Gardener News December 2017

TAKE ONE

Gardener News

December 2017

Serving the Agricultural, Gardening and Landscaping Communities

GARDENERNEWS.COM

TAKE ONE No. 176

NJ Grand Champion Christmas Tree Winner

Tom Castronovo/Photo

John, left, and Karyn Benton, co-owners of the Choose and Cut Spruce Goose Christmas Tree farm in Chesterfield, Burlington County, N.J.

By Tom Castronovo Executive Editor John and Karyn Benton, co-owners of the Choose and Cut Spruce Goose Christmas Tree farm in Chesterfield, Burlington County, N.J., are

the New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers’ Association 2017 Grand Champion. This year’s Grand Champion tree is a 7 ½-foot Jersey Grown Douglas fir, which was grown on their 10-acre, sustainable farm.

Douglas fir needles are soft, dark green-blue green in

color and are approximately one to one-and-a-half inches in length. The Douglas fir needles radiate in all directions from the branch. When crushed, these needles have a sweet fragrance. They are one of the top major Christmas tree species in the United States.

The common name (Douglas fir) honors David Douglas, a Scottish botanist and collector, who first reported the extraordinary nature and potential of the species.

The Bentons both said that before placing your tree in the stand at home, make a fresh cut

to remove about a half-inchthick disk of wood from the bottom of the tree trunk; avoid whittling the sides of the trunk down to fit your stand because the outer layers of wood (under the bark) are the most efficient in taking up water. Check your (Continued on Page 10)

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December 2017 3

Around The Garden

By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

My Holiday Grab Bag

The first thing in my grab bag are Christmas trees.

Christmas tree growers around the country warn that holiday pre-cut tree prices could increase 5 to 10 percent this season, thanks to a shortage of some popular evergreens.

The tree shortages began during the 2016 season when growers oversold supplies and were forced to harvest trees from their 2017 allocation in order to honor their commitments, magnifying their shortages from that point on.

This year, shortages deepen from the country’s top two producers, Oregon and North Carolina.

Drought has also played a role in the shortage.

Shop especially early if you’re looking for a pre-cut Fraser fir in your local garden center. I hear the supply is really tight on these.

Let me reach into the bag again and write about snow.

This little goodie comes from my snow-plowing days.

If you have your driveway plowed, please make sure to leave the outside lights on when it snows. This will help the snow plow operator see a little bit easier in the sometimes blinding snow.

Please take note as you are shopping before the snow flies. Scout the parking lots that you visit for potholes. These small craters will most likely hold water when it rains this time of year.

And when the temperatures go below freezing, they become miniature skating ponds. Now put snow on top of them and they become hidden skating ponds.

The same goes for gutters and drainage pipes. If they drain onto a parking lot or sidewalk, there is another opportunity for a snow covered hidden skating pond.

There’s more in the bag.

Now is a good time of the year to look up. And not just for Santa Claus. Look up into your trees for dead limbs. If you see any, call a New Jersey Licensed Tree Expert to have them out for a little safety pruning. A falling tree limb could seriously injure you or someone else.

I’m reaching deeper into the grab bag now.

Pickle brine. Yes, it can be used to melt snow and ice. It’s been known to lower the freezing point of liquid on surfaces to minus-6 degrees Fahrenheit.

A new, emerging, and much-touted category of organic deicing materials is brewery byproducts.

They are organic, non-corrosive, do not harm plants or the environment, and are extremely cost-effective because crews can use them in smaller quantities and achieve the same effectiveness as other products.

If you happen to live near a craft brewery, stop in and chat with the brew master.

Here’s a neat idea. Using sand to make your walkways and driveways safe doesn’t just protect your plants from chemicals; it has the potential to lighten up your clay soil as well!

Sand experts tell me that you specifically want what’s called “all-purpose” sand; that’s what the highway crews use to make icy surfaces safe. (It’s also the type most often found on the shelves of big home stores.) “Play sand” is a more purified, kid-safe version that de-slipperizes ice just as well.

