Nl june15

20 15 E, JU N

...for discerning weeders

Inside This Issue!

Non-dairy with taste test!

A Watery Invader!

Special Insert!

Updated and new publications And much, much more!

The Foundation for the Gator Nation.....

An equal opportunity institution.

HERE’S TO SUMMER! Here we are, the first official day of the Atlantic hurricane season. Let’s hope that we have another calm one. Temperatures are rising but so far, we’ve been a bit on the cooler side. Show of hands for anyone missing the 102° heat index. No one? Didn’t think so.

Plant clinics are humming along. A lot of folks missed those and are thankful to see their return. Remember, people will come in to the clinics because they don’t know what is wrong, don’t know what the plant/weed/bug is and they are looking for our help. We’re there to guide and instruct. The group of folks who man the clinics are to be commended and encouraged!

Lots of calls have been coming into the offices. Because of the wacky weather (read that ice storm….26+ inches of rain….) in the past, we’re seeing lots of problems now surfacing with trees, shrubs and other slower growing flora in our area. The past indeed has a huge impact on our landscapes and gardens.

The Extension landscape now has irrigation. It’s still a work in progress but thanks to the talents of our Master Gardeners, the beds are looking good and will only continue to improve. Hats off to those intrepid souls who reported for landscape duty. Of course, each work day ended up being the hottest day of the entire week but it seems that is always the case. At least this time we weren’t planting knee deep in water and mud!

Home visits, speaking engagements...our group is all over the county! Even with the summer months coming fast upon us, Master Gardeners don’t wilt!

Have a great June!

M. Donavin L. Fabian F. Frederick H. Jennings J. Michetti J. Montgomery C. Reuter M. Stewart S. Taylor 34th Continued Training Conference October 18-21, 2015 Kissimmee, FL http://www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/ gardener/index.html MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Plentiful Plantings Your Editor

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Events Calendar

2

Non-Dairy Month

D. Gordon meditating. Photo courtesy of M. Evors

3-4

Garden Glories

4

Wildlife Happenings

5

Book Review

5

Poisonous Weed

5

All A-Buzz

Sign in to VMS and log in your hours!

You may access the VMS site by clicking on the link below: https://florida.volunteersystem.org/

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

1

6-7

Recipe Roundup

7

Updates and Info

8

Two Questions

8

Water Clogging Invasive

9

In the Nursery

9

Info graphics

10

More Garden Glories

10

Last Word

11 June, 2015

You may access our interactive Events calendar by visiting: http://www.ocmga.org/Calendar.html

June 1: CV phone coverage—9am to 12pm; Mondays in the Garden @ Milton 10am to 11am June 3: CV phone coverage—10am to 1pm June 4: CV phone coverage—8am to 4pm; Formosan Termite Workshop @ Bay County 6pm to 8pm June 5: Annex phone coverage—9:30am to 12:30pm; Nursery work day 9:30am to 12:30pm June 6: Perennial Peanut Field Day @ North Florida Research and Education Center June 8: CV phone coverage—9am to 12pm and 1pm to 3pm June 10: Board meeting—9am to 12pm June 11: CV phone coverage—8am to 4pm June 12: Annex phone coverage—9:30am to 12:30pm; Nursery work day 9:30am to 12:30pm; Plant Clinic 10am to 1pm June 13: Gardens, Gills & Grills @ Bay County Extension June 15: CV phone coverage 9am to 12pm June 17: Composting Free Seminar @ CV 10am to 11am June 18: CV phone coverage—8am to 4pm; Tri-County Horticulture Studies Group 10am to 2pm @ Valparaiso Library June 19: Annex phone coverage 9:30am to 12:30pm; Nursery work day 9:30am to 12:30pm June 22: CV phone coverage 9am to 12pm June 23: AgSave$ Workshop 6pm to 7:30pm @ CV June 24: Monthly Membership Meeting and Birthday Celebration 9am to 1pm @ CV

The Jokester: England has no kidney bank but it does have a Liverpool.

June 25: CV phone coverage 8am to 4pm June 26: Annex phone coverage 9:30am to 12:30pm; Nursery work day 9:30am to 12:30pm June 29: CV phone coverage 9am to 12pm Note: Every Tuesday of each month the client calls are answered remotely.

