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Salvaging a Soggy Back Yard
The Seed News that grows on you
University of Maryland Extension, Montgomery County, MD, Master Gardeners
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5
Quick Links - see page 2 or click here
What’s Inside President's Column ·················· 2
Gardening Challenge················ 3
MG News ·································· 4
Announcements ······················· 6
Beyond the Soil Test ················ 9
Stumped·································· 10
Ask and Answer ······················ 11
Continuing Education ············ 12
By Linda Davis
General Membership
Meeting – September 3
Where: Fairgrounds (Click here for directions) When: Thursday, September 3 9:30 am – Mingle 10:00 am – Meeting What: “Building and Maintaining a Healthy Lawn and an Update on Bill 52-14, MC Pesticide Regulations” Who: Eric Wenger, Master Gardener and president of Complete Lawn Care, Inc., and Complete Plant Health Care, Inc., successful businesses in the green industry. Eric will discuss IPM for lawns, proper fertilization (Maryland Nutrient Management), soil testing, and problems with lawns.
For another “absorbing” conservation landscaping success story, read “Congregations and Conservation: Bethesda synagogue tells runoff to hit the road” on the My Green Montgomery website.
Click Here
A rainy day would have been a perfect testimonial for my “modified rain garden” at the Master Gardener Open Garden on July 22. But the weather improved dramatically overnight, and we enjoyed a lovely, low-humidity day on which 15 MGs toured my back-yard project. This had been a classic “garden with a problem,” and an ideal candidate for a rain garden—or so I thought.
The problem was stormwater flowing from my roof and from adjoining yards sideways across my
back yard into the neighbor’s yard, with no possible escape to the street. I am an intuitive engineer and decided that working with the water’s natural flow was a better strategy than trying to fight it. So my neighbor and I took up approximately one-fifth of the patio flagstones where the water wanted to flow, and recycled them into a front walkway at her house. My plan was to make a channel for the water ending in a rain garden near the side fence.
It seemed like a good idea. And I was intrigued with the county’s RainScapes rebate program, having heard presentations several times and seen good examples locally.
As with any rebate program, there are lots of steps, requiring good organization and good documentation by the homeowner. I did some drawings, made some calculations, and prepared for the first step: the percolation test. This requires the homeowner to dig a two-foot-deep hole in the location of the planned rain garden, fill it with water twice, and note when it has drained completely. Unfortunately, my soil did not drain within the required time frame. What to do?
Consultant Donna Evans of the RainScapes program came out to see my situation. I still thought my basic plan was sound, and she agreed. The solution was to call it “conservation landscaping,” retaining most of the features of a rain garden (predominantly native, moisture-loving plants), but making it shallower so that it would not breed mosquitoes in water that was stagnant too long.
Last fall, I excavated my “modified rain garden” and two shallow water-channel holding ponds, and filled them with leaves for the winter. In the spring I added Leaf-Gro and planted grass in the water channel and on the berms. In May I worked on the actual modified rain garden, first loosening the soil, then adding gravel from the flagstone removal site and Leaf-Gro to boost fertility. Finally, I planted joe pye weed, blue flag iris, boneset, culver’s root, white turtlehead, swamp milkweed, and cardinal flower. Around the edge I added some monarda I had divided and black-eyed susans that I grew from seed.
So far the project seems to be a hydrologic success and is visually appealing. I was pleased to take that county rebate check to the bank.
For more information on the Montgomery County Rainscapes program, go to: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dep/water/rainscapes.html.
A modified rain garden was the solution to a back-yard water problem. Photo by MG Linda Davis
Frustrating Emails: What to Do?
From time to time I get calls or emails about—our emails. Most of our email threads are informative and interesting. But sometimes we do get a bit, umm, enthusiastic over a particular topic that strongly resonates with us. Maybe you have read one of the many online articles about email etiquette, and some may have taken a work-required email etiquette class.
After doing a web search through sites that are primarily geared to the work situation, I found a few suggestions that I think are relevant to us. Even very experienced computer users may want to review these from time to time to keep on track with good email etiquette.
Perhaps the one thing that I try to remember before sending an email is that it will arrive in the recipient’s inbox without my facial expression, tone of voice, and body language. Thus a statement in person from a Master Gardener colleague that includes “ridiculous”—but is said with a smile, and with body expression that indicates “I disagree, a lot, but still we are good friends”—is taken in stride. But the same word in an email, well, it may be taken by the recipient at face value and interpreted in a very different way. So here are some ideas to consider before hitting the “Send” button.
Think twice before hitting "reply all.” Maybe everyone does not need to see your reply.
Reply to emails addressed to you (versus the entire group) asking for feedback—even if you don’t have an immediate answer. Just a short “will get back to you” will let the person know you received their message.
Proofread and spell-check every message—including the recipient line.
Stay away from strong emotional language that could be misinterpreted.
Don’t email angry. If you must, write the email, don’t fill in the recipient line, leave it for an hour, and then go back and reread it.
Remember that we are a volunteer arm of Maryland Extension and that our email group is a way for us to communicate any information related to gardening. It is not a vehicle for soliciting donations, or for mounting a social protest movement.
Janet
The President’s Column
P A G E 2 The Seed S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5
The Seed Team
Sherry Marshall Alison Mrohs Co-Editors
Deborah Petro Julie Super Production Co-Editors
Ruth Burke Photo Editor
Claudia Sherman Editor, Ask & Answer
Diyan Rahaman Editor, STUMPED Tech Support
Betty Cochran Copy Editor
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Quick Links Board Meeting Minutes
Board Members, Committees and Services
Derwood Demo Gardens
Discounts for MGs at Nurser-ies and Stores
GIEI Blog
Green Sheets
Home & Garden Info Center
Insect Data Base
Join the Listserv
MG Information Sheet
MG Policies/Guidelines
MG Website
Monthly Membership Meetings
Native Plant Center
Photo Permission Form
Plant Clinics
Propose New Activity
NOTE: Links to the MCMG website are provided as a resource for members; however, The Seed is not responsible for content.