Jeez, there is even more in the bag.

If you’re going to purchase a balled-and-burlapped Christmas tree this year, make sure to dig the hole now before the ground freezes. And as soon as you put the tree in the hole, water it thoroughly.

I’m reaching again.

Most of your gardening activity will of course be indoors this month, and includes regular checking of houseplants for water and pests. Remember this rule, if in doubt, don’t water. It is better to err on the side of too dry rather than too wet.

Most houseplants are tropicals and prefer temperatures between 65° F and 75° F during the day and about 10 degrees cooler at night. For many plants, temperatures below 50° F can cause problems.

Adjust thermostats to cater to your comfort, but remember your plants need some consideration.

During the winter cold, and where natural light levels are low, do not fertilize houseplants.

Resume fertilizing when outdoor plants wake up in spring.

I’m getting closer to the bottom of the bag now. I promise.

If you like gingerbread, head on over to the Frelinghuysen Arboretum on December 1-10.

Here you will find over 200 displays of gingerbread houses.

The magic at the arboretum is hard to describe. “Gingerbreads” are not only houses, but also landmarks, trains, planes, and animals and include every theme from favorite show tunes to commercials, from family vacations to superheroes. It’s a collaborative thing of joy that celebrates our diversity and our commonality.

There’s even a People’s Choice Award.

I just pulled the best gift out of the bag. On the tag, it reads, “Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you.”

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

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4 December 2017 Let’s face it. A lot of folks in New Jersey bemoan the fact that it’s getting chillier by the weeks, and that ultimately, we’ll arrive at that time of bone-chilling, bear-hibernating cold.

It’s coming, and we really should embrace the chill, knowing full well that it has an expiration date at the beginning of the next season. Winter also brings with it very special activities and sensations that can only happen when the thermometer drops.

Here are just a few, in random order, that harken from a New Jersey winter: At our farms, you can find the best pumpkins, squashes, apples, greens and other lateseason agricultural products that were recently harvested and stored, and ready to be put into the thousands of recipes, both home and commercial, to sustain us and please our palates.

There are things like genuine New Jersey maple syrup, which can only happen this time of year, and hot mulled cider. Our fabulous nurseries bring us poinsettias and other flowering favorites associated with winter.

Our nationally recognized Christmas trees take center

GardenerNews.com NJ Dept. of Agriculture

By Douglas H. Fisher Secretary of Agriculture

Winter’s chill is not always a curse stage, after waiting their turn through a string of winters, to be harvested and grace your home.

Yes, the changing seasons each bestow a reward. Some appear in subtle ways and may be forgotten all too soon if we scuttle into our warm, cozy homes without thought to the outdoors. A winter’s walk on a snowy day ending with a farm bonfire can be a grand experience. Deep down, we know this, and some of our farms are now highlighting their winter experience as well.

Perhaps Mark Twain captured this concept best: “No land with an unvarying climate can be very beautiful.

The tropics are not, for all the sentiment that is wasted on them. They seem beautiful at first, but sameness impairs the charm by and by. Change is the handmaiden nature

requires to do her miracles with. The land that has four well-defined seasons cannot lack beauty, or pall with monotony. Each season brings a world of enjoyment and interest in the watching of its unfolding, its gradual, harmonious development, its culminating graces – and just as one begins to tire of it, it passes away and a radical change comes, with new witcheries and new glories in its train. And I think that to one in sympathy with nature, each season, in its turn, seems the loveliest.”

People also may believe that cold weather is bad for agriculture. Quite the contrary. A cold, snowy winter helps keep New Jersey agriculture productive at a high level.

Every snow eventually melts, and that is vitally helpful in restocking

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groundwater. Once the next season’s planting is in full swing, that water is pumped up from the wells on many of our farms for use in irrigation.

