Gardener News December 2019

TAKE ONE

Gardener News

December 2019

Proudly Serving the Agricultural, Gardening, Landscaping & Nursery Communities GARDENERNEWS.COM

TAKE ONE No. 200

Annual Wreath Contest Returns to the Garden State

By Tom Castronovo Executive Editor

After a 15-year hiatus, the New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers Association brings back their annual wreath contest.

Thirty-five beautifully decorated wreaths were on display at the association’s annual winter meeting, which was held in January 2019 at the Rutgers EcoComplex in Bordentown.

Each member that attended was presented a ticket, which they were able to place in a voting box in front of each wreath.

Hidden Pond Tree Farm from Mendham, Morris County, was announced as the 2019 Grand Champion Wreath Winner. The wreath was designed and decorated by Hidden Pond Tree Farm Floral Designer Joanne Marquart. Marquart has been designing grave blankets, mailbox sprays, wreaths and other custommade Christmas green decorations at Hidden Pond Tree Farm for eight (Cont. on Page 17) years.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Hidden Pond Tree Farm Floral Designer Joanne Marquart proudly shows off an exact replica of the 2019 New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers’ Association Grand Champion Wreath in the Christmas workshop at the Hidden Pond Tree Farm.

2 December 2019

G a r d e n C e n t e r D i r e c t o r y GardenerNews.com

• Hand Picked Premium Christmas Trees up to 16 ft.

• Garland/Roping • Florist Quality Fresh Wreaths • Artificial Trees/Wreaths • Magnolia Wreaths • Christmas Tree Stands • Floral & Gift Shop • Fresh West Coast Greens • Snow Shovels/Rock Salt/Calcium • Kiln Dried Firewood • WoodWick & Village Candles • Old World Christmas Ornaments • Tag Products • Kitras Art Glass Products • IHR Paper Products • Blue Crab Bay Co. Gourmet Foods • Stonewall Kitchen Gourmet Foods • Hammond’s Candies

Hall’s Garden Center & Florist 700 Springfield Avenue, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 908.665.0331 www.hallsgarden.com

GardenerNews.com

December 2019 3

ts e ll by e P or t d s e oo ag all W B P od e n o i th w e r Fi

Ic

Ba eme gg lt e Bu & d lk

Cut & Burlap Trees • Poinsettias • Wreaths Grave Covers • Cut Greens • Custom Wreaths Roping Decorations • Garland • Lights • Kissing Balls Freshly Brewed Coffee • Chocolate • Gift Baskets Pies • Cookie Trays• Live Center Pieces Pick it out and we will make it

Holiday Hours December Monday - Thursday 7-6 Friday - Saturday 7-7 Sunday 7-5

4 December 2019 Toasts are a common occurrence as we gather with family and friends throughout the holidays. And as more and more of our New Jersey farmers are branching out into the world of craft breweries, on-farm wineries, cider-pressing and distilling of spirits, there’s a chance that some or all of what is in the drinks you are toasting with will have been made not far from your home.

There are 114 production breweries in New Jersey, with another 26 awaiting licensing approvals and expected to open in the near future. A growing number of those breweries are opening “brew pubs” to attract customers to their product. At last count, there were 19 of these brew pubs in the state.

Many of our state’s farmers have entered the world of either making these libations on their farms or being suppliers of raw ingredients to other nearby producers. This clearly is a burgeoning piece of the overall agricultural pie in the state.

The growth in the state’s breweries industry has been remarkable, especially those breweries based at or connected to farming operations. In 2011, the New Jersey Craft Beer Membership Club was started with 180 members.

Today, that membership The USDA’s 2019 Census of Agriculture contained some unexpected but welcome news - in contrast to a decline in farm acreage across much of the country, New Jersey saw a 3-percent increase in acreage in a recent year.

Though this report gleaned its statistics from 2017 data, I can’t help but see a similar continuing resurgence in New Jersey’s agricultural industry, both in Trenton and (where it matters most) on the ground, in countless farms, gardens, and open spaces across the Garden State.

That’s not to say that our community doesn’t face real and challenging issues. I do believe, however, that through collaboration and our state’s strengths in ingenuity and innovation, we’re making big progress in overcoming them.

As we approach a New Year and the beginnings of 2020, I must thank you - the members of this incredible community for lending your voices, your insights, and your experiences to our Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee’s efforts.

Our state is stronger, safer, and more productive thanks to your contributions.

GardenerNews.com NJ Dept. of Agriculture

By Douglas H. Fisher Secretary of Agriculture

A growing sector of New Jersey agriculture

number stands at more than 6,000.

That kind of rapid popularity doesn’t grow on trees (or even hops plants). Economically, it’s a big boost for the state’s economy.

The members of that club spend an average of $8,300 per year.

That’s around a $50 million shot to the state’s economy annually.

One indicator of how much attention is being paid to the state’s breweries was an October 19 “Craft Beer Celebration” hosted by Gov. Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy at Drumthwacket, the Governor’s official residence. I was privileged to kick off the event, attended by about 200 guests, where Cape May Brewing Company and Devil’s Creek Brewery were honored for their wins at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado, early in October. Cape May won for its “Honey Porter” and Devil’s Creek won for its

“Bringin’ Da Heat.”

The Great American Beer Festival featured five different three-hour judging sessions over a three-day period, winding up with medals to 283 breweries from across the nation in various categories.

Also honored at the Drumthwacket event was the Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing Company, which medaled at the National Seltzer Fest earlier in 2019 for its “J’aime Sparkled Seltzer.”

Perhaps not as noticed quite yet, another area that is growing is the distilleries and cideries portion of this industry. New Jersey now has 24 distilleries and three cideries. As the production of apples increases in the state, more cideries are expected to follow.

This beer, cider and spirits group joins another related area of New Jersey agriculture that

continues to grow, as more people locally and across the country discover wines from our state.

This was helped in no small measure by a law that was passed a few years back allowing our wineries to ship their products to customers ordering on the Internet.

According to a 2017 report from the Garden State Wine Growers Association, New Jersey’s wine and vineyards sector accounts for $323.02 million in economic impact to the state and has created nearly 2,000 jobs.

Total revenue from wineries and related industries supporting them rose from $173,255,000 in 2011 to $237,447,000 in 2016, the association’s report said.

The state’s four distinctive “viticultural regions” that encompass more than 50 wineries are producing wines that win awards nationally and internationally. The Department

Agriculture and Natural Resources

By Eric Houghtaling New Jersey Assemblyman

2020 Could Be Banner Year for Agriculture Committee This year’s work at the Committee began with the Garden State’s continuing battle against invasive species of ticks dangerous to animals and humans alike. Following the rapid spread of the East Asian Tick across our open spaces, we looked for ways to fight back.

That started with approving bills to create an Invasive Species Task Force alongside an all-new grant program allowing county governments to improve our methods of tick control. By bringing top-level scientists and agricultural experts into the fray, we can put evidence-based, targeted policy first, enhancing our response to the expanding tick population.

Next on our docket was wildfires. The problem was clear: thick, tightly packed ground scrub in New Jersey woodlands

was creating natural connectivity with the forest canopy, leading to a high risk of fast-spreading forest fires. We need only look at this past year’s Spring Hill Fire which consumed 11,638 acres of Pinelands forest - as an example.

That’s why the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee toured the Pinelands several times this year, holding a special joint hearing that brought in forestry, firefighting, climate, and environmental experts to address this threat. Now, one of our priorities for 2020 must be to address how the Legislature can help reinvigorate the Pinelands and support preventative measures like controlled burns.

Our next focus was pollinators - specifically, the ongoing threats to their population, and our options for protecting them. A full third of New Jersey crops depend

upon pollinators to reproduce, but honeybee and monarch butterfly populations are struggling as development encroaches on their natural habitats, killing many of the native plants on which they thrive.

That’s why we worked to build and pass a package of 14 bills aiming to stem pollinator decline. These bills attack the problem from multiple directions, encouraging municipalities, consumers, and state-owned land to provide habitats for pollinators while fighting back against environmentally harmful invasive species.

Crises haven’t been the only things on our minds, though.

We’ve also been looking toward future opportunities. That’s why I was proud to see the Hemp Farming Act signed into law this August, allowing New Jersey to

of Agriculture continues to help support increasing the state’s wine-grape acreage to spur even more development in this sector.

So, when toasting at events and gatherings from now through the New Year, give a thought to making that toast as local as possible by having New Jerseyproduced beer, wine, spirits and cider on your holiday tables.

And while you’re at it, raise a toast to the brewers, vintners, distillers and cider pressers who are helping to make this growing sector of our state’s agricultural economy a dynamic and popular part of our holidays and everyday lives.

Editor’s Note: Douglas H. Fisher is New Jersey’s Secretary of Agriculture.

He is the department’s executive officer, secretary to the State Board of Agriculture and a member of the Governor’s cabinet.

Secretary Fisher fulfills executive, management and administrative duties prescribed by law, executive order or gubernatorial direction. He can be reached at 609.292.3976. For more info, please visit: http:// www.state.nj.us/agriculture become a breakout state in this diverse and expanding industry.

There are more than 25,000 reported uses for industrial hemp products globally, including cosmetics, food, cloth, fuel, paint, paper, and plastics. The potential for Garden State farmers seems great, with the global industrial hemp market expected to reach $10.6 billion by 2025. If we play our cards right, we can place New Jersey at the forefront of this fast-growing industry.

There’s still much to do, and I’m excited to keep our work going in 2020. I truly believe that, through collaboration, innovation, and meaningful improvements, we can make next year an even better year for Garden State agriculture. I look forward to speaking with you then.

Editor’s Note: Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling is Chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in the New Jersey State Assembly. He can be reached at 732-6953371 or AsmHoughtaling@ njleg.org, or by mail at 802 W Park Ave, Ste 221, Ocean Township 07712.

GardenerNews.com

Make the memories and tradition yours.

We invite you to find your perfect Christmas Tree and make lasting memories at one of New Jersey’s local Christmas Tree Farms.

Visit NJChristmasTrees.org to find a choose-and-cut tree farm near you.

December 2019 5

6 December 2019

R U T G ER S N J AE S / R C E

Evaluating Postharvest Cleaners, Sanitizers, and Surfaces

GAPs, third-party audits, and the FSMA Produce Safety Rule have a heavy focus on the cleaning and sanitation of surfaces that come in contact with produce.

These surfaces can be harborage points for pathogens that are problematic for those that consume them, and for decay organisms that shorten your crops shelf life and marketability.

During the summer of 2019 we gathered a number of surface materials that are commonly used in packing houses, some of the surfaces are used as temporary fixes, others are for permanent use. Each of the surfaces was evaluated for cleanability and sanitation using common detergents and sanitizers. Swab sampling was used to assess “dirtiness” before cleaning, and then cleanliness after rinsing with water, after using a detergent, and again after using a sanitizer. We paid attention to how quickly the swab sampling numbers were reduced after each step.

