Gardener News December 2018

TAKE ONE

Gardener News

December 2018

Serving the Agricultural, Gardening and Landscaping Communities GARDENERNEWS.COM

TAKE ONE No. 188

2018 N.J. Grand Champion Christmas Tree Winners

By Tom Castronovo Executive Editor

Tom Castronovo/Photo Carl Paffendorf, right, Layce Gebhard, left, with their dog Casey, owners of the Kingdom of Car✯Lay Farm Christmas Tree Farm in Hampton, Hunterdon County, N.J.

Carl Paffendorf and Layce Gebhard, owners of the Choose and Cut Kingdom of Car✯Lay Farm in Hampton, Hunterdon County, N.J., are the New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers Association 2018 Grand Champions. This year’s Grand Champion tree is an eight-foot Jersey Grown Norway spruce, which was grown on their just-overone-acre, family-friendly, naturally maintained farm. The farm also took a first-place ribbon in the association’s table-top division with a three-anda-half-foot White spruce.

Norway spruce thrives in full sun; best in welldrained, sandy soils; prefers acidic soils and cooler climates. The tree produces cones four to seven inches in length, with wedge-shaped scales.

These cones are the largest of any of the spruce species. Cones mature in one year and ripen from September to November.

Overall color is excellent. Make sure they have a fresh cut and are kept properly watered.

Check your tree stand daily to make sure that the water level does not go below the base of the tree; keep your tree away from fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, exit doors and direct (Cont. on Page 24)

2 December 2018

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Make the memories and tradition yours.

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

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

December 2018 3

4 December 2018 Just because a farmer raises a seasonal crop, or caters to a seasonal customer, doesn’t mean he or she is only busy during that season.

I’ve visited hundreds of farms – not only in New Jersey, but across the country – and the one thing I can say, without hesitation, is that farmers are some of the hardest-working people you will ever encounter.

Most tasks a farmer performs – in the fields, on machines, in packing houses, greenhouses, barns or stables, to name just a few – require tremendous amounts of labor, physical and mental. Much of what is done involves calculation and planning if the farmer hopes to end up with a successful harvest and a positive balance sheet by year’s end.

Step onto any operating farm and you will encounter little to no wasted motion or idle time. There’s just no place for it.

Each time one job is finished, it seems eight more pop up that need attention.

Most conversations I have with farmers start off with the weather. It seems to be the one thing beyond the farmer’s control and it can have either tremendous positive or

GardenerNews.com NJ Dept. of Agriculture

By Douglas H. Fisher Secretary of Agriculture

A farmer’s work is never done devastatingly negative impacts.

This past spring, for example, was so wet that getting out into the fields with heavy machinery often had to be put off in order to avoid getting equipment stuck in the mud.

After a chat about the weather, though, talk usually turns to what the farmers needs to do next to keep operations moving. We are making hay right now. We are planting cover crop. We are in the milking parlor. It’s time to apply lime.

Got to harrow the ground. We are thinning fruit trees. We’re shearing sheep, flooding the bogs, harvesting corn, doing cuttings for new flowering plants. The examples are endless, because the workload seems to be.

There are hundreds of other examples of jobs that must be done throughout the spring,

summer and fall to ensure the farmer has a successful year.

So that means farmers take the winter off, right? They have some down time to just chill out and watch TV? Umm, no. Not even close.

First, there are those farms that operate year-round. One good example is a dairy farm.

Cows don’t stop making milk just because winter has arrived.

And they can’t just not be milked.

Equine operations and other livestock-oriented farms also can’t just “shut off” the natural needs of the animals that are so crucial to their businesses.

Some farms have activity that heats up once the temperature cools off. Our many choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms are an example, with their busiest time coming in the lateNovember-into- December run-

up to the holiday.

Even the farms that are tied to summer and fall harvests have plenty of chores to do over the winter.

That to-do list includes things like: making repairs or upgrades to farm machinery; maintaining the various farm buildings (everything from dairy cow barns to packing houses); sprucing up any on-farm market operations for those who sell direct to the public; reviewing the financials from the previous months to see what makes the most economic sense to continue again the next year and what might need to be dropped; and attending any number of conventions and trade shows to learn how government policies, market conditions, innovations in equipment and new plant or produce varieties might be wise to pursue.

Because they have the trucks and equipment that can handle the job, some farmers also take on snow-removal duties that help clear the path for residents throughout New Jersey to make it through our frequent snowstorms safely.

So, in short, the answer is no, there really isn’t a “down time” for farmers. Their offseasons are just as full of work that needs to be done to ensure a successful farm operation as are their planting and harvest seasons.

And since they’re often too modest to talk about how much of themselves they pour into their farms, I thought I would.

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

New Jersey Department of Agriculture Announces 144 Schools Offering Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

USDA Announces Update to National Road Map for Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

As part of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s continuing efforts to improve nutritional opportunities for school children, New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher announced 144 New Jersey schools are participating in the 2018-2019 school year’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has allocated $4,012,960 for New Jersey for this school year’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which provides fresh produce to more than 73,000 students in 13 counties during the school day. The students also will receive nutrition education.

The goal of the program is to introduce children to healthy foods, increase their fruit and vegetable consumption, and encourage improved lifelong dietary habits.

“We have seen first-hand the excitement that the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program creates for students,” Secretary Fisher said. “It encourages students to try new offerings with their friends and that makes it more likely they will ask for these items at home. It’s a great avenue for students to develop healthy eating habits that will benefit them long into the future.”

Additional funds will be allocated to schools for connecting their FFVP with the Farm to School Program. The schools must provide Jersey Fresh produce a minimum of two days each month from September to November and from April to June and must verify where the produce was grown. Seventy-nine percent of the 144 schools have agreed to link their FFVP and Farm to School Program.

Some of the criteria used in selecting the schools to participate in FFVP include: Elementary schools with 50 percent or more of their students eligible for free or reduced price meals; schools that planned to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables as much as possible; all students having access to the produce offered; and plans to partner with outside organizations to enhance nutrition education.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the first update since 2013 of the National Road Map for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) (PDF, 340 KB).

The update culminates a yearlong review by the Federal Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Coordinating Committee (FIPMCC), a joint effort that is coordinated by the Office of Pest Management Policy in the Office of USDA’s Chief Economist with representatives of all federal agencies with responsibilities in IPM research, implementation, or education programs.

These agencies include Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of the Interior (DOI), and Department of Defense (DoD).

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a science-based, sustainable decision-making process that uses information on pest biology, environmental data, and technology to manage pest damage in a way that minimizes both economic costs and risks to people, property, and the environment.

The National Road Map for Integrated Pest Management (IPM), first introduced in 2004, is periodically updated to reflect the evolving science, practice, and nature of IPM. The Road Map provides guidance to the IPM community on the adoption of effective, economical, and safe IPM practices, and on the development of new practices where needed. The guidance defines, prioritizes, and articulates pest management challenges across many landscapes, including: agriculture, forests, parks, wildlife refuges, military bases, as well as in residential, and public areas, such as public housing and schools. The Road Map also helps to identify priorities for IPM research, technology, education and implementation through information exchange and coordination among federal and non-federal researchers, educators, technology innovators, and IPM practitioners.

Learn more at https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/OPMP/IPM%20 Road%20Map%20FINAL.pdf_

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December 2018 5

New Jersey Department of Agriculture Celebrates New Jersey’s Wine Industry The New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the Garden State Wine Growers Association (GSWGA) highlighted New Jersey Wine Week with a visit to Beneduce Vineyards in the Pittstown section of Alexandria Township, Hunterdon County, on November 15.

Governor Murphy officially proclaimed New Jersey Wine Week on November 12-18 by signing a proclamation honoring the wine industry for being a growing contributor to the state’s economy.

Beneduce Vineyards is owned by the Beneduce family and managed by winemaker Mike Beneduce Jr. One of the state’s younger wineries, they are members of both the industry-wide GSWGA, as well as the Winemaker’s Co-Op, a smaller group of producers focused on crafting dry wines made from New Jersey-grown grapes.

“Along with customers enjoying high quality, locally made wine, we want a visit to our farm to be a family experience that everyone can enjoy,” Mike Beneduce Jr. said. “It’s been a very rewarding experience to be a part of the growth of the wine industry in the Garden State and to see our own wines, as well as other wines produced in New Jersey, recognized as among the best in the United States and the world.”

The Beneduce family purchased a 51-acre farm in Pittstown in 2000 to supply

their retail garden center, Great Swamp Greenhouses in Gillette. Since then, they’ve planted over 20 acres of grapevines on a sunny hillside at the top of the property and transformed a large storage barn into a 7,000 square-foot winery.

Beneduce Vineyards recently participated in the American Wine Revolution, hosted by international wine critic James Suckling, in which 10 separate New Jersey wineries each earned at least one 90-point score. Beneduce Vineyard’s 2015 Pinot Noir earned a 93-point score, making it the highest scoring Pinot Noir in the entire tasting of over 800 wines.