Work day at Jackson Guard courtesy of P. Garrett

Hidden Ginger courtesy of J. Fitzhugh

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

2

June, 2015

NATIONAL

NONDAIRY

MONTH

June being National Dairy Month, we thought we’d take a look at non-dairy milk, just to be contrary. This is a new subject to me since I’m not a milk drinker myself. I prefer to get my calcium from (liberal) amounts of ice cream, so I breeze by the non-dairy milk display on my way to the freezer, occasionally thinking to myself, ‘gee, almond milk sounds kinda tasty…’ But our fearless editor makes the writing assignments and I attempt to rise to the occasion, so here we go.

What is it? Non-dairy milks are plant-based beverages. Obviously, something called “non-dairy” would not have dairy products in it, correct? Well, as usual, the answer to that is “it depends”. The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates such things, does not have a regulation for milks labeled “dairyfree.” This means milk labeled dairy-free could still have dairybased ingredients which might be a big deal if you are lactoseintolerant or trying to be a true vegan. Here are just a few things that are derived from dairy products. Aside from the obvious (milk, butter, cream, cheese, and curd) are the less-obvious: lactose, lactoglobulin, lactalbumin, delactosed, whey and whey proteins. If any of these are in your ‘dairy-free’ milk, it isn’t dairyfree.

by K. Harper having the advantage of remaining more stable at higher temperatures. But I’d be remiss if I failed to mention right here that soy contains phytoestrogens. These have attracted a lot of negative attention in recent years as researchers have discovered some of the bad effects of exposure to high amounts of phytoestrogens. Everything from hormone damage to thyroid impairment to issues with protein digestion are blamed on phytoestrogens. Read on for information about some of the other bad things that might be added to non-dairy milks. I think we can safely put this lady in the “no” column when it comes to nondairy stuff: http://empoweredsustenance.com/non-dairy-milks/

So, are they healthy? Possibly, especially if you make your own and can limit the amount of additives they contain. Or if you can afford the more-expensive organic/”healthier” brands. Otherwise, consider the words of a dietitian who wrote an article last June titled ”Non-dairy ‘Milks’: Once the Solution, Now Part of the Problem: “Furthermore, despite having nutritious plant foods at their origin, many plant-based milks are not particularly healthy. This is especially the case when one considers the issue of sugar. Unless a plant-based milk is completely unsweetened, all products contain added sugar, even those products labeled “original” flavor. Typically, an unsweetened almond or coconut On the other hand, the FDA does have a regulation for the term milk contains a mere 30 to 40 calories with less than 1 gram of “non-dairy”. Problem solved, right? Wrong. carbohydrate and zero grams of sugar (though Non-dairy foods are permitted to contain milk an unsweetened rice milk has about 90 calories proteins such as casein and whey. So what are and 15 grams of carbohydrate owing the to the you to do if, from a health or philosophical rice-derived base.) Nutritionally, I find these standpoint, you really don’t want dairy in your pretty benign. But once you cross into the origimilk? Protect yourself by memorizing the list of nal and vanilla flavors, calories and sugar coningredients that are dairy-derived and read tent skyrocket – and that’s not even considering labels carefully. Here is a mind-bogglingly the chocolate varieties, which are far worse. complete list of dairy-derived ingredients: Typical “original” flavors of plant-based milks http://tinyurl.com/pmllwdo range from 50 to 120 calories per cup with 1.5 to 2.5 teaspoons of added sugar (6 to 10 grams).

Or, you could make your own non-dairy milk: Vanilla flavors range from 80 to 130 calories per Here is a site that claims to make that process cup with 2 to 4 teaspoons of added sugar (8 to super-easy: http://tinyurl.com/ntdoyco And 16 grams). With the exception of soymilk, these another set of recipes that might not be so easy: products contain 1 gram or less of protein to http://www.straightupfood.com/blog/2012/09/20/non-dairyhelp blunt the impact on blood sugar (glycemic effect) during milks/; digestion. (By way of comparison, 1 percent cow’s milk contains 110 calories and 12 to 13 grams of naturally-occurring milk sugTypes of non-dairy milk: Almond milk seems to be among ars. It has a low glycemic index, due in part to the buffering efthe most commonly available and is the one I chose for a tastefect of its high protein content.) As for the high vitamin and mintest (below). It can substitute for milk in every aspect of cooking eral content of these milks, they are not inherent to the product and baking as well as other typical uses for milk. Note: I’ve never but rather added to them. From a nutritional standpoint, this is baked with it so I can’t verify that claim. Almond milk is usually not measurably different than taking a multivitamin/ a little sweet (I found it a LOT sweet) and it’s high in vitamin E. multimineral pill washed down with a glass of sugar water.”

