The Compost

Inside this issue:

Holiday Party 1

CC MG Coordinator

Comments/MG Book

Review

2

Growing Better

Tomatoes

3

Year-End Pollinator

Projects at Melwood

4

Wreath/Greenery

Workshop

5

Calendar/

Beekeeping Short

Course 2019

6

Tree Planting for

Diversity

7

Winter Pruning and

Propagating

8

Where Do Insects

Go in the Winter?

9

“My Purple Collard

Tree Quest”

10

Resources 11

Winter 2019

HOLIDAY PARTY

L.-r.: CC MG Kathy

Jenkins and CC MG

Scholarship Recipient

Hayley Tanner

L.-r.: CC MG Gail Walker and CC MG Coordinator Luke Gustafson

Article by CC MG Tina Bailem; Photos Courtesy of Ashley Madison Jr.

On December 4, 2018, CC MGs celebrated

the season in style at the beautifully decorated

Extension Office facilities. All participated in a

delicious Potluck that featured everything from

fried chicken to lasagna, from ham to beans and

several sumptuous desserts. The atmosphere

was festive and celebratory and CC MGs

enjoyed each others company and the raffle that

followed at the end of the evening. The self-made

wreaths that hung on the walls and decorated the

tables were wonderful gifts to take home. In

addition, MGs had an opportunity to meet CC MG

Scholarship recipient Hayley Tanner who thanked

everyone for receiving it. A wonderful celebration!

The Compost Page 2

COORDINATOR’S CORNER

After a very wet 2018, gardeners and farmers are hopeful for a season that is closer to “average” this year. Many parts of Southern Maryland received over 70 inches of rain in 2018. So far, with few exceptions, the winter has been mild, but we will have to see what is in store for us in February and March!

Looking back at 2018, Charles County Master Gardeners put in 3,636 volunteer hours, had 915 contacts and logged 725 hours of continuing education. Thanks to everyone for all your great work!

The Master Gardener Basic Training Course, planned for February and March, unfortunately was cancelled, due to a very low sign-up.

Please consider participating in the upcoming CC MG Plant Sale preparations as a great volunteer opportunity. Melwood also offers a wide variety of projects to get involved with.

By Luke Gustafson, CC MG Coordinator

THE MASTER GARDENER’S BOOK REVIEW

Last Spring, the Southern Maryland Audubon Society hosted an evening workshop with Nancy Lawson, a Maryland Master Gardener and Naturalist, and author of “The Humane Gardener”. She shared her love and respect for the natural world through personal stories, scientific studies, and beautiful photos from her own yard. I bought and read her book, which included detailed information and color photos that expressed the same charm, wit, and respect for plant and animal life.

Lawson convinces her readers to plant natives, preserve wild landscapes, and welcome all creatures into our yards with enthusiastic attention. An addendum provides lists for digital and print resources, native plant databases, retail suppliers, and a native plant list with both scientific and common names. Finally, she includes notes for each chapter, which include scientific studies

and references to other books.

Her book offers nonjudgmental advice for changing our gardening aesthetic and habits. The subtitle of her book, “Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife”, cultivates us, as well as the plant and animal life in her yard.

In contrast, the second book, “A New Garden Ethic: Cultivating Defiant Compassion for an Uncertain Future” sounds an urgent alarm. Benjamin Voght, owner of Monarch Gardens, a prairie garden design firm in Nebraska, writes passionately about wild landscapes and makes compelling arguments to change how we care for our personal habitats. His forceful arguments convinces me that time is of the essence. He envisions gardening as a form of social justice.

Voght asks, “Can gardens literally save the world? No. Even if they are linked together to create some new hybrid habitat… But gardens are far from pointless: in fact, I believe they are a lynchpin to greater steps - from alternative energy to permaculture-that will save the world.” He ends his book with chapter notes and additional suggested readings.

I rate Lawson’s book a 5 out of 5 stars; Voght’s book a 4 out of 5 stars. I just wish he had chosen to use color photos instead of black and white!

Review by CC MG Kathy Jenkins

The Compost Page 3

At my house, seed catalogs started to pile up in mid-December. After the holidays, when the snow flies - and I am waiting for enough accumulation to justify getting out my snow shovel - it is time to pull out the seed catalogs.

Every year I like to try at least one new variety of tomato in the garden.

