Master Gardeners Of Rockland

2012-03-10T11:59:00.005-05:00

The Orchid Show: Patrick Blanc's Vertical Gardens at The New York Botanical Garden is spectacular. The exhibit will be there until April 22.

Photos by Carol Luckhardt

2012-03-10T11:56:00.000-05:00

Soil Testing Provides Info on Acidity and Nutrients For Your Vegetable Garden

Plants require healthy soil with proper nutrition to produce an abundant crop and to better withstand pests and diseases.
Knowing the fertility of your soil before planting is a proactive way to grow quality crops that are worthy of your time and effort.
Soil is composed of four basic components: mineral solids, water, air and organic material, in the form of decomposed plant matter, bacteria, earthworms, fungi, arthropods and other organisms that support healthy growth and protect your plants from pests and disease.
Soil acidity and nutrient levels influence the types of organisms present in your garden.
A pH test determines the acidity or alkalinity of the soil, which in turn influences the availability of specific nutrients. A pH of 7.0 is neutral. Anything above 7.0 is alkaline, or sweet, and anything below 7.0 is acidic, or sour.
Native soils in our area are generally acidic (pH of 4.8-5.5) and often require the addition of lime to raise the pH above 6.0.
Most vegetables grow well in soil levels with a pH of 6.0 to 7.4.
Potatoes do well with a pH of 5.5; and blueberries prefer an even greater acidity, as low as 4.5.
Contact your county Cooperative Extension for information on pH tests, which they will perform for you at a nominal cost. They will instruct you on how to properly gather a representative sample of garden soil and will provide results along with specific recommendations to amend your soil if necessary. If you wish to receive a more detailed analysis of your soil nutrients, or are concerned about lead or other contaminants, Cooperative Extension offices can direct you to appropriate soil testing services.

Mary Lukens, master gardener with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland

2012-03-10T11:50:00.001-05:00

Plants That Benefit From An Early Spring Pruning

Timing your pruning is very important because pruning plants at the wrong time of the year, though seldom fatal, results in fewer flowers and fruit.
For example, shrubs that bloom in early spring, such as andromeda, azalea and rhododendron, set their flower buds during the previous growing season and should be pruned right after they bloom.
Plants that flower on the current seasons’ growth benefit from an early spring pruning. Some plants in this category include: butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), bluebeard (Caryopteris clandonensis), rose (Rosa spp.), Rose-of-Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and summer-blooming hydrangeas such as Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle,’ and Hydrangea paniculata ‘Tardiva.’
Spring-blooming hydrangeas (Macrophylla types) should be left alone. If you must prune these, thin out up to a third of the oldest canes at the soil level in late spring or early summer, after they flower.
Small fruit, such as raspberries, grapes, currants and gooseberries, are pruned or thinned in late winter or early spring for maximum fruit production. Tree fruit, such as apple and pear are pruned while dormant. Peaches and nectarines are pruned directly after flowering.
Contact your local Cooperative Extension for information on proper pruning techniques, tools needed and timing for specific types of plants.

Amy Albam, senior horticulturist, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland

2012-02-15T16:00:00.003-05:00

A sign that Spring is coming!
Photo by Lorna Kirven-Smith, Master Gardener

2012-02-14T15:21:00.001-05:00

Got Deer?
Everyone seems to have issues with the deer coming into their yards and making a meal of all of their shrubs and plants.
The dilemma: how can you be environmentally friendly, creature friendly, and still manage to keep the deer from extinguishing your garden?
This is a question I struggle with always regarding wildlife. I’m sure I’m not alone. What I try to do is create a balance. I love seeing wildlife in my yard. However, I also know how much time, effort and money goes into creating a landscape, so I don’t want it to be eaten in by a herd of hungry animals. I certainly don’t want to inadvertently poison them or any other creature, so I have to be careful about what I use.

If you already have plantings in your yard that deer like to eat, you may try repellents. Repellents discourage deer feeding by giving the plants an offensive taste or odor. Repellents vary in effectiveness from herd to herd and location to location – if the deer become accustomed to a specific scent or taste, that repellent is rendered useless. For this reason, it is best to alternate several types of repellents, rather than to rely on just one.

