Root Concerns
An E-mail Gardening Newsletter from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer, Albany and Schenectady Counties
March 2016 Volume 11, Number 2
Root Concerns Notes from the underground
Saving Seeds & Genetic Diversity Text and photos by Master Gardener Melissa MacKinnon My earliest gardening memory is saving seeds with my mother. I remember vividly at age seven collecting seeds from tall orange French marigolds that lined the back fence in our yard. We harvested dried seed heads from the plant and stored the seeds in a small, letter envelope. The next summer I planted the seeds with her and that same border of marigolds grew again. It seemed to me like a kind of magic and I remember still the wonder I felt in how such a small thing, a seed, could grow into a tall plant full of flowers.
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As an adult I have grown many of the annual plants in my gardens from seed, having learned from my mom that it was not that hard. While I have grown plants from seed, I never delved far into the science of seeds and seed saving until recently. In April, I had the opportunity to attend an Introduction to Seed Saving workshop at Native Seeds/SEARCH (Southwest Endangered Aridlands Resource Clearing House.) Native Seeds/SEARCH is a non-profit organization based in Tucson, Arizona, working to conserve, distribute and document the adapted and diverse varieties of agricultural seeds, their wild relatives, and the role these seeds play in cultures of the American Southwest and north-
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west Mexico. The science and practical skills of seed saving we learned applied to seed saving in all regions, not just arid regions. We practiced wet and dry seed processing methods, learned how to store seeds and then test for germination. Workshop leaders taught hands-on science, having participants dissect two examples of common seed structures: corn, a monocot, and bean, a dicot. I came to understand better what I still see as the magic of seeds. We viewed incredible photos of close-up images of seeds, like the stomata on the seed coat through which seeds breathe. We learned how to create our own garden for seed saving. We spent time considering the different families of common food plants, understanding the plants’ life cycle, reproductive biology, isolation requirements, and population size needed to successfully save seeds. The easiest seeds to save are from the Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Solanaceae families because they can self-pollinate, which is why my Mom and I could so easily save those marigold seeds. Corn is much more challenging. Corn was domesticated over 7,500 years ago in the Balsas Valley of southern Mexico. One strategy traditional farmers in Mexico use is growing the wild ancestor of corn, teosinte, around the edges of their gardens to maintain genetic diversity in their domesticated varieties. I came to deeply appreciate the resilience of plants and people who have been breeding plants in the desert region of the United States for millennia. There are incredible species that thrive in the arid southwest: squash, melons, corn, peppers and tomatoes! By participating in the Native Seeds/SEARCH seed-saving workshop I came to better understand, both scientifically and culturally, the importance of maintaining genetic diversity for future adaption in a changing climate and the role heirloom species play in this. Native Seeds actively participates in the conservation of diversity in seeds, maintaining an off-site conservation center as well as a nearby conservation farm. Our workshop was adjacent to Native Seed's impressive seed storage facility. It is a 600-square-foot walk-in cooler for mediumterm storage and a 120-square-foot walk-in freezer for longterm storage. Through this workshop and other outreach efforts, Native Seeds encourages people in all regions to create local seed banks that conserve existing seed diversity and make it accessible to everyone.
Root Concerns
Volume 11, Number 2
Green Shots:
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The Gardening World in Pictures
The Significance of Five. It’s the key to Japanese garden design. But are we talking about the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and scent? Or the five essential elements: earth, water, fire, wind and sky? It’s a combination, a blending of both that is beautifully executed in the five gardens on display at the Japanese Garden in Portland, Oregon. The Flat Garden (above): This is where you’ll find enlightenment and happiness. A sake cup and carafe float in expanse of gravel that stands for rippling water. The Strolling Pond Garden (right): This was originally designed for the recreation of the wealthy. Stroll over the Moon Bridge and past a waterfall while relaxing and reflecting on the beauty of nature.
http://japanesegarden.com/
The Tea Garden (left): It’s a structure designed to heighten the awareness of natural beauty. This Tea House was built in Japan, dismantled and shipped to Portland where it was reassembled by a master Japanese carpenter. Another example of the Japanese attention to detail. The Natural Garden (right): The perfect setting for contemplating the beauty of nature…..and the brevity of life. The Sand and Stone Garden (left): The Japanese call the design principle yohakuna-bi – which showcases the beauty of blank space in a dry landscape. Also called a Zen Garden, it was tended by monks as a space for contemplation.
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What’s Cooking In The White House Kitchen Garden? Gardening at the White House can be traced back to George Washington who acquired adjacent land from tobacco farmer Davy Burns, but Thomas Jefferson was the first president whose interest in horticulture took root at the White House in the form of a formal flower garden. Jefferson’s private gardens at Monticello contained many vegetable beds and the onions he grew there are the ancestors of those grown today in the White House kitchen garden. While the initial plantings featured ornamentals, over the decades the landscape of the White House changed to include some vegetable growing. In 1827, John Quincy Adams wrote about the two White House acres that were cultivated with kitchen and medicinal herbs and fruit trees. He also mentions the weeds. In the early 1900’s, First Ladies Edith Roosevelt and Ellen Wilson both enjoyed gardening with flowers on the White House grounds, but it wasn’t until the 1940’s during World War II that vegetables took center stage with the Victory Gardens of Eleanor Roosevelt’s day. Today, Michelle Obama is following in Eleanor’s footsteps as she encourages the country to pick up a spade and start gardening. Mrs. Obama’s message is an extension of her concern about childhood obesity and her goal in gardening at the White House is to promote eating fresh food, teaching children from an early age to appreciate growing their own food and the fun of eating what you grow. It is also about family activity, and since vegetable gardening combines physical activity with the potential of good nutrition, Michelle Obama decided that a vegetable garden at the White House was the place to start. The First Lady is often outside in the garden with children from a local elementary school to lead by example and the results of the first year far exceeded her expectations. In 2009, the first year of the Obama garden, the 1,100 square foot plot produced more than 1,000 pounds of broccoli, eggplant, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, lettuces, other vegetables and herbs. The produce was more than the White House could use so the extra was donated to a nearby soup kitchen. Along with the garden, a beehive was installed on the South Lawn but it had to be bolted down as that is the area where the President’s helicopter lands, producing strong wind gusts. Nonetheless, the hive produced 134 pounds of honey, some of which was given as gifts to the spouses of visiting dignitaries. In 2010, the honey was abundant enough to use to brew a batch of White House Honey Ale.
