Gardener News July 2017

TAKE ONE July, 2017

Gardener News Serving the Agricultural, Gardening and Landscaping Communities GARDENERNEWS.COM

TAKE ONE No. 171

Eat Berries to Improve Brain Function

By Dr. Karen Ensle

Rutgers Cooperative Extension

Rutgers NJAES/Photo

Eating berries is healthful and may help your brain to improve your memory. The latest research indicates that we are eating more berries than in the past. They are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fiber along with flavonoids, a diverse group of phytonutrients (plant chemicals) found in almost all fruits and vegetables.

Along with carotenoids, they are responsible for the vivid colors in fruits and vegetables. Flavanols, a type of flavonoid, are found in berries giving them antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects that reduce and repair cell damage.

Anthocyanins found in red, blue and purple berries can cross the blood-brain barrier to protect the brain cells from aging and also diseases such as cancer. Some recent studies conducted on humans show promising results.

However, more research needs to be done. Below are some reasons to increase the number of servings of berries that you eat weekly.

Berries Improve the Memory. A study conducted with young and old adult participants who ate blueberries, showed an increase of blood flow to key areas of the brain, improvements in memory and attention to required tasks. Other tests with seniors eating strawberries and blueberries for several months showed improved

memory as compared to those in a placebo group.

Additional studies with children drinking smoothies made with berries, showed an increase in memory tests as compared to those drinking non-berry smoothies.

Aging Process Decreases with Berry Consumption.

Improvements in brain function may help fight the natural decline that happens during the aging process. An increase in the number of new neurons in the brain, a result of consuming berries, may be one reason that the aging process slows down.

Recent clinical research has demonstrated that berries can prevent age-related neurodegenerative diseases and improve movement and brain function. Berries can also change the pathways involved in causing inflammation, cell survival, nerve cell transmission and ability of the nerve cell to be flexible. The neuroprotective effects of berries on neurodegenerative diseases are related to phytochemicals (plant chemicals) such as anthocyanin, catechin, and quercetin. More studies with humans are needed to replicate the results that have been published.

Preventing Dementia is Hopeful. Vascular dementia is caused by clogged arteries and veins which slow down the blood flow to the brain. Eating more fruit and vegetables, including berries, seems to protect the brain.

Compounds found in berries, (Cont. on page 16) not only

2 July, 2017

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July, 2017 3

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4 July, 2017 When it comes to agriculture in New Jersey, people often have a fixed image in their head. Sometimes it matches reality; sometimes it doesn’t.

People from outside the state who visit New Jersey often are surprised that the entire state doesn’t look like the images of major highways, refineries and high-rise buildings they’re used to seeing on television.

However, when it comes to agriculture, even people within the Garden State conjure up different images when they hear the words “agriculture” or “farm.” Often, that is dictated by the region of the state in which they live and their exposure to other parts of New Jersey.

Someone in Union County might not have been to the sprawling blueberry farms that Atlantic County residents think of when they hear “farm,” or the vast vegetable operations in heavily rural Cumberland County that come to mind for people in that part of the state. Likewise, Salem County residents might see a picture of an agricultural operation in Passaic County and not think of it as a “farm.”

Much of this perceptual difference is based upon the physical nature of the state’s diverse 21 counties. There are nearly 1 million people in

GardenerNews.com NJ Dept. of Agriculture

By Douglas H. Fisher Secretary of Agriculture

New Jersey agriculture’s perception shapes its reality Bergen County, working out to roughly 3,870 per square mile over 234 square miles. Compare that to Salem County, whose 372 square miles are populated by approximately 65,000 people, an average of 195 per square mile.

All of this information is valuable for New Jerseyans to have a fuller understanding of the realities of our amazing state.

I know many people in the southern part of our state who have never visited High Point in Sussex County, and would be amazed at the mountainous region that includes the Delaware Water Gap. Conversely, there are northwestern New Jersey residents who have no visual reference for the oyster beds of Cumberland County.

Do southern New Jerseyans know the maple syrup on their pancakes may come from the northern part of the state? Are

northerners aware that scallops on their menu could have been landed in Cape May? The truth about New Jersey agriculture is this: If you’ve seen one New Jersey agricultural operation, you’ve seen ONE New Jersey agricultural operation. There are so many sights, experiences and forms of businesses engaged in agriculture here, that you’re unlikely to find two that are even close to identical.

This incredible diversity helps New Jersey remain among the national leaders in an array of agricultural categories.

Our floriculture growers combine for the seventh-highest rank nationally in the value of products sold. Anytime you admire beautiful flowers on a table in a restaurant in New York, Philadelphia or Atlantic City, there’s a strong chance they were grown right here in our state.

Look Who’s Reading the Gardener News!

It’s in the news

Tom Castronovo/Photo

American actor Antonio Fargas best known for his portrayal of “Huggy Bear” in the 1970s TV series Starsky & Hutch, looks over the Gardener News on a recent trip to New Jersey. Fargas was the police drama’s main confidential informant. He was the street-wise, ethically ambiguous, “jive-talking” character, who often dressed in a flashy manner and operated his own bar (first named “Huggy Bear’s,” and later, “The Pits”). The show was broadcast from April 1975 to May 1979 on the ABC network. Fargas also appeared in ABC’s All My Children in the mid1980s as the father of Angie Hubbard, and the driver in the 1998 music video of Backstreet Boys hit “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”

The produce industry, whose breadth and efficiency gave rise to the nickname “Garden State,” continues its national leadership.

Nationally, New Jersey rankings include: eggplant (2nd) cranberries and spinach (3rd); asparagus (4th); bell peppers (5th); peaches, cucumbers and squash (6th); tomatoes (7th); apples and blueberries (8th).

Among Northeastern states, New Jersey is second in the percentage of agriculture devoted to fruits, with 15.5 percent of agriculture sales coming from fruits, second only to Massachusetts at 21.4 percent, and has total fruit sales of $158.8 million, second only to New York’s $341.2 million.

In seafood, New Jersey is first nationally in the production of ocean quahog clams (16.2 million pounds) second in sea scallops (7.8 million pounds) and second in surf clams (18.7 million pounds). Cape May

is the second-largest seafoodlanding port on the East Coast, with 49.9 million pounds annually.

Beyond products created, our state ranks ninth nationally in agri-tourism, with $18.4 million in annual sales, is a leader in preserving farmland (almost 2,500 farms on more than 225,000 acres) and ranks second in the nation in net farm income per acre, at $531.

Without question, our agricultural community, in all its diverse facets, continues to earn New Jersey its nickname of the Garden State. Residents of the state, from whichever region, should not be ashamed to show great pride for the national powerhouse in agriculture that New Jersey continues to be.

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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July, 2017 5

N.J. State Board of Agriculture Now Accepting Nominations for Distinguished Service Citations If you are a member of one of the organizations which comprise the State Agricultural Convention, your organization can nominate farmers, agricultural leaders and allies of the industry who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture and to enhancing the quality of agricultural life. If your organization has such a person in mind, he or she must be nominated through the County Board of Agriculture in which the individual resides. Send your candidate’s name and biography [pdf 91k] to the County Board of Agriculture as soon as possible so that ample preparation time can be given to the nomination statement.

You may renominate persons who have been nominated in the past, but have not yet been selected as recipients. Nominations from prior years are not held over; a candidate must be renominated.

The deadline to submit nominations for 2018 is October 18, 2017. Nominations must be received by the State Board of Agriculture by that day. Additional nominating guidelines follow. If you have any questions, contact Linda Walker at (609) 633-7794 or by e-mail at Linda.Walker@ag.state.nj.us.

The Distinguished Service Citations will be presented at the State Agricultural Convention in 2018.

GUIDELINES FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS Since 1932, the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture has awarded the prestigious Citation for Distinguished Service to Agriculture to men and women who have given unselfishly of their time and talents to the advancement and betterment of the agricultural industry and rural life in New Jersey. This award is given to recognize and honor, in a fitting and proper manner, those individuals who have made outstanding contributions of public service to New Jersey agriculture.

1. Eligibility for awards is limited to farmers, agricultural leaders and allies of the agricultural industry who have made outstanding contributions of public service to agriculture and to the enhancement of the quality of rural life.

2. All organizations entitled, under the provisions of N.J.S.A. 4:1-6, to representation at the State Agricultural Convention shall be asked for their recommendations.

3. All nominations shall be received by the State Board of Agriculture through the County Boards of Agriculture, and must be received before the date set by the State Board. Names of candidates who have not previously received the award may be resubmitted for consideration in subsequent years.

4. Breed, commodity and general farm organizations (specified in Section 2 above) may nominate candidates for the award by submitting the name of such candidates to the appropriate County Board of Agriculture. The appropriate County Board of Agriculture shall be the board for the county in which the candidate lives and/or works.

5. Each County Board of Agriculture may recommend to the State Board of Agriculture a nominee of its own, in addition to the nominees referred by breed, commodity and general farm organizations.

6. Members of the State Board of Agriculture shall review all candidates which have been properly submitted prior to the established deadline and the State Board shall make its selection based upon the criteria listed in Section 1 above.

7. As a standard practice, no more than six awards will be given each year. A maximum of four awards can be given to farmers, and a maximum of two awards can be given to non-farmers (agriculturally related).

8. The State Board of Agriculture retains the right to initiate one or more distinguished service awards. In doing so, it shall inform the appropriate County Board of Agriculture of its action, which shall have no effect on a county board’s own nomination ability.

9. Citations will be presented to award winners at the State Agricultural Convention each year.

2017 #jerseyfreshlove contest New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher and the 2016 winner of the Jersey Fresh Love social media photo contest, Ryan Briggs, owner of Outlaw’s Burger Barn and Creamery in Vineland, kicked off the 2017 #jerseyfreshlove Instagram-only photo competition on June 1, 2017. To participate in the contest, which will last through Aug. 31, people are encouraged to post photos of favorite fruits, vegetables, markets, pick-your-own farms and agritourism activities on Instagram using the #jerseyfreshlove hashtag.

“The #jerseyfreshlove campaign was a success last year, with fans submitting thousands of photographs from all over New Jersey,” Secretary Fisher said.

“We appreciate all who participated and your ongoing support of local New Jersey farmers, markets, restaurants, wineries, breweries, and products. We urge people to share their love of everything Jersey Fresh, our successful 33-year-old agricultural branding program.”

This year’s grand prize will be a choice of a Jersey Fresh Experience worth up to $500. The contest will also feature one winner each week that will receive a Jersey Fresh Prize Pack.

Last year’s winning entry from Briggs was captioned “Burgers, Jersey Fresh style!,” featuring a crab cake burger comprised of ground beef, blue crab cake, Jersey Fresh tomatoes and organic field greens, topped with sriracha lime aioli. Briggs summed the photo up with the hashtags: #burgers #surfnturf #jerseyfresh #jerseyfreshlove #farm2fork #burgerroutecontest.

“We loved being part of the contest last year and the attention it brought to our business,” Briggs said. “Using Jersey Fresh produce in our food is a natural and logical choice for us. The #jerseyfreshlove contest also allowed us an opportunity to showcase some creative offerings as well as the traditional items we have on our menu.”

Outlaw’s Burger Barn & Creamery, which opened in 2016, sources produce from Dottavio Produce, located on Main Road in Vineland. The season determines what the restaurant gets from the farm, and during the spring and summer months, 100 percent of its produce is delivered twice a week from New Jersey farms. Those deliveries include tomatoes, cucumbers, cubanelles, lettuce, mushrooms, habaneros, jalapenos, eggplant, strawberries, blueberries, nectarines and mint. They also source unique ingredients for their specials utilizing items that are different, fresh and local.

