...for discerning weeders An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication July, 2013
GROWING EDIBLE GINGER IN A CONTAINER By Lee V.
Inside this issue:
Weed of the
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Month Extra! Extra!
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Walk on the Wild 3 Side Scoop on Poop
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Hand Paste
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Kudzu Bug
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Nymphs
7
Simple Pineapple 8 Bookstore
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Events
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Last Word
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“No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden.” Thomas Jefferson Do you have a favorite garden quote? Send it in!
DON’T FORGET! You have to log your hours onto the VMS system!
Do you buy ginger root in the supermarket in all its dry, shriveled, bland glory? If you are tired of using this tasteless spice in stir fry, breads, jams and other wonderful homemade concoctions, here is an alternative.
the soil evenly moist and, within a month, a small green spear should appear which quickly becomes an opposite leafed stalk. Over the next several months the stalks will multiply and, by cool weather, the container should have a rhizome several inches long. AlternaEdible ginger is a spice best used fresh. I don’t tively, you may plant the bud directly into the mean fresh out of the store but fresh out of soil in your garden among your other plants your garden. Many people grow flowering and it will fit in perfectly with the landscape. ginger in their gardens but few think of cultiYou may begin harvesting vating edible ginger. Easy to fresh ginger as soon as the cultivate, a sufficient amount second stalk appears, using to supply a family can be the pink part of the growth. grown in a one gallon nursery Cut off the part you wish to pot with a few cupfuls of good use and replant the rest to potting soil and a couple of keep on growing. teaspoons of good slow release fertilizer. Oriental cooking is especially good when made with fresh Edible ginger, Zingiber officiginger. Ginger chicken, for nale, is a short, 24-30 inch, instance, takes on a completeplant. The edible part is the rhizome which ly new flavor when a pink rhizome is thinly forms as the plant grows. New extensions of sliced into it. Peeled and sliced rhizomes may the rhizome are bright pink or reddish and are be boiled in sugar to become candied ginger, the growing points of the plant. Although I freshly dug roots may be stored in a jar of vinhave grown ginger for many years, I have nev- egar and used to flavor stews and soups. The er seen it flower. Literature says that it has a list goes on from confectionery to cookies to yellow, cone-like flower structure but it is real- breads - use your imagination! ly not important; the good part is the root. The stalks of the ginger plant will die in the To get your ginger plant started, you first must fall and the pot may be moved into a greenhave a root with a growing point. Almost any house or garage for the winter. Keep the pot of the store-bought rhizomes will have several barely moist during the winter months, not buds which, if you look at them closely, will be letting it freeze. An alternative is to harvest small whitish bumps on the sides of the rhione of the growing points and store it in a zome. Each of these bumps may become a gin- plastic bag in the crisper unit in your refrigerager plant. In spring or summer, plant a part of tor over winter them replant it in spring to the rhizome with at least one bud in a contain- begin again. er of good potting soil, covering it about two inches deep. Water and set in the sun. Keep Try this. It is fun and flavorful. 1
WEED OF THE MONTH Psilophytes (Whisk Ferns)
by Jenny G. stems act as photosynthetic organs.
There are so many different weeds growing now in lawns, garden beds and along roadsides. If you look, you will probably recognize: Dollarweed, Florida Pusley, spurge, Smilax, Cudweed, young Beggarticks, young Henbit, Oxalis, Bittercress, Hawksbeard, Speedwell and Creeping Charlie (often called Creeping Ivy around here), just to name a few!