Beneduce also scored 92 points for “Blue 2,” the winery’s signature red wine made from the Blaufränkisch grape. Working Dog Winery in Robbinsville joined Beneduce as the two New Jersey wineries to score 90 points or better with each of their four wines submitted.

The GSWGA has partnered with the Beverage Tasting Institute (BTI) of Chicago to provide professional blind tastings to rate and rank New Jersey produced wines for the revised New Jersey Wine Competition.

The Competition, the only New Jersey wine competition recognized and sanctioned by the GSWGA, was conducted at BTI’s Chicago tasting facility from March 2018 through July 2018 by professional BTI

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Tom Castronovo/Photo Mike Beneduce, Jr., center, receives a proclamation from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy honoring the wine industry, which was presented by Tom Beaver, left, Director, Division of Marketing and Development, for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, and New Jersey Assemblyman Erik Peterson at Beneduce Vineyards.

wine tasting panels.

On November 16, Mike Beneduce, Jr., received the New Jersey Governor’s Cup at Drumthwacket, the official residence of the Governor of New Jersey, for his 2015 “white space,” a desert style wine made from estate-grown Riesling grapes.

According to a recent study commissioned by the GSWGA, the New Jersey wine industry continues to grow as the number of wineries increased since 2011. The number of wineries in the state of New Jersey grew from 38 in 2011 to 50 in 2016, an increase of 31.6 percent, the majority

of which produce less than 5,000 cases per year. 2016 wine production in New Jersey was approximately 702,671 gallons (or 295,488 cases), up 73.6 percent from 405,954 gallons (or 170,712 cases) produced in 2011.

New Jersey’s wine, grape and related industries had a total economic value to the state of $323.02 million in 2016, an increase of 39.9 percent from the $231 million economic impact in 2011.

The GSWGA estimates that 108,813 people visited New Jersey wineries in 2016, an increase in 13.5 percent from the estimated 95,850 winery visitors in 2011.

6 December 2018

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

Bringing Back Hard Cider in the Garden State Move over microbreweries. Megan Muehlbauer believes she has stumbled upon the next big food trend and she wants to help build a thriving industry in New Jersey.

Muehlbauer, a Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station agent based in Hunterdon County, is laying the groundwork to revive the state’s hard cider industry that dates back to colonial times and was prosperous for generations until it ended during prohibition.

She is testing more than two dozen varieties of cider apples to determine how well they grow in New Jersey including the Harrison, once a classic New Jersey cider apple, the Esopus Spitzenburg, a white tart apple that had been a favorite of Thomas Jefferson, and others like the Kingston black with skin that is such a deep red color it appears almost purple.

“These aren’t the giant sweet apples that we have come to know,’’ Muehlbauer said.

Heirloom varieties are small and tart and pose a challenge for growers because they come from trees that produce less fruit than more common varieties. They may not be ideal to sell directly to consumers at local farm stands, but at a time when the market for artisanal and locally grown food is rapidly expanding, heirloom varieties have their own strong appeal. When processed into hard cider they produce a unique tasting experience that is a cut above most commercial ciders, Muehlbauer said.

“Modern ciders are super sweet because they don’t have the acidity and tannins that add astringency and depth,’’ she said. “Hard ciders made from heritage varieties are way more interesting in terms of flavor and complexity.’

While a few farms in the state are trying to bring back these varieties, Muehlbauer’s research is the first time Rutgers has tried to grow heritage applies to boost the industry. Heirloom varieties can be profitable for farmers interested in starting their own cider mills, similar to the state’s growing wine industry where farmers grow and process their own grapes.

Muehlbauer is investigating how well varieties with names like the Golden Russet, a prized cider apple, the Blue Pearmain, Calville Blanc and others could grow in New Jersey’s challenging climate with hot, humid, rainy summers that put a lot of disease pressure on trees.

Part of the goal of Muehlbauer’s research is to demonstrate to farmers how quickly they can transform existing orchards to produce cider apples. Instead of ordering trees from a nursery which can take years to grow, this spring Muehlbauer used wood from the desired new varieties, obtained from a USDA repository, and grafted it onto existing Fuji apple trees at the Snyder Research and Extension Farm in Pittstown. The new trees will start producing their first crop next year.

She has already seen some encouraging results. The trees have not shown evidence of fire blight, a disease that can strike and kill trees following wet warms springs, which can be common in New Jersey and is one of the prime threats to apple trees.

As her research moves forward, Muehlbauer plans to collect data to determine which trees would be the most productive and be able to adapt to disease pressure in New Jersey.

“One of the most important things we can do is help farmers make informed decisions about what they plant,’’ Muehlbauer said. “If I can narrow it down to five varieties that have great yields and can handle disease pressure really well, I will feel like I have made a contribution to the industry and can help it move forward.’’

Editor’s Note: this article originally appeared in Rutgers Today

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From the Director’s Desk

Rutgers Outreach Provided by Brian Schilling Director

Germinating and Growing Plants with LEDs

Recent advances in light emitting diode (LED) technology have resulted in an explosion of product offerings from a wide range of lighting manufacturers.

Potential advantages of LED lamps compared to conventional light sources such as incandescent, fluorescent and high-intensity discharge lamps include increased efficiency and the option to manipulate the light spectrum.

The increased efficiency reduces the cost to operate the lamps, and tailoring the spectrum to specific plant needs can produce a higher quality crop. It is also common to read a statement like: LED lamps do not produce any heat, but this is misleading. LED lamps do produce heat, their conversion efficiency (converting electricity into useful light) is typically around 30 percent, but this heat is so-called convective heat.

LED lamps have a heat sink that is used to transfer the heat they produce to the surrounding air.

By moving air around the lamp, this heat can be easily removed from the plant production area. As a result, LED lamps can be placed closer to the plant canopy, reducing potential light losses from light that does not reach the leaves.

By contrast, high-intensity discharge lamps, such as high-pressure sodium and metal halide lamps, produce mostly radiant heat (their conversion efficiency is very similar to that of LED lamps) that is directed to any surface within a direct line-of-sight from the bulb. This radiant heat is more difficult to remove from a growing environment and often causes a temperature increase in any plant tissue exposed to the radiation source.

While the advantages of LED lamps make them an attractive alternative for crop lighting, the better models are still more expensive to purchase. and limited information is available about what the best lighting strategy is for a particular plant species. The ability to (continuously) adjust the light spectrum has opened up exciting new opportunities, but researchers still have a lot of work to do to optimize the most economical application of LED lamps.

Depending on plant species, plant germination does or does not require light. Growers typically cover seeds with a thin layer of growing media when plants only germinate in the dark. The higher the germination percentage, the more economical the production system, so growers are encouraged to provide the best environment for optimal germination.

When only small batches of seeds are germinated at a time, the conversion efficiency of the lamps is less critical because only fewer lamps are used. Obviously, this is different for large commercial operations where optimum lamp selection can make a big difference.

While germination areas are typically designed for high plant densities, not all of the light will reach plant surfaces (especially during germination and seedling establishment). Therefore, increasing the light intensities does not always result in improved seedling growth. Increasing the amount of red light immediately after germination can increase leaf surface area, but too much red light can result in too much stretching, resulting in spindly seedlings. Some experimentation may be needed to find the optimum light spectrum during germination and early seedling establishment.

When plants have established a full canopy, we can use LED lamps to provide supplemental or sole-source lighting, depending on whether plants are grown in a greenhouse or an indoor environment, respectively.

Research has shown that plants use red and blue light most efficiently during the process of photosynthesis. Several lamp manufactures have used this information to design LED lamps that produce a combination of red and blue light, resulting in an overall magenta light color. While this light color may be very efficient in terms of photosynthesis, it makes it very difficult to observe true colors because plant surfaces appear mostly black.

Thus, observing color changes as a result of nutrient deficiencies or diseases becomes virtually impossible. Adding green light, or using white light instead, will alleviate this problem. Some plants accumulate antioxidants (e.g., anthocyanins) when grown under sunlight that contains a small amount of ultraviolet (UV) light.

Therefore, UV light (in addition to adequate amounts of blue light) is sometimes added to the spectrum provided by electric light to ensure an adequate accumulation of antioxidants (e.g., red lettuces).

Because plants need a lot of light for proper growth and development, selecting the most efficient light source that produces the appropriate light spectrum is an important decision. In addition, other environmental factors (e.g., temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, growing media moisture content) are important and can interact with the light intensity and spectral characteristics.

An excellent reference on his topic is the book: Light Management in Controlled Environments (2017), edited by my Michigan State colleagues Roberto Lopez and Erik Runkle. Growers are encouraged to reach out to plant lighting experts and Cooperative Extension personnel to discuss the best lighting strategy for their operations.

