...for discerning weeders April, 2013
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Inside this issue:
Edible of the
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Month Weed of the
An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication
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Month Events
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Sweet Stuff
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Pets & Gardens
7
Book Review
8
Walk on the
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This is a fascinating time of year to be a master gardener. The calendar conveys the message that we are almost two weeks into our much-welcomed season of spring. And yet, the weekly weather forecast continues to manifest the struggle that shows our stubborn winter has not totally acquiesced. As I write this message, I note that today’s high in Crestview is 81 degrees and tomorrow morning’s low is expected to be 38 degrees. Furthermore, in the 10-day forecast, by mid-week, the daily high is projected at 59 degrees with the overnight low dropping to freezing. This is followed, of course, by
By John B.
expected highs in the 80’s to kick off April. So, ultimately, the vicissitudes of the seasons are inevitable, and re-assuring. Despite the day-to-day oscillations in temperature, the trees and plants are confident that spring is prevailing. Everywhere you look now the dogwoods, azaleas and trees and shrubs of all shapes and sizes, are boldly and bravely affirming that spring will not be delayed further. I hope that, in your busy lives, you take a moment to get outside to enjoy and savor it………before it gets too hot and humid!
Wild Side Puzzle Page
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Last Word
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BIA Home Show Manning the booth Bill B., Les C., Ed S. DON’T FORGET TO LOG YOUR HOURS ONTO THE VMS SYSTEM! A Note from the Editor: This edition of The Compost Pile was not sent to the co-editors prior to distribution to find all the needed corrections. In gratitude of their hard work on editing and composing articles, I wanted to give them a vacation. With that being said, any typos etc., etc., are the sole responsibility of the Editor. 1
LOVELY, LEAFY LACTUCA SATIVA Say what? Okay, then just call it lettuce One of the easiest vegetables to grow, especially from transplants and one every garden should contain. Starting from seed is an option many gardeners prefer, but what do you do with what looks like hundreds of seeds? Saving the extra for the next cool season garden and there will still be many more of the same remaining. The preference for this gardener is obviously transplants. Purchasing small plants of several varieties lessens the work and the time it takes to produce lessens the work, brings quick color to the garden, and taste to the salad bowl. A little late, you say? For seed, the probable answer is yes, but transplants are still available at retail stores. Since we all prefer instructions from the experts, the following is an article by Rob Trawick, Jackson County Horticulture Extension Agent published in the January edition of Gardening in the Panhandle Newsletter: “Cool days and chilly nights are just the kind of weather lettuce enjoys. Lettuce is a vegetable that is easy to grow, delicious and so attractive that any gardener – whether you have a vegetable garden, flower garden or even a garden in containers on a balcony – should include it in the garden. Vegetable gardening in containers for balconies and other small areas is an interesting topic in and of itself. Dr. James Stephens of the University of Florida has an excellent article (HS708) if you would like more information on growing a mini-garden here in Florida. According to references, lettuces were cultivated 3,000 years ago by the Babylonians and possibly earlier by the Chinese. Lettuce seeds were sealed in Egyptian tombs, and lettuces were served to Roman emperors. On European tables during the Middle Ages, lettuce was mostly eaten hot. By 1865, seed companies offered 113 kinds to America’s gardeners. Today lettuce is so popular that new and interesting varieties of lettuce appear in seed catalogs every year. Although you may read about cultivating lettuce during the summer in northern states, our summer temperatures are way too high for lettuce to endure them. Lettuce is a cool-season crop here in North Florida. Our planting season extends from September through March, with harvest ending in May. Garden lettuces can be divided into three classes based on habit of growth – leaf or looseleaf types, semi-heading
By Shari F.
