...for discerning weeders November, 2012
WEED OF THE MONTH Henbit Lamium amplexicaule
Inside this issue:
Gobble, Gobble
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Autumn Color
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Events
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Walk on the Wild 5 Side Thankful
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Classes Starting
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Book Review
7
Mark Your
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Calendar Articles wanted
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Puzzle Page
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Last Word
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DON’T FORGET! Daylight Savings Time Ends on November 4th!
By Jenny Gillis
They’re not alone. Hummingbirds like it too, but for nectar. The nectar and pollen of the early spring blooming flowers attract long-tongued A member of the bees, including honeybees and bumblebees - it mint family, Hen- helps start their spring buildup. The foliage is bit is a noneaten by voles and box turtles - rabbits rarely native, lowbother it. growing, weedy Growing either sprawling or upright, Henbit winter annual has multiple square stems emerging from a with pink to pur- shallow taproot that becomes finely branched ple flowers in winter and early spring. Henbit is roots. Stems grow six to eighteen inches tall and native to Europe, western Asia and northern are often purplish near the bottom and greenish Africa but has established itself all over North near the top. It spreads indefinitely in all direcAmerica. This weedy wildflower grows in farm tions. Its heart-shaped leaves are opposite and fields, pastures, roadsides, along stream beds, hairy, with big scalloped edges that grow along in drainage ditches, at the edge of lawns, garthe entire length of the stem. Its upper leaves, dens, nursery plots, areas along buildings, and where the flowers are located, clasp and encircle in other moist areas where it gets a little extra the entire stem, while the lower leaves have water in full or partial sun. It is often found stalks. The trumpet-shaped flowers are small growing in bare spots and thin or closelyless than an inch long, pale pink to purple to mowed lawns. red, and spotted on lower lip, with no aroma. Spring blooming Henbit is responsible for The flower petals have tiny purple hairs on the painting many lawns and roadsides pinkish upper part of the flowers - with the upper lip purple. But flowers may also bloom in the fall upright and cupped. The lower lip is 3 lobed and sometimes in the winter in North Florida. with the middle lobe notched deeply at tip. UsuBloom time lasts 1-2 months. Seedlings actually ally 6 - 10 flowers grow in whorled clusters sprout in the fall from seed dropped from the around the stem. Henbit grows in almost all previous spring’s crop. But Henbit can also resoils. produce by stems rooting at the nodes. Plants become dormant during the hot weather of summer. Continued on Page 5 Henbit’s flowers aren’t very pretty up close, but it is lovely growing in large patches. Travelers often see entire fields that are the reddishpurple of Henbit’s flowers before spring plowing. The flowers create carpets of lavender but Henbit is also known to spread aggressively and is considered an undesirable weed in lawns. It propagates freely by seed and is usually regarded as a weed. The common name, Henbit, is like chickweed: its name came from watching chickens liking it. 1
GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GOBBLE... ʻTis the season, and all these fine feathered friends are not found in the grocery store. We're talking about Wild Turkeys. There are five subspecies native to the US, with two the Eastern (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) and the Florida (Meleagris gallopavo Osceola) found in our state. The Eastern is the most common and ranges the entire eastern half of the United States. The Florida or Osceola, as it is sometimes called, is only found on the Florida peninsula. The wild turkey is one endangered native species that has seen a tremendous increase in populations. When North America was first discovered, there were large numbers of turkeys across the South. As settlement expanded, land was cleared and their habitat was altered. The practice of harvesting birds for sale, expanded and numbers of turkeys declined to near extinction. Today, turkey populations are higher than in previous history because of restocking and land management efforts of state wildlife agencies such as our FWC, private land owners and the strong support of members of the National Wild Turkey Federation. With the passing of the Pittman-Robertson Act in 1937, an excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition, wildlife restoration programs now have money to use to restore wild turkeys and wild turkey habitat. The Eastern and Florida subspecies look very similar. The Florida wild turkey has darker wing feathers and the white bars on the primary wing feathers are narrower than the black bars and are irregular or broken. Between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers cover the body of an adult turkey in patterns called feather tracts. A turkey's feathers provide a variety of survival functions – they keep him warm and dry, allow him to fly, feel and show off for the opposite sex. The head and upper part of the neck are featherless, but if you look close, you can see little bumps of skin on the bare area. Most of the feathers exhibit a metallic glittering, called iridescence, with varying colors of red, green, copper, bronze and gold. The gobbler, or male turkey, is more colorful, while the hen is a drab brownish or lighter color to camouflage her with her surroundings. Two major characteristics distinguish males from females: spurs and beards. Both sexes have long, powerful legs covered with scales and are born with a small button spur on the back of the leg. Soon after birth, a male's spur starts growing pointed and curved and can grow to about two inches. Most hen's spurs do not grow. Gobblers also have beards, which are tufts of filaments, or modified feathers, growing out from the chest. Beards can grow to an average of 9 inches (though they can grow much longer). It must also be noted that 10 to 20 per-