It usually contain soy lecithin, which is something to note if you Read the entire article here: http://health.usnews.com/healthare trying to avoid soy. Coconut milk beverages are soy-free, glu- news/blogs/eat-run/2014/06/10/non-dairy-milks-once-theten-free and dairy-free and are said to be great for drinking, solution-now-part-of-the-problem. cooking or baking. I personally love coconut milk in curries but beyond that I have no experience in cooking with it. But if you Getting down to it: Being a non-milk drinker myself it isn’t want to try, here are a few dairy-free recipes that use coconut likely that I’ll be using any of the non-dairy milks (except for milk: Coconut Cupcakes, Coconut Curry Rice with Tofu, Harvest coconut milk) but in the interest of journalistic objectivity, I Pumpkin Soup. Those cupcakes sound pretty good except for bought some “Silk Almond Milk” so that I could at least say I’ve ackkk, baking with margarine and egg substitutes? Nooooooo! tried it. It’s not bad, especially if you think of it as dessert. The The pumpkin soup looks pretty tasty to me. And, if you tossed texture is similar to milk and the almond flavor is nice. But I some chicken into that curry, you might have something there… found it very sweet, much sweeter than anything I’d ever will Rice milk is thinner in consistency than most nut milks and is ingly drink. I suppose one could spend a lot of money and get said to have a light, sweet flavor that goes well with cereal of cof- the sugar- and additive-free versions. But with the high price of fee. It is also said to be useful for baking. If you are going to use it in a sauce, you may need to add binding or stabilizing ingredi- Continued on next page ents such as eggs or flour. Soy milk is one of the richest nondairy milks, aside from coconut milk. It contains lots of fat, fiber and protein and is said to be good for drinking or for cooking, An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

3

June, 2015

DAIRY cont’d. the non-designer version (it amounts to over $7 per gallon and those are commissary prices), that alternative becomes less desirable. However, for those who are lactose-intolerant (and I do have friends in that category who truly do suffer when they consume dairy), it is most likely a very good thing that these products are available.

Hives of Meliponini—a native stingless bee in Mexico. Courtesy of P. Garrett

Winner of the prettiest compost pile. Courtesy of E. Smith

Bromeliads and orchids in Mexico.

Courtesy of P. Garrett

Jungle Princess. Courtesy of J. Fitzhugh

White stokesia. Courtesy of S. Farrell

Red okra blooming. Courtesy of A. Ogle Gloriosa lily. Courtesy of S. Farrell

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

4

June, 2015

ALL A-BUZZ! In the middle of working all of our hives last Saturday, one of our hives decided to swarm. On Sunday, we did a “cut-out” of an existing colony in a water meter cavity behind a liquor store in Bluewater. I used a large kitchen knife to literally cut the honeycomb out, trying not to damage it in the process, especially the brood. In the a.m. we will go back to Bluewater to a private home and perform a “cut-out” of a colony that decided to set up inside the eaves of a deployed military member’s house! Who knows how long the hive had been there as the house is empty at the moment. At least it isn’t 20’ in a tree like our swarm was. Next I will write a letter pleading the water company to change the design on the meter covers. I know the little hole exists for the meter reader to open with a tool he simply inserts into the opening.

M says this is a common problem, so why hasn’t this been addressed? Maybe it has, but at any rate, I plan to find out! I couldn’t move for 2 days from kneeling with my head stuck inside a water meter cavity on concrete (taking my gardening kneeling pad next time).

Our hive that swarmed decided to leave home for good and did not stick around. It is disheartening to watch a swarm fly away, after so much time and energy was spent nourishing the hive and then spending another couple of hours trying to convince it to stay home! However, the hive we retrieved from inside the water meter cavity in the ground looks to be doing well for the moment. We are feeding them a sugar water solution, a pollen patty, and have placed a full brood frame from another strong hive in with them. Fortunately, I was able to capture the queen, thereby increasing the odds of survival of this colony. M says statistics involving a “cut-out” is that only one out of four colonies survive. So, M and I are optimistic, as there seemed to be ample activity around the hive today. The water meter hive may be the 1 out of 4. I have my doubts regarding the eaves “cut-out”.