Editor’s Note: This month’s contribution was written by A.J. Both, Professor and Extension Specialist in Controlled Environment Engineering.

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

December 2018 7

Neoregelia – A Plant for the Holidays December is a month when we typically channel our thoughts from the outdoor tasks of gardening to those indoor festivities surrounding the holidays.

Of course, this should not mean that we totally ignore plants, since colorful arrangements and houseplants make the holidays ever more festive. A colorful and easily grown houseplant that needs broader recognition for the season are the many selections of Blushing Bromeliad, botanically called Neoregelia.

As the common name reveals, Neoregelia is a member of the Bromeliaceae or Bromeliad Family and is native to rain forests along the coastal regions of Brazil and throughout northern South America.

The plants are actually epiphytic in nature, growing amongst tree canopies rather than the traditional terrestrial culture. The elevated growing habitat allows the plants to receive higher light intensities,

since the floor of rain forests are heavily shaded by the layers of dense foliage in the canopy above.

The plant name honors Eduard August von Regel (1815-1892), who served as the Director of the St. Petersburg Botanic Garden in Russia from 1875-1892. The genus was originally named Regelia in 1890, by the Swedish Botanist Carl Axel Magnus Lindman (1856-1928).

Unfortunately, another German botanist, Johannes Conrad Schauer (1813-1848), had already assigned this genus name to a group of plants native to Southwestern Australia in 1843. This duplication of the genus name was resolved by the American botanist Lyman Bradford Smith (1904-1997), who focused upon the taxonomy of plants in South America. He cleverly renamed the genus Neoregelia – since “neo” is Greek for new, the genus translates into the “New Regelia.”

Blushing Bromeliads feature a whirl of very colorful foliage, typically six to 10 inches in diameter and height, with each

strap-like leaf about a half-inch wide. The leaves tightly overlap the neighboring leaf at the base, creating a watertight tank or cup.

The roots are designed to anchor the plants to tree branches, rather than absorb nutrients and water, which became the function of the foliage surrounding the tank. The small pool that collects in the center of each whorl of leaves attracts frogs and other tree-top dwellers who escape their terrestrial predators by seeking sanctuary in these arboreal hideouts. In fact, these animals spend the majority of their lives in the Neoregelia tank and through their bodily waste, they actually provide the nutrients necessary for the Bromeliads to grow.

The Neoregelia flowers appear just above the water level in the center of the cup and although only a few open at once over an extended period, they do provide curiosity and color. It is actually the role of the colorful foliage to attract pollinators, which is also what makes the plants so appealing to gardeners.

With over 100 species and more than 4,000 cultivars of

Rutgers Joins with Local Farmers to Promote New Jersey Farm Wineries Rutgers Cooperative Extension is helping New Jersey farmers thrive by revealing the uniqueness of their wines through science. Rutgers faculty and staff collaborated with local farmers who were interested in highlighting their farm wineries as unique to the region. The farmers enlisted the help of Jenny Carleo, county agent, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County, to assist them in earning an American Viticulture Area (AVA) wine region designation.

Earlier this year, wineries on the Cape May Peninsula received approval as an official winegrape growing region from by the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. This enables winemakers to better describe the origin and unique attributes of their wines and to label them as originating in the Cape May Peninsula.

The new distinction, which is a sub-appellation that falls within the existing Outer Coastal Plain AVA of southeastern New Jersey, highlights the distinctive qualities of wines crafted on the southernmost part of the state, says Carleo.

The attributes that helped make the case for a distinct Cape May Peninsula AVA, which encompasses parts of Cape May and Cumberland counties, included warmer winters, cooler summers and the types of grapes grown in comparison to the neighboring region, explains Carleo.

“Wineries that fall within the new AVA and use at least 85 percent of wines grapes grown in the Cape May Peninsula in their wine will now be able to label their bottles with the new AVA,” she adds.

This designation was achieved through a concerted effort among local farmers, the County of Cape May and Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Al Natali, owner of Natali Vineyards and a member of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture, played a critical role in developing the AVA application with technical support from the Cape May County Planning Department.

The county provided high quality GIS maps and data on land area, water, soils and areas suitable for agricultural production while Carleo worked with other researchers from Rutgers and local farms and wineries to gather information on current wine and grape production and future projections.

Carleo was also instrumental in translating technical information into visual formats, highlighting the unique weather attributes of the county in comparison to neighboring areas.

“Those graphics helped illustrate and communicate technical and scientific data to the application reviewers, enabling them to make a positive determination on the Cape May Peninsula AVA.”

Neoregelia, there are certainly plenty of selections from which to choose. The selection I felt particularly appropriate for the holidays is the variegated sport of Neoregelia “Fireball,” named “Fireball Donger.” It features whirls of green and white stripped foliage with a blush of red added to the uppermost whirl. This red blush becomes more intense near the base of the foliage.

Unlike most selections, this cultivar is tolerant of bright light with the red colorations becoming the most vibrant in full sun. Following the holidays, plants should be placed in a window receiving southern exposure, ensuring the foliar color will be retained until the plants can be once again placed outside for the summer.

Blushing Bromeliads prefer a porous soil media that best duplicates the leaf duff in their natural habitat. Fertilizer should be kept to a minimum, as it will encourage exuberant and floppy growth. Following flowering, the “pups” can be removed once they are one-third to half the size of the mother plant and potted

up individually.

Within two to three years, they will bloom and the cycle will begin again. Colorful, long-lived and easily grown, selections of “New Regelia” are great additions for adorning the holiday table.

From all of the Neoregelialoving staff at Rutgers Gardens, we wish you and your family the very best for this Holiday Season and the Year to come!

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

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

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

8 December 2018

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December 2018 9

Around The Garden

By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

November Snowstorm Preparation and Debacle I know most of the news outlets have already beat the November 15 snowstorm to death with reports from state officials blaming everybody but the kitchen sink for their failure to be prepared.

Well, it’s my turn to chime in. I do not know how anybody inside a giant building by the water in Atlantic City can determine current weather conditions around our Great Garden State.

The Governor blamed the state’s wholly inadequate response on forecasters and people clogging the roads for the complete lack of snowplows or salt trucks. To me that’s a bunch of hogwash.

I was out and about early on that Thursday morning. I witnessed a town in Union County picking up leaves with their dump trucks, which I thought, should have had plows attached to the front of them and salt spreaders mounted in their bodies.

Everyone was informed it was coming by meteorologists around the New Jersey metropolitan area. We had been warned of snow for days, and reports made it clear that it would be a few inches deep and followed by freezing rain, making for treacherous conditions. Some meteorologists early that morning forecast early school dismissals. This was not the first snowfall of the year. We had a decent one in January.

A lot of our elected officials and the like were at a New Jersey League of Municipalities (NJLM) convention at the Atlantic City Convention Center. I wonder if the Union County town’s leadership was in Atlantic City as well.

According to the NJLM website, the League is a voluntary association created to help communities do a better job of self-government through pooling information resources and brain power. It is authorized

by State Statute and, since 1915, has been serving local officials throughout the Garden State. All 565 municipalities

are members of the League.

Over 560 mayors and 13,000 elected and appointed officials of member municipalities are entitled to all of the services and privileges of the League.

Our Garden State has many climates that range from the top of Sussex County in the northwestern part of the state, to the top of Bergen County in the northeastern part of the state, to central New Jersey, to coastal New Jersey to Atlantic, Cape May and Salem Counties in the southern part of the state.

I wonder if our leadership has any idea. And I’m not just picking on any one person here.

It can snow in one part of the state, rain in another, and the sun could be out in another. By the way, the National Weather Service with an office in Mount Holly, Burlington County New Jersey, updated their forecast around 12:30 p.m.

We elected leaders to serve and protect us, and most of them failed with this storm.

As a former landscape professional by trade who plowed and removed snow for a living, I always had to be prepared. I took on a huge responsibility when I signed snow-clearing contracts that made me responsible for people’s well-being. I had to make sure that parking lots and driveways were pre-treated with ice-melting products to prevent slip-and-fall issues. I also had to make sure that vehicles were able to move about without spinning their wheels.

As I was enjoying my morning coffee at my favorite go-to spot at 7 a.m., the plow contractor for that shopping center was already pre-salting the parking lot. Many of the customers were commenting, some saying that it was too early to salt. Others said that it was great that the contractor was planning ahead, especially the establishments’ employees.

They wanted to get home safely at the end of their shift.

After I finished my coffee, I was off on my journey, which took me up a hill in Somerset

County, which, I may also add, had just pre-treated the roadway with a liquid salt application. I could see those white, squiggly lines in my traffic lane. As my journey continued, I spotted a parking lot that was painted purple. Wow, another snow contractor at 7:30 a.m. knew the storm was coming. The purple coloring was a nonstaining dye in a high quality de-icing product that allows for a controlled application.

