress bees experience due to management practices such as transportation to multiple locations across the country for providing pollination services; changes to the habitat where bees forage; inadequate forage/

poor nutrition; potential immune-suppressing stress on bees caused by one or a combination of factors identified above. Dead Bees don’t Necessarily Mean CCD. Certain pesticides are harmful to bees. That’s why we require instructions for protecting bees on the labels of pesticides that are known to be particularly harmful to bees. This is one of many reasons why everyone must read and follow pesticide label instructions. When most or all of the bees in a hive are killed by overexposure to a pesticide, we call that a bee kill incident resulting from acute pesticide poisoning. But acute pesticide poisoning of a hive is very different from CCD and is almost always avoidable. There have been several incidents of acute poisoning of honeybees covered in the popular media in recent years, but sometimes these incidents are mistakenly associated with CCD. A common element of acute pesticide poisoning of bees is, literally, a pile of

dead bees outside the hive entrance. With CCD, there are very few if any dead bees near the hive. Piles of dead bees are an indication that the incident is not colony collapse disorder. Indeed, heavily diseased colonies can also exhibit large numbers of dead bees near the hive. So what is our Pest Management Industry doing to help prevent CCD? The labels of the products we use that have toxicity to honeybees and other pollinators will now have the EPA Bee Advisory Box on the label. Labels will have a picture of a bee in a triangle, which triggers the EPA mandated application restrictions for that product. In addition to precautions during use to include pesticide drift, the main restrictions are that applications ARE NOT allowed when plants, shrubs and trees are flowering. Pesticides (that have the Bee Advisory Box on the label) cannot be applied until all petals have fallen off the plant(s). Note: This includes plants in our gardens. In

Editor’s Note: Peter Melick is co-owner of Melick’s Town Farm in Oldwick and a 10th-generation New Jersey farmer. Peter is currently the Mayor of Tewksbury Township. 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.

Protecting Honeybees, et. al

By William A. Kolbe B.C.E. June puts Pest Management Professionals into one of our busiest months of the year. By now, most insects and arthropods have all the resources they need to continue their life cycles. Warm weather, moisture from Mother Nature, as well as irrigation systems, harborages and most importantly plants, trees, shrubs, flowers, grass and other food sources are in full bloom. Last year, our Denville Community Garden put in a honeybee colony. What a difference we saw in increased garden yield last year! The honeybees made a real significant contribution to our plants’ health last year. So we owe it to our most important pollinator to protect them at all costs. As everyone knows, the honeybee as well as other pollinators are under extreme pressure and Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is a very important issue

addition, pesticides cannot be applied when pollinators are visiting plants, shrubs or trees. In regards to Honey bee colonies, pest management professionals DO NOT and ARE NOT allowed to treat for and kill honeybee colonies. We follow this policy and inform our clients to call a beekeeper to remove the honeybees. Rutgers Beekeeping Association will visit and remove bee colonies. Contact Adam Butrico at ajb348@scarletmail.rutgers. edu for more information. Editor’s Note: William A. Kolbe, BCE is Director of Technical and Training for Viking® Pest Control based out of Warren, NJ . He is a Board Certified Entomologist and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Entomology with a minor in Ecology from the University of Delaware. Bill is a member of The Denville NJ Community Gardens. His career in Professional Pest Control started in June 1974. He can be reached at 732-356-3100 or visit www.vikingpest.com

GardenerNews.com

June, 2017 19

First-Ever N.J. Public Gardens and Arboretum Day Germinates (Continued from page 16)

in Morris Township. “As a longtime advocate of environmental protection and historical preservation, I have dedicated much of my time in public service to ensuring our children and grandchildren can continue to call New Jersey the ‘Garden State,’” Senator Bateman said. “This would not be possible without the dedicated conservationists, researchers and educators at public gardens like Morven Museum and Garden. It is our hope that recognizing New Jersey Public Gardens and Arboretum Day will encourage our residents to visit these treasured institutions, and experience firsthand the lasting positive impact they have had on our state.” Bateman has taken a leadership role on important environmental concerns impacting New Jersey’s public gardens, including water conservation, open space and energy issues. “I and my colleagues, Assemblymen Ciatterelli and Zwicker, are pleased to have sponsored this resolution,” Senator Bateman added. “Our many and diverse public gardens and arboreta are repositories of plant-based science, cultural resources and public

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Local Princeton officials and residents, dignitaries, garden visitors, and members of the Garden State Gardens Consortium, from the tip of Sussex County to the bottom of Cape May County, listen in as Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman reads the Joint Resolution. spaces for education and entertainment as well as the therapeutic benefits found in the embrace of nature. June is the perfect time to start discovering them.” “Public gardens and arboreta are central to the future of our state, directly influencing the next generations,” said Samantha Richardson, president of