This year, ‘Valentine’ has made my list. This indeterminate grape tomato

and 2018 AAS winner is the fruit of a collaborative effort between Penn State

and Johnny’s Seeds and combines high lycopene content (the red tomato

pigment), flavor and a certain amount of early blight resistance. The very

wet summer of 2018 created a great environment for the most common leaf

diseases like early blight, and growing resistant varieties is one of the more

effective ways to ensure a harvest.

If you have had a history of root diseases

that cause wilt like Fusarium or Verticillium, there are varieties that offer

resistance to these diseases. I plan to try ‘Skyway’, a determinate, slicing

tomato variety with wide disease resistance to both those diseases and a

number of others. It has also been bred to grow well under hot summer

weather like we have in Maryland. Any good seed catalog will list the

disease resistance of each variety,

and now a lot of online seed catalogs

allow you to sort by traits like disease

resistance.

When you browse through your seed catalogs keep disease

resistance in mind. Although we can’t control the weather, variety

selection can really improve your chances of a good tomato harvest

this coming season. As you enjoy garden-fresh tomatoes this summer

you can reflect on John Denver’s lyrics, “Only two things that money

can’t buy - that’s true love & homegrown tomatoes”.

https://agsci.psu.edu/magazine/articles/2018/spring-summer/this-tomato-wants-to-be-your-valentine https://all-americaselections.org/product/tomato-valentine/

GROWING BETTER TOMATOES

Article by Luke Gustafson, CC MG Coordinator Beef Tomato ‘Skyway’

Grape Tomato ‘Valentine’

Fusarium Wilt

Verticillium Wilt

The Compost Page 4

CC MG YEAR-END POLLINATOR PROJECTS AT MELWOOD

The gardens flourished during the summer. We observed over 15 different types of butterflies and moths visiting the gardens. We had an abundance of bees and visiting hummingbirds. Three projects were implemented this fall. Gail Walker demonstrated how to create a crate mulch bin. Melwood participants helped build the bin and cleaned up the gardens by removing old plant materials which were then added to the bins.

Karla Costello led the mural arts project. Participants practiced painting flowers on paper. Karla etched the flower diagram on the panels. Soon participants will paint the two 6-foot fence panels that will be placed outside in front of a large propane tank. This country cottage floral painting will provide year-round beauty in the garden. Bulbs were planted in containers and placed in the gardens to provide early pollinator interest and beauty. During the winter, Master Gardeners and participants will study honey bees and hope to have an apiary on-site in the Spring. MGs will be purchasing native flower plugs to grow in the greenhouse in March for our annual CC MG Plant Sale.

Article and Photos

Courtesy of

CC MG Terry Thir

CC MG Pam Sarvis assisting

Melwood participant in

practicing how to paint flowers.

End of Season Garden

Pollinator Garden

CC MG Gail Walker

assisting Melwood

participants in

planting bulbs.

CC MGs Karla

Costello and Sally

Hopp assisting

Melwood participant in

practicing how to paint

flowers for the mural.

Proposed

Mural Design

The Compost Page 5

In preparation of the annual CC MG Holiday Party a group of MGs

met in the afternoon of December 3rd for a wreath making lesson

taught by CC MG Carol Teets.

There was plenty of plant material

brought in by members and saved from a

previous boxwood pruning session at

St. Ignatius Church in Port Tobacco.

CC MG Terry Thir furnished us with

decorative accent materials and wire circles

to make the wreaths with.

CC MG LaVerne Madison presented

other possibilities to use the various materials in bowls and such.

Everybody put forth their best effort and in a relatively short time we were able

to make enough wreaths and decorative bowls for both the hall and ourselves.

Thank you Terry, Carol and LaVerne for a great experience and fun afternoon!

WREATH/GREENERY WORKSHOP

L.-r.: CC MGs Rose Markham and

Kathy Jenkins

L.-r.: CC MGs Marlene Smith and

Marian Bruemmer

CC MG LaVerne

Madison

CC MG Carol Teets

CC MG Sharon Zimmer shows

off a wreath she won in the raffle

at the CC MG Holiday Party.

Photo by Ashley Madison Jr.

