Gardener News August 2019

TAKE ONE

Gardener News

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August 2019

GARDENERNEWS.COM

TAKE ONE No. 196

Changing the Color of Hydrangeas

Bailey Nurseries/ Photo

By Tom Castronovo Executive Editor I love the look of hydrangeas. These colorful, showy plants can certainly brighten up a dry, dull landscape.

As I travel around the Jersey shore, they are in almost every landscape.

They are abundant in gardens and I see them in containers and on patios. Hydrangeas in full bloom in front of a

lush green lawn look pretty awesome.

I don’t see them as much in North Jersey because of the deer. I’ve also seen their huge flowers softening brick and stone retaining walls.

Hydrangeas can also help define outdoor living spaces by helping create garden rooms as a border plant. I wish these plants flowered and stayed green all year long. They are deciduous plants, which means they lose their color and leaves

in fall. They still have winter interest when they bare their bones.

Let’s start off with a little history. The name hydrangea comes from the Greek “hydor,” meaning water, and “angos,” meaning jar or vessel. This roughly translates to “water barrel,” referring to the hydrangea’s need for plenty of water.

Growing hydrangeas is pretty easy. They prefer welldrained, moist soil, but not wet; overwatering can cause

hydrangea to produce fewer flowers. Depending on your soil type, you will need to adjust how frequently and how much you water. Clay soil holds more water than sandy or loam soil types and produces more runoff because it doesn’t allow as much water to soak in as a looser sandy soil.

Drip irrigation, a soaker hose, or hand watering the shrubs is best when the ground feels dry. If your hydrangeas are planted in an area that

sees high temperatures, they may wilt a bit in the afternoon, but will revive when the temperatures cool down. It’s best to water them in the morning or very earlyevening when the sun is less overpowering. They might need a little extra attention on a hot, windy day.

In order to change hydrangeas from blue to pink or from pink to blue, the first thing you need to do is to obtain and perform a soil test. It’s all (Cont. on Page 24)

2 August 2019

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August 2019 3

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Ok, it’s August and it is really HOT in the Garden State. Time for trips to the Shore, backyard barbecues and late-night summertime fun with friends.

Fortunately, we in New Jersey are blessed with an array of locally grown and produced food and drink that come directly from our great Jersey farms. To help you enjoy the summer better, our farmers are in their fields and harvesting all-out production of some of the most fabulous crops in the nation.

The movement to buy all things local, especially farm-fresh products and value-added items, has been so pronounced over the past decade or more that the demand for our farmers’ local products is routinely high. The increased production in response to that demand means the farm fare is in abundant supply and priced to sell.

At this time of year, you’ll see your local markets filled with cabbages, cucumbers, corn, endive, escarole, green beans, collard greens, spinach, basil, cilantro, mint, parsley, leeks, romaine and green-leaf lettuces, peas, radishes, squash, tomatoes, as well as apples, peaches, blueberries and hundreds more crops in dozens of varieties.

What better time than now is there to let yourself go into the

without his or her work, dedication and passion, the farm is merely land. It is that farmer’s toil, risk and worry that turn that land into the products we all enjoy.

Which is another way of saying that the future of agriculture in New Jersey comes down to YOU, the consumer. You – and your family – keep this venture of agriculture going by making sure that you buy either directly from our local farms or from the stores they supply.

Buy Real. Buy Local. Buy Jersey Fresh. You can find out where at https://findjerseyfresh. com/.

NJ Dept. of Agriculture

By Douglas H. Fisher Secretary of Agriculture

The height of New Jersey’s farm season

cornucopia of fresh goodness and create recipes and experimentations with this confluence of these fabulous fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices?

This applies not only to the world of fruits and vegetables, but also to the farm-fresh dairy and cheeses, along with poultry, eggs and meat products being offered at local farm operations. And, just in time for those great late-summer get-togethers with family and friends, the incredible selection of award-winning wines, beers and spirits that many of our farmers produce or produce the ingredients to make.

Think about that – the full menu for an entire picnic, pool party, or weekend getaway can all be yours from farms that are no more than an hour’s drive from home. That’s FRESH.

Even people beyond our state’s borders love the things our farmers produce, as there is a market for our products across many parts of the nation and around the world. We ship blueberries to Canada, greens to the West, peaches up and down the Eastern Seaboard and on and on and on.

It brings to mind that, while many of us are enjoying this most fun time of the year, this is exactly the time our farmers are hardest at work. It’s almost as if there should be a separate Thanksgivinglike holiday that recognizes all the things farmers do to liven up our summers. In lieu of that (or maybe until it happens) I offer the following quotes from notable people about the importance of our farms and farmers.

“Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end

contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness.” – Thomas Jefferson “Life on a farm is a school of patience; you can’t hurry the crops or make an ox in two days.”

– French botanist Henri AlainLiogier “Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower “To make agriculture sustainable, the grower has got to be able to make a profit.” – Longtime California Congressman Sam Farr.

That Sam Farr quote really struck a chord with me. We have long maintained at the New Jersey Department of Agriculture that farming can only be sustainable if the farmer is sustained as well. For,

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

US House of Representatives orders Pentagon to say if it weaponized ticks and released them

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The US House of Representatives quietly voted in July to require the Pentagon inspector general to tell Congress whether the department experimented with weaponizing disease-carrying insects and whether they were released into the public realm — either accidentally or on purpose.

The unusual proposal took the form of an amendment that was adopted by voice vote July 11 during House debate on the fiscal 2020 defense authorization bill, which lawmakers passed the following day.

The amendment, by New Jersey Republican Christopher H. Smith, says the inspector general “shall conduct a review of whether the Department of Defense experimented with ticks and other insects regarding use as a biological weapon between the years of 1950 and 1975.”

Each year, nearly 30,000 cases of Lyme Disease are reported to the CDC, which also says that more than 300,000 people are diagnosed with the disease each year. In 2017, a total of 42,743 confirmed and probable cases of Lyme Disease were reported to the CDC, 17% more than in 2016, according to the agency.

The amendment is an attempt to confirm or deny reports that Pentagon researchers — at places such as Fort Detrick in Maryland and Plum Island in New York — implanted diseases into insects to learn about the effects of biological weapons and also looked into using such insects to disseminate biological agents.

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August 2019 5

6 August 2019

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

Great Tomato Tasting and Snyder Farm Open House Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Snyder Research and Extension Farm 140 Locust Grove Road, Pittstown, Hunterdon County, NJ 08867 Wednesday, August 28, 2019 (rain or shine) 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Gold Nuggets, Mountain Gem, Black Opal-these are just some of the dazzling tomato treasures available at this year’s Great Tomato Tasting and Snyder Farm Open House.

The event includes the very popular tasting of up to 100 heirloom and hybrid varieties of beefsteak, plum, cherry, and grape tomatoes!

Open House features include demonstration gardens of deer tolerant ornamentals, hazelnuts, and hollies from the Rutgers breeding programs.

Other highlights include tastings of basil, fruit and more.

Wagon tours of the farm’s research plots will be held throughout the event along with educational displays from various organizations.

Rutgers NJAES staff and Master Gardener volunteers will be available to provide information and answer your gardening questions.

To help us plan for the event please RSVP at: snyderfarm.rutgers.edu/tomato-tasting or call 908-730-9419 X-3501 Visit our website at snyderfarm.rutgers.edu or call 908-730-9419 for more information.

Admission: $10.00 per person, payable at the event (cash or check only).

Free for children 12 & under.

Please, only service dogs allowed on the farm grounds.

Volunteer With Us! Did you know you can volunteer with Rutgers Cooperative Extension? Whether you are interested in youth development, horticulture, urban forestry, environmental protection, green infrastructure, marine ecology, food and nutrition, or food preservation, there is an opportunity for you in our Extension family.

Our volunteers are trained by experts at Rutgers and help extend the resources of the university into the communities we serve.

Why volunteer? To make a difference in your community, to connect with like-minded people, to help families, to help children, and to turn your passion into action! Thank you for volunteering with us, and helping to make New Jersey a great place to live and work.

Learn more at https://njaes.rutgers.edu/volunteer/

Four New Rutgers Sweet Basil Varieties Are Available to Home Gardeners Rutgers plant scientists spent a decade evaluating and breeding tasty, downy mildew resistant basils.

Four new sweet basil varieties resistant to downy mildew disease – which destroys leaves and has been the bane of basil growers for a decade – are now being sold to home gardeners and commercial farmers across the United States thanks to years of painstaking breeding and selection at Rutgers University.

Two of the four varieties also show high resistance to Fusarium wilt, another important soil-borne disease. The four new downy mildew resistant (DMR) sweet basils are Rutgers Devotion DMR, Rutgers Obsession DMR, Rutgers Passion DMR and Rutgers Thunderstruck DMR. These varieties of sweet basil – one of America’s most popular garden herbs and the most important annual culinary herb commercial crop – became available to commercial growers last spring and are now available to home gardeners.

Learn more at https://breeding.rutgers.edu/basils/

GardenerNews.com

From the Director’s Desk

Rutgers Outreach Provided by Brian Schilling Director Chrysler Herbarium: A Treasure Trove of Plants from the Past

Centuries ago, naturalists and scientists were busy cataloguing and collecting specimens of the natural world. Driving this may have been a desire to tame the wildness of nature, or perhaps the comfort of categorizing and defining the world.

For generations, these collections have been preserved and added to by individuals and institutions often operating with shoestring budgets. One such collection that survives today, tucked into the basement of the Biological Sciences Building on the Douglass campus in New Brunswick, is the Rutgers Chrysler Herbarium.

An herbarium (plural: herbaria) is a collection of preserved plant specimens and associated data used for scientific study – like a plant library or museum. While still important for cataloging species taxonomically, herbaria have increasingly been used creatively to answer questions about our past, test hypotheses about our present, and make predictions for our future.

Herbaria can be lenses into our past. The collections can shed light on invasion ecology by determining when and where invasions began. For example, by paging through multiflora rose specimens, you can track when and where it was first recorded in New Jersey.

Jay Kelly from the Center for Environmental Studies at Raritan Valley Community College used the herbarium to find the locations of historical test plots that had since been lost. He was then able to do a comprehensive study on how those plots had changed over the past century.

Emily Meineke from Harvard University Herbaria has studied scale insects preserved on historical specimens collected in urban and rural areas to make predictions of how plants may react to the changing climate.

Herbarium specimens are still used to answer questions of taxonomy, although not in the way those collecting specimens centuries ago could have imagined. Herbaria specimens, while dried and old, still contain viable DNA that can be analyzed. Researchers used herbaria specimens of Black Cherry to determine patterns of historic gene flow.