In addition to working our hives, the swarm, and a 2 cut-outs, we went to Choctaw Beach and worked 2 more hives in the mentoring of a new beekeeper. All tiring, but equally rewarding work!

by P. Garrett arch butterfly). So quite simply, venom is injected, whereas poison isn’t. Both venom and poison are toxic and can cause injury or even death to another animal.

-Check your property for colonies. Honey bees will nest in various places, especially Africanized bees, which have not colonized in this area. Think cavities like water meter boxes, upside down flower pots, etc. Some say bees will nest in animal burrows, but I really haven’t heard of honeybees in the ground. They don’t like to get wet! Africanized bees would be more apt to nest there I would think. I have seen honeybees set up housekeeping in “bat boxes”, and they could form a colony in trees and shrubs, but most likely, they want to find better shelter where it is dry.

So what does one do when they find bees on their property? First of all, don’t call an exterminator. Call a beekeeper! Hopefully the colony can be moved and it is a win-win for everyone! It is very encouraging to receive phone calls from the populace and hear “I know bees are in trouble, and I don’t want to kill them”. I’ve given many hugs lately and kudos to the homeowners when I hear this. Knowledge and information are replacing fear as a result of everyone’s efforts to save the honey bee. I never pass by the opportunity to educate homeowners on ALL pollinators as well. Sometimes they just stare at me and comment on my “passion”, and that just opens the door for me to elaborate even more. If only everyone were interested in saving even the most minuscule creatures. People are beginning to realize how truly important bees are, and I love to see their looks of amazement when I tell them about our native bees in the US and FL.

-So, if you find bees on your property, especially if you aren’t sure what type, call the extension office for assistance. As mentioned in previous articles, a “Swarm List” is maintained and a local beekeeper will be glad to assist you. Until someone comes out to ID the bees, stay away from them (remember to run and find shelter like a car or building, if being chased). Even if bees make it in the car, drive for ½ a mile or so and release them.

Luckily, we do not have Africanized bees in our area, but I do want to say that existing colonies are more aggressive when Today while in Lowes, I overheard someone talking to a staff bothered, than a swarm. I worked our swarm on Saturday with member and saw 6 large spray cans of Spectracide for Wasps and Hornets in his cart. He really got my attention when he said bare hands and never received one sting. I literally scooped them up with my hands they were so gentle. Their entire demeanor “I’m going to get those @#$% bees”….Red flag time!! After changes when they aren’t defending their hive or their honey. spending about 15 minutes with this gentleman, he assured me The “cut-outs” M and I did on Sunday and Tuesday were another that he was only after “aggressive” stinging wasps by his front door, so I felt I had to let him go at that point. I still hate to hear story. I had to stop frequently and pull out stingers from my gloves with forceps as if left in, the barb finds a way to poke into of any pollinator getting annihilated….no matter the circummy skin! I don’t even know how many stings my hands took yesstances, although I know safety and protection of people and terday, but by the end of the job, my fingertips were swollen! I pets are the priority! hope I don’t start exhibiting allergic symptoms in the future I believe that many people who love nature and the outdoors from so much bee venom. It could happen, but hopefully my have fairly good common sense and knowledge on what creaimmune system can handle the assaults and every little sting will tures should be avoided. More importantly, what to do if contact be like receiving an “allergy” shot ….lol is impossible. With that said, we could all use a little refresher on -Always protect your face! You don’t want bee venom in or such things. around your eyes! It is powerful stuff and can cause visual imIn last month’s article, sting physiology was addressed and I pairment, especially if the retinal nerve is affected. Bees target promised a few tips regarding how to stay safe this summer rethe eyes and head (attracted by higher CO2 levels) so cover these garding stings, etc. In hindsight, I should have cleared up the areas as much as possible while escaping. misconception of two words that are used interchangeably when they shouldn’t be. We talk about a bee’s venom. This is correct. A -Do not try to “hide” in water. As mentioned before, the bees will be waiting on you when you come up for air! When I have a bee injects her venom into another organism with a stinger. guard bee following me and buzzing around my head in the apiSimilarly, a spider (arthropods) uses its fangs to inject venom.

