Gardener News June 2014

Gardener News 16 Mount Bethel Road #123 Warren, NJ 07059

TAKE ONE June, 2014

FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID HILLSBOROUGH, NJ PERMIT NO. 4444

Gardener News Serving the Agricultural, Gardening and Landscaping Communities GARDENERNEWS.COM

TAKE ONE No. 134

Organic Insect Control for Lawns

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Barry K. Green, Sr., CEO of Jonathan Green, Inc., applies his company’s new Organic Insecticide Control to a lawn as the homeowners dog, Holly, frolics about.

)$50,*'$/( 1 - ĘŠ During summer months each year, many insects emerge causing extensive damage to lawns all across America. There has been increasing concern about the use of pesticides on lawns over the years, including insecticides.

Jonathan Green, Inc. is excited to announce the release of their Jonathan Green Organic Insect Control for lawns and landscape areas and outdoor perimeter treatments. This revolutionary non-toxic product kills bugs fast and repels over 100 insect pests fast, such as ants, fleas, ticks, centipedes, cutworms, mealybugs, scorpions, spiders, chinch bugs and other insects utilizing a patented blend of organic plant oils.

This organic insecticide is safe to use around children and pets and will not harm the environment. It is an EPA-exempt (25-b) product which uses scientific, technology-based research, which shows that plants produce oils that provide natural defenses against insects. Trials at leading universities and independent laboratories confirm this patented blend of organic oils kills bugs fast and works by blocking specific neural pathways call Octopamine receptors that only exist in insects. Mammals, birds and (Continued on Page 18)

2 June, 2014

GARDEN CENTER DIRECTORY

Gardener News

Magnificant Hanging Baskets in All Colors A better garden starts with a better plant.

D

Proven Winners

Container Gardens D Shrubs D Vegetable Plants D Annuals D Perennials We've Got It All!

Gardener News

June, 2014 3 Around The Garden

By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

Proper outdoor etiquette As I travel around the Garden State distributing the Gardener News each month, the first thing I can’t help but notice is peoples’ shoes. You see, I’m always looking down to make sure I don’t trip on anything.

What shocks me the most is the type of shoes I see in garden centers, nurseries and landscape supply yards.

I don’t believe that flip-flops, sandals or opened toed shoes are appropriate to wear while shopping. You can easily stub your toe, or twist your ankle.

Garden centers, nurseries and landscape supply yards are outdoor facilities and have lots of design material, potted plants, trees and shrubs, bagged stones, stone piles and pavers at every corner. These are easy targets for your toes.

Garden centers, nurseries and landscape supply yards are also wet environments if they sell live plant material. Plants need water. And we all know how water can be slippery on a concrete surface.

I think it is a good idea to wear closed-toe, sturdy shoes when shopping for your garden and landscape supplies. Stubbed toes and twisted ankles can ruin your day.

By the way, pretty painted toes look great, but not in a garden center, nursery or a landscape supply yard. Anywhere else is outstanding. And please try and keep your heels close to the ground.

Another thing that bothers me is smoking and cigarette, cigar and pipe debris littering in and around anyplace that sells plants. I like to refer to folks that sell plants as plant dealers.

Research has shown that tobacco smoke is very harmful to the plants as it interferes with their respiration, nutrition uptake and photosynthesis. During respiration, when the plant is covered with smoke, it prevents the oxygen from getting out and carbon dioxide from getting in.

Tobacco smoke affects plant growth by poisoning it to the extent that it cannot absorb the nutrients it needs to grow and thrive. Tobacco smoke also destroys microorganisms that produce hormones that promote plant growth. Tobacco smoke destroys the plant respiratory system by depriving it of C02.

Cigars, cigarettes, and pipe tobaccos can be infected with a virus called tobacco mosaic virus.

Handling these smoking materials contaminates hands and cloths, and subsequent handling of plants results in a transmission of the virus.

Tobacco mosaic virus is found worldwide. The virus is known to infect more than 150 types of herbaceous, dicotyledonous plants including many vegetables, flowers, and weeds. Infection by tobacco mosaic virus causes serious losses on several crops including tomatoes, peppers, and many ornamentals. Tobacco mosaic virus is one of the most common causes of viral diseases of plants.

If you are a smoker, please try to wash your hands and clothes before shopping for plants. I am sure your local plant dealer will appreciate it.

I also see children at large running around, climbing on rock walls and throwing rocks and pebbles into bird baths and fish ponds. This is not only dangerous to the children, it also damages items the stores are trying to sell. It could also hurt an unsuspecting fish if they are hit by such an object.

I know it’s tough, but please try and keep your children close by when shopping.

One of the most frustrating conversations I hear when I’m near a front counter is someone that wants to exchange plant material.

Do you know how frustrating it can be for a plant dealer to have to say no to that? The plant dealer has no idea what happens to the plant once it leaves his care. Was it planted and replanted in the pot? Was it transported in a car filled with tobacco smoke? Did the plant dry out and then watered heavily to bring it back.

In my opinion, trying to return plant material once it leaves a plant dealer is wrong. Shoes are OK, plants are perishable items. I think all plant sales should be final sales. I certainly don’t want to purchase a plant that has been sold and then restocked.

And finally I’m going to talk about snow. Yes, that four-letter word we all grew to hate this past winter.

If you are going to a shopping center, a local mom-and-pop store, a garden center, a Christmas tree farm or a flower show after a snowstorm, please be conscious of the fact that there might be slippery or icy conditions in the parking lot or on the property somewhere. Proper footwear again is a must in my opinion. Please do not traverse significant snow mounds to save a few steps and please be alert for black ice or other potential risks.

I hope all of my thoughts made you think and laugh a bit, and help you to have a happy and safe experience when shopping or traveling to a green industry location or event.

As always, please read the label first before applying any products to your lawn and landscape.

As always, I hope you find the information in the Gardener News informative and enjoyable.

Until next time…Keep the “garden” in the Garden State.

-Tom 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.

$19.99

Gladly Accepting SNAP EBT Cards

2014 NJ Flower and Garden Show Award Winning Water Display Garden

4 June, 2014

Gardener News

Everyone in the Garden State may have heard about “Future Farmers of America” and has conjured up an image of what the organization represents and how it functions.

In past decades, FFA meant someone enrolled in agricultural education had an interest in farming or living an agricultural lifestyle. One of the gateways to that profession was marked by the FFA experience.

Thousands of farmers in the state revere the training they had in FFA. That tradition continues today for farming families or those who want their life’s work to be on a farm. Today, however, the name is no longer “Future Farmers of America,” for it does not adequately reflect the knowledge and skills gained by the students who belong to the organization. FFA is so much more than what it used to be – students gain leadership skills and are prepared for their careers and lives on many tracks. It is a unique experience that will help propel them into a very different pathway to numerous professional opportunities.

FFA is a national youth organization that uses agricultural science education to develop students’ potential and help them discover their talents. There are currently more than 2,600 FFA members in 37 chapters in New

It is clear that even if none of the students in FFA entered the agriculture field, these programs being developed across the country provide an opportunity for personal development and leadership that would make anyone proud of their family member’s association. These experiences will help shape not only the student’s perspective on issues, but, by this involvement and exposure, they are poised to leave their imprint on the world of the future.

We’re very proud to have FFA as part of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. We encourage you to contact Nancy Trivette, Agricultural Education Program Leader, at 609-9843732 about the numerous FFA offerings in our state.

NJ Dept. of Agriculture

By Douglas H. Fisher Secretary of Agriculture

Training the Next Generation of Agriculturists: New Jersey FFA Jersey. FFA is part of a threepronged approach to agricultural science education.

The experience includes classroom instruction, FFA and hands-on internships.

In the classroom, these students learn everything from turfgrass management, floral and landscape design to animal science, biotechnology and agricultural technology.

Many schools have adopted the CASE program, which stands for Curriculum in Agricultural Science Education. The number of CASE-trained agricultural science teachers and number of courses they are teaching through CASE expands every year in New Jersey. The Department offers grants to schools for teacher training and CASE course implementation.

There are currently 18 high schools that offer CASE courses, including introduction to agriculture, food and natural

resources; animal and plant agriculture science; animal and plant biotechnology; and natural resources and ecology.

In addition, the Department of Agriculture has facilitated the signing of articulation agreements between two- and four-year institutions, such as, Rutgers University and Delaware Valley College, and CASE programs. Now, students who take the rigorous CASE courses are eligible to receive college credit at those schools, which is a win for our agriculture programs as well as the institutions enrolling quality students.

The agriculture industry also benefits by beginning to hire these knowledgeable young people after they graduate from our agriculture colleges and universities.

CASE is a very unique approach and highly acclaimed way for students to become educated in the sciences and

Look Who’s Reading the Gardener News!

It’s in the news

Tom Castronovo/Photo

David Faustino an American actor and rap artist, who is primarily known for his role as Bud Bundy on the Fox Network television sitcom Married... with Children, looks over the Gardener News while visiting the Garden State. He played the younger Bundy offspring, and the most intelligent family member. The show ran from April 1987 to June 1997 and handled nonstandard topics for the time period. He is also known for the voice of Mako in The Legend of Korra, an American animated drama television series that premiered on the Nickelodeon television network in 2012. Faustino also guest-starred in many well-known TV shows such as Family Ties, St. Elsewhere, and The Love Boat.

participate in FFA. Overall, FFA offers a variety of experiences for its members.

This past January, Delaney Gray, State FFA Vice President; Kelly Gangel, State FFA Secretary; Kristianne Dowd, State FFA Treasurer; and David Watts, State FFA Sentinel, went to South Africa for the 2014 International Leadership Seminar for State Officers hosted by the National FFA Organization. The four were among 75 state officers/ past state officers who attended from various states. During the trip, they visited Johannesburg, Pretoria, Klerksdorp, Middleburg, and Soweto. Participants spent time on a vegetable farm, dairy farm, a feedlot, and poultry farm, as well as toured a John Deere dealership, Senwes-Bunge, Blyde River Canyon, Kruger National Park, and a private game reserve.

This experience helped connect them to global agriculture and gave them cultural enrichment.

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

Gardener Gard rde dener er Ne News New wss

Juune, June, e, 2014 2014 5

SERVING MERCER COUNTY AND GR REATER PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY

Low Back Pain?

Neck Pain?

Extremity Pain?

MD, PHD, FAANS S, FACS Dr. Lipani is the founding Director of Prrinceton Neurological Surgery and Brain and Spine Radiosurgery Institute. A board certiďŹ ed, felloowshiptrained neurosurgeon and specialist in spinal surgery, using state of the art minimally invasive an nd noninvasive techniques.

t )FSOJBUFE %JTDT t 4QJOBM 4UFOPTJT t 4QJOBM 5VNPST

8F UBLF QSJEF in treating every JMZ QBUJFOU MJLF GBNJMZ

2VBLFSCSJEHF 3PBE 4VJUF t )BNJMUPO /+ 1IPOF t 'BY

www.princetonneurologicalsurgery.com

6 June, 2014

Gardener News

The effects of winter should be apparent by now. What do I mean by this statement? Basically it means that if your perennial, tree or shrub, hasn’t bounced back by now, most likely it is lost and it’s time to find a replacement.

Winter burn on evergreens, or just browning out to the bark, without some sign of new growth or some type of a recovery, means it is time to pull it out and replace it. All spring long I have been fielding questions on, “What should I do?” or “Is it dead?” My first answer was to wait and see, it has been a long and very cold and drawn-out winter. I had to remind them that the weather didn’t break until mid- to late-April. The cherry trees, magnolias and forsythia hadn’t bloomed until the third week of April. This is very late for the landscape in New Jersey to get going.

So everything had been delayed. My advice was to freshen up the beds around the damaged plant

and pool areas. It’s time for palms, hibiscus trees and bushes, Mandevilla vines to intertwine trellis, pergolas, and climb walls or pillars, the fragrance of jasmine and gardenias to fill the air with their aromas, and much, much more.

So now’s the time to stop the whining of how cold it was and the damage that happened and get the gloves, hats, sun lotion, shovel, trowels and get to digging. Before you know it, it will be time to kick back on the outdoor lounger and have a nice drink to cool off and look over and enjoy the great work that was done. Before we know it, we will be running back indoors to cool off in the air conditioning. Until then, happy planting.

