The Newsletter March 2016 Volume 23 Number 2mgofmc.org/Private/newsletters/mgnews0316.pdf · P5 Living Wall P6 Sunflowers and Seeds P6 Food Drive P7&9 Nature Notes P8-9 Fungus Among

The Newsletter Page 1

A Publication of Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County Master Gardeners

CONTENTS

P1-2 Plant Expo P3-4 Committee News P5 Living Wall P6 Sunflowers and Seeds P6 Food Drive P7&9 Nature Notes P8-9 Fungus Among Us P10 Volunteer Tales P11 History of BJB Tips P12-14 March Tips P15 Calendar of Events P16-17 Exec Board List

Cooperating Agencies: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and County Boards of Chosen Freeholders. Rutgers Cooperative

Extension, a unit of the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experimental Station, is an equal opportunity program provider and employer.

The Newsletter

March 2016

Volume 23 Number 2

Plant Expo and Garden Market 2016 will be held on Saturday,

May 14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mercer Educational Gar-

dens. Five Garden Market vendors are in place and Bruce

Young is planning and planting the many varieties of tomatoes,

peppers and other veggies that will be offered. We are on our

way to another successful event. There will be Cool Plants for

Very Cool Gardeners again this year! The always popular

Home-Grown Plant and Second-Hand Items sales will be our

top priority. Many Master Gardeners have joined us in brain-

storming and planning this year’s event. Each year the Garden

Expo gets bigger and better as MGs work smarter. Join us in

organizing and carrying out this great event. Sign up online

through Sign-Up Genius. Instructions will be sent via Onelist

and are located


PLANT EXPO continued

( continued on page 2) in the Helpline Room at Ex-

tension. We will keep you up to date on all event activities via email and the April meeting.

Spring is just around the cor-

ner so think about what’s in

your garden beds, sheds and

garages! Think about what

you have in your garden that

may need dividing or just a

few plants you’d like to share

with the public. Our home-

grown perennials are what

attract our return customers

to our sale, so think about

what you can dig up and

share. Always in demand are

shade-loving and deer re-

sistant plants and unusual or

interesting perennials for

which you include a picture in bloom. Don’t overlook your shrubs and small trees. Don’t

have anything to share in your own garden? Join in a “Big Dig” or help one of the garden

committees when they dig and divide at MEG.

The “Big Digs” team will gladly help divide

your overgrown clumps. The team will as-

sist by potting up and staking claim to those

extra plants. Get in touch with Diane Hen-

nessy as soon as possible or contact one of

the Expo Co-chairs (Ann Calder, Carol

Bencivengo, Harri Nowrey or Stephanie

Foy) to arrange a Big Dig at your place.

Small Dig? Ask some MG buddies to help.

Just entice them with a couple “giveaways”

to take home and they will be there! MGs

are always willing to help each other.

We need lots of help on the days that lead up to the sale, especially the three days immedi-

ately before the sale and, of course, on the BIG DAY itself. We need your support! Come

out and join us. Graduates and Interns are all welcome! It’s a great way to get involved in the

organization, make new friends and learn a lot about plants along the way.

Plant Expo and Garden Market 2016 Co-Chairs:

Carol Bencivengo, Ann Calder, Harri Nowrey and Stephanie Foy


Community Education Committee by Ann Vaurio

The first Community Ed program of the season was a huge success. On a beauti-

ful January Saturday morning a capacity crowd of 50 people came out to the

Tulpehaking Nature Center in Hamilton. We heard a presentation by Dr. Chris

Obropta (pictured at right), Associate Professor in Rutgers’ Department of Envi-

ronmental Sciences. He is the founder and director of the Rutgers Water Re-

sources Program. He made a compelling and entertaining case for the imple-

mentation of rain gardens to help with storm water management. The combina-

tion of this state of the art facility with the expertise of Rutgers made for a partic-

ularly engaging and successful event.

The Barbara J. Bromley Lawn Care programs on four Wednesday evenings in February are well

under way.

The next scheduled Community Ed program will be in April. Our Mercer County Extension

Agricultural Agent, Meredith Melendez, will talk about the basics of soils, including the many

different types of soils, the importance of soil tests and fertilizers, and soil amendments. Her

presentation will take place in the conference room of the Mercer County Equestrian Center.

Following her presentation, master gardeners will lead attendees to the MEG compost sites and

will demonstrate composting techniques.

Cottage Garden Committee by Janet Sheppard

When I went out this morning to deliver my kitchen scraps to my compost, I wondered if the

ground would ever warm up for Spring! Our Cottage

Garden Committee knows spring will come, so we’ll

be getting together to select the plants we want to add

to our sweet little garden in a few weeks. It’s amazing

how we manage to grow so many plants in our tiny

space! I’m hoping someone will suggest we add some

orange poppies this season; I know we all want holly-

hocks! Last fall we had to clear out the overgrown mint

to have lots of space to replant with new plants.

