Farmer’s Market Time Again

Farmers and greens.

Spring is in full swing and the seasonal farmer’s markets are starting to open up to sell the fruits, vegetables and products of our local farmers. The variety and quality are outstanding. Everything from in-season asparagus, spinach and greens to soap, mushrooms, cheeses and preserves. Wool natural and dyed are animal products often sold too.  Farmer’s markets give the producer access to consumers that normally would not be have access to their farm. Farmers do sell to grocery stores, but that involves a middle man and the prices becomes higher or the farmer makes less money. Farmer’s markets give direct contact to the grower where people get to meet the person growing their food. Larger markets are a one stop shopping experience with numerous growers at one site. For a 2012 list of Connecticut Farmer’s Markets organized by the CT Dept. of Agriculture, click on http://www.ct.gov/doag/lib/doag/marketing_files/certified_fm_by_county_05-04-2012.pdf

Recently I traveled to Baltimore, Maryland to visit my daughter and she was very excited to take me to her farmer’s market “under the highway and next to the prison” at 7 am on Sunday morning. The highway over head provides protection from rain and sun. This historic market and bazaar is 35 years old with many vendors including meats, fish, cheeses, plants and even arts and crafts. 8,000 people visit on a typical Sunday between 7 and 12. We brought the camera to share the many offerings  on a sunny morning in mid-May.

-Carol Quish

Hand spun and dyed wool.

Bison meat frozen and as jerky.

Live Maryland Crabs.

Beautifully artistic goat cheeses and cheese pies.

Many varieties of mushrooms.

Rhubarb and Ramps!

Many varieties of potatoes.

Basil plants in six packs.

 

Black Aphids in the Garden

Black aphids, like black squirrels, are striking in contrast to their leafy green backgrounds.  But like squirrels, aphids are sometimes a nuisance, feeding on something we don’t want them to eat or damage.   The black bean aphid, seen here on Euonymus, is fun to see but it can cause injury to the plant when its population is high.

Various instars of the black bean aphid on one of its winter hosts, Euonymus.

It does have a pretty interesting life cycle.  Like many aphids, the black bean aphid has both a winter host and a summer host.  It overwinters on Euonymus or Viburnum in the egg stage.  As temperatures start to warm in the spring, the eggs hatch and there are 2-3 generations of wingless, asexual females (produce young without mating) before winged asexual females appear.  These winged females migrate to the summer hosts.  Summer hosts of the black bean aphid include beans, corn, sugarbeets, lambsquarters, and pigweed.  Multiple generations occur on these hosts and populations can build up very rapidly, consisting of wingless, asexual females.  In the fall, winged asexual females and winged sexual males return to the winter host and have one generation of sexual females.  Mating occurs and eggs are laid for overwintering.

This winged asexual female will soon migrate from the Euonymus to a summer host where she will begin feeding and laying eggs.

The most effective management strategies for controlling aphids include preventing the population from increasing to damaging levels by monitoring, encouraging natural enemies, and the use of non-toxic or least toxic sprays.  Monitor host plants beginning early in the season.  Check the undersides of the leaves and hidden places on the plants. A sticky substance on the plant may indicate the presence of aphids.  This is honeydew, excreted by aphids and other insects with piercing and sucking mouth parts.  Sooty mold fungi may grow on this and cover surfaces with a black coating.  Ants also like honeydew and may be found as well.

If aphids are present, they can be dislodged using a strong spray of water (not strong enough to injure the plant!).  Encourage natural enemies by avoiding the use of chemical insecticides and by providing flowers to attract the adults of parasitoids.

Least toxic sprays include insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils and neem products.  Test these on a small area of the plant to make sure plant injury does not occur.  Plant injury is most likely when temperatures exceed 85°F.

J Allen

 

The Red Menace

Originally a crop plant in Asia, Perilla frustescens var. japonica bears a resemblance to its close relatives, basil and coleus. Native to East Asia, it was brought to the U.S. by immigrants in the late 19^th century. It may come as a surprise to some Western gardeners that perilla is a common culinary herb throughout Asia. In Japan, where it’s known as shiso, leaves, flowers and seeds are all used. The red form (akajiso) is used to dye pickled plum (umeboshi). Flowers (hojiso) are used for pickling and garnish.