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It turned out that the White House garden became quite the celebrity in its own right when the Food Network show, “Iron Chef America,” featured the White House chef in a kitchen battle of produce. White House Chef Cristeta Comerford and Chef Bobby Flay were paired against Chefs Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse. Team Obama won! Year two in the garden included more groups of local school children as garden helpers but the game plan remained the same, to encourage families to garden together and to eat more fresh produce. In a recent interview, White House chef Sam Kass said that the objectives of the White House garden are as important today as ever as the rate of childhood obesity has tripled in the last thirty years. In May of 2012 Michelle Obama published American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens across America as a record of the White House garden and the children who tend it. Mrs.Obama is planting seeds in her garden but also in the minds of Americans who she wants to be healthier. Starting with the children, she is “planting” a dietary revolution to stem the tide of childhood obesity and diabetes. The White House Chefs are happy, too! Dough Ingredients: 1 cup butter
Chef Cristeta Comerford’s Sweet Potato Pie
½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt
Method: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. For the pie dough, mix the sugar and
1 teaspoon vanilla
butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and gently mix. Incorporate
1 teaspoon lemon zest
the vanilla, lemon zest and egg yolks. Form the mixture into a ball and let it rest in
2 egg yolks
the refrigerator for 30 minutes. With a lightly floured rolling pin on a lightly floured
2 ½ cups flour
surface, roll the dough out into a quarter inch thick circle. Lightly drape the dough over a 12 inch tart or pie pan. Fit the dough and trim any remaining dough. Cover with
Filling Ingredients:
parchment paper and let rest in the refrigerator for another half hour. In a pre-heated
3 sweet potatoes, cut in
oven, bake the pie shell covered with parchment paper topped with baking beads (or
half lengthwise
you can use dry beans or rice) for 12 minutes. For the filling, place the sweet pota-
4 sticks cinnamon
toes, cinnamon, star anise and orange on a baking sheet and drizzle the melted butter
5 star anise
over everything. Bake at 350 degrees until the sweet potatoes are tender. Scoop out
1 orange quartered
the potatoes and pass it through a sieve or strainer so it turns into a potato pu-
2 tablespoon melted
rée. Discard the spices and orange. Set the potato purée aside to cool. Mix all the
butter
custard ingredients until blended and fold it into the potato purée until fully blended. Pour this mixture into the cooked tart shell and finish cooking until set, about 35
Custard Ingredients:
minutes.
3 cup crème fraiche 4 whole eggs
Honey Meringue Topping:
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 egg whites
2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups honey reduced by half
½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon salt
Whip the egg whites until stiff and incorporate the hot reduced honey. Top the cooked sweet potato pie and broil until the meringue gets a toasted color.
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Sundial Lupine Here are some fun facts about this favorite mid-spring wildflower. The USDA lists sundial lupine (Lupinus perennis) as threatened in Iowa, Maryland, and New Hampshire, possibly extirpated in Maine, rare in Pennsylvania, and endangered in Vermont. The decline of this species directly impacts the fate of the Karner blue butterfly, which is nearly extinct through much of its range. Locally, The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission has been working hard to save both the flower and the Karner Jenkinsarboretum.org blue. Sundial lupine is also a larval host of the frosted elfin butterfly, which is threatened throughout its range. The Xerces Society For Invertebrate Conservation notes that the lupine is of special value to native bees, and according to pollination experts, it's important to bumblebees. The website Illinoiswildflowers.org lists a host of other insects that utilize lupine. The Ladybird Johnson Foundation notes that sundial lupine attracts hummingbirds! If its dire status and wildlife value aren't enough, the flower of sundial lupine is absolutely beautiful. The blue-green, palmate leaves appear in a tight mound in mid-spring, and as the weather warms, stems arise, lined with blue pea-like flowers. After about a month, the flowers are replaced with seed pods. To grow this wildflower in a garden setting, collect the seeds in the fall before they dry – otherwise they will shoot away from the parent plant, up to a distance of seven feet! The collected seeds need to be scarified with sandpaper before planting. Sundial lupine naturally occurs in sunny, sandy, slightly acidic places, such as pine barrens. It’s actually not too fussy, and I have had success growing it in average garden soil. The name "sundial" is related to how the leaves orient themselves to face the sun. "Lupine" came from the mistaken belief that the flower “wolfed up” nutrients from the soil. In fact, it enhances soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen into the soil, like other members of the bean family (Fabaceae). Native Americans utilized lupine as a wash for horses, which made them full of fire and spirit, and for people who worked with horses so they could control them. It was also used medicinally to treat hemorrhage and vomiting. This spring charmer is full of wild stories, and it's beautiful, too.
Text by Master Gardener Rhonda Rumsey Van Heuveln
Root Concerns
Volume 11, Number 2
Where Did This Meal Come From?
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I usually don’t think about it much. For us, tonight’s supper is simple: asparagus soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. It sounded like a good idea when the winds are howling and the crows fleeing into the darkness. And since I had a little extra time, I decided to take a step away from the ordinary. There was a recipe for asparagus soup I’d been meaning to try… age 61 of The French Culinary Institute’s “Salute to Healthy Cooking.”
And the timing seemed perfect. My local supermarket was almost giving away the first asparagus I’d seen this season … and at $2 less than last year’s repugnant prices. In my thrift-driven excitement, I failed to find out where the lovely green stalks came from. Which started me questioning the origins of the other meal components. The onion was from Georgia – a Vidalia from the banks of the Chattahoochee. The potato was Canadian; the olive oil is from… where else? The chicken stock came from California. So much for the soup. Feeling adventurous, I up-scaled a “Made in the USA” grilled cheese sandwich into “Jambon et fromages” – a menage et trois of Swiss cheese, sharp cheddar and ham. As exotic as the name sounds, all ingredients were generics - store brands - their origins are shredded by the anonymity of the production process. The milks for the cheeses could come from next door… or half a continent away. The bread, however, is distinctively local. The French peasant loaf tumbled out of an oven in Herkimer, bragging that it’s made from locally grown and milled grains. Yep, right here in 518. Local. Home grown. So, what’s my point? Like many would-be locavores, my ambition’s crippled by questions of cost… and convenience. I pass my supermarket a couple of times a day. My alternative, the Troy Farmer’s Market, is Saturday only. While the prices, like the quality, will be higher, alas, the selection will be seasonal. Or should I be a bit more realistic and open myself to wider range of options while keeping an eye on what matters to me? Like is this fish farm raised? Or wild? Is the chicken free range? Or caged? Does the label mention high fructose corn syrup… or brag about the ingredients not found inside? Is it local… or long distance? So, maybe the place to start is by continuing to ask the question…where did this meal come from? But more importantly, caring about the answer. Bon appetite!
Text and photo by Master Gardener Don Maurer
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Got Milk (Crates?) Sleeping in a January-cold house at night has its challenges. Wearing no socks leaves me cold, whereas wearing socks makes me too warm. One night I wore one sock, and everything was just right. Finding such commonsense solutions seems like a no-brainer, but oftentimes they arrive as a true revelation. That’s how I feel about milk crate gardening. They might not have invented it, but the folks at a place called Riverpark Farm in Manhattan have turned gardening in milk crates into a phenomenon. Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio wanted to have fresh vegetables for his new restaurant grown locally, creating the need for some sort of urban farming project. With both soil and space at a premium in The Big Apple, growing produce in thousands of milk crates has provided an elegantly simple solution. Now dozens of other sites Photo by Deena Muzzi wanting to showcase home-grown veggies are doing the same thing, including Brandeis University, a Whole Foods supermarket, and even Boston’s Fenway Park. Jet Blue is growing a variety of crops (including blue potatoes) in crates at JFK International Airport. It seems a lot of big names and big money are high on the lowly milk crate. That a milk crate would make an almost perfect container for growing a plant seems obvious, but it never dawned on me. Today’s milk crates are made of sturdy plastic, completely water and weather-proof. Made to be used for years, they’re darn near indestructible. They are eminently portable, with two built-in handles, and they are a workable size, easy to pick up and lug around. Modular in character, they can be packed close together and stacked in a variety of configurations. They are also easy to find and relatively inexpensive. That last point holds special meaning for people of my generation. Back when we were trucking off to college or out into the world, putting your stuff in a milk crate seemed the thing to do. Unfortunately, this meant stealing them, since the average Jane or Joe couldn’t find them to buy. Theft became rampant, leading to warnings printed on crates promising fines, jail time, or even death to offenders. Luckily, someone got the bright idea to just offer them for sale, and now young folks on the move can avoid starting life with a crime. Power to the people! Our Master Gardeners, always a law-abiding group, are planning a milk crate garden for this year’s Schaghticoke Fair. We’ll experiment with liners for the milk crates: some suggest a heavy-duty plastic bag, while others recommend a landscape fabric liner, but both should have some holes cut for drainage. Choosing what to grow should be fun and can be based on the old “Square Foot Gardening” techniques of Mel Bartholomew, since each crate is about one cubic foot. I can picture one patio tomato, one cabbage, four lettuce heads, nine beets, or 16 carrots per crate. Since milk crates come in a variety of colors, how about a purple eggplant in a pink crate, or orange marigolds in a red one? I simply have some crate expectations.
