...for discerning weeders June, 2012
FIELD TRIP TO ALABAMA Inside this issue:
Bits and Bytes
2
Coming Events
3
Ancestors
4
Walk on the Wild 5 Side Sea Oat Planting
5
Weed of the
6
On May 24, a small group of Master Garbecause he has no fear of predators. deners and guests accompanied Sheila Dunning on a visit to Five Rivers, Alabama’s Delta Resource Center. The Mobile, Spanish, Tensaw, Apalachee and the Blakeley Rivers come together in the MobileTensaw Delta and flow into Mobile Bay. The Center is part of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta Nature Preserve which was purchased by The Forever Wild Land Trust. The Trust sets aside 15 percent of the appraised value of each purchase for on-site management. Additional funding is providFinally, we met the star of the show, Amelia. She shares an office with Shonda and is black and white. She is the resident Skunk.
Month Preparing
7
Book Review
8
Mark Your
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Calendar Birthday Wishes
9
Last Word
10
ed by a small percent of the interest earned from state royalties on offshore gas and oil leases owned by Alabama.
DON’T FORGET! You have to log your hours onto the VMS system!
By Bob Bayer
The Apalachee Exhibit Hall was our next stop. Here we were free to roam the 4,000 square foot museum and view the many diverse displays. They ranged from a 12 ½ foot alligator, to invasive plants of the area, to animals you might encounter in the swamps, to live snakes in their enclosed natural setting.
Upon arrival we were met by Shonda, our land portion of the tour guide. We were escorted to the Tensaw Theater and viewed a movie on the Delta highlights, Alabama’s natural history and the many types of recreation available in the area. Then we went to one of the many classrooms to meet both living and preserved creatures that inhabit the Delta. This included a preserved Gator (go Gators), Bear, turtles and a very lively nonpoisonous snake that coiled around Shonda’s arm as she told us about snakes. We also met the resident squirrel who was Continued on next page rescued from the wild and will never return 1
FIELD TRIP
continued The next two hours were devoted to cruising aboard a pontoon boat. After a leisurely stroll down Gopher Trail, we left behind the cool interior of the Resource Center and made our way through Sardine Pass into the Blakeley River. As we headed toward Mobile Bay we were treated to sightings of many alligators all called “Fluffy” by our guide. There also were many birds to be seen, including an osprey, sitting her nest, cliff sparrows with unique nests under the bridges and many herons. All of this, plus an ongoing commentary about the flora and fauna of the area and lots of background history of the Delta and the surrounding area.
P.S. The only thing that was missing was YOU. Well, maybe next time!!!
A very big thank you to Bob Bayer for providing this report and the great pictures. Also, a big thank you to our Field Trip coordinators, Stacey and Klare for a banner year thus far. Please note that field trips will be on hold until after August due to the summer months.
BITS AND BYTES I want to start by thanking Dick for sending out the warning e-mail. For those of you who didn’t get it, there is yet another hoax/spam/irritating email going around, claiming to be from FedEx.
By Marg Stewart aren’t sure about.
