September 2010

MG EVENTS

Steering Committee Meeting

Extension Office September 7 • 6:30 pm

MG Intern Classes Extension Office

September 7 — November 2 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm

MG Plant Exchange Lowe Park

September 25 9:00 am - 11:30 am

Coordinator's Comments By Bev Lillie

Once again we have completed the interviews for a new class of Linn

County Extension Master Gardener

interns. As is often the case, and is this year, potential Master Gardeners

come with lots of gardening knowledge. They are eager to learn,

and share their knowledge with

others. Please welcome those who will be taking classes and volunteering

to obtain their 40 hours so they can be a part of this program.

Please note the class schedule included in the Germinator this

month. If there are classes that interest you, please take advantage of

the opportunity to get more information, and meet the new class

of interns.

If you are available to volunteer for a

session to check the interns in please contact me. You would need to be

here at 6:00 p.m., and would be

through at 6:30 p.m. then you could take advantage of education hours

following that. In addition, if you would be willing to mentor one of the

2010 interns please let me know.

Don‘t forget that those who are

compiling the Germinator now are (continued on page 2)

Vol. 22, No. 9. Editor: Lisa Slattery September 2010

S M T W Th F S

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September

‗‖We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes

have roses.‖

Abraham Lincoln

2 Germinator

(Coordinator‘s Comments continued from page 1)

Mike Anderson, Jean Murray and Lisa Slattery. If you have information

that should be inserted into Germinator news, please let one of these three Master Gardeners know. It is a learning process for them, and

they are doing a great job – making sure that Linn County‘s publication is one of the best.

Master Gardener Plant Exchange By Kay McWhinney

Fall is a great time to divide perennials that have outgrown their space or need a new location in the garden. September is also a great time to

plant new perennials. If you are interested in adding new plants,

perennial flowers, herbs, or woody plants to your garden, come to the first Master Gardener Plant Exchange. It will take place at Lowe Park on

Saturday, September 25, from 9:00 to 11:30. You may bring any number of plants and take home an equal number of ―new to you‖ selections.

Not only will you enjoy the process, but also tour the new green house at

Lowe and see a demonstration on greenhouse culture. Refreshments will be served. Bring your plants and a lawn chair. Please call the Extension

before Wednesday, September 22 if you are planning to come. Call Kay McWhinney at 377-6612 if you have questions.

Garden Walk 2011 By Dolly Brown

Yep, Garden Walk 2011 is already on the calendar, June 11 2011. This

may be a change from what you have heard. But, one thing the Garden

Walk committee has learned is to be flexible and ready to apply what we learn each year. This year the weather and host gardener‘s comments

helped us rethink having a late/fall Garden Walk. The later the walk the longer the host gardeners have to continue to manicure and maintain

their gardens through whatever Mother Nature throws at them. The

Japanese Beetles, other pests, and critters also have a longer season to munch and chomp. That said, we are now looking for host gardens for

the upcoming June Walk. If you saw the gardens this year, they had a wide range of appeal. Your garden may be just what someone would

like to see and learn from. Please consider offering your garden for the

walk not only for its visual pleasure, but also for its ability to offer a learning experience to the public. Contact Dolly Brown if you are

interested at 377-8811.

September 2010 3

Brucemore Art & Garden Show By Debbie Main, Committee Chair

Co-Chairs: Carson Fixmer and Bev Lillie

Many thanks go out to all the MG

volunteers who continue to make this a successful event. It can‘t happen without

you! This year we celebrated the 100th

anniversary of the formal gardens on August 28. It was a gorgeous, sunny day

and the crowd was very enthusiastic about Bill Oliver‘s Main Stage Presentation

on Heirloom Vegetables which he continued in the demonstration area. Bill

displayed lots of heirloom veggies from

various MG‘s gardens.

We received lots of positive remarks from the large crowd

that visited all the beautiful demonstration booths. Thanks

to each of you for donating the extra time to make this such a

nice event! Once again, a

special thank you to Larry Spina for the use of his large

white tents, they really brighten up our area. If you missed the

event, please visit the gardens, you‘ll get lots of great planting ideas!

Jo Dillon and Bill Oliver display a variety of heirloom vegetables.

Master Gardeners offered visitors several different booths full of information.