“The Psilotales are the least complex of all terrestrial vascular plants. This is primarily because psilophytes are the only living vascular plants to lack both roots and leaves. Psilotales occurs in the Caribbean, the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts as far north as North Carolina, and in Arizona. It’s found in tropical Asia and on Pacific islands. In addition to its natural distribution, Psilotales is also found as a common weed in greenhouses, and sometimes escapes cultivation in regions with mild climate. It occasionally becomes a nuisance, but is still very All of these weeds plus may others have been profiled before popular for its unusual and they can all be found in our archived weed files! growth form. The psilophyte stem lacks roots; it is In late March and April I came across a “weed” I had never anchored instead by a horiseen before. I found it in new cypress mulch under shrubs in zontally creeping stem shade. This little green “weed” had no leaves and hardly anycalled a rhizome. The erect thing that looked like roots. It reminded me of a fern…but portion of the stem bears without the usual fern characteristics. Very strange. paired enations, outgrowths which look like I took it to the Annex extension for I.D. Luckily, Lynn F. had seen it before! Lynn called it a “whisk fern” a Psilotales. It was miniature leaves, but unlike true leaves, the enations have no vascular tissue. This “fern” can be grown in a pot! so interesting that I wanted to share it. For more info: Psilotum, Whisk Ferns: A genus of very primitive vascular plants without true roots, and with the spore capsules borne in http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/plants/pterophyta/ fused triads on the upper parts of the forking stems, in the ax- psilotales.html ils of tiny scales. There are no real leaves, but the green ridged
EXTRA! EXTRA! Thanks to Karen K., John H., Ed S., Dmytro S., Lee V. for some really good links and info:
Thirst for Fresh Water Threatens Apalachicola Bay Fisheries: http://nyti.ms/13xVGlu
Knock-Out Rose Disease: http:// Huge yellow jacket nest: http://www.wfla.com/ thedailysouth.southernliving.com/2013/04/21/is-knockout-rose story/22658024/local-expert-faces-dangerous-challenge-with-down-for-the-count/ huge-yellow-jacket-nest Bird migration map: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/?cat=12
Honey and Its Uses: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa154
Planting wildflowers: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/15/ opinion/greedy-gardeners.html?emc-etal&_r=0
General Rule for Honey to Sugar Conversion:
Plants are good at math: http://news.yahoo.com/square-rootsscientists-plants-good-math-040924317.html
1 cup of sugar = 3/4 honey. Decrease liquid called for in recipe by 1/4 cup. For each cup of honey in baked goods, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
Florida Native Plant Society newsletter: http://fnps.org/assets/ pdf/sabalminor/sabalminor15_4_2013.pdf
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A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
By Linda M.
July—sun-filled days of summer, Independence Day celebrations, MG Awards Program and great wildlife activities to look forward to: Birds: Shorebird migration starts in mid-July, peaking in August. Look out for nesting shorebirds, and keep your vehicles and dogs from disturbing them. Swallow-tailed kites begin gathering as do purple martins and tree swallows in preparation for migrating south for the winter. Swallow-tailed kites— distinctive black and white birds of prey winters in the lowlands of Brazil and returns to Florida each spring to nest. They can be seen throughout the state between March and August. Swallow-tailed Kites feed mainly on flying insects and also small vertebrates including snakes, lizards and frogs. Mammals: Gray squirrels are being born. Baby raccoons, foxes, armadillos, possums, and bobcats leave dens and begin following parents. Bobcats, a Florida native wild cat, are among the most highly specialized of all mammalian predators. The name comes from its “bobbed” tail, usually about 5 in. long. Sometimes called the bay lynx or wildcat, the bobcat can be recognized by its tufted, triangular-shaped ears and facial tufts or “sideburns.” It has a coat pattern of distinct brown or black spots over the back and legs on a reddish, buff or gray base color. The belly is white and spotted with black. The backs of its ears are black with large white spots in the center. This coloration is an effective camouflage when the bobcat is among sun-dappled undergrowth. Males weigh 20 to 30 lb. and females 15 to 25 lb. The bobcat can reach 23 in. at the shoulder and up to 3 ft. in length Amphibians/Reptiles: Later this month, young alligators and crocodiles will begin to hatch. Listen for Eastern narrowmouth toads (“waaa”, like a baying sheep) after heavy rains. This frog ranges in size from 7/8 to 1 1/4 inches. It can be found statewide under logs and debris near water. Breeding occurs from April through October. Treefrogs are laying eggs which hatch into tadpoles in about 5 days. Insects: Mosquitoes and chiggers are abundant, so watch out while you’re camping or working in the yard. Female mosquitoes feed on blood to help their eggs develop into offspring. When they bite, they release saliva into the bite area. Allergic reactions to the saliva cause the itchy bumps and swollen hives some people get after being bitten. If a mosquito is carrying a virus, that virus can be transferred to humans through the mosquito’s saliva. Mosquito-borne diseases currently of public health concern in Florida include St. Louis encephalitis, eastern equine encephalitis, West Nile virus encephalitis, and dengue. Special date in July July 22, 1982: First Florida bog frog discovered in a panhandle wetland. Bog Frogs have rough dark green to brown backs, black mottled undersides, yellow throats, and may have light spots on the lower jaw. A light brown line runs along the lateral fold and does not reach the groin area. This frog is less than 2 inches long. They will call from spring to summer with a call which sounds like a chuckle — a series of low-pitched single clucking calls, noticeably slower at the end of the call. Florida bog frogs are uncommon in Florida and are found only in a few acidic steams in Walton, Santa Rose, and Okaloosa counties in the panhandle. This species is fully protected in Florida. http:www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/wildlife%5Finfo/ and http://snre.ufl.edu/ pubsevents/wild.htm
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THE SCOOP ON POOP
by Karen H.