What was abundantly clear was that the process is critical, no matter what detergent or sanitizer you use. The most effective process is: 1. Rinse all visible debris off of the surface with water 2. Use an appropriate detergent and scrub the surface, paying attention to all corners, crevices, joints, and screw/bolt heads 3. Rinsing the surface clear of detergent and dislodged debris 4. Use a sanitizer approved for food contact surfaces, follow the directions Another common issue found was that visibly clean doesn’t necessarily mean that the surface is clean enough to use. Just rinsing off with water can remove visible debris, and reduced the swab sampling number, but not enough to be considered clean. This was consistent across all the surfaces we evaluated in the study. Surfaces evaluated included vinyl flooring, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP) surfaces, high density polyethylene (HDPE) tabletop, fiberglass reinforced panels (FRP), acrylic sheet (PPMA), styrene, extruded composite lumber (PET), wood surfaces, plastic household mats, and sheet metal painted with countertop paint.

These surfaces were chosen for their ease of purchase locally and that many have been seen in use on farms across the state.

There are many sanitizers available on the market, including organic approved products. We evaluated chlorine, peroxyacetic acid, quaternary ammonium, and chlorine dioxide. All are labeled for use on food contact surfaces. Label instructions were followed and dip strips were used to ensure that the target PPM of each sanitizer was achieved. Using too little of a sanitizer is ineffective, and too much of a sanitizer can cause damage to the surface you are cleaning. Detergents evaluated were common dishwashing detergent, citric acid, ethoxylated coconut oil, and a foaming non-hazardous spray on detergent.

When the swab sampling numbers were evaluated we found that smooth surfaces cleaned the best and were more consistently sanitized. Surfaces with raised designs, grooves, or bumps did not have as significant reduction of swab sampling numbers as compared to the smooth surfaces. This inability to sanitize as effectively can allow for biofilms to form, providing a harborage point for disease. The surfaces that were most consistent in their ability to be cleaned and sanitized were fiberglass reinforced panels, commonly known as sanitary wall and often used in dairy milk houses, and extruded composite lumber. Surfaces painted with countertop paint did well initially, but repeated scrubbing allowed for scratches in the paint, and thinning of the surface over time. This resulted in a reduced ability to clean and sanitize effectively. Surfaces that consistently showed they were uncleanable were foil tape (sometimes used as a quick fix on surfaces), flexible plastic kitchen mats, uncoated wood surfaces, and vinyl flooring. All other evaluated surfaces had variations in the swab analysis results based on the detergent and sanitizer combinations.

All detergents were effective at reducing the swab sampling numbers, with the foaming detergent having a more consistent effect over all of the surfaces tested.

The sanitizers evaluated, when used according to product directions and on smooth surfaces, reduced the swab sampling numbers significantly.

Critical points to consider: -Develop a regular cleaning pose a contamination risk. schedule with a written standard -Avoid cracks and crevices on your operating procedure detailing the postharvest surfaces, these are difficult products used, how they are used, and to clean and sanitize. the steps involved in cleaning and -When gloves are used workers sanitizing the surfaces. must be trained on how to use them so -Do a test run when you aren’t they do not become a contamination pressed for time, take apart equipment, source. determine if you have the right -Remove surface moisture in the supplies, and estimate the time it will packinghouse/area whenever possible take to properly clean and sanitize the using squeegees and fans. equipment.

-Remove culls from the packing -Remember that the beginning area daily so they do not become an of the season cleaning and sanitizing procedure will likely be more detailed attractant for wildlife.

-Utilize a pest control program in than a during the season cleaning. the packing and storage areas, focusing -Provide training for the person/s, and their backup, who will be on rodents and other wildlife intrusions.

-Remove as much soil as possible responsible for cleaning and sanitizing from harvested produce in the field, postharvest surfaces.

-Only use sanitizers that are rather than in the packing area.

-Use new containers or containers approved for food contact surfaces, and that can be cleaned and/or sanitized to follow the label directions.

-When fixing packing equipment pack and display produce.

-Storage areas and coolers should only use surfaces that are smooth, do not absorb water, and have not been used be monitored for cleanliness, and be for other activities at the farm that may included in the rodent control program.

Visit the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety website for more produce safety resources at https://onfarmfoodsafety.rutgers.edu/ This work funded by USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant #16-SCBGP-NJ-0046

GardenerNews.com

From the Director’s Desk

Rutgers Outreach Provided by Brian Schilling Director

Spotted Lanternfly Comes to New Jersey

The spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (White), is an Asian planthopper belonging to the order Hemiptera and family Fulgoridae. It is native to China, India, and Vietnam and was introduced into Japan and Korea in the mid-2000’s where it became an invasive pest of grapes. Its first known detection in the United States was in Berks County, Pennsylvania in the fall of 2014. Since 2014, it has spread to and established in an additional 13 Pennsylvania counties. Outside of Pennsylvania, it has been intercepted in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia and has established populations in all but New York.

The first known detection of spotted lanternfly in New Jersey occurred in Warren County in late 2017 when a Christmas tree purchased from within Pennsylvania’s quarantine zone containing spotted lanternfly eggs was moved to a residence in New Jersey where they hatched into 1st instar nymphs. The following year, spotted lanternfly was also found in Mercer County causing the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) to establish a three-county (Hunterdon, Mercer and Warren) quarantine zone in New Jersey. This year (2019), spotted lanternfly has continued to expand its range in New Jersey into additional counties causing NJDA to expand the quarantine zone to Burlington, Camden, Salem and Somerset counties (as of this writing).

The spotted lanternfly overwinters as eggs that are laid in masses during late fall on a variety of smooth surfaces including the undersides of branches, rocks, fence posts, outdoor equipment, and other non-living surfaces. Eggs hatch based on temperature from mid-May to early June into small black nymphs (3.6 – 4.4 mm) that have white spots. The nymphs then go through an additional three nymphal stages with the final stage becoming red and black and white spots. The final nymphal molt to the adult stage begins in late July and can continue into late fall depending on when the eggs hatched and temperature. All spotted lanternfly life stages use their sucking mouthparts to remove phloem fluids from a variety of host plants (>70 known hosts) including wild and cultivated grapes, tree of heaven, apples, black walnuts, and maple. Older nymphs and adults tend to feed in groups on preferred hosts such as tree of heaven late in the growing season, causing oozing wounds on trees, and wilting and death of branches. In addition, since spotted lanternfly needs to feed on large amounts of phloem fluids to obtain adequate nutrients–like aphids–individuals excrete large amounts of a sugary substance called honeydew. Because of this behavior and the large numbers of individuals that can occur on host plants, large amounts of honeydew can accumulate on the foliage resulting in the development of sooty mold that turns foliage black, reduces photosynthesis, and can result in yield losses (cultivated grapes), and death of understory plants.

Management of spotted lanternfly can be accomplished using a combination of chemical and non-chemical tactics. Non-chemical methods include scraping and disposing of egg masses from October to July and using brown sticky bands around tree trunks where spotted lanternfly is present. Chemical control depends on the presence of tree of heaven. If this tree is present at a site, 90% of the trees including all female trees should be removed and the stumps treated with an herbicide to kill the tree’s root system and runners. All remaining trees should be treated with 10% dinotefuran. If tree of heaven is not present, only spray trees when they are infested, with an insecticide labeled for ornamentals or specific tree species.

Because New Jersey as of this writing has seven counties under quarantine, businesses and the general public must be careful to not move spotted lanternfly into uninfested areas. Doing so requires self-inspecting all items left outdoors, cars, trucks, and any other outdoor equipment and removing any spotted lanternfly or egg masses found prior to taking these item out of the quarantine area. Further information on what to do can be found at www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/spottedlanternfly.html.

Finally, in order to track the spread of the spotted lanternfly in New Jersey, both the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station would like your help. Both organizations have developed a reporting system that can be used to report a sighting in the state. The Department of Agriculture reporting system consists of either calling a reporting hotline (1-833-223-2840) or emailing your report to SLF-plantindustry@ag.nj.gov. The latter allows you to upload sighting/contact information and a picture for identification purposes. NJDA also has information available on the spotted lanternfly at www.state.nj.us/agriculture/news/hottopics/approved/topics180305.html. You can also file a report, upload a picture, and find information on the spotted lanternfly from the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at njaes.rutgers.edu/spotted-lanternfly.

Editor’s note: This month’s contribution was written by George C. Hamilton, Extension Specialist in Pest Management and Chair of the Department of Entomology at Rutgers.

GardenerNews.com

R U T G ER S N J AE S / R C E

Foliage for the Holidays

December is undoubtedly known for the holidays, family gatherings and festivities that invariably include decorating the homestead with colorful plants.

Of course, the plant most frequently used is Poinsettia. I like Poinsettias, but for the past few years I have been discussing plants that provide holiday cheer while continuing to improve in appearance and grow as the years pass.

One group of plants that I have long enjoyed as colorful houseplants are several species of the genus Peperomia, commonly called Radiator Plants.

Peperomia is in the Piperaceae or Pepper family, which derives its familial name not from the peppers we eat as a vegetable, but rather Piper nigrum, the source of black pepper.

The genus Peperomia consists of nearly 1,000 species, most of which are found throughout tropical regions of South America, although a few are located in

Africa, Mexico and the Caribbean.

The genus name was penned by the Spanish botanists Hipólito Ruiz López (1754-1816) and José Antonio Pavón Jiménez (17541840) in 1794, following their three botanical tours of Peru and Chile between 1777 and 1788.

The name Peperomia comes from the Greek Péper(i) for pepper and Homoios for resembling or similar, once again a tribute to its distant cousin Piper nigrum.

The common name of Radiator Plant was coined by the famed horticulturist Liberty Hyde Bailey, since the plants enjoy warm air and bright light, much as one would find on a window sill above a radiator. For nearly all species of the genus, the foliage provides the primary ornamental appeal.

One of the easiest species to grow is Peperomia obtusifolia, commonly called Blunt Leaved Radiator Plant or Baby Rubber Tree. The species epithet comes from the Latin obtusus for blunt and folium for leaf, providing the foundation for one of its common names.

Originally described by the German botanist Albert Gottfried

Dietrich (1795-1856) in 1831, this native of Mexico and the Caribbean has one- to two-inch glossy round leaves that appear along stout, yet somewhat brittle stems. The plant produces a low, almost shrubby stature, growing to 18 inches tall by two feet or greater in diameter.

For December, the form “Variegata” sports attractive creamy white and soft green variegation. There are several forms of “Variegata’”on the market, with the better forms having a broad, creamy-white margin with an irregular silvery-green central splash, complementing the deep red color of the younger stems.

Another easily grown species is Peperomia clusiifolia, the Rededge Peperomia.

Originally named Piper clusiifolia in 1789 by the Dutch chemist, doctor and botanist, Nicolaas Joseph von Jacquin (1727-1817), it was not until 1829 that the British botanist William Jackson Hooker (17851865) properly described the plant.

Native to the West Indies and Venezuela, the species name describes how the leaves are similar to the tropical genus of

December 2019 7

Clusia that was named after the famed Artois botanist, Carolus Clusius (1526-1609).

The plants have thick, waxy, paddle-shaped leaves, growing to three to four inches long with a prominent red margin and red stems. The variety named Tricolor features foliage that is splashed with red, white, silver and green, producing a most attractive plant for the home. As with the previous species, plants reach upwards of 18 inches tall with a spread of 18 to 24 inches.

Most species of Peperomia are epiphytic, dwelling in the canopy of trees where they receive far more light than the forest floor below. They grow on decaying branches or composting leaf litter trapped amongst the base of branches. Consequently, they grow best in a similarly well-drained soil that is rich in humus and kept on the drier side, especially during the winter.