Story By David Chinery
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Volume 11, Number 2
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Of A Higher Plane If you’ve got good bark, flaunt it. This must have been what The Creator told The Original Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), because this is one tree that looks best naked. Low down, the trunk of a sycamore is covered in a reddish to gray-brown scaly coating, but higher up the paler colors of the inner bark dominate. On many specimens, the upper trunk and branches appear bone-white, making a striking contrast again a blue, blue January sky. A good sport this time of year is to stand on a high spot anywhere in this Hudson Valley and use the bark to pick out native sycamores miles away. I doubt winter tree-spotting will draw more gawkers than bird-watching, trainspotting or Hollywood celebs, but when you are out and about, see if you can sleuth out a sycamore. Also known as American planetree, a young sycamore has the potential to turn into one of our largest native deciduous trees. The National Champion measures 48 feet around its base, stands 129 feet tall and has an average crown spread of 105 feet, garnering it a second title of “largest living thing in Ohio.” One of my local favorites stands near the intersection of State Route 203 and County Route 17 on the south end of North Chatham, a spectacular singletrunked tree, towering over a nearby house. Often denizens of stream banks and floodplains, handsome sycamores are common along the Moordenerkill in Schodack, in the Siegel-Kline Kill Conservation Area in Ghent, or any similar local environment. They were also flashy enough to attract the attention of one John Tradescant The Younger way back in 1636. This bearded Brit, who also collected asters, phlox, tuliptrees and magnolias on his America sojourn, returned to London with American planetrees in tow. Both he and his father, Tradescant the Elder, were gardeners to aristocrats and royalty, so the trees undoubtedly got passed around and planted in the highest social circles. Then, an unexpected foreign invasion began. Already living in London were Oriental planetrees (Platanus orientalis), a distinct but related species. Sometime before 1700, the American and Oriental trees mixed, because in that year botanist Leonard Plukenet described a new planetree. These naturally-occurring hybrids had multi-hued bark in pale greens, tans, beiges, browns and grays which resembled military camouflage. Soon named the London planetree, their flowers, leaves and fruit all differed from either parent, too. Their elegance and size even inspired the great Vincent Van Gogh to make them the subject of more than one painting. This beauty also proved to have some brawn. London planes were found to be urban resilient and able to thrive along streets and in parks despite poor soil, heat and drought. They found homes in most large nineteenth century cities, including New York, Boston, Berne and Vancouver, and tolerated the infamous air pollution of the time. Although London planes have a few faults, including fungal pathogens, a propensity for dropping parts year round and the ability to outgrow their space, they remain worthy of admiration. Text and photo by David Chinery
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Don’t Worry, Be Muddy The weatherman says we set a new record yesterday for one-day rainfall in February. It was indeed grim and gloomy, so when the torrential downpour of last night gave way to a clearing sunrise, my soul felt like the Phoenix, rising from the ashes of Wednesday. Yesterday was also the first winter day I decided I was tired of winter, but maybe it’s because it’s been so wimpy. My new snow blower sits idle and my friends boast of a better snowfall in south Jersey, threatening to destroy our upstate, tougher-than-thou style. We’ve really only endured a prolonged mud season, without the beauty, challenge or satisfaction of surviving a single significant snowstorm. Raking leaves could have replaced snow removal as this winter’s get-meout-of-the-house activity. Leaves have come out of the woods to shoal up between the raised beds, mounding to over a foot deep. They’ve braved crossing Brookview Road, blown from west to east, fleeing the sadness of the neighbor’s messy lawn to cluster in safety in the hedgerow. A good use of time-lapse photography would be to document exactly how leaves accumulate in front of the garage door. Do they travel from the east, then suddenly rightangle a hard left turn around the building? Or maybe they roll up from the south, pass through the narrow gate, then make a sharp right. Perhaps they descend from the stratosphere, driven earthward by a vortex created by a flat roof, picket fence, and aging Ford Ranger. Despite today’s emphasis on STEM, my bet is with leaves, we’ll never know. February’s only attempt to be its punishing old self was on St. Valentine’s weekend, when temperatures sank below zero for three days running. Yet by the following Tuesday, we were enjoying an obscenely balmy 56 degrees. Gardeners fret about what these rollercoasters do to the plants. My answer is to sit back and forget worrying; we can only float along where the weather wants to take us. Some plants, such as the ‘P.J.M.’ rhododendron, have thrown open a blossom here, a blossom there, all winter. This hardy shrub, bred to be low-maintenance and carefree, has the worrywarts distressed due to this wanton behavior. Have we ever seen a ‘P.J.M.’ die in the spring because it flowered in January? No. Won’t there be fewer flowers in the spring? Yes, but only a few, and we’ll have so many other flowers that you won’t even notice. Those looking for a headache and a heartache should delve into the frost cracking happening on thin-barked trees just about now, but I’ll save that for another column. The ‘Luna’ witchhazel is also flowering, but that is to be expected from this early bloomer. Its diminutive, rounded, deep-red flowers with tiny yellow arms are clustered heavily along each stem. The fragrance is a heady floral sweetness, like the inside of a good florist’s shop. There is nothing else like ‘Luna’ in February. It is worth a dozen June bloomers, when it is easy to put on a show. Text and photo by David Chinery
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Root Concerns
What to do in
Volume 11, Number 2
MARCH
* Houseplants require more frequent watering and fertilizing as they respond to greater quantities of natural light and warmth. Repotting and dividing some of these plants at this time will result in a larger and healthier plant collection. * As soon as the ground is thawed, you may safely begin to plant shrubs and evergreens. Do make sure that the soil is not too soggy. Sometimes it takes quite a while for the soil to be dry enough to work without causing compaction. * Soil test are a good idea once the soil has thawed and dried a bit. Take your soil to your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office for a pH test, which will indicate the need for lime or sulfur. * Plan seeds of peas, onions, spinach, lettuce and cabbage as soon as the soil can be worked. These vegetables prefer cooler weather and really don’t thrive in the hottest summer conditions. * When you have an opportunity to go outside, inspect your spring flowering bulbs. When they show three to four inches of new growth, remove any mulch around them to clear the way. They are the exception rather than the rule, though. Don’t be too anxious to clear the protection of mulch from other perennials. They are still not ready to poke their heads out without fear of damage. * Now is a good time to prune your blueberries, raspberries, and apple trees while they are dormant. You can trim most ornamentals at this time except those that flower in the spring on last year’s wood like the forsythia and cherry trees. * While you are outside on the nice days, look at the asparagus and perennial beds. They will appreciate an application of fertilizer once the soil is warm and dry enough. * Sow eggplant, tomato, and pepper seeds indoors in late March. * Give your compost pile its first spring turn as soon as possible. Most compost piles sit unturned all winter and need to be reactivated.
