The Common Sense Gardener - MGFTC · Mentor to 2008 Interns to contact me with your interest and questions should you have them. I will then send prospective mentors the mentor Fact

WSU Thurston County Master Gardeners and

Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County The Common Sense Gardener Vol. 7, Issue 6 DECEMBER 2007 Page: 1

DECEMBER 2007 Volume 7, Issue 6

The Common Sense Gardener

By Nancy Mills, MGFTC President-elect 2008

What do Japanese maples, scholarship winners and gratitude have in common? This year‘s Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County (MGFTC) Annual Membership Meeting, of course!

We had two tours full of curious participants, and beautifully cooperative weather for Frank W. Byles to take people around the campus to see just a portion of his collection; ―the largest Japa-nese maple collection in the world‖! He has a total of about 550 tree specimens, of which about 200 have been relocated to South Puget Sound Community College. What a tremendous gift to the college as well as tree aficionado‘s and those of us who are more unfamiliar with all of the Acer palmatum species. A picture below shows just a few leaf configuration possibilities. (Taken from Wikipedia Commons) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Acer-palmatum-ssp.jpg

Many thanks to Frank for sharing his trees and knowledge on the enjoyable tours, and during his talk after the MGFTC business meeting.

During the meeting, Paul Feenan had a great time distributing recognition plaques and awards to the many deserving MG/MC‘s who have ei-

ther retired from specific service areas, or who have reached specific milestones in their volunteer efforts.

We started with retiring garden leads, Tam Crocker (Closed Loop), Bob Findlay (Olympia Farmers Market) and Karen Walters

(DirtWorks). Each of these people have contrib-uted great volumes of their ideas, time and tal-ents in the leadership of the demonstration gar-dens. We are ever so grateful for their dedica-tion to making the gardens what they are today.

Then it was time to recognize Lynda Bauer and Evelyn Stewart for their dedicated leader-ship which has nurtured the plant sale which started years ago like more of a garage sale into an extraordinary event. A backbone of great pro-cedures has been put in place to help future leaders continue the success.

Lynda was on vacation, but we caught Evelyn!

Next, a combination award was given to Bill Longnecker to honor his role in the develop-ment of the Compost Bin Sales program which

“Helping Gardeners Grow”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Acer-palmatum-ssp.jpg





met the criteria of: a.) bringing positive recognition to the MGFTC and b.) resulting in significant monetary gain for the organi-zation. He showed his overwhelming gratitude by giving Paul a gigantic bear hug, which Paul obviously relished!

Next on the agenda was Dorsay Fischer Awards which are given to MG/MC‘s who have been mem-bers in good standing for a minimum of seven years, and have given a minimum of one thousand volun-teer hours. Their names are engraved on brass plates and attached to the framed plaque which now hangs in the lobby of the WSU Extension office. Paul also generously contributed a printed award and a certificate for savings at his nursery next spring to each recipient! Awardees present were:

Carla Delducco, Sandy Atkinson, Sharon Brown.

Other awardees included Keith Underwood, Char-

lotte Hunter and Mike Gard.

Our first SPSCC scholarship recipient, Joie Gian-grosso, was introduced to the membership. She lives in Quilcene, became a Master Gardener last year in Jefferson County.

Other business included Bill awarding Phil Vogel a Biostack compost bin in recognition of his efforts and sale of 10 bins to other people.

New Foundation Board Elected.

We elected the new slate of officers to the Board: Nancy Mills – President; Joan Hoffmeyer – Vice President; Toni Ghazal – Secretary; Sharon Brown – Treasurer; Bill Longnecker – State Foundation Rep-resentative; and Deb Welt – Member-at-Large. Paul Feenan recognized the outgoing MGFTC officers (and those remaining) with savings certificates.

One other item of particular interest is that Dr. Brent Chapman of SPSCC handed out a questionnaire about classes that might be of interest to MG/MC‘s for about 2 credit hours, as well as con-tinuing education credit. There was lots of interest and the list of possible classes was quite impressive. One class on container gardening will be scheduled for the winter quarter. Keep your eyes peeled for other opportunities!

So there you have in a nutshell what occurred at the annual MGFTC meeting. You can see that we have lots to be grateful for, and are anticipating an even stronger year in 2008! Your support is essential for both the program and foundation to meet our goals.