By Janet Young
MG BENEFIT
From the Garden
The Blue Dasher looks dashing indeed as it hovers over a koi pond. The dragonfly, formally known as Pachydiplax longipennis, is perhaps taking a break from its pest control job, consuming hundreds of smaller insects each day. Photo by MG Terri Pitts
Gardening Challenge: A Low-Maintenance Sunny Slope
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 The Seed
Thistle, Circium vulgare, a non-native invasive in the family Asteraceae, is a biennial or short-lived perennial. It produces large purple flowers with abundant nectar, attracting many species of butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and moths. Other plant parts are used for food, including the leaves, stems, roots, and flowerheads. Seeds attract the American goldfinch. Field thistle has edible roots, inner stems, young leaves, young inner parts of flower buds, and seeds. Native Americans used a paste of the roots for treating wounds, boils, and piles, and also used an infusion of the root for treating stomachache.
In 1263, upon stepping barefoot on a thistle, an attacking Norse soldier shrieked, thus alerting the Scots to the impending invasion at the Battle of Largs. The important role that thistle played in preventing the invasion was recognized, and it was consequently chosen as Scotland's national emblem.
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P A G E 3
How to Submit
Articles and
Pictures
MGs are invited to submit articles and pictures for the newsletter, but keep in mind that submissions may be edited and/or not used until a later month. Please limit stories to 350-400 words.
Send submission as an attachment to your email by the 12th of the previous month to
Photos must come with basic information that includes name of the person in the photo, subject matter or caption and either a signed photo permission slip from those in the picture or an email from them saying they allow us to use their picture in the newsletter. Click here for the form.
If you have your name, email address and/or phone number in your article, please give us permission to use them. The newsletter can be accessed through the internet. Without the permission, we will delete the contact information.
Weed of the Month
Three years ago, my church faced a common gardening challenge: we needed a low-maintenance, low-cost solution for a steep, sunny slope with poor soil.
We began by clearing a tangled mass of honeysuckle from the slope. This ruined the metal weed-whacker blade and left a mat of honeysuckle roots, which we dug up by hand. Next, we planted the area with buckwheat to suppress weeds, as well as tillage radishes, which were left in the ground to decompose and enrich the soil.
Then I turned to the Master Gardener listserv for advice on plant material suitable for a steep, sunny slope. As always, the advice I received was prompt and plentiful. It was hard to choose among these good ideas, and, worse, real life intervened in the form of financial considerations and our options were very limited. Nevertheless, the recommendations were so constructive and varied that they are worth sharing with those of you who have a similar situation:
Liriope muscari 'Big Blue' (not L. spicata) is drought tolerant and will slowly spread to fill in. Variegated liriope doesn't spread as much as other varieties. Liriope is deer resistant and needs watering only during a drought.
A nice sequence of blooms throughout summer into fall can be gotten from a combination of black-eyed Susan, cardinal flower, joe pye weed, obedient plant, liatris, phlox, turtlehead, anise hyssop, mountain mint, and a variety of asters, coneflower, and milkweed. These are all relatively tall plants, but you can add lowbush blueberry, blanket flower, and sedum for shorter plants. You can also include some native grasses such as pink muhly and little blue stem. Instead of planting seeds directly in the ground, you can start seed in pots or use plugs and then transplant them; that way the roots can get established on the hillside rather than seed being washed to the bottom of the hill in rain.
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (leadwort or plumbago) is used as a groundcover at Brookside Gardens, interspersed with thousands of small bulbs. Brookside mows the plumbago back in early spring to allow the sprouting bulbs to show and to promote new growth of the plumbago.
The National Arboretum has planted a sunny slope with Amsonia hubrichtii and purple asters. Some hardy mums could be added to extend the bloom season.
Carex varieties will spread, are deer resistant and drought tolerant, and require little maintenance.
Try good-sized rocks with sedum.
A hearty thanks to all the Master Gardeners who shared their advice for this gardening challenge.
By Teresa Meeks
Photo credit: All-creatures.org Illustration: Wikipedia
What’s Happening in the Derwood Demo Garden? By LeeAnne Gelletly
The Derwood Demonstration Garden continues to flourish during this growing season under the guidance of co-chairs Darlene Nicholson, Bill Newman, and Lily Bruch. About a quarter-acre in size, with 11 themed gardens, it provides hands-on education for Master Gardeners. It also serves as public outreach for programs like the M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks Harvest Festival and University of Maryland Extension’s Grow It Eat It (GIEI) program. At the August 1 GIEI Summer Open House, the Demo Garden exhibited some improvements made this year.
Enlarged straw bale garden. First introduced to the Vegetable Garden in 2013, straw bale gardening is a type of raised container gardening that can help ameliorate poor soil (by adding organic material) or lift plants above contaminated soil. To demonstrate the benefits of this system, the bales were located to a plot that failed to adequately support a tomato crop in 2014.
The new garden is thriving. “Our bales this year are about three times the size of last year's arrangement,” Robin Ritterhoff explains, “and are proving extremely productive, especially for tomatoes and peppers. The bunnies, which decimate the beans in the 100-Square-Foot Garden, can’t climb our bales to reach our bean plants.”
Improved irrigation system. Under the guidance of Joe Ginther, the drip irrigation system was extended to reach the second half of the Demo Garden. It now also provides irrigation to the Children’s, Therapeutic, and Butterfly Gardens.