Later in the day, I travelled on Route 78 westbound into Hunterdon County before the storm began. Usually the roadway would be treated with the familiar white liquid salt lines hours before a storm arrives. I did not see any of that. The snow started around 1 p.m. as predicted. I had to make two stops. When I finally returned to Route 78 around 2:30 p.m., I was surprised how the snow stuck to the road so quickly. I thought to myself that this was going to be an ugly ride back east. It was. Not a plow or salt truck in sight for my entire trip back home.

When I was in Hunterdon County, I also witnessed landscape snow contractors salting and plowing parking lots. It seemed like they were prepared because they have a tremendous liability on them.

The main roads were horrible.

Maybe we can all learn a lesson with snow events. When I was a Boy Scout, I was always taught to “Be Prepared,” which means “you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty.”

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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10 December 2018

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GardenerNews.com Here’s an attention-getter for you…there is a Christmas tree shortage this year and you should expect prices to go up.

Over the past year, independent garden centers have known this truth and have been scrambling to have enough inventory to meet demand. The average size tree, between six and eight feet, takes nearly a decade to grow.

Ten years ago, when supply and demand were not aligned, many Christmas tree growers were held with inventory and either plowed their fields or simply went out of business.

When you find your tree this year, here are the best tricks for keeping it fresh the longest. And to avoid excessive quotations and references, many of the following points have come directly from the National Christmas Tree Association, www.realchristmastrees.org, as well as Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. There are however, a few personal introductions from yours truly.

When a Christmas tree is cut, more than half its weight is water!

A cut tree will absorb a surprising amount of water, particularly during the first week, so replenish the water daily.

As a general rule, stands should provide one (1) quart of

There are hundreds of species of maple, and hybrids, around the world. There are entire books on the cultivars of Japanese maple alone.

But for most of us, when we think maple, we think of the blazing fall colors of orange and red due mostly to our native red and sugar maples. People drive hundreds of miles and schedule autumn vacations around this brief color explosion.

But there is one species that is ever present and provides almost no fall color, and that is Norway maple. Acer platanoides is of European decent, and when open-grown becomes a wide, heavy shade tree. It tends to be rounded in shape, with a very dense crown ,and if not pruned will remain branched low.

The wood tends to be brittle, and in my experience storm damage is common. Leaves are dark green, several lobed, and sometimes mistaken for sugar maple. Bark is silvery and of no interest

December 2018 11 Unique Plants

By Bob LaHoff Nursery Specialist

“Let the Game Begin” water per inch of stem diameter.

For most Christmas trees, the stand should hold at least one (1) gallon of water.

Use a tree stand that fits your tree. Avoid whittling the sides of the trunk down to fit a stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking up water and should not be removed.

Make a fresh cut to remove about a half-inch-thick disk of wood from the base of the trunk before putting the tree in the stand. Make the cut perpendicular to the stem axis.

Don’t cut the trunk at an angle, or into a V-shape, which makes it far more difficult to hold the tree in the stand and also reduces the amount of water available to the tree.

Drilling a hole in the base of the trunk does NOT improve water uptake. My personal favorite!

Once home, place the tree in water as soon as possible. Most

species can go six to eight hours after cutting the trunk and still take up water. Don’t bruise the cut surface or get it dirty.

The temperature of the water used to fill the stand is not important and does not affect water uptake.

For those who believe in adding sugar, aspirin, floral preservatives, molasses, bleach, honey or vodka to the tree water, none of these so-called additives will help. Clean water still works the best (The SpokesmanReview-Karen Herzog).

Check the stand daily to make sure that the level of water does not go below the base of the tree.

Lowering the room temperature will slow the dying process, resulting in less water consumption each day.

It is perfectly normal to have some interior needles be brown and shed. However, you don’t want the needles on the outside

ends to come off in your hand as you test for freshness when purchasing.

Monitor your tree for dryness. Run your fingers across the needles to determine if they are dry and brittle. If the needles break easily or fall off in your hand, the tree is dry and should be removed from the house.

A well-cared-for tree should normally remain fresh at least three to four weeks before drying to an unacceptable level.

Finally, it has been my experience that purchasing your tree early, for best selection, and waiting to install it closer to Christmas, gives it the best chance to go well beyond the holiday. Storing your tree in an outdoor, shady location, standing up on end until you are ready to bring it in your home, seems to work best. Once you cut the bottom of your tree and put it in water, the game begins. A cut tree is only capable of hydrating

Tree Notes

By Steve Schuckman NJ Licensed Tree Expert No. 512 (to me), with shallow fissures. Fall color is rarely good – at least here – sometimes good yellow, but usually just brown.

Norway maple is a common street tree, and causes all kinds of problems. The tree tends to have tremendous surface roots, especially in poor urban soils. This results in no turf growth, and we know how the American homeowner loves turf. It also makes for difficult mowing, and the roots frequently invade the front yard.

These shallow surface roots also lift sidewalks, and no resident likes that, as in most cases they are responsible for the repair.

On small trees, the roots can sometimes be cut and

Norway Maple

removed. On large trees, the tree often has to come down.

But the big problem with Norway maple is its invasiveness. The tree produces a tremendous volume of seeds, and these germinate readily wherever they land. In youth, it tends to be a rapid grower and quickly overcomes local vegetation. Cutting a small tree down to a stump just makes things worse, as it quickly re-sprouts with multiple shoots.

The species has become a serious pest in natural areas, and many attempts have been made to eradicate these stands, but it is very difficult.

Any nearby tree will just produce more seed next season and the cycle

continues. It does not appear to be browsed upon by deer, which makes it a good “weed.”

Let’s just say, it’s a tough tree.

But when one considers all the problems, it is a wonder it is still available on the market, but it is.

I checked with some nurseries and, yes, some still grow the tree. Why, I have no idea.

There are many cultivars, the most common people see is “Crimson King,” the dark purpleleaved form. Still common in older communities. If you want it, you can still get it.

I have never planted Norway maple, and do not intend to. In fact, we remove them for

itself so much before it begins to dry out. In other words, the sooner you cut your tree and put it in water, the sooner it will dry out.

Today’s top-selling Christmas trees continue to be Fraser fir, Balsam fir, Noble fir, and Douglas fir. However, Canaan fir, Korean fir, Grand fir, Scotch pine and Blue spruce are typically available too. Many growers today graft Fraser fir with the likes of Momi fir (Abies firma), Turkish fir (Abies bornmuelleriana) and Canaan fir (Abies balsamea var phanerolepis) for their strong horticultural attributes, which includes disease resistance.

In short, maintaining a high moisture level, with clean water, is the single most important thing you can do to ensure your tree lasts as long as possible

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, ReevesReed 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.

any reason. I encourage homeowners to do the same, because once established, it becomes a big problem. The seedlings often get in fence lines, where they are difficult to remove.

So, if you have a nice tree in your yard, and it’s in good shape, take care of it and keep it. If it’s at the curb and you have to fix your sidewalk, work with the town and get rid of it.

Offer to replace the tree yourself.

But whatever you do, do not plant Norway maple. See your local nursery for a better choice.

Red maple, anyone?

Editor’s Note: Steve Schuckman is owner of First Mountain Aboriculture, which provides horticultural consulting and community forestry services. He is currently the consulting forester for Bloomfield, Hawthorne, Maplewood, and Montclair, in New Jersey. He is also a New Jersey Licensed Tree Expert. He can be reached at smschuckman@verizon.net

12 December 2018

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December 2018 13

State Agriculture Officials Attend Annual Rockefeller Center Tree Cutting Ceremony Erik Pauze, center, Head Gardener for Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, is joined by New York State Commissioner of Agriculture Richard Ball, right, and Kevin King, New York State Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture, at the 2018 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree cutting ceremony in Wallkill, Orange County, N.Y. This year’s tree, a 12-ton Norway spruce, hails from a farmhouse about 80 miles north of New York City that’s owned

by Shirley Figueroa and Lissette Gutierrez.

The majestic, 75-year-old, 72-foot tall, 45-foot-in-diameter tree, which Figueroa and Gutierrez named “Shelby,” began its journey to the Big Apple on Thursday, November 8. It arrived on Saturday, November 10 at 30 Rockefeller Plaza at 8 a.m.

The iconic holiday symbol was erected by a crane into its traditional place at Rockefeller Center around 10 a.m.

The tree, wrapped with 50,00 multicolored LED lights and topped with a brand new 900-pound star made of 3 million Swarovski crystals, will shine bright until 11:30 p.m. every night through Jan. 7.

Once the tree comes down, Habitat for Humanity will turn the tree into homebuilding lumber for those in need.