They all benefit from warm temperatures and should be kept away from cool drafty windows where the ambient temperatures could dip below 55°F. Also, just because the plants are listed as

“houseplants” does not preclude them from being brought outdoors come the summer.

Undoubtedly, Peperomia will never replace Poinsettia for seasonal color. However, Peperomia varieties do provide a very colorful and enduring plant that will only increase in size and beauty with the passing of the years – certainly something every gardener should consider.

Happy Holidays to all!

Editor’s Note: Bruce Crawford is a lover of plants since birth; is the managing director of the Rutgers Gardens, a 180-acre outdoor teaching classroom, horticultural research facility and arboretum; an adjunct professor in Landscape Architecture at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; regularly participates in the Rutgers – Continuing Education Program; and past-president of the Garden State Gardens Consortium. He can be reached at (732) 932-8451. For more information, please visit www.rutgersgardens.rutgers.edu

Rutgers Cooperative Extension Phone Directory Atlantic County Phone: 609-625-0056 Bergen County Phone: 201-336-6780 Burlington County Phone: 609-265-5050 Camden County Phone: 856 216 7130 Cape May County Phone: 609-465-5115 Cumberland County Phone: 856-451-2800 Essex County Phone: 973-228-2210 Gloucester County Phone: 856-224-8040 Hudson County Phone: 201-915-1399 Hunterdon County Phone: 908-788-1339 Mercer County Phone: 609-989-6830

Middlesex County Phone: 732-398-5260 Monmouth County Phone: 732-431-7260 Morris County Phone: 973-285-8300 Ocean County Phone:732-349-1246 Passaic County Phone: 973-305-5740 Salem County Phone: 856-769-0090 Somerset County Phone: 908-526-6293 Sussex County Phone: 973-948-3040 Union County Phone: 908-654-9854 Warren County Phone: 908-475-6505

8 December 2019

GardenerNews.com

GardenerNews.com

December 2019 9

Around The Garden

By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

Need a Website? or Graphic Design Work?

A Tribute to My Dad

First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone that supported myself and my family on the loss of my Dad, S. Thomas Castronovo. The cards were heartfelt and the flower arrangements were beautiful. I realized that I have some pretty amazing friends. Thank you!

Referred to as Dad, Tom, TC, or Mr. C., my dad was founder and long-time owner of Edgewood Pharmacy in Warren Township, Somerset County, N.J. For 57 years, to be exact.

On October 19, my Dad was struck and killed by a car in Lavallette, Ocean County, N.J. The driver, Brian Kosanke, 39, was charged with Vehicular Homicide.

According to police, he was driving while under the influence of Xanax, cocaine, fentanyl and gabapentin. Surveillance camera footage revealed that prior to police arriving at the crash site, Kosanke removed something from his car.

Investigators said they later found he had stashed heroin that was inside his vehicle on the side of the road and later retrieved it.

One of my Dad’s passions was gardening and landscaping. He taught me quite a bit. And he was still teaching and guiding me. Together we created some mighty fine rock gardens and landscape designs around his homes. Dad always commented on the rhododendrons that were planted well over 30 years ago. Today they have grown into rhododendron trees. The bottoms have been finely trimmed up by the deer. The tops are quite lush and full of blooms each year. They are monstrous.

Another one of his favorites is the weeping hemlock tree. Its horizontally spreading branches are about 20 feet wide and almost tall enough to walk under. It looks great growing over the rock wall next to the feathery, spidery leaves of the Japanese cutleaf maple. The bright orangey red glow contrast next to the hemlock is quite the site in the fall.

Dad also loved the native dogwood trees scattered around his pachysandra-dressed property.

All around the wooded lot are rocks from the woods in piles, walls and placed out to form rock beds. He loved the natural look. Most of all I think he enjoyed sitting in his Adirondack chairs at the top of his nature trail, watching the ornamental grasses sway in the breeze as the wind chimes played a soft, relaxing tune.

At the shore were the flowers. No deer! Each flower bed was carefully thought out so different perennials would color the property continuously throughout the season. He had purple coneflowers, phlox, black-eyed Susans and mums. I think his favorite were the Montauk daisies. There were also annual beds of snapdragons, SunPatiens, and lantana. Endless Summer hydrangeas painted the

front of the house in shades of blue and pink. Dad strived to make sure his garden and landscape at the beach bloomed in perfect succession.

Dad taught me how to cut the lawn using a 1960s Sears Craftsman riding mower. We talked about how and when to feed the lawn. Back in the day, I remember putting down lime using a wheelbarrow and a shovel to sling it with him.

My Dad followed in the footsteps of his father, Frank X. Castronovo, who had established a community pharmacy in the neighboring town of Watchung in 1939.

It all began for my Dad on October 1, 1962, when he opened his new pharmacy at what he called “the edge of the woods,” hence the name, Edgewood Pharmacy. The store is located in Warren Village Center, which was originally named Bardy Farms Country Square at the crossroads of Mountain Boulevard and Mount Bethel Roads.

In the early days, my Dad was not only the local pharmacist, he was also a branch manager for the postal service.

In early-1962, the Plainfield Post Office in Union County was looking to establish a new substation in Warren Township. Edgewood Pharmacy was established as a fifth branch of the U.S. Postal Service the same day he opened, October 1, 1962. As a result, the local residents went to his pharmacy for their medication and mailing needs during the ’60s and early-’70s.

Back in the day, when I used to work in the store as a shelf duster, stock boy, delivery boy, clerk, and a host of other jobs, I remember working with TV tube and house fuse testers. My Dad offered everything that his customers might need by providing the finest service possible.

It was great to work with my Dad. I must admit, he sure did teach me about running a business and life. And I thank him from the bottom of my heart for all his continued wisdom.

As an early member of the Warren Township Lion’s Club my Dad helped to create the annual Warren Lions Club Expo. He also served as the town’s Baseball Commissioner for several years.

In addition, he was a member of the 200 Club of Somerset County. He cherished his Warren community and touched the lives of so many both personally and professionally. He is remembered as a man with strong values and integrity, a true gentleman with a kind smile. My Dad often went above and beyond to help his customers and he was proud to be able to serve the people in the area for so many years.

I will love you forever, Dad. A memorial contribution can be made to the Friends of the Lavallette Beautification Committee (FLB) at 1606 Grand Central Ave., Lavallette, NJ 08735.

Editor’s Note: Tom Castronovo is executive editor and publisher of Gardener News. Tom’s lifelong interest in gardening and passion for agriculture, environmental stewardship, gardening and landscaping, led to the founding of the Gardener News, which germinated in April 2003 and continues to bloom today. He is also dedicated to providing inspiration, and education to the agricultural, gardening and landscaping communities through this newspaper and GardenerNews.com.

YOUR WEBSITE IS THE FACE OF YOUR BUSINESS Don’t lose customers because your website is out of date...

We Build Mobile Responsive Websites!!

Because in today’s world your website needs to display well on mobile devices

Call or visit our site today for a FREE quote or consultation

10 December 2019 November was an amazing month for the members at the NJLCA and for me! You would think since the summer is over and the grass is no longer growing that we would be slowing down.

On the contrary, this is when the landscape association season is in full swing. Our members now have time to attend events and educational opportunities.

At the beginning of November, I attended a conference on legislative developments for employers.

They discussed marijuana in the workplace and how it would affect business operations, when it is not okay (creating policies to prohibit marijuana use by employees in safety-sensitive positions). They also discussed paid sick leave, wage theft laws, appearance discrimination and more. I also attended a marketing boot camp class. These classes not only help the association but are information that I can bring back to our members to help them in their businesses. Other workshops that I attend include information that I can bring to our members for them to share with their customers as well.

Mid-month there was a virtual conference that covered many aspects of association and member management. If you have never attended a virtual conference, I December can be such a cruel month. Lying on the couch, with the belt loosened a few notches, football on the television, and the tryptophan from the Thanksgiving turkey putting me in a semicomatose state, my brief utopia is interrupted with the sounds of Christmas carols emanating from a commercial on the TV. My moment of bliss ends. My mind begins to compose a mental check list. Write out cards, find the perfect Christmas tree, poinsettias, house decorations and strings of lights, holiday parties, gift shopping, gift wrapping, and so it begins. Like a dull toothache that never quite goes away, for the next month, the pressure from this evergrowing checklist is never far from my thoughts.

How did we ever get to this, I wonder? Apparently, as holidays go, Christmas has an interesting past. No one actually knows Christ’s true birthday. In the third century, Pope Julius I decreed it December 25th in an effort introduce religion and tamp down an existing, raucous, solstice celebration that was getting out of hand. (Precursor to modern-day office parties.)

By the Middle Ages, the holiday began traditions that we now recognize. Christmas carols,

GardenerNews.com The NJLCA Today

By Gail Woolcott Director of Operations

A Month in the Life of an Association Executive recommend going online and searching for a virtual conference about any topic that you want to learn more about. You can attend these from anywhere, from home to the Bahamas and around the world to learn from experts right on your computer or mobile device.

Also mid-month, we attended a “fly-in” to Washington, DC where we spoke to our legislative representatives about issues affecting the landscaping industry, including a temporary worker visa program. I highly recommend meeting with your legislators at least once a year to discuss issues you may have or to thank them for their vote or action on an issue you follow. It is an excellent way to understand the legislative process and get to know your local representatives. Although they may seem larger than life on

television, I promise that most of them are just like you and I with the same hopes and everyday issues. I have come to know and be very friendly with several legislators and you would be surprised how “normal” they are!

In the same legislative vein, we had a meeting with several other associations in the tri-state area to discuss leaf blower bans, including educational programs, talking to local legislators, battery powered equipment and its issues, etc. We continue to try to work with townships for a reasonable compromise for leaf blower use.

For members, we held both a member appreciation dinner and mixer and a membership meeting.

The mixer is a way for the NJLCA to thank its members, while also introducing prospective members to the benefits we have to offer.

The membership meeting, which

we provide each month at a different location, serves to educate attendees on different topics affecting or surrounding the green industry. From current topics like the latest diseases and pests to affect plants to business topics like contracts and estimates, we try to provide as much education to our members as possible.

Late in the month, the NJLCA president Nelson Lee, Scholarship Committee Chairman Joe Bolognese, Turfgrass Advisory Board Member Greg Carpenter and I had the pleasure of attending the Rutgers Turfgrass Scholarship Dinner, where we presented scholarships to four Rutgers Turfgrass Science students. These students go on to be professors, research technicians, golf course superintendents, sportsfield managers and landscape professionals. We provide them, as

NJ Agricultural Society

By Al Murray Executive Director

Ghosts of Christmas Past

gift giving, and the decorative use of evergreens, holly, and ivy began. England’s King Richard II once hosted a Christmas feast that utilized 28 oxen, and 300 sheep. When Oliver Cromwell overthrew the monarchy in the 1600s, he banned Christmas and just about anything else that would be considered fun.

Taking their cue from England, when the Puritans settled in the New World, Christmas was treated just as any other workday.

They associated the holiday with Catholic and pagan traditions, as well as drinking, merrymaking and partying – all which they opposed. In fact, Christmas was officially outlawed in Boston and anyone caught celebrating the day received a fine. By the time the law was repealed, the holiday was forgotten.

