Gardener News May 2020

TAKE ONE May 2020

Gardener News

Proudly Serving the Agricultural, Gardening, Landscaping & Nursery Communities GARDENERNEWS.COM

TAKE ONE No. 205

The Importance of Gardening During the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Michelle Infante-Casella Rutgers NJAES

Tom Castronovo/Photo

What can gardening do to help with the coronavirus pandemic?

Gardening has always been touted as a relaxing recreational activity that can provide great personal rewards.

During this time, when many people are working at home and students are learning at home, gardening can be a positive family-inclusive activity to adopt.

Remote schooling is new for most all students in our community. Hands-on activities like gardening can encourage children to participate in a way that will enhance learning. Gardening can teach young, pre-school and elementaryaged children, to reinforce skills such as measurements, addition, subtraction, counting, sorting into categories and colors. Practicing motor skills and learning work ethic are also life skills taught through gardening.

From a mental aspect, growing a vegetable garden may be a way for adults and children to cope with boredom and help families gain a sense of security.

Historical experiences during trying times have given us examples of how important gardening can be in our society.

With World War I came food shortages.

Everyone in the U.S. was encouraged by the federal government to plant a Liberty Garden. The U.S. School Garden Army was formed during this era to teach children to garden and help them feel

a sense of contribution toward the war effort. Liberty gardens went away soon after WWI ended in 1918, since a high percentage of America’s workforce was already engaged in farming and other agricultural jobs.

In the 1930s, the Great Depression had millions of people out-of-work and desperately poor people gardened to survive. They grew a limited range of basic foods that were easy to grow, mostly potatoes and beans, that were filling, high in calories and nutritious.

By the early 1940s, World War II emerged and, once again, the public was asked to help the war effort. National Victory Gardens began and everyone who was able-bodied gardened – individual families and community groups. In 1944, 40 percent of the food grown in the U.S. came from National Victory Gardens.

In 1945, WWII ended, and farmers who survived the war went back to working the land. Fresh food was once again abundant and predominantly on farms.

Food rationing ended, and, like postWWI, gardening lost popularity.

In the 1970s, exorbitant energy costs and high inflation caused the price for food and other necessities to soar. In this era, more people were living in cities than ever before. Many urbanites came from foreign countries and, like the immigrants before them, struggled financially.

Besides financial reasons, immigrant populations missed growing foods popular in their homelands. City dwellers searched for any garden space and reclaimed areas (Cont. on Page 21)

G a r d e n C e n t e r D i r e c t o r y GardenerNews.com

2 May 2020

Hall’s Garden Center & Florist

700 Springfield Avenue, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 908.665.0331 | www.hallsgarden.com

Magnificant Flowers in All Colors

Vegetable Garden Headquarters *CALL AHEAD FOR HOURS

Mother’s Day Flowers

All Grown in our Family Owned Greenhouses since 1946

GardenerNews.com

May 2020 3

Around The Garden

By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

Need a Website? or Graphic Design Work?

Working for the People

It’s hard for me to list who’s first, who’s second and who’s third. The easiest way is by alphabetizing their names.

The first is New Jersey State Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman (R-Hunterdon/Mercer/Middlesex/ Somerset). The second is New Jersey Assemblyman Kevin Rooney (R-Bergen/Essex/Morris/Passaic).

The third is New Jersey State Senator Bob Smith (D-Middlesex/Somerset).

I’m going to start off by mentioning Senator Bateman and Assemblyman Rooney. Both of these guys are true champions in my eyes. They always put agriculture and the well-being of all of us in the state of New Jersey first.

Agriculture is equine and equine is agriculture, and these two legislators have worked hard to acknowledge the importance of equine in this state.

According to the official website for the State of New Jersey, NJ.gov, New Jersey has more horses per square mile than any other state.

And that makes total sense as to why the United States Equestrian Team is headquartered in Gladstone, Somerset County, N.J. In 1977, horses were designated as the official state animal of New Jersey after fifth-grade students from Our Lady of Victories School in Harrington Park in Bergen County and an eighth-grader from Freehold, Monmouth County, lobbied the state Legislature.

Throughout the world, hundreds of thousands of individuals with and without special needs experience the rewarding benefits of equine-assisted activities and therapies.

According to the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International, a physical, cognitive or emotional special need does not limit a person from interacting with horses. In fact, such interactions can prove highly rewarding. For instance, experiencing the rhythmic motion of a horse can be very beneficial. Riding a horse moves the rider’s body in a manner similar to a human gait, so riders with physical needs often show improvement in flexibility, balance and muscle strength.

Assemblyman Rooney came up with a great idea and sponsored legislation in 2018 that would establish special license plates commemorating the horse as the state animal. The plates will help fund therapeutic riding programs for people with special needs and to support the health and well-being of horses in the state. The Assembly unanimously approved the legislation in the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.

Under Rooney’s bill (A4800), the license plates will require a $50 application fee and an annual renewal of $10. No taxpayer money will be spent, and after the cost of the program is satisfied, proceeds will go to the “State Animal License Plate Fund” established by the legislation.

Throughout the world, there are thousands of individuals with special needs who experience the rewarding benefits of horseback riding.

In addition to the therapeutic benefits, horseback riding also provides recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities to enjoy the outdoors.

Therapeutic horseback riding can improve balance,

flexibility, coordination, and muscle strength for individuals with autism, Down syndrome, learning disability, and traumatic injuries. Equine therapy has also been effective reducing post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in veterans.

Senator Bateman created a companion bill in January 2019. It was bill (S3325) in that legislative session.

The Senate Transportation Committee reported favorably on Senate Bill No. 89 on January 27, 2020 in the 2019-2020 Legislative Session.

The license plates are to be designed by the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (chief administrator), in consultation with the Secretary (secretary) of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (department), and feature an emblem that indicates that the horse is the official State Animal of New Jersey.

The third great legislator that I’m going to praise this month is Senator Smith. A true champion of the New Jersey environment.

Senator Bateman and Senate Environment and Energy Committee Chair Bob Smith teamed up to sponsor a bill to separate and recycle food waste.

The New Jersey Senate on March 5 passed their food waste recycling bill by a vote of 22 to 17 that aims to expand the definition of Class I renewables to include electricity generated from methane produced through food waste processing. The state Assembly passed the bill by a vote of 50 to 29 on Feb. 24.

“Food waste in this country and in New Jersey is a major problem and a serious waste of resources.

However, we have the ability and the means to reverse these problematic issues. This law will encourage the construction of more food waste-to-energy facilities, which can be used as another way to generate power in New Jersey,” said Senator Smith “This process will ensure a constant source of separated food waste at our sanitation facilities across the state.”

The new law, formally A-2371/S-865, will require certain generators of solid waste to separate and recycle food waste, and amend the definition of “Class I renewable energy.” A “Class I renewable energy” means electric energy produced from clean energy, such as solar, wind or hydropower.

Every large food waste generator, large institution, such as a university, restaurant, supermarket or prisons, which is located within 25 miles of an authorized food waste recycling facility will be required to separate its food waste from other solid waste at its source. These institutions will send food waste to its own recycling center. This only applies to an individual establishment or location that generates an average projected volume of 52 or more tons per year of food waste; so individual schools would not apply.

Finally, recycling facilities will also be required to employ minority and women applicants that reside near the facility.

It was signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy on April 15.

I just love how legislators work together, for the people, to keep us healthy and to protecting New Jersey’s environment.

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

YOUR WEBSITE IS THE FACE OF YOUR BUSINESS Don’t lose customers because your website is out of date...

We Build Mobile Responsive Websites!!

Because in today’s world your website needs to display well on mobile devices

Call or visit our site today for a FREE quote or consultation

Celebrating 41 Years

*Award Winning Wine List* Seafood, Steaks, Pasta Are Our Specialties Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials Family Style Meals To-Go Curbside Pickup, Delivery and Takeout

601 Grand Central Avenue (Rt. 35 North) Lavallette, NJ | 732-793-4447 Order Online

4 May 2020 This article is written in advance of publication by several weeks, and the first thing that is on my mind, as I’m sure it is on yours, is the loss of many precious souls in the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

My second thought is about the huge “thank you” that we owe to those who have put their own lives in jeopardy while serving in so many different roles and capacities for the good of all society.

You are seeing these words in May, so of course we cannot predict, as I write this, exactly where we will be in terms of the battle against this awful virus.

However, I can say with much confidence that wherever we are in the cycle, changes to our thinking in many areas will ensue and endure long after this crisis subsides.

Social norms will bend a bit toward exercising different protocols. We will forever be more mindful of things like washing our hands more often and avoiding touching our faces.

Some things familiar to everyday life – like handshakes – may become relics of the past. (Take a look on-line about how the custom of handshaking began. Its I always look forward to May in the garden. The temperatures are rising and the chance for frost is minimal.

This time of year also means it’s time for me to start planting annuals and tropicals. Over the past 30 years, working at Chanticleer, the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College, Chicago Botanic Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden and now the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, my interest has grown in using the increasing array of unusual annuals and tropicals in the garden.

There is no tropical that can transform a Mid-Atlantic garden like a banana. Bananas will generally thrive with heat and humidity and will grow especially quick with a soluble fertilizing of 20-20-20 applied every two weeks.

There are many interesting selections to choose from. My favorite is the red Abyssinian banana, Ensete ventricosum “Maurellii.”

At a local garden center, you can buy a plant that is in a three-gallon container and will be about two feet tall. By the end of the summer, it will have a sizable, fleshy trunk and large, expansive leaves. The large leaves are purple-red and are stunning in the garden.

Another favorite banana is Musa “Thai Black.” It has notable purple-black stems and luxuriant green foliage. Musa “Zebrina” has maroon and green striated foliage.

GardenerNews.com NJ Dept. of Agriculture

By Douglas H. Fisher Secretary of Agriculture

Make Gardening Our First Step Back to Normal origins may surprise you.)

But life will return to at least some of the normalcy we used to take for granted. As we move through this, we will have re-learned more about what is truly important to our lives, like family, friends and the simple pleasure of being able to move about freely and relatively safely.

So many millions of people have been home practicing selfisolation. Most at first were not sure how they would cope in this new solitary environment.

But we did learn, and are still discovering, our own resiliency, adaptability, and creativity to face the future with a breath of optimism and anticipation of more joyful times once this is over.

Right now, in May 2020,

you can do something so good for you, your family, and your community. Start gardening!

Tilling the soil, planting seeds, weeding, mulching, watering -all the while knowing, at the end, there’s a reward of infinite value.