“Outlaw’s Burger Barn & Creamery’s efforts to source local, Jersey produce 100 percent of the time during the New Jersey growing season are exceptional,” Secretary Fisher said. “We know the value and quality that our farmers bring to the table, and appreciate chefs and restaurant owners that understand the importance of supporting these farmers and the state’s economy, as well as priding themselves on serving the best quality food to their customers.”

More than $450,000 Approved for Deer Fencing on N.J. Preserved Farms Agriculture Secretary Douglas H. Fisher announced on June 6, 2017, that the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) has approved $456,122 in cost-sharing grants to help 32 farmer applicants purchase and install deer fencing on preserved farms to protect their crops.

“Deer damage is a major problem for farmers across the state, so we were very pleased to offer this new deer-fencing program,” said Secretary Fisher.

“We expect to continue to make these grants available in the future to help support the agricultural and economic viability of preserved farms.”

The grants will help fund the installation of 35 miles of deer fencing to protect more than 1,700 acres of preserved farmland. Most of the approved deerfencing projects are in high deer-density areas and 96 percent of the crops to be protected are the highest-value crops (vegetables, orchards and nurseries).

The matching grants will fund 50 percent of the costs for fencing materials and installation. The other 50 percent will be paid for by the farmer. The maximum grant award is $200 per acre of preserved farmland owned or up to $20,000 total. The grants will be funded from a portion of the SADC’s State farmland preservation monies allocated to promoting stewardship activities on preserved farms. The funding is subject to appropriation by the Legislature.

The SADC administers New Jersey’s Farmland Preservation Program and promotes innovative approaches to maintaining the viability of agriculture.

To date, more than 2,400 farms covering approximately 226,000 acres have been preserved under the State Farmland Preservation Program.

6 July, 2017

RUTGERS NJAES/RCE

In Memoriam: Stuart R. Race (GSNB ’55 and ’57), Extension Specialist in Entomology Stuart R. Race passed away May 31, 2017, at the age of 90. Race was an extension specialist in entomology at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick from 1965 until retiring in 1993. He published many research studies and was well known among the New Jersey farm community whom he advised regarding insect issues concerning vegetable and field crops, tree fruits, poultry, and livestock.

Race received his both his MS degree (1955), and his doctorate in entomology (1957) from the Graduate School–New Brunswick at Rutgers University.

Rutgers Was All the “RAGE” on the 2017 Flower Show Circuit Rutgers University, represented by a loose collection of horticulturists, alumni and students affiliated with Rutgers—all flower enthusiasts—bearing the name Rutgers Alumni Growers and Exhibitors (RAGE), had tremendous success on the flower show and sale circuit this year.

Of the three shows in which RAGE competed this season—North Jersey Orchid Society Show, Philadelphia Flower Show and Southeastern Pennsylvania Orchid Society (SEPOS) Show—it walked away with first place finishes in each event.

North Jersey Orchid Society Show, January 13-15, 2017: RAGE won show trophy for “Most Outstanding Orchid” exhibit at the North Jersey Orchid Society Show, which was held at the Douglass Student Center at Rutgers-New Brunswick.

Philadelphia Flower Show, run by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, March 11-19, 2017: The coveted “Best Orchid in the Show” at the 2017 Philadelphia Flower Show went to Laeiocattleya Trick or Treat “Ty’s Rutgers Triumph.” Blue ribbon honors also went to the orchid, Laelia undulata, a joint entry by RAGE & Fishing Creek Orchid, PA, as well as the succulent, Anacampseros Alstonii.

2017 Southeastern Pennsylvania Orchid Society (SEPOS) Flower Show, March 24-26: Two exhibits that won top honors at the Philadelphia Flower Show also scored three big wins at SEPOS this year. The showy Laeiocattleya Trick or Treat “Ty’s Rutgers Triumph” won “Best in Show.” Taking home both “First Place” as well as the “Best of Blues” prizes was Laelia undulata, the joint orchid exhibit by RAGE & Fishing Creek Orchid, PA. RAGE consisted of Nicoletta Graf (CC’77), manager of Rutgers Floriculture Greenhouse; alumnus Michael Bowell (CC’78) and proprietor of Create a Scene, Inc., which specializes in garden design, installation and maintenance in the Philadelphia area; Ty Triplett (SEBS’10, GSNB’16) for whom one of the winning entries was named; Rodrigo Jordy (SEBS’16); another graduate Chris Satch; and Helen Misiewicz of Rutgers University Housing, a dedicated Rutgers Floriculture Greenhouse volunteer. Among the members of RAGE was a mixture of Rutgers students that included Tiffany Causing, Michaela Kramer, Thyra Kelly, Jacob Ledden, Sarah Pfaff, Lester Sabo, Allison Severino and Ariane Vasilatis.

Rutgers Study Finds that Stony Corals Continue to Make Rock Even Under Adverse Conditions Stony corals may be more resilient to ocean acidification than once thought, according to Paul G. Falkowski, a distinguished professor who leads the Environmental Biophysics and Molecular Ecology Laboratory at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. “They will probably make rock even as the ocean becomes slightly acidic from the burning of fossil fuels.”

Paul Falkowski, distinguished profession, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences.

The Rutgers team, including lead author Stanislas Von Euw, a postdoctoral research fellow in Falkowski’s lab, detailed its findings in a pioneering study published in the journal Science.

The team tapped several high-tech imaging methods to show that corals use acid-rich proteins to build rock-hard skeletons made of calcium carbonate minerals. It’s a biologically driven process rather than a physical/chemical process as previously thought.

“As far as I know, we were unique in the world in using a coordinated set of techniques to understand the ultrastructure of coral skeletons,” Falkowski said. The techniques included Raman imaging and spectroscopy, and scanning helium ion microscopy.

“What we’re showing is that the decades-old general model for how corals make rock is wrong,” Falkowski said. “This very careful study very precisely shows that corals will secrete proteins, and the proteins are what really forms the mineral and the proteins are very acidic, which will surprise a lot of people.”

The proteins function at a pH (a measure of acidity and alkalinity) of about 8.5 to 7. The ocean normally has a pH of 8.1 or 8.2, But in the coming century or so that may drop to 7.8. However, stony corals will still be able to make rock.

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From the Director’s Desk

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

Rutgers Master Gardeners: Volunteers with a Green Mission Have you wondered why your lawn isn’t looking so great this year, compared to other years? Or why your roses have black spots, or your rhododendron has brown and curling leaves even though we’ve had plenty of rain?

What about that new tree disease or insect that’s in the news, or all the ticks you find on your pets? Naturally, the next problem may be where do you go to find reliable answers – your neighbor or a family member who claims to have a green thumb, the garden center down the street, or the internet?

And do you know enough about the plant or problem to ask the right questions to the right person, or find the right website? I’m here to remind you that the Rutgers Master Gardeners, and their Garden Helpline, are the perfect resource to choose for your spring and every seasonal lawn, landscape, and household and outdoor pest question.

Rutgers Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who assist Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) Cooperative Extension in its mission to deliver horticulture programs and information to the general public. This program has been active in New Jersey since 1984, starting in Bergen County, and then quickly sweeping across the state, with 15 county programs currently active from Sussex to Cape May. Nearly 8,500 New Jersey residents have been trained over that time, with almost a third of them currently active as Rutgers Master Gardener volunteers. Our county programs train approximately 300 new Master Gardeners every year, and this annual “crop” brings with it new ideas and enthusiasm in helping homeowners understand more about their soils, indoor and outdoor plants, and how best to care for them throughout the year.

The “Master Gardener” program itself began in 1972 in Washington State through the efforts of David Gibby, who created the program in response to the overwhelming number of requests he was receiving from homeowners for gardening information. The concept caught on throughout the University Extension network and today, Master Gardener programs can be found throughout the United States, Canada, and most recently in South Korea. So, let friends and family living elsewhere in the U.S. know about the Master Gardener program for reliable gardening information.

But back here in the Garden State, the county Rutgers Master Gardener programs offer Garden Helpline hours during the week, and some accept email and attached digital photos if you can’t call or visit during their “open” hours. Walk-ins and call-ins are always welcome, but be prepared to answer a lot of questions since they need to know more about the plant and problem than just “how to fix” whatever it is - getting the correct diagnosis and remedy sometimes needs a lot of background information.

Why waste time and money spraying for something that isn’t a pest or disease, or putting lime or fertilizer down on a lawn that doesn’t need it? Just like any large corporation, Rutgers University has county-based customer service representatives standing by to take your call right now! They just happen to be Rutgers Master Gardeners from your town or neighborhood – you may even know a few of them personally. You can find Rutgers Cooperative Extension in your county by clicking on the county listing online at njaes. rutgers.edu/county. Current Garden Helpline hours and contact information are also listed online at njaes.rutgers.edu/mastergardeners/helplines.asp.

With 30 years of answering homeowner questions on trees, lawn, garden, shrubs and flowers, some trends and repeat questions have arisen from year to year. Using this data, Rutgers Master Gardener program faculty and staff launched a “Frequently Asked Questions,” or FAQ, website to assist with the most common questions – just visit njaes. rutgers.edu/garden/faq.asp and click on the topic of your choice.

But far beyond answering your questions, Rutgers Master Gardeners use their new knowledge and skills in a wide variety of areas, including assisting with community and youth gardening; horticultural enrichment for senior and special-needs audiences; booths and displays at the New Jersey Flower and Garden Show, county fairs, the annual Rutgers Snyder Research Farm Open House and Great Tomato Tasting, and other public events; assisting at Rutgers research farms across the state with variety trials and pruning fruit trees; and growing, harvesting, and packing food for the hungry. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

Classes for this fall and winter are already forming, so if you’re interested in learning more than you’ve ever imagined about horticulture and the growing world around you, passionate about gardening in general, and committed to joining a great group of volunteers, then have I got the program for you! Just visit the Rutgers Master Gardener program homepage at njaes.rutgers.edu/mastergardeners. Just think of the things you’ll grow!

Editor’s Note: Nick Polanin, Associate Professor in the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County, serves as statewide coordinator for the Rutgers NJAES Master Gardener Program since 2004.

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July, 2017 7

Plants that Relieve Strife I am always amazed at how innocent some plants look in a container, but how challenging they become once planted into the Garden.

Even more amazing is how the ill repute of a few species in a genus can damage the garden worthiness of all the species. A classic example is the genus Lysimachia, whose species are collectively known as Loosestrife.

Lysimachia is in the Primulaceae or Primrose Family, with approximately 190 species distributed in every major continent with temperate or subtropical climates. The genus name was initially proposed by the French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656-1708).

There are two different thoughts on the source of the name. Folklore states that when these plants are placed upon the yokes of enraged oxen, it will calm the beast. Based on this lore, the name may honor King Lysimachus (361-281 BC) of

Thrace, who supposedly calmed a raging bull by presenting a plant of Loosestrife before him.

Thrace occupied the geographic area that is now southern Bulgaria, western Greece and northern Turkey.

The name may also come from the Greek Lysis, meaning release and Mache for strife, which would certainly explain the common name.

Loosestrife in gardens is primarily represented by Lysimachia nummularia “Aurea,”, commonly called Golden Moneywort.

First described by Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) in 1753, the species epithet is from the Latin nummus, which means “coin,” and refers to the resemblance of the round leaves to coins.