Perilla beginning to bloom. Photo: U. of Penn.

Perilla’s distinctive flavor comes from perillaldehyde and other essential oils. The leaves are high in vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, potassium and riboflavin. They exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. The oil derived from the seed is an source of omega-3 fatty acid and is available as a dietary supplement. The oil also has drying qualities similar to tung and linseed oils, and can be found as an ingredient in finishes.

Toxic to livestock, perilla is ordinarily avoided by cattle (which is one reason for its survival) but can be the cause of cattle poisoning when dried and combined with hay. The plant ketones cause pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) in many animals.

Perilla volunteer seedlings Photo: J. McInnis

As a garden plant, perilla reminds me of those monster movies when, at the end of the film, the military troops move out of the city, sweaty and exhausted but relieved, having finally blown the beast to smithereens. The camera slowly pans to an abandoned warehouse, revealing the dimly-lit interior, and within a vast sea of oversize eggs, throbbing with sinister life.

Just like our fictional movie creature, perilla is extremely good at reproducing itself.  Let it go to seed once and you’ve got a lifetime supply. Exhibiting the vigor that the mint family (Lamiaceae) is famous for, it can soon fill a space. In fact, it has naturalized in many locations from the Gulf of Mexico north to the Dakotas and New England. It does not yet appear on Connecticut’s invasive species list however.

Perilla is a plant that people love to hate. Grow one, let it go to seed, and you’ve got it forever. Some gardeners find perilla to be a nuisance because of this tendency to self seed so prolifically. Yet, in spite of its fecundity, it doesn’t usually overwhelm neighboring perennials and shrubs. It does a nice job of weaving through plantings unifying them with its deep purple color. The large, dark leaves are effective at shading out weeds.  And, where it’s not wanted, it’s easy to pull.

“Magilla Perilla” Photo: U. of Illinois

For those who like to keep a tighter rein on their plants, a sterile cultivar , ‘Magilla Perilla’ is a tough annual common  in the nursery trade. It has better endurance and sun-tolerance than coleus, which it closely resembles. It reaches about 3’ tall and wide by the time it’s killed by frost.

J. McInnis

 

Perpetual Annuals – Sow Once, Enjoy for Years!

The past couple of weekends I have managed to find a few hours to begin weeding (and planting) the vegetable garden. Usually I do a final weeding in late October and cover as many of the raised beds as possible with the leaves and grass clippings from the last couple of mowings. Last October’s surprise Halloween snowstorm left the yard in such a disarray (not to mention us without power for almost a week) that the beds really did not get cleaned up. That, coupled with the mild winter and warm temperatures of a few weeks ago, has left me with lots of weeding to do.

The gardener in me does not mind weeding nearly as much as my knees do. It gives me a chance for a closer look at the soil, to inspect overwintering plants (strawberries, asparagus, thyme, etc.) for any problems, and to find and relocate self-seeding annuals. Even when I get around to putting a winter blanket of grass clippings and leaves on the raised beds, I put a lighter coat in areas around self-seeders.

Most of these perpetual annuals are flowering plants but I have three herbs that come back to enthrall me with their distinctive fragrances – dill, bronze fennel and chamomile. I planted them years ago and am still enjoying their company. Dill leaves and seed heads get dried each year for use in breads and soups. Bronze fennel is wonderful to chew on but mostly I leave it for swallowtail butterfly larvae food and as a smoky background for my ‘Franklin’ rose. Chamomile flowers make a wonderful, soothing tea. They can be plucked, dried and steeped in hot water for a wonderfully calming tea.

Bronze fennel with ‘Franklin’ rose

Some self-seeders I have to hunt for. These include sunflowers, balsam, snow-on-the-mountain (Euphorbia), white lace flower (Orlaya) and golden chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria). There usually are enough plants to repopulate the area but numbers vary by year. Typically, I hedge my bet by sowing more snow-on-the mountain, although germination is better in my garden than under my plant lights! I love this plant for arrangements!