Even more importantly, the biting cold of winter is responsible for killing insect pests that can damage crops in the next growing cycle.

The colder it gets, the fewer of these harmful pests can “over-winter” and be a problem the following spring.

This also helps reduce the amount of pesticides farmers must use to reduce insect damage.

One such pest kept down by the cold is the spotted wing drosophila. This tiny but destructive fruit fly wreaks havoc on blueberries, cranberries, raspberries and blackberries. A species that can have a dozen breeding cycles a year, and which over-winters almost

exclusively as adults, spotted wing drosophila can be kept in check better by a more severe winter.

One downside on the pest front. Those hideous brown marmorated stinkbugs are geniuses at finding warm places to escape the cold. For many of us, those warm places are our homes.

Always remember to trap a stinkbug and flush it out of your home or toss it out into the cold farther away from your home.

For all its beauty, and for the positive effects it brings for agriculture, embrace New Jersey’s winter and take solace that spring is only a few short months away.

Editor’s Note: Douglas H. Fisher is New Jersey’s Secretary of Agriculture. He is the department’s executive officer, secretary to the State Board of Agriculture and a member of the Governor’s cabinet. Secretary Fisher fulfills executive, management and administrative duties prescribed by law, executive order or gubernatorial direction.

He can be reached at 609.292.3976.

For more info, please visit: http://www.state.nj.us/agriculture

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It’s in the news

Tom Castronovo/Photo

American television, film, and stage actor Jerry Mathers, looks over the Understanding the USDA Organic Label cover story in the November Gardener News. Mathers is best known for his role in the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver, originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963, in which he played Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver, the younger son of the suburban couple June and Ward Cleaver.

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December 2017 5

6 December 2017

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

Prof. Jim Simon Awarded New Brunswick Chancellor’s “2017 International Impact Award” James “Jim” Simon, distinguished professor in the Department of Plant Biology, was awarded “The 2017 Chancellor’s Award for International Impact” at the Chancellor’s Celebration of Faculty Excellence on October 17. Chancellor of Rutgers–New Brunswick, Debasish “Deba” Dutta, presented Simon with a plaque “in recognition of his more than twenty-five years of collaborative research in subSaharan Africa and his unrivaled contributions to international agriculture and rural development, which uses innovative and transformative approaches to provide individuals and communities with the tools to achieve economic independence.”

A global researcher, Simon knows a lot about doing agricultural research and training work in Africa. In 1994, he began collaborating on multiple agricultural research projects in sub-Saharan Africa and initiated several small-scale farming initiatives that are bearing fruit today. He has partnered with groups in the Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. In concert with his African colleagues, Simon has trained a wide range of rural small-scale farmers, including some of the most impoverished communities and with no prior experience in raising for commercial purposes. He also helped them to create markets for their fresh produce by connecting them to the high-end hotels nearby; access to other markets have followed suit.

Since 2000, Simon has led Rutgers’ New Use Agriculture and Natural Plant Products Program, focusing on the development of new uses of traditional crops, new crop, aromatic and medicinal plant domestication, with a specialization in natural products such as those containing extractable chemicals for flavor, aroma and medicinal activity.

In addition, he works cooperatively with research groups around the world and in New Jersey, seeking to develop standardized botanical products for health and nutrition. His research projects focus on culinary herbs (selection and breeding), Asian and African botanicals and medicinal plants, the nutraceutical components in fruits and vegetables, and quality control for herbs and botanical products.

He is internationally recognized for his work in horticulture, medicinal and aromatic plants in which he specializes in plant natural products and new crops. For his wide ranging research and outreach activities, he’s been recognized with multiple awards. In 2014, he won the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development Special Service Award in recognition of his collaborative research in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere, and his ability to use innovative and transformative approaches that lift people out of poverty. In 2012, he was awarded a Scientific Excellence Award by the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development for “his significant contributions to improving horticultural crops across the value-chain in several African countries,” through the USAID Horticultural Collaborative Support Research Program.