Moneywort is a procumbent or creeping plant, with nearly evergreen, or in the case of this selection, “ever-yellow” leaves on stems that can stretch to 18 to 24 inches in a season.

When in contact with soil, roots will develop at each leaf node, making it a good groundcover, although plants tend to die-put in the center. Hardy to zone 3, the

species is native to Europe, the Caucasus and Turkey.

Although the yellow flowers that adorn the stems in June are typically sterile, the plant has escaped cultivation in the United States and is often considered invasive. However, when used to soften and spill over the edge of a container or in a contained part of the garden in light shade, the golden foliage is very ornamental for several years.

Another commonly grown species is the Gooseneck Loosestrife, Lysimachia clethroides, which is native to damp woodland margins, wet ravines and sunny grass-filled hills and mountains of Japan and China. In June into July, the 24-inch-tall stems are topped by fur- to five-inch-long racemes that are densely packed with half-inch-wide, white flowers.

Although the racemes are upright, they are characterized by an S-shaped crook in the stem, giving them the resemblance of a goose’s neck.

The species was named in 1844 by Jean Étienne Duby (1798-1885), a French botanist and clergyman who, among other

Student-Designed IFNH Garden Will Serve as Eye-Catching Living Lab By assistant professor Holly Nelson, associate professor Jean Marie Hartman, and assistant research professor Christina Kaunzinger – Department of Landscape Architecture.

Twenty-five Landscape Architecture Planting Design students designed a garden that creates a transition between the meadow and the entrance stairway on Dudley Road at the Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health (IFNH). The new garden’s native plant palette compliments and enlarges the list of plants in the meadow. Grasses and perennials are planted in large drifts in the new garden, creating a more constant edge to offset the orchestral, more seasonallydependent meadow species. Semicircles of turfgrass provide lookouts for observing meadow pollinators.

The meadow is one of Rutgers newest campus living laboratories. Living Labs use campus landscape and facilities to demonstrate sustainable practices (rain gardens, solar panels, healthy dining at Harvest Café); serve as outdoor classrooms (arboreal plant libraries, Rutgers Ecological Preserve, Cook Student Farm); and support experimental and observational investigations (meadow maintenance best management practices, Raritan River water quality, climate studies).

Experiential learning is a core component of Living Labs. The students who planted the garden installation at IFNH took their design drawing and literally brought it to life. Taking into consideration plant species to transition aesthetically from the mixed border on the west side of the stair to the meadow on the east—using seasonal interest and color, plant heights and textures, hydrology, plant competition and wildlife needs—students calculated the exact number and position of over 400 plants which were laid out on-site and adjusted prior to planting. Circles on a piece of paper became a garden in 3 class periods. Next year’s class will assess design success, including plant survival and weed growth in plots with different soil preparation protocols.

Living Lab installations encourage interdisciplinary interactions. Rutgers-bred fine fescue, tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass mixes are featured in the turfgrass lookouts. Plant biology and turfgrass program professor Jim Murphy taught the landscape architecture students about turf selection—he expects the tall fescue to do best on this hot, dry site—and installation. Grounds operations staff Pat Harrity and Tony Sgro, facilitated the successful incorporation of this project into the campus landscape by contributing to design guidelines, delivering feedback in the design review, and providing equipment and personnel support during the project.

Summer interns will work with ecology and landscape architecture professor Jean Marie Hartman to monitor change in the meadow over time. Last summer Allison Severino (SEBS’17) visited weekly and created a collection of photos along with a plant identification list. This year’s pictures could include the birds that visit and eat the plant seeds. Experiments on weed and nutrient control will inform management protocols that support the meadow transition from scattered annual flowers and grasses into a dense, resilient landscape that infiltrates stormwater, controls erosion, provides wildlife resources and improves campus biodiversity.

Last year the Planting Design class installed the amphitheater garden to create a student social space at our new campus hub. Professors Holly Nelson and Christina Kaunzinger want this year’s plantings to attract more birds, butterflies, and people to enjoy and learn from the campus meadow—the “front door” to the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.

plants, studied Primulaceae.

The species epithet refers to the similarity of the flower to that of Clethra. In moist soils, it will rapidly spread by rhizomes to form a thick carpet, which if sited properly, can be helpful for soil erosion control or a tall groundcover.

Relatively unknown and well worth wider use is Lance Leaf Loosestrife, Lysimachia lanceolata. Named by botanist Thomas Walter (1740-1789) in 1788, the species name refers to the two-inch- long, slender red leaves that adorn the stems.

Native to eastern North America, plants produce pendant, halfinch- diameter yellow flowers between June and August that are beloved by short-tongued bees. In lieu of nectar, the flowers produce a floral oil to entice visitation.

Plants thrive in full sun to light shade in well-drained to moist soils. This species has proven to be far less imposing in the landscape and grows in a billowy, cloud-like fashion. It looks great growing in-between grasses or other clump forming perennials and the red foliage

adds contrasting colors even without any flowers.

The various Lysimachia species have great garden attributes, with obvious consideration being given to appropriate siting so that it does not become problematic.

I am even more hopeful that gardeners will discover Lysimachia lanceolata; it is a phenomenal filler and foliage plant that would greatly benefit many a sunny garden!

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

5ඎඍ඀ൾඋඌ &ඈඈඉൾඋൺඍංඏൾ (එඍൾඇඌංඈඇ 3ඁඈඇൾ 'ංඋൾർඍඈඋඒ Atlantic County Phone: 609-625-0056 Bergen County Phone: 201-336-6780 Burlington County Phone: 609-265-5050 Camden County Phone: 856 216 7130 Cape May County Phone: 609-465-5115 Cumberland County Phone: 856-451-2800 Essex County Phone: 973-228-2210 Gloucester County Phone: 856-307-6450 Hudson County Phone: 201-915-1399 Hunterdon County Phone: 908-788-1339 Mercer County Phone: 609-989-6830

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

8 July, 2017

GardenerNews.com

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July, 2017 9 Around The Garden

By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

A little bit of this, and a little bit of that!

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First and foremost, I feel really bad for landscape contractors this year.

It seemed like it rained almost every day in May and into early-June. Cutting grass and performing other landscape related activities was almost impossible. The worst thing that affected the landscape industry was, and still is, the labor shortage.

For some “strange” reason, seasonal help has almost dried up in the Garden State. It has also dried up in most of the country.

This severe labor shortage is causing landscape companies to scramble, looking for help.

The shortage has also affected the garden center and nursery industry. Even farmers are feeling the effect.

As the May and June papers were being delivered, the same question was being asked over and over again. Do you know of anybody looking for work? I even heard stories about laborers holding their employers hostage for raises. The worst was hearing multiple stories of companies trying to persuade employees from one company to join another company by offering them more money an hour. Basically, they were trying to steal laborers right out of trucks parked in garden center and nursery parking lots.

So, if your landscape contractor was a little late in getting to your property this spring, and even now, please give them a little break. The industry is going through some pretty incredible, un-foreseen changes right now. It’s basically off the charts.

As a former landscape contractor, I really feel for my industry friends.

Moving on now.

Last summer I experienced leaf blight on my pachysandra, a very destructive disease.

The disease is caused by the fungus Volutella pachysandrae. Two other leaf spots, Phyllosticta and Gloeosporium, cause leaf spots on foliage but are not as destructive as Volutella.

It first began as irregular spots and lesions (small, brown-to-tan spots on the leaves that enlarged to form blotches). I noticed them in mid- to late-June. The stems turned brown and shriveled. It was almost like the entire planting bed of my pachysandra became thin as the disease progressed. Some of the leaves even appeared orange. I think this was due to the presence of spores of the fungus.

I was desperate to find a product that would stop the disease from spreading as quickly as possible.

The product of choice was called INFUSE Systemic Disease Control, manufactured by the company Bonide. It was available in a ready-to-use, 32-fluid-ounce (946 ML) container that attached to the end of my garden hose.

I applied it twice last year. As always, I applied it in the early morning and way before the daytime temperatures rose above 85 degrees. At the same time, I applied a straight 10-10-10 fertilizer.

By fall, I noticed a big difference in the health of my pachysandra.

Last month I applied another application of INFUSE to my pachysandra to make sure the disease didn’t return. So far, so good.

And, finally…

Ticks are an annoying and potentially dangerous pest throughout all of the Garden State, and the world.

Protecting yourself, your children, and your animals against tick bites is therefore very important. Although there are chemicals that can help repel and kill ticks on yourself, your children, and your animals, some work better than others.

Before I enter the house after working outside, I grab a lint roller. Yes, the handy device the dry cleaner gives me around the holidays. The lint roller does a great job of removing ticks from my clothing, so I don’t bring them inside.

I wish there would be more studies on tick-repellent plants. Studies have been conducted on as plants that repel mosquitoes. I wonder if rubbing garlic, lavender, rosemary and mint on my arms and legs will also have the same repelling properties for ticks as they do mosquitoes.

I know one thing, I’m going to smell good!

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.

10 July, 2017

GardenerNews.com

New Jersey Legislative Update Van Drew, Cruz-Perez Bill Requiring EDA to Establish Loan Program for Vineyards and Wineries’ Capital Expenses Advances Legislation sponsored by Senator Jeff Van Drew and Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez requiring the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, to establish a loan program for certain vineyards and wineries to pay qualified capital expenses was approved today by the Senate Economic Growth Committee.

Under the bill (S-2727), the EDA, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture would provide loans to eligible vineyards or wineries to pay for qualified capital expenses. The loan amount would be no less than $10,000 and no greater than $100,000 to each eligible vineyard or winery, bear a rate of interest between three and five percent, and be repayable over a term of up to ten years, as determined by the authority and department. A vineyard or winery that plans to use funds from the prospective loan to acquire more real property in order to expand its business would be eligible for higher loan amounts with lower interest rates as determined by the authority and department. “New Jersey wines are widely recognized for their quality and are attracting both local consumers and tourism. We need to encourage and assist our local entrepreneurs in growing their vibrant businesses so that this industry can continue to thrive,� said Senator Van Drew. “Encouraging and promoting economic growth in this burgeoning sector of our economy makes good economic sense. The entire State will benefit from the industry’s success, and with its growth consumers will have more local and delicious wines from our award-winning wineries to enjoy,� said Senator Cruz-Perez.

S-2727 cleared the Senate Economic Growth Committee by a vote of 5-0 and will next head to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee for consideration.

Another piece of legislation, SJR-58, sponsored by Senator Van Drew and Senator Jim Beach, would designate the last full week of September of each year as “New Jersey Wine Week� to acknowledge the significant contributions and accomplishments of the New Jersey wine industry. The bill also cleared the Senate Economic Growth Committee by a vote of 5-0.

News from the White House

Second Lady Karen Pence, Secretary Perdue Unveil Beehive at Vice President’s Residence, and Asks Public to Help Boost Pollinator Population :$6+,1*721 ' & ĘŠ 6HFRQG /DG\ .DUHQ 3HQFH DQG $JULFXOWXUH 6HFUHWDU\ 6RQQ\ 3HUGXH XQYHLOHG D QHZO\ LQVWDOOHG beehive on the grounds of the Vice President’s residence on June 6, 2017, drawing attention to the plight of pollinators whose numbers are in decline. Together, the two urged Americans to do their own part to help reverse the population trend among the creatures, which are essential to producing much of the nation’s food. “All types of pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, birds and bats, are critical to providing our nation’s food, fiber, fuel and medicine,â€? Mrs. Pence said. “However, our beekeepers have been losing colonies for many years. This presents a serious challenge to our ability to produce many of the agricultural products that we enjoy today. The bees at the Vice President’s Residence will provide an added bonus to the vegetable and flower gardens by making them well pollinated and taste even better at harvest.â€?

