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Weed of the Month - lambsquarters; Svalbard Global Seed Vault; mini melons; Florida pinesnake; September animal events; recipes; book reviews and more!
Citation preview
11
Inside this
issue:
Seeds for the
Future
2
Mini Melons 3
Coming Soon! 3
Good Guy 4
Walk on the
Wild Side
4
Food for
Thought
5
News and 5
Book Review 6
Let’s Get
Serious
6
Events 7
8
Last Word 9
...for discerning weeders September, 2013 An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication
WEED OF THE MONTH By Jenny G.
DON’T FORGET TO
LOG YOUR HOURS
ONTO THE VMS
SYSTEM!
Click here to enter
August/September! This is the height of sum-
mer weed season!! Garden beds are sharing
space with a host of annual weeds. Young
Chamberbitter-looking like mini Mimosa trees—
are everywhere. Ground-hugging Spurge
sprouts up every minute or two! You’ll likely
find Florida Pusley hugging the ground as well—
sporting its 2-four petaled white flowers. Oxalis
masquerading as a Clover look-a-like, Dollar-
weed, loving this rainy, summer weather and a
host of other weeds are vying for space.
Common Lambsquarters, Chenopodium al-
bum, is present too. This rapidly-growing sum-
mer annual weed can grow from a few inches to
a grand 6 feet! This extremely variable growth
behavior depends on location and enables the
plant to adapt to many environmental condi-
tions. It is often found along roadsides or in
open fields. Yet plants found in lawns or gar-
dens may produce seeds when only a couple
inches tall!
Lambsquarters really prefer the rich soil of our
flower gardens or vegetable beds. Its leaves vary
in shape from triangular to ovate to lanceolate.
The first two true leaves are opposite and ovate
with smooth edges. Later leaves are alternate,
arrowhead-shaped with unevenly –toothed edg-
es. At the top of the plant, the leaves become
long and narrow.
Leaves are pale green and covered with a white
or gray coating that give the appearance of frost;
but the undersides can be purplish. Flowers are
small, inconspicuous, yellow-green, and occur
in clusters at the tips of branches and upper leaf
axils. Flowers occur from July to September.
Seed color varies from black to brown to brown-
ish-green. A single plant can produce thousands
of seeds which can persist in the soil for years.
These seeds have been known to survive 30-40
years!
The weedy nature of Lambsquarters comes
from its adapta-
bility rather than
from the aggres-
siveness that
characterizes
many other
weeds.
Lambsquarters is
not destructively
competitive; its survival depends primarily on
seed production. Once pollination and seed set
occur, so many seeds are produced that a carpet
of Lambsquarters can emerge even in fields fre-
quently cultivated. Seed longevity ensures the
continued presence of seedlings for years after a
population is apparently controlled. New infes-
tations of Lambsquarters are patchy, but stands
soon become so dense that they may smother
crops.
The best methods of weed control in the home
vegetable garden are mulching, hand pulling,
rototilling, hoeing and preventing the weeds
from going to seed. Because of its short,
branched taproot, Lambsquarters can be easily
hand-pulled from moist soil. the seeds are so
persistent in the soil, removal of escapes from
the garden before they set seeds is critical for
long-term control.
Prevention by use of good cultural habits
should be the first line of defense in eliminating
broadleaf weeds such as Lambsquarters from
lawns and gardens. Pre-emergent herbicides can
be used to prevent germination of this weeds
seeds. Post-emergent herbicides effective
against broadleaf weeds are 2,4-D, MCPP and
dicamba (sold under many brand names) and
combination formulas. Read labels to be sure
the herbicide is effective against the weeds you
want to eliminate and carefully follow labeled
directions. Continued on page 2
22
Weed continued
You can find more information on this tenacious weed at the following links:
Penn State Extension—weed id
Colorado State—Weed
Lehigh Valley Master Gardeners
SEEDS FOR THE FUTURE By Ed S.
Some have called this the "Noah’s Ark for Plants" and some even
call it the "Doomsday Seed Vault." These names may offer a con-
cept of this important project but the official name of "Svalbard
Global Seed Vault" is derived from the physical location and its
purpose.