Until recently, the only way to use the vast data stored in herbaria was to page through stacks of pressed plants in person. Now, thanks to the Mid Atlantic Herbaria Consortium (MAHC), a vast effort has begun to digitize herbaria collections. These digital collections are open to the public and anyone with a question and creative mind can use them.

Through a MAHC grant, the Chrysler Herbarium’s army of volunteers was able to digitize 60,000 plant specimens. However, there are over 100,000 specimens yet to be digitized!

They require funds for more server space to house the rest of the digital collection. The herbarium also needs help processing the 60,000 images uploaded so far. Data written on labels, often penned by the hand of collectors over 100 years prior, need to be entered into the database. MAHC relies on citizen scientists to do this. If you would like to contribute, find out more at: midatlanticherbaria.org/portal/collections/specprocessor/crowdsource. To donate funds or volunteer, please email herbarium@sebs.rutgers.edu.

Volunteering online or in the herbarium can be very rewarding. Since 2016, the Chrysler Herbarium has trained over 80 students in the imaging, barcoding, labeling, transcribing, mounting and repairing of specimens. This ‘herbarium army’ is responsible for the 60,000 images already uploaded to MAHC. Through volunteering, the students appreciate being part of something larger than themselves, even giving them a reverence for history. One such volunteer, Eva Popp writes: “Through working in the herbarium I developed a connection to other botanists across history. At first the collectors seemed so distant, but after seeing specimens collected from places that I had been to, I realized that time is the only thing that separates us. Although we existed hundreds of years apart from each other, we still lived in the same area and shared the same ecological interests. The great number of specimens collected in the 1900s by Douglass College students also opened my eyes to the legacy of women in science at Rutgers behind me.”

One such historical link to another female adventurer is a story uncovered through investigating specimen labels at the herbarium. The oldest specimens in the Chrysler Herbarium are from 1836, when they were collected by Johann Wilhelm Helfer and his wife in India. Rutgers professor Lena Struwe, after reading his name on the plant specimen, found a historical record of Helfer through the British Museum in London which describes his wife: “At that time it was considered impossible for a woman to travel safely, so his wife, cut her long hair short, wore a turban or fez and carried a dagger and two pistols in her broad girdle.”

One can only imagine their adventures while exploring the world, leaving for posterity some of the dried and pressed plants. Plants that if continued to be preserved, future researchers may use to answer questions that we haven’t yet dreamt of.

Editor’s Note: This month’s contribution was written by Rutgers doctoral student in Ecology and Evolution Amy Gage, and Chrysler Herbarium collections manager Megan King.

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

August 2019 7

Trumpets from the Heavens A “Tropical” is a term used for plants that are a perennial in their native regions, typically hovering somewhere close to the equator, but lack frost tolerance and serve as an annual in temperate gardens.

Of course, plant lovers can also bring these Tropicals inside for the colder months. There are, in fact, numerous Tropicals that the gardener can overwinter indoors, but none is probably as spectacular in size or bloom as Brugmansia or Angels Trumpet.

Brugmansia is a member of the Solanaceae or Nightshade family of which the tomato and pepper are very noteworthy members.

Currently, there are seven known species that were “originally” native along the Andes from Venezuela to Northern Chile and southeastern Brazil.

I highlight “originally” since the seven species are no longer found in the wild and are now classified as extinct! The cause for extinction is possibly due to the loss of the animal responsible

for seed dispersal or perhaps the result of over-harvesting for the powerful Tropane Alkaloids found in the plants tissues.

Brugmansia is closely related to another alkaloid-bearing plant named Datura. In fact, Angels Trumpet was initially named Datura by the Swedish Botanist and Physician Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) in 1753. It was not until 1805 that Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (1761-1836), who resided mostly in Paris and is best noted for his work on mushroom classification, properly classified this genus.

The name honors the Dutch botanist and physician Sebald Justin Brugmans (1763-1819).

The common name of Angel’s Trumpet comes from the dangling, six- to 10-inch long trumpet shaped flowers that resemble musical instruments pointed downward from Heaven.

On the flipside, Datura is often called Devil’s Trumpet since the four- to six-inch long flowers point upwards, resembling trumpets directed upwards from the depths of the underworld.

Clearly, Brugmansia received the

more marketable name!

Brugmansia is a woody plant with the potential to reach impressive heights of 10 to more than 30 feet, depending upon the cultivar or species. The ovate foliage is arranged alternately and typically is lightly pubescent.

For the selection “Snowbank,” the foliage is trimmed with a wide white border, which nicely complements the salmon flowers and is a far more robust border than the selection named “Variegata.”

The flowers have a lemony fragrance in the early evening to attract pollinating hawkmoths and bats, with the flower persisting for two to six days. The individual colors range from white to pink, yellow, orange and even maroon.

The flowers typically appear in waves, separated by a two to three-week rest period, allowing the plant to store up reserves for the next floral flush.

With its impressive size and relatively rapid rate of growth, it is no wonder that Brugmansia requires nutrient rich soils and sustained irrigation. Containers are a nice way to elevate and display the flowers on younger

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plants, since it allows the gardener to peer upwards into the flower.

It is important to situate the plants in larger containers, reducing the chance of the plant becoming root bound and drying out more rapidly. Container plants should be on a weekly regiment of liquid fertilizer, since slow-release pellets do not provide a sufficient rate of nutrient release. Optimally, Brugmansia is best located in full sun, although light shade will also provide respectable floral development.

Plants will also root fairly easily from cuttings, should a friend have a selection that you are envious of growing in your garden. Although far from dangerous in a garden display, care should be taken when handling cuttings.

The Tropane Alkaloids mentioned earlier include strychnine, atropine and scopolamine, which in small quantities yield a numbing effect on the brain, while larger quantities result in violent hallucinations and death. Obviously, plastic gloves should be worn while working with cuttings! Fortunately, the presence of the alkaloids does

make the genus very resistant to deer browse.

A plant with great presence, intriguingly beautiful flowers and a sincere note of respect, Brugmansia has proven to be a wonderful plant for decorating the garden and wowing visitors.

Should you be looking for a Tropical that provides the visual equal of trumpets sounding from the heavens above, this is the plant for you.

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

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

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

8 August 2019

GardenerNews.com

Two New Members Installed on NJ State Board of Agriculture Hunterdon County landscape and nursery owner David DeFrange II was sworn in as a member of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture during the Board’s regular meeting held June 26 at The Horse Park of New Jersey.

DeFrange is an accomplished landscape nurseryman, with a business that has been successful for over 25 years. Operations are located in west-central New Jersey where he runs a thriving maintenance and installation business, consultancy, and his most recent push to construct a nursery on over 65 acres of his farm.

DeFrange’s extensive experience in landscape and hardscape design, nurturing and growing plant materials, historical restorations, and green solutions has provided him a base of expertise to bring to his customers, his classroom at Mercer Community College (MCC) and the State of New Jersey.

Throughout DeFrange’s career, he has held leadership positions in organizations in New Jersey that pursue the education and advancement of landscape design and use of plant materials. He is a continuous learner and recently pursued the NRCS for advice on his own conservation plan. He holds his CNLP, and is working with native plants and cultivars to build a next generation of plant materials. DeFrange has directed, managed the students, and played an instrumental role in the designs and installations for Mercer Community College as they competed in the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, wining bronze, silver, and gold, year over year respectively.

Additionally, DeFrange was brought in to consult for local solar companies due to his knowledge in soils, to ensure the proper grasses and plant materials were used at the shore, in the southern part of the state, and locally in central New Jersey to ensure ecologically sound natural solutions that were sustainable and esthetically pleasing.

DeFrange holds a BS in Bioscience and Ornamental Horticulture Environmental Design and in April completed the New Jersey Agricultural Society’s Agricultural Leadership Development Program, a Joint Legislative Commendation. DeFrange is a dedicated family man, married for 11 years, with two children whom he supports in their pursuits with sports, the scouts and 4-H. DeFrange is more than just a one-commodity person – he can speak on and pursue many facets of what is needed for New Jersey in a position with the State Board of Agriculture.

Recently released data from the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service showed that the nursery, greenhouse, floriculture and sod industry continues to be New Jersey’s leading agricultural sector, with sales at almost $500 million, an increase of $93 million from the previous census. New Jersey also has moved up to rank fifth in the nation in nursery stock sales.

The 2018 wholesale value of New Jersey floriculture crops is up 6 percent from the 2015 valuation. The total crop value at wholesale for all growers with $10,000 or more in sales is estimated at $216.2million for 2018, fourth highest nationally.

For the U.S., the 2018 wholesale value of floriculture crops is up 6 percent from the 2015 valuation. The total crop value at wholesale for all growers with $10,000 or more in sales is estimated at $4.63 billion for 2018, compared with $4.37 billion for 2015. For 2018, the top-five States are: California, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, which account for $4.04 billion, or 66 percent of the total value.

The State Board of Agriculture comprises eight members who serve for four years. By law, at least four of its members must represent the top commodity groups in the state. Members serve without salary.

Members of the State Board of Agriculture are elected by delegates from the agriculture community to the legislatively established, annual State Agricultural Convention in February, then recommended to the Governor for appointment to the Board with the approval of the State Senate.

Gloucester County veterinarian Ernest Beier III also was sworn in as a member of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture on the same day.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

David DeFrange II, center, is congratulated by New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher, left, and New Jersey Assemblyman Eric J. Houghtaling, who also chairs the New Jersey Assembly’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, as one of the newest members of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture.

GardenerNews.com Most Americans don’t watch bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies hovering over the flowers in their gardens and think: “I wonder how this affects the economy?”

But we should. As any gardener, nurseryman, or farmer knows, these pollinators are critical parts of crop growth and green production. Thanks to the cross-pollination created by these species, at least 30 percent of the world’s crops and 90 percent of wild plants can grow and thrive.

Here in New Jersey, approximately one-third of all crops grown depend on pollinators for reproduction.

There’s one problem: their populations are dropping dramatically around the United States, raising a real threat to agricultural industries nationwide.

The causes are many, including harmful pesticides, climate change, and habitat loss due to the decrease of native plants.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pollinators contribute more than $24 billion to the American economy. But in today’s sprawling landscape defined by parking lots and manicured lawns, the population of managed honeybees has plummeted from 6 million

August 2019 9 Agriculture and Natural Resources

By Eric Houghtaling New Jersey Assemblyman

New Jersey Legislature Moves to Protect Pollinators

colonies in 1947 to 2.5 million now, while the population of monarch butterflies has dropped 84 percent.

The Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee is working to encourage pollination diversity and abundance. Working with our partners in the agriculture and plant nursery industries, and with experts such as county extension agents, the committee recently passed a package of 14 bills addressing pollinator decline.