Flowers will grace your surroundings, delectable fruits and vegetables you tended, as well as those produced by local farmers, will find their way to your table. The birds may find refuge in your garden. Some milkweed might bring butterflies and other creatures that are part of what nature needs to survive.

We’re part of nature and nature is part of us. I’m OK with that, for the butterflies are fluttering about.

Some of America’s notable figures have talked about the necessary connection between

humans and nature, especially gardens. American poet Wendell Berry said that, “We learn from our gardens to deal with the most urgent question of the time: How much is enough?” And no less a thinker than Thomas Jefferson said, “No occupation is so delightful to me than the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden.”

It really is just fine, for it need not be perfect to get back to real. For now, real brings us closer to normal, and isn’t normal what we need most right now?

Don’t we most need to weed out the negative thoughts and bleak mindset that this pandemic has brought upon us?

Like the Victory Gardens of the World War II years, a backyard or community garden today is

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

By Andrew Bunting Vice President of Public Horticulture

Unusual Tropicals for the Home Garden

If you like the bold foliage of the bananas but don’t have a lot of room try the diminutive selection called “Poquito.”

Another favorite group are the elephant ears. Large elephant ear-like leaves rise quickly from the ground starting in May and exponentially grow into bold clumps, reaching up to six feet tall or more based on the cultivar. For large shiny black leaves, Colocasia “Black Magic” can’t be beat. By the end of the summer, the clump will be five feet tall. It combines beautifully with the pink flowers of Salvia “Wendy’s Wish” or Salvia oxyphora or the late-summer lavender-colored flowers of Salvia leucantha.

“Illustris” has a matte finish to the leaves and is nearly black purple, but the leaves have green veins. “Elena” and Xanthosoma “Chartreuse Giant” have large, lemon-yellow to chartreuse leaves.

Colocasia “Mojito” has flecked

green and purple foliage. Another genus closely related to Colocasia is Alocasia. Alocasia macrorrhiza is one of the largest of the elephant ears, with very upright foliage and the large arrowhead shaped leaves have an interesting ruffled edge.

For years, I have been growing Alocasia plumbaea, which has lustrous black stems, leaves pointing skyward, and dark-green leaves with black veins. The elephant ears, in general, will thrive in comparable conditions to the bananas.

Most of the Colocasia cultivars, especially those with yellow or chartreuse leaves, can take a fair amount of shade and Colocasia esculenta “Illustris” can also be grown as an aquatic plant in a pond or ornamental pool.

Finally, a popular tropical plant dating back to the Victorian era are the cannas. In the past 20 years, cannas have seen a renaissance in American gardens. Ball Horticulture

and other breeding companies have advanced this genus, breeding for better flower color and more compact sizes.

“Pretoria” is a favorite of mine that has been around for years. Like other cannas, it has upright bold foliage. “Pretoria” has striated yellow and green foliage and orange flowers.

“Orange Punch” is a relatively new cultivar, reaching four feet tall with bright orange flowers.

Cannova®Bronze Scarlet has bronze foliage and fire engine red flowers. Canna musifolia as the name would imply, the banana-leaved canna, grows quickly to almost 10 feet tall with large, bold, strap-like leaves. Canna Tropicanna® has incredible striated leaves of orange, pink, purple and green with dazzling orange flowers. Cannas can be purchased as a plant or a rhizome and planted in May and will quickly grow into an impressive plant.

These are just a handful of

as much about reconnecting the gardener to the world he or she knew before this pandemic. It is about bringing more of the natural beauty back into our lives.

P.S. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture, as it has been since the pandemic began, is still operating, albeit remotely for social-distancing’s sake, and here to help you with any questions you might have about gardening, the incredible work of our state’s farmers, or any other horticultural or agricultural query you may have.

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 exciting and interesting tropical plants that can be used as annuals in the garden. With minimal care, they will all provide a bold horticultural statement.

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

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

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

GardenerNews.com

May 2020 5

Phil Murphy

6 May 2020

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

Bee-ginner's Beekeeping:

The Basics of Apiculture Learn the basics in this hands-on course!

Are you interested in beekeeping as a hobby or a business? This course will cover everything you need to start and care for a honey bee colony.

Demonstrations with live bees included!

Course Topics: Bee Biology

Honey Extraction

Bees in an Urban Setting

Beeswax Harvesting

Disease & Mite Prevention

Queen Bee Purchasing

Hive Assembly & Management

And Much More!

September 10-12, 2020 | Bordentown, NJ | $300 9 AM - 4 PM (9/10 & 9/11), 9 AM - 12 PM (9/12)

http://www.cpe.rutgers.edu/BEES

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

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

GardenerNews.com

From the Director’s Desk

Rutgers Outreach Provided by Brian Schilling Director

Vegetable Gardening “Know-How” Only a Click Away The Johnson family moved into their first home in the winter and were walking around their new property excited about the prospects of making the yard their own.

It would be great to grow vegetables this summer – but where would be the best place to have the garden? How soon could they plant tomatoes and peppers? Wouldn’t it be cool to have a compost bin? What should they add to it?

Their neighbor reminisced about the fateful morning last spring when he went out to check on his vegetable garden and found his pepper transplants chopped to the ground by cutworms. He was determined not to repeat that scenario this growing season.

Mr. Thompson looked out at the raised beds in the school courtyard and wondered if there were any crops his sixth-grade students could plant in the fall. Should he do any soil testing over the summer?

The local community garden coordinator was thinking about food safety in the garden. There were probably things they could do differently, but where to start? What kind of supplies might be needed?

Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) has the answer to these and many other vegetable gardening questions on the new Community Gardening Series website: njaes.rutgers.edu/community-garden.

The series was created by a team of RCE County Agents and Master Gardener Program Coordinators who work with home, school, community, and commercial vegetable growers. They pooled their expertise to create presentations on: Starting a Community Garden; Composting; Keeping Pests Out of the Garden Part 1: Integrated Pest Management and Part 2: Key Plants Key Pests; and Harvesting and Food Safety.

For fun, you can test your knowledge! Each presentation begins with an optional pre-program quiz with 10 true/false/not sure statements. The presentations are between 16 and 34 minutes, depending on the topic. At the end of each presentation, participants can take a “post” quiz asking the same 10 questions and print out a certificate of completion.

For each topic, links to related RCE fact sheets, with subjects such as “Growing Tomatoes in the Home Vegetable Garden” are available. The fact sheets provide gardeners with additional researchbased information about food safety, soil and water testing, composting, and vegetable gardening.

Pest management options for home gardens can be found in the fact sheets “Vegetable Disease Recommendations” and “Vegetable Insect Control Recommendations.”

So, what did our friends learn from the Community Gardening Series?

The Johnsons were originally thinking of having the vegetable garden in the back yard, but realized the big maple tree might create too much shade. The side yard, which faced south and got at least eight hours of sun a day, was a better location.

While they were out taking soil samples from the area, they saw their neighbor turning the soil in his garden. A few birds flew down and were eating some thick brownish colored worms. In midMay as they were planting their tomato transplants, they noticed their neighbor slipping a cardboard tube around his transplants at the base of each stem. He had cut a paper towel tube into three-inch segments and made a slit in the side so he could easily slip it around the stem and gently push it into the soil. “Oh yeah,” the new family gardener said, “we need to do that to prevent cutworm damage.”

A compost bin was set up - ready to receive leaves that had not been raked up in the fall, and grass clippings from the first mowing of the season. The children were in charge of turning the compost mix weekly with a pitchfork, and lightly adding some water.

Mr. Thompson took soil samples from the raised beds at the school. He gathered random samples from the top three inches of soil for a lead test and submitted it to the Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory.

If the results were too high for growing vegetables, he knew the soil in the beds would need to be replaced. If the results were fine, he’d take another sample from a six-inch depth for pH and soil fertility recommendations. He was looking forward to planting cool season crops like lettuce, kale, and broccoli with his students in September.

The community garden coordinator set up a hand wash station for gardeners to use before and after working in the garden. The station has soap, potable water, single use paper towels, and a lined can for disposing the soiled paper towels.

Gardeners are now using clean plastic containers for harvesting vegetables. The containers are washed with a bleach solution and thoroughly rinsed with potable water between harvests.

What will you do differently in your vegetable garden? Join us at njaes.rutgers.edu/communitygarden and see!

Editor’s note: This month’s contribution was written by Madeline Flahive DiNardo, Agriculture & Natural Resources County Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County.

GardenerNews.com

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

May 2020 7

A Delicious Ornamental for Your Garden One of the positive developments for 2020 is the renewed interest in gardening and, in particular, growing food.

I have always been astonished at how many children do not know how their food is produced, other than magically appearing on grocery stores shelves.

Obviously, their parents did not share a passion for growing food and, hopefully, this will be a year for change. For years, I have been touting the beauty and benefits of Pawpaw Trees, botanically called Asimina triloba. Perhaps now, this tree’s time has finally arrived.

Pawpaw is a member of the Annonaceae or Custard Apple Family, containing upwards of 108 different genera and 2,400 species that are principally native to tropical and subtropical regions. Asimina triloba is the most Northern and cold hardy species, distributed from Georgia north to Ontario and west to Arkansas and Missouri.

As the Director of the Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education (OCPE), I have the privilege of leading one of the most innovative and diverse educational program portfolios in the world.

OCPE provides educational opportunities for adults and adolescents through short courses, workplace training, and youth services. This Lifelong Learning column is dedicated to amplifying innovative programs and courses available throughout the year.

Each month I will share personal insights acquired over the years while spotlighting different courses to help you or your garden grow. I look forward to sharing some of these educational resources and programs with you. Please visit the website at the bottom to obtain the full list of classes available. Each month I will also include a fun Trivia Question.

May Trivia Question: What very common flowering “M” plant means nobility?

Spotlight Program: This month’s spotlight program area is critical to the education of New Jersey’s children – Rutgers Au Pair Educational Series. This innovative and much needed training series educates international students seeking to strengthen their knowledge of US cultures.

It typically appears in moist, well-drained areas along shaded streams, forested lowlands and wooded slopes. Pawpaw was initially named Annona triloba in 1753 by the Swedish Botanist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778). The genus name of Asimina was penned by the French Botanist and Naturalist Michel Adamson (1727-1806) in 1763. The word is adapted from Assimin or Rassimin, as the tree was so named by the Native American Algonquian Indians.

In 1817, the French Botanist Michel Felix Dunal (1780-1856) properly described the tree as Asimina triloba. The species epithet means “three lobes” and describes the double whorl of three petals that comprise the flower. The name Pawpaw is believed to have come from the Spanish Papaya, due to the similarity of the fruit shape, size and taste.