(most times this can be done by holding down the Ctrl key and click ‘N’). #3 RELAX, if someone sent you someONCE you have the new window open, thing important, they will let you go type in the company’s name (we’ll know. The email police won’t arrive use FedEx). just because you didn’t open Aunt SoNOW you are the REAL FedEx page phie’s attachments. :) and you can click on the contact us link Here are some tips to keep you from or simply call them. 99.9% of the time #4 If you aren’t sure about an email falling victim to these operations. you’ll find out that they didn’t send out and you think it might be legitimate, the questionable email. #1 NEVER click on anything in a ques- do the following: GO BACK to your email and delete the tionable email. DON’T click on anything from the offending one. Keep the hackers out email. #2 NEVER open attachments that you OPEN a new window in your browser by taking a few extra steps to be safe. 2
JUNE 2ND 7AM TO 1PM INDOOR CRAFT/YARD SALE AND FARMER’S MARKET CRESTVIEW EXTENSION OFFICE
76th FFGC/UF Garden and Design Seminar June 19-21 Gainesville, FL
JUNE 27TH NURSERY WORK DAY! ALL HANDS ON DECK! HAVE FUN, GET DIRTY AND HELP GET A MAJOR PORTION OF WORK DONE PLANTS NEED UP-POTTING AND THERE IS ALSO SOME CONSTRUCTION/REPAIRS THAT NEED TO BE DONE 3
THEIR ANCESTORS WERE DINOSAURS! Living with Florida's diverse wildlife requires responsibility and a knowledge of the amazing animals which we share this beautiful land, water and sky. A show on the History Channel called “Swamp People” has sparked my curiosity to learn more about the ill fated stars of the program...the American Alligator. Some interesting facts provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are: Although alligators are classified as reptiles along with lizards, snakes, and turtles, they are actually more closely related to birds, whose direct ancestors were dinosaurs!
heat to regulate their body temperature. They control their temperature by basking in the sun, or moving to areas with warmer or cooler air or water temperatures. They are most active when temperatures are between 82° to 92° F. They stop feeding when the ambient temperature drops below 70° F and they become dormant below 55° F. Throughout much of the winter season they are dormant, found in burrows or "dens." They occasionally emerge to bask in the sun during spells of warm weather. Alligator eggs are susceptible to drowning, being crushed by the female, predation, and other less common calamities. Raccoons, hogs, otters, and bears depredate nests.
The adult alligator diet includes species that are abundant and easily accessed such as fish, snakes, turtles, small mammals and birds. Juveniles eat insects, amphibians, small fish and other invertebrates. Females rarely exceed 9 feet in length, but males can grow much larger. The largest found in Florida was a 14 foot 3 1/2 inch male in Brevard County. The Florida record for weight is held by a 1,043 pound male from Alachua County.
By Linda Meyers
Small alligators are eaten by a variety of predators including larger alligators, raccoons, otters, wading birds, and fish. Cannibalism, fighting, and hunting by humans are the most significant causes of mortality for the adult alligator. Little information is available on wild alligator diseases and parasites. They are not believed to be a significant problem for them.
The tell-tale red eye-shine of an alligator is caused by a layer of cells called the tapetum lucidum (a Latin phrase A female may require 10-15 years (approximately 6 feet in meaning "bright carpet"). This structure is located beneath body length) and a male 8-12 years (7 feet in length) to reach sexual maturity. Courtship begins in early April, mat- the rods and cones in the retina and reflects light back into these cells to increase the amount of light detected. This ing in May or June. Females build a nest and in late June/ early July will deposit 32 to 46 eggs. Incubation requires 60 improves their vision in the low light conditions from dusk to dawn, when they are more active. -65 days, hatching in late August/early September. From this, an estimated 15 live hatchlings will emerge and only 6 The alligator is provided federal protection and allowed will live to one year. The number that reach maturity (6 feet state-approved management and control programs. State in length) is approximately 4. As the population grows in an law prohibits killing, harassing or possessing alligators. area with more mature alligators, the survival rate would be expected to be lower, in part due to a higher rate of canniThey can be found in fresh or brackish water in all 67 counbalism. ties of Florida. They play a valuable role in the ecology of our state's wetlands, helping to keep other aquatic animal Alligators are ectothermic, relying on external sources of populations in balance. 4
A Walk on the Wild Side Linda Meyers Courtesy of www.wec.ufl.edu/extension As May heads into June and the beginning of summer, let’s hope it brings many beautiful lazy days. Here are some interesting wildlife happenings going on this month:
REPTILES
BIRDS It’s breeding season for laughing gulls, least terns, oystercatchers, and black skimmers. They nest on islands, undisturbed beaches, and even rooftops when their preferred habitat is unavailable. Mockingbirds may attack pedestrians who wander too close to nesting sites. Mockingbirds are known for their eager defense of their territory, nest and young. Both male and female birds sing, unmated males are heard at night. A male's repertoire can contain more than 150 distinct songs including those of other birds, animals and mechanical sounds. MAMMALS Southern Flying Squirrel is starting its breeding season. Red bats and Seminole bats give birth. Florida is home to thirteen species of bats that are either year round or seasonal residents. All thirteen species are insectivorous. Some live in colonies and others roost alone.