Thank you in advance!



by Paul Feenan Hello Master Gardeners and Composters, We are closing in on the New Year and looking forward to 2008! On behalf of The Washington State University Thurston County Extension Office I want to say Thank You! Your collective volunteer effort is responsible for an amazing amount of horticulture outreach and education in Thurston County. The volunteers that make up the MG and MC program are such an important element. Here are some numbers from August 2006 - August 2007 : Over 1,000 youth served in children and family activities! Over 2,000 direct community contacts at events (fairs, celebrations, etc.)! Over 1,400 adults served in classes, workshops etc.! Approximately 4,000 plant & insects identifications and plant problems diagnosed! As you can see we are providing many people valuable horticulture and composting information. Your time is truly a gift to Thurston County Washington. As we look forward to the 2008 year our focus is first on the 08 Training Class which begins in January and con-tinues through to September. We have been pleased with outcomes that are partly a result of changing the schedule of the class (The 07 Training Class met every three weeks instead of every week). We will continue to offer the same three week schedule for the 08 class! The Mentor Program was designed to offer new interns a personal connection to our programs and activities. I am extremely pleased and proud of our inaugural group of mentors. They worked very hard together to ensure each intern felt comfortable and informed abouth the "goings on" in the MG /MC Program. Thank You! The Mentor group completed their first year tenure by evaluating the Mentor Program itself. They set about the last third of this year clarifying the qualifications and ex-pectations of Mentors for future groups. Many of the 2007 Mentors have decided to serve their volunteer hours elsewhere in the program in 2008.

I am asking for volunteers who are interested in being a Mentor to 2008 Interns to contact me with your interest and questions should you have them. I will then send prospective mentors the mentor Fact Sheet and an appli-cation. Please consider volunteering for these important posi-tions as the Mentor Program as an essential element for the continued success in the Master Gardener Program With Gratitude, Paul Feenan

By Cliff Moore

Friends,

Please allow me to add my thanks and congratulations to Paul's note. For me, it is an honor to be a part of an organi-zation that is making such a positive contribution to our community and doing it primarily through the great work of a team of well trained and engaged volunteers.

I am sure you have all heard me say how helpful it is to have the kind of data that Paul shared here when we report our impact to the County Commissioners. They are always amazed and pleased about the re-sults we share with them about your work.

So again, my sincere thanks and best wishes for a joyous holiday season.

Best,

Cliff

Cliff Moore, Director

Washington State University Thurston County Extension



Stage 1: Closed Loop Park began as ―Dirtworks East‖ early in 1994. Bob Smith was the Master Gardener Pro-gram Manager. The bones of the garden were estab-lished with the help of the DOE Youth Corps, the New Market Vocational Skills Crew and most of the 1993 and 1994 Master Gardener class. With grant money, Thurston County Solid Waste Department hired land-scape architect Kathleen Wadden. Under her leadership, the project began to take shape and the name ―closed Loop Park‖ was born. The park was to educate residents about ―closing the loop‖ on recycling. The park site was a completed landfill. First, a 60 mil plastic liner was placed over the landfill. Then two feet of fill was added. A thick layer of mulch was added when planting began. Kathleen‘s plan included demonstrations of composting, recycled materials, sustainable landscap-ing, integrated pest management, landscape manage-ment, workshops, and classes. The primary task of the Mater Gardeners was to plant the entry garden, berms, and the garden along the fence. Recycled products were used throughout the park. They included salvaged, remilled lumber for the structures, compost bins made from recycled plastic and lumber, as well as concrete pieces lining the beds. A storage shed, trailer/office, and homey bucket were added at this time. Just before Kathleen left in 1997, the berm on the north was moved to become the present east hedgerow. After Kathleen left, Kas Green agreed to become garden leader. Stage 2: Besides maintaining the garden, several ex-pansions occurred in the next few years. A gazebo was purchased by Thurston County and a berm garden was planted to enhance the gazebo. Added was a triangular bed, which is now the Remembrance Bed and another triangular bed became an herb garden. A kiosk was built, the compost area was moved, a soaker hose irriga-tion system was installed, and pathways were improved. A group spent a winter building several benches of recy-cled material in a Master Gardener‘s garage. The core of the garden workers met monthly January through March for garden planning and fellowship. The garden was out-growing the original plan. Stage 3: Tam Crocker became garden lead in 2003 with a vision in mind. She was inspired by an article in the Seattle PI about trial plants at the Center for Urban Horti-culture. ―First I had wanted to feature Briggs with a demo garden to honor the support they gave the whole com-