The Professional Grower

By Tim Hionis Greenhouse Specialist

Time to get back outside material with some fresh compost or topsoil or add some fertilizer to help kick the plant material into gear on the right path. I also had advised to apply a fungicide to help prevent disease or infection, as well as pruning off the dead parts so the plant material focused on new growth instead of expending its energy trying to repair itself from the damage. Id advised that if they were inexperienced about how to prune, they should allow a professional to do it properly. Improper pruning could lead to more damage than good.

So back to what I had said in my first statement.

By now, late-May into early-June, if there is no evidence of life, it is

time to face the facts and replace what is lost. The good news is that by the time you decide to do the replacements, there should be plenty of product out there to choose from, because everyone has had a late start to the season. By now, all the garden centers are full of color and the varieties and the selection should be abundant. There will be plenty of flowering shrubs to choose from, like roses, hydrangeas, lilacs, azaleas, rhododendrons, to name a few.

There will be perennials galore, like salvia, catmint, echinacea, rudebeckia, coreopsis, phlox, and thousands more. All the summer annuals are safe to plant by now, like vinca, zinnias, sunflowers,

petunias, New Guinea impatiens, geraniums, marigolds, Gerbera daisies and all the color you could imagine in this great state.

By now it should be safe to not worry about any damaging frost to come around and wipe out and cold-sensitive plant material.

Also by this time of the year, the gardens should be ready for tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, zucchinis, eggplants and all the other vegetables waiting for the backyard gardener.

We mustn’t forget about the herbs, like rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, cilantro, lavander, and sage, to name a few.

And now the tropicals are ready to be rolled out to all patios, decks, porches

Editor’s Note: Tim Hionis has been growing plants for over 20 years, and is co-owner of Hionis Greenhouses and Garden Center in Whitehouse Station, NJ. He can be reached by calling (908) 534-7710.

Why Natives?

By Kathleen Salisbury Food for pollinators, birds and other local animals, shelter for our native wildlife and ease of maintenance all are reasons given for planting native plants in landscapes. Like me, you may have noticed many nonnative and even invasive plants offer food and shelter to our native animals as well.

So what’s the problem with Butterfly Bush if butterflies flock to it? Have you ever noticed a caterpillar on a butterfly bush? Butterfly Bush provides nectar for adult butterflies. Not one species of butterfly uses Butterfly Bush as a host plant for their caterpillars. In order to sustain the butterfly population, we have to provide habitat that facilitates reproduction of the species. Butterfly Bush does not do that. Our native milkweeds, spicebush, black cherries, willows, oaks and many more do just that. We should plant native plants to feed our native animals supporting the local

ecology. It has been proven in study after study that native plants provide food for insects, which in turn provides food for birds, reptiles and mammals.

The energy from plants works its way through the food web.

The thing is, those plants have to be eaten first. Bugs or deer or rabbits are not eating “pest resistant” plants found in landscapes today because they offer nothing familiar or essential. We need to work on creating a balance in our landscape that places value on wildlife on at least equal par with aesthetics.

Another important reason for us to consider planting natives in our yards is creating a “sense of place.” New Jersey is amazing. It has five distinct regions featuring unique plant communities. In such a small state we have mountains and oceans, bogs and Pine Barrens and even limestone fens.

Without the incorporation of native plants, we can be “just anywhere” in our yards. When we have such a tremendous diversity of beautiful and

suitable native plants to choose from, why would we choose to have landscapes where you can’t tell where you are when you are in it? Just as much as a landscape should reflect the likes and interests of the owner, it should reflect the region’s diversity and unique attributes.

Think of your favorite natural space in New Jersey.

How do you know when you are there, besides the GPS telling you? You see the dune grasses of the Jersey Shore, the pine trees of the Pine Barrens, the oak forests of the Highlands.

With the installation of native plants comes a complimentary collection of associated insects, spiders, birds, reptiles and mammals. By including native plants in your landscape, you create a sense of place that cannot be replicated in any other state.

We, as New Jerseyans, know there is more to New Jersey than the turnpike, oil containers and Newark Airport. Let’s celebrate how unique and beautiful New Jersey is by including the tremendous diversity of plants in our landscapes.

Wondering what to plant?

For landscape inspiration, check out these June-blooming New Jersey native plants: Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) – Vine; Full Sun; Hummingbirds Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) – Wetlands; Full Sun, Part Shade Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) – Rocky Woodlands; Acidic Soil; Sun to Shade Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) – Moist to Wet Areas; Shade, Part-Shade; Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa) – Dry; Sandy Soils; Full Sun Check out the seasonal photo galleries on the NPSNJ website for more ideas!

Need more convincing?

Take some time to read these very valuable resources that help you figure out what to plant and explain why.

Bringing Nature Home – Douglas Tallamy (2007) Noah’s Garden – Sarah Stein (1995) Both of these authors recommend starting small by

dedicating a little portion of your landscape to native plants.

Can you remove 10 percent of your lawn and turn it into a native butterfly habitat? Perhaps you have a challenging wet area in your yard or a place where nothing seems to grow. Try natives. You and the animals will be happily surprised!

Native Plant Society of New Jersey promotes the appreciation, protection and study of New Jersey’s native flora. For information on events and regional chapters visit us at www.npsnj.org or find us on Facebook!

Editor’s Note: Kathy Salisbury is a Horticulture Educator and the President of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey (NPSNJ). The NPSNJ is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to promoting the appreciation, protection and study of NJ’s native flora. To learn more about the Native Plant Society please visit www.npsnj.org or contact Kathy directly at president@npsnj.org.

Gardener News Consumers are worried about their food. There are so many things to think about when it comes to purchasing food that meets your needs. People with dietary needs make different purchasing decisions than those who do not. Allergies to, and effects of, certain foods are highly considered.

Those with financial constraints make choices that suit their budgets. But something that crosses all lines of diets and budgets is that people really want to eat more healthy products.

It is established in the retail industry that sugary drinks and salty snack categories are trending down. Cleansing beverages and flavored waters are all the rage. It is also established that breads and certain yogurts are changing to meet the needs of the healthy consumer. Some are simply producing less.

One hot trend of this decade has been the mainstreaming of organic products. Since their humble beginnings in supermarkets in the late 1970s until now, organic products have become more plentiful and more affordable in fresh and non-perishable categories.

When organics first started in

June, 2014 7 Passionate About Produce

By Paul Kneeland The King of Produce

Don’t Worry, Eat Healthy fresh produce departments, product was overpriced and the quality was not good. Those on the “ground level” of organics were true believers and are still true believers for the most part.

Some of these initial entrants in the market do not believe in the mainstreaming of organics and may question the credibility of certain products and goods.

Organic trends continue to climb today. The food industry is jumping in with both feet with additional new products and categories every year.

Recently, organic poultry was introduced and now the demand has been so high that there is a fear supplies will be short.

Organic grass-fed beef is also a huge trend. Consumers are looking for product that is of the earth. Organic fruit and vegetable growers continue to increase acreage, although the

yields are lower in most cases, the prices are higher and the cost of synthetic pesticide use is nil. As with anything, the risks are high too. The use of natural pesticides could result in pest damage that will affect go-tomarket strategies.

For many consumers, the reasons vary to purchase organic foods. Most will tell you that it is the use of pesticides that brought them to the category. Some may say that the nutritional value is more. Today, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have people afraid of their food.

Most in the industry will tell consumers the best way to avoid GMO food is to eat organic.

The new consumer for organic food is newborns and children. They are the next generation of people who will want organic food. If the organic baby food trends are

any indication of who will be eating organic food in the future, then it could be more than 50 percent of all consumers in the United States. That is a lot of organic food. The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has estimated that over 81 percent of all American consumers have tried organic products in some way in the past year. They also estimate that consumers will buy 14 percent more year over year through 2018. In 1990, organic food sales were less than a billion dollars. In 2014, sales of organic foods are expected to exceed $30 billion dollars.

Scientists have not confirmed or denied any information on organic fruits and vegetables being more nutritious or healthier for us. The only confirmed fact about organic products are that when tested, they have less pesticides, which

happens to be the number-one reason that people buy organic products.

Make a commitment to yourself and your family to eat healthier. You will feel better physically and mentally.

Reducing sugar and increasing your heart rate once a day will have major effects on your health. There is no need to stop living; enjoy life. People talk about food. You hear it every day: “What’s for lunch?”

“What’s for dinner?” People are also worried: “What is in our food?” “Where did it come from?” There are many choices out there and much information.

Study the trends, because they are positive or negative for good reason.

Editor’s Note: Paul Kneeland is the Vice President of Floral, Meat, Produce and Seafood for Kings Food Markets, President of the Eastern Produce Council, and a board member of the Produce Marketing Association. He holds degrees in Business Management from Boston College as well as Northeastern University.

He can be reached at pkneeland@kingssm.com

A Closer Look at Links between Fertilizers and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

By Ann Perry Public Affairs Specialist Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are learning more about the mechanics of how nitrogen fertilizers contribute to the development of greenhouse gases.

These studies, conducted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) soil scientist Rodney Venterea, support the USDA priority of responding to global climate change. ARS is USDA’s chief intramural scientific research agency.

Nitrous oxide can absorb 300 times more radiation than carbon dioxide. After the application of nitrogen fertilizers, soil microbes can convert nitrogen into nitrate and then into nitrous oxide.

However, Venterea suspected nitrous oxide emissions are even more strongly correlated with levels of nitrite, another form of nitrogen that is not commonly measured.

Venterea conducted a study in maize over two growing seasons that examined the effects of different nitrogen fertilizer sources and application methods on nitrous oxide. The fertilizers were conventional urea, polymer-coated urea, urea infused with microbial inhibitors, and a 50/50 mixture of conventional urea and urea with inhibitors.

Venterea’s results indicated that nitrous oxide emissions were strongly

linked to soil nitrite levels, which accounted for 44 to 73 percent of the variation in nitrous oxide emissions.

The results also showed that the lowest levels of nitrite and nitrous oxide occurred with the fertilizer that contained urea-infused microbial inhibitors. The 50/50 mixture also reduced both nitrite and nitrous oxide.

Venterea believes that nitrite can produce nitrous oxide quickly under a broader range of conditions, especially when soil is in an oxygenated condition, which it tends to be most of the time except following large rainfall events.

Venterea works in the ARS Soil and Water Management Research Unit in St. Paul, Minn. He and his co-author, University of Minnesota graduate student Bijesh Maharjan, published these results in 2013 in Soil Biology and Biochemistry.

This work was conducted as part of GRACENET (Greenhouse-Gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement Network), a national network of ARS research projects investigating the effects of management practices on soil carbon sequestration, trace gas emissions, and environmental quality.

Editor’s Note: Ann Perry works for the USDA Agricultural Research Service.

She can be reached at 301-504-1628 or by emailing Ann.Perry@ars.usda.gov

8 June, June, e, 2014 2201 0144

Gardener Gard rde dener New News Ne wss TRADE ONLY

JOIN US IN

PHILADELPHIA

Don’t miss your chance to GROW at

HAMPTONS ESTATE

ÂŽ

“Gourmet food for your garden�

usin We Mean B ess

The finest mulch and soil products available anywhere.

Pennsylvania Convention Center

Complete Planting Mix The Gardener’s Choice for planting annuals, perennials, vegetables, trees and shrubs

CONCLAVE 14

PLAN AHEAD FOR 2015 NURSERY INVENTORIES ARE TIGHT PLAN TO ORDER AT PANTS14! “With the dynamics of the current Market for nursery stock, our industry is witnessing firsthand the Supply & Demand equation. Order early!�

UDLY PRODUCED BY PRO :

ÂŽ

Tim Mead Johnson Farms Deerfield, NJ

100s OF GREEN INDUSTRY SUPPLIERS AT PANTS14

Shake hands with over 250 exhibitors that cover all facets of the green industry at PANTS14.

We have what you need to grow your business.

TOP REASONS TO ATTEND PANTS14

TANGIBLE TAKEAWAYS FOR THE GREEN INDUSTRY PRO

Whether you’re a landscape professional, garden center retailer, wholesaler or nursery grower, you’ll find expert help from industry leaders who have a proven track record in your field.

GOOD VALUE STARTS WITH REGISTRATION

1. NEW IDEAS To Improve Your Business 2. Find NEW PRODUCTS & SUPPLIERS 3. Uncover GREEN BUSINESS SOLUTIONS 4. Discover The HOTTEST TRENDS To Boost Your Sales 5. SHOW SPECIALS & EARLY SEASON DEALS 6. Nursery Inventories Are Tight! ORDER AT PANTS

Registration Includes: Two full days of access to the trade show, educational programs, pesticide courses & more at PANTS14.

PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE

ÂŽ

SERVING LEADING INDEPENDENT GARDEN CENTER RETAILERS IN NORTH AMERICA

Commodity Soils and Mulches

Topsoil 40 lb. * Potting Soil 20 lb. * Potting Soil 40 lb.

Composted Manure 40 lb. * All Purpose Sand 50 lb. * Growers Mix 3cf 100% Organic Mulch 2cff * Black Mulch 2cf Red Mulch 2cff * Brown Mulch 2cf

ENDORSED BY:

0SRK -WPERH 'SQTSWX 'SVT 9VFER %ZIRYI ;IWXFYV] 2= 4LSRI *E\

REGISTER TODAY! Register online at: www.PANTSHOW.com or call: 732-449-4004

Full Premium Line F

Professional Potting Mix 16qt, 1cf, 2cff * Antique Black Mulch 2cf 100% Organic Mulch 2cff * Brick Red Mulch 2cff * Garden Soil 1cff Compost 1cff * Premium Compost 1cf Premium Composted Manure 1cff * Premium Topsoil 1cf

[[[ 0-'SQTSWX GSQ

Gardener News

June, 2014 9

As the Executive Director of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA), I have many responsibilities. Like everybody, some tasks I enjoy and some I do not. Of all of the responsibilities that I do have, I have to say that one of my favorite things to do is community outreach.

Outreach, for me, comes in many forms. It may be through a volunteer project, a public presentation or by writing articles like this one. However, if there is one aspect of my job that I prefer above all of the others, it is reaching out to students and talking to them about the incredible opportunities available in the green industry.

Although I may never hear a parent say to their child, “You should think about becoming something respectable like a doctor, lawyer, account or even landscape professional,” it doesn’t mean that I can’t dream about the possibilities.

As you may or may not know, the landscape industry has changed significantly from something you did during summers while in high school, into a $3.2 billion dollar industry that is becoming as specialized as the medical profession. We are no longer a

bunch of young guys with long hair, shorts and no shirts cutting grass and building railroad tie retaining walls. We are entrepreneurs. Businessmen and women who design, build, manage and maintain some of the most prestigious projects and properties throughout the world. We are designers, engineers, farmers, nurserymen, scientists, artists, analysts and historians. There are green industry professionals in the U.S., Europe, Canada, Asia, Africa and Australia, and the opportunities and demand for us are growing. No matter what your interests are or where you live in the world (or New Jersey), there is a career opportunity for you in the green industry.

I am very excited, because over the past several months I have been able to get this message out to students. In January, I spoke to a group

By and large, gardeners are no different than any other person when it comes to shopping – the latest and greatest plants never fail to garner one’s attention! When the new nursery catalogues come out, I too enjoy reading about the newest additions and discovering which fascinating new plant would be appropriate for the Gardens.

However, there is also much to be said for plants that are tried and true. As a beginning gardener, I would often hear about how successful the combination of Astilbe, with its dissected and filigree foliage, and Hosta, with its dramatically bold foliage, was for the shady garden.

Naturally, I experimented with the combination and found it as successful as I had been told. That was over 25 years ago, and I have been reluctant to use Astilbe, since it was such a “common” plant, ever since. It is time to reconsider.

Astilbe is in the saxifrage family and contains 18 species native to mountainous and forested regions of Asia and Eastern North America. It is commonly called False Spirea, as the panicled flowers resemble the plumes of several Spirea species. The genus name was first coined by the Scottish physician and botanist Francis Buchanan-Hamilton (1762-1829); it is from the Greek A, which means not and Stilbos, meaning shiny or lustrous, referring to the dull appearance of the foliage for many of the species. Many of the cultivars in the trade fall under the hybrids of x arendsii, which honors the German nurseryman and horticulturist Georg Arends (1863-1952). Arends was an extremely prolific plant breeder, releasing not only 74 different cultivars of Astilbe, but numerous other crosses including Sedum x “Autumn Joy” and Hosta sieboldiana “Elegans.” Arends was looking to create selections that were more compact, since in the early-20th Century Astilbe

The NJLCA Today

By Jody Shilan, MLA Executive Director

Career options grow in the green industry of high school juniors and seniors at my alma mater, Teaneck High School. One of our NJLCA members, Andy Limone, teaches an afterschool horticulture program.

He invited me to put together a presentation showing the students all of the opportunities available to them in the green industry. Fortunately, we had just finished our Landscape Achievement Awards ceremony and I had some amazing photos of projects designed, installed and maintained by our members.

Talk about your “wow” factor!

There were plenty of questions as the students began to realize that no matter what they were passionate about in life, there was a career path available to them in the green industry.

As luck may have it, the following month Gail Woolcott, our Director of Operations, and I were invited to take a tour of Passaic

County Technical Institute with Joe Miktus, who is the School to Careers Coordinator and responsible for finding summer internships and fulltime positions for high school juniors and seniors. They have wonderful landscape design and horticultural programs that prepare students to either go directly into the workforce or give them a head start when applying to colleges that have green industry programs.

When I was in high school, all we had were auto mechanics and wood shop for the boys and typing, sewing and home economics for the girls.

Finally, last month NJLCA President Tom Canete and I were invited to go to the County College of Morris (CCM) to sit in on an advisory board meeting for the Landscape and Horticultural Technology Department. We wanted to learn more about the LHT program,

A Plant of Luster was primarily used for forcing and indoor containers. His hybrids bloom in June, with their white, pink or red flowers standing proudly upright above the foliage. In 1933, he introduced Astilbe x arendsii “Fanal,” which was the first red Astilbe on the market and remains popular to this day.

Of the many species of Astilbe that Arends used for his crosses, the pink flowered Astilbe chinensis var. Davidii was the predominant parent.

This variety is rarely seen in commerce today, but Astilbe chinensis “Pumila” is readily available and is deserving of greater use. “Pumila” comes from the Greek Pumilo, for dwarf, which aptly describes this plant since it only grows to 12 inches tall when in flower. The flowers appear in July and are an attractive light-pink in color.

This cultivar also spreads to create a wonderful groundcover. One of the drawbacks to the Arends hybrids is the need for division every four to six years in order to keep the plants vigorous.

“Pumila,” by contrast, is far

less needy for division and, as is common to this species, is far more sun-tolerant in soils of average moisture levels. Another variety of this species is Astilbe chinensis var. taquetii, which is the antithesis of “Pumila,” with its tall purple-pink flowers towering to over three feet. Once again, this plant is extremely tolerant of full sun and is in bloom from mid- to late-July. The cultivar “Purple Candles” has flowers with a more refined purple color.

In 1952, Arends released one of his last selections, named “Ostrich Plume.” This plant was a sport of Astilbe thunbergii “Betsy Cuperus.”

The wonderful characteristic of “Ostrich Plume” is the gracefully pendant individual racemes of the flower panicle, giving a more relaxed appearance than the traditional upright structured flowers. Typical to Astilbe, “Ostrich Plume” requires a very moist and shady site for the flowers to reach their 30-inch-plus potential in lateJune and July.

see their brand new goldlevel LEED certified facility and look into opportunities for both the college and the NJLCA. Needless to say, we were not disappointed. We left the meeting with a better understanding of the needs of CCM, and how we can work with them to provide internships and job opportunities for the students, which will also help the contractors. Who knows, we may be able to give students the chance to design and build their first project or have a contractor teach his first class.

The possibilities are endless.

Editors Note: Jody Shilan is the owner of Jody Shilan Designs in Wyckoff, where he provides landscape design and consulting services for homeowners and landscape contractors. He earned his bachelors degree in Landscape Architecture from Cook College, Rutgers University and his masters degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Currently, he is Executive Director of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA). He can be reached at 201-783-2844 or jshilan@gmail.com.

Astilbe remains a tried and true stalwart for the moist and shady gardens. They have the wonderful quality of being resistant to deer browse and they provide a colorful bridge between spring and latesummer bloomers. I am not certain if Arends wove Hosta and Astilbe together in his garden, but he certainly had an eye for a plant with plenty of garden “Luster.”

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 the immediate 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

10 June, 2014

Gardener News

Happening now on the farm 2/':,&. 1 - ĘŠ 5HEHFFD Melick, left, and Peter Melick, two of the co-owners of Melick’s Town Farm, are proud to introduce their own apple wine, which is now available for sale at their Oldwick, Hunterdon County location. The apple wine, which is produced entirely from Melick’s Town Farm’s famous cider, was aged and bottled at Alba Vineyards of Finesville, N.J. While the cider has been available throughout Northern and Central New Jersey for 50 years at various stores, food markets, supermarkets and farm markets, the apple wine is a new product that is already garnering praise and some repeat sales. “We have had quite a few repeat customers who really enjoy the wine,â€? said Peter Melick. “This is a natural fit for us in that we can now offer a locally produced wine that really tastes great,â€? he said.

Melick’s Town Farm, the largest fruit grower in Central and Northern New Jersey, with over 650 acres of land, with 120 acres of fruit trees, over 5,000 peach trees and 20,000 apple trees, is a 10th-generation fruit, vegetable and cider producer with locations in Oldwick, Califon and Bridgewater.

For more information, go to Tom Castronovo/Photo www.melickstownfarm.com.

Gardener News is Now Accepting Nominations for its

2014 Person of the Year Award.

Do you know someone in the “Green Industry� whose contributions deserve recognition?

This person must be from the landscape, nursery, garden center or gardening industries who best epitomizes concern for, involvement in, and dedication to those pursuits. Or a person who performs exemplary outstanding service to the green industry.

The deadline for receiving nominations for 2014 is November 1, 2014.

Gardener News annually bestows our “Person of the Year�

Award in our January edition.

To download the form, please visit www.GardenerNews.com and click on the “Person of the Year� link on the left side.

Thank you!

Gardener News

June, 2014 11

Survey Reports Fewer Winter NY: Richard A. Ball is new Commissioner of Honey Bee Losses the Department of Agriculture and Markets

By Kim Kaplan Public Affairs Specialist (WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Total losses of managed honey bee colonies from all causes were 23.2 percent nationwide for the 20132014 winter, according to the annual survey conducted by the Bee Informed Partnership and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This represents a noticeable drop in mortality compared to the 30.5 percent loss reported for the winter of 2012-2013 and compared to an eight-year average of winter losses of 29.6 percent.

Previous surveys found total colony losses of 21.9 percent in 2011-2012, 30 percent in 2010-2011, 33.8 percent in 2009-2010, about 29 percent in 2008-2009, about 36 percent in 2007-2008, and about 32 percent in 2006-2007.

Losses remain above the level that beekeepers consider economically sustainable.

This year, almost two-thirds of the beekeepers responding to the survey reported losses greater than the 18.9 percent level that beekeepers say is acceptable.

The winter losses survey covers the period from October 2013 through April 2014. “Yearly fluctuations in the rate of losses like these only demonstrate how complicated the whole issue of honey bee heath has become, with factors such as viruses and other pathogens, parasites like varroa mites, problems of nutrition from lack of diversity in pollen sources, and even sublethal effects of pesticides combining to weaken and kill bee colonies,� said Jeff Pettis, co-author of the survey and research leader of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland. ARS is USDA’s chief intramural scientific research agency.

There currently is no way to tell why the bees did better this year, according to both Pettis and Dennis vanEngelsdorp, a University of Maryland assistant professor who is the leader of the survey and director of the Bee Informed Partnership.

Among the leading causes of colony losses self-reported by beekeepers in past annual surveys are queen failure, poor wintering conditions,

and damage by varroa mites.

There is growing consensus among researchers that one of the largest contributors to poor colony health and colony losses is the varroa mite, an Asian bee parasite first found in the United States in 1987. “What is clear from all of our efforts is that varroa is a persistent and often unexpected problem,� said vanEngelsdorp. “Every beekeeper needs to have an aggressive varroa management plan in place.

Without one, they should not be surprised if they suffer large losses every other year or so. Unfortunately, many small-scale beekeepers are not treating and are losing many colonies. Even beekeepers who do treat for mites often don’t treat frequently enough or at the right time.

If all beekeepers were to aggressively control mites, we would have many fewer losses.�

ARS and other USDA agencies, university programs like the University of Maryland and the Bee Informed Partnership are working hard to develop best management practices to help beekeepers in the short term and are carrying out research to solve critical problems for pollinators in the long term.

The survey results are based on information selfreported by beekeepers.