Here are some highlights: One bill (A-5529) would recognize municipalities that provide habitats for pollinators and work to conserve these important species with the label of “Pollinator Pathway.” Another bill (A-5530) requires the State Board of Agriculture to provide the Legislature with an annual list of environmentally harmful plant

species, allowing the State to move quickly to protect pollinators from invasive species that destroy their habitats.

A third bill, A-5531, would establish a “pollinator-friendly” label for plants, encouraging consumers to make good choices when filling out their lawns and gardens. Finally, two other bills, (A-5531 & A-5533) will establish a pollinator habitat program for closed landfills, converting closed-off land into an open, bountiful habitat; and create a leasing program that would allow state-owned land to be used and managed as pollinator habitat.

The Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee also passed a package of four bills (A-4492, A-5014, A-1676 and A-5015) aiming to encourage consumers to plant New Jersey-native plants. Native plants like black-

eyed susans, royal ferns, and wild geraniums offer enormous environmental and economic benefits, helping to conserve and filter water, providing wildlife habitat and soil resources, and reducing the costs and environmental impacts associated with pesticides and fertilizers.

I’m also pleased to share that this year’s budget will contain an additional $2.5 million in funding for the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, which performs an extensive array of research and educational services for agricultural businesses and communities across our state. With this new funding, I’m confident that the NJAES will be able to deliver an even greater impact, helping New Jersey’s green industry further develop and expand.

Finally, we joined members of the State Board of Agriculture to

celebrate the Month of the Horse this past June with a tour of Fair Winds Farm of Cream Ridge and the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown to learn about their operations and issues of concern.

According to Rutgers University, the 7,200 horseinvolved operations across our state generate $1.1 billion dollars in economic impact and about 13,000 jobs. So, hats off to the horse: You’ve earned your keep and your place on the New Jersey state seal.

While the Assembly is in summer recess, please know that our Committee will continue its work, and that we want to hear your thoughts or concerns on any bill that concerns you or any challenges that you face. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling is Chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in the New Jersey State Assembly. He can be reached at 732-695-3371 or AsmHoughtaling@njleg. org, or by mail at 802 W Park Ave, Ste 221, Ocean Township 07712.

Bateman/Smith/Greenstein Bill to Establish Permanent Funding for Open Space & Farmland Preservation Signed into Law Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senators Kip Bateman, Bob Smith, and Linda Greenstein to establish funding for constitutionally dedicated Corporate Business Tax (CBT) revenues for the State’s open space, farmland, and historic preservation programs for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 and thereafter, has been signed into law

by Governor Phil Murphy.

“This law will ensure we can continue to call New Jersey the ‘Garden State,’ for years to come,” said Senator Kip Bateman (R-Somerset/Mercer/Middlesex/ Hunterdon.) “Open space preservation needs a constant source of funding – a onetime payment isn’t enough.

This is a fiscally-responsible way to maintain the green and blue acres we have already preserved, and prevent other areas we have yet to protect from being destroyed.

I am glad that once again, we could come together on a bipartisan basis to get this done.”

“The signing and enacting of this law has been a very long time coming. The legislature, environmental groups and activists have worked longer than anyone can

imagine on making sure this covered everything it was supposed to,” said Senator Bob Smith (D-Middlesex/ Somerset). “New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the country, so the preservation of open space and farmland is extremely important if we are going to prevent overdevelopment.”

“The idea of open space and farmland preservation has always been important to me. Undeveloped land can provide major benefits around population centers, for example, swamps protect water supplies and can prevent disastrous flooding during severe storms,” said Senator Linda Greenstein (D-Middlesex/Mercer).

“Now we can be more effective and have a broader reach in how much land we can preserve from overdevelopment.”

Starting in FY2020, the constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for open space would be allocated as follows: 62 percent would go towards the acquisition and development of lands for public recreation and conservation purposes, 31 percent for farmland

preservation purposes and 7 percent for historic preservation purposes.

Under Green Acres, local governments would be able to apply for grants to be used for open space acquisition and recreational development. However, the majority of the funds would go towards State open space acquisition and development projects.

The law will allocate funding for farmland preservation, and would provide grants to local governments to assist in the acquisition of farmland.

It would also provide grants to the State government to pay for the majority of the cost of the acquisition of farmland.

The law will also provide funding for the preservation of historic sites, where the funds would be placed annually into the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund. Capital preservation grants would fund the restoration, preservation, repair and rehabilitation of historic properties listed, or eligible for listing, in the State or National Register of Historic Places.

Senate Passes Bateman Bill to Combat Food Waste The New Jersey Senate has passed legislation sponsored by Senator Kip Bateman (R-16) to combat food waste by amending the definition of Class I renewable energy, and requiring certain solid waste generators to separate and recycle food waste. 133 billion pounds, or approximately 31 percent of the overall food supply generated in the United States every year is wasted, according to the United States EPA. Senator Bateman’s bill, S-4039, would require every large food waste generator that is located within 25 road miles of an authorized food waste recycling facility and generates 52 or more tons per year of food waste to source separate that food waste, and send it to an authorized food waste recycling facility that has available capacity and will accept it.

10 August 2019

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August 2019 11

Around The Garden

By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

A lot of everything The New Jersey Governor’s action putting a so-called freeze on items hand-picked from the Fiscal Year 2020 budget he signed on June 30 is vindictive to the agricultural, gardening, landscaping and nursery folks in the state.

I believe this is an abuse of gubernatorial power that victimizes some of the most vulnerable agricultural programs that affect everyday lives in New Jersey.

The spending freeze is problematic to say the least.

Here are some of the agricultural funds that the Governor has frozen that will hurt our great community.

Jersey Fresh, “advertising, promotional and quality grading program,” $100,000.

Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, $3 million.

Rutgers Equine Science Operating Support, $95,000.

Agriculture affects our everyday lives.

Agriculture is animals, cosmetics, clothing, an economic driver, a large employer, food, lumber, machinery, medicine, plants, science and more.

Agriculture also contributes to the health and food security of the state.

Please stop playing political football with agriculture, Governor, and unfreeze the funding.

Now, raise your hand if you had problems with New Guinea impatiens, vinca flower, and lawn fungus this year.

My New Guinea impatiens were absolutely stunning when I brought them home from my local garden center in the spring. The flowers were majestic.

The temperatures were warmer than usual for the first half of the season. Then the rains came. Poof! My New Guineas stopped flowering. They had beautiful buds that just wouldn’t bloom.

I brought them home because they offer low maintenance and high performance. Their pointed, oblong leaves usually stay attractive throughout the season and are glossy, dark green, burgundy, or variegated. The flowers are similar to, but larger than, the flowers of common impatiens. They have five thick petals and produce lots of nectar, attracting butterflies.

They certainly received a lot of water. I did not let them remain dry for an extended period. Nature helped me with that.

I planted them outside after Memorial Day, when I was sure that all danger of frost had passed, and I made sure the nighttime temperatures remained around 55 to 60 degrees F. The planting media in my garden is between 5.8 and 6.2. I’ve been told that New Guinea impatiens can be sensitive to micronutrient toxicities if pH drops below 5.8. I’ve also been told that New Guinea impatiens don’t need heavy feeding and are susceptible to high soluble salt injury. I only fed them lightly with a 20-20-20 water soluble fertilizer.

I checked them regularly for disease and practiced proper sanitation.

In mid-July, a few blooms started reappearing on the plants. Very strange. I asked several growers as I was

out and about delivering the paper about the flowering problem I was having. It seemed like it was a common problem. Some said it happened to folks last year as well.

The flowering cycle must have been off for the last several years. Mother Nature is tricky to predict.

Next year I’m going to switch over to Sun Patiens.

I have been educated by the best growers in the state that these flowering beauties are less prone to disease, and their strong, sturdy stems tolerate high heat and humidity, rain and adverse weather conditions. They told me that they are flowering machines.

Let’s now jump on to annual vinca flower.

These summer stunners are native to Madagascar and need the summer heat to thrive. Full sun is best, but they can take part shade if there’s good air circulation.

If an area is too stuffy, the plant can develop fungal problems. Vinca flower can also stand up to drought.

The plants are self-cleaning, so I do not have to dead-head spent flowers. I like to pinch them back a bit to encourage bushiness.

The problem that I witnessed this year was seeing them in the landscape way too early.

Vinca flower should not be planted outside until nighttime temperatures hover around 60 degrees F. Good things come to those who wait.

Plants set out too early in cold, wet soil will deliver a sickly seasonal performance.

Water at the base of the plant, rather than overhead.

This helps prevent the two diseases that primarily affect vinca plants, which are branch blight and root rot.

Vinca flower demand well-draining soil. I incorporate Espoma Organic Garden Soil into my planting beds every season. The bagged media is enhanced with Mycorrhizae and fortified with earthworm castings.

Good stuff!

Let’s address the lawn now. And I love my lawn.

There are several diseases that are showing up on most lawns right now. I struggle every summer with one disease or another.

Here are a few that are around the Garden State right now. Brown patch (it usually shows up as large, roughly circular, somewhat irregular patches that appear to be either dry or dead). Summer patch (it will show up in the form of irregular brown patches, rings, and crescent shapes), And Dollar spot (a lawn disease that attacks low-nitrogen turf).

First and foremost, do not water your lawn in the overnight hours. Early-morning is best. Overnight watering with all of the humidity around will feed the diseases.

Identifying the disease is the best way to control it.

If you apply fungicides, rotate the brand. Believe it or not, lawns become immune to the same one after a while.

I applied a liquid fungicide application at the beginning of June as a preventative. The label says that I can reapply every 28 days. After my second application, I’ve achieved pretty good control so far.

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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12 August 2019

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GardenerNews.com Everyday life seems to be moving at such a fast pace these days. We need to get to work faster, do more with less time, be more productive with our phones, computers and technology and the list just goes on and on.

Remember when we were kids and summer seemed to last forever? Those where the days!

Well, your lawn is under stress as well due to the excessive rains we experienced all spring long.

The hot, dry summer has probably arrived as I write this article. I assume by the time you read this article, your lawn will be under some sort of stress.

Proper preparation helps your lawn survive summer stresses such as heat, drought, bugs and disease.

The spring rains were like a daily shot of happy drugs for your lawn. Your lawn was punch drunk and was looking forward to another daily dose of water for weeks at a time. Grass blades are probably 90-percent water and now that the life line of water has been cut off, what can you do?

Too much of a good thing can turn out badly. Your lawn According to the Farmers’ Almanac, we are officially mired in the Dog Days of Summer.

This period can be so stifling hot and humid. Interestingly, the term Dog Days of Summer has nothing to do with man’s best friend but originates from astronomy. This is the time of year when the sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius, (known as the Dog Star) and is the brightest star visible.