munity, not just to the Master Gardeners. During the first conversation with Fran Sharp, my contact, she men-tioned that the Great Plant Picks needed trial space. That was in the first of the inception of the Great Plant Picks, so most people had not heard of them. Closed Loop Park was the only garden with space to achieve these possible goals, so that became the site. Keith Un-derwood, as MG Coordinator, had to approve, along with the county, which owns the land and oversees the activi-ties, before we could make contact with a proposal. With all the ducks in a row, we ap-proached Great Plant Picks and received a hearty wel-come to proceed with a part-nership. Now we had our work cut out for us, as we expanded to ac-commodate many new plants and compost activities. During that first spring, the county replaced the meager water system according to garden plans. In the fall, the county laid the Columbia Granite for the rockery slope. Next, they built the two-bin compost stations we have in the compost area. The first trial plants were Astrantia, and we did not know what they were, and could not pro-nounce the name! We now have a long list of trial plants that are integrated into the garden. We also received a large collection of Peonies donated by the Pacific North-west Garden Society.‖ As a result of the publicity generated by the garden ex-pansion and the Great Plant Picks Program, several groups toured the garden this year including: Pierce County Solid Waste representatives, Pierce County Master Gardeners, the Northwest Horticultural Society, and the Garden Conservancy, who placed the garden on their open day for Thurston County. Also visiting were senior citizen groups, garden clubs, and a local walking group. The garden is part of a Global Positioning System (GPS) orienting game played year round. Other groups have replicated a new worm bin, designed by a Thurston County Master Gardener. Another Master Gardener de-signed an additional compost bin. Earlier Master Gar-deners designed a maze, which is now the Peony Bed and the Enabling Garden. The gazebo was moved two years ago in anticipation of relocating the Hazo House and Recycle Center. The plan was to use all of the Closed Loop‘s parking lot and one entrance for the recycle center, thereby moving the Loop‘s parking lot to another place. That is still on the drawing board. I wonder what Stage 4 will bring?

Closed Loop Park Evolution of a Garden

by Mary Boston



by Karen Walters

We have been closed down at DirtWorks for the winter since the end of October. Paula and Shanna keep an eye on the place during the winter months. So far I have-n‘t heard of any damage due to the couple of storms we have had, and that is good news. Some of you may re-member the wind taking the skylight off the gazebo roof and tearing down lattice last year.

I made a trip to Las Vegas for a week because I just wasn‘t ready to give up the sun and warm weather. While I was there I went to a wonderful demonstration garden, and no, it was not all yucca‘s and cactus and tumble-weeds. Actually, it was the best demo garden I have ever seen. The city really spent some money on this place. There were mulch demos, compost demos, an enabling garden that was fabulous, irrigation demo, tool demo, a rose garden, water retention demo, outdoor living demo, hardscape demo, turf demo, vegetable gardening, chil-dren‘s area, and yes, gardening with cactus. I enjoyed this so much that I went twice. We show many of these things in our own garden, but there were just little extras in the way it was done. Needless to say my mind started spinning and the ideas started to form as to how we can incorporate some of these things into our garden.

One of the best things was the signage. This is some-thing that is on the top of the ‗to do‘ list when the garden opens in March. I took lots of pictures and I hope to get some funding from the city for this.

We like to do things by committee at DirtWorks so eve-ryone who wants can have a say in the planning and de-velopment of any project. There are so many Master Gardener‘s with great ideas. Usually a committee will meet and plan during the winter months so work can be-gin in March. This next year I hope to have those who wish to be involved invited to come together in February for a pot luck, divide up into committees that have been predetermined, and spend an hour or so after lunch brainstorming. I will get this information out in January after Paula and I have had a chance to meet and get it planned.

Hope everyone has a happy holiday season!

by Catherine Eddington

The seasons have changed and the market garden still looks good!

The leaves have fallen, creating a natural mulch. Not much doing in the garden this time of year but there are exciting things on the horizon.

We‘ve had some wonderful graduates from the new class decide to make the market garden their ―place to be‖ and we look forward to working with them.

A Steering Committee is being formed to help with making decisions about and around the garden.

Areas we will address will include but not be limited to: irrigation, compost, work parties, more demon-strations, possible new arbors, and new pathways and material.

If you would like to be part of the Steering Commit-tee, give Paul Feenan a call or email and let him know.

Come on down and take a look at the twinkle lights on the grape arbor while you sip hot cider.

Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!

Olympia Farmers’ Market Garden



The Plant Sale Area is looking good! There are five rows of plants ready to winter over and the Hoop House also has its share of shade plants. Faithful Tuesday workers (thank you Wanda Cross, Larry Rus, Curt Rosler, Mairon McIntosh, Lynda Bauer, David Buitenveld, Kathryn Baker, Evelyn Stewart and Mary Snyder, Nancy Mills, Bob Findlay) have been potting, labeling and moving plants from the holding area to the rows of plants. We even have a new special area for Spring Bulbs!