Article and Photos Courtesy of

CC MG Tina Bailem

The Compost Page 6

02/26 10:00 am General

Membership Meeting Luke Gustafson Extension Office, La Plata

03/13

+

03/20

09:30 am - 3:30 pm

Bay-Wise Training $50 Janet McGrane

Calvert County Extension

30 Duke St, Prince Frederick

03/26 10:00 am General

Membership Meeting Luke Gustafson Extension Office, La Plata

04/23 06:00 pm General

Membership Meeting Luke Gustafson Extension Office, La Plata

04/27 Celebrate La Plata Luke Gustafson La Plata

04/27 “Rebuild Together” Charles

County Carol Teets TBD

05/04 09:00 am - 2:00 pm

Port Tobacco Market Day Luke Gustafson Port Tobacco Courthouse

05/04 CC MG Plant Sale Luke Gustafson La Plata/Waldorf

05/28 10:00 am General

Membership Meeting Luke Gustafson Extension Office, La Plata

CCMG CALENDAR JAN TO MAY

The Association of Southern Maryland Beekeepers presents a

2019 BEEKEEPING SHORT COURSE

Saturday March 2, 9 and 16 from 9 am – 12 pm

Designed for those interested in getting started in beekeeping. Subject material includes basic honey bee

biology and behavior, beekeeping equipment, pests, hive inspection and seasonal management.

Offered through the College of Southern Maryland, Prince Frederick Campus.

https://www.csmd.edu/programs-courses/ Non-credit Offerings.

Course AAA-8100, $49 Includes 1 year membership in ASMB.

The Compost Page 7

TREE PLANTING FOR DIVERSITY

Plant diversity is a good thing. It supports a wide range of insects and other wildlife and also makes our

landscapes more resilient. As gardeners and promoters of greenspace, we understand some of the benefits of

diversity. This may be relatively easy to do with herbaceous perennials, but with woody plants – especially trees –

it takes a bit more forethought to plan and execute.

Raupp et al. (2006) analyzed tree inventories from 12 cities in eastern North

America from Chicago to Toronto to New York City and found that on average,

about one in three of the planted urban trees were maples while one in ten were

oaks. If a new invasive insect pest of maples arrived, it could devastate the urban

and suburban tree canopy! This is exactly what happened with Dutch elm disease

where elm trees were widely planted and with emerald ash borer in areas with

extensive ash plantings. Dominance of one single species also happens in nature,

and the introduction of a single pest can have devastating effects. See the link

below for info on the history of chestnut blight and American chestnut – one of the

best such examples.

To increase diversity, there are

different rules of thumb, but one

approach that arborists and landscape planners sometimes use is

the 5:10:15 rule. The idea is to plant no more than five percent of

any single species, no more than ten percent of any single genus

and no more than 15 percent of any single plant family.

The next time you are out on a walk in your neighborhood, do an

informal “survey” to get an idea of how many maples and oaks there

are. If you were to remove the four plant families represented by red

maples, Japanese maples, ornamental pears, ornamental cherries,

oaks and crepe myrtles, how many trees would remain? While you

probably do not need to use the 5:10:15 on your individual home

landscape, if you are going to plant a new tree in your yard, consider planting something from a plant family that is

not already growing nearby.

Some less common but good potential landscape trees include Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica), Bald Cypress

(Taxodium distichum), Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), American Smoketree (Cotinus obovatus) and Carolina

Silverbell (Halesia carolina). Virginia Tech’s tree database search helps you easily find trees that grow in the area

and lists them by plant family. This is also a great way to sharpen your plant taxonomy knowledge. The tree that

you plant today can provide a host of benefits and help make your landscape more resilient for years to come.

http://joa.isa-arbor.com/articles.asp?JournalID=1&VolumeID=32&IssueID=6 https://www.apsnet.org/publications/apsnetfeatures/Pages/ChestnutBlightDisease.aspx

https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/community-trees-program/community-tree-resources/diversity-planting-trees http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/factsheets.cfm

https://extension2.missouri.edu/g6810

American Smoketree (Cotinus obovatus)

Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica)

Article by Luke Gustafson, CC MG Coordinator

The Compost Page 8

Winter is the time of year for pruning of trees and shrubs. Instead of tossing

the wood that you prune out, why not make more plants instead?

A number of fruit-producing plants can be readily propagated by hardwood

(dormant) cuttings. Fig, elderberry and currant all root easily. Although not

required for these species, rooting compound can increase the percentage of

successful rooting with harder to root plants.