New pawpaw patch. In early spring, Master Gardeners and Boy Scouts planted pawpaw trees along the back of the Demo Garden, outside the fence. The trees have leafed out and are expected to produce fruit in three to five years.
And more behind the scenes. Not all improvements to the garden are obvious. Behind the scenes are ongoing efforts to enhance gardening education. With this in mind, Darlene, Bill, and Lily have organized short talks during Tuesday workdays at the garden and in other locations. Experienced gardeners share their expertise on subjects that include composting, bamboo trellis building, tomato pruning, and seed starting.
Since 2015 is GIEI’s Year of the Legume, MGs planted a wide variety of peas and beans in the Vegetable and 100-Square-Foot Gardens this year. Each Tuesday volunteers deliver these legumes, along with other freshly harvested vegetables and herbs, to Manna Food Center, in Gaithersburg.
Donations of the Demo Garden’s freshly harvested produce were first made on a regular basis to Manna in 2012. That year the food bank received a total of 384 pounds. In 2013 the amount grew to 676 pounds. And 2014—a banner year for harvests in the Demo Garden—saw delivery of 1,801 pounds.
With fewer cucurbit plants grown this year (2014 was GIEI’s Year of the Cucurbit), the poundage this year is lower than it was at the same time last year. But as of August 18, a total of 850 pounds of fresh produce has been delivered. And the year is not over yet!
One goal for 2015 that has not been reached is the addition of computer volunteers to help maintain the garden map website. Volunteers who are interested in updating the labeling and mapping on this site, http://mcmgdemogarden.com, should contact Darlene, Bill, or Lily.
To learn more about the Derwood Demo Garden, check out the Montgomery County Council video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FApGg8yTbiE.
Wings of Fancy Volunteers Needed Brookside Gardens invites Master Gardeners to volunteer for weekday shifts in September and October for the Wings of Fancy exhibit. If you’d like to volunteer, sign up for training online at www.parksvolunteers.org or call Brookside’s Volunteer Desk, 301-962-1429, for more information. The last training is Tuesday, September 15.
Sign up today! Volunteer shifts are 9:45 am -1:15 pm and 12:45 to 5 pm daily. Volunteers are asked to complete a minimum of 10 shifts. This is an approved Master Gardener volunteer activity (except interns).
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5
MG News
The Seed
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P A G E 4
MGs Leisha Self, Darlene Nicholson and Lily Bruch (from left to right) harvested strawberries for Manna Food Center at the Derwood Demo Garden in June. Photos by MG Robin Ritterhoff
In August MG Erica Smith helped pack up a donation of 112 pounds of freshly harvested vegetables and herbs for Manna.
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 The Seed
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P A G E 5
MG News
Grow It Eat It Keeps on Growing
The popularity of GIEI, now in its fourth year, continues to, well, grow. The attendance of 589 persons at the 4½-hour event on August 4 edged out the 575 who turned out in the spring and 315 last July.
“Our fabulous team of Master Gardeners covered everything from growing fall vegetables to animal control, pests and diseases, foraging, and food preservation,” program chair MG Terri Valenti reported. Activities included children's programs and a plant/product sale by MGs and other local vendors. MGs also partnered with local experts to offer information on backyard chickens and bees. The event attracts a diverse group that matches well with Montgomery County's population.
Tomatoes were fierce competitors
If you’re making a list of tomatoes to try next year, check the results of the 181 votes cast by participants in the GIEI Tomato Tasting Contest. There were 53 varieties to sample, donated by 15 gardeners plus the Demo Garden team, according to MG Dara Ballow-Giffen. In addition to the tasting, volunteers offered seed-saving demos and tomato troubleshooting. The tomatoes vied for votes in three categories: Prettiest, Tastiest, and Ugliest. And the winners are . . .
Prettiest
1. Carolina Gold (slicer)
2. Yellow Ruffles Pleated (slicer)
3. Striped Roman (plum)
Tastiest
1. Blush (cherry)
2. Sungold (cherry)
3. Mountain Merit (slicer)
Ugliest
1. Violet Jasper (small)
2. Japanese Black Trifle (pear- shaped slicer)
3. Indigo Apple (small)
You Say Toe-MAY-toe; I Say Toe-MAH-toe Can't figure out how to say clematis? Embarrassed to say liriope? How about lavandula? You mean you don't know how to speak Latin? Well, here is the website both to hear and see correct pronunciations of plants, courtesy of Fine Gardening Magazine: http://www.finegardening.com/pronunciation-guide/a. By the way, clematis is pronounced KLEM-ah-tis; liriope is said as lih-RY-oh-pee; and lavandula is lah-VAN-dew-lah.
Nancy Moses Greenblatt
Who’s the prettiest/tastiest/ugliest of them all? Photos by MG Donna Starkweather
Pollinators were also enjoying the activities at the Demonstration Garden.
Announcements
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 The Seed
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P A G E 6
Monday, September 21
Mini-Workshop for New Therapeutic
Horticulture Volunteers By JoAnn Mueller
Are you interested in getting involved in the Therapeutic Horticulture program, but a little uncertain about how to plan and prepare projects? Please join us for a mini-workshop on Monday, September 21, from 10 am to noon, in the garage at Derwood. MG volunteers who are active in the program will demonstrate how various groups plan for projects (including adaptations for participants with dementia) and suggest where to get ideas and materials.
Also included will be a hands-on session to practice planning and preparing a project. Please register by emailing [email protected]. It is necessary to register so we will have enough materials for attendees.