Although Pawpaw is hardy to zone 5, its appearance certainly reflects the tropical and subtropical regions that the remainder of its family inhabits.

Asimina is an understory tree,

typically growing 15 to 20 feet in height, although heights of 30 feet are not uncommon when conditions are ideal.

The oblong foliage is six to 12 inches long with a pronounced outward and gently drooping display. The one- to two-inchdiameter flowers are bell-shaped or campanulate, with the dangling flowers beginning to open along the leafless stems in mid-April.

The flowers are initially green, but gradually change to a deep “meaty” red at maturity.

The flowers consist of an upper whorl of three slightly pubescent sepals or modified leaves that are initially green before developing dark-red highlights. The six petals are arranged in two distinct tiers of three, with a larger outer whorl and a puckered inner whorl.

The flowers have a slightly fetid odor, which in combination with the deep-red flowers provides the clue of what creatures pollinate the flowers – flies and beetles. Not to worry, I have never seen flies hovering around the trees at Rutgers Gardens and we have good fruit set as well.

However, the Gardens also has several different clonal selections of Pawpaw, which is important since the trees are not self-fertile. When ripe, the fruit changes from green to varying shades of yellow, with a sweetly aromatic fragrance and a slight softness to the touch. The fruit’s taste also has tropical overtones, with accents of mango and pineapple, yet with the texture of ripe banana. The ripe flesh is best eaten with a spoon or made into ice cream, smoothies or used in baking.

The fruit has to be picked when ripe since it fails to ripen if picked prematurely. They also have a very short shelf life, although the pulp can be frozen for up to a year. Aside from sweet tasting, the fruit is also very nutritious, containing healthy amounts of vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese. They are also a good source of potassium.

Pawpaw is a plant that is entrenched in American culture.

According to the writings of Lewis and Clark in September of 1806, Pawpaw fruits sustained

Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education

By Kenneth M. Karamichael Director

Lifelong Learning

Au pairs in New Jersey and surrounding states can earn the educational credits required under the J-1 visa program during au pair weekend and through upcoming online courses offered at Rutgers University.

Since 2016, the Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education has offered convenient weekend courses for au pairs to earn the education credits required under the J-1 Visa program. Thrilled to live out our “Jersey Roots, Global Reach” slogan, we have had over 500 participants from more than a dozen countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, England, France, Germany, Mexico, and Russia.

Most of our weekend courses for au pairs have been held at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., but we occasionally run classes at other

locations throughout New Jersey, and more recently online.

This series of courses is designed to provide information and resources to help au pairs further integrate and effectively engage with their host families. Our au pair students come from dozens of countries across the globe - but they leave with one thing in common: a newfound confidence and increased knowledge of the United States to help them pursue their passion in childcare.

Workshop Sessions include: gardening with children, food and culinary skill building, U.S. geography, history and knowledge of local historic attractions, managing difficult situations, proper use of social media, along with a very popular – Polishing Your American English.

Polishing Your American English: Understanding Idioms

and a Whole Lot More! June 13-14, 2020.

This intensive au pair weekend course focuses on verbal communication in American English and developing confidence when speaking American English.

Formal language instruction courses will teach the basics of spoken and written American English – correct structure, usage, tenses and such. Then you are thrust into the real world, with folks seemingly speaking a “mile a minute” and using words and phrases that you never heard in any classroom course you attended – HELP! One of the most important components of being successful in language learning – and application - is the mastery of idiomatic forms of expression. Used by native speakers on a daily basis, when you encounter them they may “throw you for a loop” or “knock your socks off,”

their group for several days after their supplies dwindled and both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were great fans and grew trees in their garden.

It is certainly not without its faults but, for its tropical aesthetics, curious flowers and very tasty fruit, this is a wonderful tree more gardeners should be growing.

Bruce Crawford is a lover of plants since birth; is the managing director of Rutgers Gardens, a 180-acre outdoor teaching classroom, horticultural research facility and arboretum; a part time lecturer in Landscape Architecture at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; regularly participates in the Rutgers Continuing Education Program; and past-president of the Garden State Gardens Consortium.

He can be reached at bcrawf@sebs.rutgers.edu.

For more information, please visit www.rutgersgardens. rutgers.edu. leaving you lost and left out of the conversation. This program for au pairs is a great opportunity to learn about American idioms and their applications in order to improve your verbal and written skills.

Note: This course fulfills the legal requirements for the educational credits required under the J-1 visa program. For more details, please visit each course page or contact Suzanne Hills at (suzanne.hills@ rutgers.edu) or 848-932-7234.

Trivia Answer: Magnolia. In the American South, white magnolias are commonly seen in bridal bouquets because the flowers are thought to reflect and emphasize the bride’s purity and nobility. White flowers represent the moon, yellow - the sun.

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

Editor’s Note: Kenneth M. Karamichael, Ed.M., is the Director of the Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education within Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Ken can be reached at kenneth@rutgers.edu.

8 May 2020

GardenerNews.com

Unusual, Trendy, Ornamental Plants Available in North Jersey Tony Maiello, general manager of Metropolitan Plant Exchange in West Orange, Essex County, N.J., proudly displays a Swiss cheese plant, Monstera adansonii in his garden center’s massive tropical plant section.

The Swiss cheese plant gets its name from its large, heart-shaped leaves, which as it ages, become covered with holes that resemble Swiss cheese. The houseplant, which is part of the Araceae family that’s native to South America, is easy to grow and loves to climb. It will require a stake or trellis to grow upward.

The plant prefers full sun but will adapt to partial shade. It also enjoys a moist, well-drained soil. This plant grows best in warm conditions and requires high humidity. Allow the soil to dry out some between waterings.

The Swiss cheese plant is a tropical jungle plant and as such requires rich, nutrient-dense soil that holds moisture, yet doesn’t remain soggy. A standard, goodquality potting soil is fine, with the addition of some peat moss. It will not tolerate frost.

Tom Castronovo/Photos

GardenerNews.com Getting back out in the yard to work in the garden with the temperatures warming and the perennials popping to life always lifts my spirit. It’s rejuvenating; good therapy for the head, body and the soul.

Gardening’s benefits as excellent therapy were first documented in the 19th century by Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the father of American psychiatry.

Dr. Rush wrote about the positive effect that working in the garden had on people with mental illnesses.

Today, health professionals use horticultural therapy to help patients in rehabilitation improve memory and language skills as well as socialization. Gardening, says the Horticultural Therapy Association of America, can help strengthen muscles and improve coordination, balance and endurance.

These qualities are part of the reason community gardens have gained popularity over the years.

Even if you don’t have a back yard, you can enjoy the gardening experience - and share in the fruits and vegetables grown - in a community garden. Community gardens also help preserve public open space while establishing places of beauty that everyone can enjoy.

They are stops along the pollinator pathways that nourish birds and

It wasn’t long ago when I would have defined the word “corona” as a crappy, overpriced beer garnished with a dried-out slice of lime.

Wow! That definition sure has changed for the worse. Speaking of definitions, our “new normal” has introduced new phrases such as “social distancing,” “flatten the curve,” and “self-quarantine,” which are now part of our common lexicon.

How quickly routines have been upended and our lives changed forever. Toilet paper almost became our national currency and working from home has become more like a prison than the luxury we once envisioned.

Our downtown business districts, bars, gyms, churches and social clubs are eerily deserted.

The economy is in shambles and millions have become unemployed. Confined to our homes, each night we watch in horror as the news reports the latest death count.

Worldwide, our society is gripped in the fear of the unseen and the unknown. But as hard it may seem now, and the human toll we have suffered, it WILL get better, and we will get through this, we always do.

May 2020 9 Agriculture and Natural Resources

By Eric Houghtaling New Jersey Assemblyman

Horticultural Therapy Raises Spirits and Benefits the Environment

butterflies. In stressful times, they are a source of calm. Community gardens and horticulture in general tie many things, and people, together.

That’s why the Assembly Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee will take up two bills this session in support of community gardens.

One would allow individuals, nonprofit organizations and local governments to lease state-owned land in order to establish community gardens. The bill would direct the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Agriculture to identify suitable state-owned lands and create criteria for selecting lessees. The second bill would create a grant program to support local governments that develop and maintain community gardens.

But the strongest forms of

support for these places of beauty and peace are individual and community involvement. If you want to get involved in starting a community garden where you live, there are plenty of places to get ideas. Garden State Gardens, a consortium of public gardens and arboretums with which Gardener News readers are well familiar, provides descriptions and links to public gardens around the state.

No matter where you live, you’re a short drive from one of their member public gardens. They are great places to find inspiration and usually offer detailed information about their plants.

The retail outlets of horticulture - nurseries, greenhouses and garden centers - also are great places to find ideas as well as the plants you will need to get out in the yard and start your horticultural therapy. That’s why the Agriculture Committee

worked with the New Jersey Farm Bureau to have horticulture’s retail arm - nurseries, greenhouses and garden centers - included in the state’s definition of agriculture as an essential service that stays open during state emergencies.

It would be wrong to talk about public gardens and the benefits of horticulture without recognizing the role landscapers play. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that nearly 29,000 people make their living in New Jersey landscaping. That’s a significant knowledge base for all of us to tap into.

New Jersey’s landscape contractors are on the front line in addressing issues and problems that home gardeners, and farmers, too, face. Landscapers are often the first to encounter invasive insect species and other problems such as plant diseases in the lawns and gardens they tend. Without landscapers, the

NJ Agricultural Society

By Al Murray Executive Director

A Tonic for These Unsettled Times

As Americans, it seems each generation has faced a crisis, and despite great sacrifice – we always prevail. For my grandparents, it was the Great Depression. World War II defined my parent’s generation.

I will always regard September 11, 2001 as a test for mine. America’s heroes immediately following 9/11 were the police and firefighters.

Today, our nurses, doctors, EMTs and other health care providers have become our superheroes in the fight against this global menace.

“I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value.” - Hermann Hesse, writer and novelist.

By no means downplaying the human suffering and toll this pandemic has wrought, I note that our frenetic, overworked,

and harried lifestyles have come screeching to a halt. Despite these unprecedented circumstances, in some ways it seems like life has reverted to a simpler time, and that’s not all bad.

Yes, superficially, my seemingly never-ending “honey do” list actually has made giant strides, and I find the chores enjoyable since I don’t have to cram them all in on weekends.

My yard, basement and attic have never been cleaner – much to the bane of the local trash collectors.

However, despite social distancing from each other, I believe we are drawing closer.