The seed vault is on the tiny island of Spitsbergen which is part
of the Arctic Svalbard archipelago approximately 810 miles
south of the North Pole. This location was selected for its tecton-
ic stability, extremely cold temperatures, elevation (430 ft.) and
remoteness. While there are estimated to be about 1400 other
official seed collections around the world, only Svalbard has the
capacity to withstand world class cataclysms.
The purpose of this seed vault is to provide a secure resource
should traditional plant gene banks suffer a lost of diversity.
Even though this is the stated mission it was considered prudent
to design the facility to withstand the ravages of man and time.
The storage capacity is in excess of 4.5 million varieties of plant
seeds and they are supplied from countries around the world. All
donated seeds remain the property of the contributor. Various
varieties of wheat, corn, rice and other grain crops were some of
the first to be housed.
Seeds are stored on metal shelves in heat sealed 4 ply envelopes
at a temperature of 0º F which is the recommended standard. By
design the temperature should never rise above 27º F even with
an extended power outage. This should provide viable seeds for
hundreds of years. Under these conditions grain seeds could stay
viable for thousands of years.
Construction and operational expense have been provided by the
government of Norway. Excavation began in 2006 and the vault
became operational in 2008. Although they do not maintain a
permanent on site staff, electronic monitors maintain a constant
vigil. The vault is normally opened to accept seed contributions
once a year.
The following details provide a better understanding of the phys-
ical characteristics. The only visible portion above ground is re-
ferred to as the "fin." This rather narrow entrance shaft has high-
ly reflective stainless steel mirrors and prisms above the dual
blast proof doors. These surfaces serve the purposes of an artistic
display as well as a highly visible reflective beacon for future gen-
erations. The entrance shaft extends 390 ft. through limestone to
three storage chambers. Meter thick concrete walls help to main-
tain the structure stability and temperature.
Gary Fowler was the instigator of the project and his 17 minute
presentation at a TED conference is also very informative. I high-
ly recommend it. You can say this man has truly made a differ-
ence. Visit the site at : Gary Fowler: One seed at a time, protect-
ing the future of food
A good gardener always plants 3 seeds -
one for the bugs, one for the weather and one for himself.
- Leo Aikman
33
MINI MELONS By Karen H.
Single-serving cantaloupes? Yes, you can grow that! All you need
is a little space and the right seed variety. Miniature watermelons
are also a possibility for your garden. As the popularity of these
mini melons increases, seed companies are developing varieties
with improved characteristics.
The miniature 6-inch watermelon was developed by crossing
wild dwarf varieties of melon found outside the U.S. with com-
mercial strains with the goal of producing mini melons with thin
skins and a very flavorful flesh. The mini watermelons are made
seedless by generating two “master” hybrid lines: one with the
usual two sets of chromosomes and one with four sets. When the
two are crossed with one another, they produce seedless fruit
with three sets of chromosomes!
What is the attraction of these mini
-melons? Well, they're cute as heck.
But aside from that, those who
can't consume a huge melon may
welcome the smaller size. And the
minis leave more room in the re-
frigerator. Consumers have the
choice of many colors, flavors and
textures to consider. Mini water-
melons are striped as well as solid-
colored, with dark-green skins.
There's even a yellow mini watermelon. Mini cantaloupes and
muskmelons come in red, orange, yellow and yellow-orange flesh
colors. Most parts of a melon are edible — the flesh, rind and
seeds. Melons are high in vitamin C, fiber and potassium. The
more colorful the melon's flesh, the higher its antioxidant con-
tent. Red and orange fleshed types contain carotenoids, a known
cancer fighter.