Perdue released a proclamation he has signed declaring June 19-25, 2017 as “National Pollinator Week� (Proclamation can be viewed online at https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/national-pollinator-week-secretary-proclamation.pdf (PDF, 97.5 KB)). Perdue noted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency led efforts to create a National Pollinator Health Strategy. The two agencies are working with a number of other federal departments to implement that strategy, which includes significant USDA research. “Most farmers and consumers have no better friends and few harder workers than the honey bee, as more than one-third of all U.S. crop production requires insect pollination,� Perdue said. “But our honeybee population has been losing ground at an alarming rate. The problem represents a diverse mix of challenges requiring a wide range of solutions. And at USDA we are leading the way in research to help out our pollinator friends.�

Honeybees are the nation’s primary pollinators, adding at least $15 billion a year in value to about 90 crops by increasing yields and helping to ensure superior-quality harvests. Those crops include nuts, fruits, berries and vegetables, which add color, taste and texture to our diet.

The number of honeybee hives in the U.S, has declined from 6 million during the 1940s to only about 2.5 million today. Those losses have been attributed to a number of factors, ranging from a syndrome known as “colony collapse disorder� to stress caused by factors such as parasites and pests, transportation of bees, sub-lethal exposure to pesticides, and poor nutrition.

Mrs. Pence and Secretary Perdue pointed out that a lack of supportive habitat near hives also contributes to the declines. Even if people don’t set up their own hives, they can help by planting bee-friendly flowers and flowering herbs in their yards and gardens. Honeybees particularly love wildflowers, lilacs, poppies and Black-eyed Susans, as well as herbs and vegetables like mint, sage, squash, tomatoes, oregano, and rosemary. In addition, bees get thirsty, and that placing birdbaths and small basins of water could help relieve their thirst.

Mrs. Pence installed a beehive in the Indiana governor’s residence in 2014, when Vice President Mike Pence served as the state’s governor. She said more than 80 percent of the land in Indiana is dedicated to agriculture, and its crops are very dependent upon pollinators.

The hive unveiled is located on the grounds of the Vice President’s Residence. It is a triple-deep “Langstroth� beehive that holds traditional frames and was obtained from Eco Honeybees of Falls Church, VA. The hive contains almost 20,000 bees and continues to grow.

GardenerNews.com How well do you know your produce? When you go and purchase produce, do you look for a specific variety or brand, or do you just look for whatever is the freshest looking?

It is always interesting to hear consumers describe the ways in which they select the produce they are going to purchase. And I’ll bet that the methods of produce selection are almost as varied as the offerings in the produce aisle.

Fruits and vegetables are marketed in two different ways.

There are those that are sold by variety, such as Honeycrisp apples or Bing cherries. And then there are those that are just marketed without any further identification, such as zucchini or radishes. But why are they sold this way? What is the reasoning behind these different marketing strategies? Why aren’t Honeycrisp and Macintosh and Stayman Winesaps all just sold as “apples?” And conversely, why aren’t “Spineless Beauty,” and “Judgement III” zucchinis sold by their given variety names? There are a few obvious answers to these questions.

The first test is that these different varieties must be able to be differentiated from

July, 2017 11 The Town Farmer

By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

Branded Produce each other. There is a big difference between a Gala apple and a Granny Smith. Even blindfolded, it should be quite easy to tell them apart. And while they are both varieties of apples, they have quite different uses and characteristics. While Galas are sweet and considered eating apples, Granny Smiths are quite tart and in many instances used for cooking.

On the other hand, if I were to display separate sections of Revolution and Intruder green bell peppers, it would be unlikely if consumers would be able to tell them apart. And I would also bet that most consumers have never heard of either one of those varieties.

Another reason for differentiation among produce items is value. If a retailer is paying significantly more for one item than other, you can bet

that those items will be priced accordingly. Take Honeycrisp apples, for example. With a wholesale price that can be three or four times that of other apple varieties, a retailer would be crazy to sell them for the same price as apples of lesser value.

And this difference in value is one of the main reasons for the existence of PLU stickers.

These stickers, which are short for “Price Look Up,” allow the grocery store cashiers to charge different prices for items without having to memorize hundreds of different types of produce.

Just because produce items are not sold differently at the retail level does not mean that there is no differentiation between them, however. While two varieties of cucumbers for example, might look identical to the consumer, they might exhibit completely different

growing characteristics. One variety might do well in heavier soil, or one type might out-yield the other.

Different varieties tend to perform differently in different regions of the country. Certain varieties show increased tolerance to disease or insects.

Some varieties might take longer than others to mature.

Some varieties lend themselves well to machine harvest, while others must be harvested by hand. We could go on and on.

So while these different varieties might have the same value to the consumer, to the grower they might be vastly different.

There are certain produce names that tend to remain in the public vernacular, even past the time when those varieties are no longer grown. Silver Queen sweet corn is a perfect example of this. In its day, Silver Queen

was an excellent variety that helped to change the public’s perception of what sweet corn should actually taste like.

And justifiably, its name still resonates with many consumers today.

But the fact of the matter is that Silver Queen has been surpassed time and time again by newer and better varieties of corn. And while the name is still known and sought after by consumers, if we were to grow and sell actual Silver Queen today, our customers would taste it and then throw it back at us.

But many retailers continue to market their sweet corn as Silver Queen in the hopes of cashing in on its nostalgic value. Cheers!

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

Mason Bees: “ Hey, We Pollinate Too!”

By William A. Kolbe B.C.E. The weather, especially heat and long daytime thermals in July, usually means lots of insect and arthropod activity.

By now most gardeners are experiencing mature plants and damage by plant feeders.

Garden plants that are blooming will be visited by honeybees and another group of pollinators, the mason bees. They are very good at pollinating plants, shrubs and trees, which is why they are referred to as orchard bees.

Orchard bees are closely related to leaf cutting bees and are also pollinators. Both of these bees pollinate a little differently from the honeybee.

Honeybees usually carry pollen on their legs, while mason bees carry pollen on their stomachs. Mason bees differ in where they nest as well. They find holes and cavities and seal the entrance with clay once they place pollen and lay eggs.

Diversity abounds.

There are approximately 130 species of mason bees in the U.S. They are important pollinators in that they tend to concentrate on fruit trees like apples, peaches, almonds, plums and pears. The blue orchard mason bee (Osmia lignaria) is native to the U.S. and is often managed like honeybees. The blue orchard bee is similar in size to a honeybee, but is dark metallic blue in color.

Social misfits or just loners? Honeybees live in colonies, while mason bees are solitary. Each female mason bee tends to its own offspring, instead of being in a colony with queens and workers. Orchard growers will attract them by providing round tubes for them to find and make brood chambers. If you are interested in attracting mason bees to your garden, just use a search engine to find mason bee chambers. Many companies sell different types of round chamber structures for mason bees.

Mason bees are considered early-spring bees since they tend to emerge in the early-spring. Once they emerge as adults, they find a mate and continue their life cycle. After they mate, females search for empty holes. These need to be the right size and shape. Once they find a suitable hole, they go to fruit trees and collect pollen. Females collect the pollen and bring it back to the nests. They use their saliva to make a pollen ball and place it in the chamber.

An egg is laid on top and they build a little mud wall.

These chambers are similar to what a carpenter bee does.

Typically, each female will make up to eight cells. The larvae hatch and feed on the pollen ball. It will be safe inside the chamber and will molt several times, pupate and then become an adult.

You would think the eggs laid first would hatch first, but they do not. Due to pheromones and royal gels, the eggs laid first are

females and hatch later than males. The last few eggs laid in the chamber will be males and they will hatch first. The same thing happens with carpenter bees. Once the males hatch, they hang around the chambers waiting for the females to hatch.

When they find their mates, it starts all over again.

There are some predators that will feed on developing mason bees, so the males are sacrificed first, thus making sure females survive. Their season is mostly March through May in New Jersey, so we probably one get a couple generations per year.

So how many do I need in my garden? They are not considered stinging insects, so go for it. About 250 to 300 female bees per acre are recommended.

Backyard orchards of a few dozen trees may be adequately pollinated with 50 female bees or less.

A high level of pollination efficiency occurs because mason bees land directly upon the reproductive structures of

the fruit tree blossom. The key to heavy pollination in the orchard is to promote maximum nesting activity in the orchard bee population.

As with honeybees, pest management professionals DO NOT and ARE NOT allowed to treat for or kill mason bees; especially when they (or any other pollinator) are visiting blooming plants or foraging/visiting nonblooming trees and plants.

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

Bill is a member of The Denville NJ Community Gardens.

His career in Professional Pest Control started in June 1974. He can be reached at 732-356-3100 or visit www.vikingpest.com

12 July, 2017

GardenerNews.com

GardenerNews.com

July, 2017 13

Meeting Brings Together Agricultural Leaders from 10 States For the first time in nearly a decade, New York State Agriculture Commissioner and President of the Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NEASDA) Richard A. Ball hosted the 2017 NEASDA conference in Cooperstown, Otsego County, N.Y., on June 12-15.

The NEASDA meeting is considered one of the most important agricultural conferences of the year. It brings together commissioners, secretaries, and directors of 10 state departments of agriculture from across the Northeast, as well as federal and international partners, educational groups, and industry representatives, to discuss policy initiatives impacting the industry. During the four-day conference, participants also discussed labor and trade issues, farmland protection, food safety, advancements in food science and technology, and more. New York State last hosted the NEASDA conference in 2009.

“I am honored to serve as NEASDA President and excited to bring the conference back to New York,” Commissioner Ball said. “This multiday meeting presents an invaluable opportunity to collaborate with our partners in the Northeast states on important issues facing our industry.

The discussions that take place during this conference will help shape future policy-making and ensure that agriculture remains a top economic driver across the Northeast and nationwide.”

NEASDA states include: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.

NEASDA is a regional division of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), which was founded in 1916.

NASDA’s mission is to grow and enhance agriculture by developing partnerships and creating consensus on significant policies among states, the federal government, and stakeholders. NASDA represents the Commissioners, Chiefs, Directors, and Secretaries of the state departments of agriculture in all 50 states and four U.S. territories.

NASDA President and Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain DVM, said: “This is an opportunity to discuss regional and national issues impacting the agricultural industry. As president of NASDA, I use the information from our regional meetings at the federal level to influence farm policy and move the agricultural industry forward in order to compete on the world stage. I believe it’s important for the agricultural community to have one collective message which resonates over many smaller ones.”

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Pictured in the front row from left to right are: Lorraine Stuart Merrill, New Hampshire Commissioner of Agriculture, Markets and Food; New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher; Maine Commissioner of Agriculture Walter E. Whitcomb; New York Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets and NEASDA President Richard Ball; and Ken Ayars, Chief, Rhode Island Division of Agriculture.

Pictured in the back row from left to right are: Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture John Lebeaux; Anson Tebbetts, Vermont Secretary of Agriculture, Food, and Markets; Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse; Connecticut Commissioner of Agriculture Steven K. Reviczky; and Mike Strain DVM, Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry and NASDA President.

14 July, 2017

GardenerNews.com

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From plant foods to potting mixes, our products work in harmony with nature to grow beautiful lawns & gardens.

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Visit us at: www.espoma.com for inspirational ideas and organic growing tips!