October 1
Fall Plant Swap
WHEN: Thursday, October 1, after the general membership meeting
WHERE: Fairgrounds, outside Heritage Hall
WHAT: All types of potted plants are welcome: houseplants, herbs, perennials, annuals, ground covers, shrubs, trees, ferns, and so on. While you’re cleaning up your garden, divide any plants that have outgrown their allotted space. Pot some of the extras—but none from lists of invasive plants.*
HOW: Pot plants now, not right before the swap. Label your plants with the plant name and growing instructions. And, as you go through your tool supply, gather any extra tools that might be of use to another gardener. Bringing just one plant or tool, or even old pots you no longer need, entitles you to take part in the swap. Remember, your plants must be labeled to be eligible for the swap.
*The HGIC Invasive Plant List is at http://extension.umd.edu/hgic/problems/invasive-plant-list. The PDF cannot be viewed in some browsers (Firefox). If that happens, Extension advises using another browser or downloading the list to your computer first, then opening it. Extension is working to correct the problem.
Digging Deeper
Is Back!
The first meeting this year of the Digging Deeper group will take place Thursday, September 24 at 10 am in the Conference Room at the Derwood Extension building. The topic is GM plants and their actual or perceived threat to the environment. Please email MG Janet Young if you plan to attend, or if you would like to be included in the Google Group to have access to the articles to be discussed.
MG BENEFIT
A Dish Garden That Tells a Story
The greater value of therapeutic horticulture is that it helps “participants . . . learn new skills or regain those that are lost. [It] helps improve memory, cognitive abilities, task initiation, language skills, and socialization,” according to the American Horticultural Association.
One example of a project that delights participants while teaching them – or refreshing their memories – about the world around them is this charming Butterfly Dish Garden created by MG JoAnn Mueller. Each component of the garden representsa function, says JoAnn. The wet sand provides a place for male butterflies to "puddle" together gathering water and minerals needed for mating. Butterflies warm their muscles in the sun before flight on the “basking rock,” and the gravel path is another place where butterflies can obtain moisture. The colorful flowers provide a nectar source for adult butterflies. And the foliage provides a place for shelter and “roosting.”
Photo by MG Julie Mangin
Pot now, swap later! Photo by MG Sherry Marshall
MG Dirty Gertie, in hirsute glory, welcomed thousands of visitors to the Master Gardener Demo Garden at the Montgomery County Fair in August. Find out more next month in The Seed… Photo by MG Sherry Marshall
October 1 Deadline
Outstanding Service Award—Call for Nominations By Kathy Kircher
Do you know Master Gardeners who you think have done an outstanding job in the past year? Want to see that their contributions to the group and community are recognized? Then please nominate them for an Outstanding Service Award by October 1, 2015. Winners will be announced at the December Holiday Party.
Criteria can be found on the “For Master Gardeners” portion of the MG website, listed under Lifetime Service Award Guidelines (see page 2). Or go to http://extension.umd.edu/mg/locations/lifetime-service-award-guidelines. Email or give your nominations to MGs Kathy Kircher, [email protected]; Suzanne Grefsheim, [email protected]; or Linda Waters, [email protected].
Announcements continued from page 6
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 The Seed P A G E 7
Saturday, October 3 Sign Up to Run Family Activities at Harvest Festival By Barbara Waite-Jaques
If you are into “cute” and pure pleasure, join Master Gardener volunteers at the annual Harvest Festival, sponsored by the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The event is a wonderful family outing featuring fun farming and gardening activities for all ages.
This year the festival will be held on Saturday, October 3, from 11 am to 4 pm, at the Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood. Master Gardener volunteers top off a year in the garden by running the following lively and popular activities for kids and their parents:
Mr. McGregor’s Garden, a children’s garden
Terra Cotta Pot Painting
Tussie Mussies
Plant Clinic
Let's Make a Butterfly
The Bug Game
Herbal Teas and Gardening
Demonstration Garden Tours
We also need volunteers to help with setup and logistics. The festival has a “Horsepower” theme this year, so we’re planning a “horsey” slant to our activities.
This is a great opportunity to interact with the public and with other MGs. A bonus is the wonderful sandwich and cookie lunch prepared by MGs Elsie Sullivan and Amy Prywes.
Choose Your Volunteer Shift
There will be three shifts: Shift A, 8—10 am, for setup; Shift B, 10 am—1:30 pm; and Shift C, 1:30—5 pm. Volunteers for Shift B may also wish to sign up to help with setup. Volunteers for Shift C will also assist with cleanup at the end of the day. You are welcome to sign up for one or two shifts or all three.
Parking Pass Deadline September 13
Those volunteering for Shift A will not need parking passes since they arrive before 10:30. After that time, admission is charged, so those volunteering for Shifts B and C will need passes. The deadline for getting passes is September 13, so please sign up before then.
To sign up for the Harvest Festival, go to www.volunteersignup.org/Y73QK and follow the instructions. It takes only a few seconds. If you do not have email access (but only if you don’t, please), you may sign up at the September 3 monthly meeting.
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“Did you hear? The Harvest Festival is all about ME this year!” Photo courtesy of Cara Marshall
Announcements continued from page 7
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 The Seed P A G E 8
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Need MG volunteer hours? Want to earn them from home?
We are looking for a volunteer (or team, group) to help compile a “MG Volunteer Opportunities Reference” handout.
This could be done on a home computer and would be available to MG interns as well as the membership. It would describe our Master Gardener volunteer programs, committees and special events. The handout would be a compact and concise description of what volunteers do, obligations for training, the contact person, how to sign up, when they meet, and other pertinent details. The first attempt would be to format the handout for the next intern class, then adapt it to the MG website.
If you are interested in this project, please contact MG Linda Waters, 301-590-2836; [email protected]
October 12-30
Sign Up Now for Close Encounters with Agriculture…
and Busloads of Fourth-Graders By Paula Jean Hallberg
“What parts of a plant do we eat?”