By Linda Meyers cent of hens have beards. Wild turkeys have excellent vision during the day but don't see as well at night. They are also very mobile. Turkeys can run at speeds up to 25 mph, and they can fly up to 55 mph. When mating season arrives, anywhere from February to May, courtship usually begins while turkeys are still flocked together in wintering areas. After mating, the hens begin searching for a nest site and laying eggs. In most areas, nests can be found in a shallow dirt depression, surrounded by moderately woody vegetation that conceals the nest. Nesting time is difficult for turkeys. It takes 12 to 13 days to lay a nest full of eggs, 10 for the average clutch (group). Hens are on the nest 25 to 28 days while they incubate the eggs. At this time they are vulnerable to predators such as raccoons, skunks, foxes opossums and dogs and only 45 to 50 percent of the nests hatch. The young turkeys that do hatch, poults, roost on the ground for about 2 weeks and are still very vulnerable. Only about 30 percent of the poults survive. A newly-hatched flock must be ready to leave the nest within 12 to 24 hours to feed. Poults eat insects, berries and seeds, while adults will eat anything from acorns and berries to insects and small reptiles. Turkeys usually feed in early morning and in the afternoon. A varied habitat of both open and covered area is essential for wild turkey survival. Wild turkeys like open areas for feeding, mating and habitat. They use forested areas as cover from predators and for roosting in trees at night. It is very difficult to control predators but it is possible to provide good habitat for the young birds which includes grasses and open cover of 1 to 3 foot vegetation so they can get seeds, tender shoots and insects. Turkeys need water daily and must have easy access to a pond or wetland. As our population increases, it is possible to develop large tracts of land and maintain patches of mature woodlands and adjacent grass and shrubs that provide habitat for wild turkey populations. Unfortunately, as land is continually subdivided into smaller tracts, managing for wild turkeys and other animals is more difficult. Greenways, natural area corridors adjacent to development, can create a web of connections critical to providing adequate wildlife habitat in subdivided landscapes. Sources: National Wild Turkey Federation and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; “Wild Turkeys” Eleanor Foerste, Natural Resources Agent, Osceola County Ext/UF
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THE BEAUTIFUL COLORS OF AUTUMN...WHY NOT HERE? Why do leaves change colors in the fall? Simply put, autumn leaf color is a byproduct of photosynthesis which is the process plants use to turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugar. The chemical chlorophyll helps make photosynthesis happen and chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color. As summer ends and the days get shorter, photosynthesis comes to an end and the trees rest and then live off the food they stored during the summer. Carotenoids, which produce the yellow, orange, and brown colors in such things as corn, carrots, and daffodils, as well as rutabagas, buttercups, and bananas, are present in the leaves all along but they are masked by the green chlorophyll. As the green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves, we begin to see the yellow and orange colors. But there is another substance called anthocyanin that is responsible for the more vivid bright reds and purples in autumn leaf colors. Anthocyanins give color to such things as cranberries, red apples, concord grapes, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and plums. They are water soluble and appear in the watery liquid of leaf cells. Both chlorophyll and carotenoids are present in the chloroplasts of leaf cells throughout the growing season, whereas most anthocyanins are produced in the autumn, in response to bright light and the excess plant sugars within leaf cells. The bright reds and purples we see in autumn leaves result from glucose that remains trapped in the leaves of certain trees after photosynthesis stops. Weather conditions (mainly temperature and moisture) that occur before and during the time the chlorophyll is dwindling in the leaves affect the amount and brilliance of the colors that develop in any particular autumn season. Because carotenoids are always present in leaves, the yellow and gold colors remain fairly constant from year to year. But a series of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp nights seems to bring about the most spectacular color displays because these conditions increase the production of the anthocyanin pigments, and they in turn cause the reds, purples, and crimson. Lots of sugars are produced in the leaf during the day but the cool nights and the gradual closing of veins going into the leaf traps the sugars in the veins. The amount of moisture in the soil also affects autumn colors. A late spring, or a severe summer drought, can delay the onset of fall color by a few weeks. A warm period during fall will also lower the intensity of autumn colors. A warm wet spring, favorable summer weather, and warm sunny fall days with cool nights should produce the most brilliant autumn colors.
