MASTER GARDENER NEWS

Letter from our President

It’s a wrap – Master Gardeners. I sincerely hope it has been a

good year for you. I want to thank all the Master Gardeners

that have volunteered in various ways to make this year

successful. We’ve done it all from the Spring Seminar, Garden

Tour, Plant Sales, Bus Trip, training, learning and our

friendships with each other. I’m looking forward to this next

year of being a volunteer for events and continuing to support

those in office and those working to make our programs well

known in our community. I hope you will join in the

development of ideas to promote our identity in Dubuque

County. Your involvement is what makes us memorable to

those we share our knowledge with. Best wishes for the winter

season. Keep gardening, dreaming and reaching out to others

with your gardening talents.

~ Jean Bledsoe

Newsletter November 2017

DUBUQUE COUNTY

Volunteering Opportunities

For people looking for their last couple of volunteer hours, the

Dubuque Arboretum could still use a few hours of help. If you

would like to help, please contact the arboretum at (563) 556-

2100 and ask to speak with Wylie Bledsoe or Jack Frick.

With our gardens going to sleep many things are wrapping up for

the new year to come. This also includes our time period to

complete and submit our education and volunteer hours for the

year. To have them count for this current year, you will need to

have them submitted by December 31st of this year. Please

don’t forget to log them!

If you do not have computer access to log your hours please feel

free to call Ray Kruse at the Dubuque County Extension Office

and he can enter them for you. The phone number is (563) 583-

6496 to get ahold of him.

In This Issue

Letter from our President

Volunteer Opportunities!

Coordinator Updates

Cranberries

Elections Updates

Monthly Meeting

Recipe of the Month

“Anyone who thinks that

gardening begins in the spring

and ends in the fall is missing

the best part of the year. For

gardening begins in January

with the dream.”

~Josephine Nuese

“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.”

~William Blake

Let’s Talk...Cranberries

by Ray Kruse

Cranberries are commonly a traditional staple when it comes to the variety of foods served at our Thanksgiving meals. A few years ago I got to visit a cranberry farm in Wisconsin. While visiting, I saw the classic berry machinery a person sees in a cranberry commercial on tv with the floating berries in a bog, I did learn a lot about the culture of cranberry production. I didn’t know it but just like most fruit crops there is winter care that is commonly performed to the bogs.

The major activity I learned about was “ice sanding.” After the bogs are harvested they are left flooded and to eventually freeze. This helps to protect the cranberries from the winter cold. Once the bogs freeze, the farmers come out with machinery and apply a thin layer of sand over the ice. This sand then falls through the plants as the ice unthaws. This sand layer is supposed to help encourage the plants to grow new plant material, improve plant nutrition, reduce insect pressure, and reduce disease pressure. When I learned this, I was amazed at the durability of the cranberry plant to withstand being buried beneath ice and then further buried with sand. I have attached a movie link HERE to show the sanding process and how it is done.

Overwintering cranberries may be a unique concept but so is the planting process. Cranberries are propagated in the spring by vine pieces of old plants spread across new bogs with a sandy base. They are then later pressed into the sand with rolling blades so that the vines can take root. This interesting procedure can be seen with the following link pasted HERE.

Things are winding down So far we have had a really successful fall Master Gardener training program this year. We have 2 classes left. I have been having fun and learning a lot along the way myself. The trainees have ex-pressed that they are pleased with the class so far and have enjoyed getting to know the rest of the Master Gardeners. The Master Gardener activities as well as our gardens are slowing down for the long cold winter days ahead. This marks the start of the planning season for our 2018 year.

Information from the Coordinator Ray Kruse

Upcoming Events Awards Banquet- The awards banquet has had an official date set for January 10th at 6pm. We will be having it at the NICC Town Clock Business Center in rooms 106B and 106C

A letter of appreciation from the Dubuque

Arboretum and Botanical Gardens

Dear Dubuque County Master Gardeners,

On behalf of all the volunteers and staff at the Dubuque Arboretum, thank you for your help at our fall cleanup events. We had an amazing turnout of about 140 volunteers for the two cleanup days. What a fantastic way to wrap-up a tremendous growing season! The cool weather seemed to invigorate many, and come lunch time, all were hun-gry for a delicious lunch and warm beverages.