“What animal is most closely related to a horse?”
If you don’t know the answers now, you can find out when you volunteer to work at Close Encounters with Agriculture. The popular program, which started in 1993, now draws up to 4,000 Montgomery County fourth-graders each October. This year’s dates are October 12 to 30, with activities on 14 of those days. The event is staffed by Master Gardener and 4-H volunteers, local farmers, and Agricultural Offices employees. If you enjoy being around lots of noisy, energetic children, this is the place for you!
What happens when the busloads of fourth-graders arrive at the Agricultural History Farm Park?
Between 10 am and 1 pm, the children rotate through three sections: Nutrition and Plants, Production Agriculture, and Environment. Each area uses various teaching methods—demonstrations, models, relay races, hands-on learning, and games.
Lessons in the Nutrition and Plants section focus on the USDA “My Plate” recommendations, grains, and our digestive system. In Production Agriculture, children see live farm animals—goats, dairy cattle, beef cattle, and horses; they also learn what products we get from animals, and how to read a food label. In the Environment section, children learn about how farmers protect the soil and streams and why it is important to do so. This section also has live animals: stream insects in their larval forms.
Besides MGs who help staff the sections, volunteers are needed to help with logistics, such as relaying messages, unloading children and their lunches from buses, and shepherding groups around. Two MGs bring desserts for the lunch provided for staff and volunteers at the end of each program day. Before Close Encounters starts, volunteers are needed to help stuff Goody Bags for the fourth-graders; that activity starts at 9 am on Wednesday, October 7, and concludes with free pizza.
Volunteer Activities & Sign-Up
Provide desserts for volunteers’ lunch (2 are needed each day).
Logistics—Desk help: Answer the telephone and relay messages. Load and unload kids and lunches from buses (2 people each day).
Plant Track—Lesson covers “What parts of a plant do we eat?” and the new “My Plate” food guidelines (4 people each day).
Barn—Help with relay races as event judges (easy) and children sorters (a little more of a challenge) (2 people each day). If you’d like to work with ponies, goats, pigs, or beef or dairy cattle in the Production Agriculture section, call Doug Tregoning at 301-590-2809 and leave a message.
Nutrition—Teach and assist with Nutrition Bowl Game, and “Go with the Grains” lesson (3 people each day).
Environment—Lead children to the five areas in the Environment section, and assist with timekeeping (4 people each day). Also needed: MGs to teach and assist with Who Polluted the Potomac (2 people), Soil (2 people), Stream insects (4 people), and Stream buffer (4 people).
To sign up, go to http://www.extension.umd.edu/montgomery-county/home-gardening/close-encounters and follow the instructions. You may sign up for multiple days, and it’s most helpful if you sign up for the same activity on all your days so you can get a real feel for it. If you don’t have internet access, you may sign up at the September 5 general meeting. If you need assistance, please contact MG Barbara Waite-Jaques.
Please be flexible—at times activity leaders may need to change assignments to fill holes. We try to give all volunteers, especially interns, a chance to visit other activities. Please arrive on time, dress for the weather (many stations are outside), and stay for a delicious lunch provided by our program sponsors once the buses depart. This is a great opportunity to accumulate volunteer hours over a short period of time.
Beyond the Soil Test: The Jar Test for Soil Texture
Our Mission: To support the University of Maryland Extension mission by educating residents about safe, effective and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes, and communities.
Our Vision: The Maryland Master Gardener vision is a healthier world through environmental stewardship.
Disclaimer: All opinions regarding businesses or their products are those of the authors and not of the University of Maryland.
EEO Statement: The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to any person and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression.
Montgomery County Master Gardeners
18410 Muncaster Road Derwood, MD 20855
301-590-2836
Email: [email protected]
Website
Direct correspondence to:
Stephen Dubik University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener Coordinator and Horticultural Consultant
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 The Seed P A G E 9
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By Mary Hagedorn
We urge gardeners (and Master Gardeners!) to have their soil tested to determine plant-available nutrients and nutrient recommendations. However, standard tests generally do not include soil texture, which also affects whether your plants flourish. Rather than paying for another analysis, you can do a simple test at home—the “jar test.” It will let you approximate soil texture by estimating the amount of sand, silt, and clay in a sample of soil.
You will need:
A clear jar with a lid
Enough of the soil to fill the jar a few inches
1 teaspoon of a dispersing agent such as non-foaming dishwasher detergent (some sources do not call for this)
A marker to note the layers
A ruler to measure the layers and total depth.
Collect unamended soil, taking a slice or core that goes several inches deep. Crumble the soil and remove roots, rocks, and the like. Spread the soil on newspaper to dry. Some sources recommend pulverizing the soil. Frankly, I’m a bit lazy, and just continue to crumble it until it is fairly fine.
Place a few inches of dry soil and the dispersing agent (if used) into the jar. Fill the jar about three-quarters full with water and close the lid tightly. Now shake. Shake some more. Shake it for a few minutes.
Have your marker and ruler handy! When you stop shaking the jar, the sand layer, being composed of larger and heavier particles, will settle out in about one minute. The accumulation at the bottom of the jar will look grainy. Mark the top of the sand layer on the side of the jar and measure its depth.
The smaller silt particles will take a couple of hours to settle out. Learn from my mistake—set an alarm! After two hours, mark the top of this layer and measure from the top of the sand layer to the top of the silt layer.
Now you wait. The tiny clay particles take a very long time to settle out—days, or even a week. Some clay particles may remain in suspension and the water may never clear entirely. When the water is clear or nearly so, mark the top of the clay layer and measure the clay layer and the total depth of the settled soil.