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Crystal Pruitt, left, Director of Constituent Relations and Community Outreach for Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker; Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert, center; and Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman.

the Garden State Gardens Consortium. “Many of our state’s public gardens and arboreta will celebrate the proclamation of New Jersey Public Garden andArboretum Day with special tours, programs or discounts on Friday, June 2. Recognition from the New Jersey State Senate and Assembly encourages the state’s public gardens to continue providing engaging outdoor, educational experiences, and environmental stewardship models for both New Jersey residents and those who are visitors to our state.” Members of the Garden State Gardens Consortium are on public lands and historic properties and university grounds. The 2017 Membership is comprised of 25 gardens and arboreta in 12 of New Jersey’s counties. They are: Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center, Far Hills; Lewis W. Barton Arboretum at Medford Leas, Medford; Deep Cut Gardens, Middletown; Leonard J. Buck Garden, Far Hills; Sister Mary Grace Burns Arboretum, Lakewood; Colonial Park Gardens, Millstone; Richard W. DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst; Cora Hartshorn

Arboretum, Short Hills; Durrand-Hedden House & Garden, Maplewood; The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown; Greater Newark Conservancy, Newark; Greenwood Gardens, Short Hills; Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton Township; Laurelwood Arboretum, Wayne; Linwood Arboretum, Linwood; Marquand Park & Arboretum, Princeton; Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, Morristown; Morven Museum and Garden, Princeton; New Jersey State Botanical Garden, Ringwood; Presby Iris Gardens, Montclair; Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Summit; Rutgers Gardens, New Brunswick; Van Vleck House and Garden, Montclair; Willowwood Arboretum, Far Hills, NJ; and The Robert A. Winters Arboretum of Meadow Lakes, East Windsor. Consortium members participate as a group at numerous gardening, garden industry and environmental shows. They also maintain a website (www. gardenstategardens.org) and a Facebook page. New Jersey’s nickname of “The Garden State” is overshadowed by images of our turnpikes and factories.

In fact, the moniker “Garden State” recognized New Jersey’s agricultural production and was given to it at the Philadelphia Centennial of 1876. In 1954, the State Legislature passed a bill to have “The Garden State” added to license plates. Agriculture and ornamental horticulture are still important economic sectors, but now, more than a half-century later, the term “Garden State” will also recognize New Jersey’s many beautiful public gardens and arboreta enjoyed by over a million visitors annually. 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 and landscaping communities through this newspaper and GardenerNews.com.

20 June, 2017

GardenerNews.com

Do you know what a cold frame is? People in Maine sure do. Mainers expect to get one last snowfall the first week of May. My cold frame is set above ground and got started when there was still snow on the ground. It is a sturdy wood frame with glass panels and a glass lid. I actually made it out of old wooden windows that I replaced with vinyl ones. The windows are doublepaned and I was thinking that they would keep the sun-heated humidity in and the cold out and I believe I was right. The idea behind this backyard minigreenhouse is to start some plants early, provide them with shelter from the cold and wind and let ample sunlight get to them at the same time. My cold frame is facing south in a place in the yard that gets rise-to-fall sun. Now, you could do it hydroponically indoors, but the way I look at it is, if I can have a fun project engineering and building it, do this instead of throwing away the old windows, save some electricity and use Mom Nature, why not. Plus, if you have priced out a hydroponic growing set up, it

in containers. In France, Mignonette is the strawberry most often used to garnish champagne. Grower Tip: To encourage larger, more vigorous and bountiful plants, you may remove the first flush of flowers. Strawberry plants have about a three-year cycle where the berries get smaller, the plants get smaller and then they just die out. My seedlings yield 40 quart-size little pots full of strawberries to get my garden off to a good start. I fluffed the raised garden up over the weekend with a trowel and added some mulch so it should be ready next weekend for the transplanting. I put the container about one-third buried in the soil. I do this to keep the strawberries out of the dirt and the plastic container makes it harder for the snails and slugs to access the plants. I love fresh strawberries on my morning cereal, ergo the reasoning behind this entire adventure. Thanks for reading and see ya next month.

