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The Greene Leaflet 1 Greene County Master Gardeners
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
The Greene Leaflet News for Greene County Master Gardeners Greene County Extension February 2017
President’s Message…Page 1 Calendar………………..Page 2 Continuing Ed…………Page 2 Announcements .......... Page 3 Did You Know? ........... Page 3 Winter Articles ........... Page 4
Contact Info ................. Page 6
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Happy February to all Fellow Master Gardeners! As we
continue garden activities and project management in 2017,
please utilize all resources available to you on the Volunteer
Management System under the document section. This will
help guide your efforts, mission, objectives, and budgeting
needs during the year.
Buying seeds at the beginning of the New Year is a joy and
you have probably already started! Inevitably, some seeds
may not get used. Seeds may linger in their original packet
due to garden size, amount of seeds, or time available to
manage a large garden. Sharing seeds with fellow gardeners
can be helpful all around. Have a seed ordering party to kick-
off the season! Saving seeds can also be an option, if stored
properly.
Overcome space challenges with vertical garden designs and
proper space planning. Consider overhead trellises for sun
loving climbers. Certain trellis designs use the space
underneath the trellis for vegetables that need a break from
the sun. Remember to leave enough space and access to
retrieve your harvest without damaging plants. There are
many options to consider, so perform research, make a plan,
and get creative!
Happy Gardening!
“All the flowers
of all the tomorrows
are in the seeds of today.”
Chinese Proverb
The Greene Leaflet 2 Greene County Master Gardeners
CALENDAR Feb. 2: Ground Hog Day Feb. 9: Board Meeting Feb. 14: Business Meeting Feb. 20: President’s Day Mar 9: Board Meeting Mar 14: Business Meeting Mar 12: Daylight Saving time begins. Spring forward! April 6: Board Meeting April 11: Business Meeting April 16: National Orchid Day April 22: Earth Day April 28: Arbor Day May 4: Board Meeting May 9: Business Meeting May 13: Spring Plant Sale May 14: Mother’s Day May 20: Armed Forces Day May 29: Memorial Day June 13: Business Meeting June 14: Flag Day June 18: Father’s Day
CONTINUING EDUCATION . February 7, 2017, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Southwest Ohio Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crop Conference. Oasis Conference Center, Loveland, OH (Warren County). Registration materials available by 12/1/16. Fee: approx. $50 February 19, 1:30 – 3:00: Battling Invasive Plants in the Tri-State area, Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati, 2715 Reading Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45206. Contact [email protected] for more information. February 23, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.: Sustainable Urban Landscape Symposium, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. Fee: $49, covers parking and lunch. Call 513-281-4700 or visit cincinnatizoo.org/horticulture/horticulture_events February 25, 10 a.m. – noon: What’s Hot in Gardening for 2017, Wegerzyn Gardens Metropark, Adult classroom, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave. Registration required at 937-275-PARK or METOPARKS.ORG, use class ID T20. $10 fee March 4, 9:30 – noon: Ecological Impacts on Deer; Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati, 2715 Reading Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45206. Contact: [email protected] for more information. March 4, 10 a.m.- noon: Start with Seeds!, Cox Arboretum Metropark, Fifth Third Conference Room, 6733 Springboro Pk., Registration required at 937-275-PARK or METROPARKS.ORG. use class ID T21 $10 fee March 17-18: Great Lakes Region Hosta Society presents Hosta College 2017: On-line registration begins in February. Upper Valley Career Center, 8811 Career Drive, Piqua, Ohio. Visit the website for details: ihostohio.org/portal/glhc. March 18, 10 a.m. – noon: Basic Garden Skills and Tools Review, Cox Arboretum Metropark, Mead Westvaco Theatre, 6733 Springboro Pk. Registration required at 937-275-PARK or METROPARKS.ORG. Use class ID T22 $10 fee. March 25, 2017, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.: Southwest Ohio Beekeeper School. Oasis Conference Center, Loveland, OH (Warren County). Registration opens on 1/15/17. This class is geared for beginner and experienced beekeepers.
