August 2011

...for discerning weeders August, 2011

OUT OF THE BOX

Inside this issue: Dog Days

2

Walk on the Wild 2 Side Help Wanted!

2

Fractals

3

Calendar of

4

Events Bits and Bytes

4

Fantastically

4

Frugal Ideal Tree

5

Book Review

6

Last Word

6

There is so much hubbub about raised gardens and the advice given to place the vegetable garden as close to the house as possible. All this makes sense to everyone but just how is it possible to do both?

There are warnings and rulings regarding water usage that can limit vegetable garden production at exactly the wrong time for crops. Then there are the pundits who recommend container or square foot gardening. What to do?

Shari Farrell planting tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets has been beneficial to many gardeners for years, but the roots truly need more room to flourish. Lettuce must be sheltered from the sun in order to produce a little longer; peppers, okra, and eggplant need all the sun they can get. Direct sun for newly purchased transplants can prove deadly and defeat early efforts just as the impact of a late frost will do. Contd. Page 5

All of these concepts put together are possible; a raised garden, close to the house, spot watering as needed by the individual plant, and the reduction and destruction of both air and soil borne pests.

Use of the deck or patio accommodates most of the vegetables an individual family needs. Granted, some crops need a bit of ingenuity on the part of the gardener.

Pole Beans need climbing support;

NEW CLASS ANNOUNCED There will be a six unit Floral Design class starting in September!

Class size is limited so contact Marie Harrison for registration, list of dates, times and fees. marieharrison@valp.net

A Stinging Lesson After a recent and unfortunate encounter with yellowjackets in my yard, I decided learning more about these

stinging insects was long overdue. Summer and fall, when weâ€&#x;re active in our gardens, and enjoying other outdoor activities, is also when we will most likely come across these potentially dangerous

1

Linda Meyers insects.

There are three species of yellowjackets commonly found in Florida—the Eastern Yellowjacket, Southern Yellowjacket and the Baldfaced Hornet. Contd. Page 3

A Walk on the Wild Side

Dog Days Karen Harper

Courtesy of wilstar.com

The “dog days of summer” are from July 3rd until August 11th. Webster defines “dog days” as...1. the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere and 2. a period of stagnation or inactivity.

But where did we get the term from to begin with? Blame the ancient astronomers. It seems that the brightest of the stars in the night sky is Sirius. Ancient Romans believed that the earth received heat from it. During the summer, the “dog star,” rises and sets with the sun. Romans believed that because of this conjunction, Sirius‟ heat was added to the sun and caused the stretch of hot and sultry weather. So they named this period “dog days” after the dog star.

Linda Meyers Courtesy of www.wec.ufl.edu/extension August—hot, sticky....but our local critters don‟t seem to mind a bit. If you venture out, there are some great things to see!

Birds: The first flocks of blue-winged and green-winged teal arrive to winter on Florida lakes and wetlands. The yellow warbler migration begins.

Mammals: Two-year old black bear cubs will wean from their mothers and short-tailed shrews will begin a second round of breeding for the year.

Reptiles: Sea turtles are hatching so watch where you walk when you are at the beach!

Insects: Great southern white butterflies are migrating through coastal areas.

HELP WANTED! Help is needed at the Extension Annex in order to make our plant sale a success!

Volunteers are needed for up-potting, root pruning, dead heading and other maintenance chores. If you don‟t think you‟re up to working outside, volunteer to work in the office so that other folks will be freed up to work on the plants!

This sale is to replenish our funds so that we‟ll be able to participate in community functions, improve our displays and keep our organization functioning. Without your help we won‟t have a successful sale!

Contact Andy or Jenny and join in!

2

FASCINATING FRACTALS

Marg Stewart searchers demonstrate that by taking the measurements of a single tree, they are then able to predict not just the location of the other trees nearby but also their sizes!

They use this information to estimate how much carbon dioxide the entire forest area would process. Instead of surveying the entire forest, they are able to do their research based on one single individual. It is quite a fascinating program and even if you aren‟t into math, the images are amazing. I hope you won‟t skip through the beginning of the program because that information is informative as well.

You can view this program at http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ZbK92bRW21Q

Do you know what a fractal is? Well according to Webster a fractal is “a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is a reducedsize copy of the whole, a property called self-similarity.

Most of us have seen the Mandelbrot set before but didn‟t know what it was. Now, what does this have to do with gardening? Thanks to Ed Smith sending me a unique link on Youtube, we can all share in this unique and innovative way of applying this geometric principle to our environment.

The program itself takes a bit of time to watch.

You get the background on fractals. You can always skip towards the end which is where the garden tie in comes. A group of re-

STINGING

continued from Page 1

Yellowjackets are venomous wasps. They have a stinger that can inject a very painful venom into the skin and the ability to sting multiple times. They are also able to sting through thinner clothing. It is recommended not to swat at them, because if injured they will release an alarm pheromone which will alert other members of the colony to act aggressively. Florida yellowjackets commonly build underground nests although they can also be found above ground (the Baldfaced Hornet), in walls of homes, under house siding, under logs or in shrubs and trees.

