Gardener News October 2015

TAKE ONE

Gardener News Serving the Agricultural, Gardening and Landscaping Communities

October, 2015

GARDENERNEWS.COM

TAKE ONE No. 150

Creating an Outdoor Native Plant Classroom

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Pat Brentano Bramnick of Westfield, Union County, N.J., looks over different areas of her home’s native flora. On the left, she stands with a stunning, white metal heron in front of a fragrant sweet pepperbush. On the top right, she wanders through perennial warm season switchgrass. On the bottom right, she inspects a drought-tolerant, beautiful, free-flowing, self-sowing tickseed sunflower.

By Tom Castronovo Executive Editor Homeowners attempting to provide food and shelter for native wildlife have long encountered obstacles through municipal ordinances that prohibit

vegetation growth above a certain height and characterize wildflowers and taller native grasses as unsightly weeds. These critical native plant species, usually entirely absent from the traditional yard, supply nectar for pollinators and seeds for birds.

Protecting the environment and helping to protect and enjoy nature is one of my favorite pastimes.

On a warm, rainy day in early-September 2015, I had the pleasure of meeting Patricia Brentano Bramnick at her Westfield, Union County, home. Her property

showcases a beautiful and diverse collection of native plants, many of which play essential roles for animals, birds, humans and the environment.

I was met at the top of the driveway by Murphy, the family dog, first. Pat appeared shortly after. It

seemed like she came right out of the native flora.

I wanted to learn a step-by-step description on how she created a native plant landscape. And I wanted to learn how this type of naturescaping can be transformed into mainstream (Cont. on Page 17)

2 October, 2015

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October, 2015 3

Around The Garden

By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

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Brutal weather conditions and things to do New Jersey was scorched in the recent months. Lawns went dormant, pachysandra wilted, flowers shriveled, shrubs looked parched and trees shed leaves early.

The mercury hit 90 degrees so many days this past summer in the Garden State that I lost count. Air quality alerts, high humidity, heat advisories and excessive heat warnings were issued almost daily in August into early-September.

In the north-central part of the state where I live, May was extremely dry. I think it was the third-driest May on record. We had a lot of rain in June into the first part of July. We’ve had next to no rain in late-July through early-September. There was an exception on August 19, in a 25-square-mile part of the state where they received between a trace up to eight inches of rain in one day, according to observations and radar estimates.

For the most part, it was an excellent summer for humans at the Jersey Shore, the pool and for lake visitors.

It was a real tough summer for wildlife. I watched squirrels, birds and chipmunks drinking water out of the swimming pool. They must have been desperate.

Pumpkin farmers across the state were praying for rain. Pumpkins are thirsty plants. Water is a vital necessity for growing the “Big One.” Halloween is going to be interesting…

Don’t forget to keep your mums well-watered. They are also thirsty plants.

We are now about to experience another weather phenomenon, an El Niño.

El Niño is characterized by warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, which can alter weather patterns around the globe.

What will happen in the great Garden State is anyone’s guess. I’m going to have my Toro snowblower serviced just in case. I’m also going to check the oil in my generator and run it a few extra times to charge up the residual magnetism, so it will produce electricity when and if I need it. I’m also going to buy my ice-melting products and traction grit early.

I’m also not going to wait for the weather forecasts to predict cooler weather. My houseplants will come in before I turn the heat on in my house. I want to give them a chance to easily adjust.

Before I bring them in, I’m going to wash them thoroughly to rid them of any pests and eggs.

My soil will also get tested this month. I plan on visiting my local Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension office to pick up several soil test kits. One for each corner of the property. The purchase price of a soil testing kit includes the cost of the standard fertility test. Each kit includes an information sheet, a questionnaire and a mailing bag/envelope. The information sheet provided with the soil testing kit describes proper sampling procedures. It is necessary to know the existing pH and the availability of essential plant nutrients in the soil. Having too much or too little of these nutrients or lime can be harmful to plant growth.

The appropriate application of nutrients and/or lime can save me money. Proper pH levels increase soil microbial activity, which aids in thatch reduction. Proper soil pH also improves the effectiveness of fertilizer and weed controls.

If I do need to buy anything, I will be sure it’s a Jonathan Green product. I really like the results I get from using their MAG-I-CAL® product. This is a highly soluble form of calcium that helps to rapidly raise my soil’s pH, improving the health of my lawn by releasing trapped nutrients in the soil that feed the grass plants. I have a lot of oak trees on the property which tend the make my soil acidic.

Planting daffodil bulbs are also on my list of things to do at the end this month. I’m going to plant my “King Edward” variety just as the ground begins to freeze. This will help deter the wildlife from digging them up. I will mix in some Espoma Bulb- tone 3-5-3 with them. Bulbtone is a premium plant food formulated specifically for bulbs and tubers. It contains bone meal and other natural organics to meet the special nutritional needs of these plants. Bulb-tone feeds slowly, safely, and will provide a long lasting food reservoir to ensure superior results. I’ll be sure to water them thoroughly.

Finally, after most of the deciduous trees have dropped their leaves, I’m also going to give my evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs a deep watering. I will do this just before the ground freezes as well. Water acts as an insulator. Plant cells that are plump with water will be stronger against cold damage. Timing is everything.

I wonder if we will have an Indian summer this month!

As always, I hope you find the information in the Gardener News informative and enjoyable.

Until next time…Keep the “garden” in the Garden State.

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

"Drop and Swap"

4 October, 2015 With New Jersey children back to school after a long, hot summer, the Department of Agriculture is putting its Farm to School program into high gear.

The goal is to provide students throughout the state with healthy, wholesome local produce direct from New Jersey farms.

Right now, there is an abundance of Jersey Fresh produce being harvested, from apples and broccoli to squash and potatoes. We are working with schools in an effort to have them source their fresh produce for the National School Lunch Program from our farmers. At the same time, we are assisting farmers in making the connections they need to get their fruits and vegetables into the schools.

We have had some assistance from Governor Christie and the state Legislature in strengthening our program. A package of Farm to School bills was signed into law in 2014. That has resulted in the development of a new state income tax form check off that will allow taxpayers to donate money to the New Jersey Farm to School and School Garden Fund. The check off will be available for the first time on the 2015 income tax forms. Money donated to this fund will be used

GardenerNews.com NJ Dept. of Agriculture

By Douglas H. Fisher Secretary of Agriculture

Ramping up Farm to School to help schools provide fresh produce to students and also for the establishment and upkeep of school gardens.

The new Farm to School laws also allow the Department to solicit for funds that will be used to give schools equipment like salad bars, for planting school gardens or for awarding of mini-grants for a variety of Farm to School programs.

A new Farm to School website is on its way that will allow parents to learn more about farm to school programs, help schools find Jersey Fresh produce and learn ways to prepare it for serving to students.

The website will assist farmers in connecting with schools as well.

This year, we celebrated our fifth Jersey Fresh Farm to School week. Over the years, we have visited many schools that are doing an outstanding

job in providing their students with a variety of local fresh and prepared fruits and vegetables.

Many include nutrition education and numerous activities for the children to learn more about New Jersey agriculture.

In our travels, we have discovered schools and individuals who have taken Farm to School to a whole new level.

At the Salem County Career and Technical High School, the school garden coordinator has partnered with Rutgers Cooperative Extension, the county health department and the county Health and Wellness Foundation for the Farm2You program. The students renovated a donated truck that is being used as a mobile educational tool that brings fresh produce purchased from local farmers to communities in Salem and Gloucester Counties.

Look Who’s Reading the Gardener News!

It’s in the news

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Gavin MacLeod, an American character actor notable for playing Joseph “Happy” Haines on McHale’s Navy, Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for his lead role as Captain Merrill Stubing on The Love Boat, looks over the Monarch Butterfly cover story in the April 2015 Gardener News, while visiting the Garden State recently. MacLeod also appeared on Hogan’s Heroes, The Flying Nun, That ‘70s Show, and The Andy Griffith Show, just to name a few.

School gardens are a large part of the farm to school initiative and a key to helping students make the connection.

By working in the garden, children can truly understand how difficult it is to grow their own food. We have seen many schools use their gardens as outdoor classrooms. At Anthony V. Ceres Elementary School in Perth Amboy, the students participate in the Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. The children save the seeds from the fruits and vegetables and use them to plant their school garden.

There is a lot of excitement in schools about how eating healthy and fresh produce is a large part of the requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for school meals.

We are asking schools to get their produce from our New

Jersey farmers. The fresher the produce, the more nutritional value and the better the taste.

We have found that the only way farm to school programs are successful is if there is buyin from the whole community.

Support from the school administrators, teachers, parents and community are essential to start a program and sustain it.

If there is no farm to school program yet at your school, ask for it, help organize it. There is plenty of help and resources, either here at the Department of Agriculture, Division of Food and Nutrition, Rutgers Cooperative Extension office or the community.

