Gardener News April 2014

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TAKE ONE April, 2014

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TAKE ONE No. 132

Being a good housemate to your houseplants

By Tom Castronovo Executive Editor

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Tony Maiello, general manager of Metropolitan Plant Exchange in West Orange, NJ.

Houseplants have become a staple in most homes and offices, says Tony Maiello, general manager of Metropolitan Plant Exchange in West Orange, NJ. And after caring for thousands of them for over 35 years, he should know.

I have lots of different houseplants in different parts of the house. Each room has different light, a different room temperature and different humidity levels.

With Maiello’s experience, I thought he would be the one to ask about the proper care for them.

First, I wanted to know about watering. For example, I told him my corn plant, or dracaena, seems to be developing yellow tips and browning around the leaf edges. He told me that there is no magic formula or timetable for watering them.

Since temperatures, light and humidity tend to change, it is not practical to water them on a set schedule. The best way to tell if it needs water is to feel the soil and see how dry it is. When the top inch of soil is dry, it is time to water. He said to make sure the water temperature is not too hot or too cold, just pleasant to the touch.

He also said that corn (Continued on Page 8)

2 April, 2014

GARDEN CENTER DIRECTORY

Gardener News

EasterFlowers

Gardener News

April, 2014 3 Around The Garden

By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

Easter Flowers

Agricultural Legislation The New Jersey Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee recently passed, or should I say, “reported favorably” on the following legislation that supports agriculture in the great Garden State. And I’m in favor of anything that helps support our farmers and anything agriculturally related. The below are the bill numbers and their Statements.

ASSEMBLY No. 1812 This bill amends the new vehicle “lemon law,” P.L.1988, c.123 (C.56:12-29 et seq.), to extend the protections of the new vehicle “lemon law” to new motor vehicle farm equipment purchased or leased in New Jersey. More specifically, the bill includes farm tractors under the types of motor vehicles covered under the terms of the “lemon law,” along with the existing categories of passenger automobiles, authorized emergency vehicles and motorcycles. The bill references the definition of “farm tractor” used in R.S.39:1-1, which definition is “every motor vehicle designed and used primarily as a farm implement for drawing plows, mowing machines, and other implements of husbandry.”

ASSEMBLY No. 548 The Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 548.

This bill would designate the bison (or American buffalo) as agricultural livestock, subject to regulations of the Department of Agriculture. Currently, these animals are considered an “exotic species,” and their possession is regulated by the Division of Fish and Wildlife in the Department of Environmental Protection. The bill also would permit the Department of Agriculture to adopt rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of the bill.

This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2014-2015 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

ASSEMBLY No. 535 This bill clarifies the requirements for persons wishing to become holders of agricultural driving permits and licenses.

Since 1942, the State of New Jersey has issued agricultural driver’s licenses and permits to allow 16 year olds to lawfully operate farm equipment, and trucks registered as farm vehicles, when engaged directly and exclusively in agricultural activities.

The graduated driver license program, which was established in 2001, significantly changed the driving privileges of permit holders and new licensees. These changes, particularly the requirement that 16 year old permit holders must be in the company and under the supervision of a licensed driver over the age of 21, undermine the purpose and value of an agricultural driver’s license. This bill would exempt agricultural driver’s licensees from that restriction, provided they successfully complete an approved minimum six-hour behind-thewheel driver training course.

The bill also clarifies that the Kyleigh’s Law requirement to display special learner’s permit decals does not apply to holders of agricultural permits or licenses or motor vehicles registered as farm vehicles. Established by that law in 2009, the decal requirement is an enforcement tool for ensuring permit holders complied with the requirements of being accompanied by a licensed driver and not driving after 11 p.m. However: farm vehicles cannot be operated on the roadways between sunset and sunrise; the purpose of the agricultural driver’s license is to allow 16 year olds to operate farm vehicles without supervision in limited circumstances; and less than 200 agricultural driver’s licenses are issued to 16 years olds each year.

This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2014-2015 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

ASSEMBLY No. 1955 This bill, as amended, would authorize the owner of a damaged or destroyed tree, sapling, or shrub, or of damaged or destroyed flowers, vines, or other plants, to bring an action in Superior Court against the person who, without the consent of the owner, damaged or destroyed the tree, sapling, shrub, flowers, vines, or other plants, for the cost of replacement thereof.

The bill, as amended, would require the replacement cost to include delivery and labor charges for planting a replacement tree, sapling, or shrub or the replacement flowers, vines, or other plants. The court would be required to determine the replacement cost. The bill, as amended, would provide an exemption for public utilities and telecommunications companies performing their duties. This exemption would apply to telephone companies and any other public utility included in that term as defined under R.S.48:2-13, and in addition telecommunications companies. Finally, the bill, as amended, would repeal R.S.4:17-9 (enacted in 1926) and R.S.4:17-10 (enacted in 1877), as these provisions no longer reflect the current cost of replacing damaged trees and other plants, or the current jurisprudence for handling these types of court actions.

This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2014-2015 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

The committee amendments clarify that the exemption in the bill for public utilities would include telephone companies by referencing the definition of public utility under R.S.48:2-13 and also telecommunications companies.

As I type out my column, no companion bills have been introduced in the Senate yet. If you happen to know a Senator, please ask them to sponsor and/or co-sponsor a companion bill to these Assembly bills in the state Senate.

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.

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Ninety-nine years ago, on January 27, 1915, the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture Secretary Franklin Dye reported the following: “None can prophesy what its days and seasons have in store. But for the farmer, the promise still stands ‘Seedtime and harvest shall not fail.’

The promise is sure, but the reward will be in the measure of the intelligence and diligence used in seeking it. Favored are they who have the ability to plan wisely the successive stages of a year’s work, the various branches of the farm industry, and still more favored if they are able to carry their plans through to a successful issue. That eminent preacher, Rev. J. H. Jowett, D.D., said in part, in a recent sermon based on a text connected with ancient agriculture, ‘We have been watching the logical and progressive processes of agriculture and what have we seen? We have seen that the farmer’s life is not a collection of isolated and unrelated events.

The farmer’s varied labors constitute a process, inspired by reason, governed by purpose, with an intelligent and orderly adjustment of means to ends…

on February 5 and 6, 2014. The delegates of all the agricultural commodities and interests in the state met, discussed and produced resolutions on the following and many more issues: microenterprises, locally grown, GMO and renewable energy.

It was a great convention and much was accomplished during the two days. Next year, we look forward to celebrating the 100th anniversary of the state agricultural convention.

It is a tribute to agriculture in our state that we still can boast that New Jersey is truly the Garden State.

NJ Dept. of Agriculture

By Douglas H. Fisher Secretary of Agriculture New Jersey Agriculture’s Annual Convention Closing in on 100 Years His movements have eyes. His work today has its eyes on tomorrow. One act reaches forward to another act. And so the succession becomes a living sequence, and everything is joined to everything else in vital and reasonable communion.’

Dr. Jowett is right, and not only do the wise farmers’ plans cover all the operations of a single year, but they reach forward in outline to the years that are to follow. Only so can increasing yields be secured, while at the same time improving the soil.

This latter point should never be lost sight of. The soil is the farmers’ mainstay, hence the growing importance of knowing more and more of its requirements for the production of the crops we attempt to grow, and the use of such materials as will contribute to crop production and soil

improvement. These questions lie at the foundation of modern agriculture. To ignore them is to invite failure. Our farmers, the farmers of New Jersey, are utilizing the knowledge, both scientific and practical, that is now being so widely diffused, and the rewards in the yield of the various crops for 1914 have, in the aggregate, been equal to the previous year. And this is said notwithstanding the various adverse influences of drought in some sections and too much rain in others, of insect and plant disease pests, of too great a yield of some crops and yields reduced in others, from whatever cause.

Therein lies the field of uncertainty in all agricultural endeavor, and it seems to be widening and is becoming more difficult to control, if indeed it will be effectively

Look Who’s Reading the Gardener News!

It’s in the news

Tom Castronovo/Photo

New Jersey State Board of Agriculture President Robert Swanekamp, Sr. looks over New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher’s column in the March Gardener News. The State Board of Agriculture, an eight-member body created by statute in 1887, serves as the policy-making and general head of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. The Board is charged with setting policies which direct the Secretary and the Department in carrying out their duties and responsibilities. Each member serves a four-year term, with two members replaced annually by new members elected at the State Agricultural Convention and appointed by the Governor with the approval of the State Senate. By law, at least four of the members must represent the top four commodity groups in the state based on a two-year average of the gross value of production. Swanekamp is also an owner of Kube-Pak, a wholesale greenhouse located in Allentown, N.J.

controlled, notwithstanding the investigations of scientific men.

“Take one example only, that of the potato, in the language of the street, ‘Where are we at?’ While we are trying to overcome one enemy another assails, meanwhile various recruits are waiting in ambush for a new attack. But the farmer is not accustomed to surrender.

If he lost in the game of 1914, he will renew his efforts in 1915, and so the business of crop production goes on year after year. If it were not so, the outlook would be gloomy indeed.”

So, just as they did in Trenton that January in 1915, your current State Board under the direction of President Robert Swanekamp, dealt with the issues of today’s 21st Ccentury farmer at the 99th State Agricultural Convention

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

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It was time for all things spring New Jersey officials were on hand to help open the 18th Annual Springfest Garden Show as it burst into bloom on March 13, 2014. As New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher, left, and New Jersey Assemblywoman Alison McHose, center, toured the show, they met up with Landscape Architect David Wright, who happened to be sporting a Jersey Grown fleece.

Wright is president of the Springfest Garden Show and a garden exhibitor at the show. In addition to David Wright Landscape Architect LLC, the officials also visited glorious gardens created by Hautau Landscaping, Inc., Three Seasons, Inc., Garden State Koi and Aquatic Center, Farmside Landscape & Design, Erik Enterprises Landscaping LLC, and Anthony Group Installers. The show was held March 13-16, 2014 in the sun-drenched conservatory and greenhouse at Sussex County Fair Grounds in Augusta, Sussex County, N.J. Springfest, a non-profit show produced by garden-lovers for garden-lovers, annually hosts more than 8,000 visitors from the tri-state area. Proceeds benefit the promotion Tom Castronovo/Photo of excellence in horticulture.