By Karen Harper
forgotten botany lessons, and a handy guide if we're lucky enough to be touring New England in the fall. But we all know that the spectacular foliage displays in northern areas are not expected or even possible in our climate where the occasional warm, sunny day followed by a crisp, cool autumn night is a welcome event but a lengthy run of such weather is pretty unlikely. However, that doesn't mean we have to give up altogether on seeing fall color in our area. And with some planning and somewhat different expectations, we should be able to create some lovely fall displays. A good article on the subject of fall color is found at the IFAS site and contains detailed cultural information for the various trees and plants suggested: http:// tinyurl.com/96ogbul . (I do have to note here that as regards sweetgum trees and the possibility of getting nice fall color from them, we have two very large, mature sweetgum trees in our yard and while they do make very nice shade trees in the summer, in our 20 years here I have yet to see the leaves of either one of them do anything in autumn other than shrivel, turn brown and, over a period of several weeks, drop to the ground in very large quantities that have to be raked up, along with all those hateful spiky seed balls. Well, there was the year that hurricane Opal stripped the trees bare in early October so I'll never know if that year would have been any different but the evidence suggests otherwise. Others may have had different experience with sweetgum trees and autumn leaf color but ours has been pretty underwhelming). Here are a few more ideas for landscape plants that produce nice fall color: http://tinyurl.com/8safkx4 Ornamental grasses, salvias and beautyberry are reliably beautiful in my own fall garden. Also, as suggested in the following article, you can use a few purchased chrysanthemums to place among pumpkins and gourds to create a nice fall display. And you have nothing to lose by planting your pots of mums in the garden after their fall flower display is over! With luck you'll get some bloom the following spring and possibly even in the fall: http://tinyurl.com/3u95ven No, we are never going to rival our northern neighbors with our fall color displays here but there is much that can be done to create color and interest in your garden well into the winter months. And speaking of winter months, when we're outside enjoying some mild winter afternoons, that's when we get our revenge on those poor folks up north! What do you use for fall color? Send in your suggestions!
OK, that's all well and good. It's a nice recap of some perhaps3
JOIN US FOR THE GRAND OPENING OF THE NEW OKALOOSA COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE NOVEMBER 5, 2012 10AM 3098 AIRPORT ROAD CRESTVIEW, FL
Bonsai and Pre-bonsai Sale November 3, 2012. Beginning at 9:00 a.m. Do you have an event you would like to list? Be sure to send in your dates BEFORE the 24th of November.
CHRISTMAS PARTY! DECEMBER 8TH @ 11AM SHALIMAR BAPTIST CHURCH
There will be a sale of select bonsai and pre-bonsai plants on Saturday, November 3rd, beginning at 9:00am. These bonsai are from the collection of Jean C. Smith. The location of the sale is 1202 Beachview Dr. FWB. I will be sending some pictures later in the week to give you an idea of what will be for sale. Planned items are several Satsuki azaleas (pre-bonsai & bonsai), tropical trees, 2 elm bonsai, 1 winged elm forest, 1 trident maple, 1 red pine, 1 boxwood, 1 Kingsville boxwood, 1 mature cypress, several small Fukien tea plants. The prebonsai have been trained for a number of years. Contact Lynn for more information.