Text by Master Gardener Peggy Growell & photos by David Chinery
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Volume 11, Number 2
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“Neither need you tell me,” said Candide, “that we must take care of our garden.” François-Marie Arouet (a.k.a. Voltaire) (French writer, historian and philosopher 1694-1778)
Gardening Questions?
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Call The Master Gardeners! In Albany County: Call 765-3514 weekdays from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM and ask to speak to a Master Gardener. You can also email your questions by visiting their website at www.ccealbany.com In Schenectady County: Call 372-1622 Monday and Thursdays from 9:00 AM to Noon, follow the prompt to speak to a Master Gardener and press #1. You can also email your questions by visiting their website at http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/schenectady/ In Rensselaer County: Call 272-4210 from 9:00 AM to Noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays and ask to speak to a Master Gardener. You can also email your questions to [email protected] Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County David Chinery ([email protected] and (518) 272-4210) Newsletter editor, designer and layout technician
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County Sue Pezzolla ([email protected] and (518) 765-3516)
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schenectady County Angie Tompkins ([email protected] and (518) 372-1622)
“Root Concerns: Notes from the underground” is a shared publication of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer, Albany and Schenectady Counties. It is published by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County.
Schenectady County Cornell Cooperative Extension Winter/Spring 2016 Classes All classes will be held at the Sustainable Living Center, unless otherwise noted Visit our website: Tree Care March 12, 10 am - noon Clarence Fountain, ISA Certified Arborist, will cover the basics of planning, planting and care for trees in the home landscape. Trees are an asset to the landscape and with a little maintenance you will increase their longevity. If you are considering adding new plantings to your property, bring along a map or sketch of the area you are working with. Cost is $5.00 per person. Please register with payment by March 7. Spring Table Centerpiece March 23, 6 - 7:30 pm Join Cornell Cooperative Extension and David Siders, world renowned floral designer and co-owner of Experience and Creative Design in making a beautiful spring centerpiece. Using fresh spring bulb flowers, twigs and other natural elements, you will learn how to create a centerpiece for your Table just in time for Easter. $35.00. Please register with payment by March 16. Session One- So You Want To Start a Vegetable Garden? March 30, 6:00 – 7:30 pm This two session class will cover the basics of how to start your own vegetable garden including mapping it out, understanding your soils and fertilizer options and choosing what to plant. Bring measurements of your intended garden space and a sample of soil (1 cup of dry soil). Session Two- So You Want to Start a Vegetable Garden? Sign-up for one time slot: April 6, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 or 6:00 pm Join us in the greenhouse to start your seeds for your garden. We provide the seeds, soil and tray to get you started. Your seedlings will be cared for by CCE staff and volunteers for 6 weeks. They will be ready for transplant when you pick them up on May 21. Cost is $40.00 per person for both sessions. You will have the option to add an extra tray of 50 plants for $10.00. Class size is limited. Please register with payment by March 21. Garden Design for the Home Landscape April 13, 6:00 – 7:30 pm Master/English Gardener, Timothy Huggett, shares the latest trends in garden design together with inspirational ideas for designing, planting and tending to those problem areas in the yard. $5.00 per person. Please register with payment by April 8.
Clematis: Queen of The Vines April 20, 6:00-7:30 pm With over 200 identified species in the United States, there is a clematis for nearly every gardening situation. Climbing a trellis, draped over a shrub, growing on its own or as a companion to a climbing rose, the clematis is among our most versatile and beautiful plants. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schenectady County Master Gardeners Margaret Rizzo and Arden Lawand will explain it all. $5.00 per person. Please register with payment by April 15.
Container Herb/Veggie Gardening May 12, 6:00-8:00 pm This class will cover all the techniques necessary to create and maintain your beautiful container garden, such as plant selection and planting tips; design considerations; will also be covered. After the presentation participants will create their own container garden to take home. A selection of veggies and herbs will be available to choose from. $20.00 per person. Please register with payment by May 5. Little Diggers Wednesdays, May 11 – June 15 Morning Session 10:00 –11:15 AM Afternoon Session 12:30 – 1:45 PM Preschoolers (age 3-5) will discover the wonders of gardening and nature through a series of six hands-on educational programs. Each week we will participate in themed classes that introduce children to gardening and nature. Garden exploration, nature walks, crafts, and stories will enrich your child’s understanding and appreciation for our natural world. — Class size is limited. Please register with payment by May 1, 2016. $75 per child. Limited need-based scholarships are available. If your child (or you) receives assistance or is eligible for special program, he/she can be considered for a scholarship to the 2015 Little Diggers program. Please submit a copy of one of the following with the registration form: Benefit card (Medicaid-eligible only), PA budget letter/print-out, Food stamp letter/print-out, SSI benefit statement/print-out, Unemployment stubs, Disability stubs/letter or Letter of acceptance for free/reduced price lunch. Please contact Angie Tompkins at [email protected] or 372-1622 ext. 259 if you have questions or for more information. Annual Master Gardeners Plant Sale Saturday, May 21, 2016 10am-2pm • Organically grown tomato plants • heirloom, disease resistant varieties • Vegetable seedlings • Herb Containers • Perennial Plant Divisions • • Miniature/Fairy Garden Containers • •“Planted” Garden-Art Chairs • Garden Signs • • Garden Theme Tag / Book Sale • Soil Testing • Garden activities for KIDS • • “Ask the Master Gardener” information table • Garden tours for everyone... come see what we are all about The Sustainable Living Center is located next to the tennis courts in Central Park Schenectady. The address is: 180 Ptl. Arthur Chaires Lane Fairy / Miniature Gardening Saturday June 11, 9:30 am-12:30 pm Explore the enjoyment, fun and adventure of mini gardening, create one of your own and learn that you can ...Go Small But Go Anywhere. Three hour class: begins with a movie (produced by three SCCCE Master Gardeners) exploring just some of the wonderful places you can go in the world of mini gardening. Followed by: how-to presentation and time for questions or discussion. After a short break: get started on your own magical mini garden. Containers, soil, plants, plus a variety of decorative mini items included in the cost. $20.00
Please register with payment by June 4.
Albany County and Rensselaer County Healthy Neighborhoods Program
The Healthy Neighborhoods Program targets
residents living in Albany County zip codes 12202, 12206, 12208, 12209, 12210 and residents living in Rensselaer County zip codes 12180, 12182, and 12144
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March 2016 Volume 11, Number 2
Root Concerns Notes from the underground
Saving Seeds & Genetic Diversity Text and photos by Master Gardener Melissa MacKinnon My earliest gardening memory is saving seeds with my mother. I remember vividly at age seven collecting seeds from tall orange French marigolds that lined the back fence in our yard. We harvested dried seed heads from the plant and stored the seeds in a small, letter envelope. The next summer I planted the seeds with her and that same border of marigolds grew again. It seemed to me like a kind of magic and I remember still the wonder I felt in how such a small thing, a seed, could grow into a tall plant full of flowers.