The entire area has been weeded and received a cleaning. A run to the landfill took care of the accu-mulated surplus. Bob Findlay has worked his magic and he and David Buitenveld built a lattice unit to shelter the ―outhouse‖ from view. It is much more presentable and crying out for a vine or two.

It would be fun to have a name and perhaps a sign to help our customers find ―The Room.‖ If you have a name for ―The Room,‖ send an email to [email protected]. Also sought is some-one with artistic skill to paint a small sign with the ap-propriate name and a few flowers. Please send email to the above if you are interested.

Spring Plant Sale May 17

―Great Plants at Great Prices‖

Christmas plans may be on your mind, but there is a group of Master Gardeners already thinking May or specifically May 17—The Spring Plant Sale for 2008!

Our goal is to have well nurtured plants that fill their containers, making each purchase an excellent value for our customers. Bob Findlay and Marry Moore will be sharing management of the event. Current types of plants include shade lovers, natives, shrubs/vines, roses, grasses, bulbs, groundcovers, Great Plant Picks, and vegetables and herbs. Please be thinking of what you may want to contrib-ute in the early Spring.

We always need more plants, but know your gar-dens are now winterized. When considering plants to donate, please consider:

Plants that are clearly identified

Plants that are healthy and fill a gallon or larger con-tainer

Plants that are blooming for the sale event

Plants that have unique and valuable qualities

And PLEASE, mark May 17 on your 2008 calendar. We‘ll need the help of all of you to plan, promote and perpetuate this fundraiser. We need a few volunteers to continue working at the sale site on Tuesday mornings to prepare for the sale, and many more to help on May 17, 2008.

We are very pleased to announce the first Master Gar-dener Foundation of Thurston County scholarship has been awarded to Joie Giangrosso. Joie is a fellow Mas-ter Gardener with Jefferson County and is currently en-rolled in the South Puget Sound Community College Horticultural Program. Joie is so thankful for the grant as it will allow her to continue her studies at SPSCC. The $750 scholarship was funded from donations by four of our own Master Gar-deners/Composters. The Foundation Board thought this such a worthy program that they have commit-ted funds in the 2008 and 2009 budgets for one $750 scholarship each year. If you would like to be a part of this rewarding program, any donation amount is acceptable and will be held in a special fund until a minimum total of $750 is received. At that time it will be transferred to SPSCC for a schol-arship fund. If you have any questions or wish further information about the program, please contact Sharon Brown at [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]



THE GARDENER’S BOOKSHELF

By Mary Moore

I have chosen a book that is the perfect mid-winter‘s read, particularly for those of you that raise your own vegetables and fruit. It will make all of us think about what we eat and where our food comes from. The title of the book is Animal, vegetable, miracle; a year of food life and it is written primarily by Barbara King-solver with additions from her husband Steven L. Hopp and her daughter Camille Kingsolver.

For several years the Kingsolver/Hopp family had lived in Tucson, Arizona while both Barbara and Steven had taught it the University of Arizona. Becoming increasingly aware that their daily fare was probably traveling thousands of miles to get to their gro-cery stores, they thought long and hard about changing their lifestyles and their loca-tion from western urban to eastern rural. Having property in Southern Appalachia, the family moves lock, stock and barrel with the goal of deliberately eating food produced from the same place where they worked, went to school, drank the water, and breathed the air. This is the story of their first year.

The author, an award-winning writer, clearly has both style and fluidity in her work, Never- the- less, this is not a book that you read in one sitting. Rather it is a book that you read in pieces learning a great deal as you progress. It has definitely made an impact on me in terms of eating only what is in season locally, eating organically produced food, and making much more use of my Farmer‘s Market than I already do. It also makes me somewhat envious of you all that are raising much of your own food. Good for you!!

Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County

Why should I join the Master Gardener Foundation? By Frankie Rasmussen

Quite frankly, we need your support. Without the Foundation, the Demonstration Gardens and Clinics literally

could not exist! WSU, Thurston County, and the City of Olympia provide some money to the Program, but the

largest provider and sustainer of Master Gardener and Master Composter activities is the Foundation. Your Mem-

bership Dues and donations put money in the bank to help fund the Gardens, the Clinics, day-to-day activities, and

provide ―seed money‖ for Plant Sale and Garden Rhapsodies expenses.