About 7,200 beekeepers who managed 564,522 colonies in October 2013, representing 21.7 percent of the country’s 2.6 million colonies, responded to the survey. In the survey of bee losses for the winter of 2012-2013, more than 6,000 beekeepers responded, representing 22 percent of the country’s estimated 2.6 million colonies.

This survey was funded in part by a grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which also provides significant funding for the Bee Informed Partnership.

A complete analysis of the survey data will be published later this year.

The abstract of the analysis is at http://beeinformed.org/ results-categories/winterloss-2013-2014/.

Editor’s Note: Kim Kaplan works for the USDA Agricultural Research Service. She can be reached at 301-504-1637 or by emailing Kim.Kaplan@ars.usda.gov

$/%$1< 1< Ę&#x160; *RYHUQRU $QGUHZ 0 &XRPR DQQRXQFHG WKDW WKH 1HZ <RUN 6WDWH Senate unanimously confirmed Richard A. Ball as Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Markets. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Over the last few months, Richard Ball has done an exceptional job as Interim Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Markets,â&#x20AC;? Governor Cuomo said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He has been pivotal in addressing industry needs, raising the agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profile among our partners in the private sector, and ultimately helping to create jobs and grow the Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy. I congratulate Richard on this well-deserved confirmation and thank the New York State Senate and its leadership for their unanimous confirmation.â&#x20AC;?

Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thank Governor Cuomo for the opportunity to lead the Department of Agriculture and Markets and thank the State Senate for confirming my nomination as Commissioner. As a lifelong farmer, my main goal as Commissioner is to work with industry to help New York agriculture get to that next level. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had a busy first few months working with the talented staff at the Department of Agriculture and Markets and have a new appreciation of the agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in helping New York agriculture. This industry is on the cusp of great things and I look forward to working with our partners to help facilitate this growth in the months ahead.â&#x20AC;?

A native New Yorker, Commissioner Ball has made a living in agriculture his entire life. His inspiration to become a farmer came from his grandparents, who were lifelong dairy farmers. At 18 years old, Ball began his career in agriculture as a farm worker at a vegetable farm in Rhode Island. He later became operations manager of that same farm.

After 20 years in Rhode Island, Commissioner Ball moved back to the Empire State with an opportunity to become a farm owner. For the past 20 years, he has been the owner and operator of Schoharie Valley Farms in Schoharie, N.Y., which consists of 200 acres and produces a wide range of vegetable crops, small fruits and greenhouse crops. The farm serves both retail and wholesale consumers through an onsite farm market known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Carrot Barnâ&#x20AC;? and ships to brokers and restaurants in the local area as well as New York City.

Commissioner Ball has held a number of positions within agriculture and community organizations at the local, state and national level. He and his wife Shirley, as well as his three children, are actively engaged in farming with a growing number of future farmers among the grandchildren.

Senator Betty Little, chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ever since meeting Richard Ball several years ago, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been impressed with his passion for agricultureâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;farming is in his blood, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not afraid to dig in and get the job done, nor does he hesitate to lend a hand and help his fellow farmer. Throughout his career in agriculture, including his running of the successful Schoharie Valley Farms and â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Carrot Barn,â&#x20AC;? Richard has proven to be someone who knows the ins and outs of agriculture.

I would like to thank Governor Cuomo for this excellent appointment and am looking forward to working with our new commissioner to help New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest industry continue to grow.â&#x20AC;?

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;As the ranking Republican Member of the Assembly Committee on Agriculture, I look forward to working with Commissioner Richard Ball on the important issues facing our family farmers. I appreciate Ballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vast personal experience in farming, and I hope we can work cooperatively to develop solutions to help agriculture thrive in New York State.â&#x20AC;?

Senator Terry Gipson said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;As ranking Member on the State Senateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Agricultural Committee who represents a district in Hudson Valley with a proud history of hard-working family farms, I firmly believe that Commissioner Richard Ball is the right person at the right time for the Department of Agriculture and Markets. Commissioner Ballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impressive resume and hands-on experience will be valuable in moving New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agricultural economy forward and he will be a strong advocate for our farming community.â&#x20AC;?

Assemblyman Bill Magee, chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I applaud Governor Cuomo for nominating Richard Ball to be New York Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Agriculture Commissioner. Commissioner Ball, besides being a farmer himself for many years, has held a number of positions involving agriculture at the local, state and national level, making him the best candidate for the job. As chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, I am looking forward to working with Commissioner Ball and I am confident that he understands what needs to be done and will be very active statewide.â&#x20AC;?

Dean Norton, New York Farm Bureau President, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am extremely pleased to see Richard Ball confirmed by the full Senate to become the new Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Markets. He is a farmer through and through and understands the needs of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thriving agricultural community. New York Farm Bureau looks forward to continuing to partner with the Commissioner for the benefit of every farmer in the state, and I personally would like to offer my sincere congratulations.â&#x20AC;?

For more information about the Department of Agriculture and Markets, please visit www.agriculture.ny.gov.

Source: New York Department of Agriculture and Markets

12 June, 2014

Gardener News

As the season progresses and the extremes of weather continue to compound our exasperation, due to temperature swings and dry conditions followed by wet conditions, we need to look at our fertilizer options through the warm weather that will eventually get here. A tea derived from compost is an alternative to be used at any point, but may be especially helpful during the summer months.

Compost is defined as a mixture of various decaying substances, such as dead leaves or manure used for fertilizing soil. And tea, any of various infusions prepared from the leaves, flowers, etc., of other plants, and used as beverages or medicines. So you could assume that a tea made from compost would be a prescription tonic for plants and you would be right.

Plants need 16 different elements to support good, healthy growth.

Mother Nature supplies water (we hope in sufficient quantities), sunlight and oxygen, and we supply the fodder that drives the plant’s engine. One of the most important elements would be nitrogen. One of the most important elements, yes, but many times misused. Much of the nitrogen applied to our landscapes leaches through the

soil or volatilizes without much impact. Looking at the soil type, amount of organic matter, the biological activity, moisture in the soil, the temperature and the product used, we often see severe losses in nitrogen.

Given this amount of loss, what can be done to help prevent it? Adding organic matter and increasing the bacterial activity can significantly reduce nitrogen loss. Bacteria are involved in six separate processes in the soil. Some even converting nitrogen to plant-available nitrogen forms. The higher the organic content in the soil, the more nitrogen absorbed from the atmosphere. In a soil with a 5-percent organic soil content, which represents an optimized soil, nitrogen can be cycled and used over and over again. This is accomplished by bacterial microbes which fix nitrogen and put it in a capacity to be used by the plants. Since we don’t live in

to have the compost tested for its analysis and to be sure that it contains no impurities. A highquality compost will produce a high-quality compost tea.

Lower quality composts should not be considered for this use.

This raw material will produce a tea containing a highly diverse group of inoculants. Compost tea is the best alternative to provide the soil and the plants with a rich diversity of essential microbial life.

Many landscape professionals are developing and implementing processes which will enable them to brew a compost tea. This liquid can then be applied in the landscape to enhance organic plant healthcare and save and reuse some of the important elements we spoke of earlier.

As these methods evolve, the cost of producing the tea, as well as the application process, becomes more reasonable.

These factors will contribute to a more available mixture which may become the compost tea that is all the rage.

Fresh fungi in salads, in tomato sauce on pasta, in the stir fry, in submarine sandwiches fresh and cooked, and who has had a Portobello burger lately? I have, and yum!

I went on a mushroom hunt with a group last fall in the woods next to the Kennebec River. Everyone brought back a small basketful and you could eat a lot of them according to the expert fungi horticulturist/ survivalist who does this “hunt” every year to educate locals about what you can eat and what you cannot eat if for some reason you are lost in the woods or just want to make an exciting indigenous organic dinner.

Recently, on a romantic getaway to Portland, we went to one of my favorite shishi restaurants, which had a very exciting and interesting menu special addendum, to the already wild line-up, that was all about local indoor farm mushroom varieties that could be added to your befores and entrées. My waiter suggested a number of combinations and I heartily agreed, even if my

to some growers. Producing medicinal varieties, bio-fuels cleaning up oil spills The Miscellaneous Gardener and are other ways mushrooms can be used to help save the

By Richard W. Perkins world. For me, that is all well and good, but I tried the chefs Freelance Writer risotto, in white wine sauce with sautéed lobster and shiitake mushrooms, which “Who Likes Fungi As Much As I Do?” had been touted to knock my date was less adventurous. especially for high-end the variety. But, after you are socks off….and it did!

Thanks for reading and The general manager of the culinary fungi being picked, up and running, harvesting packed eatery was all too processed, packaged and happens daily, as does the see ya next month. happy to tell me about the trucked in across state lines. delivery of the mushrooms local indoor fungi farmers.

One of the first local which are on menus all over Editors Note: Check out A friend of his, an architect, fungi growers, Candice town.

Richard’s photography at; The general manager rwperkinsphotography.com received a permit to grow Haydon, who owns the culinary mushrooms in one Oyster Creek Mushroom of the restaurant continued of his buildings, right around Co. in Damariscotta, got her to tell us that one time the the corner - a hop, skip and start 25 years ago after going mushroom guy walked into jump away from his kitchen to a University of Maine his office with paper bags door.

Cooperative Extension class filled with six pounds of There are more and on growing Asian mushrooms super-fresh mushrooms and more growers in Maine and on oak. She was the only before he could get them down New Hampshire that have local grower for quite a while to the walk-in refrigerator the discovered a demand for and now annually sells about chef and owner grabbed a locally grown ’shrooms that 40,000 pounds of mushrooms. bag, ripped it open and said, are available year round, not Shiitake, oyster and lion’s “Wow, thanks! I will use just from spring to fall. And, mane are all very popular. these in the risotto tonight!” this growing season for the The growing process, in Farming Fungi, the state’s only experienced foragers is also which you mix mushroom certified organic mushroom contingent on weather and spawn in plastic bags of farm, grows nine different the fact that the fickle fungi either sawdust or straw and varieties, including pioppino has a very short shelf life, place them in humid tents, and chicken of the woods. so overall quality, texture takes between two weeks and And food is not the only use and taste is lost very quickly, two months, depending on for this product, according

The Landscaper

By Evan Dickerson Landscape Professional

The Tea Party Minus the Ship a forest with abundant amounts of organic matter under our toes, we must provide adequate amendments. Adding beneficial microbes becomes a high-value approach that is not too costly.

That is where the compost tea comes in.

The production of compost tea is the result of an aerobic brewing process that extracts microorganisms from compost followed by microbial growth and multiplication. This includes beneficial bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes. This group is known as the integral part of the Soil Foodweb.

There is increasing evidence that compost tea has a role in suppressing and controlling disease in plants. Since it is not registered for this use, this can only be seen as a beneficial by-product of using a compost tea, a wonderful benefit.

The first step is the creation of quality compost. This product

should have a good mix of organic material and be free of any pesticides and impurities.

Good quality compost will be organic material that is well decomposed and is highly aerobic as a result of regular aeration. The end product will have a rich spread of microbial life and a good balance of beneficial bacteria and fungi, specifically actinomycetes, fungi, nitrogen-fixing bacteria and aerobic bacteria. A welldecomposed compost will appear as a dark humus-like material with a light, crumbly structure. There should be no offensive odors resembling ethanol, ammonia or sulfur.

This finished product will not be hot to the touch and there should be no weeds growing in or around the compost pile. The carbon-to-nitrogen ratio should be around 15:1 for the finished product with a pH of between 6.0 and 8.0. It is simple enough

Editor’s Note: Evan Dickerson is owner of Dickerson Landscape Contractors and NaturesPro of North Plainfield. He has been pioneering the organic approach to plant health since 1972. Evan can be reached at 908-753-1490

Recycle the

Gardener News show it to a friend!

Gardener News

June, 2014 13

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

WE HAVE BULK COMPOST

311 Roycefield Road, Hillsborough (Just off Dukes Parkway West) Visit Our Showroom & Display Area

Shop Where The Landscape Professionals Shop Scan Here

Brick Pavers Decorative Gravel Retaining Wall Block Limestone & Bluestone Fieldstone Mulches Top Soil Tool Rentals

Grass Seed Fertilizer Drainage Products Lawn & Garden Tools Landscape Lighting Masonry Supplies Playground Safety Surface

Bocci, Cricket, Horseshoe and Pond Clay.

Baseball Infield Mix

ATTENTION GARDEN CENTER & NURSERY OWNERS: Want to sell

Lawn & Garden Products?