Odor-based materials, especially those containing putrescent egg solids, are considered to be more effective than taste-based products. There are a wide variety of odor-based repellents to choose from, including Deer Away, Deer-Off, and Hinder. One product I found to be useful is called “Deer Stopper”. It smells like rosemary and mint, which is most likely why the deer don’t like it. Examples of taste-based repellents are Chew-Not and Miller’s Hot Sauce Animal Repellent. Follow the label directions for instructions on how to apply these products.

Since preventing deer damage is easier than stopping it, repellents should be applied before deer become established in an area. Begin applications in early fall to reduce winter browsing. A major disadvantage of repellents is that they must be continually renewed.

Deer are creatures of habit. If you watch deer, they have their own “roads”. They travel the same way most of the time. You may be able to re-route them if you can create a barrier or disturbance before their route becomes ingrained.

Fencing: deer don’t like to jump into small enclosures. If you have a narrow garden, a 4 foot high fence may deter them. If you have a larger garden, permanent, woven wire fences at least eight feet tall create the most effective barrier, but are worth the considerable cost for only the most valuable plantings. These fences must completely encircle the area you wish to protect, with no gaps that deer can exploit.

Many people hope deer will leave their plantings alone if they feed them. This is not effective and is illegal in New York State. However, most of us don’t have that much land to contend with and generally want to do more to keep deer away from the landscape. Therefore I would suggest using plants that are not as tasty to them. Mind you I said “not as tasty” since a hungry deer will eat anything to prevent starvation. Keep in mind that deer preferences can vary from location to location and from herd to herd. If you are unsure of the resistance of a certain species or variety, you can set out a few plants in an area with moderate to heavy deer traffic. You will soon know if the deer find the plants palatable. Unfortunately, as more resistant plants are used, the likelihood that the deer will adapt to eating them increases.

For information with list of deer resistant plants, see http://www.rocklandcce.org/hort_lab2.htm  or contact Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Rockland at 845-429-7085 x3.
Thank you, and…. Happy Wildlife Gardening!
Laurie Lago Rispoli, Master Gardener

2012-02-11T08:03:00.000-05:00

Two Online Courses Now Offered from the Department of Horticulture, Cornell University

101a: Planning and Organizing Sustainable Gardening Programs for Children, Youth, Adults and Communities

Online Distance Learning Course offered through Moodle from February 20, 2012 - March 30, 2012. Cost: $400 per person

Looking to start a school or community-based garden program, but do not know where to begin? This course focuses on the foundations and benefits of garden-based learning, and provides the tools, resources, and collaborative support needed to plan, organize and develop a successful and sustainable gardening program that fits your organization’s needs. Using a logic model approach to program development, this course is perfect for educators, program staff, volunteers, volunteer coordinators or anyone wanting to develop a community garden, school garden, or garden-based learning program for youth, adults, or people with disabilities in their local community, school, Cooperative Extension, or afterschool program. While we will address school gardening from the context of planning, we will not focus on curriculum integration and other facets of learning activities and lesson plans. These are addressed in course 101b. For more information: http://www.cals.cornell.edu/cals/hort/teaching/distance-learning/garden-programs.cfm

101b: Teaching and Learning in the School Garden: Theory into Practice

Online Distance Learning Course offered through Moodle from March 26, 2012 to May 3, 2012. Cost: $400 per person

This course focuses on the foundations and teaching strategies of garden-based learning (GBL), and provides the tools and resources that classroom teachers and extension educators need to develop school gardening programs that can be integrated into the school culture and curriculum. Focusing on the foundations, benefits, and teaching strategies of garden-based learning (GBL), participants will build a toolbox of resources for developing a school gardening program that meets cross-curricular needs. Case study, research, and GBL resources are evaluated through group discussion, learning activities, and reflective journals. Educational theory will be put into practice using real-world tools, through collaboration, practicum, small and whole group discussion, lesson plan assignments, and the final portfolio project. For more information:
http://www.cals.cornell.edu/cals/hort/teaching/distance-learning/school-garden.cfm

Cornell University awards 3 CEU’s for successful completion of this course.