As I write this, winter is still deeply rooted; there was snow again last night.

For a sleepy winter garden, snow covering was not a bad thing. Snow actually acts like a giant blanket, keeping things at a steady temperature.

Unfortunately though, snow and ice have caused some issues in the garden. The weight of the snow and ice has caused many branches to snap or break. Some plants that grow in vertical plains like arborvitae have split down the middle. Broken and scraped branches need to be removed immediately.

Many evergreens don’t look like evergreens right now. Many have lots of brown leaves. This has been caused by several different issues.

Leaf damage occurs when water turns to ice inside of the leaves, and the cells are damaged when the ice breaks apart the cells. You may notice in some locations that only the top half of your plant is brown.

The reason that only the top is brown is that the snow protected the lower portion of the plant. However, the sun reflecting off of the snow will heat the leaves of the top part

The Great Plant Escape

By David Williams Plant Enthusiast

Clearing Away the Winter of 2014 of the plant to above freezing temperatures. When the sun sets for the day, the leaves drop below freezing, and the ice in those leaves freezes and makes those leaves brown.

Some plants were located in places that had a huge amount of wind. Although plants don’t experience “windchill,” plants that are in windy locations can be subjected to desiccation (drying out) which could also leave to browning.

Some evergreens have waxier surfaces, which acts like a natural barrier, and some will show more damage than others. Also, the plant’s winter hardiness zone will help be a guideline to how much damage a plant will receive.

The winter hardiness of the plant is based on the average minimum low temperature. In 2010, the USDA changed the

hardiness zone of Westfield to 7a, which means that our average low temperature is 5 degree Fahrenheit. We did drop below that temperature, so there is a possibility that some plants that normally would survive our winters will have severe dieback or fatality.

Sometimes winter damage does not show up until the weather starts to warm up, and the plant is given the sign that it’s time to grow. The brown leaves on the evergreens will fall off, but the leaf buds may still be intact. Trees like southern magnolias will experience a leaf fall in the spring. Feed your plants! One of the most important things that you can do after a winter is to encourage healthy new growth. I am feeding all of the evergreens in my yard with Holly-tone. (A family-owned

New Jersey company!)

One plant on which I expect there to be some major dieback is Crepe Myrtles. The first thing to do is not to panic.

After a severe winter, crepe myrtles can be very late to leaf out. You may have to wait until late-May before you know if it is dead or not.

Crepe Myrtles flower on new wood, so even if 70 percent of the tree has died, there is still a reasonable chance that it will still flower. If you are worried, you can do the scrape test to the stem. Scrape the stem with your finger nail.

If it is green underneath, the plant is probably still be alive.

Once the new growth starts to emerge, you will have a good idea if there is damage to any portion of the plant. Once it is determined that there is die-back, and that certain

portions of the plant are not going to live, these should be removed immediately. This will also apply to Buddleia (butterfly bushes), rose bushes, hydrangea, etc. The older varieties of hydrangea flower on buds that were set in the fall, so it is possible that they will not flower this year.

This is the main reason that some of the newer varieties like Endless Summer have become more popular, as they will flower even after a harsh winter. If you are still not sure, bring a small branch into any garden center.

Editor’s Note: David is a fourth generation partner at Williams Nursery in Westfield. He is a member of the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association, and the Union County Board of Agriculture. He has served as a board member for the Friends of Mindowaskin Park, the International Garden Center Association, and the Rutgers Board of Managers.

He recently finished a two year term as President of Garden Centers of America (GCA). He can be reached at (908) 232-4076.

Gardener News

April, 2014 7

Bliss Face on Whirl Ray— Every garden should be surrounded with happiness so finding a good place for this delightful face will be fabulous!

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gardening gloves, gather the tools and wake up the garden.

I’m hoping for lots of sunshine and beautiful spring days for nurturing my own borders and

By Leslie Barlow vegetable plot. I hope you truly enjoy the warmer days Garden Educator when daylight lingers and the flowers and plants come alive.

Cinch Plant Hanger— It’s wonderful to see green Virginia Plant Stand— Perfect for inside or outdoor Turn your favorite pot into again!

‘Til next time, Leslie porch this sturdy foldable a hanging planter with this stand is made of cast iron and adjustable and durable hanger.

“Remember this----very powdercoated to prevent rust. It can be used indoors or out little is needed to make a This unusual design is licensed and holds up to 25lbs. Stainless happy life.” Marcus Aurelius

by Williamsburg for Achla steel. Easy to use. Feeney Inc. Designs and measures 28”H x Editor’s Note: Leslie Barlow 14 ½” dia. www.achla.com is co-owner of Barlow Flower Farm in Sea Girt, NJ, one of the largest retail growers in NJ since 1983.

She has appeared on News 12 NJ and has been a guest speaker at local garden clubs. She is a Certified Staging Professional™ with a specialty in Curb Appeal.

She has been gardening for many years and is always at trade shows hunting for useful accessories for the home garden.

For product information she can be reached at 732After this long winter it 449-9189 or lbarlow@ is finally time to put on the barlowflowerfarm.com.

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The Little Gardener – This lovely fiberglass and cement statue was originally sculpted

by Sylvia Shaw Judson in 1935 and an additional original was commissioned by Jackie Kennedy while she was First Lady. It remains to this date in the Sculpture Garden at the White House. Made in USA and is available for the first Squirrel Feeder – Have time this spring. At Barlow’s fun while diverting squirrels or www.potina.com. from your birdfeeders. This feeder is completely protected from the weather and holds 2 quarts of feed or peanuts. Side entries give squirrels a few paths which provides hours of entertainment for you! Made in USA by Duncraft.

Ferns of a Feather Ferns have always fascinated me. They are an ancient plant, dating back to about 360 million years ago (MYA). What is interesting about this group of plants is that they have continued to evolve and change throughout time, and many genera and species did not appear until around 145 MYA or sooner.

This illustrates the successful ability of ferns as a group to adapt to an everhanging environment – and also suggests that ferns can easily be adapted to your garden. During my youth, I was initially drawn to Ostrich Fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris, for its graceful arching habit, its interesting leaves and the muddy environment that it often inhabits.

As a group, ferns are far different than most plants we connect with on a daily basis.

Unlike their predecessors, the mosses, ferns do have a true vascular system of a phloem

and xylem that loosely relates to our arteries and veins respectfully. However, ferns do not reproduce by seeds, but by spores that arise from modified leaves called sporophylls.

Often sporophylls simply resemble leaves in appearance, but as with Matteuccia, they are occasionally modified and appear as a congested, upright structure.

Ferns also have “true” leaves called trophophyll, whose function is purely for photosynthesis. In fact, it is the shape of the trophophylls that are largely responsible for this fern’s name, since they loosely resemble a large ostrich feather.

In addition, the species epithet struthiopteris comes from the ancient Greek Stroutheios for “of an ostrich” and Pteris for fern.

The Genus name is a bit more involved. In 1753, Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) originally named it Osmunda struthiopteris, but it was not until 1862, when the Italian botanist and Director of the Botanical Garden at Palermo, Agostino Todaro (1818-1892),

recognized that this was incorrect. He reclassified the fern under the new name of Matteuccia in honor of Carlo Matteucci (1811-1868) an Italian physicist, who also served as a Senator and the Director of Education of Italy.

Nomenclature aside, Ostrich Fern is a phenomenal plant for the garden. As noted above, it has a true leaf or trophophyll that is shaped like a giant feather and under favorable growing conditions can reach upwards of six feet tall in the wild. In the garden, it typically grows to a more demure two feet tall and at its widest a modest six to eight inches. Ostrich Ferns spread by rhizomes that are termed ascending rhizomes, since they produce a “crown” that stands three to four inches tall and from which the new fronds develop. When the fronds first appear, they are called fiddleheads or crosiers, due to their resemblance of a tuning head of a violin or to that of a Bishop’s staff.

When Matteuccia crosiers are three to four inches tall, they can be harvested and

stemmed or stir fried for five to 10 minutes before being eaten.

They are not only nutritious, but rather delicious with a taste very similar to asparagus. It should be pointed out that crosiers of other ferns will make a person ill, so positive identification is crucial! In mid-summer, the sporophylls appear; they are initially green, but as the fall approaches, they turn a dark brown and persist throughout the winter, releasing the spores during winter or early-spring.

In the garden, Matteuccia must have ample room. As previously noted, this fern spreads by underground stolons and a single plant can easily colonize a 10-by-10 location in 15 years. Plants grow best in light shade and in soils that remain moist throughout the summer. Soils need not be boggy, but simply well amended with organic matter and optimally near a water source such as a stream, where they also effectively control erosion.

If the soil becomes droughty, the trophophylls will wilt, turn brown and go dormant. Not an attractive sight and illustrates

the importance of proper siting.

However, the plants are actually unaffected and will return the following spring with robust abandon. In addition, they are hardy to zone 3 and are deer resistant!

Edible, easy to grow and great for texture, I would be surprised if more budding gardeners were not enamored by this plant in their youth.

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

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Being a good housemate to your houseplants

(Cont. from page 1) plants are tropical or subtropical in nature. Room temperatures should be above 55°F. Temperatures below 55°F may cause the leaves to droop. As a rule of thumb, most if not all foliage plants prefer temperatures between 65 and 75°F. Flowering houseplants prefer 65-75°F during the day and 55-60°F at night. He also said very high and very cool temperatures can be detrimental to all houseplants.

We have forced hot air heat in the house. And that means dry air. Maiello said to group all my houseplants together during the winter months. This will help raise humidity in the vicinity of the plants because they prefer humidity levels between 40 and 60 percent. He told me that plants give off moisture through their leaves, and grouping them together allows the plants to benefit from this evaporation, thus creating their own humidity.

I then told him that the leaves on my Sago palm are turning brown, like they are getting scorched. He said it could be suffering from too much or too little light. He told me to place it near an east-facing or south-facing window with filtered light.