Here we go, summer is here again! It comes and goes so fast anymore. As a child, it felt like summer was as long as the school year. Much has changed since then, but one thing remains the same, the thrill of summer itself. Hot days, balmy nights and an infinite amount of happy faces. While living in San Francisco for three years, I missed summer. As beautiful as it is there, I still missed Memorial Day in Jersey and the actual dramatics of the seasonal changes we experience here in the Garden State. I know I said I would be doing a grilling recipe this month, and I am. There are just so many other recipe ideas I have for zucchini squash. Zucchini is a squash, which is technically a fruit, but is treated as a vegetable such as many other fruit-bearing plants. In theory, any type of seed bearing produce is a fruit, such as the tomato. Due to the lack of sweetness, they are generally looked upon as vegetables, i.e-V-8 juice, a blend of vegetable juices that are tomato, or fruit based. You catch my drift? Zucchini’s ancestry is well within the Americas. It was

The Miscellaneous Gardener By Richard W. Perkins Freelance Writer

Time to Transplant from the Cold Frame is not cheap. I did and came up with over $400 worth of stuff I would need and the cold frame cost me next to nothing, and like I said, was a fun project. My cold frame has a wooden bottom where I drilled occasional holes for drainage if and when the potted plant I watered spills over. Right now my cold frame is full of month-old strawberry plants and my garden still has produced none. I start the plants from seeds in February and you might be surprised at how successful this way is. How to Plant Strawberry Seeds: Sow seed in cell packs or flats, press into soil but do not cover. Needs light to germinate. Kept at 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit; germination averages 21 to 30 days. Transplant into the cold frame and get that ball rolling

early! Lots of seeds can be purchased on-line. Varieties such as; Toscana, Ruby Ann, Merlan, Loran, Temptation, Fresca, Yellow Wonder, Alexandria and Mignonette are some real beauties. Fresca is the best grown from seed, open-pollinated, traditional strawberry. The delicious, oneinch berries appear all summer long on compact, runner-less plants. Perfect for containers or raised beds. Ruby Ann is the showiest strawberry for hanging baskets. Plants are covered in waves of very early, brilliant ruby red flowers. Blooms are followed by medium size, mild, sweet fruits. Flowers and fruit are produced all summer long. Where Alpine Strawberries lack in size, they make up with an intense, mouthwatering flavor. Grow in full sun, or part shade

if you live in a hot summer climate. Alpine strawberries do not produce runners. Pick when fruit is deep red and a little soft to the touch. Alexandria is a prime example of the alpine variety. This plant features fruits twice the size of wild berries. Compact, heavy blooming, runner-less perennials produce large amounts of fragrant and tasty strawberries continuously from spring through fall and will often naturalize in partly shaded, well-watered areas of your garden. Superb in containers. Mignonette plants are compact, vigorous, heavy blooming and runnerless. Berries are bright red, fragrant, delicious and are produced from spring through fall. Will often naturalize in partly shaded, regularly watered areas of the garden. Also superb

From the Deep By Craig Korb Executive Chef

Zucchini on the grill cultivated in Italy during the second half of the 19th century and brought here from Italy in the 1920s. Its blossoms are quite popular, especially amongst the Mexican culture, in which they are used in true quesadillas. While in San Francisco we actually would stuff the blossoms with three types of cheese (ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan) and then lightly batter and fry them, serving them over a homemade roasted tomato sauce. AWESOME!!! Anyhow, we will be grilling the actual squash, which you can use as a simple side dish or toss with pasta for a great main dish or a super tasty pasta salad. All of which are great for summer. Grilling the squash is quite easy- hot grill, lengthwise sliced squash, salt, pepper and, of course, good olive oil. Sooo simple, sooooo good.

As far as Jersey Fresh goes, these squash are available during the peak of summer and pretty much through September, as long as the weather cooperates. So take advantage of these babies while they are in their prime time, so to speak. Another great recipe I have written about in the past is ratatouille, the cassia French vegetable stew, which can be slightly altered by roasting and grilling your veggies rather than throwing them all in a pot and simmering. Way too many recipes on line, as well as one of mine from a past article. In other news, I would strongly recommend coming down to the barrier island, and especially Seaside Heights, to check out some of the new additions to the boardwalk. Surviving both Sandy and the fire about a year later had taken its toll on the boardwalk

as we all knew it. Through the sadness and misery the Seaside Heights boardwalk has still remained a mainstay here on our coast. To see it being rebuilt has been both saddening and a way of healing. The next generation will know it well, and be able to pass it on with their memories for future generations. I know my children can’t wait to ride the new roller coaster, along with the other rides on the newly built boardwalk. So please come on down and check it out. You won’t be disappointed with the new additions and you’ll be able to see some of the old things you will remember from your own childhood. Well, enjoy this summer Jersey gem, and remember how versatile this veg-fruit is. Serve it grilled and chilled over a salad, or bread it like eggplant and make it parmesan