Snow-on-the-mountain is a fantastic cut flower.

Others I will never be rid of! This longer list includes nicotiana, nigella, calendula, tall verbena, ageratum, bupleurum, anise hyssop, perilla, corydalis, johnny-jump-up, feather celosia, bluehead gilea, and browalia. There are probably a few others but they do not come to mind at the moment.

So the question when weeding is how many plants should I reposition? For single colored plants like tall verbena or bupleurum, corydalis or nicotiana, this is matter of fact – 6 to 12 depending on how much seed they produce and their aesthetic or cut flower value. The nigellas, calendulas, balsams, celosias and violas bloom in several different colors so keeping more of them for a varied palette makes sense.

Since most of my plants were at one time started from seed, it is pretty easy for me to tell the difference between the plants I want to keep and the weeds. Beginning gardeners might need a bit of practice. One clue is that self-seeders tend to germinate in the same area they were planted in the previous year.

Another consideration when searching for seedlings is what temperature the soil needs to be at for the seeds to germinate. Cool temperature plants like nigella, bupleurum and calendula are already an inch or more tall. Balsam and feather celosia like warmer soil temperatures so I have not found them yet.

I got this self seeding, tall pink balsam from a friend.

While I grow a considerable number of other flowers throughout the gardens, I do appreciate these self-seeding garden staples. I can count on them to blend well with my vegetables and herbs, supply plenty of cut flowers, and also to attract a number of beneficial insects, pollinators and butterflies. And best of all – they’re free!

Good Gardening to You!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Dawn

 

Revenge of the Weed Wacker

My LEAST favorite yard and garden tool is the weed wacker. They cause much damage in the landscape when not properly used.I have seen many wonderful trees and shrubs killed a slow death by repeated weed wacker injury to the bark at base level. Often times, the operator of the weed wacker is only focused on cutting the grass to be even with the lawn and not about the bark of the tree. Granted it is sometimes difficult to see the exact stretch of the string circling around and where it is hitting, but the damage inflicted is easily visible and long-lasting.

Weed wacker injury.
Photo by Theodor D. Leininger, USDA Forest Service

Just under the outer bark of trees and shrubs is the vascular system. This is like veins carrying the nutrients and water from the roots up to all portions of the tree. Making a cut in the bark disconnects the transport, effectively creating a roadblock at the cut area. If a cut is made completely around the circumference of the trunk, the tree will die by the next year. No water will be carried up to the branches and leaves. Making small cuts that can and do happen with weed wackers leads to a slowly dyeing tree. The ‘veins’ do not reconnect.

Prevention of weed wacker damage begins with physical barriers to keep the wacker away from the bark. Mulch is good solution. Remove all the grass and plants growing around the tree and replace with a two to three-inch layer of mulch. You decide how wide to make the circle of mulch, however at least twelve inches will be sure to provide protection. When applying mulch, it should not touch the bark. Mulch burying the bark will leave keep the bark moist and rot the bark, causing much the same results as weed wacker injury.

-Carol Quish

Properly mulched tree base.
clemson.edu

 

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK, 2012 Thank You UConn Master Gardeners

On April 9, 2012 the Office of the Press Secretary at the White House published a press release:

A PROCLAMATION BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

APRIL 15 THROUGH APRIL 21

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK, 2012

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/09/presidential-proclamation-national-volunteer-week-2012

In this proclamation President Obama said:

“Service is a lifelong pursuit that strengthens the civic and economic fabric of our Nation. With every hour and every act, our lives are made richer, our communities are drawn closer, and our country is forged stronger by the dedication and generous spirit of volunteers. I encourage every American to stand up and play their part — to put their shoulder up against the wheel and help change history’s course. “

To honor this week, I would like to take this opportunity to offer my sincere thanks and those of Dean Weidemann and all the members of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the University of Connecticut to the fantastic group of dedicated volunteers, the UConn Master Gardeners.