In North Jersey Contact:

In South Jersey Contact:

Rich Imlay 908-216-8933

Steve Leyland 908-217-0682

Residential Ground Grading Solutions Light Excavating Member of:

Design and installations new and older renovations 3HUHQQLDO URFN JDUGHQV %DFNKRH ZRUN :DWHU 'UDLQDJH SUREOHPV VROYHG 6WRQH ZRUN

732-668-2012 NJHIC# 13VH03659100

Serving Central New Jersey

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

14 June, 2014

Gardener News

]

Control your lawn’s insects NATURALLY with

Jonathan Green

ORGANIC INSECT CONTROL UÊ +Õ V ÞÊ ÃÊ> `ÊÀi«i ÃÊ ÛiÀÊÊ Ê 100 insect pests UÊ Û À i Ì> ÞÊÃ>vi]Ê Ì Ý V UÊ *>Ìi Ìi`ÊL i `Ê vÊ À}> VÊ« > ÌÊ Ã UÊ Ài>ÌÊv ÀÊ ÕÌ` ÀÊ«iÀ iÌiÀÊÊ Ê iÊÌÀi>Ì i ÌÃÊÌ

Ticks!

Ants!

Fleas!

Chinch bugs and more!

L

< Available at garden centers and hardware stores in your area.

Scan to watch a New American Lawn seminar.

Ask for a FREE copy of The New American Lawn guide, or visit NewAmericanLawn.com

5/14

Gardener News

June, 2014 15

Garden State

Safe Lawns & Family Owned & Operated License #99403A

Landscapes

TM

PARTNERED WITH

We grow beautiful lawns using a complete, responsible and integrated approach to lawn care.

CALL FOR FREE ESTIMATE (866) 936-7007

www.GardenStateSafeLawns.com

16 June, 2014

Gardener News

A few extra inches of deck can save a lot of mowing time. That’s exactly what you get with Toro’s new TurfMaster™ 30 " commercial walk-behind mower. It covers more ground in less time than smaller models, yet it’s easy to handle. OUR TOUGHNESS IS YOUR STRENGTH.

© 2013 The Toro Company

toro.com

Gardener News

June, 2014 17

Over the past 20 years, the use of raised beds and plastic mulch in the production of vegetables has increased a great deal here in New Jersey.

The benefits of using this system have substantially increased the yields of these crops. At the same time, this system of production has decreased the amount of water needed for irrigation, as well as the herbicides that are generally needed for weed control.

For those who are unfamiliar with the way in which this system works, it is actually pretty simple. A special implement is pulled behind a tractor which mounds a row of soil into a nice compact raised bed.

Then, another implement travels over the same row and covers it with plastic mulch, while at the same time burying an irrigation line underneath the plastic. (There are some implements available that are able to do all of these steps simultaneously.) At this time, there is a covered raised bed that is ready for planting with either seeds or transplants. And once this is accomplished, all that remains

mulch is that it has to be exposed to sunlight in order for it to break down. So any part of the mulch that remains under the soil will not break down until it is plowed up and exposed to sunlight.

There are some other plastic mulches that are available as well. I have read some anecdotal accounts that red or green plastic does well for tomatoes. Also, silver mulch is said to repel aphids on certain crops. Some growers are even working with fully biodegradable plastic type mulches which will totally disintegrate on their own.

After experiencing cool, wet, spring weather, what will we face this June; summer breeze or summer heat?

If I could predict Mother Nature, I would be a wizard, but I do have some tricks up my sleeve on how to enjoy your summer and not sweat about your lawn so much.

Applications of fertilizers and control products have been delayed this year. In spring when warm days came around, dandelions popped out and then the next day when it was cold, they closed up like a turtle. Fertilizers did not green-up as fast as we thought they might and grass seed seemed to take forever to germinate. The grass seed did not germinate quickly due to the cool, wet weather since soil temperatures did not increase very quickly. Even perennial ryegrass, the fastest germinating grass, took a few weeks to grow, since grass seed will only germinate when the conditions are right.

Well, since grass seed did not germinate quickly, that means that crabgrass germination was delayed too.

Remember, crabgrass does not “start” germinating until the

The Town Farmer

By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

Plastic Mulch is to hook up the irrigation line, which will keep the roots moist underneath the plastic mulch.

But first, let’s take a step back and determine the proper type of mulch to use. There are many different types of plastic mulch available. The three most common types are black, which is far and away the most commonly used, white on black, and clear.

Black plastic not only prevents weeds from growing around the plants, but also warms the soil underneath it by absorbing a great deal of sunlight. This color is generally used on warm weather crops which will benefit from this rise in soil temperature. These crops include, but are not limited to, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash and eggplant.

The second type of plastic which we use on our farm is white on black. The reason we use white on black instead of plain white is that the plain white plastic would allow enough sunlight through to cause any weed seeds to germinate and then eventually take over the bed. Therefore, we use a two-sided plastic mulch with white on the top and black on the bottom.

This keeps the weeds from germinating while at the same time reflecting a large percentage of sunlight, which in turn keeps the beds and plants somewhat cooler. This type of mulch is used on crops that prefer cooler weather such as lettuce, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and kale.

The third type of mulch that we utilize is clear. This type of mulch actually has the

highest warming properties (think about sitting inside an enclosed car on a sunny day.) Therefore, we only use this type very early in the season on our first plantings of sweet corn. And actually, the mulch that we use for this is photo-degradable, which means that it starts to break down after it is exposed to sunlight. This mulch usually starts to disintegrate before it is time to harvest the sweet corn. The down side of using clear plastic is that it does not suppress weeds at all. In fact, it makes weeds grow faster and will protect them from any post-emergence herbicide applications. This means that it is critical to get a good preemergent herbicide down on the soil before the plastic is laid. One other problem with the photodegradable plastic

Turf ‘s Up

By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

Summer breeze or summer heat? soil temperatures reach about 55 degrees for a number of days.

Notice I put quotes around “start” because crabgrass can germinate through June and July! If you had a hard time with crabgrass in the past, you probably will this year, too.

What can you do?

Consider making an application of crabgrass preventer that contains Dimension; it still can be effective up to the three-leaf stage of crabgrass growth.

Yes, early-June is not too late to apply Dimension and get reasonable grassy weed control.

If summer breezes prevail, great, your lawn will hold up quite nicely if you have fertilized at least once this year. If you have not fertilized yet, now would be a good time before “potential” summer

heat and drought moves into your neighborhood. Note that I put quotes around “potential” because I cannot predict Mother Nature, remember?

However, what if summer heat and drought are going to come around this year, what can you do to prevent your lawn from going dormant brown or even dying?

If you love your lawn, now is a great time to apply a biological stimulant to the soil.

Products that contain humates, amino acids, molasses and micronutrients can help feed the soil quality and spur microbes in the soil and nourish your grass without heavy top-growth. These products will help enhance root-mass development and increase your lawn’s resistance to heat and drought stress. Also, apply a high-quality organic lawn

fertilizer derived from plant and animal proteins such as feather meal, alfalfa meal, soybean meal, blood meal, fish meal and molasses. These ingredients help to increase the soil’s water-holding capacity.

The potential for lawn fungus attacks can also be reduced by following this plan.

Do you want to save money on watering? I hope you did not use your irrigation system much this spring, as water was abundant. Fertilizing your lawn organically in June helps, but following a proper watering regiment is also a key to success. Lawns require about one inch of water a week for healthy growth from both rainfall and/or supplemental irrigation. Be sure to water for longer periods of time one to three times a week to develop deep roots which can reach

Editor’s Note: Peter Melick is co-owner of Melick’s Town Farm in Oldwick and a 10th-generation New Jersey farmer. Peter is a current member of the Tewksbury Township Committee, and a former Mayor of Tewksbury Township. 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. down deep for water supplies.

Do not water for 15 minutes every day causing shallow root systems because your lawn will be unable to withstand much heat and drought stress due to these shortened roots. You can also reduce stress on your lawn by raising your mowing height to three inches or greater. This preserves water in the grass blade and reduces stress from mowing your lawn too short.

Have you considered leaving your clippings on the lawn? Even if you do have a mulching mower, mow your lawn regularly and do not mow off more than one-third of the grass blade height at a time. In the summer when grass grows slower, you can preserve water by leaving your clippings on the ground for more drought resistance. You can even reduce your fertilizing requirements if you leave your grass clippings on your lawn all year. Happy summer!

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

18 June, 2014

Gardener News

Organic Insect Control for Lawns

(Cont. from page 1) fish do not have octopamine receptors, so Jonathan Green Organic Insect Control has no adverse effect on them. This product causes immediate â&#x20AC;&#x153;knock-down,â&#x20AC;? followed rapidly by the insect death. The botanical formulas have strong repellency characteristics, keeping new bugs away from the area.

The botanical oils in Jonathan Green Organic Insect Control have a target mode of action very different from neonicotinoid pesticides that have been potentially linked to honeybee colony collapse disorder. The botanicals are low molecular weight, natural compounds that break down quickly and do not persist in the environment. These plant oils act on contact and are non-systemic, thereby posing less residue risk to honeybees that may return to a treated area. Laboratory and field data confirm that beneficial insects are not only three to four times more tolerant to the botanicals upon application, but the beneficial insects also return to the treated areas almost immediately, within 24 hours of application. Jonathan Green Organic Insect Control comes in an easy-to-apply granular formulation, which can be spread with rotary, drop and hand-held spreaders. There is no mixing or mess to deal with.

Jonathan Green, Inc. is a leading supplier of grass seed, fertilizer and organic lawn products to professional landscapers, sod growers and independent retailers such as garden centers and hardware stores in over 20 states. To learn more go to www.jonathangreen.com

EPA Extends Comment Period for Proposed New Safety Measures to Protect Farm Workers from Pesticide Exposure :$6+,1*721 ' & Ę&#x160; 7KH 8 6 (QYLURQPHQWDO 3URWHFWLRQ $JHQF\ (3$ LV H[WHQGLQJ WKH FRPPHQW SHULRG IRU WKH proposed revisions to the agricultural Worker Protection Standard for an additional 60 days, until August 18, 2014, in response to requests from growers, industry, farmworker advocates and states for additional time to provide input. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The opportunity to revise the rule may not come again for some time, so we are committed to getting it right,â&#x20AC;? said Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Updating the 20-year old regulation to provide more protections to the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two million farm workers and their families from pesticide exposure is a priority for EPA.â&#x20AC;?

The proposed changes provide significant improvements to worker training regarding the safe use of pesticides, including how to prevent and effectively treat pesticide exposure. Increased training from every five years to every year and signage would help farmworkers protect themselves and their families from pesticide exposure.

Workers and others near treated fields would be better protected from pesticide overspray and fumes. In addition, the EPA has proposed that children under 16 be legally barred from handling all pesticides. These revisions protect workers while ensuring agricultural productivity and preserving the traditions of and exemptions for family members working on family farms.

To learn more and provide comments in English and Spanish: http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/safety/workers/proposed/index.html

Wearing peonies Kathleen Gagan, owner of Peonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Envy, an eight-acre nursery and display garden that features over 50,000 peonies, with more than 500 different cultivars in Bernardsville, Somerset County, New Jersey, has partnered with the local artisans at Merzatta to develop an exclusive line of jewelry inspired by peonies. The resulting handcrafted collection highlights the beautiful natural form of peonies while showcasing the style and craftsmanship of Merzatta. Rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings are all cast in either sterling silver or bronze in the natural shapes of peony seeds and branches. The materials for this line are nearly all recycled and the non-conflict stones are sourced one at a time with regard to which mine or country they originate and where they are cut.

Gagan says the process used to create the jewelry is very similar to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lost Wax Process,â&#x20AC;? an ancient practice of creating forms from structures. Merzatta works by covering the organic material in a plaster-like investment, and then putting it in a hot oven that burns the original away - an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Organic Burn Out.â&#x20AC;? This leaves a cavity behind in the investment that is exactly the shape of what was once there. Molten metal is poured into that cavity to trap a copy of the original so that everything that was once a part of a peony, for example, is now metal. Each form is then assembled into chains, bracelets, rings, or earrings relying on the organic beauty of the original cast.

The new line of peony jewelry is available Tom Castronovo/Photo exclusively for purchase from Peonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Envy.

Gardener News

June, 2014 19

Local New Jersey Ag Census Update Chocolate Maker Uses New Jersey Honey 75(1721 1- Ę&#x160; 1HZ -HUVH\ 6HFUHWDU\ RI $JULFXOWXUH 'RXJODV + Fisher said the detailed 2012 U.S. Census of Agriculture released on May 2 shows consumers are demanding local agricultural products and are looking for on-farm experiences.