As for watering, the palm needs to be kept moist, but you should never allow it to dry out or sit in water. You can allow the soil of the palm to dry out slightly below the surface between waterings during active growth and allow the soil to dry out a little deeper between waterings in winter. When you do water, wait until it comes out the drainage holes and empty the saucer immediately.

At this point, I was enjoying the houseplant education. Next on my list was the ZZ or the Zamioculcas zamiifolia plant. It can also be called the eternity plant.

He said this one does well in lower light levels. By placing it in brighter light, it performs even better. He also said to keep it away from any hot, direct afternoon sun as the plant can burn. A good, bright, filtered afternoon sun would work well.

I asked about the water requirements. He said, not to let this plant sit in water or stay wet.

This plant is better to keep on the dry side. If you water it too much or the plant sits in water, you may find yellowing leaves. Sudden leaf and stem decline occur when the plant is kept too wet or allowed to dehydrate over two or three months.

Next up was my pothos tree. I think it’s called Marble Queen, because its leaves are marbled with white and green. Right from the get-go, he said pothos is a good plant to use if you want a “climbing� plant or a “hanging� plant. A bright, indirectly lit spot is ideal. He also mentioned that they are closely related to heartleaf philodendron, which it resembles.

On to the Snake plant. He said this plant is among the toughest of all houseplants—they can withstand virtually any conditions, from dark to bright. The only way to surely kill them is to overwater or never water at all. No wonder mine are all doing so well. (Cont. on pg. 18)

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Beekeeping--Not For the Faint of Heart

By Jeannie Geremia Garden Club of New Jersey Reading the “Beekeeper’s Lament”

by Hannah Nordhaus, published in 2011, gave me new insights into the intricacies of beekeeping, and I highly recommend this dazzling book to gardeners and beekeepers alike.

I am just astonished by the newly acquired knowledge and respect I have acquired by reading the amazing history of the Miller family serving as the template for beekeepers throughout history. The book not only tells the story of the Miller family, four generations of beekeepers, with emphasis on John Miller, owner of 10,000-plus commercial bee hives, but of the history of the ancient vocation of beekeeping. We know that our honeybees came over from Europe with the first colonists in the 1620s and are hardworking social bees that produce honey to feed their brood. Honey has delighted humans, bears and other critters from ancient times, and has tried men’s ingenuity as to how to maximize the harvest while keeping bees happy and healthy. The current Colony Collapse Disorder is just a continuation of the diverse calamities that have afflicted bee colonies for thousands of years.

The mid-1800s saw many inventions and improvements in raising and maintaining multiple bee hives. Reading about these long ago intrepid inventors and innovators was aweinspiring as Langstroth, for example, developed a hive with hanging frames that allowed honey to be extracted without destroying the combs, and allowed beekeepers the ability to inspect their hives for potential diseases, thus prolonging their bees’ lives. Many others, before and after, continued with improvements such as waxcomb foundation , sheets

that “gave bees a head start in building the hexagonal cells that house honey, pollen, and brood, allowing them to focus their energies on making honey rather than beeswax.” The smoker was invented in 1873 by Moses Quinby as a more effective method of calming bees while working with the hives. These inventions, coinciding with two new national publications, led to the possibility of beekeeping as a livelihood, although an always difficult way to earn a living. Beekeepers, I’ve come to believe are the “Gary Coopers” of America.

I enjoyed Hannah Nordhaus’ description of them as “Bee Guys.” And now to the Miller family.

John Miller’s greatgrandfather, N.E. Miller, was the first beekeeper to begin shipping his bees to pollinate farms in a commercialized, migratory fashion. First via trains, which quickly evolved into semi-trucks, fork-lifts, holding yards and a vast array of equipment still making beekeeping a breathtakingly difficult field in which to stay afloat, let alone make a steady profit.

These are passionate people who love what they do. Now comes the big surprise to me, in that “almonds rule.”

Who knew that these nuts are at the very heart of the dilemma in our honeybees’ decline, along with corn and soybeans.

Monoculture is the new “buzz” word that is in fact helping to decimate our pollinator population to new disheartening and downright scary lows.

Reading about the almond growers or “almond guys” in California’s Central Valley, along with the necessary “bee guys” with their 1.5 million bee hives that descend on this 400 mile area from Bakersfield to Red Bluff from all parts of the United States, along with 500,000 California hives, is eye-opening, to say the least.

All of these bees congregate to pollinate blossoming almond trees from February

1 into March, increasing almond yields from 40 pounds per acre to 2,400 pounds per acre, accounting for 81 percent of the world’s supply of almonds (and making almond growers wealthy). But this also exposes half of the country’s honeybees to pathogens and vectors including the Varroa destructor mite, implicated as one of the prime suspects in Colony Collapse Disorder.

Since the almighty almond is such a lucrative little nut, “almond guys” go to great lengths to maximize profits, such as clear-cutting their orchards so there is nary a weed, flower or living thing such as native pollinators as there is nothing to be had save for the brief flowering of the almond trees.

Incidentally, my friend, Terry Holman, was born and raised in Central Valley, California, and she is a witness to the negative impact as “apricot guys” and “dairy guys” are now “almond guys.” Did I say “monoculture”!?

Terry’s dad, George Pelch, a retired dairy farmer, lives in the midst of an almond orchard on several acres growing a much needed, diverse mixture of apricots, berries, a vineyard and developing crosses of plums and apricots.

Terry is sending him some Mason bee houses, and a plant list specific for the Central Valley from Xerces Society’s website.

Look for plants to attract pollinators in our area. Get out there and garden!

Editor’s Note: Jeannie Geremia is the Garden Club of New Jersey’s Butteflies & BeeGAP Chair (Gardeners Adding Pollinators), GCNJ Community Garden Chair, a National Garden Clubs, Inc. Accredited Judge for the Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. and Programs Chair for Neshanic Garden Club.

Contact her at jeannieg42@earthlink.net and/or get more information on the Garden Club of New Jersey website at: www. gardenclubofnewjersey.com

10 April, 2014

Gardener News

A state of emergency has been declared in California.

And yes, it is because of precipitation. Not too much, but too little. For the past three years, California has been suffering drought conditions throughout the state. Winter rainfalls have been less than half the normal and snow in the mountains is less frequent, limiting runoff and river swells. The abnormal lack of water has cause dangerous conditions also. The chance of wildfires has increased dramatically. When there is rain, mudslides occur more because of the dry soil.

The weather-pattern changes of the past five years have taken their toll on this country and the world. Storms on the East Coast have shifted significantly north. We were used to seeing hurricane warnings and evacuations in Cape Hatteras and in Florida.

Watching all the cars leaving the sole bridge from the outer islands in the Carolinas was an annual event on the news.

Now we don’t hear of that.

More storms are battering New Jersey and New England. The Midwest is getting clobbered.

Why the shift and what do we

there yet.

The California drought will affect much of the fresh food we will consume this summer. The lack of water has growers and ranchers very concerned for the future of the industry. Strategic moves north and south may come into play to help the situation. We already have growing fields in Arizona and Mexico. Nontraditional ways of growing are being reviewed and discussed.

Our extreme weatherpattern shifts are more than just a nuisance. They are becoming a crisis. Plans for the future need to be executed now in order to make the best use of our resources and feed our population.

As many homeowners flock to home and garden shows this winter to educate themselves about the newest products and services available to them, professional landscape contractors were doing the same thing. The only difference is that they are going to industry-specific trade shows, like Landscape New Jersey, which is owned and managed by the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association.

This year, Landscape New Jersey was held on February 25 and 26 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center and was our 37th trade show. It was created in 1977 by our original founding fathers to provide a venue where landscape contractors could network with one another, stay up to date with state and local laws, have educational classes and workshops and find everything they needed to be successful. From equipment to plant material to professional services that will help them maintain and grow their companies.

For 36 years our trade show has been a one-day show that featured exactly what you would expect from an industry-specific landscape show: lush plant material, trucks and equipment and hardscape suppliers and manufacturers.

We also have vendors that you may not typically think of, such as insurance providers, business software programs, New Jersey

Passionate About Produce

By Paul Kneeland The King of Produce

California Drought Affects Produce see for the future?

In California and everywhere life exists, water is necessary. California Governor Jerry Brown is calling for a voluntary reduction of water use by residents of 20 percent.

Rationing could follow for the spring and summer in order to protect the food supply and businesses in the state. Exceptional drought conditions cover 11 counties.

This is the worst possible degree of drought following extreme drought.

In exceptional drought areas, feed for cattle cannot be grown, forcing farmers to sell off livestock. As cattle are shipped to other ranchers and other areas of the country, it comes at a cost. Stress on the animal could cause undue degrading of the final product.

Also, as the litter thins, the

cost of goods goes up. So the situation is not good.

From the fruits and vegetable side of things, water and irrigation is the key to growing. In 2013, the government and some growers did battle over water rationing.

Some growers had to plow fields under and not have a crop go to market. Politics surely played a role in those events as it plays a role in the hesitancy to mandatory ration in 2014.

Costs of produce will surely go up this summer as supply recedes. Quality also may be affected. Shortened seasons for tree fruit such as cherries, peaches, plums and nectarines may be in order.

There could be a gap in supply as the growing regions shift north to Washington for the same fruit. Washington

growers could have a banner year. Costs will not rise as much as growers in California, but because of demand, prices will surely go up.

One solution that has been tossed around is desalinization.

That is, taking the water from the Pacific Ocean and removing the salt from it so it can be used for irrigation.

Certainly the amount needed is there. Desalinization has been used for decades in the military and aboard cruise ships.

However, it is not that easy. If it were, they would already be doing it. The bi-products of desalinization may in fact hurt the growing fields and ocean beds and affect the ecosystem. With all the technology we have today, it would seem possible that someone could find a solution to this. However, we are not

The NJLCA Today

By Jody Shilan, MLA Executive Director

Landscape New Jersey 2014 One Call, Drug Free New Jersey and several state colleges and universities, including Rutgers University, The County College of Morris and Bergen Community College.