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As an adult I have grown many of the annual plants in my gardens from seed, having learned from my mom that it was not that hard. While I have grown plants from seed, I never delved far into the science of seeds and seed saving until recently. In April, I had the opportunity to attend an Introduction to Seed Saving workshop at Native Seeds/SEARCH (Southwest Endangered Aridlands Resource Clearing House.) Native Seeds/SEARCH is a non-profit organization based in Tucson, Arizona, working to conserve, distribute and document the adapted and diverse varieties of agricultural seeds, their wild relatives, and the role these seeds play in cultures of the American Southwest and north-
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Volume 11, Number 2
west Mexico. The science and practical skills of seed saving we learned applied to seed saving in all regions, not just arid regions. We practiced wet and dry seed processing methods, learned how to store seeds and then test for germination. Workshop leaders taught hands-on science, having participants dissect two examples of common seed structures: corn, a monocot, and bean, a dicot. I came to understand better what I still see as the magic of seeds. We viewed incredible photos of close-up images of seeds, like the stomata on the seed coat through which seeds breathe. We learned how to create our own garden for seed saving. We spent time considering the different families of common food plants, understanding the plants’ life cycle, reproductive biology, isolation requirements, and population size needed to successfully save seeds. The easiest seeds to save are from the Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Solanaceae families because they can self-pollinate, which is why my Mom and I could so easily save those marigold seeds. Corn is much more challenging. Corn was domesticated over 7,500 years ago in the Balsas Valley of southern Mexico. One strategy traditional farmers in Mexico use is growing the wild ancestor of corn, teosinte, around the edges of their gardens to maintain genetic diversity in their domesticated varieties. I came to deeply appreciate the resilience of plants and people who have been breeding plants in the desert region of the United States for millennia. There are incredible species that thrive in the arid southwest: squash, melons, corn, peppers and tomatoes! By participating in the Native Seeds/SEARCH seed-saving workshop I came to better understand, both scientifically and culturally, the importance of maintaining genetic diversity for future adaption in a changing climate and the role heirloom species play in this. Native Seeds actively participates in the conservation of diversity in seeds, maintaining an off-site conservation center as well as a nearby conservation farm. Our workshop was adjacent to Native Seed's impressive seed storage facility. It is a 600-square-foot walk-in cooler for mediumterm storage and a 120-square-foot walk-in freezer for longterm storage. Through this workshop and other outreach efforts, Native Seeds encourages people in all regions to create local seed banks that conserve existing seed diversity and make it accessible to everyone.
Root Concerns
Volume 11, Number 2
Green Shots:
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The Gardening World in Pictures
The Significance of Five. It’s the key to Japanese garden design. But are we talking about the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and scent? Or the five essential elements: earth, water, fire, wind and sky? It’s a combination, a blending of both that is beautifully executed in the five gardens on display at the Japanese Garden in Portland, Oregon. The Flat Garden (above): This is where you’ll find enlightenment and happiness. A sake cup and carafe float in expanse of gravel that stands for rippling water. The Strolling Pond Garden (right): This was originally designed for the recreation of the wealthy. Stroll over the Moon Bridge and past a waterfall while relaxing and reflecting on the beauty of nature.
http://japanesegarden.com/
The Tea Garden (left): It’s a structure designed to heighten the awareness of natural beauty. This Tea House was built in Japan, dismantled and shipped to Portland where it was reassembled by a master Japanese carpenter. Another example of the Japanese attention to detail. The Natural Garden (right): The perfect setting for contemplating the beauty of nature…..and the brevity of life. The Sand and Stone Garden (left): The Japanese call the design principle yohakuna-bi – which showcases the beauty of blank space in a dry landscape. Also called a Zen Garden, it was tended by monks as a space for contemplation.
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Volume 11, Number 2
What’s Cooking In The White House Kitchen Garden? Gardening at the White House can be traced back to George Washington who acquired adjacent land from tobacco farmer Davy Burns, but Thomas Jefferson was the first president whose interest in horticulture took root at the White House in the form of a formal flower garden. Jefferson’s private gardens at Monticello contained many vegetable beds and the onions he grew there are the ancestors of those grown today in the White House kitchen garden. While the initial plantings featured ornamentals, over the decades the landscape of the White House changed to include some vegetable growing. In 1827, John Quincy Adams wrote about the two White House acres that were cultivated with kitchen and medicinal herbs and fruit trees. He also mentions the weeds. In the early 1900’s, First Ladies Edith Roosevelt and Ellen Wilson both enjoyed gardening with flowers on the White House grounds, but it wasn’t until the 1940’s during World War II that vegetables took center stage with the Victory Gardens of Eleanor Roosevelt’s day. Today, Michelle Obama is following in Eleanor’s footsteps as she encourages the country to pick up a spade and start gardening. Mrs. Obama’s message is an extension of her concern about childhood obesity and her goal in gardening at the White House is to promote eating fresh food, teaching children from an early age to appreciate growing their own food and the fun of eating what you grow. It is also about family activity, and since vegetable gardening combines physical activity with the potential of good nutrition, Michelle Obama decided that a vegetable garden at the White House was the place to start. The First Lady is often outside in the garden with children from a local elementary school to lead by example and the results of the first year far exceeded her expectations. In 2009, the first year of the Obama garden, the 1,100 square foot plot produced more than 1,000 pounds of broccoli, eggplant, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, lettuces, other vegetables and herbs. The produce was more than the White House could use so the extra was donated to a nearby soup kitchen. Along with the garden, a beehive was installed on the South Lawn but it had to be bolted down as that is the area where the President’s helicopter lands, producing strong wind gusts. Nonetheless, the hive produced 134 pounds of honey, some of which was given as gifts to the spouses of visiting dignitaries. In 2010, the honey was abundant enough to use to brew a batch of White House Honey Ale.
Root Concerns
Volume 11, Number 2
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It turned out that the White House garden became quite the celebrity in its own right when the Food Network show, “Iron Chef America,” featured the White House chef in a kitchen battle of produce. White House Chef Cristeta Comerford and Chef Bobby Flay were paired against Chefs Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse. Team Obama won! Year two in the garden included more groups of local school children as garden helpers but the game plan remained the same, to encourage families to garden together and to eat more fresh produce. In a recent interview, White House chef Sam Kass said that the objectives of the White House garden are as important today as ever as the rate of childhood obesity has tripled in the last thirty years. In May of 2012 Michelle Obama published American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens across America as a record of the White House garden and the children who tend it. Mrs.Obama is planting seeds in her garden but also in the minds of Americans who she wants to be healthier. Starting with the children, she is “planting” a dietary revolution to stem the tide of childhood obesity and diabetes. The White House Chefs are happy, too! Dough Ingredients: 1 cup butter
Chef Cristeta Comerford’s Sweet Potato Pie
½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt
Method: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. For the pie dough, mix the sugar and
1 teaspoon vanilla
butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and gently mix. Incorporate
1 teaspoon lemon zest
the vanilla, lemon zest and egg yolks. Form the mixture into a ball and let it rest in
2 egg yolks
the refrigerator for 30 minutes. With a lightly floured rolling pin on a lightly floured
2 ½ cups flour
surface, roll the dough out into a quarter inch thick circle. Lightly drape the dough over a 12 inch tart or pie pan. Fit the dough and trim any remaining dough. Cover with
Filling Ingredients:
parchment paper and let rest in the refrigerator for another half hour. In a pre-heated
3 sweet potatoes, cut in
oven, bake the pie shell covered with parchment paper topped with baking beads (or
half lengthwise
you can use dry beans or rice) for 12 minutes. For the filling, place the sweet pota-
4 sticks cinnamon
toes, cinnamon, star anise and orange on a baking sheet and drizzle the melted butter
5 star anise
over everything. Bake at 350 degrees until the sweet potatoes are tender. Scoop out
1 orange quartered
the potatoes and pass it through a sieve or strainer so it turns into a potato pu-
2 tablespoon melted
rée. Discard the spices and orange. Set the potato purée aside to cool. Mix all the
butter
custard ingredients until blended and fold it into the potato purée until fully blended. Pour this mixture into the cooked tart shell and finish cooking until set, about 35
Custard Ingredients:
minutes.