Editors Note: Check out Richard’s photography at; rwperkinsphotography.com style. Use it pureed, after it is grilled, as a dip. Just add a few drops of lemon juice and/or feta cheese. Or for the vegans out there, grill it along with eggplant and some Jersey tomatoes to make a veggie lasagna. Anyway you use it, ENJOY! Basic grilled summer squash (serves 2 as a side dish) -1 to 2 whole zucchini squash, sliced lengthwise, about a half inch -enough good quality olive oil to coat squash -salt and fresh cracked black pepper -*squeeze of fresh lemon juice, optional method-grill on a medium-hot grill until nice grill marks appear, turning once during cooking -cut into desired size after grilling is finished ENJOY!!! Editor’s Note: Craig Korb is executive chef at The Crab’s Claw Inn, Lavallette, New Jersey. He has an Associates degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelors degree in Food Service Management from Johnson and Wales University. For more information visit www.TheCrabsClaw.com or phone (732) 793-4447.

GardenerNews.com In years gone by, our plant palette was much smaller. With the advances in plant propagation and breeding, we now have a much larger group of plants to use as long as predator issues have been addressed. The use of native species has come back into our design discussions due to their relative ease of adaptability. Green and native environments and natural care or maintenance have become more popular. So it stands to reason that when a design for a site is proposed, the elements of indigenous plants, the wildlife which inhabits the area, watershed drainage and riparian zones will need to be positively addressed. Indigenous plants are those species native to the area. The most obvious reason to use such plants is that they have adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the particular area and will require less pest control. They usually will thrive in a wider variety of soil conditions, as they have adapted over a long period of time. The central New Jersey area (and most of the state) has many such plants available. There are many maple, birch, Amelanchier, hickory, Now that spring is here and the weather is nicer than it has been during the past few months, I have noticed more and more local, county and state police out patrolling our towns and cities every day. One of the things they are checking for is distracted driving. This is driving on the road and using a cell phone, eating, texting, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Did you know that June is National Safety Month? This is a campaign by the National Safety Council. One of the items you should make sure you keep with you when you are driving any vehicles, but especially any commercial registered vehicles rated 9,001 or over, is a medical card. Here is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration overview: “All commercial drivers of vehicles in interstate commerce with a maximum gross vehicle weight rating of over 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms) are required to obtain and maintain a valid Medical Examiner’s Certificate (ME Certificate). Commercial drivers who drive vehicles requiring a CDL have two additional requirements. On or before January 30, 2014, all CDL holders must declare to their State Drivers Licensing Agency (SDLA) that they only operate or expect to operate commercially

June, 2017 21 The Landscaper By Evan Dickerson Landscape Professional

Which Plants Adapt to My Landscape? dogwood, Hawthorne, ash, holly and other trees available. Many ilex, euonymous, laurel, sweetspire, rhododendron, bayberry, spirea and viburnum varieties are examples of shrubs available. There are many anemones, foxglove, sedges, ferns, grasses, rushes, aster, Lezpedza, oxalis, phlox varieties and others which are native perennials and annuals, all of which are available at local nurseries. A huge consideration when using native species is to be sure to avoid invasive varieties. Many of the indigenous species have some very invasive plants which need to be avoided. Examples of invasive species are loosestrife, Norway maple, Japanese barberry, honeysuckle, dead nettle, buttercup and wisteria, to name a few. There are many invasive species lists available

from our local universities, as well as the Department of Agriculture, which should be consulted when planning any site development. Many times these invasive plants are found on undeveloped land. These will need to be eliminated while leaving the non-invasive native plants in place. Saving as much of the native landscape will help the wildlife survive. Drainage and runoff are always considerations, and keeping as much indigenous material in place as possible will increase the water retention as well as enhance the other aspects of the environment. Using ground covers and natural forms of walkways are another way to decrease runoff. When developing in areas that require alternative water holding spaces, rain gardens and natural water retention are viable options.