In the summer, Sirius generally rises and sets with the sun. On July 23, this occurs at precisely the same time. Because the star is so bright, the ancient Romans believed it gave off heat and added to the sun’s warmth, accounting for the long stretch of oppressive weather. They referred to this time as diēs caniculārēs, or “dog days.” Thus, the term Dog Days of Summer came to mean the 20 days before and 20 days after this alignment of Sirius with the sun—July 3 to August 11.

To me, this period of time signifies another alignment – the peak of the Jersey Fresh season!

Just visit your local retailer, community farmers market or favorite roadside stand, and enjoy summer’s abundance. To help me get through these “Dog Days,”

August 2019 13 Turf ‘s Up

By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

Why are you so stressed?

will become stronger when there is less water available, which forces the roots to dig deeper into the soil for moisture to survive. Of course, you do not want to purposely take your lawn to the edge of drought stress and then water it to bring it back from disaster, but I think you get my point here.

Proper fertilizing is an important part of your lawncare program. A regular feeding schedule will strengthen and thicken your lawn to help it withstand heat and drought conditions much better.

Feeding once or twice a year is not enough, your lawn likes to be fed during the growing seasons. However, I would avoid feeding your lawn during hot, dry weather. Some folks were not able to fertilize more

than once this spring due to rainy conditions. Your lawn can become “hungry” and lose that spring green color with only one feeding, sometimes leading to fungus problems.

Rain and heat create perfect conditions for weeds to flourish.

Crabgrass will rear its ugly head, but once these plants become too large, they are difficult to control. Applying weed controls during hot summer months is not recommended, particularly if the lawn is already under heat and drought stress. Follow all label directions on controls you do apply.

Moisture and heat also create prime conditions for lawn insect pests to thrive. The natural life cycle of many insects occurs during summer months.

Remember to mow regularly

lawn areas that border woods in order to deter ticks. Apply insect controls as needed once you determine which insects are present and follow all label directions on any pesticides you chose to apply.

Turf experts say a healthy, growing lawn can survive five to 10 grubs per square foot.

Grubs may be very active at this time due to the rainfall, which they need to reproduce. Latesummer to early-fall is a good time to control grubs, since they are in a young stage of life.

Proper mowing is also an important part of your overall lawn-care plan. Did you remember to raise your mowing height as I recommended during summer months? Raise the cutting height to three inches or greater to preserve moisture

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

the ear is the female part. The tassel releases millions of grains of pollen, and some of them are caught by the silk.

There is one strand of silk

By Al Murray for each kernel on a cob. If the Executive Director strand does not contact the pollen, you will find gaps in the rows of kernels. Each ear of corn contains approximately 800 kernels, and always has an even number of happened, but Native American The advent of the “Super rows. If you boil your corn, never tribes were known to grow sweet Sweet” varieties completely add salt to the water, it makes the corn. In 1779, the Iroquois gave changed the industry. These kernels hard. A little milk or sugar the first recorded sweet corn – varieties have three to four more added to the water will bring out called Papoon – to European times the sugar content than the corn’s sweetness. settlers. traditional varieties and retain No matter how you prepare it, Today, sweet corn comes their flavor and sugar for up to be sure to enjoy one of summer’s in three colors: yellow, white, two weeks after harvest. Different enduring treats. and bicolor. Although there production regions could now are geographical preferences ship corn just about anywhere; for certain colors, there is no making sweet corn available relationship between color and practically the whole year. Maybe Editor’s Note: Al Murray is the sweetness. Yellow corn gets I’m just a snob, but I only eat Executive Director of the New its color from beta carotene, corn on the cob when I know it’s Jersey Agricultural Society. meaning it has more vitamin A Jersey Fresh.

Established in 1781, the Society is than white varieties.

When selecting an ear of New Jersey's oldest organization Years ago, Silver Queen was corn, look for fresh green husks whose purpose is to advocate, by far New Jersey’s favorite with light brown silk ends free educate and promote on behalf variety and set the standard of damage. Refrigerate as soon of New Jersey's agricultural in sweet corn. However, once as possible. The green husks industry. Mr. Murray previously picked, the sugar immediately indicate the corn is fresh and the spent his entire career at the began to turn to starch, and if light brown silk indicates each NJ Department of Agriculture, not eaten soon, the Silver Queen kernel has been pollinated. The serving as the Assistant kernels became starchy and tassel borne at the top of the stalk Secretary. He can be reached at chewy. is the male part and the silk of njagriculturalsociety@gmail.com

NJ Agricultural Society

New Jersey’s “A-Maizing” Crop

I’ve been enjoying our state’s famous sweet corn.

A traditional favorite, our farmers grow over 6,500 acres of sweet corn. Last year, the crop was valued at $13.9 million dollars, and New Jersey ranked ninth in production.

Archeologists trace corn’s “roots” to Central America, where it was first cultivated over 7,000 years ago. Originally, all corn was the field variety, consisting of hard kernels that were ground to make flour, cereals, or used as livestock feed.

Sweet corn was actually an accident of nature. Apparently, the gene that controls the conversion of sugar to starch mutated, and the plants that descended from this mutant had kernels that were sugary with thinner skins, thus making them tender and sweet.

No one knows exactly when this

and create some shade at the ground level to deter weed establishment. Keep your mower blades sharp with the help of a professional repair shop if necessary. Sharp blades will reduce shredding the grass blade tips and may help deter some fungal activities.

The needs of your lawn must be addressed to help your lawn get through the summer months.

Buy quality grass seed designed to be used in the area you are seeding, water properly, but not too much, and feed the grass during the growing seasons.

The new American lawn of today’s busy world can survive a lot of these stresses if properly cared for.

Life is too short, enjoy each and every day. Go to the beach one more time this summer before the kids have to go back to school!

P.S. Don’t stress out about your lawn.

14 August 2019

GardenerNews.com

Fall is the best time to seed and feed your lawn.

Available at garden centers and hardware stores in your area.

Ask for a free copy of our New American Lawn guide.

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August 2019 15

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16 August 2019 Have your kids and pets been running around in the yard this summer? Have you had construction landscaping work done, where wheelbarrows, mowers and equipment have been pulled across your property for days at a time?

It may be time to aerate your lawn!

Compaction of your soil can be caused by foot traffic, pets (my dog used to make a racetrack around my pool), equipment, etc. Aeration provides nutrients, air and water to the grass by pulling out plugs of soil (core aeration) or poking holes in the soil (spike aeration).

The preferred method is using a core aerator, because spiking tends to compact the soil around the spikes when it pushes it outward making holes.

Aeration keeps your lawn healthy and looking full and rich. By reducing compaction and thatch (by the way, you should give your lawn a deep raking this fall to remove as much thatch as you can), air and water are more able to reach the roots of your grass, making them healthier and able to breathe.

A compacted lawn’s roots

GardenerNews.com The NJLCA Today

By Gail Woolcott Director of Operations

Breathing New Life into Your Lawn are much shallower, making the grass less tolerant to stress, such as drought. If you notice puddling in areas of your lawn when it rains, it is likely to need aeration. Aerating is also particularly good on slopes, where runoff can be prevalent.

The holes created allow water to seep into the soil, as opposed to running down the slope.

So, now that we know why we need to aerate, let’s talk about how to do it and what to do. Of course, you can always hire a professional who is well aware of the ins and outs of aeration. But if you truly want to do it on your own, you may rent the equipment. Here are some tips to follow.

Aeration should be done once a year or every other year.

Unless your property rarely sees

traffic, in which case you may aerate every three to five years.

The best time to do it is in the early-fall, when temperatures are mild.

It is best to aerate the day after a rain, but if it hasn’t rained, you can moderately moisten your soil by watering the day before. Never aerate a very wet property, you just want a little dampness to allow the soil some “give.”

An easy way to test the soil is to insert a trowel. If the wet soil sticks to the trowel when you remove it, it is too wet to aerate. (Source: The Lawn Institute). Also, never aerate dormant grass or during a drought, as it will stress your lawn. Make sure to mark or flag your sprinkler heads so that you don’t damage them while

aerating.

A core aerator will pull cylinder shaped plugs from the lawn and then drop them on top of the soil. If you can, leave them on the soil and they will naturally break down, creating more nutrients for the soil. But if they drive you crazy, you can rake them out. You’ll want to make two passes across the lawn, perpendicular to each other, so as not to miss any areas.

When you are complete, water the aerated turf. Now is a great time to overseed and/ or fertilize your lawn (make sure to follow manufacturer’s recommendations and New Jersey state laws).

Recently, I have heard of liquid aeration products that claim to penetrate the soil and

act as an aerator, but I have yet to see real world evidence on how well these products work.

One manufacturer’s website even suggested core aerating before using the product for the first time. Time will tell if this product can reduce the need for mechanical aeration.

Aeration every year or two will give you a full, rich lawn that will thrive. After all, none of us like being packed like sardines. We all need air, water and nutrients to thrive.

I hope you all are enjoying a great summer and keep “Growing Every Day.” Editor’s note: Gail Woolcott is the Director of Operations for the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association. She was presented with a community service award from the Borough of Fairview for her assistance in leading the 9-11 Memorial Park project and the Legislative Champion of the Year award from the Federation of Employers and Workers of America. She is currently the State Licensee Chair on the National Association of Landscape Professionals International Certification Council.

Doosan Bobcat announces opening of new Global Collaboration Center in Minneapolis — New office supports global meetings, home to some of the company’s global function teams, and accelerates innovation and collaboration Doosan Bobcat, a global leader in the compact equipment industry, officially announced the opening of a new Global Collaboration Center in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The center will house some elements of the company’s global functions and provide a central meeting location to allow those teams to work closely to accelerate innovation and collaboration.

This news follows Doosan Bobcat’s recent announcement of a global organizational structure and the appointment of global function leaders.

“The Global Collaboration Center will further advance the pioneering spirit of Doosan Bobcat by paving the way to new levels of innovation and success,” said Doosan Bobcat CEO Scott Park.

“Our future is exciting, and the collaborative nature of the center will move us farther and faster.”

The Global Collaboration Center is in downtown Minneapolis at 150 South Fifth Street, Suite 500, in the 150 Tower building of Fifth Street Towers. The 10,600-square-foot office space provides a collaborative, innovative

environment and features open work areas with modern finishes and a variety of workspaces.

In addition, the Global Collaboration Center has six meeting and conference rooms with AV packages, along with a team room, huddle areas, community space and a hospitality area for guests.

The center’s downtown Minneapolis location was selected due to its convenience and ease of accessibility for global employees and visitors via the nearby Minneapolis – St. Paul International Airport, which offers convenient flights to major U.S. and international cities. In addition, the center is within a short drive or quick flight from Doosan Bobcat’s North America headquarters in West Fargo and other facilities in North Dakota.

CEO Scott Park is enthusiastic about the center’s location, as he believes it will provide a greater connection to new skill sets and top talent to complement the company’s current teams.