Thank you Master Gardeners and Master Gardener Coordinators for your support and all that you do.  You are amazing, tireless in your efforts you are an inspiration.

Last year UConn Master Gardeners donated over 22,000 hours working on 445 outreach projects in diverse community settings in Connecticut, they wrote newspaper articles, gave radio and television interviews and presented educational programs to their communities.

Leslie Alexander

 

 

CONCERNED ABOUT THESE ISSUES?
WATCH THIS VIDEO~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFoGib8AfZo

 

 

 

Boxwood Leafminer

Boxwood was brought to the United States from Europe during the 1800s and at some point the boxwood leafminer was introduced along with some of this planting stock.  It was first confirmed in the U.S. in 1910 and now occurs throughout the country wherever boxwood is grown. 

Boxwood leafminer is one of the most damaging boxwood insect pests.  In spring, the larvae that overwintered within the mined leaves become bright orange pupae and emerge as adult flies when the Weigela begins to bloom.  The flies are tiny, delicate and yellowish-orange.  They look like gnats.  Females begin egg laying shortly after emergence and die soon after completing this task.  White to clear eggs are laid deep in the leaf tissue.  When the yellowish-white larvae hatch they begin feeding on the tissue within the leaves and grow slowly during the summer.   They then overwinter within the mines completing the life cycle.  There can be many larvae within a single mine or leaf.

Boxwood leafminer pupae (April 2012)

Defoliation caused by boxwood leafminer.

Egg-laying punctures can be seen on the leaves as tiny yellow to brown spots.  As feeding progresses leaves develop discoloration and blistering.   Some defoliation may occur.  Severely affected boxwood become unattractive as they defoliate and lose their nice dense appearance. 

Some boxwood are more susceptible to this pest than others.  Common boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) and littleleaf boxwood (B. microphylla) are generally susceptible but there are some resistant cultivars including ‘Handworthiensis’, ‘Pyramidalis’, ‘Suffruticosa’ and ‘Varder Valley’ (B. sempervirens).    B. microphylla var. japonica shows some resistance.  If you have had trouble with boxwood leafminer and are considering adding new boxwood to your landscape, look for resistant varieties. 

The boxwood leafminer has few natural enemies and no biological control products are currently available.  Overwintering larvae and pupae can be removed by pruning before adult emergence or soon after egg-laying to reduce the population.  Insecticides are available to control this pest when needed and should be applied while Weigela is in bloom.  Weigela is pictured so you’ll know what to look for if you’re unfamiliar with it.

Weigela blooms.

wikipedia.com photo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By J. Allen

 

Easter Lilies

The fragrant white flowers of the Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum giganteum) are a traditional symbol of the season. In its native southern Japan and Ryukyu Islands, the plant blooms in July but in cultivation, it is forced into earlier flowering for the Easter trade.  Also known as the Bermuda lily (L.l. eximium), it was a supplier of bulbs in the late 19^th and early 20^th century.  Japan then dominated as the world’s largest grower until WWII. Attempts to regain its market share after the war failed due to the emergence of the growers here on the California-Oregon border, who now produce 95% of the bulbs for the U.S. and Canadian market. U.S. production began with Louis Houghton, who introduced hybrid lilies to the south coast of Oregon in 1919, where conditions for cultivation are ideal. When the Japanese source of bulbs was interrupted during the war, lily bulbs increased in value and a new industry was born.

 Although the Easter lily has a sales window of only two weeks, it is the fourth largest potted-plant crop in the United States, following poinsettia, chrysanthemum and azalea. Because of its superior characteristics, the cultivar most commonly grown for the past 40 years or so has been ‘Nellie White.’

Buying

When choosing a lily, look for a high-quality plant that has a couple of open or partly-opened flowers and several unopened buds.. Foliage should be dense, dark green and extend to the soil line, indicating a healthy root system. Inspect the flowers, foliage and buds for any signs of insects or disease. Unless they were just delivered, avoid Easter lilies displayed in paper, plastic or mesh shipping sleeves; plant quality will deteriorate if these sleeves are left on too long. Soil should be moist, but not wet; a wilted, waterlogged plant may be suffering from root rot.