Co-Chair Carson Fixmer identifies plants in the formal gardens for some visitors.

Co-Chair Debbie Main with a visitor at the heirloom vegetable display.

4 Germinator

Volunteer Spotlight on: Beth Greif Interview by Peggy Moore

At an early age Beth was introduced by her

parents to a large garden and a fruit orchard. So there was no arm twisting when Donna Anderson

suggested she join the Linn County Master

Gardener Program. Beth‘s parents are native Iowans, and Beth grew up in western Iowa coming

to Cedar Rapids to attend Mt. Mercy College.

Today Beth enjoys a vegetable garden with special emphasis on the

veggies needed to make salsa. She and her husband, Roger, prepare the salsa together. For the past couple years, Beth has grown her vegetable

plants from seed. This was a new experience for her. Beth & Roger‘s dog, Sadie, shares the yard with them and loves to play in the dirt. This

has prompted Beth to move to a lot of container gardening for her flowers.

Since becoming a master gardener in 2007, Beth‘s volunteer interests have been primarily in the Winter Gardening Fair, May Plant Sale, and the

Rose Garden at Lowe Park. Learning the importance of good soil was a lesson Beth learned early. She says she could teach a class on improving

the soil, and works annually at improving it.

Beth works full time as a clinical laboratory scientist, enjoys photography

and hunting with Roger (mostly wild turkey and deer). She also enjoys hunting morel mushrooms (I couldn‘t convince her to share her sites with

me!!)

When asked about a memorable gardening experience, she quickly

responded. Sharing her gardening adventures with son, Jeremiah, when he was 4 or 5 years old, was a really great experience. He has an

architectural technologies degree, and is gardening with containers at his apartment in Ames. Their son, Joshua, is in the graphic design program

at Iowa State.

I especially like morel mushrooms, and I haven‘t given up on convincing

Beth to share her knowledge!

September 2010 5

Things We Love: Heuchera By Charlene Woeste

Don‘t names like Key Lime Pie and Crème Brulee sound just good

enough to eat? Well you don‘t eat these, but when you plant them and

others in the shade garden, it will come alive with color. These are the names of two recent varieties of Heuchera or coral bells that I have

placed in my Heuchera & Hosta garden. These two, and many others planted there, have become my newest loves of gardening. I have had

many loves connected with this passion I have had for many years. From roses, to day lilies, to hybrid lilies, to hosta, and now heuchera, I

have had many kinds of plants to enjoy. I still love and enjoy them all.

Heuchera or coral bells are native to the United States and thrive from

North to South and East to West. They will tolerate extremes in temperatures, and produce tall airy flowers in white, pink, coral, and

red. Many have such colorful foliage that it can cause you to stop in

your tracks when you first see them. Others, besides those mentioned, which are real show stoppers, are Midnight Rose, Miracle, Georgia

Peach, Caramel, Beaujolais and Tiramisu. The list could go on and on.

In my earlier gardening days, we

seldom saw Heuchera. We called them coral bells back then, and they had

green foliage and pretty pink blossoms. Their name was Bressingham Pink and

they made lovely border or accent plants. I still have some of them today.

Then Palace Purple came out, creating

a hybridizing frenzy which hasn‘t stopped yet. New varieties are

hybridized each year.

Heuchera are not tricky to grow. The

best environment for them is a well-drained organic rich bed in partial shade. Keep the plants watered and mulched throughout the growing

season. Remove the spent flowers to increase bloom production. Every three or four years divide the mature clumps in the spring. Replant the

young, vigorous divisions and dispose of the old, woody stems.

As to where you should plant them, well, just let your artistic nature

shine. Try using them with hosta as I have. I know you will like them.

Huechera Caramel

6 Germinator

MG Intern Classes Sept. 9th - Nov. 2nd Tues. & Thurs 6:30 – 9:30 pm. Linn Co. Extension conference room More Info: See class schedule listed for details. Registration: Call 377-9839 to reserve a seat.