The Greene Leaflet 3 Greene County Master Gardeners
Did You Know…… that the Montgomery County Environmental Learning Center is a resource center featuring hands-on, interactive exhibits and a “green” parking lot? The ELC is open to all, who want to learn more about recycling, water conservation, and alternative energy sources. The “green” parking lot is permeable pavement, so rainwater is absorbed. This reduces runoff and prevents water pollution. Asphalt and “regular” pavement do not absorb water. Excess water or storm water runoff carries pollutants, litter, and soil to our waterways. The ELC, with their many exhibits will help you understand the “lifecycle” of a plastic bottle, what your ecological footprint is, how water is misused and mismanaged, how you can practice the three “R”: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Guided tours are offered to all organizations free of charge. To schedule a tour, call 937-225-4999.
The ELC is located at 2500 Sandridge Dr., Moraine, OH 45439. Go to www.mcswd.org. Sources: Montgomery County Environmental Services brochure
ANNOUNCEMENTS February 18-26: The Columbus Dispatch Home & Garden Show at Ohio Expo Center in Columbus. Save the Date: February 18-19, 2017 10a.m. to 4p.m. Miami Valley Orchid Society Spring Show. Cox Arboretum MetroPark. February 9-11: 38th Annual OEFFA Conference, at the Dayton Convention Center. Visit oeffa.org/conference2017 for more information or call 614-421-2022 Save the Date: Central Ohio Perennial Flower School held in Clark County is March 2,2017 Save the Date: March 11, 2017 Miami Valley “Leave No Child Inside” Summit at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark. Save the Date: Bus trip to Mission Oaks Gardens, April 26, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This is a fundraiser for the Wegerzyn Gardens Foundation; fee is $86, which includes lunch. Register at 937-275-PARK or METROPARKS.ORG. Use ID T93. Wegerzyn Gardens Metropark Auditorium, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave. This is not an organized GCMG event. Save the Date: May 13 is the Spring Plant Sale in the Buckeye Room. Save the Date: September 29 – 30: State MGV Conference in Columbus, OH. Hosted by Franklin and Fairfield Counties.
*PLEASE NOTE* All Master Gardeners are invited to submit
Newsletter articles for publication. Your article can be about a recent visit to a special garden, a favorite vacation spot, a do-it-yourself garden
project, garden manager updates, or just helpful gardening tips. Photos are welcomed.
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MG Winter Activities By Diane Bish
These days it can be hard to get children away from their "electronics". With the holidays over, repurposing that fresh cut Christmas tree into a Bird Feeding Station can be a fun activity for young and old alike. If there is no cut tree, choose any tree in your yard visible from a window where you can watch the feeding station. You will need to gather some materials for hanging items on the branches: pliable wire (such as floral wire), pipe cleaners, string (cord or yarn) and a large needle. You will also need bird food items: popcorn (unbuttered & unsalted), apple slices, orange slices or orange halves, chopped nuts, birdseed. Pinecones can be smeared with peanut butter (lard or shortening), rolled in birdseed and hung on the tree (click on Pinterest website). Popcorn can be strung as garlands and alternated on the strand with apple, cranberry, small grapes, raisins or unsweetened breakfast cereal such as cheerios. It can also be strung on smaller lengths and shaped into circles for hanging. When using wire, other shapes (strung with food) can be created. Orange halves that have already had the juice & pulp extracted can be filled with: 1 part shortening or peanut butter, 1 part flour, 2 parts oats, 1 part birdseed. Mix it all together and fill the orange half making sure you have put your wire or string hanger on it first. It can be hung horizontal or vertical. Due to weather conditions or heavy feeding, you will need to replenish the food throughout the winter so keep supplies handy. You may even want to invest in a bird reference guide to help you identify the different birds at your bird feeding station. Also be aware that other creatures may visit this station but they are fun to watch as well. For additional information on winter bird feeding, click on website (Penn-state extension). Enjoy!