Think ―Foundation‖ whenever you look up some interesting fact on the clinics‘ computers….it was money raised

by Foundation Members and given to the Program that purchased the computers. Canopies that keep us dry

while potting up plants...―Foundation‖. When another load of potting soil is delivered, or a load of gravel, or you use

bleach to disinfects old pots—think ―Foundation‖. Label maker? New plants? Compost straw? Sand? Landscape

fabric? Yep – the Foundation raised the money for these too.

Here is yet another reason to join: Foundation Member Meetings are held 4 times a year and include FREE

Continuing Education for our Members. The next issue of the Newsletter will detail some very choice CEs

scheduled for 2008. Please join or renew today! See page 11 for a Membership Form.

http://www.kingsolver.com/bookshelf/miracle.asp



Camellia Sasanquas Are Awesome!

Question: We can‘t believe it! We were in Raymond last week and saw the most beautiful camellia in full bloom. Isn‘t this early to see camellias blooming?

Answer: In all probability the camellia you saw is a winter blooming sasanqua camellia. Native to China and Japan, these awesome plants differ form the more commonly planted Spring blooming Camellia japonica in several ways: their growth habit is more open and graceful; their flowers are often single and fra-grant; their leaves are smaller; and they are very adaptable to different types of soil. One of the favorites among home gardeners this time of year is the cultivar ―Yuletide‖. Just in time for Christmas, it bursts into bloom with its fiery, bright red petals which circle bright yellow stamens.

There are countless other cultivars of sasanqua camellias. Flowers range from single, semi-double, or fully double flowers that are small, medium or large in shades of pink, rose, red and white. These plants tend to be hardier than the spring flowering japonicas and will tolerate more sunlight. The ideal planting location however is still shade to part sun and shade. The sa-sanquas are also easy to prune and make good hedges and are easy to grow in containers. By choosing both Cammellia sasanquas and Cammellia japonicas gardeners can have the best of both worlds, spring and winter bloom and great sum-mer time foliage.

Black Leaves on Camellias.

Question: We are having a problem with our camellias. Every winter a lot of the leaves turn black, like someone sprinkled chimney soot all over them. What‘s causing this and how do we get rid of it?

Answer: What you are describing is commonly referred to as Sooty Mold Fungus. This charcoal black fungus appears as a black coating on the surfaces of leaves, fruit , twigs and branches of many deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. The cool, moist, cloudy weather this time of the year are ideal conditions for the growth and development of this fungus.

Sooty mold fungus grows in the honeydew, a sweet, sticky clear substance, that is secreted on plants by aphids, scale insects, mealybugs and other insects that suck sap from the plant. Honey dew is also attractive to ants. In fact, ants will often move aphid colonies throughout plant foliage to maximize honey dew production.

Wind blows the sooty mold spores, the spores stick to the hon-eydew, germinate and then send out black fungal strands that cover the plant and cause the discoloration. On leaves, this coat of mold screens out light and reduces the plant‘s ability to

produce food; on some trees no obvious damage can be no-ticed. Shrubs under trees that are heavily infested with honey-dew producing insects may be seriously damaged because the leaf chlorosis cannot function properly under the layer of mold. Low-growing shrubs, those growing under shady conditions are susceptible to serious damage.

Once established, sooty mold is not easily removed, but some-times part of it can be washed off the leaves with a strong stream of water from the garden hose. The mold gradually dis-appears after the insects have been controlled.

Control is achieved indirectly by controlling the insects that pro-duce the honeydew. Before a control strategy is undertaken, it will be necessary to identify what insect is causing the problem. IF you choose an insecticide for control, make sure the plant you want to spray are listed on the label.

Increased Mole Activity.

Question: We can‘t believe the number of mole hills that have appeared in our garden in the past several weeks. We didn‘t see any activity for most of the summer and now it looks as though they are holding a convention in our lawn! What‘s the best way to get rid of them?

Answer: You are certainly not alone in noticing increased mole activity. As most gardeners can attest, moles do not hibernate but are active throughout the year. Surface activity slows dur-ing periods of extreme drought or cold. Once the fall rains ar-rived, earthworm populations, which are one of the mole‘s pri-mary food sources, increased near the soil surface. Increased moisture levels also make the soil easier to tunnel through. While most gardeners detest the begin-ning of the fall rains, moles are over-joyed!

Those interested in the most current information regarding moles and at-tempts to get rid of them may want to

check out The Mole Hill Gazette.

This publication , written by WSU Extension Wildlife Specialist Dave Pehling, provides a wealth of information on current re-search being conducted to evaluate mole control remedies and their effectiveness. You can access the publication on-line at: http://snohomish.wsu.edu/newsletters/moles/molegazette.htm

When to Prune Roses.