3 cup crème fraiche 4 whole eggs
Honey Meringue Topping:
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 egg whites
2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups honey reduced by half
½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon salt
Whip the egg whites until stiff and incorporate the hot reduced honey. Top the cooked sweet potato pie and broil until the meringue gets a toasted color.
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Volume 11, Number 2
Sundial Lupine Here are some fun facts about this favorite mid-spring wildflower. The USDA lists sundial lupine (Lupinus perennis) as threatened in Iowa, Maryland, and New Hampshire, possibly extirpated in Maine, rare in Pennsylvania, and endangered in Vermont. The decline of this species directly impacts the fate of the Karner blue butterfly, which is nearly extinct through much of its range. Locally, The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission has been working hard to save both the flower and the Karner Jenkinsarboretum.org blue. Sundial lupine is also a larval host of the frosted elfin butterfly, which is threatened throughout its range. The Xerces Society For Invertebrate Conservation notes that the lupine is of special value to native bees, and according to pollination experts, it's important to bumblebees. The website Illinoiswildflowers.org lists a host of other insects that utilize lupine. The Ladybird Johnson Foundation notes that sundial lupine attracts hummingbirds! If its dire status and wildlife value aren't enough, the flower of sundial lupine is absolutely beautiful. The blue-green, palmate leaves appear in a tight mound in mid-spring, and as the weather warms, stems arise, lined with blue pea-like flowers. After about a month, the flowers are replaced with seed pods. To grow this wildflower in a garden setting, collect the seeds in the fall before they dry – otherwise they will shoot away from the parent plant, up to a distance of seven feet! The collected seeds need to be scarified with sandpaper before planting. Sundial lupine naturally occurs in sunny, sandy, slightly acidic places, such as pine barrens. It’s actually not too fussy, and I have had success growing it in average garden soil. The name "sundial" is related to how the leaves orient themselves to face the sun. "Lupine" came from the mistaken belief that the flower “wolfed up” nutrients from the soil. In fact, it enhances soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen into the soil, like other members of the bean family (Fabaceae). Native Americans utilized lupine as a wash for horses, which made them full of fire and spirit, and for people who worked with horses so they could control them. It was also used medicinally to treat hemorrhage and vomiting. This spring charmer is full of wild stories, and it's beautiful, too.
Text by Master Gardener Rhonda Rumsey Van Heuveln
Root Concerns
Volume 11, Number 2
Where Did This Meal Come From?
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I usually don’t think about it much. For us, tonight’s supper is simple: asparagus soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. It sounded like a good idea when the winds are howling and the crows fleeing into the darkness. And since I had a little extra time, I decided to take a step away from the ordinary. There was a recipe for asparagus soup I’d been meaning to try… age 61 of The French Culinary Institute’s “Salute to Healthy Cooking.”
And the timing seemed perfect. My local supermarket was almost giving away the first asparagus I’d seen this season … and at $2 less than last year’s repugnant prices. In my thrift-driven excitement, I failed to find out where the lovely green stalks came from. Which started me questioning the origins of the other meal components. The onion was from Georgia – a Vidalia from the banks of the Chattahoochee. The potato was Canadian; the olive oil is from… where else? The chicken stock came from California. So much for the soup. Feeling adventurous, I up-scaled a “Made in the USA” grilled cheese sandwich into “Jambon et fromages” – a menage et trois of Swiss cheese, sharp cheddar and ham. As exotic as the name sounds, all ingredients were generics - store brands - their origins are shredded by the anonymity of the production process. The milks for the cheeses could come from next door… or half a continent away. The bread, however, is distinctively local. The French peasant loaf tumbled out of an oven in Herkimer, bragging that it’s made from locally grown and milled grains. Yep, right here in 518. Local. Home grown. So, what’s my point? Like many would-be locavores, my ambition’s crippled by questions of cost… and convenience. I pass my supermarket a couple of times a day. My alternative, the Troy Farmer’s Market, is Saturday only. While the prices, like the quality, will be higher, alas, the selection will be seasonal. Or should I be a bit more realistic and open myself to wider range of options while keeping an eye on what matters to me? Like is this fish farm raised? Or wild? Is the chicken free range? Or caged? Does the label mention high fructose corn syrup… or brag about the ingredients not found inside? Is it local… or long distance? So, maybe the place to start is by continuing to ask the question…where did this meal come from? But more importantly, caring about the answer. Bon appetite!
Text and photo by Master Gardener Don Maurer
Root Concerns
Volume 11, Number 2
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Got Milk (Crates?) Sleeping in a January-cold house at night has its challenges. Wearing no socks leaves me cold, whereas wearing socks makes me too warm. One night I wore one sock, and everything was just right. Finding such commonsense solutions seems like a no-brainer, but oftentimes they arrive as a true revelation. That’s how I feel about milk crate gardening. They might not have invented it, but the folks at a place called Riverpark Farm in Manhattan have turned gardening in milk crates into a phenomenon. Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio wanted to have fresh vegetables for his new restaurant grown locally, creating the need for some sort of urban farming project. With both soil and space at a premium in The Big Apple, growing produce in thousands of milk crates has provided an elegantly simple solution. Now dozens of other sites Photo by Deena Muzzi wanting to showcase home-grown veggies are doing the same thing, including Brandeis University, a Whole Foods supermarket, and even Boston’s Fenway Park. Jet Blue is growing a variety of crops (including blue potatoes) in crates at JFK International Airport. It seems a lot of big names and big money are high on the lowly milk crate. That a milk crate would make an almost perfect container for growing a plant seems obvious, but it never dawned on me. Today’s milk crates are made of sturdy plastic, completely water and weather-proof. Made to be used for years, they’re darn near indestructible. They are eminently portable, with two built-in handles, and they are a workable size, easy to pick up and lug around. Modular in character, they can be packed close together and stacked in a variety of configurations. They are also easy to find and relatively inexpensive. That last point holds special meaning for people of my generation. Back when we were trucking off to college or out into the world, putting your stuff in a milk crate seemed the thing to do. Unfortunately, this meant stealing them, since the average Jane or Joe couldn’t find them to buy. Theft became rampant, leading to warnings printed on crates promising fines, jail time, or even death to offenders. Luckily, someone got the bright idea to just offer them for sale, and now young folks on the move can avoid starting life with a crime. Power to the people! Our Master Gardeners, always a law-abiding group, are planning a milk crate garden for this year’s Schaghticoke Fair. We’ll experiment with liners for the milk crates: some suggest a heavy-duty plastic bag, while others recommend a landscape fabric liner, but both should have some holes cut for drainage. Choosing what to grow should be fun and can be based on the old “Square Foot Gardening” techniques of Mel Bartholomew, since each crate is about one cubic foot. I can picture one patio tomato, one cabbage, four lettuce heads, nine beets, or 16 carrots per crate. Since milk crates come in a variety of colors, how about a purple eggplant in a pink crate, or orange marigolds in a red one? I simply have some crate expectations.