Pauze who cared for the tree over the summer months by watering and feeding it compost tea on a regular basis, participated in the ceremonial cutting. Pauze also oversees the ever-changing landscape of the Channel Gardens—home to the iconic holiday angels—from season to season.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has been symbol of the holidays since 1931.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

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14 December 2018

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December 2018 17

Agriculture is an Integral Part of New Jersey’s History

The New Jersey Farm Bureau held its 100th annual meeting on Monday and Tuesday, November 12-13, at The Princeton Westin at Forrestal Village in Princeton, Mercer County, N.J. New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney joined the meeting during the day on Monday, presenting the bureau’s executive team with a copy of a Senate Concurrent Resolution commemorating this historic milestone.

United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue also addressed the over 200 attendees during the annual dinner banquet held Monday evening, November 12.

American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall and King Whetstone, Northeast Regional Director for the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) also attended the convention, as well as several local New Jersey legislators. Bob Goodman, Executive Director

of the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and Executive Dean of the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; Brian Schilling, Director of Rutgers Cooperative Extension; and Nicholas Polanin, Chair of the Rutgers Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, were also present.

The mission of the New Jersey Farm Bureau is to represent the agricultural producers and enterprises of New Jersey at all levels of government – local, county, state, federal and international.

This representation includes the influence on regulations and laws, the creation of positive public relations, and the seeking out of initiatives, activities and ventures to help the profitability of the producer members. This organization will remain faithful to the democratic policy development process managed by representatives from every part of the state.

Tom Castronovo/Photo United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, second from left, joins New Jersey Assemblyman Bob Andrzejczak, left, Chair of the New Jersey Assembly’s Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee; New Jersey Assemblyman Ryan Peters, second from right; and New Jersey Farm Bureau President Ryck Suydam, just before the dinner banquet.

18 December 2018

GardenerNews.com

Gifts All About Us

By Jeannie Geremia Contributing Writer

Another holiday season is upon us and is causing me to reflect on the myriad gifts that we experience each and every day.

Some of these precious gifts we take for granted, while others occur when we least expect them, and yet others are ones we worked toward and they finally become a reality.

In our gardening world, we are continually delighted with plant and seed exchanges. Gifts of that new species we’ve never tried and are excited by visions of that plant being the perfect addition to our gardens and yards.

Each season has its gifts to share, and it seems nature is ready to bestow these treasures at any given time. Just hearing a wren sing its little heart out is a gift no money can buy. Yes, my gardening friends, these “free” gifts are priceless and we are the lucky beneficiaries. As I reflect on the past several months, I’d like to share with you the precious gifts that came my way in one form or another as this year comes to an end.

Sharing is the operative word, and it’s truly amazing the feelings of good will, happiness and joy that come back to you in innumerable ways. One of the outstanding instances of this happened in October, as I was asked to do a program that was “snowed out” last January, for the Seaweeders Garden Club of Bayhead and Mantoloking on “Butterflies & Bees.”

Claudia Larsen, Co-chair of the Learning Committee, prior to their meeting date, asked me to see their Butterfly House after the program in Bayhead’s garden that Seaweeders Garden Club maintains. She told me they had over 40 monarchs and black swallowtails hatch out this summer and were

anxious for me to see their butterfly house, as they had questions.

I couldn’t imagine what the butterfly house was exactly as the wood butterfly houses I had in my educational exhibit were small, like a bird house or bat house.

What a gift this experience was as we approached this big butterfly house. I realized I had just seen these houses on Gardeners Supply Company’s website and this season was the first time they were being offered. Well, Seaweeders was on it and had purchased the biggest one, which included a raised garden bed for a pollinator garden.

The interior of the butterfly house was covered with black swallowtail chrysalises, and caterpillars in position to make their chrysalis. The club members’ question to me was, “What should we do? Should we pry them off, and how do we overwinter them?” My astonished response was to leave them in place but to put the entire butterfly house in the unheated shed standing beside it.

Black swallowtails overwinter in their chrysalises but need the cold as they go into diapause, where growth is suspended, so the butterfly can hatch out next spring, mostly in May. Seaweeders was beyond excited and “gifted” me with a copy of their yearbook, with a beautiful female black swallowtail nectaring on a coneflower on the front cover that they had photographed in their butterfly garden.

Every day, we are continually on the receiving end of “gifts” from birds, bees, butterflies and critters, including squirrels, chipmunks, opossums, etc.

We just have to recognize that these indeed add to the rich quality and fabric of our lives, and how some we may perceive as “pests” have their own role to play as seed

planters or tick consumers.

Nature has so many gifts to give and if we give of ourselves to help maintain and to help it thrive, we reap the rewards of a healthy environment for us and future generations.

My gift to you, my gardening friends, in this season of giving is to alert you to a newly published book (2018), called “American Eden:” David Hosack Botany, and Medicine in the Garden of the Early Republic,” by Victoria Johnson.

This is a biography that describes the life of a (heretofore unknown to me) doctor, patriot, botanist and his extraordinary impact on the lives of Americans in our early years as a republic to this day. He founded the first botanical garden in America, situated on 20 acres by 1810, where present-day Rockefeller Center now sits in the heart of New York City.

David Hosack was a friend and contemporary of many famed personages from that time period of the late 1700s and early 1800s, including Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Rush, Aaron Burr.

In fact, he was the attending physician at the infamous duel between Hamilton and Burr, was friends with both and the Hamilton family’s doctor. Horticulturists today still marvel at the species collected for the Elgin Botanic Garden – a must read!

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

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

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Visit www.GardenerNews.com USDA Designates Four New Jersey Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated four New Jersey counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers who suffered losses due to two separate disaster events may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans.

This designation by Secretary Perdue allows FSA to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts.

Excessive Rainfall and Cool Temperatures For excessive rainfall and cool spring temperatures that occurred from May 1 through June 30, 2018, the Secretary has designated Atlantic and Cumberland counties in New Jersey as primary natural disaster areas.

Producers in the contiguous New Jersey counties of Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem, along with Kent County, Delaware, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Excessive Heat and Drought For excessive heat and drought that occurred from June 24 through July 21, 2018, the Secretary has designated Gloucester and Salem counties in New Jersey, as primary natural disaster areas.

Producers in the contiguous New Jersey counties of Atlantic, Camden and Cumberland, along with Kent and New Castle counties in Delaware, and Delaware and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

The deadline to apply for these emergency loans is July 1, 2019.

FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.

FSA has a variety of additional programs to help farmers recover from the impacts of these disasters. FSA programs that do not require a disaster declaration include: Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; and the Tree Assistance Program.

Farmers may contact their local USDA service center for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at https://www.farmers.gov/recover.

GardenerNews.com Deer are decimating agriculture here in the Garden State. They have been, to one degree or another, for quite some time now. Farmers have been complaining for as long as I can remember about increases in the deer population and their negative impact on the agricultural economy. Now, it seems as if we, as an industry, have become almost numb to the damage that they do to crops all across New Jersey.

One thing that surprises me is that there has not been more outrage about the deer population from those who are not connected to agriculture. First of all, the amount of damage that deer inflict upon New Jersey cars and trucks is staggering. I am sure that everyone reading this column at the very least knows someone who has had a serious car/deer collision, if you haven’t had the misfortune of having one yourself. Just drive along any busy road in rural or suburban New Jersey and start counting the carcasses. If you are using your fingers to keep track, be careful because it won’t take

December 2018 19 The Town Farmer

By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

Taking a Bite out of New Jersey long before you can’t grip the steering wheel any more.

And then there is Lyme disease. While I am not sure if deer actually carry the disease, I do know that they play a huge roll in sustaining and spreading it. Deer are one of the prime hosts for the deer tick. Their population ensures a never-ending supply of carriers for this very serious and far too common disease here in New Jersey. Again, maybe you know someone who has had Lyme disease or maybe you have even had it yourself. It is no coincidence that areas with large deer populations have higher rates of Lyme disease.

But let’s get back to deer and their effect on agriculture. The amount of damage that they inflict is

tremendous. There are very few crops that are immune to deer damage. Whether it is an agronomic crop like field corn, soybeans, wheat or hay, or any fruit, vegetable, flower or landscape crop, they are all susceptible unless proper control measures are taken.

And when it comes to control measures that actually work, they are generally few and far between and almost always expensive. There are plenty of repellants on the market and items that say that they scare deer away, but the only real way to keep deer out of a crop is to fence it in. Sure, you might be able shoot a few deer, or perhaps hide the crops they eat with another, more attractive crop, but all it takes is one night of letting your guard down and your crop can

be lost.

The cost of appropriate deer fencing is extremely prohibitive for many farm operations. For higher value crops such as fruits and vegetables, it might make economic sense to permanently fence an area. But for lower value crops such as hay or wheat, it is impossible to economically justify the cost of deer fencing based upon the expected returns from that crop. In other words, the prudent economic decision would be to not even plant the crop in the first place.