Melons are a vining crop and they tend to sprawl, which is not a
problem if you have plenty of space. If, however, you are space-
challenged and need to grow your crops vertically, melons are
going to require support. Here is a good article about trellising
your mini-melons. http://tinyurl.com/mwgfd5y
And should you wish to grow your mini-melons in containers (as
I would be likely to do in my small intensive gardening space)
this article has advice on how to do that: http://tinyurl.com/
ll2ujya
Some of the mini-cantaloupe varieties developed in recent years
are 'Little Sweeti', 'Serenade', 'Tasty Bites', 'Hales Best' and
'Hearts of Gold'. And for those who prefer honeydew, there is
'Mini Muskateer'. Some smaller watermelon varieties are:
'Emerald Gems' and 'Pony Red Mini Watermelon'. Melothria
Scabra, or 'Mexican Miniature Watermelon', produces watermel-
on-looking fruit that are only 1-2 inches in diameter. The fruit
taste and rind are more like a cucumber, though. Other true mini
watermelon varieties include 'Bush Sugar Baby' and 'Golden
Midget'. The most difficult aspect of growing mini-melons seems
to be locating seeds! I've put together the following list of sources
and I hope it's helpful to you if you decide to add mini-melons to
your garden:
Cantaloupe and watermelons:
http://tinyurl.com/lnlukz3
http://tinyurl.com/k93ehtc
http://tinyurl.com/lezu3e4
Here's a mini muskmelon: http://tinyurl.com/lfjrquu
Baker Creek Heirlooms also has a
variety of mini-melons http://
tinyurl.com/ldu2zqq
Burpee Seeds also offers a variety
of bush cantaloupe that would be
ideal for the small garden: http://
tinyurl.com/ld8uad9
And now, it's time for true confes-
sions. I don't like melons, not one
little bit. Never have. I don't like the taste, the smell or the tex-
ture of them. They're one of the very few fruits I dislike. Yes, I
was the neighborhood weirdo when we were kids and everyone
else was digging into ice-cold watermelon on hot summer after-
noons. I suppose I had a popsicle. And I'm still the weirdo who
surreptitiously picks the melon out of her fruit salad. However, I
must say that while researching and writing this article I was
smitten by some of those very cute little melons and since I al-
ways welcome a new gardening challenge, I think I will grow
some of them next summer. And promptly give them away when
ripe. Bon appetit to the rest of you melon lovers! :)
COMING SOON!!
Do you have a gardening question? Send your questions to The Compost Pile and the Garden Guru will answer them!
Do you have an item to sell? Something that you are looking for? Interested in a trade? Send your information in to The Compost
Pile and they will be added to the Farmer’s Market page!
As always, if you have an article, picture or idea...send it in to The Compost Pile! All submissions are welcome!
Submissions for The Compost Pile are due no later than the 24th of each month for inclusion in the next month’s issue.
44
ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS By Linda M.
Florida pinesnakes mate in spring and the early summer; dur-
ing this time, males actively seek females across large areas of
their habitat. Females lay 4–8 very large, white, leathery eggs in
June or July. Eggs are typically laid in an existing underground
cavity or burrow. They hatch in approximately 2 months, requir-
ing a much longer incubation period than most snakes.
Pinesnake hatchlings are also larger than most snake hatchlings,
with an average length of 15 inches.
Habitat fragmentation and habitat destruction for extensive
commercial and residential development and the roads that
accompany development are the most significant threats to the
survival of Florida pinesnakes. In order to conserve Florida
pinesnakes, we must protect large tracts of upland habitat, ac-
tively manage this land using prescribed burning, and maintain
the connectivity between habitats. Like many large snakes, Flor-
ida pinesnakes require large tracts of habitat – the home range
of a male snake may be as large as 400 acres – and cannot thrive
in small habitat patches.
Most importantly, we can help to conserve Florida pinesnakes
(and other snakes) by learning more about them and educating
others.
Sources of information: Florida Museum of Natural History
The Florida Pinesnake: Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus by Ga-
briel J. Miller, Steve A. Johnson, and Lora L. Smith,
Publication #WEC 251
WA
LK
ON
TH
E W
ILD
SID
E
Courte
sy L
inda M
.
Here we are with Fall just around the corner along with
the most active month of hurricane season. Migrating spe-
cies will be seen and lots of other wildlife activity. Here's
what to look for:
Birds
Get feeders ready for returning birds.
Bald eagles return to nest sites and begin courtship. Bald
eagles live near rivers,
lakes, and marshes
where they can find fish,
their staple food. Bald
eagles will also feed on
waterfowl, turtles, rab-
bits, snakes, and other
small animals and carri-
on.