Dr. Michael Dirr’s Manual of Woody Landscape Plants is a great reference

book for plant propagation. Note that patented varieties cannot be propagated

without a license. See the North Carolina State University Libraries website

for more information.

Below are photos and basic steps to propagate elderberry cuttings.

1) Select healthy-looking plants during the dormant season (December – February in Southern

Maryland). Take pencil diameter or larger cuttings from the parent plant. Each cutting should

have at least two sets of buds and are typically about 6-8” long. Make a straight cut at the top

and an angled cut at the bottom. This helps prevent planting the cutting upside down. Cuttings

can be stored for months in the refrigerator inside a plastic zippered bag and wrapped in

slightly dampened paper towel.

2) Select containers with drainage holes and fill with a fine potting soil

mix. Insert each cutting so about half of the length is buried in the

rooting media.

3) Water the containers and place them in a location out of direct

sunlight. Keep the potting mix moist. Most cuttings will develop

roots within 2-4 weeks and can be transplanted once the weather

warms in the spring or potted up into a

larger container.

WINTER PRUNING AND PROPAGATING THROUGH HARDWOOD

CUTTINGS

One year old currant plants grown from

hardwood cuttings.

Potted Elderberry

Cuttings

Elderberry Hardwood

Cuttings Article by Luke Gustafson, CC MG Coordinator

The Compost Page 9

Insects have a variety of methods for surviving the coldness of winter.

Migration is one strategy for escaping the killing temperatures. The Monarch Butterfly is the foremost example of this maneuver, but other insects migrate into northern areas from the southern states in the Spring. Crop pests are the most obvious of these migrants.

Overwintering as Larvae. Many insects successfully pass the winter as immature larvae. The protection of heavy covers of leaf litter or similar shelters protect the woolly bear caterpillar, while other insects replace the water in their bodies with glycerol, a type of antifreeze! Some grubs simply burrow deeper into the soil to escape the cold.

Overwintering as Nymphs. Not many insects are active in the winter, but the nymphs of dragonflies, mayflies and stoneflies live in waters of ponds and streams, often beneath ice. They feed actively and grow all winter to emerge as adults in early spring.

Overwintering as Eggs. Lesser numbers of insects lay eggs which survive the winter. The most prominent insects in this category are Praying Mantids, and the destructive Corn Rootworms also engage in this strategy.

Overwintering as Pupae. Some insects overwinter in the pupal stage, then emerge as adults in the spring. Moths in the Silkworm Family, Saturniidae, may be found attached to food plant branches as pupae in the winter.

Hibernation as Adults. Many insects hibernate as adults. Lady bird beetles are a well-known example, and are sometimes seen in great numbers in the fall as they congregate at high elevations. Many large wasps seek shelter in the eaves and attics of houses or barns. Tree holes, leaf litter, and under logs and rocks are common shelters for overwintering adult insects. The Mourning Cloak Butterfly is usually the first butterfly that is noticed in the Spring, and this is because it hibernates in tree holes or other shelters during the winter. As in some insect larvae, it reduces the water content of its body, and builds up glycerol which acts as an antifreeze. Honey bees stay in hives during the winter, and form clusters when temperatures fall. They also are able to raise the temperature by vibrating wing muscles.

In general, insects are able to survive cold temperatures easiest when the temperatures are stable, not fluctuating through alternate thaws and freezes. Many insects can gain shelter and nourishment through the winter in a variety of micro-habitats. Among these niches are under the soil, inside the wood of logs and trees and even in plant galls. One kind of fly is known by fishermen to be present in certain galls in winter, and the fly larvae are consequently used as fish-bait. Blankets of snow benefit insects by insulating the ground and keeping the temperature surprisingly constant. Honeybees have been studied during the winter and are found to remain semi-active in hollow trees through the generation of body heat. The consumption of up to 30 pounds of stored honey during the winter months makes this possible. Heat energy is produced by the oxidation of the honey, and circulated throughout the hive by the wing-fanning of worker bees. Insects that are inactive during the winter months undergo a state in which their growth, development, and activities are suspended temporarily, with a metabolic rate that is high enough to keep them alive. This dormant condition is termed diapause. In comparison, vertebrates undergo hibernation, during which they have minor activity and add tissues to their bodies.