Native Prairies Sept. 9th 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Shellsburg School Cafeteria/Prairie Tour to Follow Sponsor: Benton County Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM) and Trees Forever More Info: Ann Jorgensen Benton County IRVM Chair annjorg@netins.net 319 477 5131 or 319 472 3903

Educational Gardening and

Landscaping Tour Sept: 17th 8:30 am. — 5:30 pm. Fort Dodge Iowa Registration: $25 Sponsor: Federated Garden Clubs of Iowa Landscape Design and Gardening Study Consultants. More Info: Call 515-232-8300 or

e-mail gtrip@isunet.net in Ames or 515-576-6021 or pmmoody@mchsi.com in Fort Dodge.

2010 Upper Midwest MG Conference Sept. 16-18 Clock Tower Resort, Rockford, IL Registration: $155 Sponsor: Univ. of Illinois MG Program More info: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/mg/conference2010/

Education Opportunities

Germinator News By Lisa Slattery

The Germinator team would like to send out a big thank you to everyone

who has submitted articles and photos for the newsletter. If you are interested in writing articles or taking photos for the newsletter, please

contact Bev Lillie and she will send your contact information to the team.

Also if you are receiving a printed copy of the newsletter, have access to

the electronic version, and no longer need a printed copy, please let Bev Lillie know as well. We are always trying to save our trees and

printing expenses.

When submitting items for the Germinator please send them to all three

editors: Lisa Slattery, tlslats@mchsi.com, Mike Anderson, mla85@mchsi.com and Jean Murray, jeanm3@gmail.com since we all

share layout duties. Thank you again for your continued support!

September 2010 7

Kirkwood Demonstration Gardens By Becki Lynch

The demonstration gardens are progressing

beautifully, as you can see in the pictures. This

is the second year for the

Iris‘, Daylily, and Grasses beds, and they are

healthy and sturdy, although certainly not at

full growth yet. Due to low ground for some of

the iris, Phyllis Olson, Linda Schneider and Jean Minehart re-planted some

of them on a higher mound in late August.

The new shade hosta bed, was planted in early July, and is doing well, although right

now there is a lot of space between them.

Just wait a couple years, and I‘m sure we will have a full bed! The signage has been

ordered, and we should have it on the bed this fall.

Thanks! to the wonderful Master Gardeners

who have maintained the beds throughout

the season and will continue through October – Tom Roe, Melanie Light, Dora Bopp, Linda

Schneider, Judy Peek, Phyllis Olson, Sue Usher, Jay McWherter, Danielle Wangsness, Jean Minehart, JoEllen Funk,

Dick Harrison, and Linda Hinzman. There was nary a weed! And the

Kirkwood folks were once again very helpful by providing the beds, compost, and mulch.

We will be meeting with

Kirkwood in the fall to talk about next year, and what

beds we want to work on

next. If anyone is interested in joining our

team, just contact me through e-mail,

dax080@hotmail.com.

8 Germinator

Hot Topix The following Q&A‘s that are frequently asked of Hortline volunteers in September.

Q1: How can I over-winter a geranium?

A: There are several ways to over-winter garden geraniums indoors

successfully. Before frost, pot individual plants, take cuttings, or store

bare root plants in a cool, dry place. For all methods, select only plants that are healthy and disease-free.

Potted Plants: You can bring a potted geranium inside and cut it back to 1/3 to 1/2 it‘s original size. Treat the plant just as you would a

houseplant, keeping it in a sunny location and turning it regularly. You

may notice that the plant beings to get leggy. If this occurs, don‘t hesitate to cut it back to encourage a full, compact plant.

Cuttings: Using a sharp knife, take 3- to 4-inch stem cuttings from the terminal ends of the shoots. Pinch off the lower leaves, then dip

the base of each cutting in a rooting hormone. Stick the cuttings in a rooting medium just far enough to be self-supporting. Place a clear

plastic bag over the cuttings and container to prevent wilting of the

foliage. Then place the cuttings in a bright light, but not direct sun. The cuttings should root in 4 to 6 weeks.

Bare Root Plants: Another option is to dig an entire plant from the ground and shake off all the soil from the roots. You can either hang

the plant upside down in a cool, dry place or put one or two plants

together in a paper sack. The foliage will die back as winter progresses. On a monthly schedule, soak the roots in water for one to

two hours, then hang back up or put back in the paper sack. In mid-March, simply pot the geraniums and trim back all of the dried leaves.

Treat as a houseplant by placing in a sunny window as described above. You will have a nice, full geranium by the time temperatures

warm up enough to plant outside.