Mammals
Gray bats migrate to Alabama caves for winter hiberna-
tion.
Amphibians
Start listening for Spadefoot toads after heavy rains.
Spadefoot toads are so named for a single, sharp edged,
black spade that occurs on each of the hind feet. This fea-
ture enables the amphibian to burrow vertically into sandy
or loose soils.
Fish
Atlantic sturgeon begin fall migration from the Suwannee
and Apalachicola Rivers as well as other coastal rivers to
the Gulf of Mexico.
Fall Mullet migration to the gulf begins.
Invertebrates
Blue crabs migrate from the shallow panhandle coast to
deeper water for the winter. The blue crab (Callinectes
sapidus) supports one of Florida's top commercial fisher-
ies in terms of pounds harvested and dockside value.
Blue crab "jubilee" also begins along panhandle beaches.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Carol B., Jenny G., Shirley H., John P., Gail S., and Lynne T.
55
FOOD FOR THOUGHT By Lee V.
Blueberry Preserves
2 1/2 cups blueberries,
stemmed and washed
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 T. lemon juice, fresh or
from the bottle
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 box powdered pectin
Combine blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves and
nutmeg in a large nonreactive pan over high heat. Bring to a boil
stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add pectin quickly
then return to heat. Boil for two minutes, using a wooden spoon
to crush the berries. Remove from heat and pour into two 1/2
pint jars. Store in refrigerator for up to three weeks.
Two-in-One Pear Condiment
Wash, peel and core five medium ripe pears saving the peels.
Wrap the peels in muslin, tie and place in a large non-reactive
pot. Cut the pear flesh into inch pieces and add these to the pot.
Add one cup of water. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce
to medium heat and cook until the pear flesh is tender, stirring
to keep from scorching. Remove from heat. Separate the juice
from the flesh by straining through a colander, squeezing as
much juice as possible from the pear peels in muslin. Discard the
pear peels.
Recipe number one - Pear Jelly
3 cups pear juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 T. lemon juice, fresh or bottled
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 T. powdered pectin
Place the pear juice, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice in a pan.
Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the pec-
tin then return to a boil for one minute. Pour hot mixture into
1/2 pint jars.
Recipe number two - Pear Butter
2 cups cooked pear flesh
1 cup sugar
2 T. honey
1 T. lemon juice, fresh or bottled
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
Process the pear flesh in a food processor to a consistency you
desire. If you like chunky pear butter, chop the flesh roughly. For
smoother butter, process longer. Combine the pear flesh, sugar,
honey, cinnamon and lemon juice in a pan. Bring to a boil over
high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium low and
cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring to prevent scorching. Pour hot
mixture into 1/2 pint jars.
You may omit the cinna-
mon from these recipes.
Other spices you may try
are nutmeg, ground
cloves and allspice to
your taste. Remember,
pears have a delicate fla-
vor and using too much
of any spice may subdue
that flavor.
NEWS AND NOTES Links and information courtesy of our Master Gardeners
Another view of genetic engineering:
The Race to Save the Orange
Tomato chlorotic spot virus, first reported
in 2012. 5-page fact sheet.
Asiatic garden beetle Maladera castanea
in Florida. 3-page fact sheet.
Florida Peach and Nectarine Varieties. 8-
page fact sheet.
Companion to the Florida Vegetable Gar-
dening Guide—Organic Vegetable Garden-
ing in Florida.
Scarlet-bodied wasp moth (Cosmosoma
myrodora)
10 PowerPoint Tips
Wondering what sort of snake you’ve en-
countered? Not sure how to find out what
it is? Florida Museum of Natural History
has a great snake identification tool.
Thinking about trying your hand at can-
ning? Been canning for a while and won-
dering if you are doing it right? You can
download the USDA Complete Guide to
Home Canning—FREE.
THE ONLY
REASON I KEEP
THIS
IS TO
FIND
THIS!
66
LET’S BE SERIOUS ABOUT CEREUS! By Lee V.