types such as butterhead and romaine (or cos) and heading or crisphead types. Crisphead lettuces, such as the iceberg types available in supermarkets, are more of a challenge to grow here, so I recommend that you stay with the leaf and semi heading cultivars. Other than avoiding the heading types, feel free to try just about any cultivar that strikes your fancy. Leaf lettuces are the most decorative, least demanding, and among the most heattolerant lettuces we can grow. This type of lettuce grows in a loose rosette of foliage, and the leaves can be smooth or crinkled, pointed, lobed, curled or ruffled. Foliage color runs from deep ruby red to dark green to pale greenish yellow, with just about every combination in between. Leaf lettuces are fast maturing and can be ready to begin harvesting just 40 days after planting. Harvesting is best done by cropping the plants regularly. When cropping, only the largest leaves are removed, which allows the plants to continue to grow and produce. A bed of leaf lettuce harvested this way can produce salads for a month or more. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to plant several crops in succession through the growing season for continued harvests. The butterhead lettuces have soft, tender leaves and relatively loose heads. Their fragile leaves make them difficult to ship and pricey at the supermarket. However, these delicious butterheads are quite easy to grow. They can be harvested by cropping, or an entire plant may be harvested as the center leaves grow over and form a loose head. Varieties to choose include Bibb and Buttercrunch. Romaine, or cos, lettuces are tall, upright and thickleaved. Their thick midribs and sweet, juicy texture have made them especially prized for salads. They range in size from tiny 8-inch heads to large heads that can reach well over a foot tall. The foliage can be red or green, smooth or ruffled. Lettuce transplants of various types generally are available in area nurseries and can be planted now through late March. You will find a much larger selection of cultivars available from seeds, which may be obtained locally in seed racks or from mail-order companies. Continued on next page
Don’t forget that the ‘Gimme 5’ initiative is still going on! Perhaps you could get those extra 5 hours by helping in the office, setting up prior to a meeting, working in the nursery, helping with the plant sale, writing a couple of articles for this newsletter......there are loads of tasks that could use your help? Join the Gimme 5 team! You’ll be very glad you did!
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LETTUCE
continued
Plant lettuce seeds into well-prepared beds that have been amended by digging in a 2-inch layer of organic matter, such as compost or rotted manure, and an all-purpose granular fertilizer. Lettuce seeds need light to germinate, so they are simply pressed or lightly raked into the soil surface. Water frequently until they germinate, and once they come up thin the plants to the appropriate spacing. The average spacing is about 10 inches between plants. For best quality, lettuce must be encouraged to grow rapidly. This is accomplished by keeping the plants well watered and fertilized. Water thoroughly during dry weather, and keep the plants mulched to prevent drought stress. Side-dress with granular fertilizer every six weeks or apply a soluble 20-20-20 every two weeks during the growing season. Stress from drought, heat, or low fertility encourages the lettuce to become bitter. Even though lettuce is best grown here in the winter, hard freezes can damage the foliage. If temperatures in the mid20s or lower are predicted, throw a layer of pine straw or sheets of fabric over the plants to prevent frost burn. Lettuce is wonderful harvested moments before the dressing is applied and the salad is served. Looseleaf lettuce is best harvested by cropping. Butterhead can be harvested by cropping or cutting the entire plant, and romaine is best
if the entire plant is harvested when ready. All lettuce should be harvested by early to mid-May, since high temperatures will cause the lettuce to become increasingly bitter and to bolt (send up a flower stalk). Its beauty, ease of culture and delicious foliage make lettuce an excellent choice for any gardener. Even you flower gardeners should give it a try – you’ll be glad you did.�
Work progressing at the Annex. To see more pictures, click here
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WEED OF THE MONTH
By Jenny G.
Speedwell Veronica officinalis Heart-shaped seed pods grow on the stems below the flowers and the creeping stems root at the nodes. Reproduction is by rooting stems, seed, and spreading rhizomes.
Perennial or annual, broadleaf Clusters of Speedwell present such an attractive sight that they are bound to “speed you well”.
To control Speedwell apply a pre-emergent herbicide like pendimethalin, balan, or dacthal to prevent seed germination in the spring. Spot spray with post-emergent broadleaf herbicide containing triclopyr, clopyralid, or 2,4-D, MCPP, and dicamba.
There are nearly 500 species of Speedwell - also known as Common Speedwell, Gypsyweed, Bird's Eye, Paul's Betony, Groundhele, and Fluellin. Common speedwell is a European introduction to the ”New World.”. It is known to be important in European traditional medicine, with uses ranging from internal, as a cough remedy and tonic, to external, as a salve. Speedwells are roadside plants that grow in dense masses bearing tiny, pretty, blue flowers. Speedwells are among the earliest of lawn weeds to appear, greening up as early as late winter. Speedwell plants can grow easily in any well-drained garden soil, usually in partial shade.
http://www.vannattabros.com/plant39.html http://medicinalherbinfo.org/herbs/Speedwell.html http://turfgator.com/identify-your-lawn-problem/lawn
Speedwell is native to Europe and western Asia but is widely present along the North American coastal area. It is a tiny, creeping, hairy broadleaf that grows only a few inches high and sends up flower spikes which originate where the leaf and the stem fork.