Colonies are founded in the spring by a single queen and rapidly grow in size during the summer and fall. The solitary queen constructs the brood cells, forages for food, lays eggs, feeds her progeny, and defends the nest. As the offspring emerge as adults they assume all duties except egg laying. The nests are surrounded by a paper envelope and inside are combs with cells similar to bee cells. Most colonies will range in size from 75-5,000 workers.

ness, and itching which usually lasts a couple of hours. A large number of stings can also cause severe headache, vomiting, diarrhea and shock. Allergic reactions to the venom can cause symptoms to persist for days or in severe cases one sting can be fatal.

Safety suggestions: 

Play it safe! Call a professional pest control operator to eliminate a problem nest.



Caution children to be on the alert when playing in wooded or overgrown areas.



Try not to swat or injure a yellowjacket. They will become aggressive and like to invite their friends!



Wear heavier clothing when working or walking in areas where nests are more commonly found.

 Look before you eat or drink when outside. YellowYellowjackets can be beneficial and help to control many jackets are attracted to ripinsects that attack cultivated and ornamental plants. Unened fruits and sugary drinks. fortunately larger nests can be potentially dangerous to people and pets. These insects are capable of inflicting  Keep lids on trash cans. Dishundreds or even thousands of painful stings to an uncarded food will attract yelsuspecting victim who accidently steps on or nears a malowjackets and other wasps. ture nest.

Sources from UFL links. Search The yellowjacket‟s sting typically causes swelling, redyellowjackets for even more information.

3

Mark your calendar August 3rd General Membership Meeting August 10th BMP Course August 16th Field Trip August 18th Plant Clinic September 24th BIA Home Show

FANTASTICALLY FRUGAL Linda Meyers and Karen Harper Who‟s interested in saving money? A bet-  ter question would be who isn‟t thinking about saving money? Dive on in for some  really nifty ideas for saving a few dollars here and there. Who knows? You may even surprise yourself with your savings.  

Pick up second hand tools and pots at yard sales and thrift stores.





Put a used child‟s wagon to work hauling gardening tools and plants.



Empty milk jugs make great watering  cans; or crush them and use in the bottom of large planters to help with drainage and as filler to lighten the weight of the pot. 



October 15th Plant Sale 

October 24th-26th State Conference

Don‟t throw away those extra mouse pads, use them for your knees in the garden.



Wash your car on the grass.

Great seed trays—egg cartons, old ice cube trays and individual yogurt cups.

Use an old flour sifter to gently cover seeds with soil.

Use dollar store pipe cleaners to tie up plants and color co-ordinate them for ID purposes.

Those old hanging shoe caddies are good for storing tools, twine, garden gloves and other garden odds and ends in the shed or garage.

Instead of buying landscape fabric, use newspaper or cardboard under mulch to block weeds.

Empty plastic prescription bottles or film containers are great for storing seeds.

Put used coffee grounds in the compost and rinse the coffee filters to use in the bottom of pots to help keep the  Popsicle sticks are great plant labels. potting soil from escaping out the drainage holes.

Contd. Page 5

BITS AND BYTES

Marg Stewart

We‟ve had a lot of questions regarding technology. This will be the place we will gather to try and make sense out of our electronic lives. One question was: Where can I find a good program for designing a garden? After doing some searching I found several programs but all of them required being a bit more computer savvy than I thought necessary. Well I finally found a program that I think will appeal to a wide range of folks. Go to www.motherearthnews.com and on their home page, lower left hand side you‟ll see their vegetable garden planner. You may read about all the features that this program comes with before you even try it. If you think it might be something you‟d like to try, they offer a free 30 day trial period. It did appear to be more user friendly than most of the other programs I checked on. Any other ideas out there? Send your tech questions to mgstewart2008@yahoo.com. We‟ll do our best to get you answers.

“Some things Man was never meant to know.....For everything else there‟s Google.”

4

AN IDEAL TREE FOR NORTHWEST FLORIDA This is a tree anyone can grow. It is not affected by any diseases or weather conditions and is extremely salt-tolerant.

It keeps its colors year-round and requires no maintenance, pesticides, water, or any other care. It is quite common in the Deep South, is non-invasive, and has been cultivated here for over 200 years. Best of all, evil spirits will enter it and never come back out.

Bill Buckellew

summer, I‟ve attempted a number of things; some worked, some didn‟t.

I grew heirloom tomatoes in “Fred Buckets” (named after “old Fred,” the regular Annex visitor who knows more than any of us.) That worked. I tried everyone‟s favorite, the “Topsy Turvy,” because I had heard too many people say it doesn‟t work. (It didn‟t.) Lately, I‟ve been talking with Rick My particular specimen started life as a round eight-foot about shallow-water wells. I‟m doing one now just to see if fence post. After a little pruning and grafting, I awaited the I can, so far with mixed results, results. Flowers appeared after several adult beverages as Rocky Bayou is different from were consumed, a few trips to the neighbors‟ recycle bins, the rest of the area. Joe and I are and a couple of stops by the road. comparing water salinity from various sources in the county.