While New England pretty much ignored Christmas, the

holiday gained a toehold in Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York. These colonies had large German immigrant populations, which brought their traditions with them – including festival celebrations, Christmas trees and nativity scenes.

During the Revolutionary War, celebrating Christmas was considered unpatriotic since the holiday was closely associated with English customs. It wasn’t until 1823 when Clement Moore published his “Night Before Christmas” that the holiday slowly reappeared.

Christmas finally took off 20 years later when Charles Dickens published “A Christmas Carol,” which, incidentally, popularized the phrase, “Merry Christmas.”

Finally, in 1870, Christmas was made a federal holiday. By the 1920s, the commercial aspect of Christmas was in full swing, with

retailers utilizing holiday ads and sales and dazzling store displays to capitalize on the holiday.

The first incarnation of Santa Claus we all identify today was introduced by Thomas Nast in the 1880s. However, many believe the Coca Cola Company’s use of Santa in their 1930s ads created the Santa Claus we all know and love — that big, jolly man in the red suit with a white beard.

My thoughts drift back to the task at hand. As the big day gets closer, the pressure mounts and nerves are frayed more than ever.

If I hear that song, “Last Christmas (I gave you my heart)” one more time, I’m taking a sledgehammer to the radio.

We are now at D-day minus two. Being a typical husband, I haven’t even begun shopping yet.

Bracing myself for my annual trip to the mall, I already make my first New Year’s resolution that next

well as NJLCA members families with $10,000 in scholarships each year.

Finally, we had the honor of attending the cutting of the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

What an incredible opportunity to see where this beloved tradition begins. The planning and mechanics involved are alone a remarkable feat.

It is always a wonder and a joy to me how many great people are in the green industry that I get to spend time with over the course of the year. Wishing all of you a very happy holiday season!

Editor’s note: Gail Woolcott is the Director of Operations for the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association.

She was presented with a community service award from the Borough of Fairview for her assistance in leading the 9-11 Memorial Park project and the Legislative Champion of the Year award from the Federation of Employers and Workers of America. She is currently the State Licensee Chair on the National Association of Landscape Professionals International Certification Council. year it will be different – and next year it will not. Endlessly circling the lot looking for a parking place, I finally join the hordes of husbands aimlessly wandering, panic in their eyes, desperately hoping the divine powers will impart a gift idea.

Finally, it is Christmas Eve, and our family is at church. As the service ends, the sanctuary lights are extinguished and the parishioners holding candles softly singing “Silent Night.” Amid the glow of the candles, I finally feel the spirit of Christmas and a sense of peace.

As this crazy and hectic season begins, may everyone find a sense of peace.

Editor’s Note: Al Murray is the Executive Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Society. Established in 1781, the Society is New Jersey's oldest organization whose purpose is to advocate, educate and promote on behalf of New Jersey's agricultural industry. Mr. Murray previously spent his entire career at the NJ Department of Agriculture, serving as the Assistant Secretary. He can be reached at njagriculturalsociety@ gmail.com

GardenerNews.com

December 2019 11

February 26, 2020

8:00 am - 3:30 pm Meadowlands Exposition Center 355 Plaza Drive, Secaucus, NJ 07094

Announcing Keynote Speaker: Jack “Ramblin Jackson” Jostes!

Plus hundreds of exhibitor booths including:

Hundreds of Booths...Multiple Educational Classes

Register Early!

Save $10 per person - Register before Feb. 1, 2020

www.NJLandscapeShow.com 201-703-3600

12 December 2019

GardenerNews.com

STOP THE PLANTHOPPERS WITH THESE FINE PRODUCTS!

Brand by

For Control On Non-Edibles

38 Plus 31332

Bug Blaster Bifen 32297

For Control On Edibles

Broad Spectrum 10291

NG Hort oil 40467

Triple Action 12247

Available Only at Locally-Owned Garden Centers, Hardware Stores and Feed Stores. www.fertilome.com

FLORIST 700 Springfield Avenue Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 Phone: (908) 665-0331 Fax: (908) 665-9804 email: hallsflorist@hotmail.com www.hallsgarden.com

BILL RANDOLPH AGENT

908.782.4028 LIFE • PROPERTY DISABILITY INCOME INSURANCE American National is a group of companies writing a broad array of insurance products and services. Products and services may not be available in all states. Terms, conditions and eligibility requirements will apply. Life insurance and annuity products may be underwritten by American National Insurance Company, Galveston, Texas. Property and casualty products and services may be underwritten by Farm Family Casualty Insurance Company, Glenmont, New York.

Form 11094 | 12.18

SERVING THE AGRIBUSINESS COMMUNITY

ADVERTISE YOUR LANDSCAPING BUSINESS HERE ONLY $125 PER MONTH DOWNLOAD OUR MEDIA KIT AT WWW.GARDENERNEWS.COM

Deadline is 10th of the Month Before.

For more information: mail@gardenernews.com

700 Springfield Avenue Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 Phone: (908) 665-0331 Fax: (908) 665-9804 email: hallsflorist@hotmail.com www.hallsgarden.com

GardenerNews.com

Energex Premium Grade HARDWOOD PELLET FUEL

          

Visit Our Showroom & Display Area

311 Roycefield Road, Hillsborough (908) 252-1550 LandscapeMaterialsInc.com

Brick Pavers Decorative Gravel Retaining Wall Block Limestone & Bluestone Fieldstone Mulches Top Soil  Lawn & Garden Tools Grass Seed  Landscape Lighting Fertilizer Decorative Mail Boxes  Masonry Supplies ...& MUCH MORE Drainage Products

OPEN

December 2019 13

Monday thru Friday Ice Control 24 Hours 908-252-1550

Ice Control Bulk  Salt  Salt/Sand Mix

By The Bag/By The Pallet  #50 Halite  #80 Halite  #50 Calcium Cloride  #50 Urea

Scan Here

Now accepting leaves, tree branches, limbs, trunks, brush and wood chips.

14 December 2019

GardenerNews.com

Smith’s ACE Hardware of Chester, NJ

CHESTER SHOPPING MALL 91 W. Main Street, Chester NJ 07930

908-955-8600 We are ready for winter, are you?

We stock deicers in bags and jugs along with snow shovels, scrapers, snow blowers, gloves and the Snowcaster.

Now stocking NDS-Pro drainage products

What can we help you with this winter?

Battery Products

Our Other ACE Hardware Locations: Yardville Supply Co 47 Yardville-Groveville Rd Yardville, NJ 08620

ACE Hardware Princeton 301 N Harrison St #12 Princeton, NJ 08540

ACE Hardware Chatham 650 Shunpike Rd Chatham NJ 07928

Mercer ACE Hardware 318 NJ 33 Mercerville NJ 08619

Newtown ACE Hardware 2670 S Eagle Rd Newtown PA 18940

GardenerNews.com

December 2019 15

Presidential Citations Presented by The Garden Club of New Jersey The Garden Club of New Jersey held its 2019 Fall Conference and President’s Day on November 4 at the Bridgewater Marriott in Somerset County. Jeannie Geremia, who is the club’s 49th president, graciously presented four Presidential Citations to members of the community during the daylong event.

New Jersey Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman received one for Excellence in Advocating and Sponsoring Key Environmental Legislation in the New Jersey State Senate. He is the original sponsor of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly Bill S939, and sponsor of the Bog Turtle Bill, both successfully legislated into law; and the original Sponsor for a Special Pollinator License Plate Bill showcasing our official state pollinators, the Gold Finch, the Honey Bee and the Black Swallowtail Butterfly.

Tom Castronovo received one for Excellence in Black Swallowtail Legislation & other Agricultural, Environmental, Landscaping & Gardening Legislation as Executive Editor, Publisher & Columnist of the Gardener News, and providing the GCNJ with a public platform since April 2008.

Edward Vincent Danberry received one for Excellence in Ongoing Philanthropic Endeavors including support for the Black Swallowtail Butterfly, Pollinators & Projects of the GCNJ, Raptor Trust, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone Veterans Memorial Parade, Operation Shoebox, H.E.A.R.T. 9/11, and donated Green Bean Mobile for Food Pantry in Essex County.

James Fiorentino received one for Excellence in Wildlife Advocacy utilizing his internationally renowned artistic talents to showcase endangered species, partnering with Conserve Wildlife Foundation in a Traveling Art Show using his art to illustrate conservation issues. He painted the Black Swallowtail Butterfly, helping the successful campaign to have the Black Swallowtail Butterfly designated as New Jersey’s Official State Butterfly.

The Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. (GCNJ), founded in 1925, is a federation of individual local garden clubs throughout the Garden State. GCNJ has over 5,000 members, ages 6 to adult.

The Garden Club of New Jersey is the state affiliate and a charter member of the National Garden Clubs, Inc., (NGC), a nonprofit educational organization.

The membership of NGC is composed of nearly 200,000 members, 6,000 member garden clubs, 70 national affiliates and 300 international affiliates around the globe.

NGC is the largest volunteer organization of its type in the world.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

New Jersey Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman, left, gets ready to display the Presidential Citation that he received from Jeannie Geremia, President of The Garden Club of New Jersey in his legislative office in Somerville.

16 December 2019 At this festive time of the year it is quite customary to spend time with the family celebrating the various holidays, singing songs and enjoying all the gifts, decorations and lights of the season.

I particularly like candy canes, cookies and chocolate Santas… I hope to not put on 10 pounds! I have my favorite list of holiday movies I have to watch each year, too. I still enjoy driving at night with my children (and now grandchildren) to see lights and decorations and even visiting the mall. Yes, I know, that is hard to believe.

Reading classic books and storytelling by the fire with a cup of Joe or mulled cider are some of my favorites, too. For several years, we have contributed to the Heifer Foundation. It’s nice to help someone who is less fortunate than we are.

These thoughts bring fond memories. But what do they have to do with my lawn, Todd? Well, do you really want to talk about lawns or reminisce about the holiday

GardenerNews.com Turf ‘s Up

By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

Time for some storytelling by the fire…

season some more? Did someone say “S-mores?”

Okay, so it’s hard to ask Santa for a great lawn next year, it’s up to you (and Mother Nature!) and perhaps a little help from my articles.

I guess the question is, “What went wrong with my lawn?” Can we always blame the weather, too much rain or too little rain? I don’t think so. A healthy growing lawn with proper feeding, mowing, and watering (if necessary) can withstand an awful lot of Mother Nature’s ravages.

Did you only feed your lawn once or twice this year?

Shame on you. It needs to eat throughout the growing season, from early-spring to

late-fall. You don’t only eat breakfast and lunches for nine months, do you?

Did you raise your mowing height to three inches in June? If not, you contributed to the stress of the hot, dry summer weather on your lawn. Did you get too much crabgrass this year?

Did you remember to apply a pre-emergent again, like Dimension, in late-spring, to extend your length of crabgrass control? Did your neighbor’s dandelion seeds blow onto your lawn? Well, not much I can do to help you with that situation.

Do you want to consider moving to an organic lawn care program for next year?

If you give your lawn an

overall B+ rating, this transition should work fairly smoothly. If the turf is dense and weeds are a small matter in your lawn, why not give it a try? Monitor your lawn’s successes and failures over the years so you can adjust your program to prevent these problems instead of waiting to react to these issues once they occur and the damage is already done.