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HENBIT continued Purple henbit looks similar and can be confused with Purple or Red Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum). However, purple deadnettle has upper leaves that are triangular rather than rounded, occur on stalks or petioles, and are distinctly red-tinted or purple -tinted, unlike the upper leaves of henbit that are rounded and scalloped. The flowers are nearly identical. Henbit has been an esteemed vegetable for a long time. Its edibility and readiness to grow in many climates often means it is permitted to grow when other 'weeds' are not. It is one of those great little edibles of spring salads. The mild, sweet taste stands in contrast to the crisp leaves usually put in salads. There are many sites on the web that have recipes for henbit, if you’d like to try it. John Gerard, the English herbalist for whom the Geradia is named, wrote of Henbit some 400 years ago: “The floures are baked with sugar as Roses are, which is called Sugar rosette: as also the distilled water of them, which is used to make the heart merry, to make a good colour in the face, and to refresh the vital spirits.” “The square stems identify henbit as a member of the mint family. All mints that smell like a mint and look like a mint are edible, but they must do both. There are a lot of mints that do not smell minty, some of them are edible and some of them are not. In fact, some of the mints can make you ill. Henbit does not smell minty, but it is an edible mint. By the way, there are no poisonous look-a-likes. As for toxicity, humans are safe but it has caused “staggers” in sheep, horses, and cattle. Young leaves, raw or cooked, are added to salads or as a potherb. Stems and flowers are edible, too.” http://tinyurl.com/9228yl2 Henbit is a winter annual. The seeds of winter annuals germinate in fall, the plants grow through winter, and then blossom and go to seed in late winter and spring.
“The best time to control weeds is while they’re young and tender and before they have had the opportunity to reproduce. This includes cool season or winter annual weeds that are about to germinate.” Timing of the herbicide application is of utmost importance in controlling winter weeds which are about to sprout in home lawns all over North Florida. If you intend to use a preemergence herbicide, apply it during October when night time temperatures drop to 55° to 60°F for several consecutive days. This will be just before the weeds emerge. Proper timing is very important. Adequate soil moisture before and after herbicide application is necessary to activate most preemergence herbicides.” http://tinyurl.com/956zb3p Two-spotted spider mites overwinter as adults in the soil or on weed hosts such as violets, henbit, and hollyhocks. If spider mite infestations are detected early enough, a daily misting or spraying with a garden hose can be an effective control. http:// tinyurl.com/9maeht8 http://www.mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/Foliage/entomol/ncstate/ mite4.htm http://tinyurl.com/8jpbd7q http://tinyurl.com/8gsjyar http://tinyurl.com/9nf62qs
WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
By Linda Meyers courtesy of Florida Wildlife Ext.
Fall has arrived, a favorite time of year in the Panhandle. Here are some wildlife activities we can watch out for: BIRDS: Set up winter seed and suet feeders. Cedar waxwings come south for the winter. Their flocks can be seen on cedars, hollies, cherry laurels, privet, and other fruit plants. Look for downy, hairy, red-bellied, and redheaded woodpeckers on suet feeders. Bald eagles begin their nesting season. Look for spectacular aerial courtship displays. Sandhill cranes return in full force from their breeding grounds up north. (Only a small number live here year round.) Many yellow-rumped warblers and palm warblers will be in neighborhoods, natural areas, and yards, and gray catbirds have already arrived, and will be skulking (and cat5
calling!) in thickets. Kinglets, phoebes, robins, and other northern songbirds have arrived for the winter. MAMMALS: Peak of deer rutting in central and north Florida. Bears are on the move and crossing roads. Look for migrating Hoary and Red Bats. Hoary is a large bat with frosted fur. AMPHIBIANS: Ornate chorus frogs begin calling. FISH: Spotted sea trout should enter tidal creeks around Thanksgiving. Bass congregate around jetties in the south end of Lake George. TREES: Cypress begin turning a beautiful rust color.
WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR? We asked our members to let us know three things that they are Mike C.— “I am thankful for family, friends and faith.” thankful for. A few folks responded: Jenny G.— “Changing season, diversity in people, places, things and weeds, babies.” Shari F.— “My husband, my health, and my friends.” John H.— “I’m thankful for all the blessings God has given me. Linda M.— “My loving family, my wonderful caring friends I am thankful for my fabulous wife, Claire, my loving parents and the unconditional love of the furry critters in my life.” and my three wonderful children. I am thankful for all the Carol B.— “My faith, my family, my friends.” wonderful people I have met and interacted with.” Ed S.— “I am thankful for family, health, and citizenship (being born in the USA).
Ruth H.— “My great husband, my wonderful child and great friends in Florida.”
Andy D.— “My faith, my family, and my friends.”
Diane R.— “There are so many things I’m thankful for but if I can only pick three here they are 1. my life, 2. my family, 3. and my friends.”
Faye T.— “I’m thankful that I am an American with all the freedoms that citizenship grants me. I’m thankful for family and friends. I’m thankful that I’m slow to anger and quick to forgive.” Sylvia C.— “I am thankful for my health, the love and support of those I care about and that there is always the future so there is no reason to become stagnant in life.”
Lockey B.— “Good health, good family & friends, good wine (good grief!!)” Marg S.— “I’m thankful for my husband and family. I’m thankful to be an American. I’m thankful every time I wake up in the morning.”
DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A MASTER GARDENER? Reprinted from Larry William’s Article, October 28th
The Okaloosa County Extension Office is taking applications for the 2013 Master Gardener training course. The Master Gardener Program in Florida is a joint endeavor of University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension and gardening volunteers in participating counties. The program is specifically designed to recruit and train volunteers to help meet the demands placed on extension personnel by home gardeners. The primary requirements for participation in the Master Gardener Program are a sincere interest in horticulture, a willingness to work with and help other people, time and flexibility to complete the requirements of the program. Master Gardener training classes will be from 9am to 1pm Mondays, January 28th through May 6th, 2013. Most of these classes will be at the Okaloosa County Extension Office, 3098 Airport Road (new location, effective after November 5th) in Crestview. Instruction will include classroom training conducted by county Extension agents and UF/IFAS Extension specialists. Training will include sessions on plant physiology, insects, plant disease, care of landscape plants, vegetable gardening,
fruit gardening, lawn management, landscape design and irrigation. After successfully completing the program, participants will then be ready to begin 75 hours of service agreed to in return for training. Volunteer activities allow Master Gardeners to continue to learn while assisting the public. Master Gardeners help maintain a teaching landscape at the Extension office in Crestview. They help with other projects such as speaking to groups or giving technical advice to schools with garden projects. They create, install and staff educational exhibits at local events. Master Gardeners may return some of their volunteer time by working in plant clinics, assisting the 4-H youth program, etc. There is a charge of $120 for the course, which pays for course materials. Space is limited. Only 10 to 20 participants will be trained for the 2013 program. To receive an application for the 2013 Master Gardener training, call the Okaloosa County Extension Office at 689-5850, between 8am and 5pm Monday through Friday. Applications must be returned by November 30th to be considered. 6
Book Review
by Marg Stewart Are gardeners crazed workaholics? Are weeds really plants whose virtues simply haven’t been found yet? Is the new rage for “wild gardens” merely good old indolence hiding behind the shrubbery of political correctness? These are just a few of the topics Des Kennedy tackles in Crazy About Gardening.
nedy lovingly probes the foibles and follies of North America’s favorite pastime. His writing sparkles with satirical wit and, like all good satire, has a higher purpose. An accomplished green thumb and award-winning writer, Kennedy describes his experiences in terms that shape a gateway into the hilarious, lovely, and ultimately profound world of gardens and gardening. You can follow along in Kennedy’s zealous quest for water in his rocky island garden, share the warm pleasures of a lively compost heap, and many others.