GardenerNews.com

July, 2017 15

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16 July, 2017 I am proud to have recently been appointed the Executive Director of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA).

The NJLCA is a group of professional landscape contractors dedicated to advancing the integrity, professionalism, profitability and personal growth of the landscape contractor. I look forward to working with the other associations in our industry to advance the causes that are important to our industry and our members.

Having worked with associations for more than 20 years, I have always been amazed that potential members often focus on the reasons they don’t want to join an association, rather than the reasons they should join. I am sure that anyone who has worked in an association has heard potential members say why they will not join. Potential members can always raise objections, but by addressing these objections, potential members can be shown that the advantages of membership vastly outweigh the costs involved.

COSTMembership dues should be viewed as an investment, not a cost. By joining an association, you reap benefits (reduced cost

GardenerNews.com The NJLCA Today

By Al Gettler Executive Director

The freedom – and benefits – of associations on educational seminars and webinars, supplier discounts, etc.) that more than outweigh the cost of membership (which is usually tax deductible as an ordinary business expense).

Attendance at just a few educational or social events can often more than cover membership dues.

LACK OF TIME – The information that one can acquire by belonging to an association can increase efficiency and help one work smarter, not harder. Associations, by providing education, can make your job easier and give you more time. Associations keep their members informed about developments in the industry and reduce the time you need to keep abreast of industry happenings.

Attending association meetings provides members with the opportunity to network with numerous suppliers and members in a

relatively short period of time.

I’M TOO SMALL – Many association members are small companies. The smaller a company is, the more it benefits from belonging to an association. Many associations provide benefits, such as supplier discounts, which are especially valuable to smaller firms. Also, the education that a small company can receive from an association makes it much more competitive against its non-association competitors.

I CAN GO TO EDUCATIONALSEMINARS AS A NON-MEMBER -True, but you will pay more than members do, and often associations will prioritize members over non-members when filling seminars.

YOUR MEETINGS ARE AT NIGHT – This is done on purpose so that the meetings do not interfere with your workday.

Also, many associations allow any employee of your company to attend meetings.

HOW CAN I MAKE A DIFFERENCE – I AM JUST ONE PERSON? Being part of an association, gives you the opportunity to express your views on issues that are important to you and help shape the association’s position on important issues – as a nonmember, you are not part of the process of determining your industry’s future. Especially in this day and age of increased governmental involvement in all industries, it is essential that you have the opportunity to help shape your industry.

Even if you do not agree with an association’s position on a particular issue, being a member provides you with the opportunity to try to change the association’s position. If you are not a member you have no voice.

IALREADY BELONG TO AN ASSOCIATION – Many companies work in different areas which are represented by different associations. The fact that you already belong to an association demonstrates that you understand the value of an association. Belonging to multiple associations will bring multiple benefits.

NOW IS NOT THE RIGHT TIME, MAYBE LATER The sooner one joins an association, the sooner one reaps the benefits that associations bring. Delay will cost you money.

The goals of any industry, and by extension the companies in the industry, are best served when those involved in the industry participate. I would urge all companies to join the association that represents their industry. This will benefit not only the industry by making the associations stronger, but also your own company by providing it resources that will better enable you to compete in an increasingly competitive work environment.

Editor’s Note: Al Gettler is the Executive Director of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association. He can be reached at (201) 703-3600 or via email at Agettler@njlca.org.

Eat Berries to Improve Brain Function

(Continued from page 1) protect the brain from oxidative used blueberries, however other stress, but also counteract berries, including raspberries, advanced glycation end-products blackberries, and strawberries, called AGEs, which have been also have many of the bioactive linked to other age changes such as compounds that improve brain Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s function. is one type of neurodegenerative Eating berries on a regular disease, an umbrella term for basis along with other fruits and a range of conditions which vegetables will ensure that the primarily affect the neurons in protective compounds of berries the human brain. Neurons are the are in your blood stream helping building blocks of the nervous to improve your brain function system which includes the at all ages. Take small steps to brain and spinal cord. Neurons include berries on your cereal normally don’t reproduce or for breakfast, include berries replace themselves, so when in a smoothie for lunch, or try they become damaged or die they adding berries to a salad, main cannot be replaced by the body. dish or dessert for dinner. Berries Examples of neurodegenerative provide a healthful addition to a diseases include Parkinson’s, regular diet.

Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s disease.

Editor’s Note: Karen Ensle is Multiple studies demonstrate an Ed.D., RDN, FAND, CFCS, the benefits of berries including and a Family & Community the protection against the Health Sciences Educator negative effects of a high fat diet for Rutgers Cooperative and the ability to boost a person’s Extension of Union County. mood and decrease the risk for She can be reached at 908developing depression. Many of 654-9854, ext. 1 or by emailing the controlled human trials have ensle@njaes.rutgers.edu

GardenerNews.com

July, 2017 17

18 July, 2017

GardenerNews.com

Legislators Highlight Improvements to Barnegat Bay Vow To Continue Work to Restore the Environmental Asset Senate Environment and Energy Committee Chairman Bob Smith and Assemblyman John McKeon joined with representatives from the oyster industry on June 14, 2017, at The Crab’s Claw Inn in Lavallette, Ocean County, to highlight the work done to restore the ecological health of Barnegat Bay, but said more needs to be done to maintain and improve upon those efforts. The legislators, who have championed numerous bills to improve the bay, said the success of the oyster industry is just one example of its importance to the economy of the state.

“Barnegat Bay is one of the state’s greatest environmental treasures and serves as a major economic engine for the region.

We have made progress to improve the health of the bay, but there is more to do to ensure that we preserve it for generations to come,” said Senator Smith (D-Middlesex). “We know there is great demand for oysters, here and around the world, and we know they provide significant benefits to the bay. We have to build upon the successes we’ve had to ensure that this and other industries that depend on the bay can grow and thrive, and we are committed to doing that.”

“The oyster industry is a prime example of how a clean bay is vital to our efforts to create jobs and economic development,” said Assemblyman McKeon (D-Essex/Morris). “Protecting our environment and supporting business can and should go hand-inhand. A strong oyster industry relies on a sustainably clean bay, which is why we will continue fighting to protect this great natural treasure. We need jobs and we need a clean environment. New Jersey depends on both, and thrives when both are priorities.”

The legislators were joined by Matt Gregg and Scott Lennox of Forty North Oyster Farms, a licensed New Jersey Aquatic Farmer, which utilizes the Barnegat Bay for catching and sorting oysters, which are often distributed to local restaurants. The oyster farmers explained how oysters help filter the water, and remove algae from the ocean, but ocean pollution has made harvesting oysters very difficult for the dozens of oyster farmers in the state.

“A decade ago there were no oysters being harvested out of the bay. Today, through the practice of aquaculture, there are over one hundred thousand oysters landing every month,” said the oyster farmers. “We want to continue to sustainably grow that number.”

Also joining the legislators was Chef Craig Korb of The Crab’s Claw Inn, which specializes in freshly served seafood, including oysters. Chef Korb prepared oysters seven different ways to show how important it is to continue cleaning up the bay.

According to the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, New Jersey’s fishery and aquaculture resources contribute more than $1 billion annually to the state’s economy.

Assemblyman John McKeon, left, Chef Craig Korb, center, and Senator Bob Smith

Tom Castronovo/Photo

GardenerNews.com

July, 2017 19

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Lavallette Town Council President Anita Zalom, left, Matt Gregg, center, and Scott Lennox from 40 North Oyster Farms

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Barnegat Bay oysters prepared by Chef Craig Korb

“As a local chef, I try to use as much locally harvested product as possible, and having the oyster industry rebounding like it has is a win-win for people who swim in the bay or who use it to make their living,” said Korb.

Smith and McKeon also praised Sam and Louise Hammer, owners of The Crab’s Claw Inn, for constantly promoting fresh Jersey Seafood.

Also joining the legislators were Anita Zalom, president of the Lavallette Town Council, and Alfred W. Murray, the newly appointed executive director of the New Jersey Agricultural Society.

Senator Smith and Assemblyman McKeon authored numerous bills aiming to restore the Barnegat Bay. A landmark law, signed in 2011, established the most restrictive standards in the nation for nitrogen content in fertilizer and application rates for use. The law established a new content standard for fertilizer that reduces excess nutrient runoff into the bay by decreasing the total amount of nitrogen in fertilizer and increasing the amount of slow release nitrogen, as well as requiring zero phosphorus content.

A second law (S-1410/A2501) called for the establishment of soil restoration standards that would require that soil at a construction site be restored to its optimal condition following the completion of a project, thereby reducing runoff. This would have a major impact on the bay. Yet, six years after the law’s enactment, the standards are still not in place.

The legislators also sponsored a bill (A3415), vetoed by the governor in 2011, to require the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to evaluate the water quality of Barnegat Bay and, upon a finding that it is impaired, develop total maximum daily loads for the bay.

Another bill, vetoed by the governor, provided the mechanism to fix some 2,000 malfunctioning stormwater basins around the bay.

The bill (S1856) would have authorized the Ocean County Planning Board, in conjunction with each municipality within the Barnegat Bay watershed, to develop a pollution management plan for the watershed designed to reduce siltation and prevent pollution caused by stormwater runoff or nonpoint sources.

“There is no doubt that the work done to date has improved the health of the bay, which is critical to both the environment and to our economy,” said Smith. “This asset generates billions of dollars in revenue and supports tens of thousands of jobs. We look forward to continuing our work with environmentalists around the state and our colleagues.”

“If we don’t act soon, the bay is going to turn into a toxic soup, which is wholly unacceptable,” McKeon said. “Gov. Christie’s failure to act threatens jobs, economic development, the environment and our future, but we will not give up. We have never stopped working to protect the bay and hopefully we’ll see some real progress soon enough when we get a new governor.”

Smith and McKeon also noted that the closure of Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant, scheduled for 2019, will have a significant positive impact on the health of the Barnegat Bay, as it will end the continued water withdrawals and discharges in the bay.

According to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, aquaculture refers to the “farming” of fish, mollusks, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Farming implies some form of intervention in the rearing process such as regular stocking, feeding, protection from predators, etc., to improve production.

The primary focus of aquaculture in New Jersey is growth of bivalve shellfish, primarily hard clams and oysters. The basic components of shellfish aquaculture include: on-shore hatcheries where larvae are spawned and raised; leased grounds within the New Jersey coastal zone for grow-out; maintenance of the gear and product (shellfish); and harvest once the product reaches market size (anywhere from two to five years, dependent upon species and growing location).

20 July, 2017

GardenerNews.com

Deer-proof design

By Brian Bosenberg As this article is appearing in the Gardener News, it is probably safe to assume that most of you reading this either love to garden or have aspirations of one day starting your own garden.

Gardening is very beneficial; some might argue it is a therapeutic art, allowing us to be in touch with nature, reducing stress and keeping us active and healthy. Feeling the soil through your fingertips can become a spiritual connection to Mother Earth, but for some, being dedicated to gardening has also turned us into garden crime scene detectives, endlessly searching for the culprit of our eaten rose bush.

You might ask, “Who or what would be interested in eating a plant with thorns?”

Well, we might be able to share with you the main suspect: deer.

From early-June to mid-October, when the air temperature is not dipping into the low 40s, I have a clogged house that desperately needs to be un-clogged.

A dining room where it is very difficult to see the east wall, and forget accessing the dining room table. Half of the living room has rolling behemoths taking up every free space except in front of the fireplace and even the kitchen has my buddies in it that have to be moved around when I make spaghetti and need extra space to boil the pasta, make the sauce, chop herbs up, etc.