Question: Even though we have had several frosts, our roses are still blooming! Should we prune them now or wait until they stop blooming?

Answer: Fall pruning is normally done around Thanksgiving. Bushes should be cut back to about half their original height and the leaves should be removed. This will prevent winter winds from whipping the bushes and loosening the root sys-tems. Removing the leaves is done for hygienic reasons be-cause insect eggs and fungal spores over-winter on leaves. In

Ask the Expert! by Don Tapio

http://snohomish.wsu.edu/newsletters/moles/molegazette.htm



addition, it‘s a good idea to mound the soil or preferably a mulch material 6 to 8 inches deep around the plant to protect it from winter damage.

Remember that rose bushes are always improved and seldom, if ever, killed by pruning. Un-pruned roses bloom on small cane tips, go to seed, and become dormant. According to ro-sarians of the Olympia Rose Society, poor or ―incorrect‖ prun-ing is better than no pruning at all.

Horsetail in the Landscape.

Question: We continue to battle horsetail in our landscape. Is there any weed killer that is really effective in getting rid of it?

Answer: Lasting control of horsetail is difficult to achieve because of the high level of food reserves stored in the rhizome. The shoots are without leaves, so the plants cannot tolerate much shading. For established patches, efforts should be directed at depleting the food reserves in the rhi-zomes. Complete removal of the tops about 2 weeks after each emergence for 3 or 4 years should give control. Horsetail stems are neither strong nor sharp. Thus they are effectively blocked by most of the porous fabrics (geotextiles) used in landscape sites. Layers of bark mulch, sawdust or other plant material will not control horsetails.

Home gardeners may find their easiest method of suppressing this weed is by using the herbicide Casoron. Used according to labeled directions, this herbicide has proven to be effective in controlling the weed around woody established ornamental plants like junipers, azaleas and lilacs. Casoron is not regis-tered for use around herbaceous plant material like peonies, bearded iris or lupines. Applications of Casoron are most effec-tive starting in November when there is sufficient soil moisture to dissolve the granules and the temperatures are cool enough to prevent the herbicide vapor from leaving the soil.

More Fall Color Wanted.

Question: We would like to have more fall color in our land-scape. We already have several plantings of the burning bush---Euonymus alata compacta. Can you suggest any other plants?

Answer: Redvein Enkianthus (Enkianthus campanulatus) has good red fall color on plants that can get 6 to 12 feet high, and a bit less wide, giving it an upright appear-ance. The yellowish-pink, hanging bell-shaped flowers have red veins, and are attractive in spring. The bright red young stems during the summer usu-ally persist through the winter, giving it year-round appeal. It combines well with rhododendrons which like similar condi-tions. Another feature is that this shrub is somewhat deer re-sistant.

Fothergilla has species that can be used both for foundation

plantings (F.gardenii) and for naturalistic settings (F. major), reaching 3 to 4 feet high, or 6 to 10 feet high, respec-tively. Their habit is dense and rounded. Both have fall leaves mixed in colors of red, yellow, and orange for an attractive ef-fect. The lightly fragrant flowers (like honey) in spring are shaped like bottlebrushes. Other options for fall color include highbush blueberries, and the American Cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus var. americanum, often seen as V. trilobum). This native species, and its more brightly fall colored cultivars such as ‗Alfredo‘ and ‗Redwing‘ are drought tolerant.

Help Plants Survive the Winter.

Question: We vividly remember last November‘s frigid tem-peratures which resulted in us losing some of our prized plants. Is there anything we can do to our garden plants now to make sure they survive through the winter months?

Answer: You don‘t need to watch the nightly weather forecast on your television station to know that there‘s a chill in the air. Plants feel it too, and just like people, need to bundle up for the winter. Plants that have poorly established roots or are experi-encing stress are more susceptible to freeze damage. Lack of moisture can also make freezes more damaging. Watering landscape plants during fall and early winter will help to reduce winter injury. Mulching is one of the best lines of defense for perennial plants against chilling temperatures. Mulching can also prevent the repeated freezing and thawing of soil that causes plants to ―heave‖ out of the ground.