Riparian zones are the areas bordering any moving body of water. These zones are significant to the environment due to their positive influence on soil conservation. These stream and river banks need to have some planting which serves to maintain and protect the viability of these banks. Plantings can take many forms, including grassy, woody, herbaceous and even non -vegetative. Maintaining a buffer between the water flow and the surrounding areas will act as a filter to keep excess sediment, pollution and erosion to a minimum. As the plants grow, shade will help maintain the temperature of the water and provide for food and shelter for the native wildlife. As these areas mature, they become instrumental in maintaining water quality both

The NJLCA Today By Nelson Lee Association President

Know your CDL requirements in 1 of 4 possible categories with their CDL. This process is call self-certification. “CDL holders must provide their SDLA with a copy of their ME Certificate. This information is only being added to the State driving records of CDL holders. Non-CDL holders are not required to self-certify or submit a copy of their ME Certificate to their SDLA. CDL holders, who are found driving in a category other than one to which they self-certified, are subject to suspension or revocation of their commercial driving privileges. CDL drivers, who do not update the expiration date of their ME Certificate with their State, will have their commercial driving privileges downgraded, and will not be eligible to drive a commercial motor vehicle that requires a CDL. “The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has reviewed each State’s

commercial driver’s license motor vehicle record (CDLIS MVR) for compliance with the Medical Certification (Med Cert) requirements. Effective January 30, 2015, FMCSA has verified that every State is posting the complete medical certification information. All States are working to produce the complete CDLIS MVR with all the required MedCert information. In the interim, FMCSA has advised both its staff and roadside enforcement personnel to accept proof of a driver’s medical certification status and expiration date on a CDLIS MVR, as the basic information required to substantiate that a driver is medically qualified.” Of course, New Jersey is one of them. Another confusing item for landscape contractors is whether or not diesel trucks need inspection or are self-inspected. Here is what I found:

All heavy-duty diesel vehicles 18,000 pounds GVWR or more are required to be tested for smoke emissions annually at a licensed Diesel Private Inspection Facilities (Diesel PIF) within 90 days of your vehicle’s registration or renewal. Diesel PIF provide inspections and certifications as required by MVC: Engine emissions Exhaust system and emission control apparatus Governor (if applicable) Emission control system (if applicable) Any inspection item not in another category You must have your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance to complete the inspection. Class I Diesel PIF’s are authorized to perform smoke emission inspections (opacity) and certification of all heavy-duty diesel trucks 18,000 lbs. GVWR and above or more and cannot

from runoff and subsurface water movement. Nitrate contamination from surface runoff in agricultural fields can be reduced through these zones. Of course, wetlands are off limits to development, but the areas surrounding them should be treated with care concerning runoff and drainage. Now that we have a handle on the concepts of natural and native landscapes, we can implement less intrusive plant health care systems. There are many diverse products which fall under the natural organic label. Finding those which work for you as well as a system of care which increases the natural balance in the environment is one of the many challenges which need to dealt with. By designing and planting compatible landscapes, we are well on our way to implementing a more natural approach. Editor’s Note: Evan Dickerson is owner of Dickerson Landscape Contractors and NaturesPro of North Plainfield. He has been pioneering the organic approach to plant health since 1972. Evan can be reached at 908-753-1490 refuse inspection once the process has begun. Fines If you fail to have your vehicle inspected, you may be subject to a summons of $500 if stopped by law enforcement. If you fail a roadside smoke emission inspection conducted by MVC in conjunction with the New Jersey State Police, you will be subjected to the following penalties: $700 for the first offense (reduced to $150 if paid within 45 days and with proof or repairs) $1,300 for the second offense (reduced to $500 if paid within 45 days and with proof of repairs) For more information on diesel emission testing call (609) 633-9474 or write to: Motor Vehicle Commission IM Support Unit P.O. Box 680 Trenton, NJ 08666 Happy motoring! Editor’s Note: Nelson Lee is president of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA). He is also Founder and President of Landscapeworks, Inc., Advanced Mulch Services, Inc. and Advanced Hauling. Lee can be reached at nlee@landscapeworks.net or by calling the NJLCA at 201703-3600.

22 June, 2017

GardenerNews.com

No, not reading, ’riting and ‘rithmetic… renovate, review and repair! Summertime is a good time to accomplish projects that you have been planning or putting off over the past year. What’s in your plan? What about the longterm drainage problem in your yard that deposits mud and water all over your front sidewalk or into your neighbor’s yard? Take the time to do it right, install a French drain or add some soil to redirect the flow of water from your downspouts, sow some fast growing ryegrass seed to help curb erosion. Did you call for any town permits or dial 8-1-1 first before you dig? It’s the law, and best to keep your family safe from telephone, gas, water or electric lines. Do you have compacted soil and your lawn is not growing very well? Rent an aerator, perhaps with a neighbor, to share costs and aggressively loosen the soil and then apply calcium sulfate dihydrate-type (gypsum) products to help relieve compaction.