Story By David Chinery
Root Concerns
Volume 11, Number 2
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Of A Higher Plane If you’ve got good bark, flaunt it. This must have been what The Creator told The Original Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), because this is one tree that looks best naked. Low down, the trunk of a sycamore is covered in a reddish to gray-brown scaly coating, but higher up the paler colors of the inner bark dominate. On many specimens, the upper trunk and branches appear bone-white, making a striking contrast again a blue, blue January sky. A good sport this time of year is to stand on a high spot anywhere in this Hudson Valley and use the bark to pick out native sycamores miles away. I doubt winter tree-spotting will draw more gawkers than bird-watching, trainspotting or Hollywood celebs, but when you are out and about, see if you can sleuth out a sycamore. Also known as American planetree, a young sycamore has the potential to turn into one of our largest native deciduous trees. The National Champion measures 48 feet around its base, stands 129 feet tall and has an average crown spread of 105 feet, garnering it a second title of “largest living thing in Ohio.” One of my local favorites stands near the intersection of State Route 203 and County Route 17 on the south end of North Chatham, a spectacular singletrunked tree, towering over a nearby house. Often denizens of stream banks and floodplains, handsome sycamores are common along the Moordenerkill in Schodack, in the Siegel-Kline Kill Conservation Area in Ghent, or any similar local environment. They were also flashy enough to attract the attention of one John Tradescant The Younger way back in 1636. This bearded Brit, who also collected asters, phlox, tuliptrees and magnolias on his America sojourn, returned to London with American planetrees in tow. Both he and his father, Tradescant the Elder, were gardeners to aristocrats and royalty, so the trees undoubtedly got passed around and planted in the highest social circles. Then, an unexpected foreign invasion began. Already living in London were Oriental planetrees (Platanus orientalis), a distinct but related species. Sometime before 1700, the American and Oriental trees mixed, because in that year botanist Leonard Plukenet described a new planetree. These naturally-occurring hybrids had multi-hued bark in pale greens, tans, beiges, browns and grays which resembled military camouflage. Soon named the London planetree, their flowers, leaves and fruit all differed from either parent, too. Their elegance and size even inspired the great Vincent Van Gogh to make them the subject of more than one painting. This beauty also proved to have some brawn. London planes were found to be urban resilient and able to thrive along streets and in parks despite poor soil, heat and drought. They found homes in most large nineteenth century cities, including New York, Boston, Berne and Vancouver, and tolerated the infamous air pollution of the time. Although London planes have a few faults, including fungal pathogens, a propensity for dropping parts year round and the ability to outgrow their space, they remain worthy of admiration. Text and photo by David Chinery
Root Concerns
Volume 11, Number 2
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Don’t Worry, Be Muddy The weatherman says we set a new record yesterday for one-day rainfall in February. It was indeed grim and gloomy, so when the torrential downpour of last night gave way to a clearing sunrise, my soul felt like the Phoenix, rising from the ashes of Wednesday. Yesterday was also the first winter day I decided I was tired of winter, but maybe it’s because it’s been so wimpy. My new snow blower sits idle and my friends boast of a better snowfall in south Jersey, threatening to destroy our upstate, tougher-than-thou style. We’ve really only endured a prolonged mud season, without the beauty, challenge or satisfaction of surviving a single significant snowstorm. Raking leaves could have replaced snow removal as this winter’s get-meout-of-the-house activity. Leaves have come out of the woods to shoal up between the raised beds, mounding to over a foot deep. They’ve braved crossing Brookview Road, blown from west to east, fleeing the sadness of the neighbor’s messy lawn to cluster in safety in the hedgerow. A good use of time-lapse photography would be to document exactly how leaves accumulate in front of the garage door. Do they travel from the east, then suddenly rightangle a hard left turn around the building? Or maybe they roll up from the south, pass through the narrow gate, then make a sharp right. Perhaps they descend from the stratosphere, driven earthward by a vortex created by a flat roof, picket fence, and aging Ford Ranger. Despite today’s emphasis on STEM, my bet is with leaves, we’ll never know. February’s only attempt to be its punishing old self was on St. Valentine’s weekend, when temperatures sank below zero for three days running. Yet by the following Tuesday, we were enjoying an obscenely balmy 56 degrees. Gardeners fret about what these rollercoasters do to the plants. My answer is to sit back and forget worrying; we can only float along where the weather wants to take us. Some plants, such as the ‘P.J.M.’ rhododendron, have thrown open a blossom here, a blossom there, all winter. This hardy shrub, bred to be low-maintenance and carefree, has the worrywarts distressed due to this wanton behavior. Have we ever seen a ‘P.J.M.’ die in the spring because it flowered in January? No. Won’t there be fewer flowers in the spring? Yes, but only a few, and we’ll have so many other flowers that you won’t even notice. Those looking for a headache and a heartache should delve into the frost cracking happening on thin-barked trees just about now, but I’ll save that for another column. The ‘Luna’ witchhazel is also flowering, but that is to be expected from this early bloomer. Its diminutive, rounded, deep-red flowers with tiny yellow arms are clustered heavily along each stem. The fragrance is a heady floral sweetness, like the inside of a good florist’s shop. There is nothing else like ‘Luna’ in February. It is worth a dozen June bloomers, when it is easy to put on a show. Text and photo by David Chinery
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Root Concerns
What to do in
Volume 11, Number 2
MARCH
* Houseplants require more frequent watering and fertilizing as they respond to greater quantities of natural light and warmth. Repotting and dividing some of these plants at this time will result in a larger and healthier plant collection. * As soon as the ground is thawed, you may safely begin to plant shrubs and evergreens. Do make sure that the soil is not too soggy. Sometimes it takes quite a while for the soil to be dry enough to work without causing compaction. * Soil test are a good idea once the soil has thawed and dried a bit. Take your soil to your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office for a pH test, which will indicate the need for lime or sulfur. * Plan seeds of peas, onions, spinach, lettuce and cabbage as soon as the soil can be worked. These vegetables prefer cooler weather and really don’t thrive in the hottest summer conditions. * When you have an opportunity to go outside, inspect your spring flowering bulbs. When they show three to four inches of new growth, remove any mulch around them to clear the way. They are the exception rather than the rule, though. Don’t be too anxious to clear the protection of mulch from other perennials. They are still not ready to poke their heads out without fear of damage. * Now is a good time to prune your blueberries, raspberries, and apple trees while they are dormant. You can trim most ornamentals at this time except those that flower in the spring on last year’s wood like the forsythia and cherry trees. * While you are outside on the nice days, look at the asparagus and perennial beds. They will appreciate an application of fertilizer once the soil is warm and dry enough. * Sow eggplant, tomato, and pepper seeds indoors in late March. * Give your compost pile its first spring turn as soon as possible. Most compost piles sit unturned all winter and need to be reactivated.