Editor’s Note: Douglas H. Fisher is New Jersey’s Secretary of Agriculture. He is the department’s executive officer, secretary to the State Board of Agriculture and a member of the Governor’s cabinet. Secretary Fisher fulfills executive, management and administrative duties prescribed by law, executive order or gubernatorial direction. He can be reached at 609.292.3976. For more info, please visit: http://www. state.nj.us/agriculture

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October, 2015 5

6 October, 2015 (Part I appeared in the September issue and covered lawn assessment, soil testing and fertilization.)

Last month’s article mentioned the assets of a lush, green lawn. Besides its aesthetic value, a healthy turf holds soil in place and allows rainwater infiltration.

Both aspects protect water bodies from sediment and nutrients running off during rain events. However, while a healthy lawn can reduce environmental impacts, vigilance is required to ensure that lawn maintenance doesn’t do the reverse.

Soil Amendments The application of organic matter, typically in the form of compost or peat, helps retain nutrients and water in the soil for use by plants and organisms. Soil testing measures the quantity of organic matter in soil and determines how much material should be applied. Manurebased composts are much higher in phosphate than plant composts and can contribute to phosphate-nutrient pollution of water bodies.

Fertilizer, lime and compost are applied to the surface (top-dressed) of established lawns. The nutrient content of fertilizers is relatively high, so

RUTGERS NJAES/RCE

GardenerNews.com

From the Director’s Desk

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

Fall Lawn Maintenance, Part II the quantity applied is much less than lime or compost.

Despite the relatively small quantities of fertilizer applied, there are situations that can result in run-off. Be careful to only apply fertilizer to the lawn, and sweep any product that lands on the driveway, sidewalk or street back onto the grass. Avoid fertilizing near water, storm drains or drainage ditches. Fertilizers should not be applied if a heavy rain storm is expected.

New Jersey law requires that specialty fertilizers for turf sold at retail must not contain phosphate and be formulated with at least 20 percent of the nitrogen in a slow release form. Follow the fertilizer label instructions on how to apply so that no more than 0.7 pounds of water-soluble nitrogen or more than 0.9 pounds of total nitrogen per 1,000 square feet is applied.

These quantities represent the maximum amount that won’t harm the grass or increase the risk of nitrogen leaching or runoff entering a nearby water body. As a further protection of water quality, New Jersey law also prohibits applications of fertilizer by homeowners after November 15 and before March 1, when frozen ground can impede absorption.

Mowing Improper mowing worsens environmental stress and pest problems. The most common mistake is mowing too short.

Weeds increase, the turf is more susceptible to drought and temperature extremes and diseases and insects cause more damage when grasses are mowed too low. Lawns are easier to maintain when mowed at two and a half to three inches. It is beneficial to leave the mower clippings on the lawn. Decomposed

clippings return nutrients back to the soil and grass.

Mow frequently enough that clippings do not clump on top of the grass and smother it (once a week to twice a month for slower growing lawns).

Irrigation New seedings require frequent irrigation (as often as daily in dry, warm weather) until the root system becomes established, with spring and summer seedings requiring more irrigation.

Healthy, established lawns growing on healthy, loamy soil don’t need a lot of irrigation to maintain vigorous growth in New Jersey. Healthy lawns can even survive short drought periods without water by developing dormancy (turn tan-brown).

Good irrigation practices on established lawns include watering deeply to wet to the three- to four-inch soil

depth. Irrigate infrequently, letting the surface dry before the next watering. Footprints in the grass that don’t spring back within a few minutes are a symptom of early drought stress and an indicator to irrigate. The time between irrigation events decreases as days get longer and warmer (spring into summer) and then lengthen as summer transitions into autumn (shorter, cooler days). Don’t apply water more rapidly than the soil can absorb it. Runoff is wasted water and can move nutrients off the lawn into nearby water bodies.

Daily irrigation requires an understanding of the quantity of water applied and used by the lawn (evapotranspiration) and close monitoring of the weather forecast to be done properly. Without this attention, daily irrigation is typically a wasteful practice and ultimately harms the lawn. Thus, the practice of daily irrigation is best managed by professionals and is not recommended for homeowners.

Editor’s Note: This month’s column is written by Dr. James A. Murphy, Extension Specialist in Turfgrass Management in the Department of Plant Biology and Pathology.

Rutgers-bred Dogwood Hybrids Formally Named After Legendary Breeder Elwin Orton and Rutgers University Finally, two hybrid species of flowering dogwood developed by renowned Rutgers breeder Elwin Orton have been formally named after him and Rutgers University, which supported his prolific breeding career that spanned almost 50 years.

The two Rutgers dogwood hybrids, Cornus × elwinortonii and Cornus × rutgersensis, were developed by Orton decades ago and have finally been provided with scientific names in a paper published in the open-access journal, PhytoKeys, for horticulturists and garden lovers worldwide to add to their lexicon.

The formal announcement of the new scientific names for the now commonly grown hybrids across the United States, Europe and Japan was made by Robert Mattera, plant biology student in the Rutgers Graduate School–New Brunswick and USAID research and innovation fellow of the Centers for Global Advancement and International Affairs at Rutgers; Tom Molnar, geneticist and associate professor in the Department of Plant Biology and Pathology; and Lena Struwe, botanist and associate professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources and the Department of Plant Biology and Pathology.

Orton, professor emeritus of plant biology and pathology and well-known breeder of woody ornamentals, was inducted into the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame in 2012. To date, he’s earned more than 15 patents for new cultivars of dogwoods and holly he developed, earning the university over $2.03 million in cumulative royalties.

New Jersey Educator Donates Historic U.S. Soils Collection to National Agriculture Library On Aug. 19, fifty people including staff from the University of Maryland, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Agriculture Library (NAL), members of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Professional Soil Scientists, Rutgers University, and the Firman E. Bear Soil and Water Conservation Society gathered at the NAL for a ceremony to convey a historic 1916 U.S. soils collection. The donor, Jill Guenther, a Vineland, NJ educator, donated a historic collection of U.S. soils to the Library where the collection will be archived for safekeeping, included in Library exhibits, and available upon request for onsite inspection.

After a welcome from Acting NAL Director Stan Kosecki and opening remarks from ARS National Program Leader Sally M. Schneider, NRCS Assistant Chief Kirk Hanlin and Deputy Chief for SSRA David Smith shared their insights into the importance of soil education in the past, present and future and their enthusiasm for this donation. Jill Guenther also spoke and was then presented with a certificate commemorating her donation.

Stephanie Murphy, director of the Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory and president of the Firman E. Bear Soil and Water Conservation Society, attended the event.

The soil sample collection was sent out by U.S. Bureau of Soils “for use of schools and colleges teaching of agriculture and physical geography” and represented the “principal agricultural soils of the United States.” With the collection is a bulletin, “Important Soils of the United States,” which was already in the NAL – yet without a soils collection. Murphy added, “It’s possible that some of the soils are from New Jersey; for example, Sassafras series is one used to represent ‘Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Province’.”

The 1916 U.S. soils collection will be preserved in NAL’s Special Collections, available at special events and by appointment.

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October, 2015 7

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October, 2015 9

Loopy For Lupines

By Jeannie Geremia Garden Club of New Jersey A long-anticipated trip with my family to Maine, St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick, Canada, and Prince Edward Island, Canada, reaffirmed that I am definitely a “basket case” when it comes to Lupines.

Mind you that our vacation was at the end of August, long after Lupines are in bloom, but the sheer delight I experienced upon seeing the leaves and spent brown stalks of Lupines literally dotting the landscape and reaching to the shore sent me into an explosion of ecstasy as I described to my incredulous husband, daughter and granddaughter just how beautiful they are and how magnificent they were in June and early-July.

My daughter, Nancy, and granddaughter, Amanda, feel that the spirit of Anne of Green Gables author Lucy Maud Montgomery who passed away the year I was born, somehow connected with me.

I certainly feel at home in the glorious Maritime Provinces of Canada, the Bay of Fundy and the Passamaquoddy Bay area of Maine.

The highlight of this 10-day trip was the Sunday we spent in St. Andrews-by-theSea, New Brunswick, touring Kingsbrae Garden, one of the top-10 botanical gardens in Canada, via their floral carpet ride with our young tour guide, Jonah, pointing out the fabulous special gardens in our journey. We were thrilled to learn that the 27-acre display gardens utilize new and old gardening styles, eschewing herbicides and pesticides by using beneficial insects. Each morning, the Kingsbrae staff release thousands of Canadian grown lady bugs in their rose garden to eliminate pests.

The old fashioned roses with their magnificent scent and enormous rose hips were

just a delight. The alpacas, frolicking among the visitors and dancing in and out of a lawn sprinkler (it was a warm day), followed by a bevy of ducks, added to the sheer joy of the day.

