NEWS OF THE CHINLE CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY JUNE 2017 VOL. 9 NO. 6

To promote knowledge, enjoyment, cultivation, and conservation of cacti and other succulent plants among its members, other individuals and organizations throughout West-Central Colorado

JUNE PROGRAM

“HOW TO” PROGRAM FOR IN-DOOR PLANTS The Regular Meeting of the Chinle C&S will be on June 8th at the Universalist Unitarian Church and feature Don Campbell instructing us on the care and cultivation of indoor cacti and succulents. At our last meeting we were given an educational program and outdoor succulent and cactus gardening. Now, the other side of the coin will be offered, with many tips, do’s and don’ts of indoor gardening.

As we know, indoor cacti and succulents can be beautiful, unique, bizarre and problematic!! Take advantage of this program to maximize your indoor gardening efforts and reduce potential failures. As always, feel free to bring any plant you have that you would like to share with the group or get advice if your plant is a “problem child!”

Spring is here…

…along with bugs and critters that come with the warmer weather. Shown above is a vigorously growing Cylindropuntia whipplei with cactus bugs (Chelinidea vittiger) having a tasty feast. (Photo sent by Kate Weissenburger)

Succulent Morsels

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MAY GARDEN PARTIES Participants at the May 6th Garden Party at WCBG included Maryann & Loren Benoit,Don Campbell, Janet & Bill Hassell, Rachel Lloyd, Deb Mallory, Walt Scheer, and Kate & Ken Weissenburger. As you can see below, they had their hands full with weeds, bindweed, and overgrown garden specimens.

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Above, Walt Scheer and Don Campbell wrestle with an overgrown cholla

Kate Weissenburger attacks the Gardeners’ Nemesis, bindweed

Rachel Lloyd adds some youthful energy to the garden party!

Above, Deb Mallory & Bill Hassell (below) clean up weedy beds.

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On May 17, at the CSU Extension Garden, an energetic group of Chinle gardeners worked right up to 11 am, when “the game” was called on account of rain! These brave souls included Maryann & Loren Benoit, Lois Davidson, Janet & Bill Hassell, Walt Scheer, Kate Weissenburger, and two guest gardeners (soon to be members,) Leslie Joanas & Eric Baltes.

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On the left, Dynamic Duo, Kate Weissenburger and Maryann Benoit join the Three Musketeers, Ken Weissenburger, Loren Benoit & Don Campbell (on the right) for a well-deserved break.

Welcome Leslie & Eric

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follow-up on the Community Alliance for Education and Hunger Relief At the March 2017 meeting, our featured speaker, Dr. Curtis Swift, shared information about a special project with which he is involved at the Western Colorado Community College as part of the Community Alliance for Education and Hunger Relief. The Alliance has recognized that seasonal fruits and vegetables are among the hardest foods for hunger relief agencies to acquire. Colorado State University, Colorado Mesa University/ Western Colorado Community College, hunger relief organizations, educational institutions, and individual volunteers have come together to develop a program that increases the amount of food for hunger relief while engaging the community in meaningful ways. Working together as the Community Alliance for Education and Hunger Relief (Community Alliance), their goals are to:

• provide high-quality nutritious fruit and vegetables at a scale (~60 tons per year) that makes a meaningful impact on local hunger relief efforts;

• provide service, civic, and education engagement opportunities around the acquisition of that food to strengthen our local community;

• provide education in commercial vegetable production to agricultural students from Colorado Mesa University and the Western Colorado Community College; and

• enhance K-12 STEM education with service learning programming.

The Community Alliance is initiating four ambitious projects to further these goals: community orchard harvests; vegetable production; K-12 STEM enrichment and service learning, and nutrition education. Dr. Swift is involved with the vegetable production component of the project by teaching a class on veg and herb production for the WCCC. Curtis explains that “During the course of the last classes, participants planted and cared for the transplants needed for the project. Three WCCC students have also been hired to manage the 3 acre project from my classes. I'm serving as a consultant to the project and will be available at the CSU Research Station on B-1/2 Rd southeast of Grand Junction on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8am to noon to answer questions and work with students and volunteers.to provide training on site.”

If you are interested in participating as a volunteer in this project, please contact Dr. Amanda McQuade at Amanda.McQuade@colostate.edu or 970-462-2113

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The claret cup (echinocereus triglochidiatus (L) and yuccas (R) were performing well at the CSU

garden Wednesday morning, 5/17/16.

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WHAT’S UP ON THE OLD GORDON TRAIL In late May, Walt Scheer did one of his favorite hikes in the Colorado National Monument and captured these images of early spring blooms of Indian Paintbush (top left), Fishhook Cactus (top right) and fruits of the Escobaria missourensis (bottom).

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ANOTHER LOVELY BLOOM IN SITU Tom Burrow sends us this image as described here: “Here is a photo of an Engelmann Hedgehog (Echinocereus engelmannii) that I took today. This is a plant I put out in the yard several years ago. The flower is about 2-1/4" in diameter. The grass posing with it is one of the clump grasses I'm trying to encourage. It's obviously winter-hardy; and it needs supplemental water only during drought conditions. It gets some supplemental heat and light because it's a few feet from the south side of the house; but it gets late afternoon shade from a bush.”