Instead of a brief wave and off to work, neighbors are outside conversing. More people are taking daily walks, and greetings and exchanges abound (albeit from a safe distance) among the walkers and those outside working in their yards. The sense of community

extends to neighbors checking in on elderly residents and other shut-ins and helping them with shopping and other chores. A “we are all in this together” mentality has emerged.

By necessity, cookbooks have been dusted off, and families are sitting down and having meals together. (Just in time for the beginning of a new Jersey Fresh growing season!) Instead of ferrying the kids from one endless activity to another, families can just be a family. Movie nights, game nights, and other stay-at-home activities have replaced the hectic pace of what was once considered normal.

There is a reason that New Jersey garden and nursery centers have been considered essential businesses during this crisis. In addition to providing plants that grow food, gardening presents a wonderful opportunity to relieve

properties they maintain would become overgrown havens for insects and animals that harm our gardens.

Landscape contractors are interrelated to many areas of agriculture and horticultural. Often they are the link between nurseries and greenhouses and consumers.

As purchasers, for example, they support hay and straw farmers - who in turn are critical to New Jersey’s equine industry - by using those products to protect new lawns.

As legislators and members of the Agriculture Committee, we are always learning new things about the ways that agriculture and its related businesses tie into each other as well as the environment, culture and the people of the Garden State.

These ties are things worth thinking about. And a garden is the perfect place for pondering.

As always, we are anxious to hear your ideas.

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

He can be reached at 732-6953371 or AsmHoughtaling@ njleg.org, or by mail at 802 W Park Ave, Ste 302, Ocean Township 07712 stress, get exercise and provide activity you can do at home.

Gardening is inexpensive and easy.

A garden size can range from a small window box to as large as you wish. It is surprising how working the soil, planting, weeding and other activities focus you on the present, crowding out anxiety.

During these current times, gardening acts as a tonic to your mental outlook and health. The time spent in the garden allows you to possess a sense of order and being in control and gives a muchneeded break from the fear and uncertainty around us. Reprieve exists, just look out your back door.

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

10 May 2020

GardenerNews.com

The Wonders of May!

By Jeannie Geremia Contributing Writer

May has arrived in all its finery and we are in the height of gardening activities coming at us in all directions.

Did I ever mention how there aren’t enough hours in a day, and how could anyone ever possibly be bored in this lifetime?

We open May with visions of centuries of May Day celebrations with children frolicking around a ribbon- and flower-bedecked May Pole as we celebrate Earth’s continual kaleidoscope of flora and fauna making their appearances to nurture us, feeding our bodies as well as our souls.

Finally, we get to put months of planning new configurations in our landscapes and gardens, with planting these newly raised seedlings, plugs, and potted plants, shrubs, trees, into their new home, our garden beds and yards.

Yippee!!!!

The soil has warmed up, the bees are buzzing, the birds are mating, nesting, and raising their young, and we are frantically trying to get our to-do list done without

overdoing it. Pace yourselves, please. Set a limited number of hours and stick to it, no matter if that plant is begging to be nestled in its new home or that shrub needs to be trimmed (famous last words).

Remember, too that in our haste to plant, that old man frost is still lurking out there and can appear, as my grandparents always said, as late as Memorial Day. I know many of you think that Mother’s Day is the optimum frost-free date, but history has cautioned us not to fall hook, line and sinker for that so-called rule of thumb.

In other words, don’t let your enthusiasm get the best of you and let your guard down. Listen to the weather reports and be prepared to protect your precious nonhardy plants and seedlings, and spare yourself from discovering blackened, mushy remnants of impatiens, begonias, tomatoes and other tender annuals and perennials. Yuck, this gives me the willies!

Memorial Day, the beginning of our summer season when we bid adieu to our earlyspring bulbs, ephemerals, and

all the breathtakingly beautiful emergence of old and new friends in sometimes, new and unexpected places.

I wish to thank the hardworking Blue Orchard Mason Bees for this extravaganza in my own yard and gardens. Wow, it’s a joy to behold when I see swaths of Hellebores, blue bells, violets, blood root where I never planted them.

Pollinators are essential to the health and wellbeing of our Garden State, and The Garden Club of New Jersey has been front and center in the ongoing campaign to educate our gardening friends and our citizens on the need to protect and grow our pollinator population.

We are working on a new GCNJ website and are soon to announce our Paths to Discovery Through Outdoor Learning Centers grants that we will provide to GCNJ Garden Club-sponsored Learning Centers that are geared to our Pollinators. The GCNJ has already announced a $600 grant to our PSE&G Pollinator Pathways Project, with much more to follow.

So stay tuned!

The Garden Club of New

Jersey, Inc., is also pleased to announce that our campaign to install a Blue Star Memorial in each of New Jersey’s 21 counties as laid out in the November 2019 Gardener News cover story, has been a huge success.

We are delighted to tell you, our Gardener News readers, that our goal to establish a Blue Star Memorial or Blue Star Marker in the remaining four counties that had none by the spring of May 2021, is now down to only one remaining county and that is Hudson County.

Yes, we now have identified a location in Passaic County in the Picnic Area of the Paterson Hamburg Turnpike (Route 23). We are thrilled that another is being planned in Sussex County, working with Sussex Fairground officials to locate a Blue Star Memorial on the spectacular grounds of the Sussex Fairgrounds. That is a fitting tribute to our Armed Forces servicemen and servicewomen.

The Greater Woodbury Garden Club is working with NJDOT Office of Landscape Architecture and Project Engineer Lois Johann to identify a suitable location in

Gloucester County. The location in Cape May County has been identified as 2901 Route 9S, Cape May Township, and another Blue Star Memorial Marker will be installed this year thanks to Neshanic Garden Club working with Hillsborough Township, NJ DOT, and the GCNJ Blue Star Committee, at the Hillsborough Township Municipal Building Complex.

All of the above participants are proud to be part of this ongoing “Tribute to the Armed Forces of America.” America, the Beautiful!

We are invincible, so go out and garden, visit your local garden centers, nurseries and farmers markets. Stay Strong!

Editor’s Note: Jeannie Geremia is The Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. President, and is a National Garden Clubs, Inc. Master Flower Show Judge for the GCNJ. Jeannie is a member of Neshanic Garden Club and The Raritan Township Historic Committee.

Jeannie’s email address is: jgeremia42@gmail.com

What Is A Signet Ring or Seal?

By Hubert Ling A signet ring or seal contains carved, raised symbols or letters used to identify a person or their rank.

You might also ask what this has to do with any native plant. However, many of you probably have guessed that I will discuss our native giant Solomon’s seal, Polygonatum canaliculatum, which is a lovely, very easy to grow, long-lived perennial.

Solomon’s seal reaches up to three to five feet, grows best in moist, semi-shaded areas, and is generally pest-free. It spreads slowly as the rhizomes extend outwards. Structurally, Solomon’s seal plants have no main stems; the leaves spring directly from the underground rhizomes. The plant looks somewhat like an informal fern with clusters of large, compound leaves formed by many leaflets strung along the leaf stem (petiole). These

large, elongated leaves curve downwards, similar to leaves in an ostrich fern.

Propagation is by dividing the rhizome; almost any sized piece is OK down to about three-quarters of an inch long.

Propagation can also be done by the seeds, although this is a slow and somewhat chancy procedure.

Make sure you get plants from two different growers so that you may have two individuals for cross pollination to produce the berries. The plant is so easy to propagate asexually that many of a grower’s plants may be clones of one individual.

New Jersey has three species of Solomon’s seal: regular Solomon’s seal, which is six inches to two feet tall, generally with two flowers at each node; downy Solomon’s seal, which is much like regular Solomon’s seal except for fuzz along the bottom of leaflet vein midribs; and giant Solomon’s seal. The giant Solomon’s seal is found all over the Eastern

and Midwestern United States and Canada. In New Jersey, it is said to be found in almost all of the counties, although I have never seen it here in the wild.

The genus name Polygonatum is Greek for “many knees,” which refers to the knobby rhizome, and canaliculatum means “channeled,” which refers to the conspicuous parallel leaflet veins. Early herbalists thought that Polygonatum was good for the knees because of this knobby look. This belief was based on the “Doctrine of Signatures,” which stated that the shape of plant structures gives you hints as to their true medicinal uses.

The common name Solomon’s seal refers to the large circular scars left when the large leaves die off each year. How someone knew that these scars resembled King Solomon’s seal is anybody’s guess; the scars, however, do leave a very interesting pattern on the rhizomes; what you see

are perfectly round areas with raised markings produced by the vascular system of the leaf.

In May, Solomon’s seal puts forth two to eight small greenish-white bells, at each node, which dangle down underneath the large, arching leaves. Later in the year, the fruits develop a dark blue color and the leaves become a vivid yellow at the end of the growing season and later turn yellow–brown after frost.

The underground rhizomes of Solomon’s seal are extensive and about half an inch to three-quarters of an inch thick. Our Native Americans used these rhizomes in many ways: historically the Iroquois used the roots for food but the present day Iroquois make little use of the plant.

Chewing on the leaves can cause nausea and the berries are said to induce vomiting. In addition, since the roots have had a long history as use as an emetic, you are better off not munching on this plant.

The Meskwaki and

Menominee used dried and pulverized root mixed with cedar twigs and leaves to revive unconscious people.

The Cherokee used the roasted and bruised roots as a poultice for wounds, rashes, and boils.

Other tribes used it to treat poison ivy.

In England, the roots and flowers of a similar species were used as snuff to induce sneezing and therefore to relieve head congestion. The root was also used as a love potion, which I can guarantee will not work (and, no, I haven’t tried it!)

Solomon’s seal grows well even in deep shade and competes well with tree roots.

It tolerates deep shade, sand and clay soils, and comes up reliably year after year.

Editor’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

May 2020 11

Experts trust the #1 brand in organic gardening Laura LeBoutillier grew up working in her parents’ garden center.

Since then, she and her husband Aaron have published hundreds of inspirational and educational gardening videos online for over 2.4 million loyal fans. Laura loves her garden and uses only the best products to ensure it looks beautiful. That’s why she trusts Espoma Organic® for her fertilizer and potting soil needs.

Espoma. A natural in the garden since 1929.

Visit www.espoma.com/video to see our inspirational videos.

12 May 2020

GardenerNews.com

FLORIST 700 Springfield Avenue Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 Phone: (908) 665-0331 Fax: (908) 665-9804 email: hallsflorist@hotmail.com www.hallsgarden.com

BILL RANDOLPH AGENT

908.782.4028 LIFE • PROPERTY DISABILITY INCOME INSURANCE American National is a group of companies writing a broad array of insurance products and services. Products and services may not be available in all states. Terms, conditions and eligibility requirements will apply. Life insurance and annuity products may be underwritten by American National Insurance Company, Galveston, Texas. Property and casualty products and services may be underwritten by Farm Family Casualty Insurance Company, Glenmont, New York.