Selected References:

Gibo, David L. 1972. "Hibernation sites and temperature tolerance of two species of Vespula and one species of Polistes." New York Entomological Society, Volume 80: 105-108.

Kelsey, Paul M. 1968. "Hibernation and winter withdrawal." The Conservationist, Oct.-Nov.

Lees, A. D. 1956. "The physiology and biochemistry of diapause." Annual Review of Entomology, Volume 1: 1-16.

Palmer, E. Laurence. 1957. "Insect life in winter." Nature Magazine, January.

Parsons, Michael. 1973. "Insect antifreeze." Teen International Entomological Group, winter issue: 13-14.

Prepared by the Department of Systematic Biology, Entomology Section, National Museum of Natural History, in cooperation with Public Inquiry Services, Smithsonian Institution.

WHERE DO INSECTS GO IN THE WINTER?

The Compost Page 10

I have been trying to grow this perennial brassica for about 5 years. I started with cuttings I ordered on eBay and the first cuttings took off well. Unfortunately, they were killed off by fungus gnat larvae before I knew that they were at risk. Since then I have ordered several times from various suppliers with the same result. The cuttings would root and produce new leaf growth and that’s when the fungus gnats would attack. This year I decided that I was declaring defeat and would buy live plants. I still have not eaten the leaves of the purple tree collard and I wanted to own this unique vegetable primarily due to it being an excellent source of vitamin K, A, C, folate, manganese and calcium, and, in addition, it contains a lot of protein. Juiced or raw, it is a super food packer that needs to be in my garden.

Tree Collards are known by various names, Purple Tree Collard, Tree Kale, Walking Stick Kale, and even Green Tree Collard, Green Tree Kale, Giant Walking Stick, or Jersey Kale.

Depending upon your gardening style, lazy or precise, the tree collard can either be staked or allowed to grow naturally, spreading along the ground, hence the moniker of a walking stick.

Tree collards are best propagated from cuttings, they do not dependably reproduce from seed. They can grow between 8 to 10 feet and are productive for up to 20 years. If pruned frequently they will develop a more full leafy growth.

To make things easier on myself, I purchased live plants already rooted. Mind you, at $9 to $15 for 2 or 4 cuttings, plus shipping (the standard being 3 cuttings), I have spent more

than I wish to acknowledge on this quest for my new garden resident.

When I started my mission, purple tree collards were only available as cuttings. Perseverance is a virtue, but they are now available as plants. This is not a cheap date, but I was resolved not to throw more money on the compost pile by buying any more cuttings. I have conceded to the fungus gnats.

The live plants, sold in lots of 3, were purchased from Project Tree Collard https://projecttreecollard.org/ via Amazon for $24.99, plus shipping. They are now doing well in my window box at my kitchen sink growing and getting ready for spring to go into their permanent home in the garden.

MY PURPLE TREE COLLARD QUEST

Packaged Cuttings

Image from https://

ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/

postdetail.cfm?

postnum=20042

UNDER THE SOLANO

SUN,

Seasonal Observations of

the Master Gardeners

Article by CC MG Marguerita Harding

Live Plants

Find us on the Web at:

http://extension.umd.edu/charles-county/home-gardening

Submit articles, photos, reports, events, and other items for publication to Tina Bailem at CompostSubmissions@yahoo.com by April 15, 2019

for the Spring 2019 newsletter. If you send a photo, please include a brief description of the activity and names of persons included in the photo, as well as the photographer’s name.

If you send a photo of a plant, please include the scientific name.

The University of Maryland, College of Agriculture and Natural

Resources programs are open to all and will not discriminate

against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual

orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, or

national origin, marital status, genetic information, political

affiliation, or gender identity and expression.

Published Quarterly by the

Charles County Master Gardeners

University of Maryland Extension, Charles County

9501 Crain Highway, Box 1

Bel Alton, MD 20611

Phone 301 934-5403 or 301 753-8195

Luke Gustafson, CC MG Coordinator Tina Bailem, Compost Editor

Janet McGrane, Compost Calendar

Check out the new Charles County Master Gardener page on Facebook! If you haven't already, please like us and share with your friends. This will be a great way to expand our reach into the community! https://www.facebook.com/charlescountymastergardeners/