This year

we plan to

learn more

about de-

sign and

choose New

Jersey alter-

natives to

our favorite English flowers. We’re a small group but

we get a lot done. If you haven’t chosen a garden to

participate in at MEG, please consider helping with ours. Contact, Janet Sheppard, chair of the

Cottage Garden Committee by email at [email protected]

COMMITTEE NEWS edited by Mary Whitlock


Extension Garden Committee by Jeanne Mroczko

The Extension Garden Committee will meet on March 15, 2016 at 1:30 pm in the main meeting

room at Extension. The committee extends a warm welcome to the Interns, Class of 2016. Please

join in our efforts to rejuvenate the gardens in

front of the Extension Office. This is a great op-

portunity to work with experienced Master Gar-

deners on activities ranging from plant selection,

to dividing/relocating plants, as well as pruning

and garden design. Please bring your ideas and

enthusiasm and join us in creating sustainable gar-

dens at Extension.

Herb Committee by Jacque Davis

This committee is co-chaired by Grace Rarich and Claudia DeFino. At our last meeting we recog-

nized new and prospective members and had an informative “mini-course PPT” on the medicinal,

culinary, and even spiritual uses of hardneck & softneck garlics in history by Pat Frawley. Educa-

tional tips for harvesting, canning, as well as sampling with veggie herb-infused vinegars made by

Denise Hansson’s company “Marjorie’s Mix” were presented. Jane unearthed helpful and

healthy lifestyle news regarding herbs. We also tended to committee business such as filling emp-

ty slots, tours and trip planning updates by Stephanie, and a MEG meeting notes review from

Nancy Putnam. Our meeting culminated with the serving of “High Tea” and refreshments on

Grace Rarich’s gold rimmed china accompanied with garlic bread, and garlic soup with Umami

paste. Black garlic clove giveaways were distributed for planting by June, while the scones, made-

leines, Japanese teas & orange curd were served by Cindy Capritti. All in all, the meeting was

quite educational as well as “herbliciously” edible.

NOTE: Please see respective committee members for websites, source references, and other relat-

ed information. The Herb Committee meets every 3rd Tuesday in the Extension Meeting Room at

10 am. Please join us.

Hours Committee by Barbara Gliddon and Bonnie Ferriolo

December 31st marked the end of the fourth quarter and the end of year. All hours have subse-

quently been reported to Barbara J Bromley.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Linda Ward and Sheryl Shupel for their help and

advice during this transition period. As we move forward, we continue to encourage all MG’s to

enter your hours electronically and don’t hesitate to call Bonnie Ferriolo (609-758-8348) or Bar-

bara Gliddon (609-895-9513), if you need any assistance. Thank you for your cooperation.

Symposium Committee by Nora Sirbaugh

You can still registrar for Symposium, but at the late $90 fee rate. We are about 20 from maxi-

mum registration! It’s time to send in your registration now!

COMMITTEE NEWS continued


LIVING WALL TOUR by Lee Nissen

On January 15, a group of MGs visited a beautiful living wall located on the Rutgers Cook Cam-

pus in the new Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health. The building itself is mostly glass and

steel, and thus is the perfect site for an enormous planted wall, 40 feet high by 33 feet wide and

featuring over 6000 different plants.

The best living walls are gorgeous tapestries of varying plants weaving through each other and

something is always blooming. These walls are not just decorative, but cleanse and humidify the

air in the building and provide relief from hard-edged architecture. The Rutgers wall is exception-

al on all counts.

Michael Corrieggo, our guide and the genius behind the construction,

is a Rutgers graduate in landscape design. Many of us had visited his

firm’s site in the Rutgers EcoComplex in Bordentown last March.

There in huge greenhouses, he showed us the modular system they de-

veloped and many of the plants they use in the walls, including ferns,

orchids, succulents, and dozens of variegated leaf plantings. He talked to us about the watering

and fertilizing systems they have developed to maintain the walls after installation, since the idea

is not to replant but to en-

courage sustainable

growth on site.

Michael also took us to the

wall’s maintenance room

where the pumps and tanks

live, to show us how the

wall is fed and watered.

He pointed out the high-

rise window-washing plat-

form they use to service

the plants and replace

them when necessary—a

very clever mechanism

though somewhat nervous-

making to those of us with

vertigo tendencies.

For those unable to attend the tour, there are a number of online websites about the wall’s creation

and installation. They are well worth visiting and give you an idea of such a structure’s beauty and

complexity.