It's the height of the Gopher Tortoise season. In Florida these long lived reptiles are listed as Threatened. Both the tortoise and his burrow is protected under state law. They live in upland habitat including forests, pastures and yards. They share their deep dug burrows with more than 350 other species. INSECTS Cicadas emerge from their underground growth period to begin making their classic summer sound. FISH Snook begin moving into inlets and passes. Special dates in June June 1, 1952: First sighting of cattle egrets in Florida. June 14, 1969: Last sighting of Ivory-billed woodpeckers in Florida. Special Note: Researchers are pretty confident they have found solid activity of Ivory-bills in the Choctawhatchee River Basin.
Sea Oat Planting
Thank You to the Master Gardeners who were there to brave the heat and sand. 5
WEED OF THE MONTH
by Jenny Gillis
Cudweeds: The cudweeds are comprised of many different species that are similar in growth habits. In general, the cudweeds have basal rosettes and the leaves and seed heads are covered in distinct fine, white "wooly" fibers. Some cudweeds only have this hair on the undersides of the leaves, and other cudweeds have this hair on all surfaces. Cudweeds overwinter as small basal rosettes, but in the spring usually grow an upright stem.
host plants for the American Painted Lady butterfly. Caterpillars consuming cudweed will use the fluffy seeds of the plant and silk to create a puff ball at the top of the plants in which they can hide. These shelters help to conceal the larvae from predators.
Considered a common butterfly, the American Painted Lady is often overlooked despite its attractiveness. The intricately detailed, agate-like design on the underside of the wings is a sharp contrast to the bold orange and black pattern above. Nervous and wary, it is difficult to approach and a challenge to closely observe. When disturbed, it takes off in a low, erratic flight but often returns to a nearby location just a few moments later. American Painted Lady butterflies often host on cudweeds. The larvae construct individual shelters on the host by spinning together leaves and flower heads with silk. Inside, the larvae safely rest when not Wandering Cudweed: Gnaphallium pensylvanicum, Most actively feeding. common cudweed in Florida! This is a low-growing sumThe Painted Lady is one mer or winter annual, or biennial, which forms a rosette of of the most widespread grayish green woolly or cob-webby foliage. Leaves are albutterflies in the world ternate with the lower leaves being more wooly. Each appearing on all continents with the exception of Antarctiflower is small, tannish-white with bracts that are light ca and South America. As a resident of northern Mexico, it brown, pink or purple occurring in clusters at the base of annually colonizes the leaves. Seeds are wind dispersed in prolific numbers. much of North America Cudweed is found throughout the United States but is most common in the South. It has a taproot with a second- each year before miary fibrous root system. Cudweeds are generally regarded grating south again in as weeds of low fertility soils, but thrive in containers once the fall. Although abundance varies from year introduced. Control cudweeds around the property and to year, it is less freprevent seed production in pots to prevent spread. This quently encountered in weed is well controlled by several pre-emergence herbiFlorida. It is a butterfly cides. of open disturbed sites, Butterflies but may be found in most habitats when dispersing. attracted http://erec.ifas.ufl.edu/weeds/wandering% to Cud20cudweed.html weeds: Cudweeds http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/PDFFiles/004108/ are a genus of about 120 Cudweed.pdf species, many of which are important
http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/gnapu.htm http://www.butterflydatabase.com/plantdetails.php? plantidvar=209 6
PREPARING YOURSELF AND YOUR LANDSCAPE FOR HURRICANES Many of us have lived through a number of storms on the Gulf Coast, ranging from minimal tropical storms all the way up to the Category 3 experience with Opal in 1995. And then there was Hurricane Ivan in 2004 which may have been a lesser category than Opal but nevertheless brought a lot of damage to our area. We've all seen the tremendous havoc to trees and structures and we've sadly surveyed our landscapes after the big storm and seen our carefully tended plants smashed and stripped bare of leaves, if they could even be found under the limbs, branches and leaves littering our yards and driveways. What can we do to prepare our landscapes for the storms that will inevitably visit us sooner or later? As it turns out, there is a great deal that we can and should do. Most of it takes the form of advance planning, especially with respect to where we plant trees and what species of trees we plant. We need to give careful thought to our trees and other plantings and work toward a goal of creating better wind resistance.