“Minneapolis has long been recognized as a hotbed of technology and engineering talent,” said Park. “We’re excited for Doosan Bobcat

to become a part of this vibrant community and contribute to its innovative spirt with our growing team of professionals.”

As a global company serving a worldwide market, Doosan Bobcat offers manufacturing, parts distribution, research and development, engineering and sales facilities all around the world, including the Czech Republic, France, Belgium, China, Singapore, Australia, India and throughout the United States.

Doosan Bobcat North American operations are based in North Dakota, with administrative, sales and marketing offices in West Fargo, and production and engineering facilities in Gwinner, Bismarck and Wahpeton, North Dakota, and Litchfield, Minnesota. In addition, the company’s Acceleration Center – a facility focused on engineering, research and development, training and product testing – is in Bismarck, North Dakota. The business has also announced intentions to open a digital business innovation center in downtown Fargo, North Dakota the fall of 2019.

GardenerNews.com

August 2019 17

18 August 2019 Star® Roses and Plants Announces Launch of One-Of-AKind Brand, Bloomables™

Star® Roses and Plants, the introducers of The Knock Out® Family of Roses, is excited to announce the launch of its new optional brand, Bloomables™. Bloomables is a collection of Star Roses and Plants’ best flowering genetics that are easyto-grow for the grower and the consumer.

Bloomables™ consists of over 35 different varieties that have been carefully selected by the Product Managers at Star Roses and Plants. In addition to a noteworthy flower and standout garden performance, the varieties may have bright colors, unique textures or interesting foliage. The optional brand will be available at retail in spring of 2020.

There are many unique features of Bloomables, including the consumer-friendly tag. The tags present the common name first, which consumers are more likely to recognize and there is a simple call out, showing why the plant is special or how it can be used.

Supply is limited, so now is the time to place orders for spring. Star Roses and Plants’ Territory Managers can identify which roses and woodies will perform best in each region and help customers schedule their order, allowing them to offer continuously blooming plants.

To learn more about the program, visit http://www. bloomables.com.

For grower questions or inquiries about the program, contact your Territory Manger or call customer service at 1-800-457-1859.

APHIS Confirms Detection of Phytophthora ramorum-Infected Plants in Commerce USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed that more than 50 rhododendron plants found in Indiana nurseries have tested positive for Phytophthora ramorum (P. ramorum), a water mold pathogen that causes sudden oak death, ramorum leaf blight, and ramorum dieback.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources detected these plants during this year’s national P. ramorum survey, which APHIS coordinates with participating states.

The infected rhododendron plants were part of a larger shipment that originated from nurseries in Washington State and Canada. APHIS is working with officials from those locations to trace the distribution of plants from this shipment, which were sent to 18 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Agriculture officials in these states are sampling plants received from the originating nurseries. APHIS has confirmed positive nursery stock in nursery establishments in eight of these states (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Washington). Plants that test positive for P. ramorum are being destroyed. All plants that are within a two meter radius of an infected plant are also being destroyed. Host plants outside the two meter radius will be sampled intensively.

Several major retailers have agreed to initiate a voluntary recall of plants from their stores. APHIS will continue traceback operations and will work with cooperators to ensure risk mitigation measures are in place for all positive plants.

Gardeners and homeowners who have recently purchased a rhododendron from a retail outlet in any of the 18 states listed above should monitor the plant for signs of disease, including leaf spots and shoot dieback. Please contact your local state department of agriculture or extension office if you suspect your plant(s) might have the disease.

GardenerNews.com

Gardening Related Highlights

By Jeannie Geremia Contributing Writer

“Time Waits for No One” has always been one of my favorite songs and made a distinct impression on me in grade school as I absorbed the lyrics and vowed always to make the most of each and every day.

Some days stand out more than others, and it could be some seemingly small event that makes it so, or some outstanding event that will remain at the forefront of our memories for life. Each day is a gift and the possibilities are enchanting, exhilarating and exciting.

We’re now in the midst of my favorite time of the year, and as I reflect on spring having unfolded, with so many surprises of plants popping up where they were never planted by me, the delight of discovery still brings a smile to my face.

Oh, the little gardeners that are out there, be they squirrels, chipmunks, birds and other critters. Some are a nuisance for sure, as I spot another baby oak, hickory, black walnut, or red bud tree that has to be pulled out before it becomes a big tree providing too much of a good thing.

Did I say too much of a good thing? What about our second year of a rainy spring!

My yard is now a jungle, as it just got away from me. My sentinel granite frog, Harry, is all but hidden as the native petunias are astonishingly tall. Thank goodness I did get to trim the burgeoning coreopsis so it seems contained at the moment.

I’ve also had assistance from some unknown critter in cropping some of my cone flowers, but jewelweed is everywhere I look. Ever since I attended a beekeepers program, and heard what a boon jewelweed is to bees and other pollinators, I just let it be.

So, I deem this the summer of jewelweed, and wonder what creatures lurk in the huge cover it gives. Even our dog, Joey, doesn’t venture in.

This is also the year of nesting birds in our yard, as they have a plethora of sites just perfect for their offspring. The most visible is the Carolina wren nest in our huge hanging basket on our patio. Nothing is more perfect than watching and listening to all of the myriad birds going about their business in our yards and gardens.

Add to that, my gardening friends, the appearance of lightning bugs. Yes, they’re back again in even larger numbers than

last year, and now it is certain that rain and moisture are key to the larger population, as I had despaired for several years, that their numbers had drastically dwindled and those years had been drier than normal.

Jersey strawberries were another star in my memory that still persists, as I couldn’t get enough of the divine fruit. Inhaling the sweet smell, followed by tasting the delicious berry is indelible as June offered up its incomparable jewels, and it ended all too soon. Thank goodness, blueberries were right behind, and my favorite, blueberry pie, is still being enjoyed. Peaches, tomatoes, how lucky are we???? Corn on the cob — and us Jersey guys and gals have the best, Jersey Fresh, Jersey Grown, yum!

Other highlights to come include, the August, New Jersey State Fair Sussex Farm & Horse Show where The Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. will have an educational exhibit for the sixth year in the Conservatory.

This year we will have a Wildlife Habitat display created by Diana Kazazis, GCNJ Wildlife Habitat Chair, and member of Rake & Hoe Garden Club in Westfield. What fun to see old friends from Sussex County including their terrific Master Gardeners.

One of the big September highlights promises to be the Rutgers Gala that just announced this year’s recipient of the prestigious Hamilton Award is Dr. Dennis Werner, Alumni, Distinguished Undergraduate and Professor at North Carolina State University (NCSU).

Susan O’Donnell, former GCNJ President emailed me these details: “Dr. Werner has been an outstanding professor in horticulture at NCSU for the last 40 years. His dedication to his students perfectly exemplifies the spirit of the Hamilton Award, meant to honor those who embody the essence of educational selflessness by helping others to advance while placing personal ambition aside. To this end, the ideal winner is not involved with horticulture for personal gain, but rather to share their passion of plants. Dr. Werner both meets and exceeds all characteristics of a Hamilton Award winner.”

This year’s Rutgers Gala Gardens Party will be held on Thursday, September 26 and is a celebration of Cook’s Market, the weekly farmers market, and special guest joining the Gala with a book signing is chef, grocer, and television personality “Produce Pete” Napolitano.

Get Out There!

Editor’s Note: Jeannie Geremia is The Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc.’s President, GCNJ Wildlife Habitat Chair, and is a National Garden Clubs, Inc. Master Flower Show Judge for the GCNJ. Jeannie is a member of Neshanic Garden Club, The Raritan Township Historic Committee and the Raritan Township Board of Health. Jeannie’s email address is: jgeremia42@gmail.com

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August 2019 19

What’s Five Feet Tall, Six Feet Wide and White All Over?

By Hubert Ling Well, it could be a white rhinoceros, but I had a spectacular perennial, native, flowering plant in mind.

Boltonia asteroides, false aster or white doll’s daisy is an impressive three to five feet tall and covered in hundreds of white threequarter-inch flowers which produce spectacular large snowdrift-like mounds.

Thus, the plant can be used as a flowering hedge or used in cut flower arrangements.

False asters grow larger in full sun and when supplied with abundant moisture.

They can even be flooded for short periods of time, which makes them ideal for rain gardens; the plants grow naturally in wet meadows or along ponds and rivers.

The scientific name for false aster, Boltonia, is in honor of James Bolton, an English botanist of the 1700s. The species name There has been a lot of talk lately about start-up companies emerging for the purpose of procuring produce that has been deemed unfit for sale in traditional marketing channels, and then distributing said produce to other users who will be willing to purchase it.

Evidently, they have been able to identify a new group of end users who will not mind the occasional blemish or bruise.

These companies are proposing to use technology-based platforms to identify, locate and then distribute this produce, which supposedly, up until now, would have been destined for a landfill or the compost heap.

This is a noble cause indeed, because in my opinion, far too many fruits and vegetables are wasted across the country every year and any effort to cut into this waste is very commendable.

Years ago, however, hardly any food products were wasted.

I’m sure that almost everyone has heard the expression: “The only part of the pig that wasn’t used was the squeal.” Well, that phrase could apply to fruits and vegetables as well during the 1800s and early 1900s.

The average American at

asteroides means “similar to an aster.” Both true asters and false asters (Boltonia) are composites which have flower stalks that expand to form a disk containing dozens of small fertile flowers with tiny petals (disc flowers). This flower disc is fringed with sterile flowers, which each have showy petals flattened and fused together to resemble a single petal (ray flower).

The fertile disc flowers produce small fruits, each containing one seed. In true asters, the sepals of the disc flowers are modified into a fluffy pappus, which acts as a parachute as in a dandelion flower. In Boltonia, the pappus may be missing or may be in the shape of rough, horn-like projections.

The other common name for Boltonia is white doll’s daisy. A daisy is a mediumsized composite flower with showy white “petals” (ray flowers). The most common and best known is ox-eye daisy, an import from Europe

which has a composite flower with a 1.5-inch diameter. If you have a really large doll Boltonia at a three-quarterinch diameter would make her a good scale-sized daisy.

Boltonia asteroides is relatively common in the Midwest and South.

However, it is an endangered plant in Maryland and Pennsylvania, where it is at its natural northeastern limit.

Boltonia is also relatively rare in New Jersey and naturally found only in scattered locations in two northern and three southern counties. I have never seen it in the wild. Fortunately, however, this same plant is popular in garden shops around the country.

Propagation of Boltonia is from seeds which germinate well and produce easy to raise seedlings. This plant also spreads slowly by rhizomes, which root quickly and produce new shoots. These new plants can be pruned, cut free from the parent plant, and transplanted.