BE ON THE ALERT FOR APHIDS By Kate Weissenburger & Janet Hassell

As the weather heats up, here come the aphids, ready to sap young sprouts of their juices, and leave behind their shiny and sticky excrement called “honeydew”. An infestation can seem to occur overnight with the right weather conditions. On their summer hosts, aphid populations can really explode thanks to the fact that they normally reproduce asexually and females give live birth to daughter aphids. Aphid populations can grow exponentially in a very short time! The most common plant victim of aphids in our demonstration gardens are yucca blooms, but aphids plague a huge variety of trees, ornamental plants and vegetables. Aphids weaken plants by sucking sap (phloem) out of plant cells, turning leaves yellow and stunting shoots. Their honeydew attracts ants and promotes the development

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of sooty mold, which is disfiguring and can inhibit photosynthesis. Aphids can further harm plants by transmitting disease. Aphids feeding on leaves will sometimes produce leaf curling. And if you weren't already depressed, in North America there are about 1,300 different species of aphids.

How to Control Aphid Infestations.

1. A best practice when it comes to aphids is to catch them early before their population on a plant has exploded. When their numbers are relatively small they can often be controlled using conservative (non-chemical) methods. And keep in mind that plants can handle a moderate aphid infestation with no long term harm.

2. Avoid over-fertilizing: high levels of nitrogen promote aphid reproduction. Use

slow release fertilizers and apply them in small amounts over the growing season instead of applying all at once.

3. Once you spot aphids, haul out the hose. Try washing them off the affected plant using a high pressure stream of water or by using a hand towel. A large portion of the dislodged aphids will not be able to find their way back onto the plant. Spray water early in the day so that plants have a chance to dry off and will be less hospitable to fungal diseases. Repeat as needed. Water is without doubt the most environmentally benign (and inexpensive) method of aphid control!

4. If the infestation is low you will sometimes be able to control aphids by pinching or pruning off infested leaves or other plant parts. This may be the only practical non-chemical solution for curled leaves in which the aphids are protected from a water spray.

5. Aphids are defenseless against their natural predators: most notably ladybugs (especially ladybug larvae) and lacewings. Various species of parasitic wasps are also effective at controlling aphids. You may see what's known as aphid "mummies" which are the remains of wasp-parasitized aphids. Encourage these beneficial insects by minimizing or avoiding pesticide use. Although ladybugs can be purchased for aphid control, most (up to 95% in research studies) ladybugs will fly away within two days of their release. Ants that are attracted to aphid-infected plants by honeydew will protect the aphids from their natural predators. So, a major part of aphid control is to discourage ants with baits or traps.

6. In instances of extreme infestation, chemical controls may be necessary. The best choice is to use insecticidal soaps or oils. These kill aphids by suffocation and must come in direct contact with the insect. These products are applied with water and should not be applied to stressed plants or when the temperature is greater than about 90F. Thoroughly drench infested plants, including the underside of leaves and the inside of curled leaves. Follow the label and test the product on a small part of the plant a few days before application to make sure that the plant is not sensitive. These products can kill some of the aphid's natural enemies if they are directly contacted by the spray. However,there is no "residual" activity to kill beneficials that stop by afterwards.

7. Insecticidal soaps that contain pyrethrins may be more effective against aphids than soaps or oils alone. Pyrethrins are harmful to beneficials but they break down fairly rapidly, within hours of their application.

8. Other insecticides that are used for aphid control include carbaryl, malathion, permethrin and acephate. As a last resort, these contact insecticides can be quite effective, but they also can have negative short- and long-term environmental consequences, including killing the aphid's natural enemies and other beneficial insects. Systemic insecticides, such as imidacloprid, can be applied to the soil for aphid control. These are taken up by the plant and kill aphids when they suckthe plant's sap. These products will also harm pollinators and beneficials and, like contact chemical insecticides, do not break down rapidly and should only be considered as a last resort, when all else has failed and if control is truly necessary.

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….AND ANOTHER INSECT PROBLEM…

FIELD TRIP TO VERNAL AREA FULL OF FASCINATING SITES & SIGHTS! - PART 1 Twenty-seven members and guests were led by tour coordinators, Don Campbell & Ken Weissenburger, to the Pariette Wetlands, Canyon Pintado, The Rangley Museum, Fantasy Canyon and a “hands-on” primer of Gilsonite formation and mining technology, with many cactus hunts interspersed among the destinations. Special kudos to Ken Weissenburger and Don Campbell who put together the tour itinerary and made the several trips to the areas we visited ahead of time to work out the details. We all appreciated their efforts and acknowledged how well everything worked together. Thanks again!