“The fairest thing in nature, a flower, still has its roots in earth and manure.” -D.H. Lawrence, British poet, novelist and essayist, 18851930
you don't have dogs or other critters that might delight in digging in it) is to spread fresh manure in the fall and turn it in to the top 6 inches of soil a month before spring planting.
Manure Magic: As a gardener and a lifelong horseowner, I'm a believer in the benefits of manure in the garden. With such a handy, steady source I've had plenty of opportunity to see the miracle of manure in action. This is why I don't listen when someone tells me that manure isn't of much use in the garden because of its relatively low NPK numbers. I've always known that there's magic in manure, in the way that it puts back into the earth what the horse (or other animal) takes from it to sustain its life. The circle is complete when we return the manure to the soil to replenish it and ensure future life-sustaining plant growth. But, since we're accustomed to thinking of fertilizers in terms of the NPK numbers, below are some of the values for various types of manure:
Chicken: Dairy Cow Horse Steer Rabbit Sheep
N 1.1 .5 1.5 .70 3.5 1.5
P .80 .5 1.0 .30 1.4 1.0
K .50 .5 1.5 .40 2.0 1.8
Now, those ARE fairly paltry numbers when compared to chemical fertilizers. But manure offers much more than nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Manure contains large amounts of organic matter, so it feeds and builds the soil while it nourishes the plants. The organic matter is also valuable in assisting in moisture-retention of soils which a big plus for our very sandy soil. Soil requires continual replenishment of its organic matter to decompose into humus which in turn makes nutrients available to plants. Chemical fertilizers offer none of those benefits. Using Manure in the Garden: Think of manure as a soil amendment, not a mulch. Don't put raw manure directly on garden soils. If raw (non-composted) manure is applied to the soil, there is a good chance of nitrogen compounds and ammonia being released into the soil as the manure breaks down. This can burn plant roots, young plants and interfere with seed germination. It's recommended that all animal manure should be aged for at least 6 months, preferably by a hot composting method, where the pile reaches at least 150 degrees F. This helps to reduce the probability of passing dangerous pathogens on to people who handle the manure or eat food grown with manure compost. It also has the benefit of killing weed seeds which can be very prevalent in some manures, such as horse manure. Another option (if
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, “Manure creates nutrient-rich, moisture-retaining soil for your plants. The most common sources of manure are cows, horses, sheep, pigs, goats, and poultry. Other animal waste is generally not recommended as manure or fertilizer today.” Cornell University also recommends that "Homeowners should not use any manure from dogs, cats, or other meat-eating animals, since there is risk of parasites or disease organisms that can be transmitted to humans." The Farmer's Almanac recommends this schedule for spreading manure: For flower gardens, the best type of manure to use is cow or horse and it should be spread in early spring. In a vegetable garden (including root crops), use chicken, cow or horse manure and spread it in fall or spring. Acid-loving plants such as azaleas or blueberries should receive cow or horse manure and, in the lilting words of the Almanac this should be spread in “early fall or not at all.” Here are some good tips about using manure in your garden, taken from this site http://tinyurl.com/nsnoqs8 1. You may be able to find a free source from a local farm, horse clinic, police department that uses horses, zoo, etc. This gives you a great free source of "greens" for your compost. (NOTE: This has been mentioned before but is always worth repeating: if you have access to Eglin AFB, you can come out to the base stables and avail yourself of all the FREE horse manure you want). 2. All animal manures are great sources of beneficial microbes to stimulate your compost piles. This increases the compost decomposition rate. 3. Animal manures really increase internal heating in hot compost piles. 4. All composts have lots of beneficial aerobic bacteria and fungi growing in it for soil building and plant fertilization. Animal manures are naturally high in actinomycetes as well as bacteria also. 5. All animal manures are rich in NPK and calcium. Therefore they usually alkaline when fresh. However, all mature composts have a near neutral pH after the organic matter has been broken down by the composting process. 4
POOP, cont’d.