With 47 acres of grounds of park to clear and prepare for the winter weather, we are grateful for the many hands that “made light work!” Thank you again for your overwhelming support, participation, and servant hearts! Sincerely,

Jack Frick, President Wylie Bledsoe, Vice President Barb Block, Volunteer Coordinator

Fall Master Gardener Trainings We have two remaining Master Gardener trainings to take place in November. The details are below. These activities are free to attend but please let Ray Kruse know at the extension office if you plan to attend so that arrangements are made to accommodate the extra materials needed if we have an activity needing materials. Plant Propagation: Tuesday, November 7th at 6pm in the Dubuque County Extension Office. Ray Kruse will be presenting concepts in relation to plant propagation including breaking apical dormancy, grafting, and selecting areas to take cuttings on certain plants. Wildlife Management: Tuesday, November 14th at 6 pm in the Swiss Valley Nature Center Southwest of Dubuque. Ross Ellingson who is a depredation biologist with the Iowa DNR will be speaking to us about how to detract unwanted wildlife from our garden areas.

Elections: Ballots will be sent out via email of the candidates. All current active certified Master Gardeners in the 2017 year will be able to vote. I will send out the email to those individuals. Those who do not have computer access will receive their ballot in the mail. If you do not receive a ballot but feel that you are an active Master Gardener please do not hesitate to contact Ray Kruse at the extension office to iron things out. Active certified Master Gardeners do not include individuals from this years training class or interns from last years training class. The results of the elections will be announced at the November 13th

meeting. Planning For Next Year: At our next meeting we will discuss ideas for activities in the coming year. Please bring your ideas to the next meeting. If you do not plan to be present please send your ideas to Ray Kruse at the extension office so that they can be brought up at the November meeting Remember we have no December Meeting

Give Thanks

Recipe of the Month… by Sharon Kuttler

2017 Officers

President: Jean Bledsoe

Vice President: Herb Klatt

Secretary/Treasurer: Cheryl

Sheldon

Contact Us

Dubuque Co. Extension

14858 West Ridge Ln.

Dubuque, IA 52003

(563) 583-6496

Visit us on the web!

Or find us on Facebook!

DBQ: Ask a Master Gardener

From The Master Gardener’s

Kitchen

Please submit recipes:

HERE

November Meeting Our Master Gardener meeting will take place Monday, November 13th at 6pm in the DUBUQUE COUNTY LIBRARY– ASBURY BRANCH. Since we do not have a December meeting this upcoming meeting will be our holiday potluck celebration. Everybody is encouraged to bring a dish to pass for the evening. You will be responsible for bringing your own drinks for the meal. The table supplies such as forks and plates will be provided by the Master Gardeners. For the first 1/2 hour of the meeting we will enjoy the food we have all brought to share. At around 6:30pm we will start our official meeting. At the upcoming meeting we will also be welcoming the trainees from this year’s fall training class. Please do not feel afraid to say hello to any new faces you may see. You can find this month’s and previous month’s agendas/minutes, HERE.

CINNAMON SUGAR APPLE CAKE From Laura Miller

This apple cake recipe will certainly make good use of some of the fall crop of apples that are now so abundant. Quick, easy, tasty – thanks to Laura Miller for sharing! Ingredients: 1 ½ cups brown sugar 1/3 cup oil 1 egg 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 ½ cups flour 1 ½ cups chopped apples ½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon butter Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix ingredients in order given (except last 3 ingredients). Pour batter into a 9 x 13 greased pan. Combine last 3 ingredients to make a topping. Sprinkle topping evenly over the batter. Bake 45 minutes. Delicious served warm!

Cook’s Notes: Raw sugar may be substituted for white sugar; For buttermilk you can substitute milk with vinegar, or plain yogurt and milk; A good apple variety used is Wealthy heirloom.

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!