Kennedy explores topics such as water ethics, labor, time, pests, and a dozen other issues. And while he ruminates on the magic and alchemy of gardening, Kennedy never trades fine realities for romance: “Romantic longings for the lost innocence of childhood or the myths of Avalon won’t get In a series of thought- any potatoes planted.” provoking and mischievous essays, Ken- From the back cover and inner flap of the book.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS/IDEAS We are actively seeking our members’ ideas, suggestions and articles for The Compost Pile. Is there something that you’d like to see covered on a regular basis? Do you have an idea for a series? An idea for an article? Please contact our Editor or co-editors and let us know! Pictures that you may have taken of your own garden; ideas for books that you have read and liked...it’s all welcome! This is your Newsletter and we want to make these the best issues possible and ones that you will look forward to receiving.
Lord, 'tis Thy plenty-dropping hand That soils my land, And giv'st me for my bushel sowne Twice ten for one. All this, and better, Thou dost send Me, to this end, That I should render, for my part, A thankful heart. ~Robert Herrick
MARK YOUR CALENDAR November 5th Grand Opening Extension Office Airport Rd., Crestview 10am November 7th General Membership Meeting Extension Office Airport Road, Crestview 9am November 15th Field Trip to Solon-Dixon See Events page for more info December 5th General Membership Meeting Shalimar Baptist Church 9am December 8th Christmas Party Shalimar Baptist Church 11am
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Puzzle Page Unscramble the Thanksgiving words. Once you have done that, use the numbered letters to discover the hidden phrase.
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Marg Stewart—Editor Shari Farrell, Karen Harper and Linda Meyers—Co-Editors
Have pictures or an idea for an article? Send it in! Articles and pictures are always welcome.
Your member site: www.ocmgamembers.org
LAST WORD I have this piece of iron work that my son did in metal shop. At one time it was the top of a wind chime. Now, it resides in my yard as garden art. During the season, the Gulf Coast Fritillaries were VERY busy in my yard. The passion vine is denuded of all leaves and my house appears to have suffered a breakout due to all the caterpillars taking up residence along the eaves to complete their metamorphosis. I happened to notice that for whatever reason, known only to God and Fritillaries, three of them decided my piece of garden art was THE location they liked best. I appreciated their obvious attention to symmetry as the ‘art’ soon sported a chrysalis in the center of each turn. I was able to appreciate their entrance into the world in comfort, since the ‘art’ is located next to my chair outside. How considerate of the little critters! Larry, Moe, and Shepp (yes, I named them) hatched...but what of Curly? He wasn’t budging! It did make me wonder about the whole thing though. When there were so many other areas to perch, why did they choose my little piece of art? Why crawl across a hot patio just to get to this piece of metal? It’s not a natural feature in the landscape. It’s near human activity. One would think that it
The Foundation for the Gator Nation.....An equal opportunity institution.
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Marg Stewart
would not be the place a caterpillar would choose. I started looking at the other casings left around the yard and noticed how far from the host plant they were. Here was one on the gate latch, another off the window. Each location an amazing distance (in caterpillar miles that is) and it came to me. Perhaps, just perhaps it wasn’t convenience or ‘normal’ that drove each individual to choose that particular location. Instead, maybe the distance traveled didn’t matter at all—what mattered was continuing until it felt RIGHT, continuing until they knew the job was done. Shouldn’t we be like them? Not worrying about where we should be but rather where we ought to be. In our busy lives, how often do we change our direction because it isn’t where others are going? Just because the distance is great, should we just stop? Or, should we keep going until we get to where we want to be? As for me, I’m going to take a cue from the caterpillars and find those places that are right, even if they aren’t on the beaten path. Curly finally made his appearance on a rainy morning. I moved the ‘art’ closer to the wall to keep him out of the rain. I’d like to think he appreciated the gesture.