Following our garden excursion, we embarked on an evening whale watch cruise with Quoddy Link. Turns out we couldn’t have picked a better time of day as we were the only tour to see whales that day. The Bay of Fundy excursion included not only sightings of a Minke whale, but also four or five Finback whales, countless porpoises, myriad seals, the Campobello Island lighthouse, gorgeous rainbows (no rain) and a magnificent eagle atop a pine tree on the shore of East Port, Maine. Wow! Traveling through New Brunswick was a revelation as, unlike so many areas in the U.S. that seem to think spraying with herbicides along our roadsides and browning up the countryside is the optimum solution to controlling weeds, they use big machines to clear cut alongside their roads.

They do this to keep trees from growing too close to the roadways as trees cover 84 percent of New Brunswick.

We felt like we were back in time as we travelled to our next destination, Georgetown, Prince Edward Island. We were thrilled to see fields of Queen Anne’s lace, red clover, and a riot of wildflowers, including goldenrod and the aforementioned remnants of sweeps of Lupines. Farms dot the island with field after field of potatoes, the prime agricultural crop of Prince Edward Island. The roadsides are pristine with no evidence of pesticide and herbicides making it a veritable nature lover’s dream. Alas, though, much to my dismay, I found out that potatoes are a chemically intense commodity as they are hosts to many diseases and insect devastation. Garth and

Lynn, gardeners at St. Peter’s Inn, told me that they were happy to have two honey bee hives that pollinated their gorgeous flower beds and helped produce a bumper crop of vegetables. Garth alerted me to the neonicotinoid problem that beekeepers and gardeners are experiencing because of their intense use by potato and corn farmers. He told me that a class action lawsuit of $750,000,000 had been filed by a beekeeper acquaintance to stop the assault on our pollinators. Aubrey Brown, our Georgetown Inn keeper, told me how Prince Edward Island is considering going pesticide-free to keep the island a healthy and desired location for its citizens as well as for its thousands of visitors.

We were directed to a bird sanctuary unlike any we’ve seen, as it was the life’s work of an avid outdoorsman and naturalist, Harvey Moore. Harvey established a bird sanctuary for migratory waterfowl in 1949 and a decade later welcomed an estimated 6,000 birds, many of which overwintered at the site with Harvey caring for the injured, handfeeding them and banding them without using traps. His wife, Dot, and son Charles carried on his legacy by turning it over to Prince Edward Island.

Editor’s Note: Jeannie Geremia is the Community Gardens Chair, the Butterflies & BeeGAP Chair, and the Backyard Wildlife Habitat Chair for the Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc., and is a National Garden Club Accredited Flower Show Judge for the GCNJ. Jeannie is the GCNJ 2016 Flower Show Chair and can be reached by emailing: jeannieg42@earthlink.net Garden Club of New Jersey website is: www.gardenclubofnewjersey.com and phone number is: 732-249-0947.

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10 October, 2015

GardenerNews.com Unique Plants

Spuddy Buddy and Avocados

By Bob LaHoff Nursery Specialist

“Fruity Pebbles” “Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles are brands of breakfast cereal introduced by Post Foods in 1971 featuring characters from the animated series The Flinstones as spokestoons. Fruity Pebbles contains crisp rice cereal bits that come in a variety of fruit flavors” (Wikipedia).

Viburnum is a fantastic group of plants, numbering about 130-ish, with too many cultivars to count, and are great problem solvers! Big or small, sun or shade, evergreen or deciduous, deer resistant and flowers that are either intoxicatingly fragrant or bearably tolerant, Viburnum seems to have it all. And with all that this fabulous group can offer, it is their fruit displays in the autumn and winter that have always held my attention the most. Displays of multi-colored fruit so bright, it has always conjured up images of “Fruity Pebbles” in my mind.

Viburnum dentatum “Christom,” Blue Muffin Arrowwood Viburnum, is a moderate grower, just three to five feet tall and wide, making it suitable for residential foundation plantings. A deciduous beauty adorning white flowers in May and June, followed by an abundant fruit display, “Christom” is my favorite of the runts. Intense pea-sized blue berries mature in the later part of the summer, persisting well into the fall, and are attractive to butterflies and birds.

Viburnum dilatum “Henneke,” Cardinal Candy Viburnum, is another moderate grower with creamy white flowers in May and June. A full sun/part shade plant, this Linden Viburnum is suitable for medium-sized screenings. Cardinal Candy offers improved hardiness over other dilatum types and produces abundant amounts of bright red fruit this time of year.

Viburnum dilatum “Michael Dodge,” Michael Dodge Linden Viburnum, was so named after him and selected by Winterthur Garden, where he had worked at the time of the selection. Perhaps the most dramatic selection, showcasing rich, bright-yellow fruit against a backdrop of scarlet-red fall foliage. This five- to six-foot-tall and wide selection prefers full to partial sun. Incidentally, Linden Viburnum have their common name as their leaves resemble that of Linden trees, Tilia.

Viburnum nudum “Winterthur,” Winterthur Possumhaw Viburnum, tolerates virtually any soil composition. Appreciative of sun to part shade, “Winterthur” is an introduction of Winterthur Gardens in Delaware and winner of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal in 1991. Aromatic white flowers are followed by clusters of ovoid fruit that change color as they ripen. Morphing from light-pink to dark-pink to blue and eventually purplish-black, these fruits are highlighted against its maroon to dark-purple leaves.

Viburnum prunifolium, Blackhaw Viburnum, gives another representation to our native plant lovers out there. A large, upright Viburnum, 10 to 15 feet tall and six to 12 feet wide, Blackhaw has been known to touch 30 feet in a tree form. A non-fragrant variety, Blackhaw has remarkable blue-black, berry-like drupes, which often persist into the winter helping to satisfy wildlife appetites. The fruits are, in fact, edible and often used in preserves and jams.

Finally my personal favorite, Viburnum rhytidophyllum “Cree,” Leatherleaf Viburnum “Cree.” This evergreen selection, introduced in 1994 by the National Arboretum, has coarse, quilted, dark-green leaves and is extremely deer-resistant.

Expect gorgeous red fruit to turn a shiny black in our colder months. A compact selection of the species, “Cree’s” leaves do not roll or curl, even in our most harsh winters.

Viburnum is truly a family for everyone. “A garden without Viburnum is akin to life without music or art” (Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, Michael Dirr).

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.

TH/Photo

Tom Castronovo, right, executive editor and publisher of the Gardener News, was presented with a 36-inch plush Spuddy Buddy from Seth Pemsler, vice president of Retail/ International, Idaho Potato Commission, at the Eastern Produce Council’s dinner meeting, held at the Stony Hill Inn in Hackensack, Bergen County, N.J., on September 9.

The Idaho Potato Commission and Avocados from Mexico co-sponsored the meeting.

The Idaho Potato Commission is one of the oldest and strongest produce associations in the United States, formed 78 years ago to promote and support the Idaho Potato Industry. Each year, 300,000 acres of Idaho potatoes are harvested. That’s about 13 billion pounds of potatoes. And the average American eats approximately 110 pounds of potatoes each year.

Mexico is the leading source of fresh Avocados in the U.S. and the only brand that produces avocados yearround, thanks to Mexico’s rich, volcanic soil and unique growing conditions that allow trees to naturally bloom multiple times a year.

With a current membership of over 450 members, today’s Eastern Produce Council is a thriving produce organization whose members include retailers, wholesale distributors, growers, vendors/brokers, logistics and transportation professionals, as well as commodity groups, food service and other associations.

Founded in 1966 in New York City, the Eastern Produce Council was originally known as the Produce Sales Club. The founding members recognized the need to form a group in order to collaborate and share common practices among the market trade of fresh produce.

As the need grew and the organization developed, there was a commitment to engage more people and establish membership. With a larger group and membership, the Produce Sales Club was able to provide quality services and programs that benefited and enhanced the competitiveness of its members. Members at that time consisted of retailers and wholesalers of fresh fruit and produce.

Three years after formation, the organization was growing, and the Produce Sales Club changed its name to the Eastern Produce Council.

GardenerNews.com My older sister Kathleen was sharing some interesting stinky rose information with me and I had her write it down. From Kathleen; This is what I know about Garlic: Separated into cloves you want to plant in the fall, as you would daffodils, around the end of September or early October, in the ground root end down. Fertilize the garlic bed with composted material so the soil is nutrient rich.

Garlic will grow all spring and summer and when the top few leaves start to brown you can harvest, about the 3rd week in July, later is OK. Well before harvesting, the scapes or flower heads will appear, cut those off at least 6 or 8 inches from the flower (you can make lovely pesto with these, or cut up in anything you are cooking for added flavor).

If you leave the scapes on, the garlic bulbs will be smaller when harvested.

After harvesting, leave stems attached for about 2 weeks, hanging them in a dry place to cure (then they will last all winter). When they are somewhat dry looking, after hanging 2 weeks, brush

October, 2015 11 The Miscellaneous Gardener

By Richard W. Perkins (with an exerpt from Kathleen Perkins Bird)

Freelance Writer

The Stinky Rose and Other Stinky Stuff them off, cut back stems to just a few inches, trim roots and store in a dry place until you are ready to use.