Indoor care

At home, position your Easter lily near a window that gets bright, indirect daylight, away from direct sunlight; a daytime temperature of 60 to 65° F is ideal. Avoid exposure to excess heat or dry air from appliances, fireplaces or heating ducts. Keep the potting medium moist, watering lightly only when the soil becomes dry. If the pot is wrapped in decorative foil, don’t allow the plant sit in trapped, standing water. As the flowers open and develop, remove the yellow anthers with small scissors before the pollen starts to shed. This increases the life of the flower and prevents the pollen from staining the flowers or tablecloths. When a mature flower starts to fade and wither, cut it off to keep the plant looking attractive.

Toxic to Cats

If you see your cat eating the Easter lily plant, call a veterinarian immediately. The kidneys are affected, with symptoms including increased urination, depression, stomach upset and dehydration. The sooner emergency treatment is initiated, the better the chances that the cat will recover. If more than 18 hours elapses after consumption, the cat may not survive, even with emergency care.

In the garden

Easter lilies can be planted outside after the blooms have faded and the danger of frost has passed. Remove old flowers, leaving the stem and leaves. Select a sunny spot with well-drained soil and dig a hole deep enough so the top of the bulb will be six-inches below the soil surface.  Amend the soil in the planting hole with some organic matter and lime. Good drainage is critical to success with lilies. Lilies prefer a cool soil environment, so mulching with a 2-inch layer of compost, pine straw, or shredded leaves helps conserve moisture in between waterings, suppresses weed growth, keeps the soil cool and provides nutrients as it decays.

Lilies are not reliably hardy throughout Connecticut and will benefit from a generous layer of protective mulch once they’ve gone dormant. (If you like the look of white lilies in the garden, or for cutting, other options are Lilium candidum, Madonna lily or Oriental Lily ‘Casa Blanca.’)

With proper protection, Easter lilies that were forced into flower in March or April under controlled greenhouse conditions will flower naturally in June or July the following and subsequent years, reaching a height of about 3 feet.

In recent years, a new pest of lilies has appeared in Connecticut: the Lily Leaf Beetle.  See the URI fact sheet for description and control measures here: http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/lilyleafbeetle.html

 

J. McInnis

 

Forgiving Forsythias

The early, bright gold blooms of forsythia are welcomed by many as cheerful harbingers of spring. Some find the ubiquitous waves of yellow a bit too jarring to integrate into formal landscapes and foundation plantings. Others use the flowers as a phenological indicator signaling that it is time to put down pre-emergence crabgrass controls. Dr. Michael Dirr from the University of Georgia finds it, “one of the most overrated and over-used shrubs!” Whatever your take on forsythia, we all know that the cheery, 4-lobed blossoms are a sure sign that spring is finally here!

While they are found throughout New England, forsythias belong to the olive family and are native to eastern Asia although one species is from south east Europe. They were named in honor of the Scottish botanist, William Forsyth (1737-1804).

I used to really like the forsythia that came with our old house. It was located next to the porch and for at least 15 years I enjoyed this golden herald of spring and spent vast hours clipping and chopping at it to keep it in the size range I needed for that spot. I also spent a fair amount of time pulling out rooting shoots that seemed to multiply each year. The look I was after was that of an upright, somewhat mounded shrub. Forsythia wants to be a fountain that spills over its banks. My husband was so happy that I wanted to replace the forsythia with a better behaved shrub that I found it cut down and dug out at merely the mention that I was thinking of doing so! It has since been replaced by a bayberry.

Now that I have confessed to my horticultural moment of darkness, I have to admit that when forsythia are well-placed in the landscape, they can provide a glorious vision for 2 or 3 weeks. The key is finding the correct placement and proper pruning.