Literally, if I am making spaghetti, no one can sit on the couch in the living room. The guys and gals in the upstairs library can stay because they have now wrapped themselves around the window casing.

Family and friends have told me over and over to give some of those things away.

Now I am not a hoarder but, I have grown very attached to my buddies

Many gardeners struggle with the task of keeping deer away from their plants.

One solution is to create a physical barrier, a deer fence.

Some fences just act as a slight hurdle (in the literal term); white tail deer are able to jump a tall fence with ease. Deer fencing can be a single, six-foot-tall fence, which will work in many occasions, but an eight-foottall fence is better. However, accidentally leaving the gate open can not only let deer in but may trap them inside your yard.

Another alternative includes having a shorter fence, six-foot-tall, with horizontal metal wires spaced 10 inches apart continuing to the eight-foot height. Before installing any fence, be sure to check local ordinances governing the heights and setback of fences in your town. The downside to deer fencing is it can be unattractive and expensive.

It might not be an option for every homeowner.

Deer spraying is another viable option. Deer spraying needs to be properly applied and requires regular applications, but is quite effective. Human hair, soap and human urine have also been used as DIY deer repellant. However, unless you are in the need of very frequent haircuts, or enjoy doing your business in the garden rather than using indoor plumbing, this option might not work for you.

If you can’t fence your garden, there is even another option – “deer-proof plants.”

There is a little known secret about “deer-proof plants.”

The real secret is that “deerproof plants” do not exist.

If someone tries to sell you on a deer-proof plant, they are unfortunately mistaken and maybe just have not met enough hungry deer. In dire situations, many deer will taste/eat almost anything.

This is why we must stick to using plants that are deer-resistant. We cannot be 100-percent sure that the

deer will not nibble on any plant, but we can use plants when designing our garden that deer are unlikely to eat and create a deer-resistant landscape wherever possible.

There are plants that can be described as “deerresistant plants,” but sometimes their resistance varies from region to region.

These plants have been observed to be left off of the deer dinner menu a vast majority of the time. This does not mean that they are “deer-proof.”

Some of these plants include: Boxwoods, Catmint, Russian Sage, Hellebore, Pachysandra, Lamb’s Ear, Caryopteris, Pieris, Koreanspice Viburnum, Green Giant Arborvitae and Ornamental Grasses.

Thanks to these plants that deer find less appetizing, you might not need to call your neighbor down the street whose favorite day of the year is opening day of hunting season. Although it is deer-resistant, DO NOT

The Miscellaneous Gardener

By Richard W. Perkins Freelance Writer

“Time to Take Em’ All Outside!” that will now fill the back deck. Part of my problem is people bring me their wounded or injured buddies that they were going to throw out and I bring them back to life… and they don’t want them back! It’s almost like they have moved on, out of sight out of mind but now what am I supposed to do - I have become attached to them.

What I am specifically referring to are pot after pot of: Lithops, Cacti of every variety; Christmas, Prickly Pear, Ocotillo, etc. variegated Snake plants, Bamboo, Motherin-Law Tongue, Wax Hoyas, Majesty palms, Madagascar Dragon trees, huge Ponytail Palms, shooting star

Clerodendrum, massive Kalanchoe Tubiflora, big Jade and even bigger Aloe Vera, all on rolling casters, and a Ficus tree that I have to put on a dolly and roll through the dining room door and slowly bend the branches to get it outside.

Now, I want you to think about pot after pot of the aforementioned flora and add to your thought that over half of these are in pots that I cannot pick up and I have packed them into a 1,244 square foot downstairs all winter long.

Truly like living in an arboretum.

This weekend, out they go to be assembled, and, which amazes pretty much everyone I know, there will be six new additions.

Some of the plants like full

light, some like half-light, and the Wax Hoya, for example, likes the shade and late-afternoon light, and I do have a special spot for her up against the neighbor’s garage that she loves. She has grown vigorously there and pops out her dew-dripping flowers there in record numbers.

It is quite the process to make them all happy, safe and thriving, but I do it. When it rains too much, I go out and drain their pot plates so they do not get over watered. I bring the lithops inside because too much water turns them to mush - believe it or not. The ones that love the water are the Ficus and Bamboo trees and the Clerodendrum. I am

PLANT Japanese Barberry; it is highly invasive!

Many of you might enjoy seeing your neighborhood Bambi, but most of you probably don’t want the deer using your backyard as an all-you-can-eat buffet. Deer fencing and spraying are viable options to prevent deer damage but they might not be the best option for every homeowner. Deer resistant plants tend to be the easiest solution, but if you are set on that rose garden and you live next door to a hungry family of deer, you might want to try one of the first two options.

Editor’s Note: Brian W. Bosenberg is a practicing landscape architect licensed in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maine and Vermont, and a principal in the firm of Bosenberg & Company Landscape Architects, Far Hills, N.J. He can be reached at 908-234-0557, info@bwbosenberg.com or www.bwbosenberg.com experimenting right now with a Claredendrum in the big glass jar with a top because I could not find any information on it, and so far so good. It loves the hot, wet, humid environment.

My next challenge is to see if the squirrels bite the lithops, which they did last year and they do not eat them but they hurt them.

Not smart, damaging my buddies.

All the squirrel feeding stations were removed from the backyard. I would come home and a squirrel would be in a branch near the back deck and he/she would just look at me. I knew they were wondering where their supply of sunflower seeds and corn cobs went.

Maybe they learned their lesson, maybe they didn’t.

We will see. Hopefully they have, but if they haven’t, I have a great source for more lithops.

Thanks for reading and see ya next month.

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

GardenerNews.com

July, 2017 21

Turk’s Cap Lily Is A Green Star Winner!

By Hubert Ling Asiatic and European lilies are popular garden plants because of their gorgeous floral displays, but did you know that New Jersey has three of the most spectacular native lilies in the world?

One is the wood lily, which is very rare in NJ but common in a few locations elsewhere. Wood lilies have large orange or red flowers borne singly on small plants; these flowers face upwards towards the sky. Since other lilies face sideways or downwards, presumably to protect the anthers and pistils from damaging rain, one wonders if wood lilies know what they are doing.

Perhaps their rarity is based on this personality quirk and on the fact that they are fussy growers and, although beautiful, are probably best left in the wild.

Wow! What an incredibly rainy spring! As I write this article, June is just around the corner, but please, Mother Nature, give us a break from the rain.

I wish I had a crystal ball to tell you how much rain we may get in June. This much rain can be tiresome, but there are positives, New Jersey will not enter the summer in a drought-alert stage. So, let’s discuss what may be now happening with your lawn.

Can we still have a drought this summer? The answer is yes, even after all this spring rain. As we all know, Mother Nature makes the final decision.

But, there are some things to be considered. Our lawns have absorbed so much water that the grass blades became very lush; if there is a severe drought, there could be great stress placed on your lawn.

Do not over-water your lawn. The best way to test if your lawn has enough moisture is to push a screwdriver into the soil. If you can go down four to five inches easily, your soil has enough moisture. If you need to water in the absence

Our two other lilies are larger, long-lasting, perennial plants which carry numerous flowers and are easy to grow given the right conditions.

Canada lily is a New Jersey native that can grow to six feet tall and carry as many as 20 pendulous, spotted, lemon-yellow flowers.

Our most spectacular native lily is the orange Turk’s Cap lily, Lilium superbum. Under ideal conditions, it can reach 11 feet and have over 70 blooms on a single stalk.

Thus, it is one of the largest lilies in the world! In most gardens however, you can expect the plants to be four to six feet tall bearing three to 10 trumpet-shaped flowers with strongly reflexed petals (tepals).

The flowers are two to three inches wide and generally sport an unusual green star when viewed directly into the base of the throat. Since the flowers almost face straight down, you must look up from

underneath the flowers to view this feature. The rest of the petals are a bright orange and heavily freckled with reddishbrown spots, which gives the flowers an informal, whimsical look.

Turk’s Cap lily was named since it resembles a turban, which was common headgear years ago in Turkey. The genus name Lilium is from the Latin and Greek meaning “lily” and from earlier Demotic and Egyptian meaning flower. The species name superb-um is in reference to the superb flowers, although if you want to insult the flower and a gardener friend who is growing them, you can pronounce it “super-bum.”

Turk’s Caps need moist, deep, organic-rich soil.

They are naturally found in wet, moderately to highly acid meadows and need protection from excessive heat and wind. I provide this by planting them in a low spot in my garden with

a ground cover of Greek Valerian, Polemonium reptans to keep the soil cool and shrubs on the north flank to block most of the strong gusts.

Turk’s Cap is found over much of Eastern and Central North America but is uncommon in New Jersey and over much of its range. The flowers are visited by hummingbirds and the larger insects, such as swallowtail butterfly.

You should not grow any type of lily if you share your home with a cat. Cats are extremely sensitive to lilies and ingestion can damage a cat’s kidneys and may even prove fatal.

Propagation is carried out by seeds, but seedlings generally only appear after the second year and growth is limited the first few years to only the cooler weeks of late-spring. Given this slow start, a bloomingsize plant may take five to seven years. However, if your adult plants are happy, they will help you

Turf ‘s Up

By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

Rain, rain… go away! of rain, water about one inch per week. It is best to water deeply and infrequently and not every day.

Be sure to raise your mower height to three inches or more to conserve precious moisture in the grass blades during summer months. Remember; leave grass clippings on your lawn whenever possible to retain moisture. Grass blades are 80- to 90-percent water.

Lawns grow best when temperatures are between 60 and 75 degrees.

Readings indicate that soil temperatures have reached 80 degrees at two inches deep at certain times this year, and this causes lawn stress. If it does not become hot and dry too quickly, consider an application of summer fertilizer, perhaps an

organic lawn fertilizer, for a slow, gentle feeding if you have only fed your lawn once this year, and water in your fertilizer after application.

Weeds can be treated provided the turf is not under heat and drought stress and air temperatures are not above 85 degrees. If you have any doubts about controlling weeds during summer weather, do not, because you may damage your lawn, and always follow label directions.

Fungus is what I fear most after a wet, rainy, spring. The extra moisture in the soil and summer heat creates the perfect storm for fungus to develop. Summer fungi include Summer Patch, Brown Patch, Dollar Spot and Powdery Mildew. A sound lawn-care program prior to

summer months arriving is the best defense against fungus outbreaks. Choose quality grass seed with exceptional disease resistance. Grass seed varieties that contain endophytes can help to reduce surface feeding insect damage, thus the lawn can handle stress better.

Many times, fungusprone lawns will show signs of damage each year. There are effective preventative and curative lawn fungicides on the market. Be sure to follow all label directions for best results.

Grubs need moisture to reproduce effectively, so there may be lots of grubs this season. Their life cycle may be delayed a bit, but monitor your lawn for grub activity.

Sometimes the presence of a lot of birds or skunks on

out by sending out several stolons every year.

In addition, daughter bulbs frequently form from the parent bulb and plants are easily propagated by sacrificing some or all of the scales from a mature bulb. If these are broken off and planted, a single leaf will be sent up when the plant gets around to it (generally in one to two years).

The plants need at least three hours of sunlight each day to bloom. When encouraged to form a colony of 10 or more plants, they truly are superb. Given a little extra organic matter every few years, and water during droughts, they will grace your garden in early to mid-summer for decades to come.

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 your lawn is an indication that grubs are present. Other times, you may see holes in your lawn but it could be from squirrels digging for acorns. You could still apply a preventative grub treatment since the grubs life cycle is somewhat delayed.