I plant around 60 cloves, approximately 5 per head, in order to get enough to eat over the winter and have enough to plant. You can find garlic everywhere and all of it should grow when planted. Good luck! And, another thing, deer, rabbits, woodchucks, etc.... do NOT eat garlic! XO, Kathleen.

On to stinky topic number=two.

I have a compost pile in my backyard, and so do a lot of others that I know. Well, a nearby town recently sent out an advertising telling us that they will come pick up our compost, just like our trash and our recycling is picked up. I have a small yard and

my compost pile gets big, ergo I would indeed like to reduce it. The advertisement informed me that nationally, Americans waste a lot of food and estimates are that only 4 percent of food waste that could be composted actually is. Only 4 percent!

In a nutshell, compost is decomposed organic matter.

Composting is a natural process of recycling organic material such as leaves and table scraps into a rich soil amendment that gardeners fondly nickname Black Gold. Compost energizes the soil food web, which is made up of microscopic bacteria and fungi, along with earthworms, crickets and many other life forms.

Many fungi form symbiotic, or mutually rewarding, partnerships with plant

roots, making it possible for vegetables to feed themselves more efficiently.

Research shows that compost enhances the ability of tomatoes and other vegetables to stand up to common diseases and may improve their flavor and nutrition, too. Compost also helps the soil retain moisture.

Through composting you enhance your garden’s ability to grow healthy plants while reducing your volume of trash.

Compost Economics 101: Cured compost delivered can go as high as $80 per cubic yard, and it is in great demand here in Maine! Everyone has a garden, flower bed, etc.

OK, on to the stinky/ tricky part. I mix my browns with my greens, meaning I throw all my meat scraps,

chicken carcasses, etc. in my compost pile. What is stupid easy to dump into the backyard wooden compost box has to make it to the street in a container that has a lid on it, but is that raccoonproof? It wasn’t, but it is now, maybe. The other factor is that once the container is empty, that stinks as well and needs to be cleaned with soap. I can drop off or have it picked up, but dropping it off means I do not leave it out on the street for any amount of time, which can and does create what is called a vector problem, after it is splattered all over the street by the raccoons. “Vector problem” is a way of saying rodents and insects that may carry disease, and that is a public No-No. Anyway, I solved my stinky “vector” problem by delivering it. Towns supplying a great product and making money on my garbage is a cool thing. Does it happen in your town too?

Thanks for reading and see ya next month.

Editors Note: Check out Richard’s photography at; rwperkinsphotography.com

Chelone – Tough as a Tortoise October is a challenging time for the gardener. Many plants are starting to decline due to the shortening days, the chilly night temperatures or perhaps from a tired gardener who simply wishes to put the garden to bed for the winter.

For these reasons, it is important to include a diversity of plants in the garden, including some which will perform well during these challenging autumnal conditions. One of our native plants, Chelone, or Turtlehead, is a great plant for the autumn garden. Not only does it provide floral interest, but this easy-care perennial looks great until the heavy frosts of November.

Chelone is a member of the Plantaginaceae, or Plantain Family, and it is pronounced such that it rhymes with “baloney.” Fortunately, its similarity ends there! The genus name Chelone was selected

by Karl Linnaeus (17071778) and is from the Greek

Khelônê, meaning “tortoise.”

The term was popular in Greek mythology since Khelônê was the name of a nymph that Zeus turned into a tortoise.

The Chelone family consists of four to six species, all of which are native to North America. One of the more common species for the garden is Chelone lyonii. The species is found throughout the southeastern region of North America and it honors John Lyon (1765-1814), a Scottish-born botanist who initially managed the 300-acre garden of William Hamilton outside of Philadelphia and subsequently botanized the Southern Appalachians until his untimely death in Ashville, N.C. In 1813, the plant was described and authored by Frederick Pursh (1774-1820), a German-born botanist who befriended John Lyon at the Hamilton Garden and became manager following Lyon’s departure. Lyon’s Turtlehead is hardy in Zones 3-8 and grows from two to three feet tall. The light-green foliage is visually somewhat course, with dentate

margins and clothes the stems from the base to the tip.

Come late-August through September, the tips of the stems develop very compressed racemes of pink flowers. The flowers have an upper and lower “lip,” similar to that of a snapdragon with the anthers and stigma located in the hood or upper lip. The lower lip contains a tuft of yellow hairs that is visible as the flowers open – presumably these hairs catch fallen pollen that both lures and provides food for visiting insects. The flowers are one inch long and a half-inch wide and present a very noticeable and attractive display. When viewed from above, the flowers are triangular and, with imagination, resemble a turtle’s head with its mouth open.

The selection “Hot Lips” has proven to be very popular and rightly so – not only does it sport slightly darker, rosy pink flowers, but it also sports very attractive, dark-green foliage.

“Tiny Tortuga” is a more recent release that remains

at a more diminutive height of 12 to 16 inches, although the flower size is not reduced.

As is true of all the species, Chelone lyonii thrives in soils that are high in organic matter and remain relatively moist.

In moister locations, they will perform well in full sun, otherwise a lightly shaded site is preferred. Chelone spreads mildly by rhizomes yielding a relatively tall groundcover over time, although it is far from invasive. Plants will also self-seed if the site is ideal!

Another great Turtle Head for the Garden is Chelone glabra. This species has smooth or glabrous foliage and is native to Eastern North America, including Canada.

Similar in overall size and hardiness to Chelone lyonii, the flower racemes are typically much longer and produce attractive pink-blushed white flowers from late-August into October. The size and shape of the flowers are identical to its cousin. I first saw this plant in late-August lining the moist areas adjacent to a ski trail in Vermont. It was stunning!

Chelone is not only an attractive, garden-worthy plant, it is also an important food source for one of our pollinators, the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly.

Chelone looks great in combination with Amsonia, Clethra, Hosta, Itea and other ironclad plants that not only appreciate moist sites, but will provide wonderful interest with little effort for the weary autumn gardener.

Editor’s Note: Bruce Crawford is a lover of plants since birth; is the managing director of the Rutgers Gardens, a 180-acre outdoor teaching classroom, horticultural research facility and arboretum; an adjunct professor in Landscape Architecture at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; regularly participates in the Rutgers – Continuing Education Program; and the immediate pastpresident of the Garden State Gardens Consortium. He can be reached at (732) 932-8451. For more information, please visit www.rutgersgardens.rutgers.edu

12 October, 2015 With the end of summer upon us, we can foresee the cold winter temperatures will soon be here.

Since fall planting is our current focus, we need to decide what we will install to bring us a beautiful color display this spring.

What to plant where becomes a question many property owners ask, and a good thing they do.

With the changeable and dry summer weather we just endured, many of our landscape plants will need replacing. The most important component in installing landscape plants is planning.

When planning your fall planting look at which plants did not survive this summer’s extreme conditions and think about what can be done to improve these areas moving forward. The exposure is probably most important when thinking of replacing, but right with that is the soil and drainage.

We have found many sites that had plant failures due to poor soil conditions. This could be something as simple as plants raised out of the ground and planted in berms which did not hold moisture. Knowing why plants are bermed up and what can be done to alleviate these conditions will go a long way in ensuring future planting success.

Many times tight, rocky soils are the reason. If so, more excavation, soil replacement and the possible installation of drainage could help

Early-spring bulbs are the first flowers to emerge when winter breaks. Crocus, to be exact, are the first ones to emerge out of the soil.

Many times, when you get a couple of consecutive days of warm temps (in lateMarch or early-April) they can pop through a snowcovered ground to show that spring is near. They are quick bloomers, like a bottle rocket in the sky. They pop up fast and bloom and then they are gone. They have brilliant colors of blues, purples and whites. You can say they are like the referee at the starting line and they fire off their gun. BANG! and spring is off. Then tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, muscari, and certain bulb iris fall right behind them and show off their magnificent display of color.

While these bulb plants are available for sale in pots all winter long, from January through April to be enjoyed in the home, to plant them in the gardens and landscapes, the best time to do this is right now.

October is the best month to plant early-spring flowering

GardenerNews.com The Landscaper

By Evan Dickerson Landscape Professional

Fall Planting Brings Spring Splendor make these berms less needed.

A soil test is the only way to know for sure what is going on in the soil and what amendments are needed to balance the soil and keep plants healthy. The soil test recommendations and amendments can be addressed when this excavation process takes place. Proper hydration is a key component to be included in this process as well.

Now that the major plants have been planned, be sure to include the first signs of color, spring flowering bulbs. The simplest installation of bulbs must be thoughtfully laid out for location, color, size and blooming period.

Location becomes important since most bulbs are deer and rodent candy. Daffodils, Grape Hyacinths, Allium, Crocus, Dwarf Iris, Frittilaria, Puschkinia, Winter Aconite, Snowdrops, Lillies of the Valley and Scillas are good choices for any areas that deer

frequent. Deer will browse just about any plants but these are the least appetizing to them. An adequate amount of sunlight is helpful and good drainage is important as well.