Form 11094 | 12.18

SERVING THE AGRIBUSINESS COMMUNITY

Graphic DesiGn | printinG | Direct mail

Establis h e d 1978

12 Center Street, Chatham, NJ 07928

www.ChathamPrint.com

(973) 635-1880

700 Springfield Avenue Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 Phone: (908) 665-0331 Fax: (908) 665-9804 email: hallsflorist@hotmail.com www.hallsgarden.com

GardenerNews.com

May 2020 13

Extended Spring Hours: Mon-Fri: 7-6pm Sat-Sun: 8-6pm

Please see website for Covid details and senior/immune compromised only shopping hours.

14 May 2020

GardenerNews.com

TRUST A COMPANY WITH OVER 35 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS Boulders Construction Stone Decorative Gravels Impermeable Clay

Bluestone Limestone Natural Fieldstone Sands

Compost Topsoil & Specialty Blends Colored Mulch Infield Mix

Concrete Pavers Retaining Walls Masonry Supplies Lighting

Grass Seed & Fertilizer

Roll-off Container Service

Pickup or Delivery Service Available

908-252-1550 • www.landscapematerialsinc.com 311 Roycefield Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO CONTROL CRABGRASS AND WEEDS!

Sign up to receive timely lawn tips

www.jonathangreen.com

Available at garden centers and hardware stores in your area.

5/20

GardenerNews.com Now that spring has arrived, I thought I would share today some of the reasons that landscaping is so important in our daily lives and for our mental health.

It’s May and as spring continues to develop, grass will grow and require services to maintain it. What’s the big deal, you say, if we don’t cut our grass for a bit? Not maintaining properties will harbor pests, garbage and diseases that can’t be easily controlled later on.

Spring cleanups of winter debris will allow for fresh new growth to happen, thus eliminating dirt and debris from the winter that may harbor any unwanted remnants of mold and bacteria. When your landscape professional performs your spring cleanup, he or she is cleaning out all the nooks and crannies of your property to give you a fresh start to the season.

Furthermore, insecticides when applied properly, help prevent the spread of disease through insects, fungus and weeds. These essential treatments to lawns and green spaces reduce the transmission of dangerous and deadly diseases through pests like mosquitoes, ticks and fleas.

These two invasive species are starting to show up in many areas of New Jersey and other surrounding states. They both pose problems when trying to eradicate them with good lawn care maintenance practices and chemical controls available on the market. Let’s explore these problems.

Kyllinga has a very unattractive seed head and is in the sedge family, but is more difficult to control. It is frequently mistaken to be yellow or purple nutsedge. It has been more noticeable in the past 10 to 15 years down south and in the last three to four years in New Jersey, the Mid-Atlantic and northern regions.

It is a warm-season perennial grass that thrives in wet areas. It appears in late-spring to summer as temperatures rise. At first, it is not very noticeable until the ugly seed head appears in the lawn.

Once established, the lighter green color helps it to stick out amid desirable stands of grass.

The starburst-like seed head and leaf tissue start to spread replacing desirable turf grass. Rhizomes help it to spread laterally. In warm weather, rhizomes can grow up to one inch per day.

May 2020 15 effects on the mental health and wellbeing of our communities.

So, take the time to thank your landscape professional and talk to him or her about what

By Gail Woolcott you’d like to see “pop up” in your garden or on your property Executive Director this year. There are amazing new introductions in plant material that you can try and landscaping your property back to its seasonal glory will put you and everyone reduce air pollution, can filter your yard, providing you with a who sees it in a great state of pollutants out of rainwater and great view of nature throughout mind.

Happy spring and landscaping help purify the air around us. the year. From pollinator plants Landscaping properly can help to ornamental grasses, a great to all! with proper drainage and provide landscape can invite butterflies, shaded areas that provide energy- bees, small critters (the cute kind), efficient natural cooling to your birds (which also eat insects) and Editor’s note: Gail Woolcott home or business. According to more into your world. It can also is the Executive Director for MillionTreesNYC, “…one tree help eliminate unwanted wildlife the New Jersey Landscape can remove 26 pounds of carbon such as deer and rodents.

Contractors Association. dioxide from the atmosphere For me, most of all, seeing She was presented with a annually, the equivalent of a beautiful green space in the community service award from 11,000 miles of car emissions.” early spring sets my mood and the Borough of Fairview for A landscape professional gets me excited for the spring her assistance in leading the can help you choose the perfect and summer. Landscaping plays 9-11 Memorial Park project plant for specific areas of your a critical role in boosting morale and the Legislative Champion property. Whether it is an area of and mental health. Interesting of the Year award from the poor drainage, somewhere you’d blooms and textures popping up Federation of Employers and like to add shade or a garden in the garden remind us that life Workers of America. She is you’d like to attract pollinators “finds a way.” Without landscape currently the State Licensee to, they are aware of the right services, fields, parks, businesses Chair on the National plant for the right place. and homes will become Association of Landscape Planned landscaping can overgrown and unkempt, which Professionals International increase the beneficial wildlife in can have dramatic psychological Certification Council.

The NJLCA Today

Why Landscaping is So Important to Our Lives Landscapers protect property and maintain green spaces that could otherwise jeopardize public safety. Unkempt fields and green spaces increase the chance of injuries. Crime rates are increased in areas where green spaces are not maintained.

Plantings can also provide privacy.

Used correctly, a “fence” can be made of plant materials, as can a canopy.

As I have said in the past, a good landscape can increase the value of a home by 10 to 12 percent. A study by the University of Michigan found that consumers value a landscaped home 11.3-percent higher than the same home without good landscaping.

Plantings…new trees, shrubs and flowers can all have a dramatic effect on the environment. They

Turf ‘s Up

By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

Controlling Kyllinga and Japanese Stiltgrass Kyllinga can also be spread by seed. Each plant can produce up to 5,000 seeds! If you have small patches, you can dig plants out but be sure to get the whole plant and rhizomes.

What are our control options?

Of course, the best plan of action is to have a thick, healthy growing lawn. Some available pre-emergent herbicides can limit kyllinga from establishing if applied before the seed germinates. Excessive wetness in the lawn will favor kyllinga growth and suppress desirable grass growth. Modify your irrigation methods and correct drainable problems where kyllinga grows.

Celero herbicide (imazosulfuron) is labelled to control kyllinga. Also, Sedgehammer and ProSedge 2

(halosulfuron-methyl) are also labelled for control of kyllinga.

Sulfentrazone is frequently included in combination with other herbicides; but, sometimes the application rates are not enough to control kyllinga effectively. Some non-selective herbicides can be effective, too. Re-seeding helps to reduce kyllinga regrowth. Be sure to follow all label directions before seeding.

Japanese Stiltgrass is native to Japan, China, central Asia and India. Stiltgrass was probably introduced to the United States a few years ago through its use as a packing material. It thrives in partial to dense shaded areas along with ongoing soil disturbances, mowing and foot traffic. Sounds like a lot of our reader’s lawns out there, huh?

Fortunately, stiltgrass does not thrive in sunny areas or in areas with standing water. However, standing water in your lawn would prevent your lawn from growing well. Stiltgrass is an annual plant with pale green, wide blades which germinates in the spring and dies back in the fall. In August to fall months, flower spikes appear which are red and yellow. In the fall, once frost arrives, it turns purplish like crabgrass does and dies. Stiltgrass is an aggressive growing plant and hard to control with shallow roots that spread quickly. Each plant can produce 1,000 seeds that can remain in the soil for five years or more.

What are our control options?

Hand pulling is effective on small patches; make sure to get rid of stands before they produce

seed in August. Repeated short mowing doesn’t really help since stiltgrass can still survive and grow horizontally and set seed.

Mowing existing turf too short can also stress desirable grasses.

Larger areas require chemical controls. Triflurin can be used in planting beds, but not on lawn areas, as a pre-emergent.

Mulching landscape beds will also help reduce light for stiltgrass to thrive.

Some non-selective herbicides can provide effective control.

Fenoxaprop can be an effective spray. There are various landscape professional herbicides which are effective such as Acclaim Extra and Poast. Once again, growing a thick, healthy lawn is the best control for stiltgrass. Be vigilant and stop any signs of stiltgrass to reduce its ability to establish in your lawn.

Good luck beating these tough-to-control grasses!

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

16 May 2020 Old-time farmers were known for their frugality. After all, their existence was a very tough one. In many years, there was not much of a margin between profit and loss, success and failure, and being well fed and going hungry.

So, in this age of plenty, where we can place an order online, and get just about anything we want the next day, it is somewhat amusing to recall stories of the olden days.

One way in which farmers utilized everything they could is easily discernible by just looking at old photographs. If you ever have the opportunity to look at old landscape pictures from this area of New Jersey that date back to around 1900, you will know what I am talking about.

It is almost impossible to find many trees in any of the pictures. In those days, farmers would plant any ground that was suitable in crops. If it was not suitable for growing crops, it was used as pasture to graze livestock. If it was too wet or too rocky for pasture, the trees were still cut off to be used as fuel or fenceposts and the like.

Sure, there were trees that Last May’s article on annual vines drew a lot of reader comments.

So, I thought I’d add a few more annual vines to the list of what can be grown here in New Jersey for a summer’s worth of vertical wow.

New Jersey has five gardening zones, from northernmost Sussex county’s 5B to southernmost Cape May county’s 7A. Whichever zone you’re in, you can grow plants that usually thrive in slightly warmer climes by being a zone pusher.

Zone pushers control the climate in small areas in their gardens. These “microclimates” allow plants that usually thrive in zones 8 and up to grow here. A microclimate can dramatically affect our success in growing plants. Understanding those small spaces is what differentiates the novice from the master gardener.

When creating a microclimate, think direction, reflection and deflection. Direction means being mindful of the direction of the sun in the placement of the plants. The south side of your home, garden, or deck will get more light and therefore more heat. Siting plants on the south side is a simple way to create a microclimate.

Reflection means that different surfaces reflect light at different rates. Putting a plant near a brick wall or a wall painted black will create a warmer microclimate. Rocks absorb heat during the day and release it

GardenerNews.com The Town Farmer

By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

Waste Not, Want Not

were planted for shade and for windbreaks, but you have to believe that every tree had a purpose. And when those trees outlived their original purpose, you can bet that they were put to good use in some other fashion.