Here are comments from our students:

“I find it very challenging and stimulating. I am very, very impressed with the wealth of resources assembled by our instructors and I am so thankful for these resources because I will be able to really delve into them when the course is over. The course is exceeding my expectations.”

“Very effective, if you're an educator. The collaboration between course participants is a particularly valuable resource.”

“Donna- you have been FABULOUS to work with. I do hope you consider teaching other online courses . . . you are quite a good instructor.”

2012-02-07T16:07:00.001-05:00

Laurie M. Lago Rispoli

Laurie M. Lago Rispoli, Master Gardener sent in this quote:

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." Emerson

Happy Holidays for the Birds!

2011-12-16T11:32:00.004-05:00

http://rocklandmastergardener.blogspot.com/p/seasonal-interest.html

2011-12-16T11:08:00.001-05:00

Keeping those Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) Blooming Year after Year

by Cristina Malinverno, Blauvelt Master Gardener

Common causes of bud dropping of Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera truncata), also known as Thanksgiving cactus, are over watering, cold drafts, or closeness to a heat source. Since this is a succulent plant, the frequency of watering depends on the air temperature, light intensity, rate of growth, and relative humidity. In general, watering should ease off as soon as the flower buds appear, until growth resumes in the spring.

Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera truncata), a plant native to Brazil where it blooms in May (hence the local nickname “May flower”). Christmas cacti thrive in shady conditions or filtered light, in a soil mix that includes garden loam, perlite and builder’s sand combined in a 3:1:1 ratio or a commercial mix for succulent plants.

Unlike the poinsettias, which require a strict horticultural regimen in order to bloom again the following year, Christmas cacti are simple to care for. After blooming, gently remove any spent flowers and lightly prune to encourage growth and shape the plant. Older plants may require the use of clippers, while in young plants you can gently twist off unwanted stem segments; this will prompt two new stem buds to form.

Decreasing sunlight and temperature in the fall prompt the setting of flower buds. To ensure a profusion of flower buds, cover the plant at night or move it to a cool, dark room with temperature around 60 degrees. Once the buds have appeared, night light is no longer a problem and you can move the plant to its final location, possibly an east or northeast-facing window. In cool temperatures the flowers will last a few weeks.

2011-01-05T10:54:00.001-05:00

Cyclamens: Holiday Staple, Treasure in the Garden

The cyclamen plants that grace our homes during the holiday season are hybrids derived from Cyclamen persicum, which grows in the woodlands and rocky hillsides of the south and eastern Mediterranean region. In the mid 1800s, English and Dutch breeders started to select and backcross species to obtain bigger flowers, which eventually led to the current mass production of cyclamen in different colors, double flowers, frilly petals and picotee (petals with pale edges) forms. In our area (USDA Zone 6), these hybrids, or florist’s cyclamens, do not transplant successfully into the garden after blooming.

Follow these simple rules to keep your cyclamen plant happy at home.

Light. Cyclamens prefer a bright environment, but no direct sunlight. A northern window is optimal.
Temperature. Cyclamens prefer a daily temperature below 70 ^oF and cool nights (40-50^oF). An overheated home will cause the leaves to yellow and will shorten the blooming period.
Water. Wait until the soil surface is dry to the touch, give it a good soak and let it dry for a few minutes. Cyclamens grow from tubers, underground organs that store up energy during dormancy. Too much water causes the tuber to rot.
Air. Keep good air circulation around your plant, to prevent diseases.