The census, last conducted in 2007, says farmer direct sales to consumers through roadside stands, farmers markets, pick your own and Community Supported Agriculture increased from $30.1 million in 2007 to $33.3 million in 2012. New Jersey ranks 12th in the nation in direct sales and 20 percent of New Jersey farms report some type of direct sales activity. Twelve NJ counties are in the top 8 percent in the nation in direct sales and Salem County is in the top .5 percent, ranking 15th in the nation out of 3,077 U.S. counties, with $6.5 million in direct sales to consumers.

The number of farms in New Jersey offering agritourism activities increased from 322 in 2007 to 347 in 2012. New Jersey ranks ninth in the nation in agritourism sales and nine counties in the state rank in the top 10 percent in the nation in agritourism sales. Burlington County is in the top two percent, ranking 51st in the nation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The census of agriculture shows that New Jersey growers are uniquely positioned to be able to service both regional and local markets, bringing their produce directly to the consumers who clamor for it,â&#x20AC;? said Secretary Fisher. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our farmers and consumers benefit greatly from having productive farms close to the marketplace.â&#x20AC;?

The census showed that New Jersey farmers deliver a high value product.

The state ranks fourth in the nation in the value of market products sold per acre at $1,408, which is more than three times the national average.

Some census data were released in February and showed the average New Jersey farm is larger and more productive than it was in 2007. The average size of a New Jersey farm increased from 71 to 79 acres from 2007 to 2012. The market value of products sold on those farms went up from $95,564 to $111,030 per farm. In total, the market value of products sold on all New Jersey farms increased from $986.9 million to $1.01 billion.

Between 2007 and 2012 there was a decrease in the number of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smallest farms, those between one and nine acres. That number dropped 24 percent from 2,950 to 2,237. However, the number of farms between 50 and 179 acres increased 7 percent from 1,675 to 1,790 during that time period.

The census also showed farmers in the U.S. are getting older. The average age of a New Jersey farmer went up from 57 in 2007 to 59 in 2012.

The full, detailed census also broke down data by county. Salem County was the only New Jersey county where the number of farms increased since the 2007 census and Bergen, Burlington, Salem and Somerset counties were the only counties where farm acreage increased.

Census data provide valuable insight into the U.S. farmer demographics, economics and production practices. Some of the key findings include: Â&#x2021; 7KH QXPEHU RI IDUPV ZLWK UHQHZDEOH HQHUJ\ SURGXFLQJ V\VWHPV LQ 1- more than doubled from 204 farms to 591 farms (most of those have solar panels). Six percent of NJ farms use solar panels compared to less than 2 percent for US farms. Â&#x2021; ,Q WKH JUHHQKRXVH LQGXVWU\ VTXDUH IRRWDJH IRU QXUVHU\ VWRFN FURSV PRUH than doubled from 7.8 million square feet to 16 million. And greenhouse tomatoes went from 162,000 square feet to 275,000. Â&#x2021; :LWK D EXUJHRQLQJ ZLQH LQGXVWU\ WKH QXPEHU RI IDUPV JURZLQJ JUDSHV increased from 192 to 197 and acres increased from 1,043 to 1,082. Â&#x2021; 1HZ -HUVH\ KDV WKH KLJKHVW SHUFHQWDJH RI IDUPV ZLWK KRUVHV HDVW RI WKH Rockies. Â&#x2021; %HH FRORQLHV LQFUHDVHG IURP WR FRORQLHV LQFUHDVHG IURP to 13,298. Pounds of honey increased from 474,013 to 579,738. Honey sales in 2012 were $1.1 million. Â&#x2021; 7KHUH ZHUH DTXDFXOWXUH RSHUDWLRQV ZLWK PLOOLRQ LQ VDOHV LQ Â&#x2021; 0RUH IDUPHUV ZHUH XVLQJ WKH LQWHUQHW LQ LQFUHDVLQJ IURP WR 6,953 in 2012. Â&#x2021; 7KHUH LV D ORW RI LQWHUHVW LQ FRQVHUYDWLRQ SUDFWLFHV ² IDUPV KDYH acres under conservation easement, 1,027 farms are using no-till practices on 88,180 acres of cropland, and 471 farms have 1,891 cover crop acres.

Conducted since 1840, the Census of Agriculture accounts for all U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. To be counted in the federal census, a farm must have sold or had the potential to sell at least $1,000 worth of agricultural products.

The census information will be used for planning, policy, and research and business decisions by all those who serve the millions of farmers and ranchers in America, as well as by the producers themselves.

To view the complete census, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov.

75(1721 1- Ę&#x160; 1HZ -HUVH\ 6HFUHWDU\ RI $JULFXOWXUH 'RXJODV H. Fisher urged food processors to consider incorporating New Jersey produce, honey and milk into their products and taking advantage of the Made with Jersey Fresh and Made with Jersey Fresh Milk program.

Fisher recently visited chocolatier Diane Pinder whose Donna & Company in Kenilworth utilizes the Made with Jersey Fresh branding in the production of CocoaBee caramels and soy-, gluten-, dairy-, processed sugar- and artificial preservative-free chocolates, using honey from Tassot Apiaries in Milford. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As we enter this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jersey Fresh growing season, consumers anxiously await the harvest of their favorite fruits, vegetables and herbs,â&#x20AC;? said Secretary Fisher. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Made with Jersey Fresh allows people to enjoy these local agricultural products year-round in processed foods. Donna and Company is utilizing the brand in a most unique way. We applaud their efforts and encourage other food processors to do the same.â&#x20AC;?

The Made with Jersey Fresh logo is available to companies who make food items using New Jerseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agricultural products. The logo alerts consumers that the products are made using local ingredients. New Jerseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s produce season runs from May to November. Incorporating Jersey Fresh products into processed foods extends the season to yearround. It also expands distribution well beyond the region.

For a food processor to utilize the Made with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jersey Freshâ&#x20AC;? logo, they must first become licensed to use the Jersey Fresh logo. Then, they must use products that are inspected through the Jersey Fresh Quality Grading Program. Those products must adhere to specific criteria for grading and quality.

For dairy products, to be able to use the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Made with Jersey Fresh Milkâ&#x20AC;? logo, the item must be made with raw milk obtained from New Jersey dairy farms, licensed under the Jersey Fresh Quality Grading Program, and must comply with all Jersey Fresh standards for milk.

Diane Pinder already was making her caramels with local honey when she first heard of the Made with Jersey Fresh program. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My chocolates seemed a great fit for the program and I felt the program would demonstrate to the public how I practice the principles of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Slow Food,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? said Pinder. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has differentiated my products from others and has helped me market to the food stores that specialize in local products.â&#x20AC;?

A former critical care registered nurse and marketing specialist, Pinder founded her company, named after her late sister, in 2005 with the goal of using natural and local ingredients in her chocolates. She also wanted to be sustainable and support local farmers.

Pinder had a chocolate shop at one time but turned to a primarily wholesale business a few years ago. She produces several tons of chocolates each year. Besides the honey caramels, during the growing season, Donna & Company also makes a bonbon using Jersey Fresh heirloom tomatoes.

Tassot Apiaries is a family-run business that manages honeybee hives on many parcels of land throughout New Jersey. They specialize in chemical-free high quality honey and bee products.

New Jersey State Apiarist Tim Schuler said our stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beekeepers produce a wide variety of artisanal honeys from very light to almost black in color. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donna & Company and other processors who use New Jersey honey have the benefit of knowing the producer and how the honey is produced,â&#x20AC;? said Schuler. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With local, small-scale producers, there are many different types of honey with varied flavors. When extracted with a minimal amount of processing, you can get a higher quality, more flavorful product.â&#x20AC;?

New Jersey has 13,298 bee colonies that produced 579,738 pounds of honey in 2012.

No one covers â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gardeningâ&#x20AC;? in New Jersey like the Gardener News!

For more information visit us online at GardenerNews.com

20 June, 2014

Gardener News Unique Plants

By Bob LaHoff Nursery Specialist

Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large Willow, the name itself conjures up images of a large weeping tree near a pond reflecting itself. Graceful, pendulous branches almost touching the water’s edge. This tree is a failsafe for those seeking a tree that will tolerate wet areas. Capable of gobbling up and correcting almost any wet area, there are many willows that are unique, colorful and tame.

Starting with a small willow, Salix nakamurana var. yezoalpina has long been a favorite of mine. Ten years ago, a colleague asked me to make a list of my favorite plants. Nearly 400 trees, shrubs and perennials later, I had this one toward the top of my list. A deciduous shrub native to the mountain slopes of Hokkaido Japan, “hardy” from zones 4-8, this garden gem only grows a foot high and about six feet wide. A prostrate, creeping willow, this one is commonly called yezo dwarf willow or creeping alpine willow. This alpine groundcover thrives in harsh environments and crawls in and around crevices and over rock. Developing a rather wide trunk that hardly ever grows larger than a foot, reddish-brown branches push out in all directions. The highlight, for me anyway, is the silky, fuzzy catkins that stand upright along the branches in the early-spring.

These yellowish catkins, a name given because they resemble the pads on a cat’s paw, are about two inches long. Clothed with deep green leaves in the summer, these same leaves turn shades of yellow with a hint of red in the fall.

Hoary Willow, Salix candida “Silver Fox,” fits our medium-sized willow criteria quite well.

A fantastic smaller shrub valued for its impressive silver leaves, we have Tony Huber to thank for this contribution. He found the plant in Newfoundland in 1987. “Silver Fox’s” winter attributes intrigue me even more, though. Dramatic yellow winter buds and twigs are a precursor of things to come. A wetland plant suited to rich, wet soil types and cooler temperatures, “Silver Fox” is also a stunner for container gardening. The compact, globe habit of this plant neatly fills out a four- to six-foot footprint and is “hardy” to zone 4. Another mid-sized willow for your garden could be a Dappled Willow type, Salix integra “Flamingo.” Amazing leaf color on this garden jewel, expect pink, white and apple green here. Fresh, long-lasting, weather resistant color resists Mother Nature’s harsh winds and heavy rains. Not prone to any major pests or diseases, the younger, more-tender new growth is something to marvel at. In the early-spring, before the leaves emerge, mature shoots will push slender, yellow catkins. Late-summer/early-fall expect markings of dappled white and apple green. Even in the dead of winter, bright red stems sparkle on trimmed plants. Manageable at four to six feet tall and wide, periodic pruning not only controls its frame but insures a rebirth of fresh, colorful new growth. For more information on this plant, visit www. gardensplendor.com “Plants Worth Remembering.”

Another Dappled Willow that has captured the attention of gardeners in recent years is Salix integra “Hakuro-nishiki.” Thought by many to maintain a tight, compact habit, nothing could be further from the truth. “Hakuro-nishiki” grows in full sun and thrives in moist soil. Similar markings to “Flamingo,” “Hakuro-nishiki” grows 15 feet tall and wide. A few years ago I won a bet suggesting this plant for a residential garden. Approached with a fiscally challenging budget, others suggested spruce, pine and hemlock. The goal was only to achieve a 10-foot hedge and it didn’t need to be evergreen. With a $45 price point, we were not only under budget, we exceeded expectations in two years creating a colorful wall. Both “Flamingo” and “Hakuro-nishiki” benefit from heavy pruning in early-spring, when still dormant, late-spring to early-summer and finally, again, at the end of summer. After all, it’s the new growth that is so colorful on both these plants and frequent pruning ensures vibrant markings.

Finally, the big boy that most envision is Golden Weeping Willow, Salix x “Niobe.”. Standing, at maturity, some 40 to 50 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide, this handsome candidate is one of the first to leaf out in the spring and last to drop its leaves in the fall. Arguably, its most impressive attribute is the yellow bark on younger branches. Truly a stunner from any distance, “Niobe” is tolerant of wet, clay and deer. Willows like this, again, are what many envision and why most are cautious when they hear the name. Now you know better, though!

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, the American Boxwood Society, the European Boxwood Society, a members of the Reeves-Reed Arboretum Buildings and Grounds Committee, a lifetime member of the Conifer Society, a member of the NJ Plants Trade Show Advisory Board, and past member of the retail council for Monrovia Growers. He can be reached at (908) 665-0331.

Gardener News

June, 2014 21

Support NJ Agriculture JERSEY GROWN

Nursery Stock JERSEY GROWN

Sunflower Birdseed JERSEY GROWN

Firewood

JERSEY GROWN

When you’re shopping for JERSEY GROWN nursery stock, you know the trees, shrubs, plants and flowers are checked for quality, disease, are pest free, and accustomed to the Garden State’s climate and soil conditions.