Once all the layers are settled, you will likely see the differences in color or texture of each layer by looking carefully in good light. The graphic shows these differences more clearly than the actual soil will.
Let’s say that the total depth of the soil is four inches and includes one inch of sand, 1¾ inches of silt, and 1¼ inches of clay. Divide each amount by the total four inches and you will find that your soil is 25% sand, 44% silt, and 31% clay. Turning to the soil texture triangle in Chapter 4 of your Master Gardener Handbook (or you can find colored diagrams by Googling “soil triangle”), you will see that your soil is clay loam.
Adding amendments to your soil as indicated by the test can improve the formation of aggregates and pore spaces, supporting root growth. They can also improve drainage in clay soils and water retention in sandy soils.
For more information on soils, see Chapter 4 of the Master Gardener Handbook, our wealth of Fact Sheets, and the USDA National Resources Conservation Service soils page at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/soils/home/.
Image source: Colorado Extension Service http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/gardennotes/214.html Used by permission.
Stumped
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 The Seed
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When gardeners are STUMPED, they seek expert advice from Extension, a plant clinic, or HGIC.
Hidden Menaces, Accidentally Introduced
Leaf miners are the larvae of insects that live in and eat the leaf tissue of plants. They are protected from many predators and plant defenses by feeding within the tissues of the leaves themselves. These hidden menaces can cause problems for many plants in our area. Here are two examples, brought in by area residents, of leaves that were damaged and falling from the plants.
Boxwood Leafminer
The boxwood leafminer (Monarthropalpus flavus) is a serious insect pest that was accidentally introduced from Europe and attacks boxwoods. The leafminer is the larva of a small, orangish, mosquito-like fly. These flies are less than ⅛-inch long and can often be seen swarming around boxwoods in the spring. The adult female fly inserts eggs with her ovipositor into new boxwood leaves through the leaf’s upper surface. When the larvae hatch, they feed inside the leaf, creating a mine.
Larvae are orange and about ⅛-inch in length. They overwinter inside the leaves. Adults emerge from the leaves the following spring, just after new growth occurs on boxwoods. There is one generation per year. American boxwood is the preferred host plant, but English and Japanese boxwoods are also susceptible.
Boxwood leafminer attacks result in irregularly shaped swellings on the leaf. The leaf’s undersurface may have a slightly blistered appearance that may not be obvious until late summer. Infested leaves typically turn yellow or brown in splotches, are smaller, and drop sooner than healthy leaves.
Unless infestation is severe, non-insecticidal approaches should be used to manage this pest. Choose cultivars of English boxwood such as Buxus sempervirens ‘Pendula’, ‘Suffruticosa’, ‘Handworthiensis’, ‘Pyramidalis’, ‘Argenteo-varigata’, and ‘Varder Valley’ that are more resistant. Encourage natural predators such as green lacewings and spiders. Maintain plant vigor since healthy plants are more tolerant of insect damage.
Prune the foliage before adults emerge or right after adult flies lay their eggs in May. This step reduces the overall population of the leafminer. When practical, pinch leaves hard enough to kill maggots in the infested leaves.
Holly Leafminer
Holly leafminers are small flies, and there are several species that feed on holly: native holly leafminer (Phytomyza ilicicola) feeds mainly on American holly, and the holly leafminer (Phytomyza ilicis) on English holly. Damage is due mainly to the feeding of the minute yellow fly maggots. They feed by mining between the top and bottom surfaces of the leaves. The mines begin as narrow, inconspicuous tunnels. By fall, the mines look like irregular dark streaks.
Adult females also cause injury by inserting their ovipositors into the leaves. Males and females feed on the juices that appear from the punctures. A large number of punctures in a leaf may cause a leaf to become stunted and twisted.
When possible, American hollies should be grown in partial shade. Trees in full sun usually suffer more damage by this pest. The simplest way to control the holly leaf miner is to pick off and destroy all infested leaves before May.
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Quote of the
Month
True Then…True Now Study landscape in nature more and the gardens and their catalogues less…is our advice to the rising generation of planters, who wish to embellish their places in the best and purest taste.
- Andrew Jackson Downing, “The Horticulturist, A Few Hints on Landscape Gardening,” 1851
Word of the Month Patulous: In botany, spreading, as a tree or its boughs; spreading slightly, as a calyx; or bearing flowers loose or dispersed, as a peduncle.
Invite green lacewings and spiders to control these pests on your boxwoods. Photo by M J Raupp, University of Maryland
Check your hollies for signs of mischief from holly leafminer in early spring. Photo: HGIC, University of Maryland
Ask and Answer
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 The Seed
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P A G E 1 1
Is a Clean Garden a Green Garden? Yes . . . and No
This month The Seed turned to MG Susan Bell, owner/operator of HillTop Gardens, for advice on putting our gardens to bed for the season.
Q. When your garden has totally pooped out, it seems so satisfying to cut everything back and put the garden to bed with a thick layer of mulch or leaves. What do you recommend?
A. For entrance gardens and foundation plantings, cutting back and mulching will keep them tidy and attractive for winter. Three inches of loose mulch is the goal, so if you have a crusty layer already on the bed, you should loosen it before applying additional mulch, for a maximum of three inches. More mulch than this, especially against tree trunks and shrub branches, can promote disease, insect infestations, and dieback. In fact, trees should not have any mulch directly against the trunk. Mulch “volcanos” piled around your trees are a sign your landscape workers have a lack of basic knowledge, as this practice is harmful to trees.
Leaving a natural layer of leaves in your outlying beds or under trees is also desirable and saves time, money, and effort. However, deeper layers, like those that collect where the wind has blown them against a fence, may be too deep for natural breakdown.