Reference: RG 320–Growing / Overwintering Garden Geraniums.

Q2: When should I dig my caladiums, calla lilies and cannas and how do I store them for next year?

A: Caladiums, calla lilies and cannas require slightly different harvest and storage procedures.

Caladiums: After the foliage dies back in the fall, carefully dig the

tubers and lift them out of the ground. Be careful not to nick the tubers because any damage to the tubers creates a perfect place for

disease to enter. Don‘t attempt to remove excess dirt from the tubers after digging them. Place them in a warm, dry place to ―toughen up‖

September 2010 9

and cure. After about two weeks, the tubers should be dry and you can

be a little more aggressive in removing any excess dry soil. Store the tubers at approximately 50 degrees in a paper bag or shoe box that can

breathe. Use a material such as perlite, sphagnum moss, vermiculite or even sand to keep the tubers dry throughout the winter.

Calla lilies : After a frost has damaged the foliage, cut off the tops

about 2 inches above the ground. Dig up the calla rhizomes and let them dry out for a week or two, then bury the rhizomes in a box of

vermiculite, sawdust, or peat moss and store in a cool (45 to 55 degree F) place. Do not let them freeze. Cannas: Wait until a killing frost

damages the foliage, then cut off the stems about 3-4 inches above the ground. Dig up the rhizomes, let them dry a few hours and place them

in crates or mesh bags. Store at 35 to 45 degrees F.

Reference: www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2008/sep/060401.htm

Q3: Why are my evergreens turning brown?

A: Although most conifers stay green all year, most people do not

realize that evergreens don‘t keep all their needles all the time. Just

when the oak trees lose their leaves, most evergreens also drop needles — but not all of them. While an oak tree grows all new leaves every

year, most conifers grow a new tuft of needles on each branch, to add

to the several years worth of needles it still has. Each year in the fall, it loses the oldest needles (those closest to the trunk). This normal

phenomenon is called seasonal needle loss or fall needle drop. Some of the most noticeable examples of seasonal needle loss occur on white

pine and arborvitae. The innermost needles turn bright yellow before

dropping in the fall, and usually the ground under a white pine is covered with fallen needles, even though the tree is perfectly

healthy. The fallen needles can serve as natural mulch under the tree. Seasonal needle loss is least obvious on spruces and firs, which retain

more years worth of needles, but even on these plants the natural loss can be noticeable in occasional years. Although some needle loss occurs

on conifers each autumn, it tends to be more noticeable on some trees

than others and more pronounced in some years than others. It is not unusual for a tree‘s needle loss to be unnoticeable for many years,

before an especially dramatic autumn. Some stresses such as drought seem to make the needle loss more severe in certain years.

Reference: www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2007/oct/070502.htm

10 Germinator

Steering Committee Minutes August 3, 2010

Attendance: M. Anderson, L. Azeltine, B. Brown, D. Dietz, K. McWhinney, D. Main, J. Michels, T. Roe and L. Smith

Guests: B. Lillie Announcements: None

Approval of Minutes of July 6, 2010 Meeting: Minutes were

approved unanimously.

Financial Report (T. Roe): The Financial Report was amended to include several late June receipts and expenses. The amended 2010

year ended with total Income of $16,951.80 and total expenses of $23,083.21. The balance going forward into 2011 fiscal year is

$18,157.57.

Committee Reports:

Lowe Park (S. Foley): The Park is looking great with lots of variety and color. We will be participating in the Marion Swamp Fox Festival

with MG‘s available from 1 to 3 to answer visitor questions. The

greenhouse, if completed, will be open to visitors. Kirkwood Garden (B. Lynch): The hosta bed was completed July 8th.

Part of the iris bed was replanted raising them on mounds because of poor drainage. A meeting is planned this fall with Kirkwood to discuss

next year‘s plans. Creative Gardening Series (Hinzman,B. Johnson): Nothing to report.

Winter Gardening Fair (D. Main): Everything is on schedule for the

February 2011 fair. The committee is looking for additional MG speakers for presentations. There is a question on availability of the

Horticulture building to be resolved with KCC. The general layout for the program guide is in process and will be provided to C. Benesh

shortly.