Weeds are opportunistic and fill in bare spots when given the chance. Summer may not be the best time to seed your lawn if it is very hot and dry, but seed bare spots to avoid weeds taking over. You can establish grass seed with proper soil preparation and watering during summer months. If you need help with some summer jobs, call a professional contactor to help you out, make sure they are licensed and have insurance, too. The last “r” is “remember” to enjoy your yard this summer, invite the kids and grandkids over, maybe some neighborhood kids, have a baseball game or pool party. Invite friends to your back deck and bring their high school yearbooks and have a laugh over just how good we all looked years ago.

Turf ‘s Up By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

The 3 Rs…. This would be a good time to take a soil test to determine if your soil pH is too low. pH testers are available from local garden centers or hardware stores. Be sure to use good quality grass seed to repair these areas. Some of you may be putting in a pool. If some of the sub-soil that is dug up remains on your property, it will not grow newly seeded grass very well. Why? Sub-soil has not seen the light of day for many years, perhaps millions of years! Compacted soil and weed seeds may be brought to the surface and newly seeded grass does not have a chance of surviving. Subsoil also does not have much water-holding capacity, earthworms, microbial

activity or nutrients to support grass growth. Try to get some good topsoil in areas to be re-seeded and add organic matter such as compost or peat moss, but be sure to mix it into existing soil, not just lay it across the top. Remember to cut your grass away from the edge of the pool; no one likes to swim with grass in the pool. If you have been having trouble growing grass in heavily shaded areas, consider removing some trees or at least trimming back some branches to get more sunlight and air flow to the soil. Reducing a certain amount of the shade will greatly increase your chances of keeping grass growing in these areas.

Remember, all plants need some level of sunlight to grow properly. Many times, areas under trees do not have very good soil for growing grass either. Take a soil pH test and add some calcium products to improve soil pH before applying quality shade grass seed. Summer picnics mean ants, fleas and ticks! If you do not want these pests around, treat your lawn with a product labeled for these insects. Mowing your lawn regularly helps to reduce insects, particularly ticks. Areas of your property that border woods or natural landscapes can be a haven for insects. Be sure to get rid of any standing water to reduce the potential for mosquitos to thrive.

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

The Right Plant for the Right Place By Brian Bosenberg In our April 2017 article we explored the Importance of Scale in the design process. In that article we touched on the idea of the right plant for the right place. Proper plant selection is driven by many factors, including but not limited to: the available space to successfully grow a plant, sun exposure, soils, deer pressure, pruning/ maintenance practices, aesthetics, and adjacent uses. We all get excited when we go to the garden center. Prominently displayed up front is a beautiful plant in full bloom on a sunny Saturday morning. What to do? First, do not buy that plant; or at least wait until you get to know the plant better and figure out if this is the right plant for the right place. Even the most

breathtaking plant can be set up for failure if it is planted in the wrong place. The first step to a successful garden is creating a plan. Look at your garden space, how much room will the plant need to grow? It is surprising how large a DWARF plant can grow! The idea is to pick a plant that will grow naturally to its mature size in the space that you have without excessive pruning. Many times, I see the wrong plant in the wrong place pruned into hockey pucks, basketballs and upside down ice cream cones. Unless you are creating a formal garden and landscape, this is illadvised. Pick the right plant; let the plant grow into its own natural beauty and form so you can enjoy its many attributes. There is no sense in picking a plant that will grow 35 feet tall and 40 feet wide for a space next to a house that is only 10 feet tall and 15

feet wide. Just think about all of the free time you will have because you are not pruning the wrong plant. Alternatively, if you are planting in a large, expansive field, a small lonely shrub might not be the best choice when you can plant a White Oak that will eventually grow into a great, majestic tree. When choosing a plant, the primary goal is to give the plant the best opportunity to flourish. Does your garden provide the right amount of sunlight? The ideal soil? Are you exposed to winter winds? Do you have a deer problem that will result in your plant becoming a midnight snack? There are many parameters to think about when choosing a plant, but rest assured there is almost always a right plant for each unique application. So how do you go about picking the right plant? Just like a first date, you want to

know all of the wonderful attributes and the hidden secrets. Facebook might not be the best tool for this, but try one that I use, the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder. http://www. missouribotanicalgarden. org/plantfinder/ plantfindersearch.aspx Easy to use, just type in the common or botanical name for the plant. The plant finder will show all the attributes, a summary of the plant, its cultural and noteworthy characteristics, common problems and popular garden uses. You can even reverse the search and fill out the description of your garden space, sun, soils, maintenance, hardiness zone…and the plant finder will help give you some suggestions for plants that fit your criteria. The key to any lasting relationship is getting to know each other before you make any serious commitments. This is also

true for your garden. You want to make sure that the plant you are choosing to take home is going to be happy, healthy and grow to its peak potential. Choosing the right plant can avoid the need for excessive pruning, which can make your plant look eerily similar to that ex-boyfriend with the really bad haircut. Just remember, there is the perfect plant for every garden. You just have to do your homework before you can find the right plant for the right place. Editor’s Note: Brian W. Bosenberg is a practicing landscape architect licensed in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maine and Vermont, and a principal in the firm of Bosenberg & Company Landscape Architects, Far Hills, N.J. He can be reached at 908-234-0557, info@bwbosenberg.com or www.bwbosenberg.com