HAND SCRUB
6. If sawdust is mixed in the poop, you have extra potassium in the mix. Straw and hay is rich in phosphorus also.
Mix together any of the following to form a nice, thick paste. Here are some ingredients to try:
7. All animal manures break down fast.
olive oil handful of sugar kosher salt 1 tsp. dried rosemary or other herb on hand 1-2 dried orange or lemon peels, grated (or zest of fresh citrus if you don't have dried) 2-3 drops lavender oil or any other, if you have it grated knob of bar soap smashed up handful of almonds or other nut on hand 1 glob of honey
8. Many animal manures have urine (urea) mixed in also. This is extra nitrogen for the compost. Notable quotes about manure: http://tinyurl.com/nvzsxaz One of my favorites (not attributed to anyone in particular): “A good laugh is like manure to a farmer - it doesn't do any good until you spread it around.” And another by actor Lee Marvin: “Ah, stardom! They put your name on a star in the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard and you walk down and find a pile of dog manure on it. That tells the whole story, baby.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Kent B. Bob B. Ann F. Stevan G. Alene O. Carol S.
By Shari F.
As with any recipe, except when baking, I never get caught up on measuring. Just throw it all into a canning jar and mix. If it looks too dry, add a bit more olive oil. Too wet, add more sugar or salt. The olive oil and honey leaves your hands so soft. The sugar, salt and bashed up almonds scrub away grime. The citrus peel and lavender oil add such a lovely scent. {For anyone who knows about Arbonne products and have tried their Awaken Sea Salt Scrub-- this homemade concoction rivals that product, hands down, and you don't need to pay a fortune for it} Keep at the ready, lid off, near your sink. I like to stick a wonton soup spoon in mine to make sure I get a nice, thick blob of it. You will find yourself reaching for this even when your hands aren't full of dirt! Myles does, so I know it's a winner! This recipe is from Mother Earth News by Liesl and Myles Petersen.
Deanna’s herb garden. Courtesy of Dick H. 5
THE KUDZU BUG HAS ARRIVED “The kudzu bug is on the move and becoming a nuisance,” says Jennifer Bearden, Agriculture Extension Agent for Okaloosa County. Jennifer recently posted on the ‘Solutions For Your Life’ website (http://okaloosa.ifas.ufl.edu) that the kudzu bug has made its way to Okaloosa County. “I collected a kudzu bug and eggs from a kudzu patch in the Dorcas community. They may have a significant impact on agriculture in our county as well as being a nuisance to residents. Kudzu bugs are a type of stink bug and can irritate eyes and mucous membranes.”
By Linda M.
and lay their egg masses. The adults and nymphs congregate in large numbers and feed on the leaves, stems, flowers, and pods of the host plants. The insect taps through the veins of plants to reach the phloem, using piercing sucking mouthparts. As a result, injury to plants likely results from nutrient and moisture loss, rather than a direct loss of biomass from removal of plant tissue. This damage can have a significant impact for soybean producers in our area.