I love spring everywhere, but if I could choose,

I would always greet it in a garden.

—Ruth Stout


SUNFLOWERS AT DRUMTHWACKET by Anna Marty

Last summer RMGs planted a stunning new

garden full of giant sunflowers at

Drumthwacket. Not only did the garden offer

a summer of beauty, it provided material for

teachers to use with children in our schools

and other outreach programs. The sunflowers

grown at Drumthwacket were donated to the

children’s seed pod project by Nancy Nicosia,

who said, “The kids loved them. They picked

out the seeds and fed the birds and squirrels;

we planted some and ate kernels that I bought.

We saved some for next year.” The seeds

were used in many Trenton schools by the

Isles teachers. Perhaps there will be more beauty in Trenton next year.

We look forward to spring when we will start working again at the Governor’s mansion, the

Princeton residence of the Governor of the State of New Jersey. We will begin in March by

preparing the grounds for the Governor’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt and then do everything--

from weeding and planting to designing new gardens and giving garden tours for adults and

children. We play a huge part in the appearance and presentation of these beautiful gardens.

The RMGs currently working at Drumthwacket are Sharon Ainsworth, Betty Lou Allen, Doris

Arents, Denise Hansson, Claudia DeFino, Van Davis, Pat Frawley, Betty Sherman, June Vest-

er, Alexandra Radbil, Lorraine Mackersie, Karen Prager, and Carolyn Wojciechowicz.

We love working there! We usually work on Mondays and provide tours on Wednesdays,

from March through October. The Drumthwacket Foundation is deeply grateful for all that

we do and shows their appreciation in many ways.

Come join us. Contact Anna Marty at 609-921-1655.

Dear Fellow Master Gardeners,

Four hundred (400) lbs. of food were collected on 1/13/16. Thank

you to all the Master Gardeners who contributed to the first food

drive of 2016. Please see the attached photo of all the food donated.

We want to thank Sally Flynn, Ann Hannawacker, and Joe Han-

nawacker in helping to load the food into my car.

Thanks again for your generous support of the RMG Food Drive

project. —Pat Lagunas/Theodora Wang


CRITTER CORNER: Nature Shorts by Doris Petruska

The Critter Corner odds-and-ends file is getting stuffed, so an assortment of selections for you to

enjoy follows.

*In 2009, the journal Annals of Improbable Research awarded an Ig Nobel Prize in recognition of

some very real and very weird science. One Iggy went to a paper proving the fleas on dogs

(Ctenocephalides canis) do in fact jump higher than the fleas on cats (C. felis).

–Reader’s Digest, Feb., 2009

*Ants play a critical role in the ecosystem, both as predators of other insects and as a food source

for other wildlife. Their tunneling supplies air, nutrients, and water to roots, and some plants even

rely on ants to germinate their seeds. Without ants, your garden would cease to function. The ma-

jority of ant species do much more good than harm.

--Gardening How-To, July/August 2010

*Many forest species are dependent on their associated

wildlife in order to complete their life cycles. Dutchman’s

Breetches, Dicentra cucullaria, found in temperate for-

ests, rely on ants for the dispersal of its seeds, so any

threats to local ant populations also threaten the plant.

--Plant, Editor-in-Chief J. Marinelli, D K Publishing, Inc.,

2005

*Box turtles are the only known vertebrates able to eat the toxic fruits, and

thus spread the seeds, of the mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum—an herb

with possible pharmaceutical potential in the treatment of rheumatism and

skin cancers.

–Plant, Editor-in-Chief J. Marinelli, DK Publishing, Inc., 2005.

*“Moles (at left) feed on invertebrates and might

tunnel under your lawn in search of beetle grubs

and worms, but they won’t munch on your plants.

Voles, on the other hand, are rodents that can

cause plant damage.” (see photo at right)

--Gardening for Nature by D. Mizejewski in Birds and Blooms, June/July 2011

*SOME NAMING EXPLANATIONS:

~Butter-yellow--color of the wings of many butterfly species. Others say it refers to the folk

myth that butterflies steal butter, or to the yellow color of butterfly excrement. The exact origin has

“slipped” away.