http://www.delawarewildflowers.org/veronica.php http://www.weedinfo.ca/en/weed-index/view/id/VEROF http://herbs-treatandtaste.blogspot.ca/2011/05/speedwellveronica-officinalis.html
Of the 20 or so Veronica species that occur in North America, almost all are naturalized weeds from Europe and Asia. They are often found growing on lawns in the United States. Most species have blue veins on violet-blue flowers, and a whitish center.
http://lawncare.about.com/ od/weedprofiles/p/ speedwell.htm
There are several types of Speedwell, all characterized by numerous paired, small- lobed, hairy, opposite and scallop-edged leaves. And by tiny white, blue or purple 4 petaled flowers - the lowest petal being smaller than the other three. Flowers are positioned towards the end of the stems on the axils of leaves. Some Speedwells have an erect growth habit as they mature. They all thrive in cool, moist soils where turf has thinned.
http:// www.luontoportti.com/ suomi/en/kukkakasvit/heath -speedwell
Check out the pictures of our recent field trip! Click here
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HOW SWEET IT IS!
By Karen H.
Last month I wrote about growing tea in your own garden. This month we're going to sweeten that tea, also from your garden! First, let me say that I drink unsweetened tea and black coffee and I don't drink diet soda very often. Yes, I'm one of those! So, I'm not personally familiar with the sweeteners that people use in their drinks, aside from sugar. However, my husband uses artificial sweeteners in his coffee and tea and my mother is diabetic and, since the rest of planet Earth also seems to use them, I've looked into the subject a bit. I've learned that there is but one sweetener we can actually grow in our gardens, from a practical standpoint, and that is stevia. There are, of course, other plants such as sugar cane, sugar beets and sorghum that we derive sweeteners from, and there is honey. But not many of us are prepared to launch the operations that those require!
ducing leaves that can be harvested. When harvesting, the stems are discarded as they have very little of the desired sweetness in them. The leaves may be used fresh from the garden or they can be dried or processed into an extract. This is a very good summary on the subject of growing and preserving stevia and contains useful links to further information: http://tinyurl.com/ a6693ur And here is a video that contains some good views of the plant as well as information on growing and propagating stevia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBN2t4-o9XE
First, I did some checking into comparisons of sweeteners and I learned a lot by that and some of it rather alarming! My husband and my mother use a fair amount of Splenda (sucralose) and it has some properties I would prefer they both did without: http://tinyurl.com/3r6ntr8
Ed. Note: Hint for growing stevia. #1 it doesn't like cold weather BUT you can hold it over if you cover it when a frost is predicted. #2 Do not let it bloom--otherwise it gets leggy. #3 Keep harvesting! The leaves take a while to dry but as long as you provide air circulation they don't seem to get moldy. #4 Remember that these things are 2 to 3 times sweeter than sugar! Plus, the resulting 'sweetener' will be brown. I use it in tea--not crazy about the taste in coffee. You can use it in cooking but you won't have the browning effect that you get from sugar. Yeast also doesn't work as well with Stevia.
Stevia is occasionally described as 'rare' but it seems to be anything but, with seeds readily available from Burpee: http:// www.burpee.com/herbs/stevia/, from Whatcom Seeds: http:// seedrack.com/indiv/stevia.html and from Park Seed Co (Park offers both seeds and plants): http://tinyurl.com/ad27q3u And I noticed that the man in the video mentioned he bought his stevia plants at Target and Home Depot, so it shouldn't be hard to find seeds or plants. I'll be staring my crop soon. I look forward to updating you on life at my tea and sweetener plantation!
http://tinyurl.com/bdmorn3 And here, for balance, are two articles that compares artificial sweeteners in a more positive light: http://tinyurl.com/ak3nr9v http://tinyurl.com/a8ykbnz There is a lot of information available on the pros and cons of various sweeteners and what I noticed in most of it is that stevia consistently tops the 'best' list! So what is stevia and why is it a good thing? Very simply, stevia is an herb. It's native to South America and has been cultivated for about 1,500 years. It has properties that make it possibly the ideal sweetener for drinks. And best of all, we can easily grow and process our own. Growing stevia is apparently about as simple as growing any other herb. Sow the seed and grow the seedlings as you would for mint, basil, etc. Stevia is frost-sensitive but you may be able to overwinter it in our area. Deadheading the flower buds during the growing season is recommended to keep the plant pro-
In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt. —Margaret Atwood
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THE PET-SCAPED GARDEN
By Linda M.