Simon’s long-standing commitment in international research and commitment to Rutgers contributing to addressing global issues is also noted by his involvement in Liberia, where he and his team just concluded a seven-year project in which Rutgers had a leading role in reshaping and forming the new and improved College of Engineering at University of Liberia and the College of Agriculture and Sustainable Development at Cuttington University. Additional examples of his international impact include him serving as a Past President of the Liberian Studies Association and him leading the Rutgers community’s all-volunteer effort to provide assistance during the Ebola crisis in Liberia. That effort led to the shipment of tons of emergency medical supplies by Rutgers to university collaborators on the ground in Liberia, ensuring that the critically needed supplies reached local doctors, nurses and emergency workers at medical centers attached to partner institutions, in particular the JFK hospital at the University of Liberia and the Agave teaching clinic at Cuttington College.

Simon is deeply engaged in a number of multi-and crossdisciplinary activities, including being the founding member and associate director of the Rutgers Center for Sensory Sciences & Innovation, serving as an associate director of sustainable development for the Global Institute for BioExploration and a member of the executive committee of the Rutgers Center for African Studies. He has published over 300 scientific papers, books, reports and reviews in the areas of new crops, aromatic and medicinal plants, and nutraceuticals. His undergraduate classes on medicinal plants and ethnobotany are popular and have drawn multiple students into international work.

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From the Director’s Desk

Rutgers Outreach Provided by Larry S. Katz, Ph.D. Director

Need Money for Gardening Supplies? Challenge Yourself to Save

Dr. Barbara O’Neill, One of the greatest joys of gardening is seeing the results of your labor: beautiful flowers, lush landscaping, and fresh fruits and vegetables. There is also a sense of pride that comes with gardening.

My husband’s family developed a unique hashtag to share our collective gardening photos on Twitter and Facebook.

Successful gardening requires some cash, however. You can’t have great results in the summer without some initial “seed money’ (pun intended) beforehand. How do you “find” money to start and maintain a garden? By challenging yourself to save, just like you might save for holiday gifts, back-to-school, vacation travel, or other seasonal expenses. As we approach a new year, now is a good time to plan.

Below is a description of seven savings challenges that are appropriate for gardening projects of various sizes: Small-Scale Gardening Projects Perhaps you only need seeds, some mulch, and a few other inexpensive items.

The 30-Day $100 Savings Challenge: I created this challenge for small dollar amounts and short-term financial goals. The challenge format is saving $1 for five days, $2 for five days, $3 for five days, $4 for five days, and $5 for ten days, resulting in $100 of savings on Day 30: www.slideshare.net/BarbaraONeill/30day-100-savings-challenge-0416.

The 52-Week Youth Money Challenge: This challenge is for parents to use with their children. See www.slideshare.net/BarbaraONeill/52-week-money-challenge-for-youth0315. Weekly savings deposits are 10 weeks each of $1, $2, $3, $4, and $5, resulting in $150 of savings. Week 51 is an optional $25 from birthday gifts and Week 52 is an optional $25 from holiday gifts ($200 total). There is also an option for parents to provide a 50-percent ($100) match of their child’s savings, resulting in total annual savings of $300.

The 15-Week Money Challenge: I created this challenge for students and adults with short-term financial goals. See www.slideshare.net/BarbaraONeill/15-week-college-student-money-challenge0715.

The Basic Challenge includes five weeks of $10 savings, five weeks of $20 savings, and five weeks of $30 savings, resulting in a total accumulation of $300.

Medium-Scale Gardening Projects Perhaps you need some gardening tools as well as seeds and basic gardening supplies.

The 15-Week Money Challenge (Hard Core Version): This challenge starts with a $10 weekly deposit and ramps up the savings deposit by $5 per week for a final deposit of $80, resulting in a total accumulation of $675. See www.slideshare.net/BarbaraONeill/15-week-college-student-moneychallenge0715 for details.