~Caterpillar--The French thought this fuzzy fellow looked like a hairy cat, so they called it a

chatepelose, “chat” meaning cat, and “palose” meaning hairy. Because hungry insects stripped the

bark off trees, English speakers changed the “palose” in chatepelose to “pillar,” from the verb pill,

meaning “to strip, plunder or peel away.” So the French chatepelose became the English caterpil-

lar. (continued on page 9)


FUNGUS AMONG US by Kathleen Yurwit

There is “fungus among us” and it is a good thing, except when it is a bad thing. But I am getting

ahead of myself. Fungus is an early lifeform that was misdiagnosed in the kingdoms of living

organisms. It was first considered a plant and was placed in the plant kingdom, although it had

more chemical and genetic similarities to organisms in the animal kingdom. For instance, its

cells are composed of chitin, as are the hard shells of insects. Nowadays, fungus is considered

unique and has its own kingdom, but mostly undercover and underground.

To fully appreciate the diversity of fungi, we need to consider their three basic forms.

Single-celled microscopic yeast: This little cell, which is similar in size to red blood cells, multiplies by a

small piece breaking off from the parent cell. Call it a chip off the old block.

There are friendly yeasts (Saccharomyces), which come in quite handy in

the production of bread and champagne. Bless those tiny bubbles. However,

unfriendly yeasts cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised

hosts.

Multicellular filamentous mold: A mold is made up of very fine threads called hyphae. The tip of the hyphae, being mathemati-

cally minded, is responsible for division and addition. Hyphae grow only

at the tip and divide repeatedly and create long and branching chains. This

most effective chain gang creates an intertwining web called a mycelium.

The tip of the hyphae secretes digestive enzymes that break down organic

matter, a welcome addition to the fungi diet. These hyphae are on the move

and can grow a half mile in a day and cover many acres underground.

Some of the hyphae make it above ground, like microscopic prairie dogs,

and spores form on these aerial branches. With a little rain, wind, or insects they spread like wild

fire.

Macrospopic filamentous fungi:

These fungi produce the mycelium underground as

does mold, but also produce a fruiting body- mostly

above ground, which we refer to as a mushroom. It is

far from a fruit, although some are edible. The spores

are on the gills under the cap of the fruiting body,

which is made up of tightly packed hyphae.

Fungi have very important specialized jobs to do as

they follow their mission in life: EATING.

Some are master decomposers and work day and

night underground breaking down dead organic

matter for their nutritional gains.

Some are symbiotic fungi (mycorrhizae), which

provide essential nutrients to plants. In exchange the plants provide carbohydrates or other

chemicals that fungi cannot manufacture. (continued on page 9)


FUNGUS AMONG US continued

Some are creative partners, such as the relationship of fungi to algae in the formation of

lichen, in which each supports the other in a new life form.

Some provide useful drugs such as penicillin and other antibiotics.

Some are food sources in and of themselves, such as mushrooms and truffles.

Some are useful in food and beverage production and other commercial endeavors.

Some yeasts are important as model organisms for studying problems in genetics and mo-

lecular biology.

A small number cause diseases in animals and in humans, such as athletes’ foot, ring-

worm, or thrush and add to the livelihood of dermatologists.

Some are parasites and feed on living organic matter and cause plant diseases such as

mildew, rust, scabs, smuts, cankers, or leaf/stem/root rot.

Let’s face it. There is plenty of “fungus among us” and we can’t live without them. Some-

times we can’t live with them either, especially when they damage our plants. The Plant Di-

agnosis Laboratory at Rutgers Extension provides fungus and mold identification and diagno-

sis for a fee for those in need of assistance (https://njaes.rutgers.edu/.../form-fungus-mold-

2008.pdf).

http://www.microbiologyonline.org.uk/about-microbiology/introducing-microbes/fungi

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/fungi/fungi.html

http://herbarium.usu.edu/fungi/FunFacts/Kingfact.htm

CRITTER CORNER continued:

~Larva--The Latin word larva meant mask. Because it was believed that a caterpillar concealed

or masked the butterfly within it, larva became a general term for the early life stage of some in-

sects and other animals.

~Tarantula—The ancient city of Tarentum, now Taranto, on the south-

eastern Italian seacoast was infested with fearsome, hairy spiders that de-

livered nasty bites. So these scary creatures became known as tarantulas.

During the Middle Ages, a disease that caused a violent jerking of the

limbs broke out across Europe. Erroneously attributing this affliction to

the bite of the tarantula, people called it tarantism (now known as cho-

rea). People believed tarantism could be alleviated, if its victims per-

formed a vigorous dance, which they called a tarantella. By the 1700s,

this style of dance had been standardized into a lively folk dance we know by the same name.

~Flea—If you’ve ever tried to catch a flea, you know how fast they jump away.

In fact, the word “flea” ultimately derives from the Old High German “fliohan,” “to

flee.”

--How Names of Bugs Crept Into Language by Rob Kyff in The Times of Trenton,

October 6, 2013.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/fungi/fungi.html

http://herbarium.usu.edu/fungi/FunFacts/Kingfact.htm


“Can We Please Go to the Garden Today?”