Poisonous animals, on the other hand, deliver their poison indi- ary, I will walk into thick brush, which does deter them, but is not 100% fool proof. rectly, by being touched, or eaten. The entire body may be poison, or only parts of it (think of the puss caterpillar or the MonContinued on next page An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

6

June, 2015

WILDLIFE HAPPENINGS

courtesy of www.wec.ufl.edu/extension

June brings the first days of summers and a great deal of wildlife Special dates in history: activity.

June 1, 1952—first sighting of cattle egrets in Florida.

June 14, 1969—last official sighting of Ivory-billed woodpeckers Birds in Florida. It’s breeding season for laughing gulls, least terns, oystercatchers, and black skimmers. Mockingbirds are very protective of their nesting sites.

Mammals The Southern Flying Squirrel is starting its breeding season. Red bats and Seminole bats give birth.

Amphibians/Reptiles It is the height of the Gopher tortoise breeding season.

Fish Snook begin moving into inlets and passes.

Insects Cicadas emerge from their underground growth period.

BOOK REVIEW

by D. Stever

This is a must read for plant people. I recently picked up “The Orchid Thief” and was pleasantly surprised! The story centers on a mesmerizing true story of a renegade plant dealer and three Seminole Indians. The four are on trial for stealing Ghost orchids from the Florida everglades. They were planning to clone the orchid and hoped to make a small fortune from it. Ms. Orlean is covering the trial for The New Yorker where she works. What is most interesting is that she is introduced into the world of orchids, attends shows and meets the major players in the industry. The book is an amazing history of plant collection from its beginnings in Europe to present day Florida. She takes you into the eccentric world of Florida's orchid collectors, a subculture of aristocrats, fanatics, and smugglers whose obsession with plants is all-consuming. The trial introduces many of the major families in south Florida who operate the plant industry in that area today.

POISONOUS WEED Datura stramonium or Jimsonweed is a member of the Solanaceae family. The plant itself is a foul-smelling, erect annual. The root is long, thick, fibrous and white. Leaves are about 3 to 8 inches long, and the top of the leaves are darker than the bottom. D. stramonium usually flowers from late spring into early fall. The flowers are very sweet smelling, white or light purple in color.

All parts of this plant contain dangerous levels of the tropane alkaloids atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine.

Animals will usually avoid this plant unless it is located in a pasture where they have little forage or if it is harvested in hay/silage. Children are attracted to the sweet smelling flowers and unfortunately, the purported hallucinogenic effects are a deadly attractant to some individuals.

Be very careful when hand-pulling this plant from your landscape. Round-up is effective but resistance is being documented.

Ref: http://plants.usda.gov; http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. (SP 37); USDA.NRCS 2015. The Plant database (http:// An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

by L. Morris plantsusda.gov., 15May2015. National Plants Data Team Greensboro, NC.27401-4901USA; http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/ invasive_plants

5

June, 2015

BUZZ cont’d.

-In areas where there are “killer bees,” and someone is being attacked, cover them with a blanket, coat or anything you can find if they are unable to get away. Try to cover any skin that is exposed and then run as fast as you can to get help and find shelter. Try to run in a straight line, and do not flail your arms!

lifera. There are Miner bees that are ground dwellers and other native bees too, but for the most part, unless it is an Africanized colony, it will not be a honey bee in my experience. Wasps (including yellow jackets) do nest in the ground.

Recently, I was asked to do a visit to a home in Ft. Walton that supposedly had “honey bees” in the lawnmower shed. The owner was visually impaired and afraid to open his shed. Upon arrival, I saw no evidence of honey bees, but rather a dozen or so nicely formed carpenter bee holes. The wood was old and dry, without -At picnics or any outdoor activity, do not leave open bottles with paint or stain, a prime location for carpenter bees. While standsweet liquids in them or uncovered trash. I think many of us ing there, a female carpenter bee flew up and hovered for a could relate to being stung in the mouth from drinking soda from while, watching us, and then returned a short time later and ena can in the summer? tered a cavity. We know the male carpenter bees are more aggressive but they have no stingers. Female carpenter bees will -Please do not tether animals or place a bee hive near a pen. sting if they feel threatened. After educating the home owner on Honey bees are not fond of furry creatures! Believe me, my little ways to “accommodate” the bees without killing them, he was 8 lb. mini-schnauzer nearly died from a bee sting and being over- happy. He planned on getting someone to paint the shed and/or heated one day a couple of summers ago. By the time we arrived add extra wood for the bees to nest in. He really didn’t care about at the vet, she had stopped breathing! Whether it was the heat the structural damage in this old building. I love it when folks (she is all black), the bee sting, or a combination, it was a scary “alter” or “accept” nature for what it is, giving our pollinators a incident! I have seen horror pictures of African bees attacking home. horses by flying into their nasal cavities. Not a good combination to have in close proximity!!