Annuals & Perennials Made With JERSEY GROWN

Wood Birdhouses & Bird Feeders

Governor Chris Christie Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher

jerseygrown.nj.gov

22 June, 2014

Gardener News

CASE FILES

From the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County Garden Help Line

By Madeline Flahive DiNardo, Union County Agricultural Agent and Master Gardeners, MC Schwartz and James Keane Q. I am planting Boxwood in my yard and would like to take care of them using Integrated Pest Management strategies. What should I do? Linden Landscaper A. Integrated Pest Management, IPM, is using cultural, mechanical, biological, and if necessary, the least-toxic pesticide, to prevent or manage plant problems caused by insects or disease. Practicing IPM does not mean that you will not have insect or disease issues, but if they are present, you may be able to keep them at an acceptable level that will not kill the plant.

The first step in developing an IPM plan for your boxwood is to learn about them: What conditions they prefer; how to take care of them; and identifying common insect and disease problems they are susceptible to getting.

Boxwood have a very shallow root system, so there are some actions you can take to protect the roots.

Avoid any excavation around boxwood plantings that could disrupt the shallow roots. Mulch should only be one inch thick. Thicker layers of mulch may encourage the shallow roots to grow in the mulch layer instead of in the soil. This growth habit makes the roots much more susceptible to drought injury.

Thicker layers of mulch create ideal habitat for small animals like moles, voles and mice, who love to nibble on the bark of landscape shrubs. Another way to protect the roots is to fertilize in mid-October to November, once the boxwood is dormant. Follow soil test recommendations, as boxwood are sensitive to fertilizer burn. Boxwood favor well drained soils with a pH of 6.0 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7.0. Avoid planting them directly under a roof eave or at the base of a storm gutter drain, as falling snow loads or excess water can cause damage to the plant.

Full sun or partial shade are good light conditions for boxwood, but being exposed to full sun during the winter months may cause the leaves to turn orange as a result of being burned by the winter sun.

Consider planting boxwood in an eastern or northern sun exposure to help protect it from winter injury from the sun. Another way to protect boxwood from drying winter winds is to construct a burlap â&#x20AC;&#x153;fenceâ&#x20AC;? around them. Stake a wooden pole at four corners of an individual plant or small group of boxwood, and wrap burlap around the stakes. Leave the bottom foot and top open to provide some air circulation.

Remove the fence in the spring and store it to reinstall in the late-fall.

The ideal time to prune boxwood is when they are dormant, December to February. Thinning is the best pruning method for boxwood. Prune on a dry day. Remove any branches you may notice cankers on or see evidence of insect infestation, such as egg masses. Older leaves on the inner branches will naturally shed; simply rake them off the ground. Gently remove leaves on the branch crotches. These practices help prevent future insect and disease problems.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve covered growing conditions and cultural care of boxwood, so what are some common insect and disease problems to be on the lookout for? A â&#x20AC;&#x153;short listâ&#x20AC;? includes the disease Volutella canker, and pests Leafminers and Boxwood Psyllid. IPM practitioners monitor their plants at least every two weeks during the growing season and once or twice during the winter, looking for these common problems.

Volutella thrives in moist spring weather. You may notice pink spores on the leaves. On infected branches the leaves turn red, fading to bronze and yellow. The bark may become loose. Prune out infected branches on a dry day and sterilize your pruning tools with rubbing alcohol between cuts. If the infection is very severe, apply a copper fungicide just before new growth begins in the spring and continue as directed on the label. This application protects the new growth from infection. The fungicide may need to be reapplied in the fall.

Boxwood Leafminer damage is first noticed in the late-summer, as blotch shaped mines appear on the undersides of the leaves. The problem actually starts in the spring when small orange flies lay their eggs on the leaves. Gently shaking the shrubs in April will disturb the flies, revealing their presence. The eggs hatch and the yellow larvae feed on the plant tissue between the top and bottom leaf surface. Heavily infested plants will have severe leaf drop in the fall and/or early-spring. Remove the fallen leaves. If pesticide use is deemed appropriate, it is best applied in April to mid-May according to label directions.

When monitoring your boxwood, if you notice that the leaves are cupped at the terminal and lateral branches, you may have Boxwood Psylla insects present. Psylla overwinter as orange eggs or first instar nymphs in the leaf buds. In the spring, the eggs hatch and the green nymphs begin to feed, causing the leaves to cup. When you first see the nymphs, insecticidal soap can be used to knock down the population.

The nymphs cover themselves with a wax-like secretion. Light-green adults emerge in late-May or June.

They lay their eggs in the bud scale. Luckily, there is only one generation per year.

Proper cultural care, being watchful for common problems and correcting them early before they become severe, are key to a successful IPM plan.

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: The Union County Master Gardenerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HELP LINE fields hundreds of citizen inquiries a year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; offering assistance with their indoor as well as outdoor gardening and pestcontrol questions. Responses to resident phone calls and on-site visits comply with current Rutgers NJ Agricultural Experiment Station recommendations. Union County residents can call (908) 6549852 or email mastergardeners@ucnj.org for assistance. A complete listing of Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) offices where you can contact a Master Gardener in your area can be found on page 26 of the Gardener News. Free RCE fact sheets are available at www.njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs

NJ: Certificates Required for All Sales of Perennials, Woody Plants 75(1721 1- Ę&#x160; 7KH 1HZ -HUVH\ 'HSDUWPHQW of Agriculture is reminding landscapers, vendors or organizations, including non-profit organizations, selling nursery stock in your community they must have a valid New Jersey nursery stock dealer certificate, nursery stock grower certificate or other inspection certificate issued by the Departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Division of Plant Industry.

Nursery stock includes all plants, shrubs, trees and vines grown for sale excluding herbaceous annuals or plants, flowers, vines or cuttings grown under glass an commonly known as florist stock.

The Department offers certificates for one-time sales and for businesses who regularly sell nursery stock.

Persons selling nursery stock in the state must have a valid New Jersey nursery stock dealer or nursery stock grower certificate. They also must sell only certified nursery stock and provide documents to verify certification of stock offered for sale.

The inspection and certification program protects consumers from purchasing infested plants. Inspections reduce losses by harmful pests as problems can be detected and treated before they cause any serious damage. Treekilling plant pests and diseases such as the Emerald ash borer and Sudden Oak Death or nuisance pests such as imported fire ants can hitchhike on nursery stock brought into New Jersey and to your community from other parts of the country.

Information about Plant Dealer Certification can be found on the Departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at www.nj.gov/ agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/nursery.html

Gardener News

June, 2014 23

Eating healthy while also enjoying America’s pastime New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher met up with Sparky Lyle, Manager Emeritus, Somerset Patriots, and a former left-handed relief pitcher who spent 16 seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1967 through 1982, when Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (BCBSofNJ) teamed up with the Somerset Patriots to bring the “Healthy Plate” Concession Stand to TD Bank Park in Bridgewater, Somerset County.

Designed by Horizon BCBS of NJ-certified nutritionists, the new menu is a grand slam of heart-healthy entrees, appetizers, beverages and snacks. Among the items on the menu are low-fat turkey burgers, lean roast beef sandwiches, low-sodium chicken sandwiches, black bean veggie burgers, baked chips, salads and fresh fruit cups. Healthy Plate also will feature Jersey Fresh produce in season. In its inaugural year in 2013, the Healthy Plate Concession stand was enjoyed by thousands of fans at three of New Jersey’s great minor league ball parks in Trenton, Lakewood and Camden. For 2014, fans of the Somerset Patriots will also now enjoy the nutritious fare from Tom Castronovo/Photo Healthy Plate.

Greetings from the rebuilt, restructured, reimagined and redefined Jersey shore!

We are here for you! Give us your untanned, your burntout from work, your people seeking relaxation and we will try our best to revive, restore and rebuild you!

We are back, better than ever, with a bit of an unwanted facelift, but nonetheless back! Full force! It’s time to get off your butt and get on down here. In all seriousness, the amount of work that has been going on down here is truly amazing. If there could be one “good thing” about what happened after Sandy, it would be the amount of people it put to work. As much as I try not to keep writing about the rebuilding topic, I find it very hard not to. It affected and still affects so many people, many of whom are family and friends of people we all know. I find it to be important to report upon the latest happenings, especially for those who haven’t been to our beautiful coast in a while. As many of you may know, Route 35 has been under some serious construction all year long.

With lane closings, crazy pot holes, labyrinthine detours, etc.; it has been a tough

From the Deep

By Craig Korb Executive Chef

Greetings from the Jersey Shore winter to drive these roads.

Each day, especially now, the roads are opened up again, traffic is flowing fine and construction has basically stopped for the summer.

Again, thanks for listening to all of my ranting and raving.

Onto the recipe du jour, roasted panko-sesame crusted fish with Asian slaw and sesame vinaigrette. I introduced this dish to the restaurant over this past winter and it received great reviews. Our endearing wait staff loved it, which means they’ll sell it, which is great. It is more of a warmweather dish because of the slaw. The slaw itself makes a great, and healthy, summer side dish. Especially as an alternative to the heavily mayonnaise-laced traditional slaw. The other good thing about this dish is the relative ease of preparation. The

one downside could possibly be the amount of random ingredients involved, but that’s OK, you’ll want to make this again. So here we go again, remember that the slaw can be prepared well in advance and that the vinaigrette should be added just before serving to preserve the crispness of the slaw. Good luck and hope to see you this summer!

Panko-sesame crusted Halibut with Asian slaw and sesame vinaigrette (serves 4) 4- 8 oz. fish filets or steaks, (you can use halibut, flounder, sea bass, sword fish or even tilapia) 1 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs 1 oz. toasted sesame seeds, black, white or mixed 1 Tbsp. dried chives (optional) Salt and pepper to taste 1 stick salted butter, melted

1 head red cabbage, very thinly shredded, (can be precut/shredded) if you do it yourself, be sure to rinse thoroughly with cold water in a colander until water runs clear 1 bunch fresh cilantro, washed and chopped 1 bunch scallions, washed and thinly sliced on a bias 1 cup shredded carrots 1 lime, cut into ¼-inch wheels sesame vinaigrette1/4 cup pure sesame oil 1/4 cup light olive or veg oil 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar 1 tsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. mirin (optional) -whisk all ingredients together and set aside. method-

-pre-heat oven to 400 degrees -mix together panko, sesame seeds, a little salt and pepper, and dried chives in a small bowl -place fish on a lightly oiled baking pan and coat with melted butter liberally -press panko mixture onto fish and bake until golden brown and cooked through, generally 10 minutes per inch of fish -in a separate bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, scallions, cilantro and carrots -pour in the vinaigrette, enough to coat and toss gently -place slaw on plate and just overlap the fish over the slaw, garnish with lime wheel and a drizzle more of the vinaigrette.

-Enjoy!

Editor’s Note: Craig Korb is executive chef at The Crab’s Claw Inn, Lavallette, New Jersey. He has an Associates degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelors degree in Food Service Management from Johnson and Wales University.

For more information visit www.TheCrabsClaw.com or phone (732) 793-4447.

24 June, Juune, 2014 201 20144

Gardener Gard rde dener er Ne News New wss

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Time To Get in that Garden! & Garden Center Come Visit Our Fully Stocked Garden Center.

Shop Our Six Acre Glass House Facility.

WE HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED! Buy Direct From One Of NJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Largest Growers Of Plants & Flowers!

Tons of Beautiful Annuals in Flats & Pots Huge Variety of Perennials Thousands of Beautiful Hanging Baskets Trees & Shrubs Herbs & Vegetables Gardening Supplies Soils & Mulch Indoor & Outdoor Containers & Pots & Much More!

Oldwick

202

Lamington

206

78 kR d.

Pluckemin

Hunterdon

Somerset

n to

ing

m

La

Old

wic

78

.

Rd

Rd .

287 Bridgew North Branch

202

od d

ing ton

22

4C

din

gto

nR

d.

206 Solberg Airport

Rea

Whitehouse Station

So Raritan

202 O

ork ld Y

Rd.

www.hionisgreenhouses.com $PEEJOHUPO 3E 8IJUFIPVTF 4UBUJPO /+ t

Gardener News

June, 2014 25

Positive Steps for Pollinator Growth

By Jeannie Geremia Garden Club of New Jersey It’s great to be immersed in that wonderfully hectic time of year when there’s never enough minutes in a day to do all we want to in our yards and gardens.