Once the location is selected a simple layout of the beds can be made with varieties and quantity listed. We like to plant bulbs tighter than recommended to ensure a blast of color when spring arrives. This is a matter of taste and design. With spring bulbs there are almost as many height differences as there are varieties. This affords you the chance to create pockets of color that seem to come and go as the different height bulbs bloom.

When planted in mass using the different heights, this can create the illusion of many separate areas. The view from inside the house cannot be forgotten as well. Installing the taller bulbs to the center of an open bed and tapering to the house and the

other directions is striking.

The diverse colors of bulbs help create many interesting combinations. A little experimenting can make this planning process exciting, or you can draw on the experience of the landscape professional to design the color palate of your bulb installation. Whether installing bright masses of different colored bulbs or blending many colors into one planted area, the combinations are endless.

Finally, the blooming period can set off the final elements in the design. If there is enough room to extend the blooming period late into the spring, then there will always be color emerging from within the planted areas. The blooming period can be as simply manipulated as using different styles of tulips in an area and letting them emerge at different times creating waves of color or using the different varieties within these areas to create a mixture of

The Professional Grower

By Tim Hionis Greenhouse Specialist

Planting Spring Bulbs bulbs outdoors. This gives the bulbs enough time to get established in the ground before the ground freezes over. When the ground freezes over, it is much more painstaking labor to get a shovel or trowel in the ground.

Will the bulb survive if you wait until winter? Most likely it should survive, but why give yourself a harder time? It is best to do it now.

But why do you have to plant them now, why not wait till earl- spring to plant?

You cannot take a tulip, hyacinth, daffodil etc. bulb and plant in early-spring and think it will bloom.

These bulbs need a cooling period in order to provide their beautiful flowers. This stage of growing them is crucial to their success.

How to plant them in the landscape? Flowering bulbs prefer well-drained fertile soil.

Unsure if the soil you are planting is desirable for them, it is best to amend your soil with some garden soil, topsoil, or compost mix from your local garden center. By amending your soil, I mean to add fresh soil with your existing soil and tilling them together.

Next step is digging holes three to six inches deep and placing your bulbs in them. Keep in mind you want to place them in the right direction. Make sure the wider part of the bulb is down and the tip or point of the bulb is up toward the sky. Keep in mind if you do wind up planting a lot of them upside-down

by mistake, no need to go back and correct, they will naturally turn themselves around and still pop out of the ground. You may lose uniformity in the landscape but they will still show.

Bulbs know how to fight gravity and get themselves out of the ground.

The third step is to backfill your holes with loose, well-drained fertile soil. The forth step is to water in the freshly planted bulbs. And the fifth step is to protect your bulbs from critters and animals.

Remember it is winter and food sources become scarce for animals and the worst thing to find out is something came and ate all your hard work before you even get a chance to see you what you had sown.

sizes, heights, color and blooming period. Again, your landscape professional is available to bring the planning of spring bulbs to an explosion of color next spring.

Once our spring beds are planned and installed, our attention can focus on the winter.

A fall inspection of your property should include looking at how the ornamental plants have survived the rigors of the drought this season. The fall season is a perfect time to feed these plants, trees and shrubs with a dormant organic fertilizer. After making sure they are properly watered, the root systems will absorb and increase in mass even if the plants are not actively growing.

The health and vigor of the plants will be improved when the spring arrives.

Looking ahead to next season now and planning these fall installation tasks can help your landscape weather the extremes of cold and heat which will invariably come up in the future months and ensure a vibrant start to your landscape next spring.

Editor’s Note: Evan Dickerson is owner of Dickerson Landscape Contractors and NaturesPro of North Plainfield.

He has been pioneering the organic approach to plant health since 1972. Evan can be reached at 908-753-1490

There are a number of ways to keep them away. There are numerous repellants and fencing products that can be put to keep animals away.

Bury or put a fencing mesh that has opening enough for the bulbs to poke through and small enough the critters can’t get their claws or teeth into. I find wide chicken wire or something of that sort works well.

Last but not least, remember that when the winter gets cold and dreary and you need something to remind you of spring, there are the potted tulips, hyacinths and daffodils at your local store that you can bring home and remind you that spring is coming.

Also, you could always plant ready bulbs from growers when the weather breaks if you forget to do it now.

Editor’s Note: Tim Hionis has been growing plants for over 20 years, and is co-owner of Hionis Greenhouses and Garden Center in Whitehouse Station, NJ. He can be reached by calling (908) 534-7710.

GardenerNews.com

October, 2015 13

Now accepting tree branches, limbs, trunks, brush and wood chips.

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NOW IS THE TIME TO SEED & FEED YOUR LAWN Black Beauty Fall Magic Grass Seed Mixture is great for starting a new lawn. It also blends well with established lawns to repair summer damage and provide an attractive, thicker and greener lawn.

This hearty mix will grow in both sun and shade, and contains for natural insect resistance.

Winter Survival Fall Fertilizer has a fall and winter feeding formula that keeps your lawn greener later into the year.

It provides a well balanced formula, ideal for winter turf protection. This “true” fall/ winter formula promotes root growth and stores nutrients for spring. Contains humates for root development.

Specially formulated for successful fall seeding!

Ideal to use with a fall seeding!

Available at garden centers and hardware stores in your area.

14 October, 2015

GardenerNews.com

NJBOBCAT.COM

GardenerNews.com

October, 2015 15

16 October, 2015

GardenerNews.com

Yellowjackets: Fall pests in Gardens and Homes

By William A. Kolbe B.C.E. It’s that time of year, when yellowjackets (Vespula germanica), those black and yellow wasps that seem to increase in numbers in the early-fall months of September and October, besiege our homes and gardens.

The reason for the increase in numbers is because the colony begins to produce males for mating purposes. The males of this species are produced to mate with females and then the males die. Females overwinter as fertilized females. After overwintering, and when the weather turns warm, they start their life cycle and make colonies for the upcoming spring. Many of you will experience them this fall when you attend outdoor sporting events such as soccer and other fall sports. The good news is that while irritating, they are welcome visitors in the garden.

Yellowjacket wasps feed their young liquefied insects, with caterpillars, flies and

spiders comprising the largest food groups in the yellow jacket diet during most of the summer. In late- summer, yellow jackets start looking for flower nectar and other sources of sugar, which are necessary nutrients for the next season’s queens. At this point, yellowjackets become an obnoxious presence outdoors, whether they are trying to steal your sandwich or swarming over apple cores in your compost. Preferred food for yellowjackets are honeydew and other sweet substances.

If your garden (or your plants and shrubbery around your home) has a lot of aphids, leafhoppers, treehoppers, scale insects and other plant juice feeders that produce honeydew, yellowjackets and other wasps will be close by to dine on this sweet substance.

The queen of a vigorous yellowjacket colony may lay 25,000 to 30,000 eggs during her lifetime. The same cell may be used two or three times for rearing larvae. Development time to complete the larval and pupal stage is about 30

days. For species that have large colonies, the queen maintains control of the colony with a queen pheromone.

Yellowjackets do not store honey as do bees and some other vespids. They feed their larvae malaxated portions of arthropods, especially insects, and also nectar and honeydew.

Adults feed on nectar, liquid from the larval food, and larval secretions. The first workers to emerge in the colony assume all duties of maintenance and food gathering; the queen confines her activity to laying eggs and remains with the nest. There are three castes in each colony: the queen; males, which are produced from unfertilized eggs; and workers, which are infertile females.

Late in the season, workers build large reproductive cells in which males and queens are produced.

During this period, workers are more aggressive and likely to sting, even when away from the nest.

When new queens and males emerge, they leave the nest and mate. Males die

after mating, and fertilized queens enter a period of reproductive diapause, and in cold climates they overwinter.

They hibernate in protected locations, such as under loose bark of trees, under boards and debris around buildings, and in other peri-domestic locations. Nest construction materials include plant fibers from decayed or weathered wood, the cortex of dead plants, and domestic debris, such as newspaper, cardboard and paper bags. Nest building is continuous until the colony declines.

They do little damage to agricultural crops, except for the cases where their presence disrupts or prevents harvesting.

Yellowjacket stings result in intense pain to most people, and can result in death from anaphylaxis in sensitive individuals. Ground nests of Dolichovespula and Paravespula create problems when they occur in peri-domestic habitats or recreational areas. Belowground nests are usually unnoticed until people and

pets come near or into direct contact with them. Simply allowing selected nests to remain in place is all you must do to receive free pest control service from yellowjackets. Coexisting peacefully with yellowjackets is another issue, especially if you grow tree fruits. Yellow jackets eagerly feed on fallen apples, pears and other fruits, so wear a light glove when cleaning up the orchard. Bury fruit waste beneath two inches of soil, or establish a fruitwaste compost pile far from your house, where the yellow jackets can eat their fill.

Editor’s Note: William A. Kolbe, BCE is a Board Certified Entomologist for Viking Pest Control based out of Warren, NJ. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Entomology with a minor in Ecology from the University of Delaware.