By Karen Harper Ms Crawford suggests homeowners create wind screens around their houses, using a mix of wind-tolerant trees, shrubs and plants, adhering to the following basic principles: Plant groups of at least 5 trees rather than single trees. Do not plant so close to the house that plants touch the walls, to avoid insects accessing the house from the trees. Keep larger trees (those that grow over 40 feet tall) quite a distance from the house, not within falling distance of the house. (Also, If the roots are too close to the house, the tree loses some of its stability.) Use the most wind-tolerant material on the outer edges of the screen; plant more delicate material between the wind screen and the house.
The shape and size of the wind screen, and the type of tree placed in the screen are very important. Properly placed trees and plants will reduce wind velocity near the home. According to Ms Crawford, a windbreak can reduce wind speed for a distance of as much as 30 times the windbreak's http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ is a very good source generally of information pertaining to the selection and care of trees for height! On her list of the most wind-resistant trees are bald cypress, Canary Island date palm, crepe myrtle, date palm, this area. The link below contains a goodly amount of dedogwood, Japanese maple, and Live oak, among many othtail about dealing with storm-damaged trees. This link is information-dense in that it contains several sub-headings ers. Included on her 'to be avoided' list are Australian pine, with many links to topics pertaining to trees and when you cherry laurel, Drake elm, ear leaf acadia, ficus benjamina, laurel oak, queen palm, redbud, sand pine and water oak. have a moment to spend following links here and there, you'll learn a lot (or refresh what you learned in your mas- The entire article is found here and it's an interesting read: ter gardener classes!). It's well-worth bookmarking the link http://www.starfl.com/news/hurricane-15659-homehouse.html as a comprehensive guide to managing the trees in your landscape, especially if they experience storm damage: A more local perspective from an earlier time frame is http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/storm-damage.shtml found in an article by Mary Duryea who conducted a survey of tree damage in Pensacola and Ft Walton Beach during A landscape architect named Pamela Crawford has done the 1995 visits by Hurricanes Erin and Opal. I'll spoil it for considerable research into plant and tree survival in the you by telling you that her conclusions were that the most wake of the big 2004 hurricane season. Her conclusion is that there are three main factors that cause trees to fall eas- wind-resistant species were dogwood, sand live oak, live oak, sabal palm, and Southern magnolia. Among the less ily: shallow root systems, weak wood and dense canopies. Unfortunately many of the lessons learned in the aftermath wind-resistant were laurel oak, turkey oak, Chinese tallow, of major hurricanes are forgotten by the time the next one and red maple. Southern red cedar, sweetgum and silver occurs. She cites an example of a lesson NOT learned when, maple all appear to have crowns which are easily damaged by the winds. Longleaf and slash pines, although they withduring Hurricane Andrew, Miami suffered major damage stood wind well, received a lesser wind-resistant rating from downed Ficus benjamina trees. Afterwards, tens of because they were inclined to experience insects and disthousands of (you guessed it) ficus were planted and replanted in Broward and Palm Beach Counties because they ease in the wake of hurricane-force winds. The least windare fast-growing and inexpensive. Then in the 2004 hurri- resistant species in Ms Duryea's study were Carolina laucane season, ficus trees in south Florida caused more dam- relcherry and sand pine. Sand pine earned the following boldface warning: Sand pine should not be planted or age than any other species. And removing just one ficus allowed to grow to a large size near any dwelling; tree costs about $10,000! Ms Crawford also discusses a very interesting