Many of you grow night blooming cereus. Did you know that the
term "night blooming cereus" applies to at least nine different
species of cactus? The term "cereus" simply defines a family of
epiphytic or columnar cacti some of which are night blooming.
The most common, Epiphyllum oxypetalum, is grown through-
out the world as a houseplant while others, such as Hylocereus
undatus, is grown commercially as a food source, dragonfruit.
Peniocereus greggii has an underground tuber and very thin
above ground stems. It is native to the southwestern United
States while Echinopsis pachanoi grows vertically to several feet
tall and is native to South America. It is grown primarily as an
ornamental feature but, in its native environment, is also used
medicinally and in certain religious ceremonies.
Harrisia is a night bloomer native to South America, the Carib-
bean Islands and south Florida. It has been introduced into oth-
er countries and is considered an invasive. In Southeast Asia,
this plant is grown atop walls to discourage invaders, human and
animal!
Monvillea appear throughout
tropical America and their stems
have three to five ribs, typically
thin, with stout spines. Nycto-
cereus has many thorns and its
pinkish flowers are very fra-
grant, like gardenias. Selenic-
ereus is native to the Antilles
and Central America and is very
rare in cultivation.
Trichocereus is a group of co-
lumnar plants from South Amer-
ica which vary from very large
tree-like plants to low clumping
and sprawling forms and have
white to pinkish large tubular flowers.
So, as you see, although you may have a night blooming cereus, it
may one of may different varieties.
Ephiphyllum oxypetalum,
courtesy of Ed F.
BOOK REVIEW By Marg S.
What do you do when you found the ‘perfect’ plant, one that you
started from seed, and you want to grow it again. The problem is,
you don’t remember where you got the seed. Now you could
spend hours scouring the internet and seed catalogs OR you
could save the seeds from the plant you are growing.
Most of us have saved seeds at some point or another. But if you
want to take your seed saving to a whole new level, there are two
books you should seriously consider.
Seed to Seed: Seed Saving
and Growing Techniques for
Vegetable Gardeners by Su-
zanne Ashworth and fore-
word by Kent Whealy and
pictures by David Cavagnaro.
This book is over 200 pages
describes the techniques for
saving seeds of 160 different
vegetables. There is detailed
information about each vege-
table including its botanical
classification, flower struc-
ture, means of pollination,
required population size, isolation, techniques. Also included is
information on harvesting, drying, cleaning, and storing the
seeds. I should warn you, if you haven’t tried the recommended
method for saving tomato seeds, it’s gross.
The Complete Guide to Saving
Seeds: 322 Vegetables, Herbs,
Fruits, Flowers, Trees, and
Shrubs by Robert E. Gough and
Cheryl Moore-Gough is another
great book. This book includes
descriptions of seed biology,
tips on how to select plants for
the best seeds, proper storage
and care, propagating and car-
ing for new seedlings—all in
fairly easy-to-follow instruc-
tions. This book includes woody
ornamentals and a section on
trying your hand at hybridizing whereas Seed to Seed does not.
Both books run about the same price on Amazon.com between
$14 and $17 paperback editions.
Seed to Seed receives 4 1/2 tomatoes
out of 5.
The Complete Guide receives 5 tomatoes only because it has
more than vegetables included.
77
General Membership Meeting
September 4th 9:00am
Crestview Extension Office
3098 Airport Road
Crestview, FL 32539
SATURDAY
SEPTEMBER 28, 2013
9AM TO 3PM
NORTHWEST FLORIDA FAIRGROUNDS
1958 LEWIS TURNER BLVD.
FT. WALTON BEACH
33RD ANNUAL
FLORIDA MASTER GARDENER
CONTINUED TRAINING CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 20-23, 2013
EMBASSY SUITES ORLANDO
LAKE BUENA VISTA SOUTH
KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA
NOTE:
THE 3 DAY CONFERENCES ARE GOING TO AN ALTER-
NATE YEAR SCHEDULE. THE NEXT CONFERENCE
WILL BE HELD IN 2015.