He is a member of The Denville NJ Community Gardens.

He can be reached at 800-618-2847 or visit www.vikingpest.com

GardenerNews.com

October, 2015 17

Creating an Outdoor Native Plant Classroom landscaping practices.

New Jersey Assemblyman Jon Bramnick spoke to me about his wife’s work and her environmental stewardship project late last year.

New Jersey Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman also spoke to me about the Bramnick property. Senator Bateman sits on the states Senate Environment and Energy Committee.

Here are some of the questions that I asked Pat during my visit and what I learned from visiting this outdoor living classroom.

What made you decide to introduce native plants into your property’s landscape?

I introduced native plants on my property because a neighbor tore down 21 mature trees to build an enormous house. I wanted to give back to the birds what they lost in the process.

When did the planting process begin?

The planting process started three years ago after three years of creating artwork to speak for the birds.

How many different species have you incorporated into the landscape? And can you name a few?

There are approximately 20 different species.

Cinnamon ferns, sweet pepperbush, cardinal flower, foxglove, beardtongue, switchgrass, common milkweed, anise hyssop, wild bergamot, partridge pea, Canada goldenrod, beebalm, little bluestem, Joe Pye weed, mountain mint, northern bayberry, and tick-seed sunflower are a few of the species.

Are you a member of any statewide organization?

I am a member of New Jersey Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, The Native Plant Society of New Jersey and the Westfield Green Team.

Have you received any awards for your environmental initiative?

I just received the Richard Kane Conservation Award from New Jersey Audubon for my work to re-scape New

(Continued from page 1) Jersey with Native Habitat.

Do native plants need a lot of maintenance and care?

If you plant your native plants in the appropriate spot depending on their need for shade, sunlight, soil conditions, etc., then they are very hardy and easy to maintain.

Have you been able to cut back on your water bill?

I do not water my lawn or my plants because they are in their native turf. There is no doubt we save on water. I even wash my car in my driveway when it rains. Nature provides a free car wash.

What kind of mulch do you use?

I do not use commercial mulch. I compost my leaves and place them in the beds to feed the soil, protect the roots, and the water runoff. When I cut back my switchgrass and little bluestem, I place the cuttings around the plants as well. This provides winter seeds for the birds and gives the soil necessary nutrients for the next season of growth.

What type of fertilizer do you use?

If I use fertilizer, and that would be only on what remains of my front lawn, it is organic.

I see that you have planted a few species of grass on the front hillside.

Is there a particular reason as to why you chose that location?

I planted switchgrass and little bluestem in the middle of my front lawn because it is deer resistant, beautiful, low-maintenance, provides protection from water runoff, adds nutrients to the soil, provides shelter and food for birds and we have the opportunity to sit on the front porch and observe the many birds that visit to feed and find shelter.

Do you have a lot of pollinators visiting your property now?

I have many pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and birds of many species.

What kinds of birds have now been attracted to your property?

I have seen American goldfinches, which happen to be our state bird, Blackcapped Chickadees, bluebirds, blue jays, cardinals, Carolina wrens, House wrens, Tufted Titmouse, and a fabulous, elegant hawk.

Where do you purchase native plants locally?

I purchased most of my plants from New Jersey Audubon at the Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary in Bernardsville, Rutgers Gardens, Williams Nursery, Dreyers Nursery, Pinelands Nursery, and the Musconetcong Watershed Association. Sometimes I go to the country and collect seeds to scatter as well.

What are your short and long-term goals with the native plantings?

My goal is to educate and inspire my neighbors to change their mindset concerning the suburbs and the natural world by adding natives to their yards, reducing their use of fertilizers, (Cont. on pg. 20)

18 October, 2015 Stilling reeling from such a great summer down here at the Jersey shore! We had absolutely fantastic weather all summer long and last month didn’t disappoint either. Now it’s time for fall, folks.

Fall makes me think of football, comfort foods, fireplaces and our annual trip of pumpkin and apple picking in Colt’s Neck. Great for the kids and fun for adults as well.

It makes for a great family day and it’s fun coming back with all the different varieties of apples available. As you may already know, I am a huge fan of pickyour-own farms. It is just a great experience to show your kids a real farm and where their food comes from. Eastmont Orchards, which is owned by Delicious Orchards market in Colt’s Neck, is a terrific place for apple and pumpkin picking and my family and I have been going there for several years now. There are several others that are worth your while, as well. Just check the internet for pick-your-own farms in New Jersey and you will have a nice list of these types of places throughout the state.

A few facts and a bit of history regarding the apple.

It is no secret that the American population has grown much bigger in the last half century. In 1960, the average American male weighed 166 pounds. In 2010, the average weight had ballooned to over 195 pounds. By the way, the average weight of women has risen as well, going from 140 to 166 pounds! There are a lot of factors that influence this rise, but I have to feel that larger portion sizes are definitely one of the main reasons for this societal weight gain.

I was recently watching a home renovation show on television where some people were remodeling an old farmhouse. When they got to the cabinets in the kitchen, they realized that these cabinets were too small to fit any of their plates. In other words, families 80 or 100 years ago made do with much smaller dishes. And of course, smaller dishes meant smaller portions of food.

But what has caused this growth in portion size? I think a good part of it is our affluence as a society. Our relative costs for food have dropped year

GardenerNews.com From the Deep

By Craig Korb Executive Chef

The apples of autumn’s eye There are over 10,000 different varieties throughout the world.

In New Jersey, we grow approximately 30 varieties, with the Winesap apple being the oldest and dating back to the early 1700s. Apples were originally cultivated here by the settlers of Jamestown and primarily used in the production of cider.

Beside Winesap apples, Jersey also produces more popular types, such as red and golden delicious, Macintosh and the always popular Granny Smith.

Harvesting lasts throughout the fall and Jersey ranks 22nd among the states of the nation in production. Washington State is by far the largest producer, followed by New York. The old saying of “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is becoming more and more true. Studies have shown that apples are a significant source of cancer-

fighting anti-oxidants. Other healthy benefits include being high in fiber, low in calories and full of vitamins, including potassium, folate, niacin and vitamins A,B,C,E and K. Apples naturally pair well with pork. In this case, roasted bacon wrapped pork tenderloin.

This is a relatively easy meal and is great as a fall dinner, with perhaps sautéed spinach as a side dish. I hope you enjoy this recipe. The apple sauce portion of this recipe can be easily manipulated or changed according to your preference. So have fun with this, go pick your own apples for it and enjoy!

Roasted bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with homemade applesauce. Serves 2.

For the apple sauce4-5 fresh apples (preferably braeburn, Cortland, Macintosh, golden delicious or Fuji, to

name a few) peeled, cored and large chopped 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 3/4 cup of sugar 1 cinnamon stick water -combine everything in a medium sauce pan. Add enough water to come about half way up the apples.

-bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

-cook like this until apples break down and desired consistency is achieved, this may take 45 minutes or so.

For the roasted pork 1lb. or so of fresh pork tenderloin 4-5 slices of good, center cut bacon 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper light olive or vegetable oil, as needed

The Town Farmer

By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

Portion Size after year, to where we now spend the smallest percentage of our income on food than we ever have. We now readily pay more for convenience, which in turn, has spurred a proliferation of restaurants and prepared foods. Food marketing executives have sought to increase their sales by making their products more attractive, and in many instances, this means making them larger.

This increase in portion sizes has greatly influenced American agriculture as well.

Historically, growers have usually been paid a premium for supplying larger size fruits and vegetables into the marketplace. Retailers are the ones who pushed this preference. If a customer needs to buy a tomato, the retailer would much rather

that they purchased one that weighed a pound, instead of a half of a pound. At the retail level, larger size usually leads to larger profits.

At the grower level, this mentality means that not only are you rewarded for larger produce, but that you are penalized for smaller products. Any offerings that are deemed to be too small by the retail buyers are usually diverted to discount status or to processing channels, where the growers receive much less in the way of compensation. That is just the way the market works.

If there were buyers lined up looking for small sizes of fruit, growers would be happy to grow them. Never mind that the average 8 year old can barely finish half an apple that is commonly available in

supermarkets today. Produce buyers know that parents will gladly slightly overpay, and then discard the uneaten remainder, just to ensure that their children do not go hungry while they are still eating a nutritious diet.

Forty years ago, the optimal sized peach that was grown here in New Jersey was 2¼ inches in diameter. Today, the most sought-after size is 2¾ inches and larger. While this half-inch might not seem like much, just remember that in one 25 pound box, there are approximately 80-percent more fruit of the 2¼ inch size than there are of the 2¾ inch size. That’s a lot more peach and a lot fewer pits!

But what all of this really means is that the American food industry has raised the average portion size for quite

-preheat oven to 400 degrees -season pork tenderloin with the thyme, salt and black pepper.

-wrap bacon around tender loin, tucking the ends into one another. Repeat with all of the bacon, or as much as needed, until tenderloin is completely wrapped.