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/pinecone-bird-
feeders/ http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/wildlife/landscaping-for-wildlife/pa-wildlife-11 Other references used: 101 Things for Kids to Do Outside, Dawn Isaac, Kyle Books, 2014
Poinsettias
By Joyce Wailes
Recipe for suet cakes
1- cup crunchy peanut butter 1- cup lard or suet 2 cups quick cooking oats 2 cups cornmeal 1- cup flour 1/3- cup sugar Melt peanut butter and lard or suet in saucepan. Mix remaining ingredients in separate bowl. Allow suet and peanut mixture to cool slightly; then add the oat mixture. Fill recycled tuna cans and
refrigerate until solid.
5
During the Christmas Holiday season over 34 million poinsettias are purchased which accounts for 23% of all potted plants purchased. There are over 100 varieties of poinsettias available today. California is the largest supplier of poinsettias. The Poinsettia is native to Mexico and can grow 10-12 feet high. Ambassador to Mexico, Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett brought the plants to the USA in 1828. Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not poisonous, but they don’t taste good and can cause upset stomach with nausea if ingested. The sap can cause irritation to the skin and the sap may affect those who have a latex allergy as they are related to the rubber plant. It is best to keep the plants away from dogs and cats as the leaves can cause nausea if ingested. The plants are adversely affected by too cold or too hot temperature. If the temperature falls below 50° or gets over 70° the leaves will drop. Keep the soil moist, but if the roots stay too wet then Pythium root rot can occur Many people throw out their poinsettias as the leaves drop and the holiday season is over, but Poinsettias can re-bloom. Once the plant appears to no longer be useful around March, trim it back to about 8” leaving 2-3 leaves on each stem. They can be pruned to the desired shape and size until mid-July. The plants can be put outside in a partially shaded area in the summer. At the end of August, stop pruning and be aware of outside temperatures if the plant is outside. Because poinsettias are short-day photoperiodic plants, they set buds and produce flowers as the nights lengthen, which causes them to bloom naturally during November or December. They need at least 14 hours of darkness and 10 hours of daylight every 24 hours beginning October 1. The lack of light during this period is crucial, so move the plant into a dark area such as a closet or put a box over it every night remembering to place it under light he next day. This process causes the plant to bloom and change the bracts to their color. The actual flower is the small yellow/green bud.
There is no reason to throw out your poinsettias as you can enjoy
them year after year.
Resources http://extension.illinois.edu/poinsettia/facts.cfm http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/indoor/flowering/hgic1561.html http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/poinsettias-7-412/ https://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/points.htm http://plantclinic.tamu.edu/factsheets/caring-for-poinsettia-at-home/
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Next Newsletter Deadline: February 25th
We welcome all suggestions, thoughts, calendar dates for this newsletter.
Please e-mail your comments, articles, photos, and dates to:
The Greene Leaflet Editor – Christine Nelson-McComb at [email protected]
Karen Reed at [email protected]
Greene County Master Gardener 2016 Officers:
Co-Presidents – Steve and Karen Reed (374-3289 and 623-7618)
Past President – Judi Engle (937) 427-3063
Vice President – Dan Denham (937) 212-8450
Secretary – Susan Wagers (767-7801)
Treasurer – Connie O’Brien (937) 431-0738
ExOfficio Board Member:
Kim Hupman, Horticulture Program Assistant (937) 372-9971 Ext. 128
Board Members At Large:
Marcia Hilty (878-1111)
Kathy Gall (937) 848-3799
Janette Braun (937) 212-3565
Christine McComb (937-427-4772)
Greene County Extension Office
100 Fairgrounds Road
Xenia, OH 45385
Brien Kleinke, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources
Office Hours: Monday – Thursday
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Phone: (937) 372-9971 Ext. 114
Fax: (937) 372-4070
Email: [email protected]
URL: www.greene.osu.edu
CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information: http://go.osu.edu/cfaesdiversity.
Hotline Contact Information:
Phone: (937) 372-9971
E-mail: [email protected]