Don’t forget to address fleas, ticks, ants, mosquitoes and other insect pests if you do not want them coming to your summer picnics. There are many insect controls available to treat these pests.

If you live by wooded areas, treat the perimeter of your yard to deter ticks. Lawns that are mowed regularly tend to have less tick activity than grass that is left to grow tall.

Be sure to remove any standing water to disrupt mosquito breeding grounds and treat problem areas. Once all of this work is done… remember to enjoy your beautiful lawn!

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

22 July, 2017 A frustration of mine is customers who continually buy the same tree or shrub over and over again simply because they have heard the name.

Dogwood, cherry, magnolia and redbud certainly have their places in the world, but what about a tree that can offer you something in every season? Dictionary.com defines quintessential as “of or relating to the most perfect embodiment of something.” Certainly Sourwood, Oxydendrum arboreum falls into this category, as it offers the gardener excitement in every season.

This native tree is found alongside stream beds and in woodlands on the East Coast.

Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana have their fair share too. Oxydendrum also goes by such common names as Sorrel Tree and Lily-of-the-Valley Tree.

Aptly named Sourwood, it is the leaves of Oxydendrum that have a sour taste. And while the leaves of this tree can be chewed to help alleviate a dry-feeling mouth, it is advised not to swallow them, according to Wikipedia. Having said this, Wikipedia also cites the leaves as being a laxative.

This tree has so many attributes it boggles my mind that it is not more popular or widely known. This deciduous

As warm (well, mild) weather returns to New Jersey, we begin to observe the effects of an otherwise mild winter followed by sub-freezing temperatures in late-March.

Many early-blooming woody plants had their waytoo-early flowers zapped by several nights of mid-teen temperatures.

Magnolia, flowering cherry, forsythia – just to name a few – had pushed in late-February, and tender buds simply froze to death. Disappointing, yes, but that’s just nature.

The damage does not end there. Having technically broken winter dormancy, the terminal shoots were tender, filled with sap and juvenile leaves trying to expand.

Stored carbohydrate reserves were being utilized a little too early, as the plant thought, well, time to grow. Then ZAP! Those tender little leaves got frozen, and the stress of such an early loss may have been too much for the plant.

This is especially true of those that flower early, as it takes tremendous energy to push out those flowers. The result is severe dieback, sometimes beyond recovery.

GardenerNews.com Unique Plants

By Bob LaHoff Nursery Specialist

A Quintessential Tree beauty typically grows 25 top 35 feet in cultivation and 50 to 60 feet tall in the wild. Finelytoothed, glossy green leaves look similar to peach and the fall color of these canoe-shaped leaves can have red, maroon, yellow and orange dancing through them.

Only to be rivaled by the likes of Blackgum, Parrotia and Chinese Pistache, other beauties not in the mainstream, Sorrel Tree is on the short list for autumnal wonders. The overall outline of this tree is a pyramid or narrow oval, making it a perfect choice for smaller landscape lots.

Oxydendrum’s branches droop towards the ground, depicting a subtle, graceful form.

Lily-of-the-Valley Tree is its other common name because its waxy, white flowers bloom on slender, dropping panicles reminiscent of the herbaceous perennial groundcover. Flowers that have a slight fragrance are borne in terminal panicles of

second racemes in our earlysummer months here in New Jersey. The winter months are not to be outdone by its gorgeous flowers and sensational fall color.

Gray, fissured bark that is deeply ridged will also captivate the novice gardener, appreciating its recognizable rectangular patterns. It is this “blocky pattern” that is reminiscent of Persimmon trees. And I can’t forget its olive green twigs that turn red or the fact that Sourwood honey is a highly prized and sought after product for those in the know.

Oxydendrum grows well in full sun, however it does appreciate a part sun to part shade location, shielded from extreme sun. Tolerant of acidic, clay soil types, Lily-of-the-Valley Tree has no serious insect or disease problems. The lone species of the genus, Sorrell Tree, makes an outstanding specimen as well as its contribution to naturalized settings.

As with many trees, there are a few cultivars to be on the lookout for. “Albomarginatum” I have only seen on the Internet, however a Sorrell Tree with white leaf margins and white marbling from Louisiana Nursery is pretty to look at.

“Chaemeleon” has an upright conical habit, maintaining exciting fall color marking from Polly Hill Arboretum, Martha’s Vineyard. Finally, “Mt. Charm,” touted for its symmetrical habit and reportedly earlier fall color markings, was introduced by the West Virginia Association of Nurserymen. Now, before you get all goose-bumpily and start looking for these exciting varieties, understand that just finding Oxydendrum arboreum may be a tall task in itself.

Sourwood is a bit tricky for nurserymen to grow and produce, hence its rarer occurrence at the garden center level. And its price tag is usually

Tree Notes

By Steve Schuckman NJ Certified Tree Expert

It’s Just Nature I have seen Okame cherry, early magnolia, and some early shrubs killed back either entirely or enough to warrant removal and replacement.

But hey, it’s just nature.

Broad-leaved evergreens have also suffered, but not as much as I had expected.

Depending upon how wellsited, most rhododendron have fared well, and American holly (Ilex opaca) seem okay. The more tender plants, especially boxwood and skip laurel, did not do so well, and I have seen many boxwood hedges with a third or more of the plants dead or nearly so.

Then there are the big shade trees. They started the winter already stressed from a very dry and warm summer and fall, and remember, December through February was pretty mild, with some

rain but no measurable snow until March.

Cold temperatures are required (along with other environmental cues) to induce dormancy, to protect next season’s flower and shoot buds. But when its stays mild, this dormancy is not as strong, and often trees start to “wake up” a little too early, only to be damaged by a severe late cold snap. Once bud break and leaf expansion begin, this additional stress results in twig and stem dieback. We are observing significant twig dieback in oak and maple. It is one way the tree protects itself from additional stress…shed some parts.

It’s just nature.

Now, to top it off, we are having a wet, cool spring… perfect for disease. Young, expanding leaves are paper-

thin and very susceptible to fungal disease, and some of these can cause significant damage. The most common are the anthracnose diseases, a big group of fungi that have been quite successful this year.

These fungi kill young leaves, resulting in the tree shedding many leaves and alarming the owner. Most mature trees recover with a second flush of leaves, but repeated infections can cause dieback. The most common I am seeing now is sycamore anthracnose of London plane….very bad this year. I have also seen more dogwood anthracnose than I have in a long time. See what pops out in the next few weeks.

Yes, it’s just Nature.

Homeowners should be carefully monitoring their plants, and when in doubt,

north of the likes of dogwood and redbud, but well worth the investment. Working with smaller, container-grown trees or well-balanced B&B (balled and burlapped) specimens usually ensures its success when introducing it to your landscape. “Hardy” to zone 5, adolescent trees are usually misshapen, but with time develop into a most handsome pyramidal tree.

Given all that Oxydendrum has to offer, I am stupefied as to why this tree isn’t more “mainstream.” Outstanding fall color, interesting bark, flowers that engulf the foliage in the early-summer, a native with little to no issues and a tree you can make prized honey from and juice from its blooms (Sourwood jelly)…what else could you want?

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.

refer to a professional. The Rutgers Plant Pathology Laboratory is a great resource for diagnosis…forms and fees are available online.

Remember, you cannot treat a disease unless you know what it is.

Big trees should be inspected by a licensed tree expert, especially if you are observing dead limbs and branches. These should be pruned out before decay sets in and more problems arise.

So, what will summer bring this year? My prediction: insect pests will be plentiful, mosquitoes by the billions, and a hot, humid August. I have no idea why I think this, and I can’t do anything about it.

Because it’s just nature.

Editor’s Note: Steve Schuckman is owner of First Mountain Aboriculture, which provides horticultural consulting and community forestry services.

He is currently the consulting forester for Bloomfield, Hawthorne, Maplewood, and Montclair, in New Jersey. He is also a New Jersey Certified Tree Expert. He can be reached at smschuckman@verizon.net

GardenerNews.com

July, 2017 23

Hollyhocks: A Love Affair!

By Jeannie Geremia Garden Club of New Jersey Yes, my gardening friends, I’m guilty of a prolonged love affair with the divinely beautiful, heart-stoppingly gorgeous single flowered hollyhocks, Alcea rosea.

I am beyond excited because 2017 will be the first time in years I have finally coaxed them back into my life. I had a profusion of these stately beauties back in the ’70s (it’s been that long). They graced my backyard garden for several years with blooms of pale yellow, pink, rose, white, red, and I gloried in them only to have lost them entirely for all these years.

Happily, I’ll not only have them once again in my home garden, but in my community garden as well. The community garden hollyhocks were planted three years ago only to languish with nary a bloom as they seem to have been overshadowed by neighboring bee balm, cone flowers and cup plants. Maybe I have our voles to thank, as the bee balm seems to have been depleted in numbers, finally allowing the hollyhocks to prosper and bloom. Oh, be still my heart! Never fear, though, as I will replace the lost bee balm, but will plant them some distance away from the awesome hollyhocks.

In researching hollyhocks, I discovered that they’re not native, but are steeped in mystery.

The theory goes that they were introduced to Europe from the Middle East by the Crusaders bringing back seeds in the 13th and 14th centuries. The word “Hoc” being Anglo-Saxon for mallow and the word “Holly” derived from holy lands.

They were originally grown as a food source and medicinal herb. If you visit Plimoth Plantation, you will be greeted by sweeps of these beauties, as they were first planted by our Pilgrim forefathers. It was interesting to read about

Chater and Barron, two Englishmen who brought them to eminence during the Victorian era with amazing success until they were attacked by “rust,” Puccinia malvacearum, and were decimated.

You can find Chater’s doubles at most garden centers, but it’s the “singles” that have my heart, as well as being the important nectar sources for our pollinators, as doubles in any of our plants are not as pollinator-friendly as singles, since the stamens in doubles are transformed into extra petals, depriving bees the pollen and nectar needed to survive.

Just as “lost” rose species have been rediscovered in cemeteries and abandoned properties, so were the fabulously jewel-toned species of hollyhocks dubbed “Old Barnyard Mix” introduced in the 1980s by Wayside Gardens after being discovered in an abandoned Vermont farmyard. I just looked on a few plants-andseedsmen’s websites to see them “SOLD-OUT”! And no wonder, as they are overthe-moon gorgeous.

Besides the Common Hollyhock, Alcea rosea, you may want to try growing Fig-leafed Hollyhocks, Alcea ficifolia, available in pink, red, white or yellow with resistance to hollyhock rust or Hairy Hollyhocks, Alcea rugose, with lengthy hairs on the leaves and yellow blooms, also rustresistant. You can’t have too many, so I would try them all.

Several butterflies rely on Hollyhocks as host plants for their caterpillars, including the Painted Lady, Gray Hairstreak, Common Checkered Skipper and Common Hairstreak. They certainly suit a cottage garden and provide a breathtaking sight from early-summer to autumn.

You may wonder what in the world has me so smitten, as hollyhocks are deemed “old-fashioned,” and I can only tell you that it goes back to childhood, and don’t we know that

attachments formed in childhood never leave?

That’s why it’s imperative to expose our children to gardening and wildlife with a “hands on” attitude that will transform their lives into an everlasting appreciation of nature, gardening, the environment and propel them to teach their children, so we can rest assured that our future generations will have the same opportunities that we did to experience our agricultural and natural history.