Boltonia is easy to maintain and tolerates dry soil, drought, clay, partial shade, salt and is slightly unpalatable to deer and rabbits. False aster has no serious pests or diseases but has some susceptibility to powdery mildew. In your garden, the plants may need support or trim them back in mid-summer and still get dense snowdrifts of flowers. An alternative is to purchase a cultivar such as “Snowbank,” which is a compact three to four feet if you need to conserve space.

Although false aster is generally white, varieties are also available in pink and blue. This native plant starts to bloom in late-August and may continue blooming until frost. You sometimes wonder how the last blooms will set seed, but the plant knows what it is doing and generally produces thousands of small winged seeds even after periods of cold weather.

False aster is an important member of the ecosystem.

The Town Farmer

By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

Is There Money in Food Waste?

that time spent a much larger percentage of their income on food than people do today. In other words, people today can afford to be much more choosey, when it comes to selecting what they want to eat for dinner.

Back then, there was a much larger market for “seconds.”

And these “seconds” also brought a higher percentage of full value than they do today.

Take apples for example. Just about every farm in New Jersey used to have a few apple trees.

What the family could not eat fresh, they might preserve into canned apple products such as apple butter or apple sauce.

What wasn’t good enough for those items was more than likely turned into hard cider or vinegar.

Nothing went to waste.

A couple of years ago, we

hosted a group of visiting farmers from across the country at our farm. Most of these people were grain or dairy farmers who did not have that much experience with fresh fruits and vegetables.

When we showed them a peach orchard that we had been harvesting, they could not get over the amount of peaches that were on the ground. When I tried to explain to them that those peaches on the ground were probably misshapen or too small and that from a financial standpoint, the most economical thing we could do was just drop them on the ground, these retired farmers became outright angry.

“What do you mean these are too small?” they said, “There’s nothing wrong with these peaches.” I then had to explain that if we tried to pack and

sell any substandard fruit, the average customer would throw it back at us. Alright, maybe they wouldn’t throw them at us, but they sure wouldn’t buy them.

Because of the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables that are available throughout the year, the average American consumer has almost no tolerance for purchasing any type of substandard produce.

Now, when it comes to items that are used for processing and are purchased by processors or institutions, there is a market for processing grade fruits and vegetables. But in many cases, it is hard to divert items that were originally grown for the fresh market into processing channels.

Take tomatoes for example.

The vast majority of tomatoes that end up as tomato sauce or

The flowers are well used by butterflies, skippers, moths, bees, wasps, and beetles.

Perdita (Hexaperdita) boltoniae, a rare native New Jersey dagger bee, shows a strong preference (oligolege) for Boltonia flowers and other bees and beetles are known to strongly depend on this plant for survival.

For a final, flowering, fall finale in your garden, plant Boltonia asteroides. It goes well with other tall, late-blooming natives such as goldenrods, hyssops, JoePye-Weed, monkeyflower, New England aster, purple coneflower, sneezeweed, sunflowers, and wingstem.

You could even use it to make a flowering maze for young grandchildren. Parents most likely would not have the time for such a project.

Editor’s Note: Hubert Ling is the Horticulture Chairman for the Native Plant Society of New Jersey. He can be reached at milhubling@verizon.net ketchup are grown specifically for that purpose. Many processing companies have very exacting standards that require certain varieties to be grown.

And the same can be said for plenty of other produce items as well.

But there are some fruits and vegetables that can be used for processing as well as fresh sales.

It’s just that the price received by the farmer might be so low that it might be not even worth it to divert them.

So, let’s hope that these companies are able to get off the ground and find a home for this produce!

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

20 August 2019

GardenerNews.com

USDA NEWS

Novel Watermelon Rootstock Knocks Out Disease and Pests

Three USDA Scientists Win Presidential Early Career Awards

A new watermelon line, developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Clemson University scientists, gets to the root of the problem of a major disease and pest of watermelon crops in the southern United States.

Carolina Strongback is a rootstock watermelon that is resistant to Fusarium wilt and the southern root-knot nematode, according to William “Pat” Wechter, plant pathologist with the ARS U.S. Vegetable Research Laboratory (USVL) in Charleston, South Carolina. Fusarium wilt, a soilborne disease that threatens vegetable crops, can stay in the soil for 30 years or longer, and fumigants used to control it are no longer available, he added. In addition, watermelon is extremely susceptible to nematodes, which are especially brutal on crops in the Southeast.

Susceptible watermelons can be grafted onto resistant rootstocks of other vegetables such as squash and pumpkin to control certain pathogens, Wechter said. Grafting, which has been used in other countries for years, is a new concept in the United States. Some watermelons grafted to squash rootstock have shown to be resistant to Fusarium wilt, but they were susceptible to southern root-knot nematode.

When tested in highly infested soils with fusarium and nematodes, Carolina Strongback performed well and maintained a high production level of harvested fruit, according to Wechter.

To develop this watermelon line, Wechter worked with two wild citron watermelon (Citrullus amarus) lines that possessed resistance to Fusarium wilt and nematodes. Working with USVL geneticist Amnon Levi, Wechter crossed the Citrullus amarus lines, and then made selections for numerous generations to produce the best plants. Wechter partnered with Clemson University horticulture scientist Richard Hassell, an expert at grafting rootstock, to test the plants. They continued to make more selections to produce the final resistant line— Carolina Strongback.

Selected for its grafting qualities and seed production, Carolina Strongback material can be used by seed companies, vegetable grafting companies and watermelon growers as a rootstock for growing susceptible watermelon cultivars in soils infested by the watermelon Fusarium wilt pathogen and root-knot nematodes.

ARS has filed a Plant Variety Protection (PVP) on this technology and is working with a commercial company on a licensing agreement.

Three USDA scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have been named recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

The PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government to outstanding scientists and engineers who are beginning their research careers and who show exceptional promise for leadership in science and technology. The ARS winners are: Heather Allen at the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa; Jo Anne Crouch at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland; and Sara Lupton, at the Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center in Fargo, North Dakota.

Allen is a microbiologist and an international expert on antibiotic resistance gene ecology and swine gut microbial communities. Her work has significantly contributed to our scientific understanding of the effects of agricultural practices on foodborne pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes in food-producing animals. She discovered that swine gut microbiota harbor diverse antibiotic resistance genes regardless of the antibiotic treatment administered. Her studies also have defined the effects of antibiotics on the swine gut microbiome in ways that can be applied to humans as well as other hosts.

Crouch is a molecular biologist whose work has been key to understanding the global diversity of fungal pathogens that cripple horticultural plants, turfgrass and cereal crops. She has developed molecular markers, diagnostic assays, genome tools and taxonomic resources that are used to combat downy mildews, boxwood blight, dollar spot and other plant diseases threatening crops across the United States and worldwide.

Lupton, who is a research chemist, is internationally recognized for her research about the fate of chemical contaminants in cattle, swine and poultry as well as their byproducts, waste systems, and feed sources. Her contributions have informed decision-making by regulatory agencies and promoted consumer confidence in the food supply and domestic milk and meat production practices.

Established in 1996, the PECASE acknowledges the contributions scientists and engineers have made to the advancement of science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM) education and to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, and community outreach. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy coordinates the PECASE with participating departments and agencies. A complete list of the award winners is here.

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

Eradication Program Announces Plans for Fighting Asian Longhorned Beetle and Reminds Public of Quarantines

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the latest plans to combat the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). APHIS and its partners are making steady progress towards eliminating this destructive tree pest from the United States.

“We expect to complete our final tree inspections in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens by this fall, which shows we’re closing in on eradication,” said Josie Ryan, APHIS’ ALB Eradication Program national operations manager. “But there are still quarantines in place for this beetle in these two areas, as well as in central Long Island, central Massachusetts, and southwest Ohio where we are still conducting eradication operations.”

Specially trained federal, state, and contracted employees are inspecting trees that are attacked by the beetle within each quarantined area. As infested trees are found, they will be removed by the program with no cost to the property owner.

Program officials will not apply insecticide treatments this year because tree inspections and infested tree removals remain the priority. Program officials monitor for the beetle’s presence inside and outside each quarantined area, respond to service calls, conduct training sessions for compliance agreement holders, and perform outreach. All aspects of the strategic approach toward eradicating the beetle are evaluated annually.

“As you use wood this summer, please remember to follow the quarantine laws and buy or responsibly gather firewood where you will burn it, or use certified heat-treated firewood,” continued Ryan. “We cannot eliminate this beetle without the help of residents and business owners limiting the transport of

wood to help prevent the spread of ALB.” To avoid spreading ALB, people may not move regulated items, such as firewood (all hardwood species), nursery stock, logs, branches, etc., out of a quarantined area without a compliance agreement, permit, or certificate according to federal and state laws. If you conduct commercial work on such regulated articles in any quarantine area, you must enter into a compliance agreement with the ALB eradication program in your state. Before entering into an agreement, you need to attend a free compliance training. To register for a training, please call your local office: 631-288-1751 if you work in New York.

508-852-8110 if you work in Massachusetts.

513-381-7180 if you work in Ohio.

If you live in an ALB quarantined area, you can help by: • Allowing program officials access to your property to inspect trees and remove any infested trees that are found.

• Hiring companies that have compliance agreements with the eradication program for working on host trees. If you need to move woody materials such as stumps, logs, brush and twigs, please contact your local eradication program office or municipality for information on proper yard waste disposal.

You should not move any infested tree materials, live trees or nursery stock of host trees. Instead, contact your local eradication program office.

• Never move wood out of ALB-quarantined areas because it can spread the beetle and other tree pests and diseases. State and federal officials monitor the movement of wood within and around regulated areas to enforce the quarantine. They

may issue fines to individuals and businesses that do not comply with the regulations.

Currently, 277.5 square miles are under quarantine for ALB in the United States; 111 square miles in New York, which includes a portion of central Long Island and the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens; 110 square miles in Worcester County, Massachusetts, which includes all of the Cities of Worcester, West Boylston, Boylston, Shrewsbury and a portion of the Towns of Holden and Auburn; and 56.5 square miles in Clermont County, Ohio, including East Fork State Park, Tate Township and a portion of Williamsburg Township.

Infestations have been eradicated in Illinois (2008); New Jersey (2013); Manhattan (2013), Staten Island (2013) and Islip (2011) in New York; Boston (2014) in Massachusetts; and Stonelick and Monroe Townships (2018) in Ohio.

ALB is a destructive, invasive insect that kills many hardwood tree species. This damage compromises the structural integrity of the tree and makes the tree dangerous for people to be around. If ALB were to become established in the United States, the beetle could become one of the most destructive and costly species ever to enter the country. The beetle threatens urban and suburban shade trees, recreational resources such as parks, and forest resources and wildlife. It could also impact industries such as maple syrup production, hardwood lumber processing, nurseries and tourism. For more information about the beetle and program activities, please: Call the ALB toll free hotline at 1-866-702-9938 Or visit www.aphis.usda.gov/pests-diseases/alb.