Tales of Volunteering at Robeson Elementary School

By Jeanne Mroczko

I started volunteering to help with the school

garden at Robeson Elementary School in Tren-

ton two years ago. I had volunteered for several

MG committees and activities in past years and

was ready for a new adventure. Little did I

know what a rewarding and fulfilling experi-

ence this would be! The kids and teachers are

involved in all phases of the garden - - prepar-

ing the site, planting seeds/seedlings, watering,

weeding, composting and harvesting. The gar-

dens serve as 'outdoor classrooms' for many dif-

ferent kinds of lessons - - math, art, botany/

biology, science, ecosystems, food chains, his-

tory and more.

I work with a very talented and committed

young woman, Ms. Christina Heimann, who is a

FoodCorps Service Member working with Isles,

Inc., an organization in Trenton that operates a

community garden, food pantry, nursery school

and other community-based services. Her goals

include getting the students to think about

where their food comes from, how it gets to

their tables, making healthy food choices and

more. She collaborates with the cafeteria man-

ager to introduce new foods to the students and

was instrumental in securing a "Fresh Fruit and

Vegetable Award" for the school, which ensures

that a large percentage of the school's produce

comes from local NJ farms and provides stu-

dents with fresh fruit snacks five days a week.

Together, Christina, Joyce Bush and I teach four

4th grade classes every week, including one spe-

cial-needs class and one bi-lingual class - - how-

ever, I have learned that talking about food and

gardening is a universal language that over-

comes linguistic and cultural barriers.

The students light up when we enter the class-

room. They are eager to learn and delve into

something as familiar and unknown as the foods

they eat every day. We try to incorporate a

snack into every lesson. Last week we used ap-

ples to reinforce their understanding of frac-

tions. We also made ‘Hulk Smoothies’ (who is

‘The Hulk? He is big and strong and green…’),

a blender drink that combined spinach, kale,

bananas and strawberries. They devoured them

and then clamored for more.

Last week we conducted a lesson about pro-

cessed vs. whole foods. The students were given

a large variety of popular food items and in-

structed to read the ingredients, study the labels

and report on what they learned. Many students

stumbled over the complex chemical names

listed in the ingredients, and were surprised to

learn that the foods they ate every day (cereal,

cookies, chips, etc.) had added flavorings and

colorings - - one of the items they examined had

47 ingredients!

Here is a perfect exam-

ple of why I volunteer at

Robeson: I gave one of

the students a box of

frozen peas, which had

only one ingredient

listed - - peas. No salt, no sugar, no high fruc-

tose corn syrup or dextrose, just peas. I asked

him to read the list of ingredients and he looked

at me, somewhat startled, and said, “Peas (short

pause) and bird’s eyes.” It took me a moment to

compose myself, and I hastened to assure him

that “Birdseye” was a brand name and not an

ingredient! Another student reported that his

box said “No MSG”. When I asked if he knew

what MSG stood for, he proudly proclaimed,

“Of course, Madison Square Garden!” He then

went on to add, “I guess you can’t eat this while

you are watching the Knicks on cable TV.”

I LOVE working with these kids, introducing

them to the delights and trials and tribulations of

gardening (more stories to come this spring!),

and hope that many of you will join us in this

most rewarding of volunteer activities.


THE HISTORY OF THE ANNOTATED BJB’s HORTICULTURAL

ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTATIONS by Theodora Wang

This year, 2016, is the 10th anniversary of the annotated BJB horticultural activities and expec-

tations document.

In 2006, the Information Resources (IR) Committee undertook the task to annotate BJB's horti-

cultural activities and expectations document, based on a 2005 Helpline survey suggesting that

the expectation lists be enhanced with references to fact sheet citations to aid RMGs on Help-

line. Fourteen IR members [Joyce Bush, Marilyn Canterbury, Cindy Dixon, Cally Fenn, Sally

Flynn, Ed Gibson, Ilse Goldfarb (co-chair), Pat Lagunas, Greenie Neuburg, Betty Scarlata, Rita

Sweeney, Barbara Trelstad, Trish Verbeyst, and Theodora Wang (co-chair)], worked on this

project. The final document was completed on 11/16/2006 and put on the RMG "Members On-

ly" website, on the RMG computer desktop and in the Helpline logbook...then, later in its own

notebook on the Helpline desk. This document has been reviewed and updated in 2008 and

2012 to add any pertinent, new fact sheets. Then, in 2015, the monthly horticultural activities

and expectations in the annotated document were reviewed with BJB to determine their rele-

vance to today’s problems.