Because florist’s cyclamen are bred for seasonal enjoyment, getting your cyclamen plant to bloom again indoors the following year is a difficult and often unsuccessful process that is better left in the hands of professional growers. For repeated blooming, consider instead some of the hardy garden species such as C. hederifolium, C. coum, and C. purpurascens. Depending on the species, these cyclamens prefer a woodland or rock garden setting. With their staggered blooming they will add color to your garden almost year round.

by Cristina Malinverno, Blauvelt Master Gardener

Growing Cyclamens in the Garden in Rockland County

Unlike the florist cyclamens (C. persicum’s hybrids), bred as seasonal indoor plants, hardy cyclamens can be grown outdoors. Leaves and flowers are smaller but in optimal growing conditions they come back every year, adding color to the garden when many plants have finished blooming or have already entered dormancy.

The flowers, in different shades of pink (some varieties produce white flowers) come first, on stems 3-6 in. long. They are followed by heart or kidney-shaped leaves with deep green centers and lighter green to silvery-green edges, that remain attractive even after the blooms have faded. Hardy cyclamens are native to the coniferous and deciduous forests of Europe and to the coastal areas of the Black Sea and southern and Eastern Mediterranean. Some grow in the mountains of northern Iran.

Cyclamens tolerate different soils, as long as they are well drained. Too much moisture causes the tubers (underground organs that store energy) to rot. For this reason they thrive among tree roots, which absorb any excessive moisture, and in rock gardens. The tubers should be planted at or just below the soil level, slightly deeper in the case of the less hardy species. Woodland species like C. purpurascens benefit from a light mulching of composted leaves.

The following species are hardy in our area (USDA Zone 6) and will ensure staggered blooming from June to April:

C. hederifolium, the hardiest of the group. It grows well in full sun or partial shade, in a woodland setting or in a rock garden. It blooms from August to October.

C. purpurascens has beautiful green leaves with silvery marks. Unlike other cyclamens, it prefers a more alkaline soil; in European forests is often found overlying limestone. It does not go dormant during the summer, thus needs more shade and adequate moisture. It blooms from June to October.

C. coum, the least hardy of the group, prefers shade and a soil enriched with pine needle litter. Blooming time is December-April.

In extreme cold (-28 degF), C. hederifolium and coum leaves will turn black but will recover. C. purpurascens leaves may die back but the tuber will survive.

All hardy cyclamens naturalize well. When the seed pods open, they produce a sweet discharge that attracts ants, which disseminate the seeds, often quite far from the parent plant. Cyclamen tubers are poisonous to deer who, however, would eat the leaves.

by Cristina Malinverno, Blauvelt Master Gardener

Sources for both articles

- The Cyclamen Society - http://www.cyclamen.org

-D. Dembowsky – Presentation at the Hudson Valley Chapter of the N America Rock Garden Society, March 2010

- http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h145cyclamen.html

- The Winter Garden, a publication of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, 1991

- A Gardener’s World of Bulbs, a publication of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, 1991

2010-12-14T15:55:00.002-05:00

Protecting Evergreens for the Winter

Evergreens, like yews and rhododendrons, may be susceptible to winter damage. Leaves and needles will appear browned and burned. Evergreens move moisture through their needles or leaves year-round. During icy winter months, evergreens are still able to absorb moisture; however, the process is very slow. On cold, sunny days, or days when the humidity is low and the wind is strong, evergreens may lose too much moisture. If this moisture cannot be replaced, the foliage will show signs of winter burn in the spring. One method to protect evergreens during the winter months involves a simple structure of wooden stakes and burlap around the plant to shield it from the wind and sun .

Another common landscape problem in winter is limb injury to trees caused by heavy ice and snow. When this happens, the best thing to do is to do nothing, i.e. just wait for temperatures to climb above freezing. If you try to shake the snow or ice from the tree or use a broom or stick to knock off the snow or ice, you risk doing more harm than good because frozen branches are brittle and break easily. Also, a moderate amount of snow is desirable as insulation from low temperatures.

To protect smaller plants from ice and snow, you could create a shelter such as a bucket or wooden triangle shield. Large plants can be vertically pruned to reduce the amount of snow and ice they catch. Remove weak limbs likely to break to reduce stress on the entire tree.
Winter evergreens are not terribly fragile-- remember that native plants evolved under wintry conditions and can handle a regular snow load.

By Elaine Trainor, Pearl River Master Gardener