Because most farmhouses relied on wood for both heating and cooking purposes, there was always a demand for any type of wood, scrap or otherwise.

Manure was looked upon not as a by-product that had to be disposed of, but as a valuable resource that was almost as important as the animals that produced it. As commercial fertilizer was just starting to become available, and was probably prohibitively expensive as well, most farmers very carefully utilized all of the manure they could find.

After all, a well-timed manure application would pay seasonlong dividends.

And this thought process was not just limited to field crops and animal waste. I can remember one old-timer telling me that his father would rotate the location of the family garden with the location of the family outhouse every couple of years or so.

Frugalness abounded in all areas of agriculture in the early1900s. Growers were fastidious with their crop rotations. They knew that by following beans with corn for example, the beans would fix extra nitrogen in the soil which would be needed to support a heavy feeder such as corn. They would plant pumpkins between the rows of corn, and then, after the corn was cut and shocked, they would

stand the bundles up in the field to help preserve it through the winter.

Then they would take the pumpkins, which were growing amongst the corn already, and roll them into the shocks of corn. By burying the pumpkins under the corn, they would then be protected from freezing for a few weeks in November and December. They could then be fed to pigs as a supplement to their normal diet.

Not even corn cobs were discarded. It was said that before toilet tissue was invented, and even before the advent of the Sears catalog, many rural Americans would utilize corn cobs for this aforementioned purpose.

And I am not sure if this is an old wives’ tale or not,

The Garden Historian

By Lesley Parness Garden Educator

Simply DeVine, Part II - More Charming Annual Vines

at night, so adding pebble mulch or a few large rocks to your garden bed can raise temperatures. Growing vines up a black metal trellis will create a microclimate just for that plant.

Deflection can be understood as channeling wind in order to create a microclimate. If your garden has natural wind tunnels, make sure you place these heat-loving vines away from them. Another example is deflection by water. If you have a pond or fountain, try placing these vines near it. The water spray will raise the humidity level in that microclimate, making it more hospitable for many tropical vines.

Employing zone pushing techniques and a little extra TLC will help the following spectacular vines succeed in our garden.

Chilean Glory Flower Eccremocarpus scaber is a native of Chile. Its clusters of tubular flowers range from cream to gold and orange

to deep red. Place it in full sun against a sunny wall, protect it from wind and drying out. It’s easy to train up wires and can overwinter indoors.

Corkscrew Vine Cochliasanthus caracalla calls Venezuela home. This stunning exotic has a jasmine-like fragrance and nautilus shell shaped blooms.

Growing up to 20 feet in one season, its growth is spurred on by the serious heat we experience from July onwards. You can start the seed indoors but use a large peat pot as it dislikes having its roots moved about and remember to fertilize it monthly.

I first saw Cup and Saucer Vine, Cobaea scandens, at Monticello and fell in love with it there. Its cup shaped flowers start out pale green, then turn purple or white. The green calyx at the flower’s base, are the “saucer” part. Hummers love this plant. Soak the seeds overnight and plant them vertically with a heat mat

to spur germination. This vine will grow an amazing 20-plus feet per season if it’s happy.

Climbing Snapdragon - Asarina scandens is an old-fashioned flower enjoying a resurgence of popularity.

With one- to two-inch trumpetshaped flowers in a range of pink, blue, lavender and white, this plant is beloved by hummingbirds. It likes full sun best and will benefit from well-draining soil and a handful of compost at planting. Provide support from the beginning and the emerging shoots will start climbing immediately.

Carolina Yellow Jasmine Gelsemium sempervirens features funnel-shaped, bright yellow flowers that in its native South Carolina start their display in April, but here in New Jersey will bloom from May through June. It’s a twiner and with full sun can grow seven to 10 feet in a season on a trellis, arbor, pergola, fence or wall.

but according to the story, one particularly miserly old farmer took using corn cobs to another level. At that time, certain varieties of corn would produce darker colored cobs and others would produce lighter colored cobs. Anyhow, it was said that this one old farmer would keep a basket of each color cob in the outhouse. When he was asked about it, he explained that he kept the lighter colored ones to ensure that the darker colored ones were doing their job.

So, the next time we have a shortage of toilet paper, just remember where to turn! Happy spring!

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

We know we can’t control the weather, but we can create microclimates in our gardens and enjoy these amazing flowering vines this summer.

Read the original article from May 2019 on page 25 here: https:// issuu.com/gardenernews/docs/ gardenernews__may2019.

Editor’s Note: Lesley Parness has taught horticulture and environmental education around the world for the past four decades. Retired from her post as Superintendent of Horticultural Education at the Morris County Park Commission, her focus now is garden history and botanic literature. She is a past President and Founding Member of the Garden State Gardens Consortium, and a member of the Herb Society of America and The Council on Horticultural and Botanic Libraries. Lesley lectures throughout the tri-state area. She can be reached at www.lesleyparness.com, where a complete listing of her presentations and workshops may be found.

This column will appear in the paper every other month.

GardenerNews.com

May 2020 17

Massive Easter Flower Donation to Healthcare Workers On Holy Thursday, Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, Hunterdon County, N.J., received 2,000 Easter lilies and tulips from Hionis Greenhouses in Whitehouse Station, Hunterdon County, as a gift to the healthcare workers at the hospital.

On Good Friday, the same gift was made to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville, Somerset County, N.J.

On Saturday, the day before Easter, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, N.J., received the same gift.

The Hionis family brothers Gerry, Pete, Spiros and Tim, co-owners of Hionis Greenhouses in Whitehouse Station, opened by their parents, Angie and Spiros, in 1985, thought it would be nice to share some love and

cheer up the staff at the front lines.

Normally, the family business would be busy shipping upwards of 40,000 Easter lilies to churches, supermarket chains, landscapers and other large clients on Easter week; COVID-19 could not have come at a worse time State Senator Kip Bateman, a friend of the Hionis brothers, made the arrangements for the delivery, and was there each morning helping with each delivery.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Tim Hionis, left center, and State Senator Kip Bateman, right center, with the maintenance staff at Hunterdon Medical Center.

18 May 2020

GardenerNews.com

NORTHEAST DEPARTMENT NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agriculture –its farms and related processing, distribution, and retailing operations –is an essential and vital business in New Jersey and is recognized as such in the State’s planning and organization of commerce as we deal with the changes brought to our world by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The need to maintain crucial supply chain operations, from farm to processor to distributor to retailer to consumer, is recognized in the State’s directives on keeping food retailing operations –supermarkets, grocery stores, farm markets, and other places where the public can obtain needed supplies –operating

as safely as possible during this critical time while also observing the social-interaction recommendations health officials have mandated.

Our State’s residents are doing their part to slow the spread of COVID-19, with a great many staying in their homes and practicing social distancing. As this continues, it becomes increasingly important for New Jerseyans to have the opportunities to engage in positive and constructive activities that also provide fresh air, sunlight, and a sense of purpose. This makes our home and garden centers, and the nurseries that supply plant material to them, essential parts of helping

residents deal with this new homebased reality in the way that we all live.

Each individual business will have multiple decisions going forward to ensure compliance with the COVID-19-related Emergency Orders issued by Gov. Murphy and the recommendations of the state Coronavirus Task Force and the Centers for Disease Control.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is committed to carrying out the services it does to help our agricultural industry and those related to it remain operational.

This includes the continued implementation of the federal Food

Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) which becomes increasingly vital as COVID-19 makes sanitation in all industries more crucial than ever before.

Topics listed at www.nj.gov/ agriculturecover current specific information and guidance from the federal and state governments for the operation of agricultural and ag-related businesses during this unprecedented time.

If you have specific questions, the NJDA is available for information at 609-292-3976.

Sincerely, Douglas H. Fisher, Secretary of Agriculture

PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Department of Agriculture Reassures Pennsylvanians: COVID-19 Not Transmissible through Food, Supply Chain is Secure Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Department of Agriculture Food Safety Director Jeff Warner today assured Pennsylvanians that there is no evidence that human or animal food or food packaging is associated with transmission of COVID-19. Redding also reviewed the department’s recommendations to retail food and agriculture operations for continuity of business, inhibiting transmission, and maintaining a healthy workforce to ensure continuous access to food during COVID-19.

“I want to assure Pennsylvanians and ease their fear: food is safe,” said Warner. “There is no evidence of COVID-19 being transmissible through food or food packaging.”

Grocery stores, food manufacturers, and distributors have been provided guidance to protect their workforce and consumers from COVID-19. This includes the following CDC and FDA recommendations: • Enforce social distancing in lines, separate customers and employees by six feet whenever possible.

• Implement visual cues, such as tape on the floor every six feet, to help customers keep a six-foot distance from others whenever possible.

• Install floor markings to require customers to stand behind,

until it’s time to complete the transaction.

• Consider limiting the number of people in the store at one time. Implementing a maximum capacity and assigning staff to manage the number of people entering.

• Consider setting special hours for vulnerable populations, such as the elderly or immunocompromised.

Recommend allowing these populations to enter the store earliest in the day to reduce chances of exposure and ensure access to inventory.

Guidance was also provided for sanitization and employee protection, to further inhibit transmission in manufacturing environments and grocery stores.

Some recommendations include: • Do not allow symptomatic (fever of 100.4° F or greater, signs of a fever, or other symptoms) or ill employees to report for duty.

• Regularly clean and disinfect surfaces to limit employee contact and increase frequency of cleaning and sanitizing of common touch points (door handles, touch-screens, keypads).

• Consider altering store hours to allow for increased cleaning and re-stocking without customers present.

• Cross-train employees and

rotate staff between cashier, stocking, and other duties, to limit mental fatigue in adhering to social distancing measures.

• Consider installing sneezeguards at cashier stations.

• Schedule handwashing breaks every 30-60 minutes. Employees should wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%-95% alcohol may be used. However, if hands are visibly dirty, always wash hands with soap and water.

• Assign a relief person to step in for cashiers so they can wash their hands with soap for a full 20 seconds. Provide hand lotion so workers’ hands don’t crack.

• Consider providing hand sanitizer at cash registers for staff and customer use in between transactions.

• Consider only operating every other register or check-out lane to create more social distance.

“Pennsylvania’s grocery stores, food banks and pantries, food manufacturing and agriculture industry have a heavy responsibility right now: to provide continuous access to food, safely, during the most challenging crisis most have ever experienced,” said Secretary Redding. “We’ve worked hard

to impress upon these truly lifesustaining businesses that just because they are essential, this is not business as usual. The guidance we’ve provided is what they must implement to protect their workforce; it’s what they must implement to save Pennsylvanians and provide for them at the same time.”