Thanks to Karen Bennett and Ursula Wooley, the new co-chairs of the Helpline Mentor Com-

mittee. The annotated version is finally put in the 2016 Helpline Manual and not just the non-

annotated version, which had been included in the past Helpline Manuals. Currently, Jane Mur-

phy, one of the three co-chairs of the Information Resources Committee, is adding hyperlinks to

the annotated horticultural and expectations document by linking the cited fact sheets to the fact

sheets in the electronic rolodex database.

The usefulness of this document is definitely being recognized since the Helpline, ID&D and

Information Resources Committees will be presenting a Learnmore on the annotated BJB’s hor-

ticultural and expectations at the RMG April Program. This annotated document has come a

long way in the past 10 years.

HORTICULTURAL ACTIVITIES & EXPECTATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

Every year is different.

Have soil tests run – separate tests for lawns, vegetable and flower gardens, shrub borders.

Apply lime as needed (except when the ground is frozen).

Add organics to the compost pile or bin.

Prune dead wood.

Be aware of abiotic stresses to plants.

Tend house plants.

Read gardening books.

Give books, tools, compost bins and other gardening materials as gifts.

Call Rutgers Master Gardener Helpline for gardening information (609-989-6853).

Look for:

Cockroach infestations

Blacklegged (deer) ticks may be present on any day that the temperature is above freezing.

Food infesting insects, such as Indian meal moth, cigarette beetle, saw-toothed grain beetle

Carpet beetle and clothes moth infestations


BJB MONTHLY EXPECTATIONS FOR MARCH

With the upcoming arrival of spring, we anticipate the Helpline office activity will increase substantially. This

annotated listing was revised in December 2015, and now contains the most up-to-date resources and references for

Master Gardeners who will be working Helplline in March.

This same list is accessible on the private section of the MG website and is in the Helpline Office in a white labeled

binder on the right side of the desk. The key words below, which appear in parentheses (…), are the words to

search under in the Rolodex for more information. Each publication listed in this annotated list can be found either

in the files in the main office or in a book or publication in the Helpline Office.

MARCH Gradually remove winter mulches.

BJB048 Mulch for the Home Grounds (Mulch)

Clean up the garden.

Have soil tests run. (Soil Testing) FS797 Soil Testing for Home Lawns and Gardens

FS618 How to Take a Soil Sample

FS155 Laboratories for Soil Sampling and Plant Analysis

FS719 Soil Fertility Test Interpretation - Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium and Calcium

Improve soil with organic matter and pre-plant incorporation of fertilizer and lime.

FS902 Liming New Jersey Soils for Fruit Crops (Liming)

FS904 Liming New Jersey Soils for vegetable Crops (Liming)

FS905 Agricultural Liming Materials (Liming)

BJB104 Soil Amendment/Mulch Quantities (Mulch) BJB012 Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms (Fertilizing) BJB079 Plant Nutrients (Fertilizing)

Turf:

Apply pre-emergence crabgrass control [long residual only] [late in the month].

BJB118 Control of Crabgrass in Turf [Lawn & Turf (Turf)]

Rutgers E233 Crabgrass and Goosegrass Control in Cool Season Turfgrass (Weeds)

Rutgers Rec 2: E037 Pest Control Recommendations for Lawn and Turf Areas

Frost Seeding [early]

FS584 Seeding Your Lawn [Lawn & Turf (Lawn)]

BJB111 Lawn Establishment and Renovation [Lawn & Turf (Turf)]

BJB135 Late Summer and Fall Lawn Care [Lawn & Turf (Turf)]

BJB057 Growing Grass in the Shade [Lawn & Turf (Turf)]

Apply lime, if needed.

FS635 Managing Soil pH for Turfgrasses [Lawn & Turf (Lawn)]

FS902 Liming New Jersey Soils for Fruit Crops (Liming)

FS904 Liming New Jersey Soils for vegetable Crops (Liming)

FS905 Agricultural Liming Materials (Liming)

BJB065 The Basics of Successful Lawn Care [Lawn & Turf (Turf)]



Reset perennials that have frost-heaved.

Start vegetables and flowers from seed. FS523 Grow Your Own Vegetable and Flower Seedlings (Seeds)

Sow seeds outdoors of hardy annuals, such as poppies and cornflower.

BJB028 Basics of Flower Gardening (Flowers)

Plant sweet peas and garden peas on St. Patrick's Day, if soil workable.

BJB028 Basics of Flower Gardening (Flowers)

BJB115 Vegetable Gardening (Vegetables)

Plant cold-tolerant vegetables such as onions and peas [mid to late month].

BJB115 Vegetable Gardening (Vegetables)

Look for and remove cedar apple rust galls on eastern red cedar.