So remember, if you take all the precautions and still happen to get stung: -Wear light colored clothing and long sleeved shirts and pants if working in the garden. One can even put rubber bands around *Scrape the stinger out (most venom is injected within a minute their pant legs for added protection. M says a fellow beekeeper or so). made the mistake of mowing around his hives with a black *Wash area with soap and water – monitor for signs/symptoms sweatshirt on, and he said the honey bees were all over him!! of infection.

They must have thought he was a big bear! Plus the vibrations *Ice if desired – helps dull the pain and swelling. from the mower may have alerted them. *Antihistamine such as Benadryl to decrease reaction. *ER visit if severe reaction is occurring – may need to initiate -Save the perfume or aftershave for later. Food or beverages can basic life support if anaphylaxis reaction. Hopefully victim will attract bees too, including hornets and wasps (which we now have their own EpiPen if known allergy exists – may need to asknow can sting repeatedly!) sist them).

-DO NOT SWAT AT BEES! Trust me, they hate this. If I am working a hive and move too quickly, they let me know. SLOW and CALM are the key words.

I often get questions about “bees in the ground.” I’m not saying its impossible, but usually ground dwellers are not Apis Mel-

Sources: Weblog: National Safety Information.

RECIPE ROUND-UP ZUCCHINI ROUNDS Ingredients:

by M. Evors Rounds are delicious plain or you may put whatever you like on them. This recipe was clipped, years ago, from a Troy-Bilt newsletter.

1/3 cup packaged biscuit mix (Bisquick™) 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 eggs, slightly beaten 2 cups shredded (with the peel) zucchini (2 medium) 2 tbsp. butter or margarine

Do you have a recipe that you’d like to share? Send it in! We’d like to make the recipe round-up a regular feature each month! Check out those recipe cards that you’ve got stashed away and share!

Directions: Stir together biscuit mix, cheese, and pepper. Stir in beaten eggs just until mixture is moist. Fold in zucchini.

The Jokester:

In a 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Using 2 tablespoons of mixture fo each round, cook 4 rounds at a time for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard!

7

June, 2015

UPDATES AND INFO

staff

Are you concerned about the chemicals found in cleaning and other products around your home? It’s now easier to find these items and more thanks to a new labeling program. http:// nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/fcs/2015/03/24/same-program-newlabel/

a wide range of plants in our area. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ in1080

Not sure what the difference is between sanitizing and disinfecting? Interested to find out more? http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/ fcs/2015/03/24/spring-clean-your-way-to-a-safer-home/

A major pest of cole crops is the diamondback moth. http:// nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/phag/2015/05/15/the-diamondbackmoth-a-major-pest-of-cole-crops/

It’s official. Some things that are old are new again. This 14 year old article heralded the ability of Catnip to repel mosquitoes. http://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2001/08/010828075659.htm

There’s a new website for selecting plants to enhance ecosystem services. http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/phag/2015/05/15/a-newwebsite-for-selecting-plants-to-enhance-ecosystem-services/

The video from one of our free seminars ‘Interplanting for Seasonal Color’ is now available for viewing on YouTube. https:// youtu.be/sUAWfU5W4RU

A biological control agent delivered in…….mummies????? http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1081

How can we encourage residents to adopt environmentally responsible irrigation practices? http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc204 Lemon bacopa, a native aquatic and wetland plant that is a welcome inclusion in water gardens. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag392

Accidents happen quickly, and so do accidents with pesticides.

Disposal of hazardous waste just got easier in Okaloosa County.