Treat yourself to a complete soil test from the Rutgers soil laboratory. Get this test done this winter so you can be ready to apply any soil amendments you might need in early-spring.

Remember, you are not allowed to apply fertilizer to your lawn in New Jersey

after November 15 and before March 1.

Will you ask Santa for a new spreader this year?

Perhaps a new lawn mower, leaf rake and blower? We all love our lawns, but maybe we should put our lawns on the back burner this month and choose to focus on what’s really important.

Hug your family and friends, say “Hello” to someone you don’t know.

Contribute to the local food bank when you check out at the grocery store.

Life sometimes is too short; cherish these special moments every day.

It’s a wonderful life and your lawn worries can wait until next spring. Go on, read a special book to your guests by the warmth of the fire.

Happy Holidays!

Editor’s Note: Todd Pretz is Vice President of Jonathan Green, a leading supplier of lawn and garden products in the northeast. For more information, please visit: www.jonathangreen.com

A Solution to the Winter Doldrums!

By Hubert Ling The leaves have fallen, flowers are but a memory, insects are hidden, and you are tired of staying indoors.

What is there to do outside in the natural world? For a botanist or amateur scientist, two things come to mind. You could study lichens; those rugged plants that cling to bark and stone.

A recent study found 190 species of lichens in Wharton State forest and with hundreds of other species in the rest of the state, lichens could keep you busy for the rest of your life. Lichens look pretty much the same all year around, so finding them in winter is easy.

But lichen study is a bit tricky and an in-depth look into these fascinating organisms requires good microscopes, a chemistry laboratory, and persistence.

For the casual beginner, this may be a bit much.

A simpler project to keep your mind active during winter would be to study the bark of various trees. Actually, you would generally also have to study the branches and buds to come up with real identifications, but bark is a good starting place. You might think that all bark is very similar, but on careful examination the barks are quite different.

Bark comes in white, gray, cream, tan, reddish, brown, and black. Bark is smooth, rough or somewhere in between. Bark flakes off in large plates in sycamores, curls up at the edges in birch, cherry, and shagbark hickory. However, in most trees such as oak and ash, bark just splits into a pattern of fissures.

These plates, curls, and fissures are caused because bark, or cork as it is technically known, is a rigid, dead, protective,

non-stretchy, many layered coat around a tree trunk.

Thus it divides into plates, comes apart at the seams, or splits into fissures as a tree trunk expands.

Bark is formed by an actively dividing cylinder of cells, the cork cambium, located near the outside of the trunk. Pressure from these expanding cork cells continually rips the bark apart. The varying properties of the bark cells often leads to very distinct patterns in young, middleaged and mature bark.

For example, young oak bark is basically smooth and thin, but interrupted by numerous dots, the lenticels, which presumably allow the active cambium cells to breathe.

As a section of a trunk ages, the bark becomes more diagnostic. Red oak trunks from about six inches to 14 inches in diameter show the characteristic “ski trails” where parallel strips of relatively smooth

bark curve back and forth up the trunk. As a red oak continues to grow, these ski trails tend to be obscured, as the bark continues to thicken and additional fissures break up the diagnostic ski trails, although a trace of trails still exists if you look hard.

Bark can get quite thick. In chestnut oak and cottonwood, it may reach one inch or more and has led to the unusual hobby of bark carvings. In redwood trees, the bark can become two feet thick, which will allow for a greater 3D effect to bark carvings.

However, bark is fragile and is very inferior to wood as a carving medium.

As you take a walk on a mild winter day, take a good look at the various types of bark. Look for a red oak with the characteristic ski trails and perhaps below also spot some large acorns.

White birches are easy to identify by the white bark which rolls up at the

edges. However, native white paper birch is a rare plant from northern New Jersey and northern states.

You are much more likely to find Himalayan, Downy, Japanese, gray, or weeping birches, which also have white bark that doesn’t curl up at the edges. You might also come across river birch, which is off-white and tan and does roll up at the edges.

From pictures on the internet and books, you can identify shagbark hickory and can attempt to separate black birch from various species of cherry. Have fun outside and explore a new world and you will also appreciate how much easier plant identification is in summer.

Editor’s Note: Hubert Ling is the Horticulture Chairman for the Native Plant Society of New Jersey.

He can be reached at milhubling@verizon.net

GardenerNews.com

December 2019 17

Holiday Wreaths at Rutgers Gardens

By Jeannie Geremia Contributing Writer

A must-do on your holiday list is a visit to Rutgers Gardens, “a 180-acre outdoor teaching classroom, horticultural research facility and arboretum.”

Not only is it a joy to view the vast display of towering holly trees, laden with ripe berries, and the flocks of robins that overwinter there with their food source taking them through the long winter ahead, but Rutgers will be enveloped in hundreds of holiday wreaths.

The spectacular wreath display will commence on December 1 and greet visitors and commuters on Ryders Lane and in the Gardens through the entire month.

Why wreaths and why now? you may ask. The answer is that our new Rutgers Gardens and The Garden Club of New Jersey joint project – which seeks to not only refurbish past award-winning GCNJ Presidents’ Projects, but incorporate Learning Centers in each garden area to tell the story of how flora and fauna have developed together through the millennia – needs funding.

What better way to insure and inspire environmental consciousness in our youth, garden members and the public than to create these Outdoor Learning Centers? This project will provide necessary funding for our proposed sculptures and Garden Libraries but will also be used to update and renew the Rutgers Gardens Projects that were funded and installed over the years by four GCNJ Past Presidents beginning in 2003 with GCNJ President Ruth Paul’s Native and Regional Plant Garden, GCNJ President Wini Applegate’s Waterwise Rain Garden and Historic Preservation Garden at the Log Cabin, GCNJ President Carole Iuso’s Freedom Trail of Great Americans and Field of Heroes, and Onnolee Allieri’s Helen Hull Wild Flower Collection and Children’s Garden.

Each of our Learning Centers will be situated throughout the gardens in

and around the refurbished projects, with accompanying Garden Libraries containing books and periodicals on the specific Learning Center’s theme – Birds, Bees, Butterflies, Bats, Ants, Dragonflies, and more.

My October Gardener News article brought a specific request by a reader who was dismayed because I left Lady Bugs out of the Pollinator/ Wildlife mix. I told Lady Bug Lady and Champion, Cathy Shalloo, member of Bayberry Garden Club of Brielle who has tirelessly advocated for Lady Bugs for decades, that we will be thrilled with a Lady Bug Learning Center and asked her to advocate and help our fundraising efforts by working toward her Lady Bug Learning Center.

We extend this invitation to you, our gardening friends, if you have a particular passion for a specific pollinator/ wildlife critter you would like to see represented in a Learning Center, by all means, reach out to us and launch your campaign advocating for your Lightning Bug, Opossum, Raccoon, Beaver, Black Bear… What fun, what new revelations and enthusiastic delights are ahead! We hope to get a groundswell of proponents for our pollinators.

How can you help make our initial fundraising venture a huge success? By joining us on December 1 at 10 a.m. at Holly House in Rutgers Gardens to decorate the wreaths with the bows already made up by garden club members.

I have to confess here and now, that I wasn’t part of this bow-making effort as I am definitely bow challenged.

Thankfully, I’m in the minority and our bows will be deftly attached and the wreaths hung throughout Rutgers Gardens.

We are asking each of you to consider supporting a wreath or many wreaths to raise needed money for Paths to Discovery Through Outdoor Learning Centers and refurbish past GCNJ/Rutgers Projects by supporting a wreath, ($40).

Checks can be made payable to GCNJ For Learning Centers.

Did I say cider/doughnuts,

hot cocoa, coffee and more for our volunteers? Yes, my gardening friends, what a nifty way to start the holiday season and make a difference in the Garden State!

If you and/or your organization would like more information on this dynamic new project in Rutgers Gardens, please reach out to Teddie Falcone at tfalcone@ comcast.net as Bruce Crawford, Director of Rutgers Gardens, and the GCNJ Rutgers Learning Centers Committee have developed a PowerPoint presentation on the Paths to Discovery Through Outdoor Learning Centers.

It takes you through the plans and goals of this extraordinary project that is intended to create interactive exhibits and enhance Rutgers Gardens as a model of environmental education, which garden clubs and likeminded organizations can take back to their own communities, public parks, gardens, schools and businesses. We are after all, the Garden State!

The Garden Club of New Jersey extends our deepest condolences to the Castronovo family on the loss of their dear family head and integral part of the Warren/Watchung/ Lavallette communities over several decades, S. Thomas Castronovo.

Tom and I shared a mutual love and devotion, not only to gardening, but to the Brooklyn Dodgers, and their exploits live on in the very fiber of the tri-state area as does the life and achievements of S. Thomas Castronovo. Embrace each day!

Editor’s note: Jeannie Geremia is The Garden Club of New Jersey President-Elect, GCNJ Wildlife Habitat Chair, and a National Garden Clubs, Inc. Master Flower Show Judge for the GCNJ. Jeannie is a member of Neshanic Garden Club, The Raritan Township Historic Committee and the Raritan Township Board of Health.

Jeannie’s email address is: jgeremia42@gmail.com

Annual Wreath Contest Returns to the Garden State (Continued from page 1)

The greens in the wreath were Fraser fir, Canaan fir and arborvitae. The organic natural beauty was adorned with five pine cones. The wreath was dressed with a solid red ribbon bow, complemented by a red checkered bow.

The guidelines for the wreath creation and judging were: Wreaths are to be made of real Christmas tree conifer evergreen material grown within New Jersey. No colorant may be applied.

Wreaths may be single- or double-faced. They will be displayed either hanging on a wall or easel.

All wreaths must be made on a 12-inch ring only.

Both decorated and undecorated wreaths may be made of mixed evergreens. On decorated wreaths, natural or artificial decorations may be used. Decorated wreaths must have a bow.

Undecorated wreaths may be made of conifer evergreens only.

No family or farm may enter more than two wreaths, one decorated and one undecorated.

Participants must be in good standing with the New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers Association.

Any wreath, family, or farm failing to meet these qualifications shall be disqualified by the wreath contest committee.

Hidden Pond Tree Farm is nestled in Mendham, Morris County, just 45 minutes west of Manhattan.

The farm is family-owned and operated by the Nicholson family – Chris, Heidi and Emma.

The New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers Association is comprised of local and family-owned Christmas Tree Farms throughout the state.

Members grow fresh trees of the highest quality, and work to ensure the joy of real Christmas trees will always and forever be part of a family’s Christmas tradition.

Whether you’re looking to cut your own or find a precut Christmas tree, you’ll not only support local farmers and help the environment; you’ll also come away with Christmas memories to last a lifetime.

To find a Christmas tree farm in the Garden State, please visit https://njchristmastrees.org/find-a-farm/ The association’s next annual wreath contest will take place during their upcoming winter meeting at the Rutgers EcoComplex on January 25, 2020.

Editor’s Note: Tom Castronovo is executive editor and publisher of Gardener News. Tom’s lifelong interest in gardening and passion for agriculture, environmental stewardship, gardening and landscaping, led to the founding of the Gardener News, which germinated in April 2003 and continues to bloom today.