Kudzu bugs are a nuisance pest to homeowners primarily in the The kudzu bug, (bean plataspid, Megacopta cribraria Fabspring and fall. These insects are attracted to light colored surricius), also known as the lablab bug, or globular stink bug, is a faces, predominately white and yellow. Like stink bugs, adults non-native insect originally from Asia. They were first found excrete an odor as a defense mechanism when disturbed, and the outside of houses and surrounding vegetation in northeast Geor- chemical they secrete may stain the surface of houses, buildings gia in 2009 and now are reported in northern Florida, Georgia, or vehicles. Indoors, when crushed the kudzu bug’s unpleasant South Carolina, North Carolina, and southern Virginia. odor and stains can also be hard to remove from furniture and carpeting. When a person is exposed to the kudzu bug, an allergic reaction may occur, resulting in staining of the skin and skin irritation. Make sure screening is placed over possible entry points of your home and windows and doors are tightly sealed. Check to make sure soffit, ridge, and gable vents are properly screened and stuff steel wool into openings where screening cannot be used, such as around pipe penetrations. As a general rule, indoor insecticide use for control of the kudzu bug is discouraged; however, a pyrethroid insecticide can be used to directly spray bugs landing on the outside of a building. The elimination of the kudzu bug relies on the physical removal or death of kudzu plants with a herbicide, so if possible, the Typically light brown to olive green in color, the adults are small homeowner should try to remove any nearby kudzu in the sum(3.5 - 6 mm) with a rounded oblong shape and live 23 to 77 days. mer. Their egg mass has 26 to 274 eggs and are a pale salmon color For more information on identification and control go to http:// with dark bands. The eggs have an elongated shape with a trunedis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN939 and www.kudzubug.org cated ring of rugged projections at one end. Females also deposit dark capsules underneath the eggs filled with endosymbionts (Jennifer Bearden (bacteria) that provides the subsequent generation with enough and the sites listed nutrition to survive on legume hosts such as peas, beans, peaabove were the nuts and the insects’ preferred host, soybean. This species has sources of inforfive nymphal stages. Each nymphal stage takes two to 56 days to mation.) develop. They have a hairy appearance and tend to be pale orange, olive green, or light brown. Kudzu bugs can produce several generations per year, colonizing from April to July, and continue to be present until October in cooler temperatures. However they may be active all year in warmer climates overwintering on light colored buildings and structures, leaf litter, or under the bark of trees to keep warm. Mostly found on soybean and kudzu in the United States, When temperatures warm, the strong-flying adults emerge from overwintering sites and move into kudzu or wisteria where they mate, 6
PSOCID NYMPHS
By Lynn F.
Microscope image Lynn F. Psocids or Bark Lice Nymphs www.whatsthatbug.com
Just doing a bit of scouting in the garden tonight and found a cluster of insects running across the bonsai benches and up into the pots.
Plants looked healthy but what’s the critter? They moved too fast for the hand lens and the camera but a piece of transparent tape caught a few.
The computer microscope picture was not the best but it showed enough to start hunting for a small (64th inch) wingless insect with a striped abdomen.
We have a case of psocid nymphs. My guess is they are thriving on the moist sphagnum moss we keep on our developing azaleas.
This is a stage of development I had never seen before. Usually we see the tree cattle moving up and down the landscape trees.
Psocids or Bark Lice Nymphs and Adults You never know what you will find when you go into the garden. Just keep your eyes peeled.
http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/Barklice.htm
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SIMPLE PINEAPPLE
Courtesy of Shirley H.
The pineapple is a member of the bromeliad family. It is extremely rare that bromeliads produce edible fruit. The pineapple is the only available edible bromeliad today.
Bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme, is the key to pineapple's value. Proteolytic means "breaks down protein", which is why pineapple is known to be a digestive aid.
It is a multiple fruit. One pineapple is actually made up of dozens of individual flowerets that grow together to form the entire fruit. Each scale on a pineapple is evidence of a separate flower.
It helps the body digest proteins more efficiently. Bromelain is also considered an effective anti-inflammatory. Regular ingestion of at least one half cup of fresh pineapple daily is purported to relieve painful joints common to osteoarthritis. It also produces mild pain relief.
Pineapples stop ripening the minute they are picked. No special way of storing them will help ripen them further. Color is relatively unimportant in determining ripeness. Choose your pineapIn Germany, bromelain is approved as a post-injury medication ple by smell. If it smells fresh, tropical and sweet... it will be a because it is thought to reduce inflammation and swelling. good fruit... The more scales on the pineapple, the sweeter and juicier the taste. After you cut off the top, you can plant it. It should grow much like a sweet potato will. This delicious fruit is not only sweet and tropical; it also offers many benefits to our health. Pineapple is a remarkable fruit. We find it enjoyable because of its lush, sweet and exotic flavor, but it may also be one of the most healthful foods available today. If we take a more detailed look at it, we will find that pineapple is valuable for easing indigestion, arthritis or sinusitis. The juice has an anthelmintic effect; it helps get rid of intestinal worms. Let's look at how pineapple affects other conditions. Pineapple is high in manganese, a mineral that is critical to development of strong bones and connective tissue. A cup of fresh pineapple will give you nearly 75% of the recommended daily amount. It is particularly helpful to older adults, whose bones tend to become brittle with age.