The 365-Day Penny Challenge: With this challenge, people make a daily savings deposit and increase their deposit by a penny a day. At the end of a year, this results in $667.95 of savings. A description and tracking form are available at funhappyhome.com/2016/01/365-day-penny-saving-challenge-save-667-inone-year.

Large-Scale Gardening Projects Perhaps you have a large garden or want to buy some equipment or hire professional landscaping services.

The 52-Week Money Challenge: One of the original money challenges (source unknown), this challenge begins with a $1 deposit during Week 1. The weekly deposit rises by $1 per week and reaches $52 during the final week of the Challenge (Week #52), with total savings of $1,378. Tracking forms are available at www.affinityplus.org/Portals/0/Documents/Blog/52Week.pdf.

The $2,500 Savings Challenge: I created this challenge to ramp up the amount saved from the 52-Week Money Challenge. See www.slideshare.net/BarbaraONeill/50-week-2500-savings-challenge. The challenge begins with a $2 deposit during Week 1. The weekly deposit rises by $2 per week and reaches a high of $98. There are two weeks “off” at a saver’s discretion and a $50 deposit is made during the final week of the Challenge (Week 50), with total savings of $2,500.

The savings challenges listed above can be adapted to fit your cash flow needs. For example, the longer 52-Week Money Challenge, 365-Day Penny Challenge, and $2,500 Savings Challenge can be done forward (lowest savings deposit to highest), backward (highest savings deposit to lowest), or in any order that works for individual savers.

Some people have more money in January (e.g., from holiday gifts) than they do in December, which tends to be an expensive month with holiday expenses and travel. Another way to do the year-long challenges is to pick an amount each week that you can afford (e.g., $24 one week and $16 the next) and complete a challenge in any order.

Want to save money to support your passion for gardening? Challenge yourself and/or your children to save money. There is a challenge for any goal amount and time frame. Visualize yourself admiring beautiful flowers and eating luscious Jersey Fresh produce, perhaps from some of those tomato seeds that Rutgers researchers have developed.

For tracking forms for the challenges mentioned above and information about the benefits of saving money and other personal finance topics, visit the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Money and Investing web site at njaes.rutgers.edu/money. Best wishes for a successful 2018 gardening season.

Dr. Barbara O’Neill, CFP® is Rutgers Cooperative Extension Specialist in Financial Resource Management. She can be reached at boneill@njaes.rutgers.edu.

GardenerNews.com

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

December 2017 7

A Festive Touch of Holiday Cheer Every December, I enjoy looking at plants that can serve either as a replacement or as a complement for our muchoverused Poinsettias.

In addition, as gardeners it is fun to discover plants that will thrive throughout the remainder of the year, serving as an attractive houseplant or perhaps as an outdoor tropical throughout the summer months.

Still unknown amongst many in the gardening community is the Wax Plant or Hoya carnosa. It is a tough and reliable houseplant that provides a very festive touch for the Holiday Season.

Hoya is a member of the of the subfamily Asclepiadoideae. or Milkweed family. The genus contains upward of 300 species native to the tropical regions of Asia, Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines. The family, as well as the genus name, was authored by the Scottish botanist Robert Brown (1773-1858).

Brown realized that there

were a number of plants that did not quite fit the family to which they were then assigned.

These plants had pollen that was contained in gelatinous masses called pollinia, and in 1810 he placed them under the newly created family of Asclepiadaceae.

The name was altered slightly when it was recently reorganized into a subfamily. In 1810, Brown also created the genus Hoya, honoring his friend and fellow botanist Thomas Hoy, who was the head gardener at Sion House, the home of the Duke of Northumberland. The species epithet of carnosa is from the Latin carnis, meaning fleshy, which aptly describes the fleshy or waxy texture of the foliage.