This year especially seems to have beckoned us to go over the top with all kinds of new plants, gardening strategies and pollinators to think about and incorporate into our gardens.

Where to begin is the key, after such a long, cold winter and spring. We certainly have had time to take stock of our own yards and gardens, not to mention reading so many depressing articles on continuing pollinator declines in our bee and butterfly populations. They, too, were hit hard with a delayed spring and continual cold, wet weather. So my gardening friends, we’ll start laying out positive steps for each and every one of us to take in our own gardens, yards, public gardens and community gardens.

First off, we must provide food sources as soon as possible in the season for our early bee species as they come out of winter hibernation needing immediate sustenance.

Many of my fellow gardeners were complaining about the lack of flowering plants in their yards because of the unusually cold spring weather seemingly delaying everything. I found in my own yard, that my nonnative Hellebores ended up supplying a much needed buffet of pollen along with early bulbs such as Chionodoxa “Glory in the Snow,” followed closely by my native Virginia Blue Bells, Dutchman’s Breeches, Bloodroot and violets. If you don’t have these or similar plants, and were unable to help our pollinators out this spring, please consider adding these wonderful plants so you can help feed our early pollinators and keep them from starving next spring.

Beyond Pesticides “Bee Protective Habitat Guide” that you can download from their website: www. beyondpesticides.org, is a color illustrated, 17-page guide showcasing pollinatorfriendly flowers from spring to fall. The GCNJ Butterflies & BeeGAP Project Committee has ordered hundreds of these free booklets, just paying shipping costs so we can provide them to garden club members and attendees at our Butterflies & BeeGAP programs and educational venues throughout the state.

We are also giving copies to our local garden centers and encouraging them to order them for their customers and establish “pollinator friendly” sections showcasing organic and/or pesticide-free native plants that will be a “customer magnet” to their businesses.

Beyond Pesticides also offer “Pesticide Free Zone” Honey Bee or Lady Bug yard signs, and we’re encouraging the gardening community to order and install them in their yards as a healthy environment and community is up to all of us.

Another creative and fun way to attract our native pollinators is to build or provide pollinator houses, shelters and nesting sites.

Navesink Garden Club first alerted me to “pollinator hotels” as they plan on building these amazing structures in the backyards of their garden club members. If you haven’t heard of these, just Google “pollinator habitats” and you’ll be enthralled with the innovative creations that seem to have been started in Germany and Great Britain. What a great project for community gardens, schools, scout groups and garden clubs to undertake.

It’ll lead to furthering our knowledge and whetting our appetite to come up with much needed solutions to growing our pollinator populations. You can also just purchase solitary native bee houses from Crown

Bees, Gardeners Supply Company (their tear-drop Mason Bee house delights our members and program attendees alike), and Lee Valley with their Xerces Society’s approved native bee houses.

We can easily add a Monarch Waystation in our yards and gardens as we all know our precious Monarchs are in serious decline. I spoke to Angie Babbit of Monarch Watch about the availability of milkweed plugs and they are currently “sold out” as they’ve been inundated with orders and they had a crop failure this past winter of one of the common milkweed species, causing even more of a supply problem. They plan on growing as much as possible for planting this fall and they offer 32 plugs in a flat at a wholesale rate, plus they will provide free flats to schools and non-profits.

Please go to their website: www.MonarchWatch.org for more information, including downloadable instructions on creating Monarch Waystations.

The first generation Black Swallowtails have just hatched out, so you’ll be seeing these beauties pollinating your flowers and the females looking for their caterpillars’ host plants to lay their eggs. Please download our Black Swallowtail petition on our website below and write your local congressmen to have the Black Swallowtail become New Jersey’s official State Butterfly.

Editor’s Note: Jeannie Geremia is the Community Garden Chair and the Butterflies & BeeGAP Chair for the Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc., and is a National Garden Clubs, Inc., Accredited Judge for the GCNJ. Jeannie can be reached by emailing jeannieg42@earthlink. net Garden Club of New Jersey website is: www. gardenclubofnewjersey. com and phone number is 732-249-0947.

New Ornamental Tung Tree Available

By Jan Suszkiw Public Affairs Specialist Anna Bella may herald a new generation of ornamental tung tree varieties suitable for landscape uses in the U.S. Gulf Coast region.

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) molecular geneticist Timothy Rinehart, Anna Bella marks a first in ornamental tung releases because it is sterile and produces virtually no nuts, which are toxic if ingested and pose a mowing hazard if left on the ground.

From the late 1920s to early 1970s, tung trees had been grown commercially on plantations across the Gulf Coast area as a nut-based source of highquality oil for paints, varnishes, lacquers, wood finishes and other industrial products. A convergence of factors ultimately scuttled the tung oil industry there, but nostalgia for Vernicia fordii, as the native Chinese tree is known scientifically, has lingered to this day.

The downside to planting tung as an ornamental has been the nuts, which are no longer harvested for their oil, notes Rinehart, with the Thad Cochran Southern Horticultural Research Laboratory operated in Poplarville, Miss., by

the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). ARS is USDA’s chief intramural scientific research agency.

Anna Bella, which is adapted to conditions in the South, can reach nearly 40 feet tall and opens into an umbrella-shaped canopy of lush, heart-shaped leaves. It blooms in late spring, producing clusters of white, long-lasting flowers tinged in the centers with yellow or red. The new variety requires little maintenance, bounces back well from pruning, and can withstand common insect pests and diseases.

It is ideal for both single specimen and row plantings, such as in backyards and along roadsides or property boundaries.

Because it produces no seed, the variety is unlikely to persist beyond intended planting sites, a characteristic that may encourage wider acceptance of the tree species as an ornamental offering.

Rinehart has already received requests from a few specialty nurseries interested in propagating the variety.

Editor’s Note: Jan Suszkiw works for the USDA Agricultural Research Service.

She can be reached at 301504-1630 or by emailing Jan.Suszkiw@ars.usda.gov

26 June, 2014

Gardener News

5($' 7+,6 3$3(5 21/,1( Â&#x2021; ::: *$5'(1(51(:6 &20 Troy-Bilt Electric Leaf Blowers Recalled :$6+,1*721 ' & Ę&#x160; &RQVXPHUV VKRXOG VWRS XVLQJ WKLV SURGXFW XQOHVV RWKHUZLVH instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Recall Summary Name of Product: Troy-Bilt electric leaf blowers Hazard: The blowerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impeller can break and strike the operator during use, posing a laceration hazard.

Remedy: Replace Consumer Contact: Troy-Bilt toll-free at (888) 848-6038 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.troybilt.com and click on Recalls under the Ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center tab for more information.

Photos available at http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2014/Troy-Bilt-Electric-Leaf-BlowersRecalled-by-MTD/ Recall Details Units: About 134,000 Description: This recall involves Troy-Bilt electric leaf blowers with model TB180B, item number 41BA180G966 and serial numbers ranging from S1D111XK0001 through S1F152XK2008. They were manufactured between April 11, 2011 and June 15, 2012. The third through sixth characters of the serial number identify the manufacturing date. The third character is the month, for example D for April, E for May and F for June. The fourth and fifth characters are the day of the month. The sixth character is the last digit of the year of manufacture. Model, item and serial number are located on a white label on the bottom of motor housing. The 7.5 amp electric blowers are red. Troy-Bilt and TB180B appear on a sticker on both sides of the unit.

Incidents/Injuries: MTD has received 17 incident reports, including 12 injuries that resulted in lacerations requiring stitches, cuts and bruises.

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled blowers immediately. Loweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s customers should return them to Loweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for a free replacement. Consumers who bought their blowers online at www.troybilt.com should contact Troy-Bilt for a free replacement.

Sold at: Loweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stores nationwide and online at www.troybilt.com from May 2011 through November 2013 for about $34.

Importer: MTD Southwest Inc., of Tempe, Ariz.

Manufacturer: KingClean Electric Co., Ltd., of China Manufactured in: China

Gardener News The Premier Gardening Monthly Newspaper Number 134 Published Monthly Contact Information Phone: 908.604.4444 Website: www.GardenerNews.com E-Mail: Mail@GardenerNews.com Staff Executive Editor/ Publisher . . . .

Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tom Castronovo Justin Kukuc Tom Castronovo

June Columnists Tom Castronovo Tim Hionis Evan Dickerson Paul Kneeland Craig Korb Douglas H. Fisher

Todd Pretz Jody Shilan Bob LaHoff Peter Melick Richard Perkins

Contributing Writers

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: 856-307-6450 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

STANLEY OSUR CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let Us Help You Growâ&#x20AC;?

973-423-4949

TO RESERVE AD SPACE IN GARDENER NEWS CALL: 908.604.4444 Computer C Co omputer omputer t r Consulting Cons Services

Cust Solutions Custom Business for Small S

FOR SALE

3 - 4â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Specimen American Boxwoods

Gardener News is published monthly by

Compl Care IT Packages Complete Helpdesk Helpde Solutions Remote Remot Desktop Support Office to Internet Setup 908.756.480 908 908.756.4800 756 4800 Network Design & Installation Netwo N t sales@TeamCCS.net sa ales@TeamCCS les@TeamCCS.ne neet Remote RRemott Site & Home to Office Setup www.TeamCCS.net HIPAA Privacy Implementation

Gardener News, Inc.

Serving New York, New Jersey & Pennsylvania

973-865-6362

Bruce Crawford Jeannie Geremia Ann Perry Jan Suszkiw

Kathleen Salisbury Union Co. Master Gardeners Kim Kaplan

16 Mount Bethel Road #123 Warren, NJ 07059 Subscription Information Subscription: One year by mail $26.00 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) 2014 Gardener News, Inc.

Computer Consulting Services of NJ, Inc.

Hidden Pond Farms Please ask for Chris

Full Moon, June 13, 2014

TIP OF THE MONTH

-Keep your garden organic, and keep it safe. Companion plants that deter insects are mostly herbs or flowers. For example, marigold is effective against aphids, Mexican bean beetle, nematodes and other insects. Presumably, marigolds also keep out rabbits. Geranium deters most insects. Garlic deters Japanese beetle and also works against blight. Lavender repels flies, silverfish and fleas. Plant horseradish near potatoes to deter potato bug.

Basil makes a good companion plant, as do sage, rosemary and thyme. The mint family repels flies, fleas, mice, rats and ants, but you need to keep it in check because it spreads quickly. Creeping pests like slugs, snails and caterpillars approach your plants from the ground â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so make it a sharp, dangerous place. To deter them, spread crushed eggshells beneath the targeted plants.

-Wait to remove the foliage on your tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and spring-flowering bulbs until itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gone fully yellow and pulls easily out of the ground. If thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still some resistance when you try to pull it out of your garden, the bulbs are still absorbing sunlight for next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s floral display

Gardener Gard rde dener Ne New News ws ws

June, Ju ne, e, 2014 27 27

Stronger, Smarter & the Most Dependable Full-Size Pick Up On the Road...

2014 NEW CHEVY

SILVERADO

Named Nor t h Americ an Truck of t he Year

$

500 off

*

*Good toward the p purchase of a new vehicle at Gearhart Chevy. y Must present this ad to receive discount by 6/30/14

2-Year Scheduled Maintenance Coverage Included On NEW 2014 Chevy Models *See Dealer for Complete Details On-Premise Auto Body Shop with 24 hr Towing Service

Tilton Family Owned and Selling Cars the RIGHT WAY Since 1929

800-269-0788 281 Route 46 East, Denville, NJ leads@gearhartchevy.com Scan to see our inventory

*See dealer for complete details of all offers. Not responsible for typographical errors. **2014 Chevy Silverado was named North American Truck of the Year by the North American International Auto Show.

OVER 500 NEW AND 300 PRE-OWNED CARS IN STOCK

28 June, 2014

Gardener News

Locally Grown and Delivered in a Day Have you ever tasted a tomato thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fresh off the vine? Crisp, crunchy greens that were just harvested by hand? With our 24 Hour Just Picked Promise \RXÂśOO ÂżQG WKHVH kinds of delicious choices all summer long.

These fruits, vegetables and herbs go from ORFDO ÂżHOGV WR RXU VWRUHV LQ one day or less.

Come visit us today at your neighborhood Kings Food Markets to enjoy the incredible Ă&#x20AC;DYRU RI ORFDO IDUPV

Follow us for fresh updates! | www.kingsfoodmarkets.com | #Kingsjustpicked