Orange juice is a popular liquid for those suffering from a cold because it is high in Vitamin C. Fresh pineapple is not only high in this vitamin, but because of the Bromelain, it has the ability to reduce mucous in the throat. If you have a cold with a productive cough, add pineapple to your diet. It is commonly used in Europe as a post-operative measure to cut mucous after certain sinus and throat operations. Those individuals who eat fresh pineapple daily report fewer sinus problems related to allergies. In and of itself, pineapple has a very low risk for allergies. Pineapple is also known to discourage blood clot development. This makes it a valuable dietary addition for frequent fliers and others who may be at risk for blood clots. An old folk remedy for morning sickness is fresh pineapple juice. It really works! Fresh juice and some nuts first thing in the morning often make a difference. It's also good for a healthier mouth. The fresh juice discourages plaque growth.
IFAS
BOOKSTORE
Insects and Related Pests of Turfgrass in Florida SP140 by Donald E. Short and Eileen A. Buss. 13 pages Learn how to identify and manage the ten most common insects and related pests that infest Florida turfgrass. This newly revised edition features color photographs showing the pests, the damage they cause, and how to control them. Click on the image to go to the UF/IFAS Bookstore.
Price $5.00 8
Don’t forget that July’s meeting is on the 10th of this month. It will be starting at 10:30am at the Extension Office in Crestview. The annual Awards Ceremony will be held immediately following lunch.
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Marg S.—Editor Shari F., Karen H., and Linda M.—Co-Editors
Have pictures or an idea for an article? Send it in! Articles and pictures are always welcome.
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LAST WORD A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, tomatoes are growing. I picture a planet where there are vigorous vines and blemish free fruit. This planet also has no mockingbirds. This year I planted Amelia and Christa Now, to be fair, the little seedlings weren’t the greatest in the world but after a while they produced gorgeous plants and even had little fruits forming. I should have taken a picture...they were deader than a doornail shortly after that. Lucky for me, I also had several heirloom varieties that I was trying out. German Johnson, Cherokee Purple, Homestead, and several others. These vines have not been the prettiest things on the block but they have been productive. Then we had a bunch of rain. You all know what that means....cracks in the tomatoes. Oh well, they may be ugly but they are still edible. I go out to harvest one particularly nice looking tomato and one whole side is gone! When I say gone, I mean gone! What in blazes???? Squirrel damage? Unlikely as the fat, furry, fiends are gorging themselves on the blackberries. Rabbits? Again, unlikely as the mini Peter Rabbit in my yard is happily trimming the sweet potato vines. (I sure wish he’d develop a taste for chamber bitter!) I finally caught the culprit. Mr. Mockingbird has an affinity for tomatoes. I tried hanging red balls...he’s no dummy. Avoided the fake tomatoes and honed in on a rapidly ripening Roma. Okay, next tactic, a cover. That worked well....for about 5 minutes. I finally resorted to harvesting when I just saw color appearing and allowing the fruit to ripen on the window sill. Indoors was ruled out upon discovering I have a cat who appears to be in training for the local rugby team. I’m not keen on the idea of a ripe tomato being swatted around the kitchen. That left the window ledges on the patio. This worked well and the fruit ripened nicely. I’ve done this a few times now and had put another batch up there. One 10
By Marg S. would think that with a lot of movement near the window ledge, there would be no problem. One would think that being that close to humans would be a deterrent. HA! Mr. Mockingbird was very happy to have a comfortable place to perch while he enjoyed the fruits of my labor. When I shooed him, I clearly detected laughter as he flew away. Now I like animals, I really do. I fill the feeders. I provide water. I actually have a nice spot for them to visit. And I enjoy watching them. But this is taking advantage of my hospitality. Besides, I really think that Mr. M has started a gang. He’s getting all the other birds together and extolling the virtues of tomato juice just as slick as a snake oil salesman. He’s out there now, getting all the other birds together, planning out their attack. You think I’m imagining things? I saw the woodpecker going after a tomato and had the young hatchlings right there! Mr. M. probably convinced the woodpecker that tomatoes make your red feathers even brighter. So that battle continues. I try and get to the tomatoes before they do. It’s sad...so far the birds are winning. Where is that darned hawk when you need him?