Following a brief pause in support of the national, “15 Days to Slow the Spread” initiative, effective April 1, 2020, the Department of Agriculture re-deployed the state’s food safety inspectors to ensure continued protection of Pennsylvanians and prevent foodborne illness.

“It’s time to put our boots back to the ground and resume food safety inspections and offering in-person guidance to these essential businesses,” added Warner.

“We’re going to do our best to help Pennsylvania businesses provide the safest food possible to consumers.

Pennsylvanians need to know their food is safe, something we can only ensure through proactive inspections.”

For a complete list of guidance documents and information as it relates to agriculture during COVID19 mitigation in Pennsylvania visit agriculture.pa.gov/COVID. For the most accurate, timely information related to Health in Pennsylvania, visit on.pa.gov/coronavirus.

GardenerNews.com

May 2020 19

OF AGRICULTURE NEWS NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Grocery Stores, Farmers’ Markets Continue to Operate and Sell NYS Products New York State AState Agriculture Commissioner today encouraged New Yorkers to continue to support the State’s farms and agricultural businesses. While the State works to mitigate the impact of Coronavirus (COVID19), Commissioner Ball reminds consumers that food producing farms, farmers’ markets, food and beverage manufacturers, grocery stores, and retail food stores have been designated as essential to the food supply chain and continue to work to produce, process, transport, stock, and sell healthy, local New York food and beverages.

Many farmers’ markets are open across New York, using guidance from the State, and a number of farms and food and beverage producers are also offering their products on the farm for direct purchase or through their website for delivery.

For additional information, please visit the NYS Grown & Certified page, a local farmers’ market website, or go directly to the producer’s website.

New Yorkers can look for plant code 36 on dairy products in stores, meaning the product has been made in New York.

The Commissioner also announced an additional opportunity to support New York farms and food producers through ShopTasteNY. com, an online shopping portal that allows for

consumers to have New York-produced products delivered right to their door.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “New York’s hardworking farmers and producers and the entire food industry are working around the clock keep us wellstocked and to ensure healthy, local food for our families. Because of their efforts, consumers should know that there is plenty of food being made and brought to grocery stores and farmers’ markets. We are grateful for the dedication of our agricultural community, and want to remind our consumers that now, more than ever, they need your support. I’m so pleased that Shop Taste NY can also be a useful tool at this time to bring New Yorkers closer to their favorite New York products. We encourage you, while you are shopping for your essentials, to keep New York in mind and to also extend thanks to the industry—from our farmers to grocery store workers.”

ShopTasteNY.com Through ShopTasteNY.com, a diverse selection of foods, beverages and gifts from each region of New York State that are available in the State’s Welcome Centers, are now also available on the new mobile-responsive online

store. The new website was launched to support the state’s farmers, producers, and small food and beverage businesses, and to increase sales and drive revenues to local communities. It also allows farmers to connect with new consumers in the marketplace.

Shop Taste NY is operated by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County on behalf of Taste NY and the Department of Agriculture and Markets. The site offers a variety of products from across New York, from honey and jams to goat milk soaps, reflecting each region’s offerings. Currently, nearly 100 farms and food and beverage businesses are showcased on the site. Participating partners and products are featured on a rotating basis to ensure the diversity of the product line and regional representation.

Shipping is free for orders over $50 in the United States and customers can use the coupon code “NYLovesYou” to get 10% off their orders for a limited time.

A full list of current companies with products available by region can be found at ShopTasteNY. com. For more information or to place an order, visit https://shoptasteny.com/ or email info@ shoptasteny.com.

VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Are Agriculture Seeds Deemed Essential?? Yes.

Delaware Secretary of Agriculture on Importance of Maintaining Food Supply Chain During State of Emergency

A number of questions have been circulating recently about Vermonters access to agricultural seeds, and whether they have been deemed “essential” by the state of Vermont during the COVID-19 response.

We’d like to set the record straight. Vermont Governor Phil Scott explicitly listed “agriculture and farms” and the “production and delivery of seed” as critical services within his “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order. Seed for agriculture/farming is allowed.

The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) has directed all large retailers to cease sales of non-essential items in stores and offered additional guidance for those retail stores selling in person essential goods to the public. Recent pictures circulating on social media appear to be from a box store which has roped off access to “non-essential” areas of the store, per guidance from ACCD, with various seed packets behind the roped-off section. As stated above, agricultural seeds have been deemed “essential” in Vermont per the Governor’s executive order, however a homeowner’s access to seeds has been modified to meet the Governor’s executive order.

We’re hoping that retailers and consumers alike restrict in-person shopping to items that need to be purchased in-person and are of a time sensitive nature. While the state recognizes the importance of gardening as a source of food for many Vermonters, the ability to browse for seeds and purchase them in person doesn’t outweigh the risk of spreading the virus. Retailers can continue to make seeds available online, delivery and curbside.

So thank you to all for the concern. Please get your seeds and plant your garden!

Maintaining the supply of food and fiber for our citizens, especially during times of an emergency, is of paramount importance. Our poultry industry plays a critical role in feeding our citizens and supplying an abundant, healthy source of protein.

“It is extremely important that the entire vertically integrated chain of poultry production remain functioning at full capacity and that everyone in that chain is doing their part to assure chicken is available for purchase,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “Of course, one vital part of that chain is the processing of the birds at our poultry processing plants. Workers are commended for what they do to feed our citizens and are encouraged to give extraordinary effort in these challenging times. We have the most abundant, affordable, and safest food supply in the world, due to the invaluable contributions of everyone involved in food production Their participation in feeding Delaware and America is essential.”

Agriculture and food production are essential industries that provide food and fiber for all and play a critical role in the state’s economy.

“During this difficult time, I want to offer encouragement to all our family farmers, producers, agribusinesses, wholesalers, distributors, consumers and the many other members of Delaware’s food supply chain in the state who are working hard to continue business as usual with minimal interruptions.”

20 May 2020

GardenerNews.com

GardenerNews.com Energetic, resourceful, tenacious, headstrong and capable are all strong adjectives that can define one’s character. Adversity, struggle and hardship are words used in more strenuous times. One discipline that has helped maintain a sense of “routine” is gardening.

Victory gardens, also called “food gardens for defense,” were gardens planted at private residences and public parks.

Primarily consisting of vegetable, herb and fruit plantings, the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom and Germany planted these gardens during World War I and World War II. Governments encouraged people to not only supplement their rations, these gardens also helped boost morale. Rewarded by what was reaped, gardeners also felt empowered by their “contribution of labor” in their daily life.

March 21 of this year was a gorgeous, warm, sunny day filled with uncertainty. Not knowing what quarantine restrictions we would all be faced with, our garden center was very busy. People eager to get supplies; top soil, mulch, grass and vegetable seeds and fertilizer, all in an effort to prepare and have a project should they be home for a protracted period of time.

Gardening once again came to

May 2020 21 Unique Plants

By Bob LaHoff Nursery Specialist

Gardening Has Not Been Cancelled

mind for many. Starting plants from seed, vegetable transplants, potting soil, soil amendments and grow lights were all the rage this day. In a sense, this frantic pace was not unlike that felt at our supermarkets.

Happy to be a small part of people’s lives and offering some comfort in an unsettled time, gardening once again proved to be a constant value. Given the time of year, plants like lettuce, broccoli, kale, collards, cauliflower and arugula were suitable to start outdoors as they can all handle cooler temperatures. And aside from these obvious commodities on the shelves, I got to thinking, what other plants have people relied on or planted around their homes as a food source?

One of the more obvious plants for me is pawpaw, Asimina triloba.

A small, native, understory tree that occurs in low-bottom wooded areas

and along stream beds. Cup-shaped purple flowers in the spring yield to edible, oblong, yellowish-green fruits, maturing in early autumn.

Flavor likened to bananas, this fruit is usually eaten raw or mixed into pies and ice cream.

Rose hips or rose haws, are the accessory fruit of a rose plant.

Typically red to orange, darker in certain areas, rose hips are the fruit that develops from the blossoms of wild rose plants. Used for herbal teas, jams, jellies, pies and bread, this plant part can also be eaten raw.

Touted as a natural remedy for back pain, constipation, diabetes, gout and ulcers, rose haws are purported to strengthen our immune system.

Acorns, from oak trees, are another food source many have held dear. While there are a number of oak species you can rely on, many have their acorns tasting bland or bitter. One of the best

for harvesting acorns, however is swamp white oak, Quercus bicolor.

A North American species, this tree can survive in a variety of habitats.

And while there is a process to eating acorns, leaching, drying and or roasting them, they do in fact make great additions to coffee, flour, stews and potatoes. That being said, many still prefer the old-fashioned way of putting them in a frying pan with some salt.

Finally, and this may be a stretch for some, you need to look no further than your unattended lawns. Purslane, clover, plantain, chickweed, mallow and dandelion all have edible parts. Gardeners often “wage war” against these garden weeds, however there are those who welcome them into their soups, salads and stews.

Dandelions, despite their bad reputation for blemishing your lawn, are said to be “tasty” both raw

and cooked. From its roots to its blossoms, dandelions have been a component in salads, stir-fry, soups, syrups and wine. Disclaimer: make sure you positively identify plants as edible, know how to prepare them and whether they were treated or sprayed before eating any of them.

In conclusion, I leave you with two of my favorite gardening quotes: “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul” Alfred Austin.

“No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden.” Thomas Jefferson.

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.

The Importance of Gardening During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Continued from page 1)

like vacant lots to start community gardens.

Suburbanites had it just as tough and gardening once again became important for fulfilling the need for food. This time, the struggling economy was the enemy.

Our country is once again at war. This time the enemy is not another nation nor the result of a struggling economy. The enemy cannot be seen nor are the weapons the same. However, once again, Americans can turn to the potential benefits of gardening as a way to help in the war against coronavirus.

For those who were raised in farm families, growing plants may be in your nature. For those not born with a “green thumb,” educational programs on the web can help hone your gardening knowledge. When surfing the internet for gardening information, you should choose land-grant university and Cooperative Extension websites that have peer-reviewed, non-biased and science-based information. Private company websites and social garden group blogs may provide anecdotal information that is not “tried and true,” or may not apply to our growing region or soil types.

Rutgers University is New Jersey’s land-grant

university, with Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) delivering public outreach and education programs. Recently, an online educational program called “Rutgers Community Gardening Series” was developed and launched. The series is designed to benefit school, community and home gardeners by teaching new gardeners to successfully grow vegetables.