Because our members constantly demand more and more educational opportunities from us, in 2013 we created NJLCA University, which allowed us to add extended seminars and workshops beyond our traditional one-hour seminars at the trade show. This year we decided to include NJLCA U as part of our trade show line-up, allowing us to make our one-day show into a two-day show. The 25th was all education and the 26th was our traditional show, which includes seminars The first workshop that we added focused on landscape design using the most popular landscape computer program called DynaSCAPE. Attendees learned everything from the most basic commands up through integration

with Google Sketch-Up. Software programs like DynaSCAPE are incredibly valuable to the design/ build process because they help landscape designers create beautiful landscape plans for their clients.

More experienced professionals can also provide realistic 3-D renderings, helping homeowners understand what their project will look like before it is built.

Another opportunity that we offered was a two-day, Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute workshop allowing attendees to become certified paver installers.

ICPI is a rigorous certification program that teaches landscape contractors the proper and most up-to-date processes to properly and safely install interlocking pavers.

This program educates contractors about soil types, compaction rates, hardscape grading and drainage techniques, proper base and subbase preparation, which is the key to a long-lasting hardscape installation.

On the 26th we provided attendees the ability to earn NJDEP authorized pesticide continuing education credits required for a contractor to maintain their pesticide license.

In the next classroom was Dr. Jim Murphy of Rutgers University, who was teaching contractors the rules and regulations required to legally apply fertilizer. The certification exam was offered and administered by Dr. Murphy directly after the class.

Although I will be the first to admit that the landscape industry still has some significant perception problems to overcome, including the most common misconception that anyone can become a landscape professional just by buying a lawnmower and a pick-up truck. The truth of the matter is that landscape maintenance and design/build are highly specialized fields that require so much more than just an insurance policy and Federal

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 Identification Number. They require in-depth training and an extensive education in a variety of fields. In addition to this, professional landscape contractors are required to purchase and maintain various state and local certifications, registrations and licenses.

I often think about how the general public would perceive landscape professionals if they had the chance to attend our trade show and see how the industry has changed over the past 40 years from “grass cutters” into business professionals.

Who are you going to hire this year?

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.

Gardener News

April, 2014 11

Bringing the Power of Produce to Kids Coated Seeds Could Encourage an Early Start for Spring Planting

By Ann Perry Public Affairs Specialist

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Joe Parisi, left, vice president of operations for Kings Food Markets; Richard Durante, second from left, chief operating officer for Kings Food Markets; Paul Kneeland, second from right, president of the Eastern Produce Council, vice president of floral, produce, meat and seafood for Kings Food Markets, and a featured columnist for the Gardener News; and Doug Groendyke, right, a produce manager for Kings Food Markets, gathered on March 4 at the Stoney Hill Inn in Hackensack for the Eastern Produce Council dinner meeting, which was sponsored by Produce for Kids®.

In 1936, the founders of Kings began with the humble purpose of finding the freshest produce around. They quickly learned who the best local farmers were and established relationships that would endure and evolve over the years. Today, their passion for food has increased along with the size of their business. They currently have over 24 locations, each one seamlessly integrated into the community it serves.

The Eastern Produce Council (EPC) is a thriving produce organization whose members include retailers, wholesale distributors, growers, vendors/brokers, logistics and transportation professionals, as well as, commodity groups, food service and other associations.

They provide their membership with multiple networking opportunities in the produce industry, the know-how to advance the sales and awareness of fresh fruits and vegetables, and the ability to provide their membership with the most relevant, up-to-date information available.

The EPC is also dedicated to the advancement of agricultural studies in the states that they serve.

The organization’s members have also donated millions of pounds of food to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey and many local food banks throughout the tri-state area.

Produce for Kids is dedicated to educating families on the benefits of healthy eating, providing simple meal solutions and raising money for children’s non-profit organizations. In the 11 years since its inception, Produce for Kids, through its produce and grocery retail partners, has donated more than $4.6 million to children’s hospitals and charities nationwide.

Created in 2002 by Shuman Produce Inc., a leading grower and shipper of Vidalia® sweet onions, Produce for Kids brings the fresh produce industry together with national supermarket retailers to raise funds for children’s non-profit organizations while educating families about the benefits of healthy eating with fresh produce.

Seedling success sometimes depends on a good coverup, according to research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant physiologist Russ Gesch has determined that sowing seeds protected by a thin polymer layer can help northern Corn Belt farmers optimize spring planting schedules. ARS is USDA’s chief intramural scientific research agency.

In Minnesota and other northern U.S. states, early spring planting in cold and wet soils can damage seeds. When farmers plant later in the season, a cold snap can interfere with seed response and result in poor plant emergence and poor yields.

Gesch, who works at the ARS Soil Management Research Unit in Morris, Minn., conducted several field studies comparing the performance of coated and uncoated seeds planted in early spring and late spring. The coated seeds were covered with a temperature-activated polymer that prevented water from reaching the seed until the soils were warm enough for germination and emergence.

In one study, the coated seeds planted in early spring had a

significantly greater level of emergence and establishment than uncoated seeds planted at the same time. The rate of emergence—how long it took for 50 percent of the seeds to emerge and become established—was also faster for coated seeds than uncoated seeds.

However, coated seeds planted in late spring generally had slower emergence rates than uncoated seeds planted at the same time. According to Gesch, these findings strongly indicated that farmers could use coated seeds to get a jump-start on their spring planting because the seeds would be protected from cold, wet soils until conditions favored germination and emergence.

Gesch also examined how till and no-till cultivation affected seed response of corn and soybean seeds, and didn’t find any significant differences in germination and emergence between coated seeds planted in conventionaltill systems and seeds planted in no-till systems. But coated soybean seed planted in late spring was less successful because this left the seed exposed to soil temperatures that were too high for successful germination and establishment.

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

12 April, 2014

Gardener News

Yes, after this tedious winter season, spring has finally arrived and cheers are all around.

April begins the busiest period in a landscape contractor’s year. Hopefully our landscapes have been surveyed for winter damage and remedial work has begun. Damaged trees and shrubs can be pruned and cleaned up in anticipation of bud brake and new growth filling in the damaged areas. If any feeding was missed in the late-fall or early-winter period, those tasks can be performed now. Use of a rich micronutrient fertilizer that will provide essential mineral elements would be recommended. The use of beneficial bacteria will also aid in the recovery of winter-damaged plants as well. This application should be done very soon before the very warm weather arrives.

There are some plants which have burned leaves or needles, which will recover on their own. For this reason, having your landscapes inspected by a trained professional will give property owners and managers a more complete diagnosis.

Calling a landscape professional will provide a

changes in the landscape which will prevent the same kind of damage. Soil considerations are also very important. Our native soils are very tight and acidic by nature. A well drained loam is our target when installing a landscape. During this process, a soil test will determine the pH, which can be altered from acidic to alkaline with the addition of certain mineral elements.

Any time soil is amended it is important to incorporate these amendments into the native soil. When planting some largespecimen or shade trees, a well drained native soil is sufficient.

The key ingredient is drainage.

A good management, design or planting plan is of paramount importance in the success of designing, renovating and managing your landscape. Your local landscape professional can help develop your plan of attack to ensure a successful landscape season.

The Landscaper

By Evan Dickerson Landscape Professional

Is It Finally Warm more clinical approach to formulating a spring landscape plan. All properties, no matter what size, should have a plan for maintenance as well as renovation. Maintenance should be set up on a calendar for the season. This would include the results of a spring survey.

Early pruning and recovery and nutritional help can be scheduled in this calendar.

Proper fertilizer and pesticide application must be scheduled and the customer must be given a range of time that these applications will be made. All licensed pesticide applicators are required to provide this information and the numbers of emergency and information services as well, yearly.

Weed control is an important part of a landscape plan as well. Certainly, an application of a chemical control is the

most common way to provide a weed free environment.

However, there are alternatives which will minimize the amount of pesticides used on our properties. Good cultural practices can impact the amount of weed growth in the landscape as well. Proper mowing height can help minimize the abundance of weeds. A full, healthy lawn cut at 2.5 to 3 inches will not be as susceptible to weed growth.

Soil testing will show the calcium magnesium ratio in the soil. Raising the calcium on lawns with an out-of-balance ratio, can impact some weed growth as well. There are a few corn gluten products which are available offering a natural alternative. Corn gluten is a dried protein separated from corn during the manufacture of starch for the food industry. It

is a common ingredient found in pet food. When applied to your lawn or beds, this product inhibits root development in seedlings. Germination occurs, but the seedling dies from lack of a root system. We can affect the germination of crabgrass, creeping bentgrass, smart weed, dandelion, redroot pigweed, purslane, lambsquarter, foxtail, barnyard grass and Bermuda grass. These are the most prevalent weeds in your landscape.

Your landscape survey will point out areas which need remedial help. Damaged plants may need replacement and this may be a good time to think about a landscape renovation. Many times, older or improperly placed plants are more susceptible to winter damage. A plan of action can be created now to implement

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

Gardener News

April, 2014 13

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14 April, 2014

Gardener News

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Gardener News

April, 2014 15

PLANT SALE SERVING MERCER COUNTY AND GREATER REATER PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY

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Earth Day Celebration April 26 & 27, 2014

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Enhance your garden with some spectacular new plant treasures, and help us celebrate Earth Day. Weekend highlights include a plant sale featuring many choice selections of perennials, ferns and woody plants, inspiring garden lectures, and guided tours of this magnificent naturalistic rock garden.

This event is co-sponsored by the Watnong Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society. Buck Garden staff and Rock Garden Society members will be on hand to advise visitors about plants and gardening.

On Sunday, April 27, “Native Plants vs. Invasives�

Guided Tours of Buck Garden 2 PM Speakers: Members of Rutgers Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Somerset and Hunterdon Counties www.somersetcountyparks.org www.facebook.com/SomersetCountyParkCommission If you have individualized needs due to a disability, please call 908 526-5650 and we will be happy to arrange reasonable accommodations. Three weeks notice is required to ensure that appropriate accommodations can be provided.