He is also dedicated to providing inspiration, and education to the agricultural, gardening and landscaping communities through this newspaper and GardenerNews.com.

Recycle the

Gardener News

Send it to a Friend! www.gardenernews.com

18 December 2019 Perhaps Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., saw the legendary sycamore tree standing in the rear of Corby Hall, at the University of Notre Dame du Lac (Our Lady of the Lake), in 1842?

Planning his landscape to build a Catholic University, some 500-plus acres bequeathed to the Congregation of Holy Cross, no doubt this tree was standing tall even back then.

This past October, I had a most memorable collegiate experience, planned by my friend “Chuck,” which included my “Wingman” Tony. Notre Dame football is legendary: Knute Rockne, the Four Horseman, Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian, Lou Holtz, 11 Consensus National Championships, seven Heisman Winners, 195 First Team All-Americans, Joe Montana, Joe Theismann, “Touchdown Jesus,” “First Down Moses” … the list could go on for pages.

Needless to say, our experience watching the “Fighting Irish” take on the USC Trojans for The Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy was epic!

Stunned by the fact that Notre Dame has only 8,600 undergraduates, I thought it was much more, the campus is simply magnanimous. A contagious and courageous spirit can be felt throughout the entire campus.

The Collegiate-Gothic style architecture and khaki-colored brick of Notre Dame’s stadium is punctuated by outstanding plant material with spatial development always considered. Our host for the weekend, “Chuck,” a proud alumnus of the Mendoza College of

It seems as if more and more people are classifying themselves as “environmentalists” these days.

Although I was not around then, I would venture to guess that the term was almost nonexistent in the 1950s and early1960s. There were Catholics, Protestants, Jews and many other religious groups that people would identify with. There were Republicans and Democrats.

There were union and non-union.

But environmentalist? That is a much newer phenomenon.

As this so called “environmental movement” has taken hold, it seems as if many people have started to lose touch with reality. A restaurant that I frequent was recently bullied by some outspoken patrons into replacing its plastic straws with straws made from paper.

Never mind that those paper straws get soggy after sitting in a drink for any length of time. And also, never mind that those straws come wrapped in plastic. But those outspoken patrons honestly believe in their hearts that by eliminating plastic straws, they are somehow and some way helping to protect our environment. Maybe they can now sleep better at night.

GardenerNews.com Unique Plants

By Bob LaHoff Nursery Specialist

Keeper of the Grotto

Business Graduate Program, gave us an unforgettable and encyclopedic experience of all things Notre Dame.

And while we marveled at the history, architecture and grounds, Chuck and his family were struck by our commentary, our “eye” if you will, speaking directly to our discipline, plants. The University of Notre Dame, in my opinion, does “nothing halfway.” Their plant palette has repetition and includes a superlative collection of trees and shrubs. Redbuds, Ginkgo, Viburnum, Sweetgum, Kentucky Coffeetree, Horse Chestnut, Tuliptree and Dawn Redwood are all well represented.

And if this isn’t enough, there are still other trees, prominently displayed, that simply put our experience “over the top.”

The Katsura allée, Cercidiphyllum japonicum, welcomed us as we entered the Compton Family Ice Arena. Hopeful and anticipating the spicy aroma their leaves sometimes produce, reminiscent of cotton candy, I was denied. However, its typical fall

color, yellow and apricot hues, more than made up for the scent.

Bald Cypress, Taxodium distichum, are in front of Ara Parseghian Gate B entrance, named for Notre Dame’s legendary coach.

Still in their adolescence, they will someday soon provide shade and outstanding fall color.

Separating the stadium from some serious tailgating, we appreciated their fernlike foliage, but missed their rusty orange markings produced in the fall. Perhaps the most abundantly planted tree on campus is Paperbark Maple, Acer griseum? A tree notorious for slow growth, thus its price tag, difficulty to propagate, exfoliating bark, tri-foliate leaves and prodigious fall color, this tree was everywhere. The best representation I could find was on the corner of the Club Naimoli-Purcell Pavilion, close to the stadium. Roughly 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide, this Paperbark was PHAT & full! In fact, every tree I encountered, on campus, was Grade A.

Now for the pièce de résistance, Notre Dame’s Landmark Sycamore, Platanus occidentalis. “A great and noble tree,” standing in the rear of Corby Hall, near the Grotto, this tree has a storied past. Its unique form and low branching is said to be attributed to “a wronged Indian whose spirit had entered into the tree and formed its unusual shape” (www3.nd.edu/~wcawley/corson/ grott042.htm).

Father John J. Cavanaugh referred to it as “The Vengeance Tree” because it had the shape of an open hand outstretched in a pleading gesture.”

The Forestry Department at Purdue University has assessed the tree to be at least 200 years old, as the tree’s circumference has measured over 20 feet. Other academics contest that Notre Dame’s sycamore could be nearly 400 years old.

Nonetheless, this American Planetree epitomizes a native beauty when given generous room to develop.

Cream-colored to white inner bark, complete with its mottled appearance,

The Town Farmer

By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

Environmental Hypocrisy

Recently, some towns and cities have started to try curtailing the use of plastic shopping bags.

On its surface, this might sound like a very noble idea. Cutting back on the use of plastics means less use of fossil fuels, and this has to be better for the environment, right? Make people bring their own cloth or paper bags or purchase new ones if they forget to bring their own. What a great idea. I can already feel our climate getting cooler.

But let’s dig a little deeper into the issue. For arguments sake, let’s assume that there is an exemption for any type of meat or dairy product where food safety and cross contamination might be a concern. But what happens when items are damp or wet? At our farm markets, we use plastic bags to help keep

items fresh as well as separate themselves from one another.

As anyone who has ever purchased lettuce knows, it keeps much better if it is enclosed in plastic of some sort. The plastic keeps it from drying out. Wrap the lettuce in paper and the paper gets wet. When they both dry out, you are left with a smelly bag and some wilted lettuce.

Also, many people seek out secondary and even tertiary uses for these bags. Who doesn’t reuse these bags as trash can liners? Or, how many pet owners are there who reuse these bags when they are walking their dog?

Sure, some of these disposable plastic bags will get discarded after only one use, but I hardly think that forcing consumers to purchase reusable bags makes a bit of difference in helping the environment. It is more an act of

symbolism than anything else.

There has been quite a bit of news lately about opposition to the construction of the Penn East pipeline. This project is supposed to bring a new supply of natural gas into New Jersey from Pennsylvania, where it is extracted.

Environmental groups are very busy scurrying around trying to drum up opposition to this project. Of course, affected property owners are not too happy with this proposal as they feel that it will be detrimental to their land values. But studies have proven that a pipeline is by far the safest and most economical method of transporting natural gas. Plus, the natural gas in the pipeline would likely replace oil and coal that are being burned now, which as everyone knows, is much more detrimental to the

it has an outline far greater than what textbooks say it will do. One can’t help but wonder what this tree has seen and heard throughout Notre Dame’s rich history.

“Notre Dame has one of the most effective combinations and commitments to athletics, academics and student life anywhere in major college sports” (gameday.nd.edu/ news/bigger-than-brick/).

Much can be said about Notre Dame’s values, sense of community and family. Vocabulary I would use to describe its residents and alumni would be respectful, proud and intense, with many saying, “Welcome to Notre Dame.”

However, the best quote I have heard about Notre Dame is by Joe Theismann: “If you could find a way to bottle the Notre Dame spirit, you could light up the universe.”

Editor’s Note: Bob LaHoff is co-owner of Hall’s Garden Center and Florist in Union County, a member of the Union County Board of Agriculture, the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association, Reeves-Reed Arboretum Buildings and Grounds Committee, a lifetime member of the Conifer Society and past member of the retail council for Monrovia Growers.

He can be reached at (908) 665-0331. environment.

What would these environmental groups rather have us do? Should we cut down forests and clear farmland to erect vast solar arrays? Should we dot our shorelines with wind turbines? Should we re-harness our streams and rivers with hydroelectric generators? Or, should we just cut our energy use in half?

Something has to give. These groups would be much better served if they actually promoted a market-driven approach to energy conservation rather than just unqualified blanket opposition to everything.

Editor’s Note: Peter Melick is co-owner of Melick’s Town Farm in Oldwick and a 10th-generation New Jersey farmer. Peter is currently a Tewksbury Township Committee Member. He also served as a director for the New Jersey Farm Bureau and is a past president of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture. Peter has also been featured on NJN, News 12 New Jersey and on the Fox Business Network.

GardenerNews.com

December 2019 19

NEWS FROM THE USDA AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.

First Genome of Spotted Lanternfly Built from a Single Insect

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists, in cooperation with Pacific Biosciences and Penn State University, have published the first genome of the invasive Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) in the journal Gigascience and they did it from a single caught-in-the-wild specimen.

Not only is it the first published genome for this pest, but no closely related species has had its genome sequenced, making the data even more important, according to entomologist Scott M. Geib with the ARS Daniel K Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center.

SLF, a native of China, Bangladesh and Vietnam, was first found in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has now spread to Virginia, Maryland and New York. This invasive pest has a taste for almonds, apples, apricots, grapes, peaches, blueberries and hops as well as hardwoods such as oak, walnut, and poplar. Various estimates put the potential economic damage in the billions of dollars, if the SLF becomes widely established in the United States.

“Having the genome for this pest opens the door to a better understanding of its biology and behavior, and makes coming up with potential control methods much more likely to happen, such as developing a lure for a trap through understanding the insect’s olfactory genes, or exploring avenues such as gene editing or RNAi,” said Geib.

While having the SLF genome is critical for the management and control of this invasive pest, the approach taken to obtain the genetic data is an achievement of remarkable note as well. For the first time, all of the DNA required to generate a whole genome sequence was taken from a single insect picked from a tree in the wild in Reading, Pennsylvania, across the street from the Reading Pagoda on Mt. Penn.

One hurdle for deciphering this species’ genome is its relatively large genome size, at about 2.2 billion base pairs. Typically, with previous sequencing systems, many sequencing runs would have been needed to do the complete job, with each run using up the available DNA for the organism being sequenced.

So often to have sufficient DNA for a complete genome sequence, many organisms would need to be pooled, introducing more opportunities for errors to be generated. To avoid such potential for errors, the subjects—especially insects—often have to be raised in colonies and inbred.

“In cooperation with Pacific Biosciences and using their new sequencing platform—the PacBio Sequel II— that produces 10 times the data from a single sequencing run, we were able to generate sufficient coverage from just a single specimen. This allows for a very fast turnaround of data and assemblies as well as lowers cost,

World’s First True Red Spinach Variety Released

USDA Red, the world’s first true red spinach variety has been developed and released by the Agricultural Research Service.

Spinach has always been known as a green leafy vegetable. There are leafy vegetables often called red spinach. But these are actually red-leaf amaranths (Amaranthus spp.) or other plants such as Red Goosefoot (Blitum rubrum), not true spinach (Spinacia oleracea). There are currently some true ‘’red’’ spinaches on the market, but the red color is limited to the veins of the leaves.

The red-veined spinach variety Bordeaux is a parent of USDA Red. Spinach consumption (and production) in the United States dropped from 2.3 pounds per person to 1.6 pounds in 2006 following an Escherichia coli outbreak in 2006, and it has never fully recovered.