FS1133 Cedar-Apple Rust in the Home Landscape (Disease, Plant)

Cornell Cedar Apple Rust (Disease, Plant)

Rutgers Rec 1: E014 Pest Management for Trees, Shrubs and Flowers on Homegrounds

Plant or transplant trees and shrubs when soil workable.

FS376 Transplanting Trees and Shrubs (Tree)

BJB050 Planting Trees and Shrubs (Tree)

Fertilize trees and shrubs [late]. (Tree)

FS031 How to Fertilize Shade Trees

BJB051 Post Transplant Care of Trees

Prune peach trees [late]. Rutgers Ext Bulletin 259A Pruning Peach Trees (Peaches)

Prune trees, shrubs that do not flower in spring [unless renovation pruning].

BJB042 Pruning Landscape Plants (Pruning)

Band trees for spring cankerworm. Rutgers Pub. 345-C Cankerworm (Cankerworms)


Managing Insects and Mites on Woody Plants: an IPM Approach (Insects & Diseases; Orange; #21)

Apply dormant oils and other dormant sprays [late].

FS866 Using Horticultural Oil (Oils, Horticultural)



Apply agricultural gypsum to road salt-affected soil. FS663 The Impact of De-Icing Salt on Roadside Vegetation (Salt Injury)

BJB044 Winter Injury and Protection of Ornamentals (Maintenance)

Rutgers Rec 1: E014 Pest Management for Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers on Homegrounds

Trap woodchucks [groundhogs].

FS400 Woodchucks in the Vegetable Garden (Woodchucks)



LOOK FOR:

Blacklegged (deer) tick adults may be present on any day that the temperature is above freezing.

FS443 Prevent Tick Bites: Prevent Lyme Diseases (Ticks)

Emergence from home of over-wintering insects - boxelder bugs, Asian lady beetles, brown marmorated stink

bug, etc.

FS316 IPM in the Home Landscape (IPM)

Rutgers Rec 4: E262 Control Recommendations for Household and Structural Insect Pests


Termite reproductive swarms [first warm weather]. FS338 Termite Prevention and Control (Termites)

FS338old Subterranean Termites (Termites)


Carpenter ants FS006 The Black Carpenter Ant and Its Control (Ants)

FS028 Black Carpenter Ant Biology (Ants)

FS1101 Carpenter Ants and Their Control (Ants)


Winged yellow ants swarm BJB019 Yellow or Citronella Ants (Ants)


Silverfish FS008 Silverfish and Firebrats and Their Control (Silverfish and Firebrats)


Brown marmorated stink bugs FS002 Brown Marmorated Stink Bug-A New Exotic Insect In New Jersey (Stink Bug)

House plant problems

Rutgers Diagnosing Indoor Plant Problems (Houseplants)

Rutgers Rec 10: E038 Pest Control Recommendations for Commercial Flower Growers

Wildlife damage from winter

Winter injury to ornamentals – remedy, if possible. BJB044 Winter Injury and Protection of Ornamentals (Maintenance)

Cornelian cherry dogwood, early daffodils and tulips in bloom [late] BJB023 Spring Blooming Bulbs (Bulbs)

Winter aconite, snowdrop bloom [early] BJB023 Spring Blooming Bulbs (Bulbs)

Crocus, chionodoxa, squill, reticulata iris bloom BJB023 Spring Blooming Bulbs (Bulbs)

Swamp red maple in bloom

When severe pruning is necessary on overgrown or winter damaged broadleaved evergreens or yews, cut the

plants back at the end of March.


REMEMBER TO

CONTACT

THE MAIN OFFICE

TO

SCHEDULE THE

CONFERENCE ROOM

FOR YOUR

MEETINGS

Address Changes

All changes of address must go

to the following:

Master List

Barbara J Bromley 989-6830

[email protected]

Email / OneList

Tom Miller 838-7443

[email protected]

NEWSLETTER NOTES:

The April NL

copy is due

March 15, 2016 to

Mary Whitlock

[email protected]

7 Mon

10:00am EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING Boys and Girls Club