GARDENING, there is such joy in one word, as we have instant images of the best life can offer in local, Jersey Fresh/Jersey Grown fruits, vegetables, flowers, it just never gets old, and optimism, health, and friendship are the rewards in our community gardens, our neighborhoods, our public/private gardens, our schools, garden clubs and our environmental organizations.

Look forward to seeing you up at the New Jersey State Fair Sussex Farm & Horse Show running August 4-13 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds. We will be exhibiting our Pollinator Center signage in the Conservatory and I will be speaking on August 5 or 6 on our new project entitled “GCNJ Wildlife Habitat” which is really all our committees rolled into one – Community Gardens, Butterflies & BeeGAP and Backyard Wildlife Habitat.

Have a great summer!

Editor’s Note: Jeannie Geremia is The Garden Club of New Jersey First Vice President, GCNJ Wildlife Habitat Chair, and is a National Garden Clubs, Inc. Accredited Life Flower Show Judge for the GCNJ. Jeannie is a member of Neshanic Garden Club and the Raritan Township Board of Health, and her email address is: jgeremia42@gmail.com The Garden Club of New Jersey website is: www. gardenclubofnewjersey. com and phone number is: 732-249-0947.

United States Maple Syrup Production The 2017 United States maple syrup production totaled 4.27 million gallons, up 2 percent from the previous year.

The number of taps is estimated at 13.3 million, up 6 percent from the 2016 total. Yield per tap is estimated to be 0.320 gallon, down 4 percent from the previous season.

Producers were encouraged to tap earlier this season by the warmer than normal temperatures. The earliest sap flow reported was January 1 in Indiana, New York, Ohio, and Vermont. The latest sap flow reported to open the season was February 12 in Minnesota. On average, the season lasted 37 days, compared with 33 days in 2016. The 2016 United States average price per gallon was $35.00, down $1.70 from 2015. Value of production, at $147 million for 2016, was up 17 percent from the previous season.

Source: USDA/NASS

New England Grape Production, 2016 New England Grape producers produced 2,075 tons of grapes in 2016, up 3 percent from the previous years.

However the tonnage utilized in 2016 at 1,955 tons is down 25 tons from the previous years. The 2016 value of production was $3.5 million dollars, down from the $3.6 million in the previous year. Average price received was $1784 per ton, down from $1,831 per ton in the previous year.

Acres of grapes harvested was 950, up from 940 acres in the previous year. Yield at 2.2 tons per acre was up slightly from 2.1 tons.

Utilization includes grapes sold for fresh market and sold for processing into juice or wine. The value of production includes the sales of grapes and the value of grapes used by producers that process the grapes into value added products like juice and wine.

Source: USDA/NASS

USDA/NASS to Conduct Annual Mushroom Survey USDA/NASS is again conducting the Mushroom Inquiry to document the past growing year. All mushroom growers will be contacted about growing area, production, and value of sales for the growing year of 2016-2017, as well as growing intentions for the coming year. Growers should receive a questionnaire in mid-June. If you do not receive a questionnaire, please contact the Northeastern Regional Field Office of USDA/NASS at 800-498-1518. Those not responding by mail will be contacted either by phone or in person during early July.

It is important that all mushroom growers participate in the Mushroom Inquiry so that accurate statistics on the mushroom industry are published. Mushroom statistics are used to help support the industry in many ways. All individual operation information is kept confidential and protected from freedom of information act requests.

Agaricus mushroom volume of sales totaled 921.6 million pounds during the 2015-2016 growing season, up 1.6 percent from the previous year. Pennsylvania accounted for 64.5 percent of the total volume of sales. The value of the Agaricus crop was estimated at $1.096 billion dollars, down 2 percent from the 2014-2015 season. In Pennsylvania, the Agaricus crop was valued at $570.5 million where growers received on average, 96 cents per pound for all Agaricus mushroom sales, up 1.1 cents from the previous year.

Value of sales for commercially grown specialty mushrooms in the U.S. during 2015-2016 totaled $95 million. A specialty grower is defined as having at least 200 natural wood logs in production or some commercial indoor growing area, and $200 or more in sales. The average price per pound received by growers, at $3.94, was up 40 cents from the previous season.

These figures were taken from the 2016 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s, National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/ NASS) Mushrooms release. The entire report is available via the internet at http://www.nass.usda.gov. This year’s survey results will be available on August 21, 2017, at 3:00 p.m.

24 July, 2017 Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?

Greeeeeeetings from the amazing Jersey Shore!

It’s high time here, time to get your groove on. Time to enjoy Jersey life to the fullest.

Go hiking, go biking, go surfing, go fishing, go running, go kayaking, go paddle boarding, go sun bathing, go gardening, go wherever you want, just go outside! Enjoy the best this state has to offer, because there is so much, just don’t sit at home and let it pass.

We are so busy during the summer at the restaurant, that when I have my day off, we always try to make it count.

On to the mighty, mighty TOMATO! Not just any tomato, behold THE JERSEY TOMATO! And yes, there is a difference. Our soil and its nutrient content produces a better tomato than most. As a Jerseyan, I look forward to both tomatoes and corn at this time of year. Both of these should be put on a pedestal because of the fact that if you seek out the right ones, they are truly terrific, especially

GardenerNews.com From the Deep

By Craig Korb Executive Chef

It Depends on How You Slice It in July and August. Prime time, baby!

A little more about the tomato, actually a fruit that belongs to the nightshade family. Originating from Central and South America, there are a number of varieties including beefsteak, plum, cherry, grape, pear, campari, and the newly popular heirloom, which is basically an “antique” type of strain that hasn’t been scientifically modified.

They are put into the vegetable category for their lack of sugar and for the sheer fact that they are used as a savory ingredient, such as in salads, sauces and juices in the culinary world. It is actually a berry of a flowering plant and is generally not used in desserts. They are very

healthy and they are high in lycopenes, which help to guard against cancer. Both the Mexican and Spanish cultures are the ones that have popularized the “fruit” and have used it in a variety of ways. Could you imagine life without ketchup, salsa, or marinara sauce? Truly, I cannot. A versatile fruit/ vegetable that I personally couldn’t live without.

Now on to the recipe du jour! I’m thinking rustic style tomato sauce using Jersey Fresh tomatoes. Tomato or marinara or gravy, Jersey style, can be made in sooooo many different ways. Not one of them being wrong. I’m just going to give you my take. I actually learned this in San Francisco, of all places, even though I was raised in North Jersey with an Italian

Nonna. So whatever, go for it, change out a bit, it’s all good, my friends!

And the answer is: Though botanically a fruit, in 1893 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the tomato was a vegetable (NIX v. HEDDEN, 149 U.S. 304).

Roasted Jersey Tomato sauce (serves 6 about???)

2 lbs. great quality Jersey tomatoes 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh garlic 1 cup red wine, cab or merlot or whatever!

1 tsp. fresh or dried oregano and basil 1 Spanish onion, diced small 1 Tbsp. sugar or good honey, yes honey!

1 small can tomato paste -salt and pepper to taste -olive oil- as needed

Method -heat oven to 450 degrees -cut tomatoes in half and place on a sheet pan cut side down -rub with olive oil and salt and pepper until coated -roast in oven until lightly charred and remove skins once cooled -put through a ricer ( if possible) or process in a food processor until smooth -in a heavy-bottomed pan, add olive oil , onions, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes -add fresh herbs, red wine and reduce by half -add pureed tomatoes, salt and pepper and adjust seasonings.

ENJOY! ENJOY! 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.

Giving Gardeners Information on Application for the 2017 New Jersey Potting Media for Trees and Shrubs Governor’s Environmental Excellence

By Dennis O'Brien Public Affairs Specialist With spring here, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists in Alabama have some timely advice for gardeners and homeowners who buy shrubs or trees.

Their insight comes from a cooperative study with Auburn University scientists focused on the effects of pine bark and other types of potting media used with many potted shrubs and woody ornamentals.

Pine bark is considered an industry standard as a potting media, but it is a byproduct of logging and timber operations, the supply of which can fluctuate. There are also a number of wood-based alternatives.

George Runion and Stephen Prior, who are based at the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) National Soil Dynamics Laboratory in Auburn, Alabama, compared pine bark’s capabilities for storing carbon in the soil with the alternatives. Storing carbon in the soil keeps it from being released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and helps the soil retain water and nutrients.

The researchers planted three woody ornamentals in different potting media (pine bark, clean chip residue and “Whole Tree,” a woodbased product used to grow plants sold at nurseries and retail outlets).

After the plants had taken root, the researchers transplanted them into outdoor plots and measured the amounts of carbon in the soil for three years.

The results showed that the pine bark media was the most effective at storing carbon in the soil, stockpiling up to 50 percent more carbon in the first year and roughly 100 percent more three years later.

The ornamentals also grew just as well in the pine bark as in the two alternatives.

According to Runion, the pine bark should store carbon equally well in different types of soils, in different parts of the country, and with different types of shrubs and small potted trees.

Editor’s Note: Dennis O’Brien works for the USDA Agricultural Research Service. She can be reached at 301-504-1624 or by emailing dennis.obrien@ars.usda.gov

awards is now available

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is pleased to announce that the application for the 2017 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards is now available. Completed applications must be received at DEP by September 29.

The Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards Program is New Jersey’s premier awards program for recognizing outstanding environmental performance, programs and projects throughout the state.

These awards recognize individuals, businesses, institutions, communities, organizations, educators, youth and others who have made significant contributions to environmental protection in New Jersey.

Since the awards program was established in 2000, 160 winners have been recognized.

Nominations can be submitted for the following categories: Clean Air; Healthy Ecosystems; Water Resources; Land Conservation; Healthy and Sustainable Communities; Healthy and Sustainable Businesses; and Innovative Technology. In addition, the category for “Environmental Education” has been divided into two awards: one for adult-led educational initiatives and one for projects that are student-led or have succeeded due to a high level of student involvement.

The Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards Program is sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust and the New Jersey Corporation for Advanced Technology, in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.

Award winners will be honored at a ceremony in December, to be held in Trenton.

The 2017 application and other awards information is available at www.nj.gov/dep/eeawards . Completed applications must be received at DEP by 5 p.m. on Friday, September 29. Questions about the awards program can be forwarded to DEP employee Tanya Oznowich by calling (609) 984-9802 or emailing Tanya.Oznowich@dep.nj.gov

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July, 2017 25

The Premier Gardening Monthly Newspaper Number 171 Published Monthly Reserve Ad Space Phone: 908.604.4444 Website: www.GardenerNews.com E-Mail: Mail@GardenerNews.com Staff Executive Editor/ Publisher . . . .

Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tom Castronovo Justin Kukuc Tom Castronovo

July Columnists Tom Castronovo Al Gettler Bob LaHoff Larry Katz Craig Korb

Todd Pretz Douglas H. Fisher Steve Schuckman Peter Melick Richard Perkins

Contributing Writers Bruce Crawford Brian Bosenberg Hubert Ling Dr. Karen Ensle

Jeannie Geremia William A. Kolbe B.C.E. Nick Polanin Dennis O’Brien

Gardener News is published monthly by

Gardener News, Inc.

Full Moon, July 9, 2017 Eastern Daylight

TIP OF THE MONTH

Lantana enjoys full sun, and once established needs only occasional watering. It should also be noted that all varieties of lantana are poisonous (berries are poisonous to humans and leaves are highly toxic to animals), and handling of plants may cause skin irritation or allergic reactions in some people. For these reasons, gardeners should give careful consideration before planting lantana in the landscape.

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) 2017 Gardener News, Inc.

26 July, 2017

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