GardenerNews.com

June, 2017 23

Pollinators at the New Jersey State House By Jeannie Geremia Garden Club of New Jersey The Garden Club of New Jersey was honored to be invited the week of May 8-11 to display our Pollinator Center signage in the Annex Tunnel at the New Jersey State House through Senator Kip Bateman’s office, as he had viewed our display at the New Jersey Plants Trade Show. This enabled us to reach an even broader audience, that of our legislators. Key to helping our environment is the Senate Environmental and Energy Committee, and we were privileged to meet Senator Bob Smith, Chair of this all-important committee, at his legislative office in Piscataway the week before to thank him for being a superb advocate for a healthy New Jersey. Senator Bob Smith and Senator Kip Bateman are the Primary Sponsors of Senate Bill S2076 which seeks to “notify beekeepers 3 hours prior to pesticide applicators applying pesticide.” This bill was passed in the Senate by a 34-0 vote and needs to be posted by Assembly Speaker Prieto for a vote in the Assembly. Senator Smith and Senator Bateman also serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Joint Legislative Task Force on Drinking Water Infrastructure. As a member of my local Board of Health, I can attest to the importance to the public health where our drinking water is concerned as we are constantly inundated with failed septic systems and the painful knowledge that our groundwater is being contaminated with effluent on a continual basis. We need advocates for the environment on so many fronts and are fortunate to have these two gentlemen serving the public interests. We were able to thank Senator Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr. in person for his sponsorship of the successful Black Swallowtail Butterfly Bill S939. We reminisced with him of how the students from St. Denis School in Manasquan, under

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Jeannie Geremia, right, presents a Black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) butterfly pollinator poster to Senator Bob Smith, to display in his legislative office in Piscataway, Middlesex County. Smith, who has been serving the great Garden State in the Legislature since 1986, is chair of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee in New Jersey. the direction of third-grade teacher, Janne Darata, had written to him beseeching him to support the Black Swallowtail Butterfly as New Jersey’s official state butterfly, as they had studied that particular butterfly’s life cycle for many years. We were also thrilled to meet Senator Nilsa CruzPerez, as she was delighted to see our Pollinator Center signage. Senator Cruz-Perez and Senator Diane B. Allen are the primary sponsors of Senate Bill S1732, which seeks to assist our endangered Monarch Butterflies by encouraging citizens to “Adopt a Monarch Butterfly Waystation.” This bill passed the Senate in a 40-0 vote and is waiting to be posted for a vote in the Assembly. I was also able to thank Senator Steven V. Oroho for his “Yes” vote when the Black Swallowtail Bill S939 was posted for a vote way back in December 2014 in the Senate State Government, Waging,

Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee. Without his vote and that of Senator Barnes and Senator Thompson, we would not have a State Butterfly. Our GCNJ Butterflies & BeeGAP Committee members, Marylin Hulme, Teddie Falcone, Irene Saputo, Alice Dickson and I were happy to describe our “Pollinator Center” signage to the State House visitors, State House staff, and legislators throughout the week of May 8. We especially learned how onboard so many people are and excited that they are making a difference in growing our pollinator population. Rich Marolda, a State House staff employee, related a mystery to us and maybe some of you have the answer to this riddle. It seems that Mr. Marolda sent for milkweed plants from the internet and received several six- to eight-inch plants that had red and yellow

flowers (butterfly milkweed or tropical milkweed). All was well and good except that subsequent years have changed these plants to their common milkweed state. The following years, they have had dull pink blooms and broad leaves. What happened??? Fortunately, both types of milkweed have brought Rich an ongoing parade of Monarch eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises and Monarch butterflies. Rich also explained a theory when he saw our Pollinator signage Monarch caterpillar on the underside of a milkweed leaf. He pointed out that the caterpillar had, in fact, “notched” the stem of the leaf to where it had folded over, thus providing him shade from the hot sun while he nibbled away. Rich has witnessed that very thing and our photo verified his theory. Pretty smart! Keith Stone, a Statehouse staff employee, related how he and his son, Thomas,