Q. Is it true that "clean is not green" when it comes to retaining habitat for pollinators?
A. A woodland or garden area that can be left natural allows for the creation of wildlife habitat for pollinators, as well as birds and other small beneficial creatures. Butterflies, for example, spend the winter in more than one life stage to increase their chances of survival. Leave perennials like milkweed standing and let leaves stay on the ground to help maintain their populations. Butterfly eggs attach to stems or drop and are protected by leaves. Caterpillars and chrysalids also attach to stems or leaves on the ground. Butterflies hide in crevices of exfoliating bark, in siding, or in wood piles.
One rotting log, dead stump, large branch, or snag can help provide food, habitat, perches, and hiding places for critters. Woodpecker holes can be havens for solitary bees. Depressions under a log can be a home for snakes, toads, or turtles. Brush piles hidden in a back corner of the yard, behind a shed or evergreen, can create habitat for other critters.
Grasses and perennials with long-lasting seed pods like black-eyed susans and sedums provide food for wildlife. Plants with hollow stems, such as an ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea or large grasses, can be cut back to provide habitat for mason bees and butterflies.
Q. Is there a downside to preserving habitat for pollinators?
A. Not if it is done properly. Remove all invasive species, noxious weeds, and any diseased leaves, such as those on roses with black spot or peonies and lilacs with powdery mildew. If your perennials are crowding against evergreen shrubs or growing into them, you should cut them back to create some space between them. All evergreens need good air circulation and sunlight to dry their foliage and stay healthy in our humid climate.
Q. Won’t leaving plant material in place attract or also provide habitat for pests or promote disease?
A. It can. If you already have insect problems, the pests probably will overwinter in leaf debris. Oak leaves are “wavy” so they stay drier as garden mulch over the winter. Maple leaves, on the other hand, are flat and tend to mat down and stay soggy, the perfect environment for viruses and fungal disease. You can make an excellent substitute for hardwood mulch by mowing or grinding the leaves to use in your foundation beds.
Susan Bell is a member of the MG Speakers’ Bureau. Her company, HillTop Gardens (www.HillTopGardens.com), provides landscape consultations and design packages, stonework and plant installations, seasonal maintenance including leaf removal and mulching, expert hand-pruning of shrubs and small trees, custom containers, tasteful accessories and more! The company specialty is ‘”One-Day Garden Makeovers.” You can contact her at [email protected].
The Gardener’s
Guide
What to Do in September Labor Day weekend –
perfect time for seeding the lawn (then hit the hammock).
Remove fallen, diseased leaves.
Mulch or compost healthy leaves.
Continue planting cool-season veggies; plant garlic now through the end of October.
Have vegetable garden and landscape soils tested (www.extension.umd.edu/hgic/soils/soil-testing)
Apply fertilizer and lime to turfgrass based on soil tests and UME recommendations (www.extension.umd.edu/hgic/umd-extension-lawn-fertilizer-schedule-home-lawns), then hit the hammock.
From “What To Do & When,” prepared by Frederick County Master Gardeners (except recommendations about hammock, which are offered at no additional charge by the Seedlings).
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5
Continuing Education Corner MG BENEFIT
The Seed
Visit Websites for
More Classes
The Accokeek Foundation
Audubon Naturalist Society
Behnke’s
Brookside Gardens
Casey Trees
City Blossoms
Green Spring Gardens
Horticultural Society of
Maryland
Irvine Nature Center
Ladew Topiary Gardens
Maryland Native Plant Society
Meadowlark Botanical
Gardens
Merrifield Gardens
Montgomery College
Neighborhood Farm Initiative
Prince William Cooperative
Extension
State MG Advanced Training
United States Botanic Garden
Conservatory
US National Arboretum
September 3 & 10, 9:30 am - 4 pm. Master Composter (Train the Trainer – two-day class). Learn composting from Master Gardener Composters. Improve your techniques and learn to share your knowledge with others. Learn the science and the art, as well as hone your personal teaching skills. You will give a 10-minute presentation and after 10 hours of volunteering, you will receive your Master Composter Advanced Training certification. HGIC. $45. http://mcmco.eventbrite.com/. Montgomery County Extension (Derwood)
September 5, 2 - 4 pm. Bonsai for Beginners. Create your own bonsai to take home and learn care and maintenance basics. Behnke Nursery. $65. Registration requested.
September 12, 9 am - 4 pm. Community Gardens (Train the Trainer). Learn how to support community gardeners' efforts by understanding the community gardening process and rules, and by advising and demonstrating best management practices in the garden. Topics of two practicum activities and two panel discussions include rules and regulations, funding, startup, policies, identifying partners, infrastructure, fencing, and design, weed identification, IPM, pests, rodents, food safety, garden safety, pesticides, soil testing, organic policies, and composting. HGIC. $40. http://cgtmgcep.eventbrite.com/. 6200 Sheridan St., Riverdale, PG County.
September 15-November 17, 7 - 9 pm. Introduction to Ecology. Gain a fundamental understanding of ecology and the physical and biological principles on which ecosystems depend, including the patterns and processes of nature. Natural History Field Studies (NHFS). $355. http://www.graduateschool.edu/course_details.php?cid=NATH1160E. Woodend Sanctuary, Audubon Naturalist Society.