Other factors that come into play are whether or not the land is owned by the farmer or rented. If the land is owned, maybe a farmer can justify the long-term investment. If it is rented on a year to year basis,

a grower would be foolish to even think about laying out that amount of capital.

Also, it can be very difficult to completely fence in an area.

In order for a fence to work, the property has to be fenced in its entirety. That means that driveways, steep slopes and stream crossings must be deer-proof as well, as deer will be extremely persistent when they are looking for a meal.

Maybe one day, we as a society will wake up and realize what the true cost of this deer overpopulation is.

But until we do, at least the body shops will have plenty of business!

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.

What’s That Brown Beady Thing in Your Garden?

By Hubert Ling It’s one to two feet tall, branched on top with two rows of small beads on each branch, and defiantly sticking up in your winter garden.

The mystery twig is the fruiting structure of our native sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis. They are sometimes called seed heads, but they aren’t really seed heads, since the true ferns don’t have seeds.

Actually, they are tall, branched stalks topped with clusters of round sporangia, which contain the minute spores commonly found in ferns.

Most New Jersey ferns form sporangia on the underside of their large leaves. However, a few ferns, such as sensitive fern and ostrich fern, form sporangia on separate stalks, called fertile fronds, which are specialized for reproduction and carry sporangia, each

filled with dozens of spores.

Fern spores grow to form thin gametophyte plants, which look like a small halfinch piece of lettuce. These gametophytes produce the gametes: eggs and sperm.

It is a strange fact that the lower plants: mosses, ferns, horsetails and Ginkgo, reproduce like animals with sperm and egg.

In ferns, the sperm must swim through a film of water to fertilize the eggs.

The resulting fertile egg will develop into the familiar tall perennial fern plant. Since it is a fern, it will never flower.

In addition to the very distinctive fertile fronds, sensitive ferns have the more familiar sterile fronds, which are leafy, yellow green, have distinctive net veins, and grow up to three to four feet.

The leaves have five to 11 pairs of deeply cut lobes and the edges (margins) of the leaf can be smooth, wavy, or scalloped (pinnatifid). The variety in these two basic

characteristics lead to leaves which look very different from each other. There is nothing in the literature to indicate whether genetics, environment, or random chance determines the leaf shape; this might be a good project for a student to investigate.

Fossils which look very much like sensitive fern have been found with the dinosaurs, so this fern is believed to have been around for a very long time.

The scientific name Onoclea sensibilis comes from the Greek: “onos” is a vessel and “kleio” means closed, which refers to the closed “beads” of the fertile frond.

Sensibilis, from the Latin, refers to the fact that this plant is very sensitive to cold. Even a light frost will turn sensitive fern sterile fronds into black-brown withered wrecks. Fear not, however, all the plants will be back again in earlyspring.

Sensitive fern is widespread and adapted to

hardiness zones 2-10. It is found in East Asia, Canada, and eastern and central United States; in New Jersey, it has been found in every county.

This fern is a wetlands plant (listed as facultativewet) but it will generally flourish under normal garden conditions. It is grown easily in acidic or basic soil, in partial or full shade; in full sun it requires moist soil. Propagation is generally done by dividing plant clusters, but left to itself it often spreads; under good conditions some people feel that it is a bit aggressive but it is relatively easy to keep in check.

This fern is deer and rabbit resistant and tolerates clay and sandy soil. It has been granted the Royal Horticulture Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

The plant tends to die back somewhat in summer heat or if rain is scarce, but this does no permanent damage.

Sensitive ferns provide cover for frogs and

salamanders, and although a few insects feed on sensitive fern, its overall usefulness to wildlife is considered low. The fern has no serious insect or disease problems and will form a luxurious ground cover given the right conditions.

Sensitive fern is available commercially and the unique fertile fronds can be purchased at garden centers and on the internet as sensitive fern dried “seed heads” for about 20 cents each. But why not have your very own, very easy to grow sensitive fern in a shady part of your garden?

You can have a lush green display during the spring and summer and enjoy the unique fertile fronds the rest of the year in a dried bouquet.

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

20 December 2018

GardenerNews.com

New Jersey Legislative Update Senate Passes Oroho, Van Drew Resolution Recognizing the 100th Anniversary of the NJ Farm Bureau A Senate Concurrent Resolution sponsored by Senator Steve Oroho and Senator Jeff Van Drew that would recognize the 100th anniversary of the New Jersey Farm Bureau was passed by the full Senate on October 29.

“We wouldn’t rightly be known as the Garden State without the 12,000 family farms that call New Jersey home,” said Senator Oroho (R-Morris/Sussex/Warren). “As the largest advocacy agriculture organization in the state, the Farm Bureau has fought tirelessly to protect and empower small farmers. On this centennial anniversary, we look back and recognize the important work of the Farm Bureau in preserving open space and promoting all that our farmers bring to the table. I like to say that we must do all we can to help keep the farmer on the farm, and the Farm Bureau certainly leads the way. This resolution is a wonderful way to express our gratitude and honor that tremendous legacy.”

“The Farm Bureau has been representing New Jersey farm families and businesses for 100 years, that’s an achievement that not many organizations in the state can boast about,” said Senator Van Drew (D-Atlantic/Cape May/Cumberland). “Their grassroots work has enabled them to create strong personal and community bonds with the people they represent. I have no doubt that the farmers and agribusinesses in New Jersey look forward to their continued support for another 100 years.”

The resolution, SCR-143, recognizes the 100th anniversary of the New Jersey Farm Bureau and commends the hard work of the bureau in promoting agriculture, and helping farm families and their affiliated agricultural businesses so effectively in the Garden State.

The resolution was released from the full Senate by a vote of 39-0.

Senate Approves Van Drew, Gopal Bill for the EDA to Provide Financial Assistance to Wineries and Vineyards Legislation sponsored by Senator Jeff Van Drew and Senator Vin Gopal that would provide financial assistance to wineries and vineyards in New Jersey was approved by the full Senate on October 29 concurring with Governor Phil Murphy’s Conditional Veto.

The bill, S-1057 requires the Economic Development Authority (EDA), in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, to establish a loan program for certain vineyard and winery capital expenses. Its purpose is to increase the size and output of both wineries and vineyards.

“New Jersey wineries and vineyards are an important part of our local economies. The EDA provides assistance to small businesses that cannot receive loans from banks and this will be a major benefit to vineyards and wineries that have a difficult time attaining those loans,” said Senator Van Drew (D-Atlantic/Cape May/Cumberland). “Expanding the operations of vineyards and wineries will not only be good for local economies, it will also be good for the prospect of job growth.”

“The wine industry in New Jersey has the opportunity to become well-known around the country,” said Senator Gopal (D-Monmouth). “Not only will this help to spur economic development in these counties, it will also allow us to increase tourism to the Jersey Shore as well. The Jersey Shore is arguably one of New Jersey’s most striking features, and tourists will want to come to our state to enjoy both.”

Under the bill, the EDA would provide loans to eligible vineyards and wineries to pay for expenditures for land acquisition or improvement, infrastructure acquisition or modernization, and the purchase or modernization of machinery and equipment. The EDA would be authorized to conduct annual financial audits of its lenders to ensure the viability of their operations. The bill would now permit the Economic Development Authority to dictate the terms of the loan program.

The bill was approved by the Senate by a vote of 38-0, concurring with the Governor’s Conditional Veto.

Senate Approves Oroho Bill Package to Support NJ Agriculture Industry The New Jersey Senate has approved two pieces of bipartisan legislation sponsored Senator Steven Oroho (R-24) that would support small businesses by establishing “food hub” opportunities for local farmers and promoting farm-to-table businesses Statewide.

The first bill, S-1953, would direct the Department of Agriculture to authorize and advise “Food Hubs,” which are businesses or organizations that actively manage the distribution and marketing of locally-made food products.

“Many small farms lack the tools to compete in a global agriculture economy,” Oroho stated. “One of the main constraints on New Jersey family farms is the absence of systems that move local produce into the mainstream market. The agriculture industry must become more innovative. A ‘food hub’ is designed around a multi-farm program that allows farmers to directly reach a greater number of consumers. By creating hubs, we can ensure our farmers remain on the pathway to success.”

“Food Hubs” are a significant subgroup of the economy, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA.) “Food Hubs” create community food organizations which provide a combination of aggregation, distribution, and marketing services to farmers at an affordable price.

Oroho, a longtime supporter of New Jersey’s agriculture industry, also sponsors S-2499, which would direct the Division of Travel and Tourism to post information on farm-to-table restaurants on its website. S-2499 also passed the State Senate today.

The website, which is currently housed under the domain VisitNJ.org, would list the names, addresses, and other pertinent information about farmto-table restaurants located across the Garden State.

In New Jersey, approximately one out of every 14 workers is supported by the tourism industry.