More RCE resources are available for everyone who wants to learn about gardening in the backyard or in community gardens. No matter where you choose to garden, selecting the correct location for a garden is key. The best location possible will encourage plants to grow properly and encourage the gardener to spend more time tending to plants.

Learn more about Rutgers Cooperative Extension at https://njaes.rutgers.edu/extension/ Editor’s Note: Michelle Infante-Casella provides educational and outreach programs to the commercial agricultural industry, landowners, and the public in Gloucester County. Her primary responsibilities are in the areas of vegetable production and agricultural marketing, field crops production, sustainable

agriculture, and Right-to-Farm issues. Agent Infante-Casella earned a M.S. in Plant Science and Sustainable Agriculture from Virginia Tech in 1995 and a B.S. in Horticulture from Delaware Valley College in 1993. Since March 1996, she has worked with farmers and agricultural service providers through the delivery of extension programs, teaching, and service to agricultural organizations and related agencies. Agent Infante-Casella conducts applied research and offers technical expertise in her program areas. She is the County Extension Department Head for Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension in Gloucester County. She is also the State Administrator for the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program that awards grants to universities, organizations, graduate students, and farmers annually. Agent Infante-Casella is active in and holds leadership positions in many local, state, and national professional associations including: the American Society for Horticultural Sciences, the National Association of County Agricultural Agents, the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, and others.

22 May 2020

New Hemlock Hybrid Withstands Killing Insect

By Kim Kaplan ARS Public Affairs Specialist A first-of-its-kind hybrid hemlock, which is not vulnerable to the insect hemlock woolly adelgid, has been developed by the Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) U.S. National Arboretum.

Traveler, as the new variety is named, is a cross between the Chinese hemlock (Tsuga chinensis) and the native Carolina hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana). The new tree has the native hemlock’s handsome symmetrical evergreen growth habit with slightly weeping branches It has a moderately slow growth rate and produces large cones.

But its most important characteristic is the ability to survive attack from the hemlock woolly adelgid.

“We’ve had trials of Traveler growing since 2000, and we haven’t seen any damage from the insects despite the trees being planted out among susceptible Carolina and eastern hemlocks,” said ARS horticulturist Susan Bentz. Bentz is with the U.S. National Arboretum’s Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit in Beltsville, Maryland.

Sap-sucking hemlock woolly adelgids are closely related to the aphid. Originally from Asia, the hemlock woolly adelgid arrived in the United States in 1951 and has since spread to 17 states from Georgia to New England and southwestern Nova Scotia, decimating stands of both Carolina and Eastern hemlocks.

The insect has virtually eliminated hemlocks as a marketable ornamental tree in the eastern U.S. One reason for the insect’s power to wipe out large stands of hemlocks is its ability to reproduce parthenogenetically, or without their eggs being fertilized. This means female hemlock woolly adelgids can reproduce without males, resulting in substantial annual population increases and decimation of large stands of hemlocks.

The Carolina hemlock’s native range is basically parts of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

More widespread, the eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is found throughout New England, mid-Atlantic states and the Lake States and south into the Appalachian Mountains in northern Georgia and Alabama and west from the mountains into Indiana, western Ohio and western Kentucky.

While developing these hybrids, Bentz and colleagues found that the eastern hemlock would not cross with the Chinese hemlock, while crosses between the Carolina and Chinese hemlock produced several offspring that were verified using molecular techniques.

After promising replicated field and greenhouse trials in Beltsville, MD, the researchers moved on to field trials of Traveler and other similar crosses in North Carolina and Connecticut.

“After 6 years in the North Carolina trial, the average height of Traveler trees planted was 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) and all have survived,” Bentz said. “It will make a very attractive specimen tree in a large yard, park, commercial site or as can informal large screen.”

Hemlocks play important roles in forest ecosystems as well as in cultivated landscapes, serving as a foundational species that impacts hydrologic cycles, wildlife, and biodiversity. However, because Traveler is relatively slow growing and must be reproduced asexually from cuttings, it will likely not be economically feasible to use Traveler routinely in forest renovation.

A plant patent has been applied for Traveler, and ARS is looking for commercial propagation partners to help bring this new plant to the nursery trade.

Editor’s Note: The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.

GardenerNews.com

The Premier Gardening Monthly Newspaper Number 205 Published Monthly Reserve Ad Space Phone: 908.604.4444 Website: www.GardenerNews.com E-Mail: Mail@GardenerNews.com Staff

Executive Editor/Publisher . . . . Tom Castronovo Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan F. Kessel Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Castronovo Tom Castronovo Todd Pretz Gail Woolcott Andrew Bunting

May 2020 Columnists

Brian Schilling Bob LaHoff Al Murray Douglas H. Fisher Peter Melick Eric J. Houghtaling Kenneth M. Karamichael

May 2020 Contributing Writers

Bruce Crawford Jeannie Geremia Hubert Ling Lesley Parness Guest Writer Michelle Infante-Casella Gardener News is published monthly by

Gardener News, Inc.

16 Mount Bethel Road #123 Warren, NJ 07059 The Gardener News invites correspondences on gardening subjects of interest. Gardener News, Inc, and its Publisher reserve the right to accept, refuse, or discontinue any editorial or copy, and shall not be liable to anyone for printing errors, misinformation or omissions in editorial or copy. The information contained in articles herein represents the opinions of the authors and, although believed to be accurate and complete, is not represented or warranted by Gardener News, Inc. to be accurate or complete.

All advertising is subject to the Gardener News advertisement rates, and must be PAID IN FULL at time of submission. Publisher reserves the right at its absolute discretion, and at any time, to cancel any advertising order or reject any advertising copy whether or not the same has already been acknowledged and/or previously published. In the event of errors or omissions of any advertisement(s), the newspapers liability shall not exceed a refund of amounts paid for the advertisement.

NOTE: All editorial, advertising layouts and designs and portions of the same that are produced and published by Gardener News, Inc., are the sole property of Gardener News, Inc. and may not be reproduced in any form unless written authorization is obtained from the publisher. POSTMASTER: Send all address changes to: Gardener News, 16 Mount Bethel Rd - #123, Warren, NJ 07059. (c) 2020 Gardener News, Inc.

Full Moon May 7, 2020

Eastern Daylight TIP OF THE MONTH

If you must go shopping for gardening supplies, annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees, you should plan ahead as much as possible. Walk around your property, and look at your garden and flower beds. As you do this, you should be writing everything down that you will need. Do not just look at the immediate future, but try to look ahead to June, July, and August and anticipate what you will also need then.

While you are shopping for garden supplies and plant material, maintain the social distance we have all been hearing so much about.

Wash your hands a lot — every chance you get. If you find some hand sanitizer available, do not hesitate to use it.

Remember… the last frost date in New Jersey is around May 15. And for heaven’s sake, don’t forget the deer control applications.

E-Newspaper Subscription to

Gardener News

Sign up today - it’s fast and easy!

Please visit the top right-hand corner of

www.GardenerNews.com

GardenerNews.com

May 2020 23

Choose from thousands of

& Garden Center

Spring Flowers in Full Bloom

Cool Tolerant Annuals BLE Pansies A T E BUY DIRECT FROM VEG DEN S Geraniums R A G ONE OF NEW JERSEY’S R E T UAR Q Petunias D A LARGEST GROWERS HE & much more OF PLANTS & FLOWERS Oldwick Lamington

206

78 wic kR d.

Pluckemin

78 Hunterdon

Somerset

d.

nR

to

ing

m

La

Old

202

Rd

.

287 Bridgewater North Branch

ing

ton

22

202

4C od d

nR

d.

206

Somerville

Rea

din

Solberg Airport

gto

Whitehouse Station

Raritan

202 Old

York

Rd.

28

MOM LOVES HER GARDEN!

Remember Us For Mother’s Day Gift Cards Available!

4 Coddington Rd. Whitehouse Station, NJ

908.534.7710 • www.hionisgreenhouses.com

24 May 2020

GardenerNews.com

SPRING SALE GOING ON NOW SAVE UP TO $750*

FROM

START FINISH

TO

1

#

NUMBER ONE

ZERO-TURN STAND-ON †

TIMECUTTER®

GRANDSTAND®

IRONFORGED DECK

36”-60” TURBO FORCE® CUTTING DECKS

ZERO-TURN MOWERS

STAND-ON MOWERS

®

TimeCutters come with a Toro IronForged deck to ensure years of reliability and top performance.

6999

$

STARTING AT

^

TRACTION & HANDLING

MyRIDE SUSPENSION SYSTEM ®

A wide stance and optimal balance enhance hillside stability and control.

Save your body from the toughest terrain and avoid slow mowing speeds with the MyRIDE Suspension System.

CUSHIONED SUSPENSION Flex-Ride operator platform suspension self-compensates for operators of all sizes, resulting in less fatigue and higher productivity throughout the day.

Z MASTER®

2000 SERIES ZERO-TURN MOWERS 48”-60” TURBO FORCE® CUTTING DECKS STARTING AT

GRANDSTAND® MULTI FORCE™

5999

$

^

WITH PRO-FORCE BLOWER ALL-SEASON USE

FINISH JOBS FASTER

A variety of attachments and accessories such as Pro-Force blower, tine rake, dethatcher and BOSS snow blade provide the ultimate in productivity.

Built to take on the toughest hits with powerful engines and upgraded hydros, this mower features a fully tubular frame, large 24” rear tires and 7/10-gauge steel deck with bullnose bumper.

QUICK CARRY SYSTEM Attach tools and accessories directly to the mower with innovative tool-mounting brackets. Includes Bucket Holder Kit, Universal Mount and Trimmer Mount.

PROLINE™

MID-SIZE MOWERS

SPRAYMASTER®

36”-60” CUTTING DECKS

STAND-ON TURF RENOVATION Dual Smart Hour Meters and Lean-to-Steer Provide Precision Dispersement White Tanks Simplify Fuel Level Monitoring

TURFMASTER® HDX

30” WIDE AREA WALK POWER MOWER Commercial-Grade Kawasaki Engines Spin-On Oil Filter & Dual Element Air Filter ®

STARTING AT

4999

$

^

NO-HASSLE SULKY 2-wheel sulky rotates 360º and folds away when not in use; no need to remove for trailering!

MOWING MUSCLE Reliable Kawasaki engines drive .204” blades for a gorgeous, professional cut.

See your local servicing Toro dealer at Toro.com/dealer

*Limited time offer.

In a 2018 survey by Wiese Research Associates, Inc., a higher percentage of respondents owned at least one Toro® zero-turn stand-on mower than any other brand zero-turn stand-on mower. ^Manufacturer suggested promotional price subject to local dealer participation. †