“A true red spinach like USDA Red will bring excitement to the spinach market and could help attract people back to eating spinach. It can be used as baby or ‘’teen’’ leaf in salad bags, as bunched products, and in spring mixes for fresh-market consumption.

The red color in spring mixes is currently provided by red lettuce, radicchio orchard.

Red spinach will give processors another choice,” said ARS research geneticist Beiquan Mou, who developed the new variety. Mou is with the Crop Improvement and Protection Research Unit in Salinas, California. USDA Red spinach also works frozen or canned.

Spinach is one of the most desirable leafy vegetables with high levels of beta-carotene (provitamin A), lutein, folate, vitamin C, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium.

The red color of USDA Red comes from the phytonutrient betacyanin rather than the more common anthocyanin. Betacyanin is a potent antioxidant that has been shown to significantly reduce oxidative stress in patients and may even help in preventing chronic pathologies, inflammation, and cancer, according to the scientific literature.

The antioxidant capacity of USDA Red was 42–53 percent higher than other spinach cultivars in five tests conducted over three years.

‘Betacyanin adds another benefit to a plant already loaded with phytonutrients, making spinach a true ‘’super food,”’ Mou added.

USDA Red is a semi-flat type of spinach with a medium growth rate and semi-erect leaves. Its leaves are spade-shaped with round-pointed tips and purple-red veins and petioles. Compared with other spinach varieties, it has moderate resistance to bolting.

ARS has applied for a Plant Variety Protection certificate for USDA Red and the agency is seeking a partner to license production of seeds for the market.

“Ultimately, consumers will benefit from having access to new vegetable products that are exciting and good for them,” Mou said.

This new variety is the result of traditional breeding.

in this case under $2,000 in consumable supplies, not including the purchase price of the sequencing instrument of course,” explained Geib.

For genome completeness, and since there aren’t many related genomes to compare that of the SLF to, the team checked a set of “core genes” that should be present exactly one time in all insects and verified how many of these were found in this genome project. In this case, they found about 97 percent of these single copy core genes, with a very low rate of duplication.

“Sequencing such a large insect genome quickly and showing there is no need to pull the insect into a colony raises the feasibility that we can complete the Ag100Pest Project,” Geib said. The ARS Ag100Pest initiative is focused on deciphering the genomes of 100 insect species that are most destructive to crops and livestock and that are projected to have profound bioeconomic impacts to agriculture and the environment. “Now, with this system, doing 100 or even 1,000 genomes is not unrealistic,” he added.

The ability to get a complete genome from a small amount of DNA also makes it practical to consider sequencing the genomes of physically tiny insects without having to catch or raise a large number of any one species.

That expands the list of insects that may be genetically sequenced.

Adventive Aphid and Natural Enemy Found in Mississippi

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their colleagues have discovered, for the first time, an adventive—meaning it just arrived in a new locality—aphid species as well as an associated parasitoid wasp on strawberry plants in Stoneville, Mississippi.

While sampling for plant pests and natural enemies, Eric W. Riddick, a research entomologist with the ARS Biological Control of Pests Research Unit, found the aphid, Aphis ruborum, on cultivated strawberries in his research high tunnels—unheated greenhouses. It’s not supposed to be here, he said The species has spread in Europe, north Africa, India, Pakistan, Chile, Argentina, western United States (Washington state) and Canada.

The aphid was found predominately on newly emerged, not fully developed leaflets of daughter strawberry plants in 2016, Riddick said. By 2017, aphids were observed on fully developed leaflets on mother plants.

The occurrence of A. ruborum in Mississippi represents a new state record and the eastern-most established record in the United States, he added.

The study, recently published in the Journal of Insect Science, cites another discovery. In 2017, Riddick found mummified aphids, which signaled that a parasitoid wasp, Aphelinus varipes, had attacked the aphid.

The tiny wasp, which is a beneficial insect, is not known to attack this species of aphid.

This is first time an attack by the A. varipes waspon the A. ruborum aphidhas been documented anywhere in the world, Riddick said. The wasp lays eggs that develop inside the aphid, killing it. ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, identified the aphid, and non-ARS colleagues at the University of Georgia and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada identified the parasitoid wasp, using molecular techniques.

The aphid seldom uses cultivated strawberry as a host plant, Riddick said. However, it frequently attacks blackberries, damaging foliage. As it feeds, the aphid also injects a virus, which can cause plants to wilt and die.

The next step is to figure out where the aphid came from. It is possible that previously undetected populations of the aphid have survived on uncultivated plants (such as wild strawberry, dewberry or blackberry) in the landscape surrounding Stoneville. Riddick plans to conduct a small-scale sampling for the aphid on wild plants in areas around Stoneville and study the rate at which the aphid is being attacked by the parasitoid.

20 December 2019

GardenerNews.com

NORTHEAST DEPARTMENT MAINE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Wreath and Tree Shippers Should Be Aware of Out-of-State Plant Regulations

Maine residents and businesses sending trees, wreaths, or other decorative plant material around the country this holiday season can save money and prevent product loss by noting important plant health regulations enforced by other states, according to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF).

“Shippers should be aware of the many state laws and regulations regarding the movement of plants and forest products,” warned Gary Fish, State Horticulturist. Many states closely monitor shipments to prevent introduction of invasive insects and plant diseases. By planning ahead, Maine shippers can speed up deliveries in this time-sensitive industry, said Fish.

This year, changes to the federal gypsy moth program may present a challenge to shippers in northern Maine who were previously not required to comply with gypsy moth regulations. Gypsy moth egg masses (see photo below) can be found on a wide range of outdoor items including Christmas trees. Christmas tree growers that ship trees outside the gypsy moth quarantine area (see map) must have a compliance agreement with USDA-Plant Protection and Quarantine and inspect their trees for egg masses before shipment. Wreaths and other holiday decorations assembled with branches that are less than inch in diameter do not require a compliance agreement; however, they do need to be inspected. Contact the Maine USDA-PPQ office at 207-848-0000 to set up an inspection or inquire about compliance agreements.

Advice for wreath and tree shippers: • Import regulations can vary from state to state; shippers should check destination state regulations before sending plant material.

Find contact information for the destination

state at nationalplantboard.org/membership • Carefully inspect plant material before packaging, especially shipments headed to California, to make sure they are free of insects such as scales, egg masses or other pest damage.

• Clearly label packages containing holiday plant material, beginning with the statement, Grown in Maine, followed by the county of origin and the name and address of the shipper.

• Labels should also indicate the contents of packages, including the different types of greenery, nuts, fruits and cones used to decorate wreaths.

Import requirements for cut trees and holiday decorations including greenery, ornamental nuts and fruit exist to protect regional agriculture and natural resources from the risk of plant pests, Fish explained. An insect or plant disease that occurs in Maine could potentially be invasive in other states.

Unfortunately, despite the quality of Maine products, some shippers have learned about these regulations the hard way and have had shipments delayed, impounded or destroyed.

We want to prevent any losses by getting the word out now, said Fish.

An informational sheet, Know State Regulations When shipping Wreaths and Trees, is available on the web at http://www.maine. gov/dacf/php/horticulture/wreaths.shtml.

Shippers with questions are invited to call: (207) 287-3891 or email horticulture@maine. gov. For more information about gypsy moth compliance agreements contact the Maine USDA-PPQ office at 207-848-0000.For more information about the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, go to: http://www.maine.gov/dacf.

NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

New Jersey Wine Makers Announce Superb Growing Season

New Jersey wines already are known for their high quality. They have garnered much attention at national and international contests in recent years and the good news for New Jersey wine connoisseurs is that the 2019 grape season is one of the best yet in the Garden State.

According to several grape growers and wineries around the state, New Jersey hit the ultimate sweet spot in 2019. Many grapes are testing in the Brix 26 range, considered to be the top measurement for sweetness.

Brix is the measure of sugar level in grapes and the perfect ripeness is considered between 25 and 27. The early summer rains combined with the dry period of August and September made for ideal grape growing conditions.

“New Jersey grape growers and wineries do an outstanding job with what they produce every year,” New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher said. “The vintners’ diligence and care for their vines, combined with wonderful growing conditions, made this one of the best years we’ve had for our industry.”

One of the country’s top wine producers with 1.5 million gallons produced in 2016, New Jersey is home to more than 50 licensed wineries.

“The New Jersey wine industry’s outstanding reputation will continue to be enhanced because of the grapes that have been produced this year,” said Tom Cosentino, Garden State Wine Growers Association Executive Director. “We know our growers are excited about this year’s crop and that’s great news for New Jersey wine makers and consumers.”

New Jersey has almost 2,000 acres of farmland dedicated to grapevine cultivation. There are more than 40 grape varieties now growing in the state, from Pinot Noir and Riesling in the North, to Italian varieties such as Sangiovese and Barbera in the South. New Jersey grows a wide range of vinifera vines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay to French American Hybrids.

Highly acclaimed wines have received high marks in national and international competitions such as the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

New Jersey has four Viticultural Regions: Outer Coastal Plain, Warren Hills, Central Delaware Valley, and the Cape May Peninsula, which was approved last spring.

Most New Jersey wineries have direct to consumer shipping. For a list of New Jersey wineries and regular events that take place at wineries throughout the state, go to www.newjerseywines.com.

PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agriculture Department Offers Free PA Preferred® Workshop to Expand Market Opportunities for PA Farmers

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding invites Pennsylvania farmers to attend the Wholesaling to Institutions Training Series, a workshop designed to help small- to mid-sized farm operations learn how to sell to institutional markets.

“Now more than ever, institutions like schools and hospitals recognize that providing fresh, local foods can their employees, students, and patients,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “This workshop will help farmers meet that demand and increase their own sales in the process.”

The workshop, co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Farm to School NetworkOpens In A New Window, is free to PA Preferred® members. It will be held December 16-17, 2019 at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel in Scranton. Participants will learn how

to determine if farm-to-school wholesale is a good fit for their businesses, and how to make it a reality.

Attendees will be able to build relationships with potential wholesale buyers and learn from experienced wholesale-to-institution suppliers. The workshop will also help farmers assess their finances and discuss marketing strategies for selling to schools and other institutions.

Heidi Witmer, director of PA Preferred member The LEAF ProjectOpens In A New Window, attended the workshop in 2018. “This workshop was really valuable for us, perhaps the most beneficial learning opportunity of all we attended last year,” said Witmer.

“Specifically, the framework on how to assess profitability as well as the spreadsheet tools were both instantly useful in our decision-making for this season.

As a result, we were able to make some strategic growth and pursue new outlet opportunities with confidence.”

Farmers who have questions about the workshop or need to apply via phone may contact Elaine Lemmon at 717.253.7797 or RA-markets@pa.gov.

PA PreferredOpens In A New Window is the state branding program to support local farms, build our economy, and help consumers identify products grown, produced or processed in Pennsylvania. Funding for the PA Preferred program was expanded by $2.6 million under the PA Farm Bill, Governor Tom Wolf’s historic $23 million package of investments and initiatives to grow Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry. Learn more about Pennsylvania’s investments in supporting Pennsylvania farmers at agriculture.pa.gov/pafarmbill.