88
FLORIDA PECAN FIELD DAY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH
8:30AM (EDT)
JEFFERSON COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE
2729 WEST WASHINGTON STREET
MONTICELLO, FL
LIMITED PESTICIDE TRAINING AND EXAM
SEPTEMBER 17, 2013
8am to 3:30pm
3098 AIRPORT ROAD
CRESTVIEW, FL 32539
International Citrus & Beverage Conference
September 17-20
Sheraton sand Key Resort
Clearwater Beach, FL
SAFETY FIRST FOR ALL
SEPTEMBER 16TH
3:30PM TO 6:30PM
DESTINY WORSHIP CENTER PARKING LOT
122 POINCIANA BLVD.
DESTIN, FL
99
Your member site:
www.ocmgamembers.org
The Foundation for the Gator
Nation.....An equal opportunity
institution.
Have pictures or an idea for
an article?
Send it in!
Articles and pictures are
always welcome.
It’s been a pondering sort of week
here at the homestead.
To begin with, I understand that cats
will get hairballs. I also understand
that those hairballs need to be, ahem,
ejected on occasion. Why is it that this
never occurs on the vinyl flooring and
must be accomplished over several lo-
cations.....on the carpet??? I did my
best to explain the logic of vinyl versus
carpet to the culprit of the day but I
doubt my argument worked very well.
I also attempted to convince the cul-
prit of the early morning that a dime
sized hole in the food dish, does not
mean that starvation is imminent and
therefore does not require repeated
meowing and/or paws to the face in
order to get me out of bed well before
the appointed time.
At some point during the week I de-
cided that I was bored with my normal
morning cereal, I bought one of those
variety packs to see if there was some-
thing else that would appeal to me.
Fruit Loops™, now there’s something I
haven’t had in quite a while. When the
heck did purple and blue end up in
there??? I’m sorry, but there is also
something very wrong with seeing
“WHOLE GRAIN!” and other such
stuff on a box of cereal that I used to
consider ‘fun.’ They didn’t even taste
like Fruit Loops™.
This was reminiscent of the great Jell-
O 1-2-3™ disaster of 2012? Anyone
remember that stuff? That was the one
you mixed up and it separated into 3
distinct layers. I decided that I really,
really, wanted some of that. I couldn’t
locate it in the stores, nor anywhere on
-line. It seems that it went off the mar-
ket in 1996.
Being an intrepid soul, I decided to
give the recipes out there that claim to
duplicate it a try. But you only get 2
layers. Gone is that middle layer of not
quite Jell-O™, not quite foamy.
Football season is here and now there
is some rule in place for high hits. Pret-
ty soon they’ll be running up and down
the field slapping each other instead of
tackles. In the midst of pondering some
of the rule changes of late, our HD TV
showed that there are certain camera
angles that are just plain WRONG!
Certain angles of the front line—no—
they should not be shown.....ever.!!!!
Between the rain and not being able
to work in the yard means that my gar-
den looks pitiful.
This all just means that I’ve been pon-
dering a lot more than normal. Ponder-
ing why we’re quick to get rid of things
and so quick to change others. Some-
times, yes, it’s for the good...but why do
we accept it when it’s just plain awful?
Oh sure, the hairball fiasco is not the
end of the world. All it requires is a bit
of elbow grease on my part and the
world rotates on its axis as per usual. A
bit of planning on my part in the even-
ing will eliminate the ‘empty dish’ syn-
drome.
I’ll find another cereal—considering
all the ones with chocolate somewhere
in the mix...that shouldn’t be too diffi-
cult. I’ll accept that the dessert of my
childhood just doesn’t exist anymore
and get over it.
I’m getting more able to work outside
in the yard so I know after a few days of
work the garden will look nice again.
I suppose that is the lesson learned—
even though hairballs happen, things
change or go away, cameras will not
always show our ’good’ side and gar-
dens will get weeds...nothing is perma-
nent and it all can be worked with,
around, and through.
So the next time you end up with a
‘pondering’ sort of week...just remind
yourself that tomorrow is another day
and smile.
Marg S.—Editor
Shari F., Karen H. and
Linda M.—Co-Editors
LAST WORD By Marg S.