conclusion that was reached by Dr. Robert its shallow root system appears to make it extremely vulnerable to wind. The entire study is found Loflin, Natural Resources Director for the city of Sanibel, after Hurricane Charley hit the island. He noted that prop- here: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr010 erties that had 20 to 40 foot trees of either native or exotic variety experienced less structural wind damage than those with grassy lawns, or golf courses, or landscapes with taller Continued on next page exotic trees. By definition, native trees are species that were present in Florida before Christopher Columbus's arrival. Exotics are trees introduced into Florida after 1492. 7
PREPARING YOURSELF
continued
So much for your trees. I discovered in the course of researching this article that the great majority of the research and advice on managing storm damage to the landscape is, in fact, written with trees in mind. It makes sense, because they're the largest, most visible aspects of the landscape and the most capable of inflicting damage to life, limb and property, so we surely do need to know how to deal with our trees both before and in the aftermath of a serious storm. But what about the rest of the plants in your landscape? It took some sleuthing but I managed to find bits of information here and there. Suggestions range from what to do with your potted plants (for large potted plants, lay them down with the container toward the wind; bring small potted plants into a secured location to prevent them from becoming dangerous projectiles during high winds) to some practical advice from the Key West Garden Club on dealing with potential damage from saltwater that is likely to be brought into your landscape by tropical storm and hurricane force winds: http:// www.keywestgardenclub.com/Hurricane_Damage.html But, interestingly enough, the best and most comprehensive advice about dealing with storm damage to the nontree parts of your landscape comes from New York! I happened upon a radio program called “The Organic View Radio Show” and a link to a blog-cast of the program from August 26, 2011, during which the host, June Stoyer, interviewed John Peter Thompson, President of the National Agricultural Research Alliance, on the subject of preparing your garden for a hurricane. It's a wide-ranging discussion about designing the landscape long before the storm occurs, preparing the landscape and home for pending hurricanes as well as what to do in the aftermath. There's practi-
cal advice (clean your gutters out before the storm!), suggestions for taking care of birds and other wildlife after a hurricane; what to do with your herbs in a storm, whether you should remove your tomato stakes before a hurricane (probably not); whether you should trim problematic branches by yourself before a storm (NO! According to Mr. Thompson, contact a master gardener or your extension office for advice and help); whether you should do anything to your neighbor's property without their permission to prepare for a storm (well, certainly not MY neighbor but yours might appreciate it!). The program may have been designed for more northerly east coast residents (John Thompson is actually from the Washington DC area) but it contains a great deal of information that anyone living in a hurricane-prone area can benefit from and is worth a listen when you have an hour to spare: http:// www.blogtalkradio.com/theorganicview/2011/08/26/howto-prepare-your-garden-for-a-hurricane Doing the research for this article has pointed out some problem areas in my own landscape with respect to wind resistance and I will be thinking of ways to address them now and in the future. We've been fortunate that the major tropical systems have missed our area for a number of years now but we all know our luck can't hold forever. We master gardeners need to give careful consideration to the information that has been compiled after the previous years' damaging storms and use it to create home landscapes that are safer and more wind-resistant for ourselves and for those who contact us for advice. Here's to a very uneventful 2012 hurricane season!