This tree can be mulched right up to the base, is immune to We hope to make a spreadsheet the string trimmer, and little kids love it. Consider Botto hand out to folks who get their tleus budlightus in your landscaping plans. water checked.

On another note, I consider my place to be as much an experiment as it is a landscape. Folks see the front yard, so it‟s pretty much like everyone else‟s, but I try stuff in the back. I think many of you do the same. This

FRUGAL 

continued from page 4

In a future Newsletter, I‟ll report on those efforts. Please let us know anything you‟ve tried, whether successful or not. Inquiring minds want to know! „ave a g‟day!

My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant’s point of view.

H. Fred Dale

Rinse and label empty cleaner spray bottles for use for plant fertilizer.

That covers some helpful money saving tips for your gardening. Another money saving idea „RetailMeNot‟ at http:// www.retailmenot.com/ is a very useful website for those of us who engage in online shopping (or „retail therapy‟ as some prefer to think of it). This site has coupon codes for thousands of popular vendors and one should never complete an online purchase without checking the site first to see if there is a code that can be used! Their database of vendors is enormous and eclectic. You can even download a pop-up reminder that will inform you in advance as to whether the RetailMeNot database contains any applicable coupon codes for the particular site you‟re browsing. Finding a code for free shipping or a percentage-off discount is a very pleasant surprise and makes „retail therapy‟ even more therapeutic.

So what are money saving ideas that you have? What are some of your „secrets‟ to saving a few dollars?

5

Box

Continued from page 1

Pot planting means movability and accessibility for the gardener. Shade and shelter can come from several sources such as a patio roof, outdoor tables and umbrellas, or simply a shaded corner. The use of broken personal umbrellas or even patio chairs for shelter can also be beneficial. Use what is available and think „out of the box‟.

What are some plants that you have moved into containers and wouldn’t grow them any other way now? How do you handle some of the challenges of container growing? Let us know!

BOOK REVIEW The Compost Pile is a publication of the Okaloosa County Master Gardener Association.

OCMGA is a volunteer organization sponsored by Okaloosa County Extension and the University of Florida IFAS. Marg Stewart, Editor and Web Master Linda Meyers, Shari Farrell, and Karen Harper, Co-Editors Submit articles and ideas to mgstewart2008@yahoo.com

Your member site: www.ocmgamembers.org

Marg Stewart

Have you ever really thought about where your electricity comes from? How about where that recycling truck heads off to as it roars away from your house? All the everyday objects and functions that we use without even a thought from our electricity to the world wide web, where do they come from? Where do they go? How did people figure out what to do with this stuff?

Would you ever think that banning garbage disposals is a way to combat a drought? Scott Huler takes a unique look at all the hidden pathways that are intertwined in our daily lives. On the Grid provides an amazing glimpse into the unseen world that we depend on. Personally, there were times he reminded me way to much of a college instructor but overall I found the book an interesting read. And yes, garbage disposals were banned in Raleigh, NC during the drought of 2008. The book is available on Amazon and is a good rainy day read.

You may never look at your plumbing the same way again.

LAST WORD Changing of the guard. As most of you know, Lynn Fabian has retired as our Editor of the Compost Pile. We thank her sincerely for all the time, effort and great issues she provided for many years. She‟ll still contribute now and then. As for the newsletter, it will continue albeit with modifications. Lynn is definitely a tough act to follow so we‟ll give it our best shot.

So bear with us for a while until we get the hang of this thing. Any comments, suggestions (please no bonfires) are welcome always! Likewise, articles, ideas and thoughts are also welcome.

I discovered something after having to deal with being „thumb-less‟ for a couple of weeks. #1 If you are going to run into something it will be directly on the wounded area. #2 When you start to heal and are peeling, DO NOT put you hand into hot water with soap in it. #3 Your thumb is a major digit—not much you can accomplish without it. You can‟t weed with stitches

Marg Stewart and while I can‟t say I have embraced the weeds in my yard, I can say that the world didn‟t come to an end because they are there. Catching up on reading was a blessing as well as having to slow down for a while. Amazing what you discover is and isn‟t all that important.

I do want to thank EVERYONE for their wonderful support for the web-site and for this new challenge.

A note regarding yellow jackets: after a run in with those beasties DO NOT put your cell phone in your back pocket and have it set on VIBRATE! Trust me on that one. It isn‟t pretty.

So take a few minutes, let us know what topics you‟d be interested in being covered in future issues and on the web site. After that, turn off the phone, the computer, and the TV. Grab your hat, cool beverage and go check out your garden!

Despite the gardener’s best intentions, Nature will improvise.

Michael P. Garafalo The Foundation for the Gator Nation.....An equal opportunity institution.

6