Leonard J. Buck Garden 11 Layton Road, Far Hills, NJ 908 234-2677

16 April, 2014

Gardener News

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Gardener News

April, 2014 17

Census of Agriculture Highlights Released at 12 p.m. on February 20, 2014 A farm is “any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the Census year.�

In 2012, the United States had 2.1 million farms – down 4.3 percent from the last agricultural Census in 2007. This continues a long-term trend of fewer farms. ‡ %HWZHHQ DQG WKH DPRXQW RI ODQG LQ IDUPV LQ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV GHFOLQHG IURP PLOOLRQ DFUHV WR PLOOLRQ DFUHV 7KLV GHFOLQH RI OHVV WKDQ RQH percent was the third smallest decline between censuses since 1950. ‡ ,Q WKH DYHUDJH IDUP VL]H ZDV DFUHV 7KLV ZDV D SHUFHQW LQFUHDVH RYHU ZKHQ WKH DYHUDJH IDUP ZDV DFUHV ‡ 0LGGOH VL]HG IDUPV GHFOLQHG LQ QXPEHU EHWZHHQ DQG 7KH QXPEHU RI ODUJH SOXV DFUHV DQG YHU\ VPDOO WR DFUHV IDUPV GLG QRW FKDQJH significantly in that time.

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About the Census of Agriculture The Census of Agriculture accounts for all U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. The 2012 Census Preliminary Report released in February 2014 provides an early look at some Census results. This document highlights some Preliminary Report results. The full report, to be released in May 2014, will provide comprehensive data at national, state, and county levels on many additional aspects of American agriculture. Access the Preliminary Report, learn more about Census methodology, and find final results at www.agcensus.usda.gov.

Specialty Greens Pack a Nutritional Punch

By Rosalie Marion Bliss Public Affairs Specialist “Microgreens� is a marketing term used to describe edible greens which germinate from the seeds of vegetables and herbs and are harvested without roots at the seedling stage. The plants at the seedling stage have two fully expanded cotyledons, or seed leaves. They are considered a specialty genre of colorful greens that are good for garnishing salads, soups, plates and sandwiches.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researcher has led a team of scientists who analyzed the key nutrients in 25 different varieties of vegetable microgreens. The study results could be used to estimate levels of vitamins and nutrients in microgreens, according to the scientists.

The study was led by Agricultural Research Service

(ARS) plant physiologist and national program leader Gene Lester at Beltsville, Md. ARS is USDA’s chief intramural scientific research agency.

The team determined the concentration of essential vitamins and carotenoids in the microgreens. Key nutrients measured were ascorbic acid (vitamin C), tocopherols (vitamin E), phylloquinone (vitamin K), and beta-carotene (a vitamin A precursor), plus other related carotenoids in the cotyledons that are critical for human health and function.

The team showed that different microgreens contained widely differing amounts of vitamins and carotenoids. Total vitamin C content ranged from 20 to 147 milligrams (mg) per 100 grams of cotyledon fresh weight, depending on which plant species was being tested.

The amounts of the carotenoids beta-carotene, lutein/ zeaxanthin, and violaxanthin ranged from about 0.6 mg to

12.1 mg per 100 grams of fresh weight. For comparison, an average apple weighs 100-150 grams. In general, microgreens contained considerably higher levels of vitamins and carotenoids—about five times greater—than their mature plant counterparts.

Among the 25 microgreens tested, red cabbage, cilantro, garnet amaranth, and green daikon radish had the highest concentrations of vitamin C, carotenoids, vitamin K and vitamin E, respectively.

Growing, harvesting, and handling conditions may have a considerable effect on nutrient content. Additional studies are being conducted to evaluate the effect of agricultural practices on nutrient retention.

Editor’s Note: Rosalie Marion Bliss works for the USDA Agricultural Research Service. She can be reached at 301-504-4318 or by emailing Rosalie.Bliss@ars.usda.gov

Another Sign Up for 2014 Soil Health Initiative Apply by April 18, 2014 620(56(7 1- ĘŠ 1HZ -HUVH\ 6WDWH &RQVHUYDWLRQLVW Carrie Mosley has announced a new sign-up period for the Soil Health Initiative being offered by the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) through the 2014 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). “Eligible producers who apply for the Initiative by April 18 will be given priority to be funded this year,â€? Mosley said.

Mosley designated $400,000 of 2014 EQIP New Jersey funds for the planning and implementation of multi-species cover crop. Other practices that support soil health, like no-till and nutrient management, are available through the Initiative as companion practices. “We are glad to open this new application period so we can help as many New Jersey farmers as possible to get the soil health benefits of multi-species cover crop,� Mosley said. Agricultural producers who are eligible for EQIP should apply for this Initiative by April 18 for funding this year.

NRCS has identified four principles as useful for improving soil health: 1. Keep soil covered as much as possible.

2. Use a variety of cover crop plant species to increase diversity in the soil.

3. Keep living roots in the soil as long as possible.

4. Disturb the soil as little as possible.

Visit a local NRCS office or the NJ NRCS website (www. nj.nrcs.usda.gov) for more about NRCS and conservation programs available in the Garden State.

18 April, 2014

Gardener News

The spring smell is in the air! By now the snow has melted away, the icicles have melted off the gutters, and the sun is shining brightly.

Wow, what a cold, hard winter! By now things are warming up and it is time to get down and dirty.

Here we go, time to get out there to start turning over some soil and prepare the canvas for this year’s masterpiece.

It’s time to open up the shed and get those tools together and get to some digging.

Crocuses are popping up out of the ground, the aroma of sweet smelling hyacinths filling the air, the tulips in every windowsill, and near every entrance of a building, it just can’t be contained by any winter.

Winter is hard, but spring is so much sweeter.

There is going to be a lot more work to do this spring, though. This winter has done a lot of damage.

Splitting evergreen branches because of the weight of the ice and snow for so long on their limbs.

Small shrubs smothered

goes for the vegetable and herb market, due to keeping greenhouses heated enough to produce a finished product in time for spring. On mild winters, growers can utilize the outdoor for production. But with the cold lasting into March, it has delayed this process for growers to shift crops outdoors later then they would like to. It was too cold for even the cooler weather crops to be put out there, like pansies and bulbs. Everything had to stay indoors longer than anticipated.

There are some good things to come out of having such a cold, white winter; there is a greater appreciation of the warmer weather and the color that nature brings with it.

The Professional Grower

By Tim Hionis Greenhouse Specialist

Spring is finally here! and weighed down by the towering snow banks that turned to concrete of ice, edges of lawns getting torn apart by the blades of the plows, the buildup of salts on landscapes from all the spreading going on all winter long, to prevent people from falling on sidewalks, driveways, parking lots and roads. This year will be a challenging landscape year to say the least.

Well, there is no use in crying. Like I always say, it is what it is. If there is damage due to the wrath that is winter, the best thing to do is roll up your sleeves and start getting to work and start replacing the damaged areas. This year, it is a good idea to get out early, because

with the polar vortex that hit countrywide, the greenhouse growers and nurseries are facing a lot of setbacks and shortages. With the cold winter, growers had to worry about heating costs in there greenhouse ranges. Nurseries had the challenges of not being able to get into their fields to take care of their stock.

Windburn or winter burn was something that they had to contend with amongst other obstacles, with such cold temps, high winds and heavy snowfall.

The harsh climate may not be the only factor for the shortages. In the past few years, the economy was weak, many nursery growers cut production and didn’t anticipate such

shortages to happen.

My advice is to start early. If you find something you like, jump on it. Don’t wait, it may not be there, and replenishing stock just might not happen this season. Even if you need to hold onto it in or near the garage and keep it hydrated until you’re ready to install, so be it.

As far as finding color like annuals and perennials, I would do the same. Getting hold of product when you find it, making sure it is healthy of course, will be key to success. Once the weather breaks it’s going to be crazy keeping up with the demand, and growers will be doing what they can to keep up. The same

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.

Being a good housemate to your houseplants

(Cont. from page 8) Finally, I asked him about lucky bamboo. On this one, he told me that the most common mistake related to lucky bamboo is usually connected to the water. Chlorinated water will kill them over time, and water that is dirty or infected with bacteria can be deadly. He said if my plant develops black roots, I should cut them away immediately. Similarly, dead leaves should never be allowed to rot in the water as they might introduce bacteria. I was also told to practice good water hygiene by changing water every week with distilled or bottled water. If algae is growing in the water, it’s usually because the plant is potted in a clear vase, allowing light to penetrate and encouraging algae growth. Just clean it out and start again, switching to an opaque container if algae is a persistent problem. I told him sometimes the leaves yellow. He said that usually indicates too much sun or too much fertilizer. Cut out the fertilizer and move the plant to a shadier location. He then said brown leaves usually indicate dry air or polluted water.

One of the most important things that he hold me about watering was to water in the morning hours. And that water should be at room temperature. He said tap water is acceptable for watering most plants. I asked him about fluoride-treated water. He said some plants are susceptible to fluoride injury. Fluoridated water should be allowed to sit at room temperature over night before using, and some potting soils containing perlite can also cause fluoride injury. He made it loud and clear not to use softened water because it contains sodium. And that can increase the soluble salt levels in the soil. I personally like to use distilled water. It might be a bit more costly, but my houseplants are an investment.

At the end of my conversation with him I asked about feeding them. He said most houseplants do not need much fertilizer. The best time to fertilize is when the plant is actively growing. During the winter, houseplants are not growing much and should not be fertilized. As the days grow longer, growth resumes and fertilizer may be applied. Usually fertilizing every four to six weeks is adequate. Be sure to follow the directions on the fertilizer package. And that fertilizer should not be applied to a wilted or dry plant. It needs water, not fertilizer.

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.

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Will the weather ever change? It sure didn’t seem like it would for a while.

Not being able to stay outside for more than several minutes at a time was the worst. It was just plain stupid cold out there. Now we should hopefully start seeing some signs of life, as well as a few warm days starting to pop up.

Asparagus should start to pop up as well. This is a great vegetable that probably doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. It is a sure sign of spring, grown abundantly in New Jersey and nutritious and delicious as well. Whether roasted, grilled, fried, boiled or raw (yes raw, thinly shaved over a salad) it is a great vegetable. Not to mention lending itself well to a variety of sauces and recipes, such as the famed Steak Oscar. A few other ways it may be used are in stir fries or in a simple Italian risotto, my favorite way. You can use the “woodier” parts of the stem to make an asparagus stock to add to your risotto while cooking.