Wintry conditions can also chill container plants to the roots, resulting in poor plant health in the subsequent growing season or even death. Containerized plants are far more susceptible to winter injury because the soil freezes from all sides and plant roots are far less hardy than the top part of the plant. When plants are placed in containers they do not have the heat from the soil that would otherwise help them overcome freezing tem-peratures. Plants and trees that grow naturally in the soil have geothermic heat to keep their roots cozy. For container plants, plastic actually acts as a barrier and the heat is lost in the sur-rounding air. As a result, roots of container plants are sub-jected to ambient temperatures and freezing temperatures can kill young and mature roots. Young roots are considerably less hardy than mature roots. Young roots are also the ones found on the outside edge of the container where they are the most vulnerable. Even if only the young roots are injured and the mature roots are adequately protected, growth next spring would be stunted and delayed. Damage to container plants can be greatly reduced by putting them in a cool garage, green-house,or simply burying the containers in sawdust or ground bark.

Wrapping of Tree Trunks.

Question: What about wrapping our trees to protect the trunks from freezing temperatures?

Answer: Wrapping trees to prevent winter injury is no longer recommended. The International Association of Arboriculture has said that that wrapping trunks tightly with paper tree wrap is not a good idea because it is not particularly effective at pre-venting sun scald and people usually leave it on too long, allow-ing moisture to be trapped, which can cause rotting and poten-tial insect problems.



Arborists now recommend using a tree guard rather than wrap-ping trees. This looks like a big tube, sliced vertically down one side to allow it to fit around the trunk. The tube must be several inches wider that the tree trunk to allow for good air circulation around the bark. Many people choose to leave guards on year round so they can serve double duty—shielding the trunks from winter sun and protecting them from weed-whacking and lawn mowing.

How to Store Saved Garden Seeds.

Question: We managed to save some garden seeds and are now wondering what‘s the best way to store them?

Answer: The two most important factors which shorten seed life are high seed moisture and high temperature. Two rules of thumb point out how important these factors are. First, for each one percent decrease in seed moisture, the life of the seed is doubled. Second, for each ten degree drop in storage tem-perature the life of the seed is doubled.

Seeds can be easily dried by spreading them on a newspaper indoors where the temperature is above 70 degrees F. A ma-son jar with a new lid is an excellent moisture-proof container. Heavy plastic bags with sealable tops are also good. Cloth and paper bags (even if plastic coated) and thin plastic bags are not moisture proof, and should not be used as the storage con-tainer. While drying seed is the most important factor, storage temperatures should also be considered. The seed should be stored at room temperature or cooler below 75 degrees F. An ideal storage place is a refrigerator with a temperature between 38 ad 45 degrees F.

Moss taking over Lawn

Question: Is there anything we can do to prevent moss from taking over our lawn this winter?

Answer: Moss is one of the most persistent and annoying weed that occurs in home lawns. Basically, it is an opportunistic plant that will grow where turfgrasses are thin and weak. Moss does not ―crowd out‖ turfgrasses, but once it is established, grass plants will not spread into those areas. Most lawns in our area are prone to moss invasion during the winter months due to the low light intensity, cool temperatures and high moisture. Main-taining a regular fertilizer schedule will help to maintain turfgrass vigor and reduce moss invasion. WSU turfgrass spe-cialists recommend applying 5 pounds of Ammonium Sulfate per 1000 square feet of lawn area four times a year with the final application recommended at the end of November.

Applying lime to the lawn now is a good idea since winter rains will dissolve the lime and carry it into the root zone of the grass. It takes about three months for lime action to become entirely effective because it is dissolved so slowly. Unfortunately it will do very little if anything to prevent moss from growing during the winter months.

Lady Bugs! Question: Help! Our house is crawling with lady-bird beetles! What‘s the best way to get rid of them?

Answer: Ladybird beetles, also commonly known as lady bugs or lady beetles, frequently become a nui-sance this time of the year when they seek out protected spots to hibernate over the winter. They require cavities that will stay cool and dry and offer concealment-----our homes are ideal.

Normally the beetles remain inactive throughout the cold winter months living on stored fat. However, in the home they may be warmed sufficiently to become active. When this happens they are attracted to windows and doors, especially those on the sunny side of the house in an attempt to get outside. The num-ber of beetles increases with the return of warmer temperatures in the spring and during warm, sunny periods in the winter. They do not cause damage to food stuffs or plants in the home. The beetles leave a yellow stain on hands or fabrics if crushed or disturbed.

Ladybugs are beneficial insects important in the biological con-trol of several serious insect pests. Both the adult beetles and larvae feed upon aphids, scale insects and mealybugs that are serious pests of trees, vegetables and flowers.