“The impact of choosing a farm-to-table restaurant stretches far beyond a consumer’s plate,” Oroho said. “By highlighting local ‘Jersey Fresh’ restaurants on our State website, we’re feeding the future of New Jersey’s farms, restaurants, and our local economy.”

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December 2018 21

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An Extra Pop of Patriotism

Tom Castronovo/Photo There’s simply no better way to show your love for Old Glory during the most festive time of year than with all-American Christmas decorations.

Malanga’s Farm Market and Greenhouses in Warren Township, Somerset County, N.J., has done just that by decorating the roof of their building with a giant American flag using LED lights. This is the second year that the staff has decided to infuse the red, white, and blue theme with the traditional red and green Christmas colors.

22 December 2018 I cannot remember in my 35-plus years in the green industry a year of weather such as this one. Wow! With all the rain we’ve had, I also heard the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting severe winter weather. I hope not.

Like Julie Andrews says in The Sound of Music, “Let’s start at the very beginning…” The winter weather hung on much later than normal, disrupting our early-spring projects. This delayed flowers blooming, trees from budding and the grass from having any chance of greening up.

So, the spring weather messed up all plans for lawn-care programs. Crabgrass preventer and fertilizer applications where constantly delayed due to rain, resulting in erratic crabgrass control this summer. Latespring broadleaf weed controls with weed-and-feed were also disrupted. This resulted in poor timing of applications and a lot of complaints for lack of control.

Summer came and it was hot, cold and rainy again. Fungus came on strong and control was difficult due to the many environmental stresses on the

GardenerNews.com Turf ‘s Up

By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

What a year it’s been! grass. Insects arrived later than usual in the season, with chinch bugs and grubs feasting on stressed lawns.

September arrived and again we had haphazard weather; more hot, cold and rainy weather than normal. This delayed a lot of summer damage repair re-seeding.

Recently we have received many calls because grass seed planted in October and November is germinating very slowly or hardly at all. No, there is nothing wrong with the grass seed; cooler temperatures again delayed seed germination. Any seed that does not germinate now will do so in the spring.

Planting grass seed is best in early-fall, in September, so remember that for next year, providing it doesn’t rain so much.

We did experience a few frosts in October, so that killed off the crabgrass.

Be sure to keep mowing your lawn as long as it needs it, making the last mowing a little shorter. Mulch with your lawn mower leaves into the soil or remove excessive amounts of leaves from lawn areas. Be sure to invite the kids to jump in the big pile of leaves before you dispose of them. Leaves are a great source of organic matter to compost and they are a great source of carbon for your soil.

These steps help reduce the potential for snow mold disease to develop. Over the years leaves can somewhat reduce soil pH because they are acidic, this can be kept in check with regular soil testing and applications of calcium carbonate to raise pH to

desirable levels.

It is now too late the apply fertilizer in New Jersey due to their fertilizer laws. Look for lawns in your neighborhood which are still green up until Christmas; they fed their lawn in late-fall. These lawns will also be the first ones to green up next spring before your first lawn food application. Remember this next year, feed in early-fall and also in late-fall for the best lawn in town.

Remember proper put-away maintenance for your mower and spreader before you store them in the shed for winter. Clean the mower housing, change the oil and spark plug now, not next spring. Clean and lubricate spreader parts, etc., but if you are not comfortable with these tasks, please use the services of a local lawn mower repair shop.

It should be noted that there was a great increase in ticks this year in New Jersey. Monmouth County alone reported over 500 cases of Lyme disease. Don’t let the tick make you sick! Keep a vigilant watch out for ticks and take preventative measures to reduce their presence in your yard. Ticks like taller grasses to live in, so regular mowing helps keep them at bay, and use insect controls labelled for ticks as needed. Check the dog each time after walks, too.

A special thanks to Tom Castronovo and the Gardner News for keeping us informed of the dreaded spotted lanternfly problems. Please continue to do your part and keep a watchful eye out and report any sighting to your local County Extension specialist. To locate an office near you, go to the USDA website www.nifa.usda.gov/Extension.

Happy Holidays!

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

Somerset County Vocational & Technical School District Names 2018 Business Partner of the Year

Rich and Debbie Norz, owners of Norz Hill Farm in Hillsborough, have been selected as the Somerset County Vocational & Technical School District’s 2018 Business Partners of the Year. Mr. and Mrs. Norz were selected for the award for their generous donations, support, curriculum assistance and contributions to the Agricultural Science and Culinary Arts Programs.

Over the past five years, Mr. and Mrs. Norz have made countless donations in the way of equipment and supplies to the Agricultural Science Program to support irrigation and hydroponic projects. These donations directly led to produce being raised for use in the school’s Culinary Arts Program. Additionally, the Norz’s have assisted in fundraising events and allowed the Agricultural Science program to borrow egg-laying chickens to provide students with learning opportunities in animal science. Another contribution the Norz family has given SCVTHS includes providing students with a chance to formally document Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects. Students have used these formal records to earn honorary National FFA degrees and national recognition through the Agricultural Experience Tracker (AET), an online record keeping system.

“The poultry project, and other supports that Norz Hill Farm has provided, has had many positive impacts on student experiences related to this program and our school,” said Agricultural Science Instructor Erik Fargo. Fargo went on to add, “Norz Hill Farm has been strongly supporting this program for five years now, and I am so very thankful for their support on many levels.”

For these notable contributions, Somerset County Vocational & Technical School District is proud to announce Rich and Debbie Norz as the 2018 Business Partners of the Year.

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GardenerNews.com It’s that time of year again!

Well yes, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah, but that’s not what I am talking about.

It’s time to start talking to your landscape professional about your plans for the upcoming year.

So soon? Yes, because come March, you will not be able to find someone that is able to fit you into their schedule. Planning will ensure that your contract is signed, and you are scheduled to begin as soon as the spring breaks.

Other than the beauty that healthy landscapes can provide, they have much more important qualities. But first, let’s talk about the aesthetic part. There are numerous sources on the internet that talk about how landscaping can increase the value of a home, and many have different numbers, but the average increase seems to be approximately 10 percent in the value of a home that is professionally landscaped.

In addition to the dollar value landscaping provides, there are other benefits. A healthy turf will provide drainage to a property and reduce stormwater runoff by slowing down the water and absorbing it. Healthy grass and plants provide oxygen to the I live in a small, southern New Jersey community.

The town, situated across the river from Philadelphia, is approximately one-square mile, and is inhabited by almost 10,000 residents.

About six months ago, a celebrity moved in. (At least judging from the community Facebook posts.) The new darling of our hometown media is Odocoileus Virginianus otherwise known as a white-tailed deer.

It appears this doe enjoys our town, and the residents are equally enamored. Hardly a day goes by without a Facebook picture showing our newest resident grazing on someone’s front lawn, or nearby little league field.

How she got here remains a mystery, especially when she would have had to navigate through the New Jersey Turnpike, Routes 295, 42, 30, 676, and a host of other busy roadways.

Apparently, she has friends.

The other day while running an errand, a deer jumped in front of my car in a residential neighborhood. When I passed a local cemetery, I spotted several more. Considering this is suburbia, it was totally unexpected.

December 2018 23 The NJLCA Today

By Gail Woolcott Director of Operations

environment and can trap allergens, smoke and other particles to help improve the quality of the air.

In addition, lawns absorb carbon dioxide, making the air safer to breathe. According to the National Association of Landscape Professionals, “...a 50’ x 50’ lawn produces enough oxygen for a family of four.” Simply amazing what our landscapes can do.

Furthermore, have you ever sat on an empty basketball court?

The sound of the ball is echoed throughout. But go to a soccer field and the sounds the ball makes are somehow muted. The answer is that grass and trees that provide a natural noise filter to reduce the sounds around us.

So, healthy landscapes act as an air filter and a noise filter. What else do they do? They help you save energy. Compared to concrete

Landscapes Matter! and asphalt, turf, plants and trees reduce the temperature around us and in our homes. According to Scott’s, “Temperatures are 2 – 22 degrees warmer in cities with fewer lawns and trees.”

Now that we know what a healthy landscape does for us, let’s talk about how you can accomplish having one that you will not only be proud of, but that will help you help the environment and your mental health as well.

When it comes to landscape plants, it is all about “the right plant in the right place.” Planting shade trees in front of large windows will help reduce temperatures in your home. Planting shade loving plants beneath trees instead of trying to fight to make grass grow makes more sense. Planting droughttolerant plants in super sunny spots will reduce the amount of water

your will need to expend.

One of the most important things to look at, whether for grass or plants, is your soil. Your landscape professional or Rutgers University can perform a soil test and tell you the composition of your soil, what types of nutrients it needs, and what to avoid.

For your turf, make sure the grass seed that you plant is appropriate for the area you live in. In New Jersey, we have such a plethora of soil types. In a sandy soil area, you should be sticking to a fine fescue. Whereas, in northern New Jersey, you may want to use a Kentucky Bluegrass or Perennial Rye Grass. Whichever you choose, be sure to understand what your turf needs from you to flourish (watering, fertilizer, etc.).