-in a medium to large nonstick pan set on high for a few minutes, sear the pork in a teaspoon of oil until lightly browned on all sides -transfer to a baking sheet or Pyrex dish and cook until a thermometer reads 135 degrees in the center of pork.

-remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

-serve with the applesauce and enjoy!

Editor’s Note: Craig Korb is executive chef at The Crab’s Claw Inn, Lavallette, New Jersey. He has an Associates degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelors degree in Food Service Management from Johnson and Wales University. For more information visit www.TheCrabsClaw.com or phone (732) 793-4447. a few fruits and vegetables.

Sure the “recommended serving sizes,” which are set by the USDA, may have stayed the same, but because the actual size of the fruit has increased, I think it is fair to say that, by and large, people are consuming larger portions of fruits and vegetables. Is this a bad thing? Probably not. Especially when you consider that 50 years ago, the average bottle of soda was eight ounces and today most bottles of soda are a whopping 20 ounces! So maybe it isn’t so bad to eat fruits and vegetables after all!

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

GardenerNews.com October is a great month to still renovate and improve your lawn. If you planned on seeding this fall, September would have been the absolute best time to seed, but then October is the next best time to apply grass seed. Let’s explore why this is so.

The first frost tends to arrive in early-October in many areas like the Disney character Elsa singing in Frozen, “Let it go…” October frost is a sad reminder that winter is soon around the corner.

But this first frost can also be viewed as good news because it kills any existing crabgrass in your lawn. Crabgrass likes hot, dry, sunny weather, so when Mother Nature produces frost, crabgrass leaves start to turn purple and then eventually to brown, straw-like spider leg runners a few weeks later. These crabgrass plants can be raked and the soil loosened, producing nice mulch to seed into.

Be sure to create good seed-to-soil contact for best results.

October, 2015 19 Turf ‘s Up

By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

It’s not too late….

Cool nights and rainy days help grow newly sown grass seed. What about soil temperature?

All summer long, the sun has been beating down on the ground, making it warm. Grass roots will grow deep into the soil, so you can establish a strong stand of grass before next summer’s drought. Don’t worry, the first frost will not stop newly seeded grass seed from growing vigorously!

Did you get a soil test done on your property?

Why are you spending a lot of money on lawn supplies if your soil dos not have the correct soil pH value to grow grass vigorously? Grass likes a soil pH rage of 6.2 to 6.8. Apply calcium-based

products to raise soil pH or elemental sulfur-based products to lower soil pH. What about finally correcting any drainage problems? If you have wet, low spots, consider filling them in with proper grading. Be sure if you introduce any new topsoil that you do not just spread it on the top of your yard.

Do your best to mix the new soil into the existing soil to create better quality soil deep down.

Core aeration or thatching is best done in the fall, NOT the spring. This is because many weeds have been through their life cycle. Aeration and thatching will disturb the soil profile and a lot more weeds tend to establish in the spring than the fall,

competing with the newly planted grass for growing space. Maybe you need to rent a slit-seeder to create a better environment for the grass to grow? This type of machine slices through any existing grass or dead thatch, placing the seed nicely into rows right in the soil. Remember, we need good seed-to soil contact for optimum seeding results. Share the trip to the rental store with a neighbor or two to reduce rental costs.

If you did not apply any fertilizer in September, do so in October. If you did apply fertilizer in September, you can apply a winter-type feeding formula late in October or early-November for best grass grow-in results. This

helps prepare the lawn for the cold winter months ahead so it can survive and also to green-up your lawn next spring.

It’s not too late to start to create good lawn sanitation conditions.

As you go into late-fall mowing, remember to slowly reduce your mowing height and remove clippings and leaves on the lawn in order to reduce the chance of snow mold damage. As pine needles drop, remove them so you do not smother the good grass and to reduce their soil acidifying effect on the soil pH. I know football season is in full swing, but your lawn is here forever. If you want to take a few months off from doing anything on your lawn, please choose the winter months, not October!

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

Mystery Native Plant

By Hubert Ling What common but greatly underutilized hardy garden shrub has yellow, orange or red leaves in fall? Then it produces fragrant, orange, pink or yellow flowers. This plant is just about the only shrub to bloom in late-fall and late-winter. It is the only plant in North America which has flowers, ripe fruit and next year’s buds all together at the same time.

Have you guessed it? It’s witch hazel! The Ozark witch hazel blooms in February, while our native New Jersey witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, blooms in October and November for four to six weeks. Thus you can extend your native garden blooming season from February to November. The distinctive witch hazel flower clusters are formed from twisted, thin, yellow ribbon-like petals projecting out in all directions to create delicate

pom-poms, which look like miniature party decorations.

Asian species of witch hazel are also becoming popular, but they lack the delightful spicy fragrance of our native species.

The yellow petals and nectar placed near the pollenbearing stamens indicate that these plants were insectpollenated, but careful observations never found any consistent pollinator.

This genuine mystery lasted for many years until the persistent naturalist, Bernd Heinrich, reported in 1987 that winter flying owlet moths (family Noctuidae, genus Eupsilia) pollinate the Ozark and our New Jersey witch hazel during the night.

These remarkable moths can raise their internal body temperature 63°F or more and fly any winter night which is above freezing.

Owlet moths raise their body temperature the same way we do, by shivering, and thus are affectionately named shivering moths.

Our native New Jersey witch hazel is widespread throughout Eastern North America. It is a large bush or small tree generally maturing at 12 to 20 feet tall. Witch hazels are commonly found growing in moist, slightly acidic soil along shady stream banks, but the plant is tolerant of full sun and a range of soil types. Give it a non-compacting mulch since the plant can be stressed by drought. This plant is generally disease-free, but may receive minor damage from Japanese beetles and occasionally a few leaves will show galls from a small wasp.

The fragrant, wispy yellow flowers are followed by woody, inedible, nut-like fruits, which mature in a year and contain one or two shiny black seeds. These are tossed up to 30 feet when the ripening fruits explosively open. Propagation is done by using stratified seeds which generally take one to two years to germinate

and the plants take six years to bloom. You may want to seriously consider buying 3to 6-year-old plants.

Native Americans had a wide variety of medicinal uses for witch hazel. A leaf tea was used for colds and sore throats. In addition, tea made from twigs was rubbed on legs to relieve lameness, drunk for asthma, bloody dysentery and cough. Also a bark tea was drunk for lung ailments, and used externally for aching muscles and eye infections.

Various astringent tannins in the leaves and bark are believed to be the active ingredients. Astringents act to contract skin and intestinal tissue and thus act to prevent bleeding. Tannins also show considerable antibacterial and antifungal activity, which is probably why these compounds are present in the leaves and bark of numerous plants.

Witch hazel is one of the few medicinal preparations still used today for the same ailments that the Native Americans used them for

thousands of years ago. The USDA classifies witch hazel as a Class #1 drug, which means it has clinically proven beneficial effects. Many commercial extracts contain isopropyl alcohol and are used externally only. Depending on the preparation, read instructions carefully. Witch hazel is used for insect bites, sunburn, menstrual flow, eye washes, as a deodorant, to clear spotty skin, to remove bags under the eyes and as a refreshing after-shave lotion. However, the commonly available steam distillate of witch hazel does not contain the astringents present in the shrub.

Witch hazel plants are widely available online and at your local garden store. Make sure you ask for an American species and say hello to a shivering moth.

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

20 October, 2015

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Farm to Fork Dinner The American Culinary Federation Jersey Shore Chefs Association, an established chapter of the nationally recognized American Culinary Federation (ACF) held a chapter meeting at Peppadew Fresh, LLC, a farm in Morganville, Monmouth County, N.J., on September 8.

This association was founded in 1991 by professional culinarians from Monmouth and Ocean counties.

The purpose of the chapter is to provide members the opportunity to: Network professionally with fellow culinarians and those linked to the field of hospitality; exchange ideas and information, both within the local chapter and through educational opportunities that are offered by the ACF; pursue education and help those young culinarians who are seeking to become a culinary professional; offer scholarships to the Junior members of the chapter through the Victor J. Houston Scholarship Fund; further the culinary arts and the hospitality industry as a viable career choice; and make every effort to help bring an end to childhood hunger in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Al Murray was the keynote speaker at the Jersey Fresh-themed dinner meeting. He spoke to the chefs on the benefits of the Jersey Fresh program and sighted a few examples on how each of them could get involved.

Peppadew Fresh LLC, is a culinary, educational center and farm that grows Peppadew goldew peppers, wine grapes, pussy willow, quince and hydrangeas.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Executive Chef Peter Pascale, left, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset; New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Al Murray, second from left; Pierre Crawley, second from right, owner and farmer at Peppadew Fresh, LLC; and Corporate Executive Chef Anthony Todaro for RC Fine Foods, offering a freshly tossed Jersey Fresh arugula, tomato and Peppadew goldew pepper salad.

Creating an Outdoor Native Plant Classroom

(Continued from page 17) water and invasive ornamental plants. through this Facebook page.