When you consider that one accidental sip of the herbicide The drop off is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7am to 3pm paraquat can be fatal and that there is no antidote, make sure you practice safe storage practices. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pi255 in Ft. Walton Beach. Items that can be disposed of: paint, pesticides, used oil, gas, anti-freeze, computers, car batteries, etc. For Olives have great potential as a landscape ornamental and may a complete list: http://www.co.okaloosa.fl.us/ then go to seralso provide opportunities for home fruit production. Research vices on the top bar and then recycling on the drop down menu. is still on-going. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep515 Locations include: 80 Ready Avenue (close to the Industrial park) Ft. Walton Beach (850) 651-7394 or Crestview: 1759 S. Western Flower Thrips is a pest of several crops throughout Ferdon (hours Monday through Friday 7am to 4pm) Florida. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1089 Kaffir Lilies, Bush Lily, St. John’s Lily and the rest of the Genus Learn the basic guidelines for installing and maintaining a Clivia are gorgeous flowers. For more information on growing weather station. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae502 these beauties http://nassau.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/ newsletter/newsletters08/julaug08ifas.pdf Nematode nemesis! Belonolaimus longicaudatus or sting nematode is among the most destructive plant-parasitic nematodes to

TWO QUESTIONS From the time I attended the first Master Gardener Class there were two questions foremost in my mind. Those two have been eased somewhat but have never been fully answered. You may have a similar problem and so I share the websites listed below to provide some help.

by E. Smith using this site you will do well to click on ID User Guides followed by clicking on New User which will provide detailed instructions.

The first of the two questions is, “Which plant is it?” I think we all have encountered this problem and quite often we rely on someone’s memory with an assumption they are correct. Sometimes they are. Even when they may be, the answer you receive is Happy hunting ! usually a common name which, as you know, can mean many things.

A well known and much despised weed is commonly called Chamberbitter. Others call in Gripe Weed or Leafflower or even Niruri. The scientific name is Phyllanthus urinaria. Common name usage is an easy way to get around trying to pronounce the scientific name and by habit may be the easier choice. This leads to the second question, ”How do you pronounce it?”

The Jokester Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.

The solution to question two may be found at http://capewest.ca/pron.html. This site is fairly straight forward and easy to navigate. Assistance for the first question (Which plant is it?) may be found at http://pick18.pick.uga.edu/. When An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

8

June, 2015

WATER CLOGGING INVASIVE

by D. Stever

Native to Brazil, water- hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a free- It is believed to have been introduced into the U.S. in 1884 at an floating, frost-tender aquatic perennial that is commonly used as exposition in New Orleans; within 70 years of reaching Florida, an ornamental plant in water gardens. It has broad, thick, glossy, the plant covered thousands of acres of waterways. ovate leaves, and may rise above the surface of the water as much as 3 feet in height. The leaves are 4-8 Today in Florida the water- hyacinth inches across, and float above the water surin most places is considered under face. They have long, spongy and bulbous "maintenance control". Vast amounts stalks. The feathery, freely hanging roots are of time and money are expended anpurple-black. An erect stalk supports a single nually for the maintenance of water spike of 8-15 conspicuously attractive flowers, ways in our state. Unfortunately water mostly lavender to pink in color with six pet-hyacinth continues to be sold over als. When not in bloom, water hyacinth may the internet and through aquarium be mistaken for frog's-bit (Limnobium supply dealers. spongia).

It is listed as a Category I invasive by The growth rate of water-hyacinth is among the FLEPPC. the highest of any known plant. In Florida populations can double their size in as little as More Information: two weeks. It can reproduce by runner stems http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/141 (daughter plants) or by seed. Water-hyacinth can be found in all http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Eichhornia_crassipes types of Florida’s freshwater habitats. Because of its aggressive growth rate, it is illegal to possess in Florida without a special permit.

In our nursery! Don’t forget that nursery work days are every Friday from 9am until 12:30pm. Head on over and lend a hand! Photos courtesy of the Fabians

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

9

June, 2015

Info graphics courtesy of www.gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu

Gloriosa lily courtesy of B. Buckellew (left) and S. Farrell (right) Ed. Note: We are starting to think this is quite a popular flower!