11:00am MONTHLY GENERAL MEETING

12:30pm PROGRAM:Moss and Shade Plants; David Benner

7 Mon 1:30 p.m. Symposium Folder Preparation Extension

8 Tues 1:00pm Bee Making and Beyond: Insectfest Extension

9 Wed 2:00pm Children's Program Committee Meeting Extension

10 Thur 9:30am CLASS: Make-up for Inclement Weather (if needed) Extension

10 Thur 1:30pm Historical Committee Meeting Upstairs Extension

11 Fri Symposium Set up Stuart Country Day

12 Sat 8:00am SYMPOSIUM: Changing Conversations in The Garden TBD

Stuart Country Day

14 Mon. 10:00am Tour:StonybrookOrchids Princeton

15 Tues 10:00am Herb Committee Meeting Extension

15 Tues 1:30:PM Extension Garden Extension

16 Wed 10:00am Butterfly Garden Committee Extension

17 Thurs 10:00am Cottage Garden Workday MEG

18 Fri 10:00am Annual Garden Meeting

18 Fri 12:30pm Native Plant Garden Meeting Ext.upstairs

19 Sat 10:00am MEG Workday, New Class Compost Training MEG

19 Sat 11:00am Community Outreach:Lawrence Living Local Expo Lawrenceville

21 Mon 10:00am Information Resources Committee Meeting Extension

23 Wed 10:30am BJB Workshop; Spring Garden Tips Mercer Connec-

tions

25 Fri GOOD FRIDAY, OFFICE CLOSED

30 Wed 1:00pm ID and D Meeting : Rutgers Diagnostic Lab. Rutgers

31 Thurs 10:00am Cottage Garden Workday MEG

MARCH CALENDAR OF EVENTS


Executive Board – Mzrch 2016 Officers

Public Information Activities Committee Chairs

President Ann Calder [email protected]

1st Vice President Kathleen Yurwit [email protected]

2nd Vice President Pat Frawley [email protected]

Secretary Treasurer

Stephanie Foy Mike Gliddon

[email protected] [email protected]

Immediate Past President Catherine Horgan [email protected]

Children’s Programs Children’s Programs

Janet Sheppard Louise Senior


Community Education Program Community Education Program

Sheryl Fuller Ann Vaurio


Community Outreach Community Outreach

Linda Eyre Tara Miller


Mercer Educational Gardens (MEG)

Nancy Putnam

[email protected] Mercer Educational Gardens (MEG) Mercer Educational Gardens (MEG)

John Piepszak Robert Coyner


Insect Festival

Heidi Mass

[email protected]

Insect Festival Patricia Frawley [email protected]

Insect Festival Insect Festival

Janet Sheppard Diane Hennessy


Plant Expo

Carol Bencivengo

[email protected] Plant Expo Plant Expo Plant Expo

Ann Calder Harri Lynn Nowrey Stephanie Foy

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Publicity

Carol Bencivengo

[email protected]

Publicity Publicity

Publicity

Tina Leone Annette Osterlund

Linda Park


[email protected]

Symposium Symposium

Nora Sirbaugh Marge Steinberg


Website Website

Tom Miller Sheryl Shupel


mailto:[email protected]








Internal Activities Committee Chairs

Garden Committee Chairs

Computer Betty Scarlata [email protected]

Computer Theodora Wang

[email protected]

Helpline Karen Bennett [email protected]

Helpline Ursula Wooley [email protected]

Historical Historical

Greenie Neuburg Nancy Putnam


Hospitality Don Vosburgh [email protected]

ID&D ID&D

Linda Pickering Kathleen Yurwit


Information Resources Jane Murphy [email protected]

Information Resources Information Resources

Barbara Gliddon Keith Sagers


State Representative to MGANJ Betty Scarlata [email protected]

State Representative to MGANJ Bob Robinson [email protected]

State Representative to MGANJ (Alt) Theodora Wang [email protected]

Membership Hours Membership Hours

Bonnie Ferriolo Barbara Gliddon


Membership Hours Don Vosburgh [email protected]

Newsletter Mary Whitlock [email protected]

Programs Janet Sheppard [email protected]

Sunshine Doris Arents [email protected]

Tours Dottie Prudhomme [email protected]

Tours Lee Nissen [email protected]

MEG – Annual Garden Dorothy Donnelly [email protected]

MEG – Butterfly Garden Ellen Kellich [email protected]

MEG – Butterfly Garden Margaret Montplaisir [email protected]

MEG – Cottage Garden Janet Sheppard [email protected]

MEG – Herb Garden Claudia DeFino [email protected]

MEG – Herb Garden Grace Rarich [email protected]

MEG – Native Plant Garden Marie Rickman [email protected]

MEG – Native Plant Garden Carol Kleis [email protected]

MEG – Perennial Bench Garden Karen Prager [email protected]

MEG – Perennial Bench Garden Ursula Wooley [email protected]

MEG – Weed Garden

Extension Garden

Jeanne Mroczko

[email protected]






Documents

The Newsletter March 2016 Volume 23 Number 2mgofmc.org/Private/newsletters/mgnews0316.pdf · P5 Living Wall P6 Sunflowers and Seeds P6 Food Drive P7&9 Nature Notes P8-9 Fungus Among