We are part of something larger than Is it easy for any homeowner ourselves and we need to reconsider to begin a similar project on their living in harmony with nature for the property like yours? benefit of us all.

It is easy to do, but it does Have you worked with any take some time and physical labor, environmental groups to help you depending on the size of your design the native landscape? property.

My teacher and mentor is John Do you have any formal Parke, the stewardship project education and training? manager at New Jersey Audubon.

Yes. I am a professional artist He is part of a corporate stewardship with a BFA and MFA in painting and program that assists large corporations drawing. I have been an educator all in creating native habitats on their my life, teaching at the University of campuses. He analyzed my property Wisconsin, Kean University, Rutgers and advised me on the best location for University, the Center for Visual Arts each plant, shrub and warm-weather in Summit and the DuCret School of grass. We are working together with Art. My work is about reconnecting the assistance of a grant from (the to the natural world. I use the visual Division of) Fish and Wildlife to language to communicate the idea add natives to Mindowaskin Park in that we don’t own nature. We are Westfield after the dredging of the part of it. As an artist, I think of my pond. Many residents have requested yard as a canvas and hope to educate his help and slowly my neighbors are and inspire others to do the same. coming on board.

Nature is not neat and tidy. We need I raised money for New Jersey to change our mindset about our Audubon to allow any resident in relationship to nature. Learning to Westfield to call upon John Parke and see requires education. Native plants the Stewardship Department to assist are like life: full of energy, beauty, them with their properties. Many gesture, texture and an abundance people have called and the movement of resources. We need to teach our is building. I have a Facebook page children to see and appreciate the called “Re-scaping the Suburbs” and natural world and become good I have had many requests for help stewards to our (Cont. on pg. 25)

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October, 2015 21

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October, 2015 23

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For more information, call NJLCA at (201) 703-3600 or visit www.NJLCA.org

GardenerNews.com Like every association, we are always looking for new ways to grow our membership.

Over the past several years, our growth rate at the NJLCA has been very strong and we are very proud of that fact. Association membership, like construction, waxes and wanes with the economy. When new housing starts are up and business is good, landscape contractors feel comfortable paying their dues. When construction is down, membership dues are typically one of the first things to be cut, which is somewhat understandable but not a good decision.

In reality, managing and growing an association is similar to running a typical business.

Each year we have a budget that we have to work with. We need to grow our customer (member) base while working very hard to retain our existing members.

Even though we are a 501c3 non-profit organization, we still need to generate revenue to run our organization and provide the services that we do. In other words, we have payroll, overhead and various other expenses that we need to pay every month, just like any other business.

October, 2015 25 The NJLCA Today

By Jody Shilan, MLA Executive Director

NJLCA – Growing Every Day? The main difference between an association and a traditional business is that associations are for people who have a defined interest, activity or purpose in common, similar to a society or a club.

Businesses, on the other hand, provide services that can vary greatly and cover a variety of industries and interests.

Several years ago, we worked with a business consultant who helped us focus on member retention. The typical attrition rate for an association is 10 to 20 percent. In other words, most associations traditionally lose between 10 and 20 percent of their members each year. This means that in order to grow they need to add the amount they lost plus another 10 percent if their goal is 10-percent growth. Not an easy task. And just like any business, the cost of acquiring a

new customer or member is five to 10 times the cost of retaining an existing one.

To help us with our retention, the consultant introduced several important concepts. He stressed the importance and value of our membership meetings and how we needed to use them more effectively to reduce our attrition rate and grow our membership.

He wanted us to do everything we could to increase attendance at our meetings, especially with newer members. His thinking was that if we could get these newer members to attend, they could see what we were about and thus continue their membership. He wanted us to think of our meetings as parties and we (the board and myself) as the hosts, introducing members to one another and making sure they were enjoying themselves.

He also suggested that we create

a series of follow-up phone calls to newer members, helping them feel at home at the NJLCA. Although we sent out a new member packet with information about us along with some goodies, e-mailed and mailed them about upcoming events, we never reached out to them personally until their dues were overdue. Not a great process.

More recently, we started working with a marketing consultant to help us develop what he called an avatar. An avatar or prototype of what a typical NJLCA member is, so that we know who we should be targeting as we reach out to potential members. Are we more attractive to new business owners or to companies that have been around for a decade or more? Is there a specific company size that is our sweet spot - 10 to 15 employees,

Creating an Outdoor Native Plant Classroom properties. After all, we are just tenants and what we do affects the next generation.

Do you lecture and/or give presentations?

I have given talks to many organizations: the Rake and Hoe Garden Club, Westfield Rotary, New Jersey Audubon, The Nature Conservancy in Indianapolis, the Evansville Museum in Evansville, Indiana, the Chesterwood Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

The Noyes Museum, University of Georgia, Marywood University, Scranton, Pennsylvania, Rutgers University. I also have two documentaries about my work and the environment, one produced by the Institute for Women’s Leadership at Rutgers and the other by New Jersey State of the Arts, aired nationally on PBS. Are you appearing anywhere soon?

My most recent exhibition about the endangered birds of New Jersey and lost habitat will be at Johnson &

(Continued from page 20) Johnson Corporate Galleries, while reducing maintenance 1 Johnson and Johnson costs and the chemical inputs Plaza, in New Brunswick, traditional lawns require.

New Jersey. The opening is A-3133 was received in October 16, from 5-7 p.m. the Senate on June 29, 2015.

The public is invited.

It was referred to Senate How can folks contact Environment and Energy you?

Committee and its number I can be contacted through is S-2624. my website: Patbrentano.

These bills would com, or my Facebook page, direct the Commissioner of Pat Brentano Rescaping the Environmental Protection Suburbs. to establish a private Legislation that wildlife habitat certification encourages homeowners program. to provide native habitats In addition to establishing for birds and other wildlife a native species habitat passed the New Jersey certification program, these General Assembly on June bills also create an affirmative 25, 2015 with unanimous defense against any liability support (76-0-0). The for violating municipal bi-partisan legislation is nuisance ordinances for sponsored by Assembly properties that are certified Republican Leader Jon under the program.

Bramnick, Assembly I learned from Pat Appropriations Chairman that native landscaping is John Burzichelli, and more cost-effective than Deputy Republican Leader traditional landscaping, Assemblywoman Nancy saving hundreds, up to Munoz. The bill, A-3133, several thousands, of dollars establishes a native species annually in maintenance habitat certification program costs. Natives exist in and will provide benefits to harmony with nature, the ecosystem and wildlife, meaning fewer hassles, less

manpower and more free time to enjoy the special beauty these plants provide.

I also learned that native landscapes are a hands-on opportunity for people of all ages to learn about habitats and ecosystems.

Pat also taught me that there are native species that thrive in wet, dry, sunny and shady locations. Problem areas are no problem with native landscaping.

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

50 and up, or somewhere in-between? Does our avatar do well over a million dollars in sales or closer to $500K? Are they more educated than the typical landscape professional?

What about age - 20-30, 30-40, 40- 50, 50 and up? These are all important things that we need to know as we continue to grow.

Today, every new member gets at least three phone calls from our office to see how they are enjoying their membership and personally invite them to our meetings. Membership is stronger than ever and our avatar is well under way.

Editors Note: Jody Shilan, MLA provides landscape design services for landscape contractors and homeowners.

Jody is also a professional speaker, green industry consultant and host of radio talk show, Landscape Live!

He has a BSLA from Cook College, Rutgers University and an MLA from The University of Massachusetts and is currently the Executive Director of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA). He can be reached at 201-783-2844 or jshilan@NJLCA.org

26 October, 2015

GardenerNews.com 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: 856-307-6450 Hudson County Phone: 201-915-1399 Hunterdon County Phone: 908-788-1339 Mercer County Phone: 609-989-6830

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STANLEY OSUR The Premier Gardening Monthly Newspaper Number 150 Published Monthly Contact Information Phone: 908.604.4444 Website: www.GardenerNews.com E-Mail: Mail@GardenerNews.com Staff Executive Editor/ Publisher . . . .

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October Columnists Tom Castronovo Tim Hionis Douglas H. Fisher Larry Katz Craig Korb Evan Dickerson

Todd Pretz Jody Shilan Bob LaHoff Peter Melick Richard Perkins

Contributing Writers Bruce Crawford Jeannie Geremia Hubert Ling

William A. Kolbe B.C.E. Dr. James A. Murphy

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TIP OF THE MONTH

You can plant bulbs just about anywhere in your garden as long as the soil drains well. Bulbs don’t like wet feet. As a general rule, plant big bulbs about eight inches deep and small bulbs about five inches deep. Set the bulb in the hole, pointy side up, or the roots down. Back fill with soil over the hole, lightly compress the soil but do not pack it. Water to stimulate root growth. Apply fertilizer to the top of the soil instead of the planting hole to avoid burning the bulbs. It’s also perfectly acceptable to place a strip of chicken wire right on top of the planting. The bulbs will be smart enough to find their way right through it.

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October, 2015 27

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