September 15-November 10, 6 - 8 pm. Fall Woody Plant Identification. Fall is the ideal time to study woody plant identification. Field trips feature recognition characteristics and botanical keys to identify many local woody plants. Students should have a 10x hand lens. Natural History Field Studies (NHFS). $355. http://www.graduateschool.edu/course_details.php?cid=NATH7145E. 600 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington DC, L'Enfant Plaza Metro Stop
September 21-November 23, 6 - 8 pm. Chesapeake Bay Ecosystems. Discover the dynamic nature of our Chesapeake Bay through study of basic physical, chemical and biological processes. Explore biological and geochemical cycles and the interaction between nutrients and overall productivity affecting the health of the Bay. Natural History Field Studies (NHFS). $355. http://www.graduateschool.edu/course_details.php?cid=NATH8216E. Woodend Sanctuary, Audubon Naturalist Society
September 23-November 1, 6 - 8:30 pm. The Living Soil. Examine the nature of soils and their influence on environment. Learn structure, properties and classification of soils and the significance of these factors to plant growth and other uses. Natural History Field Studies (NHFS). $355. http://www.graduateschool.edu/course_details.php?cid=NATH1175E. 600 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington DC, L'Enfant Plaza Metro Stop
September 24-November 19, 6 - 9 pm. Eastern Forest Ecosystems. Learn how history, geography, evolution, climate, bedrock and soil determine the nature of our Mid-Atlantic woodlands. Natural History Field Studies (NHFS), $355. http://www.graduateschool.edu/course_details.php?cid=NATH8215E. 600 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington DC, L'Enfant Plaza Metro Stop
For more information on an organization or to register for a class, see “Visit Websites” (left), and click on the organization’s link. The list also includes links to organizations not listed below (especially those outside Montgomery County) that may also offer programs.
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Continuing Education Corner continued from page 12
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5
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P A G E 1 3 The Seed
October 1, 9 am-noon. Techniques and Guided Tour of UMD Terp Farm. Small-scale, four-season farming techniques that apply to backyard gardens including seed starting, transplants, improving the soil, unique methods to plant and support crops, protective measures (e.g., high tunnels), dealing with weeds, organic certification policies and processes, and pest management. HGIC. $20. http://wcmgltf.eventbrite.com/. 2005 Largo Rd., Upper Marlboro, PG County
Fall Classes at Montgomery College The following classes will be offered by Montgomery College starting on the dates indicated. Most classes are held at the Germantown Campus. Students can take these courses for credit or audit. Tuition waiver available for Maryland residents age 60 or older. Details on course content, instructor, location, and other information may be found at www.montgomerycollege.edu. For further information contact Steve Dubik, 240-567-7803, or [email protected].
Start date: August 31 or September 4, 1-2:40 pm. Introduction to Plant Sciences (LNTP 100). Explore the many facets of plant science and gain a strong foundation in basic botany and horticulture. Topics include plant anatomy, morphology, physiology, classification, genetics, and the importance of plants to society. Students will apply learned fundamentals of plant propagation and nutrition during laboratory investigations.
Start date: August 31, 7:30 pm. Introduction to Sustainable Landscaping (LNTP 105). An overview of the green industry, highlighting current environmental trends and sustainability issues including theoretical and practical aspects of the industry, with techniques and approaches for maintaining and improving soil health and managing stormwater, growth and nutrition to ensure environmental sustainability. Learn about national, state and local guidelines promoting sustainability in landscape design and management.
Start date: September 3, 6:00 pm. Landscape Graphics (LNTP 161). Beginning students in landscape will develop the graphic skills
necessary to prepare planting designs and construction drawings for presentations to clients and for construction implementation. Topics include site analysis, conceptual design, schematic design, working drawings, and construction details. Students will prepare colored site plans and basic three-dimensional drawings.
Start date: September 3, 6:00 pm. Pesticide Use and Safety (LNTP 190). Preparation for the examination for pesticide application certification. Includes principles of pest control, pesticides, laws and regulations, pesticide labeling, pesticides and human health, personal protective equipment, pesticides and the environment, handling pesticides, pesticide emergencies, and pesticide alternatives.
Start date: September 2, 6:00 pm. Pest Management (LNTP 215). Identification of insects, mites, and other arthropods attacking landscapes, nursery plants, and greenhouse crops. Topics include life cycles of plant-damaging insects/mites and identification of commonly attacked plant materials; integrated pest management control options; pesticide uses and limitations; pesticide safety, equipment, and application methods.
Start date: September 1, 6:00 pm. Turfgrass Management (LNTP 222). Residential, commercial, and athletic field lawn care. Turfgrass varieties, establishment procedures, lawn maintenance schedules, renovation procedures, pest control methods, and weed control options. Laboratory assignments will include identification of grass species, weeds, and turf insects.
Start date: August 31 or September 2, 10 am. Plant Materials I (LNTP 253). Identification and uses of deciduous plants used in residential and commercial landscapes. Plant heights, shapes, seasonal interest, flower time, colors, fruiting as well as other characteristics, are covered. This course will prepare students to make appropriate selection of plant materials for particular landscape situations.
Landscape Technology Internship (LNTP 280). Internship experience, with guidance from an instructor, in the horticulture or turfgrass industry. Completion of 16 semester hours of landscape technology courses or consent of department.
Webinar Policy The following MC-MG guidelines for determining how webinars qualify for Continuing Education credit were developed by a Board ad hoc committee and approved by MG Coordinator, Steve Dubik.
Continuing Education: 1. Subject matter must be relevant to the field of horticulture. 2. Continuing education hours may be granted for webinars assuming: *The duration of the program is a minimum of 30 minutes for which a MC-MG would earn 30 minutes of CE credit. *The source is an educational or governmental organization (e.g., University of Maryland, Penn State University, Maryland Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture or Environmental Protection Agency). *The webinar has been pre-approved by the state or local Master Gardener Coordinator. At least five of the required continuing educational hours must be earned in a face-to-face environment such as meetings, seminars or workshops. If you have questions as to whether a webinar may be accepted for continuing education credit, contact the local Master Gardener Coordinator or designee.