The main topic of this article is risotto. The magnificent rice dish given to us by the Italians. Although, pretty much not healthy, it makes for a great side dish or as a main course. Just add

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From the Deep

By Craig Korb Executive Chef

Greetings from the Jersey Shore! sliced grilled chicken, beef, fish or shrimp to your risotto and you now have a main course. VOILA! The hardest part of this rice dish is the fact that, unlike conventional white rice, risotto needs attention. A lot of attention. Pretty much the whole time it cooks, you need to be present. Arborio rice is the most popular rice used for risotto due to its high starch content. Other high starch rice and even barley can produce a creamy risotto.

The creaminess is derived from the constant stirring of the grains of rice beating on one another to release their starch. Butter and cheese are usually used to finish this delectable dish, as well as some fresh herbs, which produce a fragrant creamy porridge-esque bowl of love.

Yes, I love risotto, possibly also because of its ability to

take on such diverse flavors and be pretty much a vehicle of flavor. You may use red or white wines, any number of cheeses, any type of stock and pretty much any herb, including mint!

This recipe is a basic spring risotto with asparagus.

I will be using asiago cheese instead of the typical, and equally as wonderful cheese, parmesan. Goat cheese is also excellent for risottos. I hope you enjoy this recipe and make sure you have a good wooden spoon for this preparation! Good luck and hope to see you soon back down at the Jersey Shore!

Spring asparagus and asiago cheese risotto (serves 2-4) -2 cups arborio rice -1 bunch of fresh asparagus, cut into half-inch pieces on a bias, blanched for 2 minutes in boiling water,

and woody end of stems removed and simmered with chicken stock for 15 minutes* 1 large can of chicken broth plus additional water as needed 1 small onion, small dice 1 stick of butter, 1/2 for beginning and 1/2 for end 1/2 cup of grated asiago or parm cheese 1 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil 1/2 bunch of fresh chives, sliced really thin as a garnish *using two hands bend one asparagus slowly in half until it snaps, this is the spot to cut the rest of the bunch to use for stock, it is where the woody part starts Method -place butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed, mediumsized pot - once melted, add the onion and sauté until just translucent

-add rice and using a wooden spoon stir and turn the rice until coated with the oil -sauté for an additional 2 minutes, constantly stirring -begin adding the asparagus stock, one cup at a time, stirring rice continuously -as stock is absorbed into rice, add more, constantly stirring and manipulating rice -this may take up to 25 minutes or until rice is al dente -once this is achieved, the asparagus should be added and stirred into the risotto -cook for an additional two minutes or so -turn off the heat and add the remaining half stick of butter as well as the cheese, season with salt and pepper -garnish with the fresh chives and serve immediately!

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.

20 April, 2014

Gardener News

After a winter for the record books, it is time to start assessing some of the damage that may have occurred over the last few months. But before we do that, let’s look at the ways that fruit trees can be adversely affected by cold weather.

Generally speaking, significant damage can occur when the fruit buds (which form in the late-summer of the prior year) are exposed to unseasonably cold temperatures. And this covers a very wide time period, which ranges from lateOctober through the winter and right up until June. In this part of the country, it is extremely rare for fruit trees to suffer cold injury in the fall.

That is more of a problem in the Western fruit growing regions where massive cold fronts can move in quickly and damage trees before they have a chance to harden off for the winter. The main area of concern for fruit growers is the time period which occurs just before, during and after bloom in the spring of the year.

This is when the fruit buds are at their most sensitive and are the most likely to suffer injury

left were located on some of the lower branches that had been buried in snow drifts, which offered some insulation from the cold. So as you can see, a few degrees can make a huge difference!

Another item to note is that different varieties will vary in their ability to tolerate extreme cold. Twenty years ago, that was a major factor to consider when selecting a variety to plant. But with all of the relatively mild winters over the last 20 years, that trait was somewhat forgotten. I bet that it will not be forgotten anytime soon.

The Town Farmer

By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

Cold Weather Damage of Fruit Trees from a freeze or a frost. The third area of concern, and the one that we will discuss in this column, is cold weather damage that occurs in the middle of winter.

The threshold for damage to apple and pear trees is down around the negative-30 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit range. So here in New Jersey, because our temperatures do not get that cold, we generally do not have to worry about that type of injury, at least at this time of year. Peaches, on the other hand, are a different story. They can be damaged by temperatures around negative-10 degrees Fahrenheit. As a point of interest, New Jersey is as far north as peaches can be grown consistently in the East without being next to a large body of water, i.e. the Great

Lakes or Atlantic Ocean, which helps to moderate low temperatures in winter.

These temperature thresholds are not written in stone, however.

The timing of the cold weather is critical in determining how much damage can occur to these developing fruit buds.

In an optimal situation, temperatures would gradually decrease throughout the autumn months and we would reach our coldest point sometime in January. Then temperatures would gradually start to rise from our coldest lows right through bloom into the late spring. This would be very conducive to allowing the trees to properly acclimate themselves to the colder weather. This also rarely ever happens.

If there are significant periods

of warming throughout the winter and spring, which are then followed by severe cold snaps, it is much more likely for the fruit buds to suffer cold injury. In other words, as the temperature rises in the late-winter and early-spring, so does the low temperature threshold at which fruit buds will become injured.

In my experience, the coldest temperatures I have seen here in the central part of New Jersey were back in either 1993 or 1994. That year, our low temperature at our farm in Oldwick was negative-10 degrees Fahrenheit. While there were some damaged buds, we did have a decent crop. At our Califon location, however, the temperature bottomed out at negative-20 degrees. There, the only live buds that were

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.

Look Before You Pump (ALEXANDRIA, VA) — As consumers head to retail stores this spring to purchase mowers, chain saws, generators, blowers, trimmers, power washers, and a host of other small engine equipment, they will see an important ethanol fuel message from the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an international trade association representing 100 small engine, utility vehicle and outdoor power equipment manufacturers and suppliers. The message to ‘Look Before You Pump’ will help consumers protect their outdoor power and small engine equipment investments.

In thousands of retail store aisles across the country and in spring preview circulars and catalogs, consumers will be reminded that it is harmful and illegal to use higher than 10 percent ethanol gas in any outdoor power equipment or other non-road product, such as boats, snowmobiles and motorcycles, with the exception of “flex-fuel” engine products. Independent dealers began using the ‘Look Before You Pump’ message in their stores in fall 2013.

Lowe’s and Walmart are supporting the educational program through in-store signage and circulars, and True Value Hardware will highlight the program on the back cover of its spring outdoor power catalog.

Additionally, Scripps Networks Interactive’s DIY Network is supporting the program through social media promotion, custom research and in-show messaging.

Known by its emblematic prominent, red warning hand symbol indicating ‘OK’ for 10 percent ethanol and ‘No’ for mid-level ethanol blends (such as E15, E30, E85), the ‘Look Before You Pump’ campaign is spreading nationwide as ethanol blended fuels containing more than 10 percent ethanol are made available in the marketplace for “flex-fuel” automobiles.

“OPEI’s ‘Look Before You Pump’ campaign is designed to protect consumers’ equipment investment by educating them on using the right fuel for the right product,” said Michael Jones chief merchandising officer at Lowe’s. “The campaign offers a simple yet effective way to inform customers about the adverse impact of higher than 10 percent ethanol fuel blends on outdoor power equipment for which it is not designed.”

According to senior vice president and chief merchandising officer at True Value Company, Ken Goodgame, “OPEI’s ‘Look Before You Pump’ campaign is exactly what our stores need to meet the challenges posed by higher ethanol fuel blends. We used to see about a 70 percent fuel related failure rate, but now with E10 and E15, we find that up to 80 percent of all portable and four-stroke OPE failures that come back in our stores are related to fuel, so we recommend customers use a fuel stabilizer.

Ethanol has proven to be a corrosive and problematic fuel additive, and we are keen to share the ‘Look Before You Pump’ warning with our customers.”

According to Todd Teske, chairman, president and CEO of Briggs & Stratton Corporation, the world’s largest manufacturer of small engines, and OPEI’s board chair, “It is critical that we educate all users of outdoor power equipment about the dangers misfueling can cause to their equipment. Our number one goal is to protect our customers, and the more we can get this information in front of them, the better off they will be.”

“We’ve been very pleased with the level of support for ‘Look Before You Pump’ from retailers and dealers who sell small engine and outdoor power equipment. They understand the importance of cautioning American consumers and the business owners whose livelihood depends on our equipment to be more mindful at the gas pump. It’s imperative that the consumer is educated about the changing fuels marketplace and getting the right fuel for the right product,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of OPEI. OPEI urges consumers to read their equipment operating manual before filling equipment with gasoline to ensure they use the right fuel for that engine. For more information, visit www.LookBeforeYouPump.com and search for #LookB4UPump on Twitter and Facebook.

Recent research shows high-ethanol blends of gasoline can damage or destroy small engines not designed to handle it. A summer 2013 OPEI/Harris Interactive study shows the vast majority of Americans (71 percent) are “not at all sure” if it is illegal or legal to put high level ethanol gas (i.e., anything higher than 10 percent ethanol) into engines such as those in boats, mowers, chain saws, snow mobiles, generators and other engine products.

About OPEI The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) is an international trade association representing 100 small engine, utility vehicle and outdoor power equipment manufacturers and suppliers of consumer and commercial outdoor power equipment. The OPEI Education Foundation is the creative force behind TurfMutt.com. OPEI is a recognized Standards Development Organization for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and active internationally through the International Standards Organization (ISO) in the development of safety and performance standards. OPEI is managing partner of GIE+EXPO, the industry’s annual industry tradeshow. For more information, visit www.OPEI.org.

Gardener News

April, 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 April, 2014

Gardener News

New Jersey’s Great Native Plants

By Kathleen Salisbury I grew up in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.