The use of insecticides for controlling ladybird beetles indoors is not recommended. Preventing their entry in the first place is the best way to manage them. Seal cracks and openings around windows, doors, openings in siding and around utility pipes with caulk or silicone. They may be easily collected with a vacuum cleaner or gently swept up and disposed of out of doors. Be sure to empty the bag after vacuuming up insects. Gently sweep up the beetles to avoid having them discharge a yellow stain which may show on fabric and wall surfaces

Caterpillars on Noble Fir Trees.

Question: We simply cannot believe it, but we discovered sev-eral branches on one of our Noble fir trees covered with brown colored insect webbing. Inside the webbing are thousands of little caterpillars. What are they?

Answer: Based on your description and the time of year, I sus-pect the insects you found are the larvae of Silver Spotted Tiger Moths, These unusual caterpillars have dark colored bodies with intermixed tufts of rusty and black hairs. Along the back there are a series of yellowish tufts. Sometimes referred to as the ―polar bears‖ of the insect world, these insects continue their feeding primarily on conifers until cold weather begins.

Young caterpillars hibernate during winter in dense webs which they spin. They resume their feeding in early spring— as early as January. The main host for the Silver Spotted Tiger Moth is Douglas-fir, but it will sometimes feed on spruce and pines as well as noble fir and other conifers. This insect is often con-fused with tent caterpillars because both make tents; however, they do not feed on the same kinds of trees. When the caterpil-lars are about two-thirds grown, they begin to disperse and feed throughout the tree singly or in small groups of two or there. Feeding during this period is usually not very harmful to trees or noticeable since the damage is widely scattered. Feeding is restricted to the needles at the ends of the lateral branches. Whole branches are often stripped of their leaves making individual tree appear quite unsightly. Cases of total defoliation are rare. Most often, damage occurs as defoliation in one or a few limbs of a tree. Since the buds are not harmed, the new growth will cover the damaged area by early summer. In general, the caterpillar is not considered to be a serious pest. Simply pruning out and destroying the infested limb, tent and caterpillars is frequently all that is needed. Branches that are too high to be pruned can be left to recover on their own.



Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County

“Helping Gardeners Grow”

720 Sleater-Kinney Road SE Suite Y Lacey, Washington 98503

2008 Membership and Sponsor Application

I wish to be an Individual (MG/MC) or Associate Member of the Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County. Dues of $10 per calendar year, Jan – Dec, are enclosed. Individual and Associate Members may vote and hold elec-

tive office. They may attend Member Meetings, classes and events at no charge. Year MG ____ Year MG ____

I/we wish to be a Business Member of the Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County. Dues are $25 per cal-endar year, Jan – Dec, and are enclosed. Business Members may vote and hold elective office, They will receive a

framed Certificate of Membership, and may attend Member Meetings and events at no charge.

I/we wish to become a Sponsor of the Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County at the below level, which is enclosed. Sponsors’ names will be prominently displayed at Master Gardener Plant Sales, at Membership Meet-

ings, and at other locations and venues as appropriate. Sponsors will receive a letter acknowledging their tax-deductible contribution.

____ Friend: $50 - $99

____ Donor: $100 - $249

____ Patron: $250 - $499

____ Benefactor: $500 - $1,000+

Name/ Business Name ______________________________________________________________________________

I prefer to have my/our name listed as: _________________________________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________ State and ZipCode __________________________

Telephone ______________________________________ Contact Person ____________________________________

Email Address: _________________________________ Web Site: _________________________________________

Make checks payable to: “*MGFTC”

Mail to: MGFTC Attn: Membership

720 Sleater-Kinney Road SE Suite Y

Lacey, Washington 98503

Contact: [email protected] or Frankie Rasmussen, Membership & Giving Chairwoman at 360-753-3850

The Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation organized and existing under the provisions of the Washington Nonprofit Corporation Act (Chapter 24.03 of the Revised Code of Washington) with a Tax ID # 91-1898726. Your contributions are fully tax-deductible as allowed by law.



Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County Mission Statement:

“Helping Gardeners Grow” by supporting programs that cultivate knowledgeable

gardening and promote quality of life for Thurston County.

720 Sleater-Kinney Rd SE, Ste Y

Lacey, WA 98503

WSU Master Gardener Program Purpose Statement: ―To provide public education in gardening and home horticulture based on researched-based information from WSU Extension.‖

2008 Foundation Board

President: Nancy Mills

Vice President: Joan Hoffmeyer

Secretary: Toni Gazhal

Treasurer: Sharon Brown

Member-at-large: Deb Welt

State Representative: Bill Longnecker

Documents

The Common Sense Gardener - MGFTC · Mentor to 2008 Interns to contact me with your interest and questions should you have them. I will then send prospective mentors the mentor Fact