Serenity garden courtesy of S. Gerber

L. Kulaw presenting a program on canning to the Ft. Walton Beach Health Fair

GARDEN HOLIDAYS FOR JUNE Perennial Gardening Month Fruit and Veggies Month Rose Month Sorghum Month Sun Safety Week 1st—8th Watermelon Seed Spitting Week 25th—28th Corn on the Cob Day 11th Eat Your Vegetables Day 17th

Spring iris courtesy of S. Farrell

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

10

June, 2015

M. Stewart —Editor S. Farrell , K. Harper and S. Berry—co-editors

Have pictures or an idea for an article?

Send it in!

Articles and pictures are always welcome.

Mission To assist Extension Agents in providing research-based horticultural education to Florida residents.

Vision To be the most trusted resource for horticultural education in Florida.

LAST WORD The past few weeks have rewarded me with various encounters with things that crawl and/or freak out my neighbor. I rescued a gecko out of my neighbor’s recliner.

The neighbors will sleep in peace now without fear of attack from a crazed gecko.

Note to self: when the person helping you track down said gecko is scared senseless, do not ask for a bowl to trap the critter. The bowl will be launched from across the room and will sail inches past your head.

The other encounter was with one of our wonderful Puss Moth caterpillars. Thankfully, cute and fuzzy AND venomous little bugger only managed to skid along my arm. My arm looked like someone applied a hot poker to it but that is healing up.

Happy Hubby and I even survived a visit from two of our grandkids and didn’t end up with bubonic plague afterwards. I’m convinced that these two kids could put Typhoid Mary to shame! This time, knock on wood, either enough Vitamin C was ingested prior to the visit or the handsanitizer was applied liberally enough to ward off pneumonia. Good visit, albeit a tiring one.

The special diet kitty is semi sticking to her feeding schedule with only some episodes of melodic meowing…..incessantly….at varying pitches…..She knows she can outlast me…..The only problem with her now is that her brother has decided that (a) when she gets fed he needs a kitty-treat and (b) there is one of the foods that he thinks is just awesome. That means either standing guard while the one eats OR salvaging some dignity from the situation and just giving him his own dish. Guess which one I pick?

The garden is actually behaving itself and I managed to get squash this year for a change. Cucumbers are also producing and the beans are doing nicely. The tomatoes are giving me a hard time but there’s still hope.

I have some seeds started in the greenhouse. Ta-dah! They germinated! One is blue-curl that grew in the yard last year and I harvested the seeds. The other...well now that one is anyone’s guess. I think that the seeds were given to me and I think that at one point there was a label or piece of paper in the bag that clearly indicated what they were. But somewhere in the process the label and original baggy are long gone.

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

By M. Stewart Mystery plants. They have sprouted and you would think that you could tell from the plant right? Wrong! Of course these particular plants are simply growing straight up. No distinguishing characteristic other than they have no distinguishing characteristics at this point. Only time will tell. I just hope it isn’t a repeat of the Great Borage Incident of 1992. That’s when I discovered that when you grow borage the first year you will continue to grow it...every year...all over.

The other issue is squirrels.

They have been rather prolific this year. Read that as I have been invaded. Tree rats...bushy tailed terrorists is what they really are. They have the nerve to sit there looking so cute while managing to guzzle down $75 worth of bird seed. If that wasn’t enough, I will not be harvesting any peanuts this year thanks to their efforts.

My only consolation is that lard is still sold at cheap prices in the stores. What does that have to do with squirrels? Simple, I grease up the poles that hold the bird feeders and wait. I do love watching one of those beady eyed varmints trying desperately to climb a greased pole. It’s even funnier when they attempt the leap of death from the fence and/or tree and hit the greased pole. They are determined but so am I. There is plenty of lard in the pantry and I know how to use it!

There are other avenues that could be explored in the elimination of this pest but I think the neighbors would be upset over the deployment of claymores and other heavy ordinance methods.

Well, I am currently receiving loving rubs from a hungry kitty. So nice to be needed.

Then tomorrow is another day to face the squirrel horde. Lard in hand and a steadfast spirit I shall face the onslaught head one. Just have to remember NOT to grab the poles after I’m done. Lard covered poles that have been in that state through the hottest portion of the day result in really disgusting squishy-ness when grabbed.

Summer will be here shortly. Here’s to hoping that the rains continue to be sufficient, the hurricanes continue to be absent and no one hurts anything redoing an herbaceous border in their landscape!

Plentiful Plantings

June, 2015