Like many people living in a unique area full of great things to see, I didn’t realize how special the Pine Barrens were until I left them to go to school for Ornamental Horticulture at Delaware Valley College. It was there, thanks to their focus on the natural environment, that I gained an appreciation and curiosity for native plants of my home state. Upon looking into learning more, I discovered the Native Plant Society of New Jersey (NPSNJ).

I am proud to say, all these years later, I am now the President of the NPSNJ and thrilled to be a part of this statewide non-profit organization as we celebrate our 30th year. If you are not one of our nearly 200 members, you may not be familiar with us. The

NPSNJ is a volunteer-led organization dedicated to promoting the appreciation, protection and study of New Jersey’s native flora. How do we do this?

Regional Chapters Though only three states are smaller than New Jersey, we are proud to boast some of the greatest native plant diversity among any state in the U.S.! Since the plant conservation and landscape selection concerns of Pine Barrens residents are much different from those who live in the Highlands, we currently host seven regional chapters addressing native plant topics relevant to their region. If you are interested in learning more about the native plants in your area, you are welcome to attend any of our Chapter Meetings: Bergen Passaic North (Morris County) Highland Park Regional (Middlesex/Somerset County) Jersey Shore (Monmouth/ Ocean County)

Rancocas (Burlington County) Delaware Bayshore (Cumberland/ Salem County) Southeast (Atlantic/ Cape May County) Don’t see a chapter near you? We invite anyone interested in starting chapters to contact us. We’ll help get you started and connected to other people in your region looking to form a chapter.

Annual Meetings – Each year the NPSNJ hosts a Spring and Fall Meeting.

While the regional chapters arrange presentations and activities geared toward their local plants and issues, these conferences are designed to address “big-picture� topics when it comes to native plants. In the past, topics have included: Climate Change, Cultivars, Plant Rarity, Forest Ecology and Restoration Projects. Our spring meeting also boasts the state’s first native plant sale of the year.

Kracji Preserve – In addition to meetings, we

Cancellation Potentially Harmful Insecticide Products :$6+,1*721 ' & ĘŠ 7KH 8 6 (QYLURQPHQWDO 3URWHFWLRQ $JHQF\ KDV reached agreement with Sergeant’s Pet Care Products, Inc. and Wellmark International to cancel flea and tick pet collars containing propoxur marketed under the trade names including Bansect, Sentry, Zodiac and Biospot. “This action is another example of EPA’s efforts to protect children from pesticide risks,â€? said Jim Jones, assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. This voluntary move will get to an expedient result that protects people’s health.â€?

This decision was reached between EPA and Sergeant’s and Wellmark as a result of EPA’s risk assessment showing risks to children from exposure to pet collars containing propoxur. Propoxur is an insecticide registered for use to control ticks, fleas and a variety of insects and is used in industrial, commercial and residential facilities. The agreement represents the solution to most quickly remove the pet collars from the market.

EPA completed the propoxur pet collar risk assessment in fall 2013 in response to a Natural Resources Defense Council petition to cancel the uses. EPA’s risk assessment found, in some but not all use scenarios, unacceptable risks to children from exposure to propoxur pet collars on the first day following application. Because the manufacturers could not find a way to eliminate unacceptable risk under all scenarios, EPA encouraged them to cancel these products and they subsequently agreed.

EPA announced the voluntary cancellation on January 22, 2014. Under the cancellation agreement, manufacturers are allowed to produce the pet collars until April 1, 2015, and will not be allowed to distribute the products after April 1, 2016.

EPA will continue to watch for incidents from the use of these collars and is prepared to take further action if necessary.

Flea and tick collars work by leaving a pesticide residue on dogs’ and cats’ fur, which can be transferred to people by hugging, petting or coming into contact with the pets. The major source of exposure to these chemicals is from absorption through the skin after directly touching the treated pet. Small children may ingest pesticide residues when they touch a treated cat or dog and subsequently put their hands in their mouth.

If you purchase a propoxur pet collar, read the label carefully and follow all directions on the label to protect your family from exposure. Do not allow children to play with the collar, and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling.

For more information about the voluntary cancellation: http://www2.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/companies-agree-stop-selling-petcollars-containing-pesticide-protect-children

have a way you can get out among native plants as well.

The Kracji Preserve (named for the family who donated the property) is a one-acre wooded parcel of steep terrain with a creek running through the bottom located in Holland Township. We are working on creating a regional chapter that will focus on the stewardship of this space. We are in the process of developing a biological inventory, researching grants for invasive species control, creating educational programs, developing a trail system and a planting plan to enhance the opportunities at this site.

Online Presence – Looking for something to do between meetings and hikes?

Check out our website.

Not only can you become a member at www.npsnj. org but we have a ton of resources there for you. On our website, you can find lists of native plants by county, native plant nurseries, places to see natives in the wild

and look at beautiful pictures of New Jersey native flora.

Here you can also see what your regional chapter is up to, find out meeting details and download your FREE Rain Garden manual. For last minute updates, be sure to become a fan of us on Facebook.

I am thrilled that the Gardener News has invited us to have a column and am looking forward to sharing news and information about native plants with you. Please keep an eye on this column for facts, timely topics, stories, and upcoming events all about New Jersey’s native flora. In the meantime, check out our website. There’s lots of great information there.

Editor’s Note: Kathleen V. Salisbury is President of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey. She can be reached at 973-392-9162 or by emailing president@ npsnj.org. You can learn more about her association by visiting www.npsnj.org.

Gardener News

April, 2014 23 Unique Plants

By Bob LaHoff Nursery Specialist

Sculpting the Land

Ornamental Breeder Awarded Hutchinson Medal 1(: %5816:,&. 1- ĘŠ 5XWJHUV 3URIHVVRU Emeritus of plant biology and pathology Elwin Orton was the recipient of the prestigious 2013 Hutchinson Medal of the Chicago Horticultural Society. The award has been presented since 1911 to recognize outstanding leadership or professional accomplishment that has been significant in furthering horticulture, plant science or conservation.

As a breeder of woody ornamentals, Orton has earned over 15 patents for new strains of dogwoods and holly that he developed over his almost 50-year career at Rutgers.

In addition to the Hutchinson Medal, a newly published monograph on dogwoods authored by Andre Gayraud of France and published by an Italian nurseryman, Fabrizio Tesi, of the Giorgio Tesi Group. The monograph, “All you want to know about Cornus,� includes a chapter on Orton’s dogwood hybridization research and is being published in six languages.

Orton was inducted into the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame in 2012 and was credited with “saving the U.S. dogwood industry� with new strains of hardy, disease- and pest-resistant hybrid dogwoods when diseases and insects threatened the native species of the popular flowering tree.

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This past February, between snowstorms, I had an opportunity to listen to one of the world’s foremost landscape architects. The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) in the Bronx gets powerful speakers and prominent horticultural professionals. This was certainly no disappointment.

In the Arthur & Janet Ross Gallery & Lecture Hall, Gregory Long, President and CEO of the NYBG introduced Kim Wilkie to us as a British landscape architect who grew up in the Malaysian jungle and the Iraqi desert. He attended school in Winchester, opened his London design studio in 1989, and is a “contemporary thinker with ancient ideas.� The audience seemed steeped with students and fellow designers/architects, all there to imbibe Wilkie’s philosophies and quantum works. An architect known for working with soil and mud and his ability to sculpt the land, Wilkie opened with remarks of history, his predecessors and our existence of where we live. “In the total volume of the planet, we inhabit the thinnest layer on the surface of the sphere and rely on a meager band of atmosphere that hovers above that layer,� Led By The Land Landscapes By Kim Wilkie page 11. Speaking to the frailty of life, he said, “landscape is our physical and cultural relationship with land, water and air.� He went on to describe spiritual lumps of earth, linked to burial, worship and battle that have lasted longer than any building will. It was these protrusions of land that have inspired many great designers. Kim Wilkie’s works are so vast, so complex and so powerful, it is difficult to have a favorite. The fan of grass terraces behind Heveningham Hall in Suffolk and the observant Gormley Watcher at Shawford Wet Meadows in Hampshire certainly stand out. However, for me, it has to be Boughton House in Northamptonshire.

Commissioned to create the first new feature at Boughton House since the 18th Century, Wilkie, a historian as much as he is an architect, was the right person for the job. The original 18th Century lawn sculpture, complete with giant angular features, stood before Wilkie and his decision to invert his architecture, mirroring the image set before him, amplified his remarks made earlier. “Respect the history and do something in our time. To do things well, you need to understand what was before you.�

Lord Dalkeith, of Boughton House, invited Wilkie to the property, asking for an opinion and in so doing showed him “a perfectly truncated grass pyramid that Charles Bridgeman had designed in 1724 for the 2nd Duke of Montagu as a base for a mausoleum,� Led By The Land page 150. The decision to juxtapose the existing mount required imagination, lengthy geometry and mathematics and a deliberate attempt not to trump the existing design. After all, 165-by-165 feet and 23 feet deep, down to the precise millimeter, required more than the three diggers and nine months to accomplish.

Archeological concerns had to be dealt with as this property is listed as a Grade I. In the end, Hadrian, Vitruvius, Corbusier and da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, studies of proportion amalgamating artistic and scientific objectives, showed not only the precision that Bridgeman had, but also others going forward.

Wilkie spoke little of how his perfectly creased edges, or good tight swords, are formed. Dense, pure blue clay certainly plays its part, and this estate has its fair share, at least in the Orpheus landform. After the excavation and form, Wilkie clothed his Orpheus landform with grass, rolling it out from top to bottom, and pinned it with fine bamboo canes to hold it in place. Once the grass had taken root, specialized remotecontrolled banks mowers help keep his perfect, crisp lines. The end result – a tranquil, slow decent towards a pool of water that reflects the sky above, all the while offering a place for contemplation.

Wilkie’s obsession with landforms at an early age has led him to a calling. A calling that has pushed the envelope and in so doing has given us all landscapes to admire while honoring what was before him. I took away from his talk that his appreciation for humanity and the environment goes far beyond words. Perhaps it was his diverse upbringing, or his studies at Oxford and the University of California that have contributed to his sensitivity of the ecology while working with the land. Wilkie’s passion for working with mud and creating lasting impressions speaks to his words “respect the history and do something in our time.� Words that when he spoke them evoked memories of Walt Whitman’s O Me! O Life! “That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.� Mr. Wilkie is certainly contributing a lengthy verse.