The tropical regions that are home to Hoya species experience very high humidity. Although these regions may experience weeks without frequent rainfall, the humidity levels allow the plant to grow as an epiphyte, anchoring itself in leaf litter in the shaded crotches of trees.

Hoyas have a vining, scrambling habit that allow it

grow throughout and up trees or even over rocks with relative ease. The stems can reach lengths of more than 20 feet under tropical conditions, although under garden cultivation it grows to far more humble lengths of two to four feet.

The flowers are produced annually on permanent, short, leafless stems or spurs, botanically known as peduncles.

Since the peduncles are the permanent site of flower production, they should not be damaged or removed to ensure future blooms. The off-white to dark pink flowers appear in two- to three-inch diameter umbels with 10 to 30 flowers per umbel. The five-petalled flowers are extremely fragrant and are covered with tiny hairs, providing an attractive soft sheen to the flower.

Personally, when the flowers are viewed at the proper angle, they resemble small gingerbread men with their arms outstretched – perfect for the Holidays! At the center of each half-inch diameter flower projects a red, star shaped corona. The corona is an outgrowth from the stamens

Regional Livestock Agent Bob Mickel (GSNB ’89) Retires After 31 Years at Rutgers NJAES

Robert C. (Bob) Mickel, agricultural and regional livestock agent for Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) of Hunterdon County retired on November 1. Mickel began his career with Rutgers in 1987, serving as acting 4-H agent for RCE of Mercer County. After he received his master’s degree from Rutgers Graduate School-New Brunswick in 1989, he was hired by then extension director John Gerwig as the first regional livestock agent, serving Somerset, Hunterdon and Mercer counties, working out of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension office of Somerset County. In 1995 Mickel moved to the Sussex County extension office, adding Sussex County to his regional coverage. In 1998, Mickel moved to the Hunterdon County extension office, where he also served as the county extension department head.

Mickel designed and delivered multiple educational and training programs for producers and growers across the state. He developed many applied livestock research projects and collaborated with colleagues on research projects on field crops, pastures and forages, equine, small farm management and alternative livestock species. He received numerous state, regional, and national awards for his programming and research from the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) and presented a number of posters and invited lectures at the association’s annual meetings. Mickel designed a number of programs for the 4-H youth development program, with the Lamb Carcass Evaluation program being held annually for 30 years. Mickel worked extensively with the New Jersey Beef Industry Council and was instrumental in the council’s formation in 1996 and the development and delivery of the state’s Beef Quality Assurance Training Program. He also served as the council’s only executive director.

In one of the first regional extension based delivery systems, Mickel worked with colleagues at Rutgers and Penn State to develop the Penn-Jersey Extension Partnership, where five agents from Pennsylvania and New Jersey on the northern borders of the Delaware River, for over fifteen years, conducted winter meetings, field days, twilight meetings and demonstrations with support from specialists in both states.

Mickel, along with the members of the Penn Jersey Partnership served the regional growers by developing extensive educational programs such as the Crop Master six-week training program and website for farmers and crop consultants in Northeast New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania featuring crop information for forages, soybeans, corn, and small grains. Mickel was instrumental with the Penn-Jersey Partnership in developing the Northeast Small Farm Expo and Trade Show, a cooperative effort for eight years between Rutgers, Penn State and Cornell, creating an annual two-day educational program for regional and national growers implementing multiple production systems, to interface with industry, producers and extension professionals. Among his many awards Mickel and the Penn Jersey team were awarded the “Educators of the Year” award by Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture in 2001 and he was also awarded the NACAA Distinguished Service Award in 2004.

This past February, Mickel and colleagues were awarded as “Educators of the Year” in recognition of their long-standing contributions to the Junior Breeder’s Livestock Symposium, which was presented at the 2017 annual awards program of the New Jersey Association of 4-H Agents.

or male portion of the flower, and in Hoya species it contains the pollinia, with the nectaries and ovules located beneath.