Brucemore Garden and Art Show (D. Main, C. Fixmer): Volunteer forms have been sent to all MG‘s to work this event. Arrangements

have been made to use L. Spina‘s tents this year. Brucemore is expected to begin advertising the event in the near future.

Children‘s Garden/Lowe Park (D. Main): Funding has been received

from Rockwell Collins to begin the project. Project schedule will be established after meeting with the Marion Parks Department.

Garden Walk (B. Brown): The event was a success with comments on the variety of gardens shown. Attendance was lower than last year.

This may be a problem with the July event timing. To be discussed at the wrap up meeting. People came from a considerable distance to

attend the walk.

Expert Education/Continuing Education (D. Fouts): No report.

September 2010 11

Media (D. Dietz): All brochures were distributed at various locations and

at other events taking place prior to the Garden Walk. Financial Planning (T. Roe): Nothing to report.

Speakers Bureau (D. Walser): No report. From the Ground Up (P. Ervin): No report.

Granger House (J. Dillon): No report.

Heritage House (D. Bopp): Everything is going well. Requested a MG with vegetable experience to look at the garden and make suggestions on

improvements for this and future growing seasons. Plant Exchange (K. McWhinney): Scheduled for September 25th from 9

to 11:30 at Lowe Park. Exchange will include woody plants this year. Project Independence (G. Johnson): No report.

Intern Interviews (M. Anderson): Seventeen people have signed up with

interviews starting later in the week. Committee is composed of M. Anderson (Chair), L. Hayward, S. Foley, D. Walter and J. Kash.

Master Gardener Coordinator Report (B. Lillie): Schedule of intern classes is available with date, class and presenter listed. Looking for a MG

volunteer to assist with each class; please contact Bev if you are

available. Classes will begin September 9. A schedule will be provided to all MG‘s at a later date.

A letter was received from Deb Law requesting to be placed on inactive status because of employment and health issues.

Old Business:

Greenhouse construction continues with the west door and insulation

around vents installed. Temporary electrical to roof vent installed to allow its operation until permanent electrical is completed. The east

double door will be installed shortly. A letter will be sent to the City thanking them for the assistance of the Parks employees in the

construction of the greenhouse.

New Business: Storage space will be made available in the Parks new building for our use.

Next Meeting: September 7, 2010 Meeting will be in the mailroom /workroom.

The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully Submitted: Tom Roe, Secretary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964.

REGION 10 MASTER GARDENERS INTERN CLASS SCHEDULE FOR 2010

6:30 – 9:30 P.M.

LINN COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE – 3279 7TH AVENUE, MARION, IA 52302

LARGE CONFERENCE ROOM

ISU CAMPUS DATES – CLASSES 9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.

DATE CLASS PRESENTER

THURSDAY

SEPTEMBER 9, 2010

ORIENTATION STAFF

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

SOILS/BOTONY BURRAS/BOUSSELOT

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2010

TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT MINNER

*THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 23,

2010

HOUSEPLANTS WALSER

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2010

PLANT PATHOLOGY/ENTOMOLOGY

GLEASON/LEWIS

TUESDAY OCTOBER 5, 2010

ANIMAL ECOLOGY CHRISTOFFEL

*THURSDAY OCTOBER 7,

2010

HERBACEOUS

ORNAMENTALS

JAURON

TUESDAY OCTOBER 12, 2010

IPM/PESTICIDES LEWIS

SATURDAY OCTOBER 16, 2010

ISU CAMPUS ISU STAFF

TUESDAY

OCTOBER 19, 2010

LANDSCAPE TREES/SHRUBS ILES

*THURSDAY OCTOBER 21, 2010

VEGETABLES O’MALLEY

SATURDAY

OCTOBER 23, 2010

ISU CAMPUS ISU STAFF

TUESDAY

OCTOBER 26, 2010

FRUIT CULTURE DOMOTO

*THURSDAY OCTOBER 28, 2010

COMPOST CAREW/BABINAT

TUESDAY

NOVEMBER 2, 2010

HOME LANDSCAPE DESIGN VANDERZANDEN

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 4,

2010

FALL CELEBRATION MASTER GARDENERS/STAFF

* INDICATES FACE TO FACE – NOT WEBCAST CLASSES AT THE EXTENSION OFFICE