Finally, following IPM (Integrated Pest Management) best

NJ Agricultural Society

By Al Murray Executive Director

In talking to my farmer friends, I learned this year has witnessed an explosion in population growth of deer, and unfortunately it has had a very negative impact on New Jersey’s agricultural industry.

To a farmer, a deer is nothing more than a “rat with antlers.”

Typically, a farmer can expect 8- to 10-percent deer damage to their crops. Some farmers even plant a buffer crop to distract deer from their money crops. This year, complaints about deer damage have skyrocketed, with many farmers reporting losses as high as 40 to 50 percent.

Imagine planting a field of corn, the green shoots just emerging from the soil, and then the next day every trace of green is completely gone.

Sure, farmers can get special hunting permits that allow them to shoot deer. But as one farmer put it, “It’s like

Oh “Deer”!

punching a hole in water.” For every one that is shot, 10 more take its place.

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife estimate the deer population to be at 112,000.

Other estimates have placed the figure to be 125,000 or even higher. What is amazing, is that just as little as 100 years ago, deer sightings were extremely rare, and the sight of one would bring a level of excitement similar to what my town is experiencing. In Colonial times, it was estimated that New Jersey’s habitat could support 15 to 20 deer per square mile. Today, our habitat is estimated to support 80 to 100 deer per square mile.

How did this happen?

Deer are what is know as an “edge” species. That means they typically do not like large tracts of land, but prefer smaller tracts with

borders, or edged with trees.

Golf Courses, public parks, small family farms, and even our lawns provide the perfect habitat with plenty to eat.

Aside from hunters and vehicles, deer in New Jersey have no predators to help keep the population in check.

Consequently, the population continues to escalate, bringing with it more and more deer ticks and increased exposure to Lyme disease.

This high population doesn’t just affect farmers.

Each year, New Jersey motorists encounter deer all along our highways. In 2017, there were 16,905 auto claims filed due to deer damage. This was up 14 percent from 2016.

The average cost of the claim was $4,000. It is estimated that another 10,000 cars were involved in deer collisions, but the motorists did not file claims.

practices, you and your landscape professional should be able to decide how to prevent pests and diseases before they take hold.

Did you know that according to the Environmental Protection Agency, correct mowing height can reduce weeds and diseases by nearly 50 to 80 percent? Therefore, make sure your grass is mowed at the correct height, often, and with sharp blades. And you can also decide together how to treat issues, should they arise, either organically or with chemicals.

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.

The risk of hitting a deer in New Jersey has been estimated to be 1 in 222. Most of the collisions occur during the “rut” or mating season. This season lasts from September into December. Nationally, over 200 people are killed in a collision with a deer, and another 10,000 are injured.

It is time for the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife to take a hard look at this deer problem. If the population is not addressed, it will only increase the widespread agricultural damage, disease pressures, and public safety issues. Costs to the public will result in higher auto insurance premiums, health and safety costs, as well as a negative impact on our environment.

Editor’s Note: Al Murray is the Executive Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Society.

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

24 December 2018

GardenerNews.com

2018 N.J. Grand Champion Christmas Tree Winners (Continued from page 1)

sunlight; and select a tree that best fits your needs by considering your ceiling height as well as the weight of your ornaments when determining the size and type of tree you choose. Remember that in the field, the sky is the ceiling, making trees appear smaller than they are.

According to the New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers Association, Norway spruce is one of the most important species on the European Continent.

More than 100 forms and varieties have been named.

Although not native to the Western hemisphere, the species and a number of its varieties are commonly planted here, particularly in southeastern Canada and northeastern United States.

Originally, a number of plants were established as ornamentals, with Christmas tree plantings being established more recently. It has escaped cultivation in several localities and is considered naturalized in some of these areas. Leaves (needles) are four-sided (rectangular in section), one-half to one inch long, and sharp or somewhat blunt at the tip. At the base of each needle is a twig-like projection (sterigmata) which remains after the needle is lost. Although sometimes confused with true firs (Abies), spruces in general have rectangular rather than flat needles, and their cones hang down rather than stand erect on the stem.

Since 1992, the Kingdom of Car✯Lay Farm has been hand-pruning their trees and have been incorporating IPM methods in tree care, making the farm chemical-free.

This year the farm owners will be donating the tree that they are pictured with, an eight-foot Balsam fir, to a family who will be selected by the United Way of Hunterdon County.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Tom Castronovo/Photo

The Kingdom of Car✯Lay Farm is nestled along the Musconetcong River, so visitors can enjoy a good old-fashioned down-on-the-farm experience while listening to the calming sounds of flowing water.

Paffendorf and Gebhard also offer Fraser fir; as well as Colorado, Norway and White spruce. Trees of all shapes and sizes are available, including tiny trees for kids.

The Kingdom of Car✯Lay Farm also has 16 apple trees and produces hay for feed.

The latest U.S. Census of Agriculture ranked New Jersey seventh in the nation in the number of Christmas tree growers, with almost 69,000 trees cut in the state each year.

New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers Association President Chris Nicholson said New Jersey’s Christmas tree growers are once again ready to welcome visitors from across the state to their outstanding operations.

“From Sussex to Cape May County, the farmers that grow Christmas trees for you and your family do so with an abundance of care,” Nicholson said.

“We provide only the highest quality trees and most exceptional experiences for you and your families.”

The New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers Association is a statewide organization of growers, professionals and allied industry leaders dedicated to the advancement of the latest information in the production, promotion and marketing of Christmas trees and related products. 2018 marks the 44th year that the association has held its contest. And this is the 26th year that Paffendorf and Gebhard have harvested Christmas trees on their farm. The contest this year took place during the 80th annual Middlesex County Fair in August in East Brunswick.

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December 2018 25

New York State Agriculture and Markets Team Member Receives American Humane Hero Veterinarian Award New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball congratulated Dr. David M. Chico, VMD, M.P.H., on receiving the 2018 American Humane Hero Veterinarian Award. This prestigious national honor is awarded to a veterinary professional who is dedicated to the betterment of the health and welfare of animals and the promotion of the human-animal bond. Dr. Chico, who has worked with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ Division of Animal Industry for 14 years, received the Hero Award – after getting tens of thousands of votes – at an event aired on the Hallmark Channel.

“It’s tremendous to see a national organization like American Humane recognize a member of our Division of Animal Industry as a leader and an inspiration to others,” Commissioner Ball said. “We are so proud of the work that Dr. Chico does for the State and of his dedicated volunteer work. His commitment to helping animals and their owners is extraordinary. We congratulate him on this award.”

“When I started to be a veterinarian, I thought it was all about the animals,” Dr. Chico said. “As I progressed in my career, I realized it was really about the people as well as the animals, and I think what I like the most is interacting with the people and helping solve problems, helping get a pet healthy and back in their home.”

In addition to his work as the Division of Animal Industry’s Field Staff Supervisor and Emergency Preparedness Manager, Dr. Chico works in private practice and volunteers for many groups, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the ASPCA. Dr. Chico earned the national “Hero” award by going above and beyond his duties, providing free pet wellness clinics through another volunteer organization, Pets Are Wonderful Support, also known as PAWS. PAWS is an Upstate program that helps lowincome people with HIV and AIDS take care of their pets.

Full Moon, December 22, 2018 Eastern Daylight

TIP OF THE MONTH

Christmas cactus will adapt to low light conditions, but the plant will produce blooms more readily if exposed to brighter light. That being said, too much direct sunlight can burn its leaves, so keep the Christmas cactus in an appropriate area to avoid this. The plant requires frequent and thorough watering, during its active growth in spring and summer, keeping the soil slightly moist. Allow moisture levels to dry out some between watering intervals, but never completely, and never let the plant sit in water, as this will lead to root and stem rot.

Christmas cactus prefers temperatures hovering between 60 and 70 degrees F. A common problem is dropping unopened flower buds, which may be caused by low humidity, a sudden change in temperature or light, or soil that is too dry. These plants are short day plants meaning they bloom when nights are at least 14 hours long and daylight periods are between 8-10 hours for 6 weeks. Streetlights or indoor lighting may disrupt the required dark period so they may need to be covered each night.

The Premier Gardening Monthly Newspaper Number 188 Published Monthly Reserve Ad Space Phone: 908.604.4444 Website: www.GardenerNews.com E-Mail: Mail@GardenerNews.com Staff Executive Editor/Publisher . . . .

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December Columnists

Tom Castronovo Gail Woolcott Brian Schilling Peter Melick Steve Schuckman

Bruce Crawford Hubert Ling

Todd Pretz

Douglas H. Fisher Al Murray Bob LaHoff

Contributing Writers

Jeannie Geremia

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