Participants included (L to R): Glenn & Deb Mallory, Susan Hayes & her niece, Rachel Lloyd; Lois &Forbes Davidson, Sheri Skeie, Julie Bursi, Kate Weissenburger, Don Campbell, Leslie Renquist, Pat Hughes, Ken Weissenburger, Bill & Janet Hassell, Maryann Benoit, Walt Scheer, Ellie Seligman, Loren Benoit, Bret Seligman, Kathy Murdock, Mike Crump & Rita Auer and Katherine McCoy.

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A world class example of one of the cactus “Pest Crowd”, cochineal—seen in the CSU garden, May 17, 2017

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The first day, Friday, we met at the South Orientation Recreation Site on Hwy 139, with our initial destination being the Pariette Wetlands, where we explored for Sclerocactus brevispinus. Unfortunately, we were only able to locate Sclerocactus wetlandicus—(a very acceptable substitute!) Check out the lovely specimens at the top of the next page.

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(L) Loren & Maryann Benoit, Ellie Seligman, Kate Weissenburger & Don Campbell admire a multi-headed Sclerocactus wetlandicus. (R), Bret & Ellie investigate another interesting specimen near-by.

Don “Mountain Goat” Campbell, captures an opuntia image as (L to R) Kate W.,Lois D., Shari S., Julie B., Bret S. Rita Auer & Kathy McCoy watch & search for more cacti.

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Examples of healthy, robust S. wetlandicus at the Pariette Wetlands

Ken gets a photo of a colorful opuntia on the hillside. Above and lower left, , S. Wetlandicus,

We had a lovely, blue-sky day to discover cacti—all of us assuming the “Search” position.

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The site was a source of other treasure—“pretty stones”, according to Don Campbell. And many of us took advantage of scavenging for attractive garden stones with interesting shapes, colors, and origins. Maryann Benoit found this most interesting stone—the envy of all the “Pretty Stone” collectors!

After enjoying our picnic lunch at the Pariette Wetlands, we returned to Vernal and checked into the Antlers Inn, where we enjoyed very comfortable accomodations.

STAY TUNED FOR PART 2 IN NEXT MONTH’S NEWSLETTER FOR VISITS TO CANYON PINTADO, ROCK ART, RANGLEY MUSEUM, GIANT YELLOW PEDIO COLONY, AND DINNER AT THE QUARRY RESTAURANT IN VERNAL.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: June 2017 to Dec 2017

June 3 CSU Extension Open House - Celebrating 20 years Saturday, June 3.- 9am until 2 pm

June 5 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’shome June 7 Garden Party - NOTE CHANGE OF DATE from previous calendar Wednesday,, 8 am at the WC Botanical Gardens - NOTE EARLIER START

June 8 Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: “How To’s for Indoor plants” Presenter: Don Campbell June 17 Garden Party Saturday, 8 am, at the CSU Extension Garden

July 8 Garden Party Wednesday, 8 am, at the WCBG

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Ahhhh! Lunch time at last!

Don C. & Bill H. check out a nice specimen

Maryann’s prize-winning “Pretty Stone”

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July 10 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s Home

July 13 Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm CSU Extension Garden - NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE Program: Making Hypertufa Pots - Susan Honea, instructor July 19 Garden Party Wednesday, 8 am, at the CSU Extension Garden

August 5 Garden Party Saturday, WCBG, 8 am

August 7 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm Dinner, location TBA

August 19 Garden Party Saturday, CSU Extension Gardens, 8 am

August 26 Field Trip to Crumps Greenhouse, Buena Vista (Replaces regular August meeting of the Chinle C&SS)

September 5 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s Home

September 9 Garden Party Saturday, WCBG, 9 am - NOTE CHANGE OF START TIME

September 14 Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: Grafting techniques

September 20 Garden Party Saturday, CSU Extension Gardens, 9 am

October 2 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s Home

October 7 Garden Party Saturday, WCBG, 9 am - ‘LAST OF THE SEASON AT WCBG

October 12 Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm - Program: TBA

October 21 Garden Party Saturday, CSU, 9 am - LAST OF THE SEASON AT CSU

November 6 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s Home

November 9 Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: PHOTO CONTEST PROGRAM

December 4 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s Home

DECEMBER 14 ANNUAL DINNER MEETING

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PUT THIS ON YOUR AGENDA!

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2017 Chinle Cactus and Succulent Society Board

President: Janet Hassell Vice President: Kate Weissenburger Secretary: Deb Mallory Treasurer: Lisa Hamilton Garden Activities Coordinator: Lois Davidson Member at Large: Walt Scheer Newsletter Editor: Janet Hassell

Program Committee: Shari Skeie MeetUp: Lisa Hamilton Web Site: Kate Weissenburger

Chinle Cactus and Succulent Society usually meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Meetings are held in the Unitarian Universalist Church

536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO. Guests are always welcome. Chinle Mailing Address: Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society, PO Box 233, Grand Junction, CO 81502

CHINLE C&SS WEBSITE: www.chinlecactusclub.org

Soapweed yucca and Dward Mountain Cactus (opuntia polycanthia v. schweriana or O. heacockiae), taken May 24, 2017 in Hassell’s backyard.