Many of us gardeners have pets and have managed to make some compromises so that both are actually pretty compatible. If your goal is to create an attractive pet friendly yard, here are some tips that you may find helpful. Landscape Ideas for Dogs Paths around the perimeter of your yard or winding through it provide a designated space for dogs to get plenty of exercise. A 3-foot-wide clearance is sufficient for most canines. Mulch the path with a layer of cedar chips, which are easy on paws yet large enough so they won’t cling to silky coats. Or lay smooth flagstones set in pebbles to form a comfortable hard surface to tread on. Plants near the paths should have soft foliage but be sturdy enough to stand canine rough-housing. An ornamental tree or a large piece of driftwood gives a male dog a suitable spot to mark their territory. You can plant a screen to hide a dog run. If you have an “escape artist” consider installing an underground barrier under your fence using rebar, chicken wire or poured concrete. If you don’t want your pet using your lawn area or flower beds to answer nature’s call, consider a designated area of your yard for your pet to use. Cover the area with material that is comfortable for your dog, and easy to clean. Flagstone, pea gravel, bricks, and cedar chips are all good choices. But keep in mind some dogs will ingest rocks or mulch that can become stuck in their digestive tract. Also, avoid cocoa mulch as it contains theobromine, the toxic element found in chocolate.
To discourage dogs from flower and shrub beds, plant densely, consider raised beds or mounds, and use temporary fencing or low borders as a reminder to stay out. Consider planting sturdy shrubs and perennials like ornamental grasses to edge the beds. Avoid thorny and spiny plants that can cause eye injuries. Do not use metal lawn edging even if covered with plastic, sharp edges can become exposed and can cut your dog’s pads. Make sure rain barrels have tight-fitting lids, for safety of pets who may explore them, and also to prevent the creation of a mosquito breeding ground. But perhaps one of the most important things you can do to ensure a pet-friendly yard is to control pests responsibly. Use integrated pest management techniques, beneficial insects or biorational products when you can. If you must use chemical pesticides, be sure to read the product label (even if you used a particular product in the past, since formulas often change), and consider switching to natural alternatives. Many will specifically state to keep pets off the lawn or away from plants for a certain time or until the product has dried. Some of the most dangerous types of pesticides include snail and slug bait, ant and roach bait, ant and roach traps and mouse baits. Eliminating the use of poisonous pesticides and heavy fertilizers is the best way to make your garden safer for your pets.
Dogs enjoy laying in the sun, but they can overheat easily, so it’s important to provide shade and shelter from bad weather. Just like us, they will happily appreciate shade from trees, or access to an arbor, pergola or other outdoor structure.
This is part one of this article. Next month, part two will cover toxic plants and pet waste management.
We are looking for ideas! What type of articles would you like to see? What would you like to read about? Please send your ideas and/or suggestions to our Editor!
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BOOK REVIEW
By Marg S.
If you are interested in beekeeping or just curious about all that is involved, The Beekeeper’s Bible by Richard A. Jones and Sharon Sweeney-Lynch is definitely a must have book. I received this book as a Christmas present (in the hopes that I will eventually get over my bee-phobia). It is a gorgeous book and reminds me of an old almanac. Wonderful photos and clear wording. It’s part history book, part handbook, and part cookbook. There are great old etchings as well as very informative ‘how-to’ photos included. Every aspect of beekeeping is covered, from how to manage hives safely to harvesting one’s own honey. Detailed instructions are included for making candles, furnish polish, beauty products, and almost 100 honey-themed recipes are included. There is one recipe for duck with a honey sauce that I’m going to try soon (not to mention several beverages that sound absolutely decadent). You will definitely enjoy having this book around whether you decide to become an apiarist or not. The book is available in hard back or paper back. Considering the size of the book, I highly recommend going with the hard cover. Oh, and for the record, apiphobia is the fear of bees.
A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
By Linda M.
Another unusual Spring for us, but finally it has arrived. Spring activities among our diverse wildlife are in full swing. Here are just a few that you may enjoy.
Reptiles
Birds
Fish
Most Florida snakes begin mating rituals. Beginning of Sea Turtle nesting season on Florida beaches. Alligators begin moving about, seeking new territories and mates.
The cobia migration is in full swing in the Panhandle. Tarpon enter inshore waters to feed before spawning from April to June.
Bobwhite quail next now through September. Migrant warblers concentrate on coasts after cold fronts. Watch for hummingbirds feeding on blooms of columbine, buckeye, and others. Grosbeaks, warblers, tanagers, orioles, and thrashers begin returning to North America. Mississippi kites return. Great-crested flycatchers return. They use shredded snake skin in their nests. Endangered Red-cockaded woodpeckers are year-round residents and next in living pine tree cavities from April to June.