GardenerNews.com

August 2019 21

22 August 2019

GardenerNews.com

NORTHEAST DEPARTMENT CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Connecticut Hosts National Dairy Regulatory Conference

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (DoAg) proudly hosted this year’s annual meeting of the National Association of Dairy Regulatory Officials (NADRO).

The annual meeting of allied dairy industry representatives, dairy processors, dairy producers, and dairy industry public officials was held July 14-17, 2019 in Mystic, CT. The mission of NADRO is to protect public health and promote regulatory uniformity and efficiency in the dairy industry. NADRO works to address the concerns of the dairy industry and to make recommendations to relevant federal agencies and national organizations.

The association meets annually to discuss issues relevant to dairy regulatory matters, evaluate issues impacting the nation’s dairy industry and to formulate recommendations to federal agencies and national organizations. The last time the annual meeting was held in Connecticut was 49 years ago in Windsor.

This year’s topics of discussion included regulation of automatic

milking installations, advancements in milk testing, and updates regarding the dairy inspection pilot program.

DoAg Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt welcomed dairy industry representatives and regulators from across the country to Connecticut.

“Thank you all for being here and welcome to the great state of Connecticut,” said Commissioner Hurlburt in his opening remarks to the conference.

“In Connecticut, agriculture is a $4 billion industry. We work over 440,000 acres of land, we have 5,500 small businessmen and women, and 21,000 great paying jobs that support our communities,” said Commissioner Hurlburt.

“But because we are spread out across 169 towns and we have been here for so long, people take the impact and value of agriculture for granted here in the state.

And, we work very hard in this department to make sure people understand that agriculture is viable and integral to Connecticut’s future.”

The conference was

organized in large part

by DoAg Milk Safety Division representative, Jim Allyn who served as NADRO President in 2018, and NADRO Executive Treasurer Eunice Schlappi of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

“We appreciate all the hard work and effort Jim and the Connecticut Department of Agriculture put into organizing and hosting this event,” said Eunice.

Conference presentations included a Grade “A” Equivalence update provided

by Randy Elsberry, Senior Milk Sanitation Officer with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Capt. Timothy S. Roddy of FDA’s Office of State Cooperative Programs provided an update regarding Appendix T Inspections associated with the FDA Dairy Inspection Pilot program.

Jamie Jonker of the National Milk Producers Federation provided an update which included information about labeling of nondairy vegetablebased products as “milk,”

“yogurt,” “cheese,” “ice cream” and “butter”.

Jamie’s presentation also included information about U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney’s efforts to improve childhood nutrition by making milk more readily available in schools through the School Milk Nutrition Act of 2019.

On June 7, 2019, Commissioner Hurlburt and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney visited Mountain Dairy in Mansfield for a tour of the facility, and to announce the legislation intended to reverse the decline of milk consumption in schools.

From 2014-2016, schools served 213 million fewer half pints of milk, even though school enrollment was growing.

The School Milk Nutrition Act of 2019 would codify recent regulatory changes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provided schools with the option to serve low-fat, 1-percent flavored milk.

Providing students with the option to consume lowfat milk with flavor has the potential to positively affect milk consumption and student health trends, while at the same time supporting

local dairy farmers.

“What’s happened to dairy farms in Connecticut has been a troubling trend across the country,” said Commissioner Hurlburt.

“A vibrant dairy industry is crucial to the entire agricultural economy.”

Commissioner Hurlburt told the conference of dairy regulators about the dairy support program created by the Connecticut legislature to provide additional dollars to dairy farmers based on the cost of production.

“In the past two years the general assembly and the previous governor, put millions of additional dollars into that pool,” said Commissioner Hurlburt.

“The new biennial budget signed by Governor Lamont just a few weeks ago provides an additional $2.5 million to support the dairy industry.”

“We have very difficult costs of productions given the size and scale of the dairy industry, but we have hard working families who are doing everything they can to make sure their business continues,” said Commissioner Hurlburt.

NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Garden State Also Among Leaders In Cranberry, Blueberry Harvests

The United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Service released its annual Non-Citrus Fruit and Nuts report recently and the results showed New Jersey as the No. 3 state in the U.S. in production value for peaches. The report also revealed that the Garden State remains among the leaders in cranberry and blueberry production.

According to the report,

New Jersey peach producers harvested 46 million pounds of peaches in 2018 with a production value of just over $41 million, an increase of about $1 million from 2017.

The No. 3 ranking continues a trend of New Jersey consistently ranking in the top five in peach production value.

“It’s a credit to our peach producers that they are one of the leaders in the nation in growing and

harvesting this delicious tasting fruit,” New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Douglas Fisher said. “With the harvest for our peaches quickly approaching, we expect to have another outstanding year. We know consumers are looking to make the purchase of Jersey Fresh produce a priority when they are at supermarkets, on-farm markets and community farmers markets.”

The first peach variety of New Jersey’s season is the Sentry. The crop then moves into Crest Haven, which also includes the Gloria variety, followed by Jersey Queen, Fayette, Encore and Laurol.

White peaches become available in mid-August and are expected to continue through mid-September.

The report also showed that New Jersey also ranks high in cranberry and blueberry production. In

cranberries, New Jersey is No. 3 in the country in production value at $15.8 million, harvesting 512 000 barrels on 3,100 acres.

For blueberries, New Jersey is No. 6 in the U.S. in production value at $62.4 million with 44 million pounds harvested on 9,000 acres. Jersey Fresh blueberries are now appearing in supermarkets, farm stands and community farmers markets now.

GardenerNews.com

August 2019 23

OF AGRICULTURE NEWS PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agriculture Department Encourages Pennsylvanians to Check Rhododendrons for Infectious Disease

This spring, Pennsylvania was among 28 states where retailers received rhododendrons which may have been exposed to a plant pathogen called Phytophthora ramorum. The pathogen causes infectious disease in popular Pennsylvania plants and shrubs including rhododendron, mountain laurel, lilac, viburnum and pieris.

Anyone who has recently purchased a rhododendron should monitor the plant for signs of disease Opens In A New Window, including leaf spots and shoot dieback. Other rhododendron problems may mimic the disease, but a lab test can confirm.

If you suspect your plant may have the disease, contact your county’s Penn State Extension office Opens In A New Window or PA Department of Agriculture regional office for instructions on how to send in a sample for testing.

For more information about protecting Pennsylvania’s plants and landscapes, visit agriculture.pa.gov.

VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Maple Syrup Production Up 7 Percent in Vermont The 2019 Vermont maple syrup production totaled 2.07 million gallons, up 7 percent from the previous year, according to King Whetstone, Regional Director of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Northeastern Regional Field Office. Vermont remains the top producing state in the Nation.

Vermont maple syrup producers put out 6.00 million maple taps in 2019, an increase of 6 percent from the 2018 total and the largest number of taps since 1928. Yield per tap is estimated to be 0.345 gallon, up from 0.342 gallon from the previous season. Location played a significant part in individual production. Many producers got off to a late start due to the colder than normal temperatures. The earliest sap flow reported was January 9 in Vermont. On average, the season lasted 34 days, compared with 52 days in 2018.

Vermont’s 2018 value of production totaled $54.3 million, up 1 percent from the previous season. The average price per gallon was $28.00, up$1.00 from 2017. The value of production and average price per gallon of the 2019 production will be available in June 2020.

Vermont’s Ag Secretary Anson Tebbetts adds, “Vermont’s sugar makers are proud to lead the nation once again. Pure Vermont maple is now more than about pouring this natural product on pancakes. You can now find Vermont maple in salad dressings, spirits, beer and a host of products. This growth shows the strength of maple and the tremendous opportunities for Vermont and its sugar makers.”

Vermont has led the U.S. in the number of maple taps every year since 1916 and was only out produced in 1926 and 1918. Vermont typically tapped between 5.5 and 6 million trees prior to 1935 but declined to around 1.5 million in the 1960’s. In 2003 Vermont tapped 2.12 million trees and has been steadily increasing that number to the 6.00 million in 2019.

Annual production prior to 1935 was typically between 1 million and 1.4 million gallons. This dropped to around 200,000 to 300,000 gallons in the 1970’s. Since 2003 Vermont’s maple syrup production has increased from around 500,000 gallons to over 2 million gallons.

DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Emerald Ash Borer Continues to Threaten Delaware Trees

Emerald ash borer (EAB), a destructive insect from Asia that attacks and kills ash trees, has been confirmed in Newark, Delaware. Originally found in northern Delaware in 2016, recent infestations were confirmed in both Middletown and Seaford in November 2018.

Current guidelines recommend the removal or treatment of ash trees if located within 15 miles of a known infestation. Since Delaware is geographically small and EAB can go undetected for years, residents are urged to educate themselves now and take action.

Delaware Department of

Agriculture recommends that property owners within a 5 to 15 mile radius of a positive EAB detection treat the trees they want to keep.

Tree removal is strongly suggested so homeowners can protect their property and help limit the spread of this insect. For the latest information from the Delaware Department of Agriculture, residents can go to de.gov/ashtrees for an EAB Fact Sheet and an Ash Treatment Decision Guide Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) has been confirmed in 35 states, the District of Columbia, and five Canadian provinces.

The USDA’s Animal Plant and Health Inspection

Service estimates that the insect has killed millions of ash trees, caused agencies to implement extensive federal quarantines, and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to municipalities, homeowners, nursery operators and forest product industries. For a comprehensive history and overview of EAB, read the Emerald Ash Borer Story Map. The Emerald ash borer has had a devastating effect on ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in both rural and urban areas in the United States.

A hardwood tree, ash has traditionally been used for making baseball bats. Its high heat value also makes

it ideal for firewood. Due to the danger of spreading invasive pests like EAB, USDA developed the “Hungry Pests” campaign urging people to curtail human-assisted spread and to help reduce the risks to the state’s forests and landscapes.

Ash is identifiable by its compound leaf with 5 to 9 leaflets arranged opposite each other. Ash trees are also one of the trees (along with maple, dogwood, and horsechestnut) that feature an opposite branching pattern.

Symptoms of an EAB infestation can be difficult to notice at first, but usually include: canopy dieback, epicormic sprouting, bark

splits, woodpecker damage, and D-shaped exit holes on the bark. Adult beetles feed on ash leaves but actually cause little damage. The larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients, typically killing the tree within a few years.

The Delaware Forest Service estimates that ash comprises two percent of the total tree species in the state; however, some communities near urban areas have a higher percentage of ash and could be more adversely impacted.