Forsythia do not want to be a ball or a box or a rectangle. They want to be that flowing fountain and need at least a 10 foot by 10 foot spot to shine. When given enough room, they do delight us for several weeks each spring. Any less and they, like Dr. Dirr remarks, “always needs grooming”. I find that they are best suited to slightly sloping ground where they can sprawl. This may be a good placement for a single shrub or a long border depending on your site.

Forsythias require a lot of maintenance to keep this rectangular shape.

The actual pruning of forsythia can be done in several ways. Purists recommend removing up to one-third of mature stems to the ground every year and heading back any aggressive stems right after flowering. This stimulates a few new shoots and new growth from older wood which will produce a multitude of flower buds for the following year. Option two is to cut the shrub to the ground after flowering. This produces long, somewhat drooping shoots with a ton of blossoms the following spring. It keeps the plants within bounds but does require this yearly ritual.

Many forsythia owners adhere to the practice of ‘let it be’. This is all and well on a sloped bank where the plant takes on its own venue as a ground cover. But in a smaller space, the constant intrusion of this plant can create friction among neighboring plants and gardeners.

Well-pruned forsythia make for a great, colorful hedge.

What to do? Since forsythia is quite adaptable I would say go with what works for you. While I think that forsythia should be placed where they can develop fountains of sprigs, each clothed in gold come spring, if you are most comfortable with shearing forsythia into hedge formation, so be it. Forsythia is a very forgiving plant. Constant shearing will not produce the best flowers but this repetitive task is necessary for containment. Forsythia lovers – remove at least a few of the oldest stems each year to encourage vibrant, new growth. Try some named varieties with more predictable growth habits. And, if you do not want the long, arching stems to root, cut or pull them up. Like most items that achieve the gold standard – stately forsythias require some effort on your part!

Happy Gardening,

Dawn

 

A Balance with Nature

It’s hard to predict how our extremely mild weather this will impact both plants and insects this year.  Early spring flowering plants have started to blossom, bees and some butterflies are active, ants are starting their forays and unfortunately the deer ticks are out in force and are voracious.

Warm weather is a boon to cold-blooded ticks; their metabolism varies based on the temperature. Blacklegged ticks or deer ticks are among the first species of ticks to emerge in the spring. These are the ticks that can transmit Lyme disease, and they emerge once the temperature is consistently reaches the upper thirties.

Deer ticks, generally take three blood meals over their two-year lifespan. An adult female tick lays about 3,000 eggs in the spring. The larvae hatch in the summer and are disease free until they feed on an infected animal.   Their first blood meal is often from a mouse and this meal lasts them through the winter.   They awaken in the spring as nymphs, the size of poppy seeds and at this stage they prefer to feed on deer, mice and small mammals, but a human will suffice.  They are most active in May and June. Historically, 95 percent of new cases of Lyme disease are reported during this period when ticks due to their small size are hard to spot.

Disease ecologist Richard S. Ostfeld has studied the life cycle of ticks at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Dutchess County, New York for over 20 years. He agrees that the 2012 tick season will be a bad one, but he said weather isn’t the cause. Instead, he blames the white-footed mouse and the acorns they devour.

This is what his research shows and his predictions for this year:

A bumper crop of acorns in 2010 led to a surge in the population (largest surge in 20 years) of white-footed mice in 2011.

The abundant mice fed a thriving generation of young ticks.

When the baby ticks hatched in 2011, they had an abundance of mice to feed on.

But this spring, the massive legion of larval ticks will awaken to a different world because the  2011 acorn crop failed and the mice population crashed.

This will make matters worse,” Ostfeld said. “Those infected nymphs are more likely to crawl on us because there won’t be all those little mice vacuum cleaners sucking them up.”

“The mild winter doesn’t change the number of ticks out there, but it does affect their behavior, he said. Ticks wake up when the temperature reaches the upper 30s, so the early warm-up means that adult ticks who failed to find their final blood meal last fall are already on the prowl for a host right now.”

Some good news Ostfeld predicts that the declining mouse population means this year’s batch of baby ticks will struggle to find their first meal.

“They may die off and 2013 may be a better year,” he said.

http://www.caryinstitute.org/index.html