The lance-shaped foliage is also a very attractive attribute of the plant. It is arranged oppositely along the stems and can reach upwards of four inches long by one inch wide. The foliage possesses an attractive glossy or waxy appearance, giving rise to the common name.

The selection named “Exotica’ is particularly appropriate for December. It has varying patterns of yellow and pink variegation throughout the leaf and is margined in green, providing not only an attractive year-round appearance, but a very seasonal touch as well.

Another seasonally appropriate selection is Hoya carnosa “Crispa Variegata,” commonly called Variegated Hindu Rope Plant. Much slower growing than “Exotica,” the leaves are curled and twisted and are once again infused with splashes of red, creamy white and green.

Hoya grows admirably as a houseplant, provided it has a

well-drained soil mix that dries moderately between watering.

The plants will grow well without direct light, but will bloom best when provided with two to four hours of sunlight.

The variegated selections of Hoya carnosa will certainly not replace Poinsettias, but their foliage provides an excellent complement, which will add a perennial and Festive touch of Holiday cheer to your home for years to come!

Happy Holidays!!

Editor’s Note: Bruce Crawford is a lover of plants since birth; is the managing director of the Rutgers Gardens, a 180-acre outdoor teaching classroom, horticultural research facility and arboretum; an adjunct professor in Landscape Architecture at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; regularly participates in the Rutgers – Continuing Education Program; and the immediate pastpresident 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: 856-307-6450 Hudson County Phone: 201-915-1399 Hunterdon County Phone: 908-788-1339 Mercer County Phone: 609-989-6830

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

8 December 2017 In case we haven’t met before, allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Al Murray, and I’m the new Executive Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Society.

The editor of this fine publication gave me this little corner of real estate to visit with you each month and inform you about the society, as well comment about New Jersey’s vibrant and diverse agricultural industry.

As introductions go, in the context of a “30-Second” elevator speech, I was born, raised and still live in Audubon, N.J., a small community located in Southern New Jersey. After graduating from Susquehanna University, I embarked upon a 33-year career with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, served in many capacities including Assistant Secretary, before retiring last December. I began my first “post retirement” job in September, when I assumed the position of the Executive Director at the New Jersey Agricultural Society. But enough about me.

Originally organized in 1781 as The NJ Society for Promoting Agriculture, Commerce, and the Arts, over the ensuing 236 years, the society has stayed true to its mission “To preserve and enhance agriculture, farming, and related activities and businesses in New Jersey through educational, informational, and promotional

GardenerNews.com NJ Agricultural Society

By Al Murray Executive Director

New Jersey Agricultural Society: 236 Years and Growing programs.”

It’s hard to imagine that this society is older than the United States! It was formed while the 13 former colonies were still waging war for our country’s independence, and a full eight years before George Washington was elected as our first President.

I think that when people think of history, they tend to focus on the dominant events of the time, forgetting that for the most part, vast amounts of ordinary people went about their daily business and were just trying to live their lives.

Hence, despite a war (much of which was fought in New Jersey), a group of citizens believed it necessary to form an association dedicated to agriculture. Despite the world-changing events that were simultaneously unfolding, the formation of this society underscored the vital role agriculture held in everyday lives.

It has been said that Benjamin Franklin once described New

Jersey as a “barrel tapped at both ends.” What he meant to infer, was that the “barrel” was our agricultural industry, that helped feed the growing populations of New York City and Philadelphia.

The success of New Jersey’s agricultural industry was vital to the development of these cities.

Even though agriculture has changed considerably since 1781, it still contributes immensely to our state’s economy, (it is t third-largest industry in New Jersey), our identity (think “Garden State”), and our quality of life (open space, environmental benefits, locally produced food) just to name a few.

Today, the NJ Agricultural Society continues to support agriculture in numerous ways.

The society sponsors three major programs: Farmers Against Hunger, Learning Through Gardening, and the NJ Agriculture Leadership Development Program.