24 August 2019

GardenerNews.com

Changing the Color of Hydrangeas

(Continued from page 1) produce blue flowers; soils with a pH greater than 5.5 produce pink flowers.

White hydrangea color is not affected by the soil pH. The white ones usually stay white. Although, I’ve seen a stray color or two once in a while. Not too often, though.

Did you know that hydrangeas can often change color on their own when they are planted or transplanted? As the colored ones adjust to the new soil conditions, it is not unusual to see several different colors on one plant the next year after planting because of the soil or medium that they are transplanted into.

Endless Summer has a formulated natural mineral product that changes the color of your blooms. Color Me Pink™ adds garden lime to the soil to raise the pH level and produce pink hydrangea flowers. Color Me Blue™ adds soil sulfur to encourage blue hydrangea Bailey Nurseries/ Photo bloom development.

There are also other natural remedies to about the pH! Head on over to your local county cooperative changing hydrangea colors. To encourage blue extension office. The cost should be around $15. blooms in alkaline soils, add aluminum sulfate, Once you receive the test results, you’ll know how composted oak leaves, pine needles or coffee grounds. To encourage pink blooms in acidic to amend the soil.

Blues are best grown in acidic soil; pinks and soil, add wood ashes, lime or fertilizers with high reds do best in alkaline or neutral soil. In other levels of phosphorus to prevent aluminum from words, acidic soils with a pH of less than 5.5 entering the plant’s system.

Make sure that you apply the product of choice to the soil around your plants, and not on top of the flowers or foliage.

It is much easier to change a hydrangea from pink to blue than it is from blue to pink.

You may have to reapply the garden sulfur or lime several times, and it may take several months for a change to occur. Don’t be disappointed if the color stays the same. Some hydrangeas resist changing. And some soil conditions might not cooperate as well.

Also, hard water can affect the flower color, turning blue flowers more pinkish. If possible, try and capture rainwater to water your hydrangeas.

Rain barrels make a great environmentally safe water source in the landscape.

Remember: the pH of the soil determines the bloom color. I learned this phrase at Rutgers, the land-grant university in New Jersey, “It all starts with the soil.”

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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GardenerNews.com One of my favorite children’s books is The Lorax written by Dr. Seuss. “It chronicles the plight of the environment and the Lorax is the titular character, who ‘speaks for the trees’ and confronts the Once-ler, who causes environmental degradation” (Wikipedia).

The story goes on, in great detail, of a little boy who pays the Onceler to hear the legend of how the Lorax was taken away. A one-time beautiful valley containing a forest of Truffula trees, these uniquely stunning trees were egregiously harvested for their silk-like foliage to produce a Thneed, a versatile garment.

Fabled Truffula trees are evergreens that supposedly grow 25 meters tall and look like huge, colorful, cotton candy swirls on stems. They grow on standard, one stem growing to the ground, free of sideshoots and laterals up to a certain point, with a bushy, balanced head on top.

Complete with yellow or whiteand-black striped bark, their large tuft, at the top, seemed purposed and prized, to the Once-ler, for the manufacturing of Thneeds.

Typical tuft colors are a warm red, orange, yellow or pink/purple, and apparently give off a buttery milk scent.

“According to the Lorax, it takes

August 2019 25 Unique Plants

By Bob LaHoff Nursery Specialist

A Family & Their New Found Truffula Tree

ten months for a seed to germinate, ten years to sprout into a sapling, and another ten years for the tree to become fully grown” (seuss.fandom. com/wiki/Truffula_Tree).

Truffula trees also bear a fruit resembling grapes, the primary diet of the Bar-ba-loots. All of this is great fun to read and even better when customers find a tree and reference it to the famed Truffula tree.

This past spring, an energetic family came into our garden center and had their sights set on buying a new tree for their yard. Liz, Matt, Jake and Noah, almost collectively, came across a tree and shouted, “Look at the Truffula tree.”

In reality, not Dr. Seuss’s imagination, the Wagners became enamored with a Fullmoon maple, Acer japonicum “Rising Sun.” One of those stunning maples, an Iseli Nursery introduction, with

uncommonly large, heavily textured leaves-up to eight inches across.

Large lobed, palmate, green leaves are highly ornamental and tropical in appearance.

This detail has always held my attention and clearly grabbed this family’s as well. After my initial greeting and offer to help them find the perfect tree, it quickly became clear they had found it themselves.

“Rising Sun’s” vigorous, multibranched habit has sturdy limbs, reaches an appreciable size of 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide and enjoys sun to partial shade.

Any time you can offer largerleaf maple types, full sun in the morning and some protection from hot afternoon sun, the tree will usually repay you with strong growth and breathtaking fall color.

“Rising Sun’s” blazing, autumnal show of red, yellow, and orange is a real showstopper. These vibrant

colors will, no doubt, mimic the hues of Dr. Seuss’s evergreens, conjuring up literary images for the Wagner’s.

Hardy in zone 5, Fullmoon maple has a broad, upright garden footprint and you should expect about 12 inches a year in growth, too. Best times to prune this maple are in late-summer/early-fall, or at the end of winter to avoid excessive “bleeding” of sap. Truly a wonderful specimen in the suburbs, avoid using this tree where there is excessive urban pollution.

Truffula trees, before being harvested to extinction, were only found in Dr. Seuss’s imaginary Truffula Valley. In the end, “as his buildings fall apart around him, the Once-ler at last realizes out loud what the Lorax meant: ‘Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.’”

It’s the word “UNLESS”

engraved on a small monument where the Lorax last stood that has the Once-ler perplexed, for years, in solitude and self-imposed exile.

Meeting this young family, offering up advice and the attributes of their newfound tree has me hopeful.

The fact that a new generation was genuinely excited about their new tree was one thing. But to have them all reference a favorite fable of mine, concerned with the dangers that corporate greed can pose to nature, addressing industrial, environmental and economic issues was significant. Young Jake and Noah have me hopeful that a new generation will embrace gardening and appreciate all that nature affords us.

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

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

Bridging the Gap Dense, Diverse and Strapped The combination of dense populations, mixed regional demographics and strained state finances can produce a toxic cocktail for responsible, sustainable forestry. According to the United States Census Bureau, New Jersey is ranked 46th in the nation for land mass, but is ranked 11th in population, and 1st in population density. We are 49th in fiscal soundness and are 40-percent forested.

You may be wondering how this relates to “bridging the gap.”

Because in a densely populated state, financial issues are the greatest adversary of sustainable forestry.

State budget issues have seriously reduced government-based forestry and shifted sustainable forestry to enforcement through regulation and encouragement of private landowner activities.

Our diversity includes cities, with thousands of trees and acres of concrete, with a need to balance

between development, preservation, urban open space, and public safety. We have suburban areas, with competitive landscaping, great school systems, big box stores, land development, condos, tract houses, McMansions and estates, and a strong push-pull between development, preservation, recreation and lifestyle.

Finally, we have rural areas, with low population density and the forests responsible for urban water supply, natural resource and habitat management, and rural tourism.

These areas require significant sustainable forestry activity to offset the risks of aging forests, invasive species, an aging owner population, and limited government and private forestry-support resources.

Regulation has become a tool to both encourage and force acceptance of that redistribution.

Many states are unable to dedicate the funds to maintain internal forestry management resources.

Redistribution of Sustainable Forestry Activities The demands of diverse regional demographics and expansion of cities, combined with governmental budget issues, are forcing the role of active forestry management to be redistributed from State agencies to private landowners and their independent forest professionals.

NJ: 2 Million Acres of Forest and Number 1 in Population Density New Jersey is 150 miles long and 70 miles wide, spanning from the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean and Hudson River. Despite its small size, New Jersey is still 40-percent forest - about 2 million acres - and 62 percent of that land is privately owned. There are about

Many Shades of Woodland Owner Some landowners accept the role as a labor of love. Others spend thousands annually to maintain their woodlands and forgo development profits in exchange for partial compensation through farmland assessment. Some find satisfaction in the charitable donation of their property. Still others have found themselves as partners in land preservation through forced regulation.

6,000 properties operating under State-approved management and stewardship plans.

The deer population is about 200,000, and black bears number about 3,000. With deer density in rural areas measured in hundreds per square mile (a healthy level is about 5-15 PSM), and an onslaught of invasives - such as the emerald ash borer, spotted lanternfly, and barberry – New Jersey’s aging forests are exhibiting dramatically increased tree mortality. The weakened trees are particularly susceptible to damage from increasingly violent weather.

Given New Jersey’s density and its significant forest resources, most would assume that it would have a staff of hundreds directly supporting forestry in the state. Not so. Putting aside the forest fire service, the government staffing and funding devoted to sustainable forestry in New Jersey is very limited. There are only a handful of State forest personnel dedicated to overseeing 1.2 million acres of private woodlands, suburban and urban forestry, and forestry education.

The small staff supporting private

woodlands work from dawnto-dusk and in partnership with State-approved private forestry professionals. Virtually all of the work on private lands is landowner funded other than NRCS/EQIP cost share programs.

To help bridge the gaps, the woodland owners in New Jersey need to work with government, private forestry resources and their state association to morph into a horizontal sustainable forestry causeway, connecting a broad range of diverse organizations and resources so we can bridge this gap together.

Editor’s Note: Lori Jenssen has been the Executive Director of the New Jersey Forestry Association since 2005 and holds a Master’s degree in NonProfit Administration from Rutgers University. She can be reached at njfalorij@ aol.com or by calling 908832-2400. Special thanks to NJFA Director Rich Kelsky for his assistance with this article.

26 August 2019

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TIP OF THE MONTH A little extra care will keep your annuals looking attractive all season long.

The two primary reasons for fertilizing annuals are to encourage growth and create healthy, vigorous, attractive plants that will produce an abundance of flowers. But be careful! There is often a temptation to over-fertilize in the hopes of producing more blooms, faster. If you force an annual plant beyond its natural growth rate by over-fertilizing, you might end up with mostly foliage and no blooms.

Never apply fertilizer to a dry plant. Make sure it is well hydrated before the application. Fertilization should take place in the morning. Never in the heat of the day. And never at night.

Not all annual plants require pruning or deadheading (removal of spent flowers). Many are self-cleaning and can be left alone. Others, such as geraniums and petunias, will benefit tremendously from deadheading. There are a few annual plants, such as coleus and dusty miller, that will decline rapidly and eventually die if they are allowed to bloom.

So, make sure and pinch the flower buds off of these before they open.

By removing the spent flowers, you can stimulate more new foliage growth - and more foliage growth means more blooms.

At any time during the summer it is OK to cut back dead or ugly foliage.

Early-morning is best. The amount of foliage you remove will of course depend on the size of the plant. When you cut a plant back, make sure you don’t cut back to a point in which there are no leaf buds left on the branch.

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