Insects Plant extra parsley for black swallowtail butterfly larvae to eat. Courtesy of the Florida Wildlife Extension UF/IFAS
Mammals Black bears begin moving after winter’s inactivity. Long-tailed weasels, minks, and river otters will be born April through May. Endangered Gray bats return to Florida caves to raise young. Amphibians Pine Barrens tree frogs begin calling. Found in Florida only in the panhandle, usually within about 100 yards of breeding sites. Breeds in hillside seepage bogs. 8
RIDDLE ME THIS What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries? You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside. What is it? What goes up and down the stairs without moving? What can you catch but now throw? I can run but not walk. Wherever I go, thought follows close behind. What am I? What goes around the world but stays in a corner? I have holes in my top and bottom, my left and right, and in the middle. But I still hold water. What am I? Give me food, and I will live; give me water, and I will die. What am I? The man who invented it doesn’t want it. The man who bought it doesn’t need it. The man who needs it doesn’t know it. What is it? I run over fields and woods all day. Under the bed at night I sit not alone. My tongue hangs out, up and to the rear, awaiting to be filled in the morning. What am I? Throw it off the highest building and it won’t break. Put it in the ocean and it will. What is it? What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps? No sooner spoken than broken. What is it? You use a knife to slice my head and weep beside me when I am dead. What am I? I am weightless, but you can see me. Put me in a bucket, and I’ll make it lighter. What am I?
A towel An ear of corn. A carpet A cold A nose A stamp A sponge A fire A coffin A shoe A tissue A river Silence An onion A hole
Answers to last month’s puzzle.
Riddle answers: 9
Marg Stewart—Editor Shari Farrell, Karen Harper and Linda Meyers—Co-Editors
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LAST WORD Okay, the groundhog may have lied but it appears that Spring has finally arrived. I would go easy on the rodent, though. After all, his success rate is about the same (if not better) than the weather folks on TV. I’m still waiting for the rain that they predicted for today. It is a bit funny though, all the fuss about whether or not a groundhog accurately predicted the arrival of Spring. Granted, is was mostly tongue in cheek, but the ongoing debate did take up a great deal of air time, band width and newspaper ink. With everything else that is going on in the world, Punxsutawney Phil definitely got more than the normal 15 minutes of fame. I think there was even a prosecutor who was going after the furry critter. So why did folks care? Why did we pay attention to it? I can understand the folks up north who were probably more than sick of seeing snow storm after snow storm, but still... But I ask again, why did we even pay attention to it? Think about it. It is just a rodent that somehow got stuck with determining the length of a season. But, good old Phil isn’t the only one who got stuck with predicting. If you see a wooly bear caterpillar, don’t you check to see how large his bands are? After all, the larger the black bands, the harsher the winter. We yank a poor groundhog out of his burrow just so he can see his shadow (or not). And admit it, don’t you still make a wish when you see a shooting star? We’re all adults and we ‘know’ that these things are just silly folklore. We’ve all made the observations that some folklore tales/superstitions have practical purposes. Not walking under a ladder for one...never know 10
By Marg S. what could fall on you. Most of the old superstitions we shed in childhood. We don’t pay attention to cracks in the sidewalk (after all, mom didn’t suffer back trouble when we stepped on them did she?) We know that breaking a mirror won’t bring seven years bad luck and black cats, while they may cause allergies, they won’t bring bad luck. But the tales for Spring. All the things that either tell of Spring arriving early or late...we pay attention to those even now. Even though we’ll laugh about it, tell each other and ourselves that it’s silly superstition...we pay attention to them. I think we pay attention to these tales because what they really represent is hope. Hope that the weather will warm up. Hope that the season of re-birth will arrive in all its glory. While we don’t have to shovel several feet of snow in the winter, we still know it’s sting. We await the time when we can be outside again without a jacket and see the new shoots breaking through the earth. The peepers are singing at night and the flowers are nodding in the breezes. Birds chirping and windows thrown open to catch the warm winds. Who wouldn’t be eager to have that time arrive sooner rather than later? We all have our secret sign of Spring. Something that we see or hear that lightens our heart a bit with the thought that Spring is finally here. As for me, even if the old tales are silly and unscientific, I’ll keep counting the bands on caterpillars and I’ll stick up for the groundhog on the years that the weather doesn’t cooperate. After all, every time we plant a seed, start a cutting, we’re planting hope. And we could all use more hope in this world.