BOOK REVIEW
By Marg Stewart
I’ll admit it. I like airplanes and I like history so this book really appealed to me. Slacks & Calluses: Our Summer in a Bomber Factory was written by Constance Bowman and Clara Marie Allen. Now, I personally am not old enough to remember World War II but I do recall the stories that my grandparents and others told. Both women were school teachers and decided that they would spend their summer vacation working at the Consolidated factory, building the BIG bombers. It’s a fascinating look back into a time when it was a strange event to have a woman wielding a wrench and horrors, wearing slacks. (as the author’s point out—wearing slacks meant that you weren’t offered seats on the bus on your way to work). It really is a unique perspective on not just the actual work but also what they were thinking and feeling. Their grand ideas for getting the summer tan were in jeopardy when they realized that most of their time would be involved with trying to get clean and being so tired they didn’t do much else other than sleep. The people they met and the reactions from their family and friends are wonderful. Definitely worth getting for a short and very enjoyable summer read. Ed. Note: My copy of this book has a totally different cover, not as flashy but having had the author’s sign my edition makes up for it. :) 8
MARK YOUR CALENDAR June 2nd—Craft Show/Yard Sale 7am to 1pm Crestview Extension Office June 6th—General Membership Meeting 9am Extension Annex, Ft. Walton June 20th—Board Meeting June 27th—Nursery Work Day
Matt Donavin Lynn Fabian Klare Fox Honey Jennings
Jim McCarthy Joe Michetti Jane Montgomery Charlie Reuter
Annette Sheringo Marg Stewart Stacey Taylor Becky Yeager
“A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, a breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.” James Dent 9
Marg Stewart—Editor Shari Farrell, Karen Harper and Linda Meyers—Co-Editors
Have pictures or an idea for an article? Send it in! Articles and pictures are always welcome.
Your member site: www.ocmgamembers.org
The Foundation for the Gator Nation.....An equal opportunity institution.
LAST WORD I bugged my husband enough that he finally caved in and got me a set of mixing bowls that I’ve been eyeing for quite some time. They finally arrived the other day. Yippee! These are hand-thrown and nest together. The biggest one? Well, let’s just say you could probably bathe a rather large dog in it. Then it hits me, I have to clear out space in the cabinet to house my new treasures. Time to sort, sift, and reorganize. That took some doing but finally got it accomplished. Since the bowls arrived via the postal service (and we all know how carefully they handle things) I did spend quite a bit of time checking them over. Thankfully no chips or cracks. What I did notice was the slight imperfections in each bowl. On one, there is a slight dip to the rim. In another there is a slight color shift where it actually looks like the blue got mixed in with the pottery clay before it was fired. In other words, you can tell they are hand made. I got out another bowl I’ve had for ages and compared them. The old bowl, the edges are perfectly even, there aren’t any colors in strange places....boring. It is still a useful bowl, it just doesn’t have the character of these others. All this ‘bowling’ got me to thinking how much these bowls are like people. I can see that the super sized bowl will probably only get used for those heavy duty jobs. The others will get used for the other jobs that suit their siz-
Marg Stewart
es...some more than others. The same is true for people. There are some folks that seem to always appear when there are heavy duty jobs to be done. Other folks will be there for other ‘jobs’ according to their abilities and specialties. The bowls all have imperfections of some sort or another. None of the them adversely effect the usefulness of the bowl itself. Just like people. We all have lumps, bumps, and imperfections. They don’t impact our ‘usefulness’ in the universe. Instead, they enhance the natural beauty that is in each person. And just like the bowls, we often have to sort, sift, and reorganize when we’re dealing with the various people in our lives. We always find room for those who are important to us. Our group is very much like these bowls. We are a bunch of unique folks with many sizes, shapes, and abilities. Everyone has the special talent that makes each and every person an important part of the whole group. So we sift, sort, and reorganize to find our own special place. And we all end up nesting together really well.
Don’t miss next month’s issue! The puzzle corner will be back. Another great book will be reviewed. Summer will be in full swing and we’ll be celebrating Independence Day. We’re looking for the best Independence Day recipe so send in your favorite! 10