GardenerNews.com

December 2019 21

OF AGRICULTURE NEWS NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Update on Spotted Lanternfly in New York State

The New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Agriculture and Markets (DAM) announced that although freezing temperatures will kill off adult spotted lanternflies (SLF), the public is urged to stay vigilant and report overwintering egg masses. In the fall, SLF will lay their eggs on any flat surface such as vehicles, firewood, outdoor furniture, stone or other items which can be inadvertently transported to new areas. If this insect becomes established in New York, it could impact New York’s forests, agricultural and tourism industries.

“To date, there has not been a documented spotted lanternfly infestation in New York, but I encourage the public to stay aware and be ready to report egg masses or other signs of this insect to help prevent infestations,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “DEC continues to work proactively with our partners at the State Department of Agriculture and Markets to keep spotted lanternfly out of New York State through outreach, education, and tracking locations where this destructive invasive pest has the most potential to affect the state’s agricultural and tourism industries.”

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Infestations of this pest could wreak havoc on New York’s agricultural industry, especially the forestry industry and the specialty crops that our State is known for. We will continue inspections, enforcement of the quarantine regulations, and outreach, and ask farmers, outdoor enthusiasts and all New

Yorkers to also remain alert and watch for signs of Spotted Lanternfly egg masses, which can survive through the winter.”

SLF, an invasive insect from Asia, is a destructive pest that feeds on the sap of more than 70 plant species including tree-of-heaven, maples, apple trees, grapevine, and hops. In infested areas, feeding by sometimes thousands of SLF can stress plants, making them vulnerable to disease and attacks from other insects. SLF excrete large amounts of sticky “honeydew,” which attracts sooty molds that interfere with plant photosynthesis, negatively affecting the growth and fruit yield of plants. The accumulation of honeydew under infestations, along with the swarms of insects it attracts, can also significantly hinder outdoor activities.

While these insects can jump and fly short distances, these pests spread primarily through human activity. SLF lay their eggs starting in the fall on surfaces including vehicles, stone, rusty metal, outdoor furniture, and campers, and can hitch rides to new areas when these objects are moved.

Egg masses are one-inch-long and are often smooth and brownish-gray with a shiny, waxy coating when first laid.

Over time, egg masses become brown and scaly.

SLF was first discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has since been found in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Given the proximity of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey infestations, there is a high risk of SLF becoming established in New York. DEC and DAM have

not confirmed any SLF infestations to date, but several individual adult SLF have been found in counties across New York including: Delaware; Albany; Yates, Westchester, Suffolk, New York, Kings, Monroe, Chemung, Erie, Ontario, Ulster, Nassau, Sullivan, and Orange.

To slow the spread of SLF, DAM issued an “external” quarantine that restricts the movement of goods brought into New York from quarantined areas in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. The external quarantine requires regulated articles, such as packing materials, landscaping and construction equipment, and nursery stock - including Christmas trees - to have certificates of inspection issued from the impacted states. Inspections are conducted across New York by DAM and its partners to check for SLF and compliance with the regulations.

Visit DAM’s website for more information and for a list of regulated articles.

Assistance from the public is crucial in limiting the movement of SLF and protecting New York’s natural resources. DEC and DAM are urging the public to inspect outdoor items such as vehicles, outdoor furniture and camping equipment for egg masses or insects, and report any sightings by sending photos and location information to spottedlanternfly@dec.ny.gov. Anyone that visits locations of SLF quarantines in other states should look for and remove insects and egg masses on items before leaving those areas.

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farmers Increase Production to Meet Demand for Connecticut Grown Beer Ingredients

The number of Connecticut farm breweries is growing and so is the number of acres of Connecticut Grown hops and bar-ley being grown for craft beer production.

On June 24, 2019 Governor Ned Lamont signed legislation supporting Connecticut’s booming craft beer industry. The law allows brewers to designate their brewery as a “Connecticut farm brewery” with approval of the Connecticut Department of Agriculture when certain requirements are met.

Connecticut farm breweries can brew up to 75,000 gallons of beer per year and must use 25% Connecticut Grown ingredients in their first year and 50% in subsequent years.

The new law also allows all Connecticut breweries, not just farm breweries to advertise batches of beer as Connecticut Grown when 50% or more of batch ingredients are Connecticut Grown.

“Consumers are continuing to show with their spending habits that they would much rather purchase locally manufactured beer and wine, and our outdated blue laws should not impede the ability of these small businesses to benefit from this growing demand,” said Governor Lamont.

“This long overdue law that I’ve signed helps level the playing field and supports Connecticut brewers and farmers. There’s so many breweries and vineyards in Connecticut, and we should be doing everything we can to support them.”

The recent opening of Stewards of the Land Brewery in Northford, CT brings the number of Connecticut farm breweries licensed un-der Connecticut’s Farm Brewery Bill to eight. The other breweries are The Brewery at Maple View Farm in Granby, Kent Falls

Brewing Co. in Kent, Fox Farm Brewery in Salem, Fat Orange Cat Brew Co.in East Hampton, Norbrook Farm Brewery in Colebrook, Hops on the Hill Farm Brewery in Glastonbury, Hop Culture Farms & Brew Co.in Colchester, and Taylor Brooke Brewery in Woodstock, CT. The growth in the number of Connecticut breweries has led to an increase in demand for Connecticut Grown beer ingredients like hops and barley. Connecticut farmers are responding to the demand by producing more high quality, locally grown ingredients for making beer.

Spencer Thrall of Thrall Family Maltin Windsor, CT, says his malt house is responding to the growing demand for Connecticut Grown beer ingredients. Thrall Family Malt opened in 2017 as Connecticut’s first modern malt house with the goal of offering premium locally-grown grains and malts to the state’s craft breweries.

“We welcome brewers to come see our operation and explore their brewing needs,” said Spencer. “Because Thrall Family Malt is grown and malted right in Connecticut, it has a flavor and aroma profile truly unique to our region.”

The Thrall family has been farming in Windsor since 1646. They grow approximately 400 acres of barley, wheat, oats, and other small grains for processing in their state-of-the-art malt house facility, which enables them to monitor and control every element of the process.

Spencer said it was a good year for grain production. “It was a little wet in the spring, but then it dried out and the weather for the harvest was perfect,” said Spencer.

Spencer has increased acreage in grains every year since the malt house started in 2017, and he expects to continue increasing grain production to meet the demand

of Connecticut brewers.

Alex DeFrancesco, President of the Connecticut Hop Growers Association and owner of Stewards of the Land Brewery, says Connecticut has eight active commercial hop growers and estimates the number of acres of hops grown in Connecticut at the beginning of the 2019 season at about 40 acres.

Alex expects the acreage of Connecticut Grown hops will continue to increase in 2020 in response to the strong demand from local breweries.

In 2016, J. DeFrancesco & Son, Inc. was awarded a $49,999 matching grant through the Department of Agriculture’s Farm Transition Grant program for construction of a hop-pelletizing facility in Northford.

The DeFrancesco’s facility is one of the state’s only providers of hops pelletization services to Connecticut hop grower. Almost all beer brewers use pelletized hops, and having a local facility where Connecticut hops growers can have their crop makes it possible for Connecticut brewers to use local hops.

Alex says supporting Connecticut farm breweries not only supports the brewery itself, it also helps support other farmers who grow beer ingredients, and many other businesses in the state.

“Connecticut farm breweries are a great reason for people to visit Connecticut farms,” said Phil Pappas of the Connecticut Brewers Guild.

The Guild is a non-profit group that runs the Connecticut Beer Trail, which currently includes more than 100 Connecticut breweries with 20 additional breweries opening soon. To find a local brewery go to the Connecticut Beer Trail website at https://www. connecticut.beer/ctbeertrail.

22 December 2019

GardenerNews.com

Gardener News

E-Newspaper Subscription

SIGN UP TODAY It’s fast and easy!

Please visit the top right-hand corner of www.GardenerNews.com Gardener News

Since germinating in 2003, has become the New Jersey metropolitan area’s most influential monthly agricultural, gardening, landscaping and nursery newspaper, both online and in print.

Graphic Design | Printing | Mailing

Establis h e d 1978 Your local printing company is your print and mail expert!

Postcards | Invoices | Ad Booklets | Stationery | Mailing Services Programs & Directories | Posters | Brochures | and more for businesses, organizations & schools

12 Center Street, Chatham, NJ 07928

(973) 635-1880

www.ChathamPrint.com

The Premier Gardening Monthly Newspaper Number 200 Published Monthly Reserve Ad Space Phone: 908.604.4444 Website: www.GardenerNews.com E-Mail: Mail@GardenerNews.com Staff

Executive Editor/Publisher . . . . Tom Castronovo Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan F. Kessel Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Castronovo Tom Castronovo Todd Pretz Gail Woolcott

December 2019 Columnists Brian Schilling Al Murray Peter Melick

Bob LaHoff Douglas H. Fisher Eric J. Houghtaling

December 2019 Contributing Writers

Bruce Crawford

Jeannie Geremia

Hubert Ling

Gardener News is published monthly by

Gardener News, Inc.

16 Mount Bethel Road #123 Warren, NJ 07059 The Gardener News invites correspondences on gardening subjects of interest. Gardener News, Inc, and its Publisher reserve the right to accept, refuse, or discontinue any editorial or copy, and shall not be liable to anyone for printing errors, misinformation or omissions in editorial or copy. The information contained in articles herein represents the opinions of the authors and, although believed to be accurate and complete, is not represented or warranted by Gardener News, Inc. to be accurate or complete.

All advertising is subject to the Gardener News advertisement rates, and must be PAID IN FULL at time of submission. Publisher reserves the right at its absolute discretion, and at any time, to cancel any advertising order or reject any advertising copy whether or not the same has already been acknowledged and/or previously published. In the event of errors or omissions of any advertisement(s), the newspapers liability shall not exceed a refund of amounts paid for the advertisement.

NOTE: All editorial, advertising layouts and designs and portions of the same that are produced and published by Gardener News, Inc., are the sole property of Gardener News, Inc. and may not be reproduced in any form unless written authorization is obtained from the publisher. POSTMASTER: Send all address changes to: Gardener News, 16 Mount Bethel Rd - #123, Warren, NJ 07059. (c) 2019 Gardener News, Inc.

Full Moon December 12, 2019 Eastern Daylight TIP OF THE MONTH

Snow acts as an insulator to protect plants from severe cold and dry winter winds.

If way too much snow has fallen, carefully broom or blow it evenly across planting beds and around foundation plantings in an upward manner.

When ice forms on tree and shrub branches, don’t try to break it off ― you’ll risk breaking branches. It’s best to let the ice melt naturally.

Broken branches should be pruned away immediately to prevent injury and disease.

Wrapping plants with burlap is a relatively simple way to protect the plants from the winter freeze, snow and ice.

Covering plants can also help protect them from salt spray from the road.

Salt can damage lawns and plants when it runs off your driveway. If your plants have been exposed to salt, water and flush them well as soon as temperatures are above freezing. If possible, use sand or kitty litter instead of salt as an environmentally friendly way to help with better traction. Make sure you remove and drain the hose after each flushing.

Snow covered grass is very fragile, easily uprooted, and susceptible to fungal diseases under the snow. Reducing foot traffic will help eliminate problems in the spring.

GardenerNews.com

December 2019 23

24 December 2019

GardenerNews.com