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.

24 April, 2014

Gardener News

37th Annual New Jersey FFA Horticultural Exposition

Tom Castronovo/Photos

Students enrolled in agricultural education programs at 27 high schools and two middle schools from across New Jersey gathered for the FFA Floral Design Career Development exposition Friday, March 14, through Sunday, March 16, at Mercer County Community College – West Windsor Campus in West Windsor. During the three-day event, students competed for prizes in three divisions – Horticulture, Arrangement and Permanent. More than 800 entries were registered and floral industry experts determined the winners of each class, as well as choosing a Best of Division for each. The entries were showcased on campus through Sunday, March 16. The Expo is the largest event of its kind in the state. The FFA students were provided with floral materials to create two floral arrangements and asked to calculate the retail cost of one of the arrangements based on the cost of labor, materials and supplies. The arrangements from the event were then to be sold to the public during the weekend. The New Jersey FFA Association in the New Jersey Department of Agriculture has more than 2,600 members statewide, who are preparing for careers and leadership in the agriculture industry.

Gardener News

April, 2014 25

April is the key to success with your lawn. While many of us could not get out on our lawns in March because it was too wet or cold, you have to start an active lawncare program in April to be successful throughout the year. Think of your lawn program as a New Year’s resolution. I’m going to start living a healthy lifestyle by eating well, getting enough sleep and taking a walk to enjoy the sunshine and get out and conquer my lawn.

However, do not give up on this New Year’s resolution!

My friend Robin (that’s Robin with a capital “R� not “r� like the bird, but she does sing in the church choir) who is an avid gardener and has a beautiful Black Beauty lawn, still wonders what she should do this year to have a great lawn. Let’s just address April now that the snow is gone and warm spring weather is starting to make our yards come to life. Before we fertilize the lawn we need to clear the area of debris and give a vigorous raking to the lawn to remove dead grass, leaves, twigs, thatch or perhaps snow mold damage.

What about watering?

Many folks get their irrigation systems turned on in April and start watering their lawn like crazy. Extra water does not necessarily help your lawn grow better or faster! Consider not watering until the lawn starts to suffer some stress from the lack of rainfall. April showers bring May flowers and a great looking lawn too!

April usually does not require us to water our lawns, since there is plenty of moisture available. Wait until May or June to apply supplemental water. About one inch per week is all that the lawn needs in the absence of rainfall. So save some money and be good to the environment and hold off of on excessive watering.

That’s all for now folks, I hope you have some robins and other feathered friends visit your yard this spring so you can hear them sweetly sing.

Turf ‘s Up

By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

April is the Key‌ You know how good it feels to have a massage and back rub, your lawn will respond well when you massage it with your rake. New life and grass blades will begin to emerge.

As the flowers, trees and your lawn start to come out of their winter dormancy, they are hungry and want to be fed, just like a hibernating bear.

Traditional lawn fertilizers are best applied at this time since it still is usually cool and you will not get a quick response from organic lawn fertilizers.

Most lawns will have some areas with bare spots and need re-seeding. Get these areas seeded as soon as possible so weeds do not fill in these spots, use a new seeding-type fertilizer formula in these areas. The earlier you seed in spring, the better established

your lawn will be to survive summer’s usual heat and drought stress. Remember what I’ve preached before: buy the best quality grass seed you can, not junk. Do you go out and buy the cheapest coffee, roses or car? No! Many of us think we need to apply a crabgrass preventer in early-spring. Did you have a bad case of the “crabgrass blues� last year? If so, why? Was your lawn not healthy and growing thick to crowd out crabgrass? Did you forget to fertilize all year and crabgrass showed up last summer? Shame on you.

Crabgrass starts to germinate when soil temperatures reach 50-55 degrees. Remember, crabgrass germinates from early-spring through mid-summer so crabgrass preventers applied too early

may not work all season long. Crabgrass preventers that contain dithiopyr (Dimension) can control crabgrass before and after it germinates, up to the three leaf stage. This means you can apply grass seed and fertilizer to your lawn in earlyspring and once the new grass seed has been mowed three times, you can apply this type of crabgrass preventer successfully. Mid- to lateApril would be a good time to apply crabgrass controls.

Remember, crabgrass does not grow in the shade, so save the environment and use a traditional lawn fertilizer in these areas. If you had a healthy crop of crabgrass last year, consider applying a second application in latespring for better control into summer months.

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

Survey Reveals Hottest Outdoor Design Trends for 2014 :$6+,1*721 ' & ʊ &RQVXPHU GHPDQG UHPDLQV VWURQJ IRU DWWUDFWLYHO\ GHVLJQHG residential landscapes that are perfect for entertaining and relaxing, according to respondents to ASLA’s 2014 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends Survey. The survey also shows continuing popularity for both sustainable and low-maintenance design options.

Landscape architects who specialize in residential design across the country were asked to rate the expected popularity of a variety of residential outdoor design elements in 2014.

The category of gardens and landscaped spaces received a 94.2 percent rating as somewhat or very popular. Outdoor living spaces, defined as kitchens and entertainment spaces, were the second most popular at 92.0 percent. Outdoor recreation came in third at 75.8 percent.

Across all categories, 98.3 percent of respondents rated lighting as somewhat or very in-demand for 2014, followed by seating/dining areas (97.7 percent), fire pits/fireplaces (95.4 percent), grills (94.3 percent) and installed seating (89.6 percent), which include benches, seatwalls, ledges, steps, and boulders. “Homeowners know that designed landscapes add value to their lives as well as their property,� says ASLA Executive Vice President and CEO Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA. “They’re interested in livable, open spaces that are both stylish and earth-friendly.�

In the realm of landscape garden structures, terraces, patios, and decks are high on people’s lists (97.7 percent), as are fencing (88.5 percent), pergolas (82.8 percent), and decks (82.3 percent).

Survey respondents noted that the most popular landscape and garden elements for 2014 include low-maintenance landscapes (95.4 percent), native plants (84.5 percent), and fountains/ornamental water features (83.9 percent). Slightly more than three quarters of respondents (76.4 percent) noted food and vegetable gardens, including orchards and vineyards, will be in demand this year.

Decorative water elements—including waterfalls, ornamental pools, and splash pools— were predicted to be in demand for home landscapes (86.1 percent). Spas (76.4 percent) and swimming pools (73.8 percent) are also expected to be popular.

The most in-demand eco-friendly design elements include native/adapted droughttolerant plants (88 percent) and drip/water-efficient irrigation (84.5 percent). Permeable paving (78.9 percent), reduced lawn (72.6 percent), and recycled materials (65.1 percent) are other popular elements that will help American homeowners reduce their environmental footprint.

Additional information on residential landscape architecture can be found at www.asla.org/residentialinfo.

26 April, 2014

Gardener News

Organic Agriculture in New Jersey 1(: %5816:,&. 1- ĘŠ 7ZHQW\ JURZHUV UHSUHVHQWLQJ HLJKW FRXQWLHV DFURVV 1HZ -HUVH\ conducted a fruitful meeting with ten Rutgers Cooperative Extension specialists and agents of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES). Held recently at Terhune Orchards in Princeton, NJ, the meeting was designed as a forum to discuss organic agriculture in New Jersey and to highlight the needs of organic farmers as well as the resources available from NJAES to support the industry.

At the meeting, which also served to reinvigorate key players, identify farmers’ needs and outline future actions, Rutgers NJAES personnel presented recent research developments, including the launch of a new website http://www.mworks.com/SARE/index.html for weed control in organic vegetable production systems.

In addition, farmers were provided important updates on stink bug research, integrated pest management, food safety, pepper variety trials, disease forecasting and agritourism best management practices.

Jack Rabin, director of farm programs at NJAES, actively engaged farmers at the meeting, asking them to outline their needs in order for NJAES personnel to proactively respond throughout the growing season. Farmers identified the need for pesticide applicator training sessions for organic producers. The first applicator pesticide training for organic producers is scheduled for April 9th at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County. Anyone interested can contact Meredith Melendez at Melendez@aesop.rutgers.edu.

New Jersey farmers, both organic and conventional, routinely call Rutgers county agricultural agents when they spot potential problems on their farms. In order to make information from such farm visits more widely available to farmers, Rabin and county agents work together to write “Organic Farm Calls� posts for the Sustaining Farming on the Urban Fringe blog. These posts provide relevant and up-to-date information to help farmers sustain their organic operations.

Other Rutgers resources available to farmers include the recently released 2014 edition of the Rutgers Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations for New Jersey. The recommendations include a wide range of information on cultural practices, which are beneficial to both organic and conventional farmers in their battle to control insects and diseases that impact their operations.

NJAES is the primary unit at Rutgers responsible for carrying out the university’s land-grant mission of research, extension and service and is also home to Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

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Todd Pretz Jody Shilan Bob LaHoff Peter Melick David Williams Leslie Barlow

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TIP OF THE MONTH

Peonies bloom over a seven-week period in New Jersey, typically beginning in late-April and ending in earlyJune. Four major species are widely used in the garden setting: herbaceous peonies; tree peonies; intersectional peonies; and woodland herbaceous peonies. All peonies are best suited to locations that are well draining, never become waterlogged, and are not watered by a daily sprinkler system. They are tolerant of a wide range of pH, but prefer neutral to slightly alkaline soils. Ideal planting time is from late-fall through early-summer, with a break in the middle when the ground is frozen solid. Peonies, like most perennials, take three years to become fully established in the garden. They typically need little fertilization. And sandy soils will require more fertilization as the nutrients easily leach out of the soil.

Gardener Gard Ga rde d ner New de News Ne wss

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28 April, 2014

Gardener News

Be Inspired This Spring!

Create or Cater a beautiful meal to celebrate your holiday with family and friends. We have created a one-stop culinary destination where you will ďŹ nd the highest quality products, ready made gourmet dishes and all your entertaining essentials to meet all of your cooking needs. Or let our seasoned in-store expert chefs prepare your ideal meal so you can enjoy the day.

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