Text by Master Gardener Peggy Growell & photos by David Chinery
Root Concerns
Volume 11, Number 2
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“Neither need you tell me,” said Candide, “that we must take care of our garden.” François-Marie Arouet (a.k.a. Voltaire) (French writer, historian and philosopher 1694-1778)
Gardening Questions?
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Call The Master Gardeners! In Albany County: Call 765-3514 weekdays from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM and ask to speak to a Master Gardener. You can also email your questions by visiting their website at www.ccealbany.com In Schenectady County: Call 372-1622 Monday and Thursdays from 9:00 AM to Noon, follow the prompt to speak to a Master Gardener and press #1. You can also email your questions by visiting their website at http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/schenectady/ In Rensselaer County: Call 272-4210 from 9:00 AM to Noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays and ask to speak to a Master Gardener. You can also email your questions to [email protected] Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County David Chinery ([email protected] and (518) 272-4210) Newsletter editor, designer and layout technician
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County Sue Pezzolla ([email protected] and (518) 765-3516)
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schenectady County Angie Tompkins ([email protected] and (518) 372-1622)
“Root Concerns: Notes from the underground” is a shared publication of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer, Albany and Schenectady Counties. It is published by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County.
Schenectady County Cornell Cooperative Extension Winter/Spring 2016 Classes All classes will be held at the Sustainable Living Center, unless otherwise noted Visit our website: Tree Care March 12, 10 am - noon Clarence Fountain, ISA Certified Arborist, will cover the basics of planning, planting and care for trees in the home landscape. Trees are an asset to the landscape and with a little maintenance you will increase their longevity. If you are considering adding new plantings to your property, bring along a map or sketch of the area you are working with. Cost is $5.00 per person. Please register with payment by March 7. Spring Table Centerpiece March 23, 6 - 7:30 pm Join Cornell Cooperative Extension and David Siders, world renowned floral designer and co-owner of Experience and Creative Design in making a beautiful spring centerpiece. Using fresh spring bulb flowers, twigs and other natural elements, you will learn how to create a centerpiece for your Table just in time for Easter. $35.00. Please register with payment by March 16. Session One- So You Want To Start a Vegetable Garden? March 30, 6:00 – 7:30 pm This two session class will cover the basics of how to start your own vegetable garden including mapping it out, understanding your soils and fertilizer options and choosing what to plant. Bring measurements of your intended garden space and a sample of soil (1 cup of dry soil). Session Two- So You Want to Start a Vegetable Garden? Sign-up for one time slot: April 6, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 or 6:00 pm Join us in the greenhouse to start your seeds for your garden. We provide the seeds, soil and tray to get you started. Your seedlings will be cared for by CCE staff and volunteers for 6 weeks. They will be ready for transplant when you pick them up on May 21. Cost is $40.00 per person for both sessions. You will have the option to add an extra tray of 50 plants for $10.00. Class size is limited. Please register with payment by March 21. Garden Design for the Home Landscape April 13, 6:00 – 7:30 pm Master/English Gardener, Timothy Huggett, shares the latest trends in garden design together with inspirational ideas for designing, planting and tending to those problem areas in the yard. $5.00 per person. Please register with payment by April 8.
Clematis: Queen of The Vines April 20, 6:00-7:30 pm With over 200 identified species in the United States, there is a clematis for nearly every gardening situation. Climbing a trellis, draped over a shrub, growing on its own or as a companion to a climbing rose, the clematis is among our most versatile and beautiful plants. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schenectady County Master Gardeners Margaret Rizzo and Arden Lawand will explain it all. $5.00 per person. Please register with payment by April 15.
Container Herb/Veggie Gardening May 12, 6:00-8:00 pm This class will cover all the techniques necessary to create and maintain your beautiful container garden, such as plant selection and planting tips; design considerations; will also be covered. After the presentation participants will create their own container garden to take home. A selection of veggies and herbs will be available to choose from. $20.00 per person. Please register with payment by May 5. Little Diggers Wednesdays, May 11 – June 15 Morning Session 10:00 –11:15 AM Afternoon Session 12:30 – 1:45 PM Preschoolers (age 3-5) will discover the wonders of gardening and nature through a series of six hands-on educational programs. Each week we will participate in themed classes that introduce children to gardening and nature. Garden exploration, nature walks, crafts, and stories will enrich your child’s understanding and appreciation for our natural world. — Class size is limited. Please register with payment by May 1, 2016. $75 per child. Limited need-based scholarships are available. If your child (or you) receives assistance or is eligible for special program, he/she can be considered for a scholarship to the 2015 Little Diggers program. Please submit a copy of one of the following with the registration form: Benefit card (Medicaid-eligible only), PA budget letter/print-out, Food stamp letter/print-out, SSI benefit statement/print-out, Unemployment stubs, Disability stubs/letter or Letter of acceptance for free/reduced price lunch. Please contact Angie Tompkins at [email protected] or 372-1622 ext. 259 if you have questions or for more information. Annual Master Gardeners Plant Sale Saturday, May 21, 2016 10am-2pm • Organically grown tomato plants • heirloom, disease resistant varieties • Vegetable seedlings • Herb Containers • Perennial Plant Divisions • • Miniature/Fairy Garden Containers • •“Planted” Garden-Art Chairs • Garden Signs • • Garden Theme Tag / Book Sale • Soil Testing • Garden activities for KIDS • • “Ask the Master Gardener” information table • Garden tours for everyone... come see what we are all about The Sustainable Living Center is located next to the tennis courts in Central Park Schenectady. The address is: 180 Ptl. Arthur Chaires Lane Fairy / Miniature Gardening Saturday June 11, 9:30 am-12:30 pm Explore the enjoyment, fun and adventure of mini gardening, create one of your own and learn that you can ...Go Small But Go Anywhere. Three hour class: begins with a movie (produced by three SCCCE Master Gardeners) exploring just some of the wonderful places you can go in the world of mini gardening. Followed by: how-to presentation and time for questions or discussion. After a short break: get started on your own magical mini garden. Containers, soil, plants, plus a variety of decorative mini items included in the cost. $20.00
Please register with payment by June 4.
Albany County and Rensselaer County Healthy Neighborhoods Program
The Healthy Neighborhoods Program targets
residents living in Albany County zip codes 12202, 12206, 12208, 12209, 12210 and residents living in Rensselaer County zip codes 12180, 12182, and 12144
FREE health and safety survey, resources, & referrals FREE safety and cleaning products may include *Smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers* *Child safety products such as cabinet locks, shock stoppers, etc.* *Asthma control items such as allergen barrier mattress and pillow covers* *Cleaning supplies such as mop, bucket, and dust wipes* *Safety supplies such as flashlights, nightlights, and first aid kits* Healthy Neighborhoods Program Fax: (518) 765-2490 Email: [email protected] For more information or phone referrals call 518-765-3512 Funds for the Healthy Neighborhoods Program are provided by the New York State Department of Health through the Albany County Department of Health & the Rensselaer County Department of Health
Daniel P. McCoy Albany County Executive
Kathleen M. Jimino Rensselaer County Executive
Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities.