had just seen four black butterflies while fishing up on the Musconetcong and Black Rivers on the warm last weekend of April. I told him they were Black Swallowtails as I’ve just had four of my 24 overwintering chrysalises hatch out in the same time frame. Keith was also entranced by witnessing dozens of butterflies “puddling,” a memory never to be forgotten as it’s nature in all its glory! Editor’s Note: Jeannie Geremia is the Community Gardens Chair, the Butterflies & BeeGAP Chair and the Backyard Wildlife Habitat Chair for The Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc., and is a National Garden Clubs, Inc., Accredited Life Flower Show Judge for the GCNJ. Jeannie is a member of Neshanic Garden Club and her email address is: jgeremia42@ gmail.com and phone number is: 732-249-0947.

24 June, 2017

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Robert J. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill, Former SEAL Team Six Leader, Set to Motivate with Management & Team Leadership Keynote @ IGC Show &+,&$*2 ,/ Ę&#x160; 5REHUW 2Âś1HLOO LV RQH RI WKH PRVW KLJKO\ GHFRUDWHG FRPEDW YHWHUDQV RI RXU time and the author of the just-published memoir, The Operator: Firing the Shots That Killed Osama bin Laden and My Years as a SEAL Team Warrior. Having trained more than 800 special operations and tactical operators, he brings this unique expertise to organizations and translates his elite SEAL team training into high-impact, actionable insights on leadership, decision-making, operating in uncertain environments, and how to become the â&#x20AC;&#x153;best of the best.â&#x20AC;? During his IGC Show keynote, Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill will deliver gripping stories, effective strategies to manage your independent garden centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;troopsâ&#x20AC;? and a highly motivational message that you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t soon forget. Learn how the same lessons that helped Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill survive more than 400 combat missions across four theaters of war - some of which have been the greatest military excursions of our lifetime - and the same attitude that helped him earn a spot on the Navyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most elite special missions unit, SEAL Team Six, can help all of us aim higher and stand stronger. Using examples from his SEAL training, he will show you how to remove emotion during stressful situations and how to minimize self-induced stress altogether, so you and your team can make informed decisions. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mantra of â&#x20AC;&#x153;never quitâ&#x20AC;? will inspire you to tackle head-on the difficult physical and mental trials that IGC owners face. From preparation, risk assessment and stress management, to leading rather than micromanaging, and above all, never quitting - Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill demonstrates how applying these military tenets can make us winning warriors in business and in life. Robert J. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill, former SEAL Team Six Leader, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, has led the militaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most elite soldiers and trained more than 800 special operations and tactical operators. His long list of certifications encompasses instructor, physical trainer, master training specialist, special warfare, diving supervisor and survival expert. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill has been decorated more than 52 times with honors, including two Silver Stars, four Bronze Stars with Valor, a Joint Service Commendation Medal with Valor, three Presidential Unit citations and two Navy/Marine Corps Commendations with Valor. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill is a co-founder of Your Grateful Nation, which provides individualized transition services, executive-level mentoring and family stabilization support for Special Operations heroes and their loved ones. He is also a contributor to Fox News. Registration for IGC Show, August 15-17 at Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Navy Pier, is now open. The trade show, three keynotes and concert with classic rockers Blue Ă&#x2013;yster Cult are all free, if you register now at www.IGCChicago.com

The Premier Gardening Monthly Newspaper Number 170 Published Monthly Reserve Ad Space Phone: 908.604.4444 Website: www.GardenerNews.com E-Mail: Mail@GardenerNews.com Staff Executive Editor/ Publisher . . . . Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tom Castronovo Justin Kukuc Tom Castronovo

June Columnists Tom Castronovo Evan Dickerson Douglas H. Fisher Larry Katz Craig Korb Steve Schuckman

Todd Pretz Nelson Lee Bob LaHoff Peter Melick Richard Perkins

Contributing Writers Bruce Crawford Brian Bosenberg Hubert Ling

Jeannie Geremia William A. Kolbe B.C.E. Laura Lawson

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TIP OF THE MONTH

For plump juicy tomatoes, use Espomaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tomato-tone. This organic product is a premium plant food formulated specifically for growing plump and juicy tomatoes. Tomato-toneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organic composition feeds your plants naturally and will not force rapid growth at the expense of blooms and tomato yield. Tomato-toneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all natural formula contains Bio-toneÂŽ, their proprietary blend of beneficial microbes. Bio-tone biologically enhances their natural plant food to ensure superior plant growth. Make sure to soak your tomato bed once a week, or every five days at the height of summer. Water directly on the soil, not on the leaves. Enjoy your harvest!

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