Farmers Against Hunger (FAH) was started in 1996 to enable farmers throughout New Jersey to contribute their extra produce to those in need. Each year, this program has handled over 1.5 million pounds of donated food, all going to help fight food insecurity in New Jersey.

Learning through Gardening is a program that provides materials to preschools and elementary schools to build vegetable gardens. It also gives teachers workshops and curriculum to help them include the garden in their everyday lessons in all subjects.

Students learn valuable crosscurricular lessons in their outdoor garden classroom.

The New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development Program’s purpose is to provide educational programming for individuals involved in farming and agribusiness to become informed, articulate leaders.

NJALDP provides leadership

development opportunities designed specifically for farmers and others in New Jersey ag-related businesses.

The New Jersey Agricultural Society is a non-profit, membership-driven organization.

It is membership support that allows us to run these important programs. We are always looking for members, and for more information about us and our programs, please go to the Gardener News webpage to access our link.

As we begin this hectic holiday season, remember to pause and think about the New Jersey farmers who produced the food for your holiday table, or grew your Christmas tree, or the poinsettias that adorn your home or business. Remember, “Agriculture keeps New Jersey Green.”

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

Celebrating the Winter Landscape

By Brian Bosenberg Every year, our region’s landscape puts on a fascinating display, transforming before us with the change of each season.

The spring is filled with flowering trees and bulbs, summer shows wildflowers and meadows, autumn illustrates a vibrant spectacle of colors as the leaves change, and winter brings us back to the sculptural forms of deciduous trees and often leaves us with an appreciation for evergreens as they withstand our cold temperatures and snowy weather.

With the beauty of the changing of seasons each year, also comes a design challenge.

As landscape architects, we are often asked to design spaces which contain year-round interests. When designing a landscape, it is important to think about the appearance of the scenery during each season, to ensure that the design does not only focus on one of the four seasons.

Each season provides us with the opportunity for a unique display, while the perfect combination of seasonal interest provides for a magical harmony within the landscape.

When planning a garden or landscape, many begin observing landscapes and plants they like, usually during times when gardens particularly strike your eye, such as spring or summer.

While the flowering trees are in full bloom and the first daffodils break ground, it’s hard to deny their beautiful presence, as much of the surrounding landscape is still barren from the winter months.

However, those plants are quickly forgotten as the roses and hydrangeas begin to bloom throughout the summer and into fall. Once the leaves start changing colors, a stunning scene of reds, yellows, oranges and purples encompasses our views of the landscape, stealing the show.

Through each of these seasons, there is typically something prominent in the landscape, usually with bold colors, that catches our

attention and draws us in.

When winter is coming, and the landscape begins to seem stark and desolate in comparison to the other seasons where many plants are flourishing, there are still a lot of landscape elements to be celebrated and admired during this time.

Therefore, when planning a landscape, it is best to incorporate the aesthetics of the landscape through each season and highlight different features with each change throughout the year.

To some, when trying to design for all four seasons, the initial thought would be to use all evergreen plantings.

Although this approach would yield winter interest within in the garden, it neglects the possibilities of diverse plantings which provide unique characteristics the other three seasons of the year.

It is best to have a balanced mix of plants that flourish during each of the months.

It is fairly straightforward to understand and notice the plants that flourish in the spring, summer and autumn months, but there is a vast array

of plants that are occasionally overlooked that create visual interest in the winter months.

Many plants have persistent fruit that are not only aesthetically pleasing but can also provide nutrients for wildlife during months when food is sparse. Crabapples, Winterberry Holly, Bayberry and Chokeberry have persistent fruit.

Ornamental grasses also provide winter interest if kept uncut until early springtime.

Ornamental grasses become dormant and tan in color but keep their shape and flower heads, which still dance in the winter winds. When leaves fall from deciduous plants, it allows us to appreciate the sculptural structures of different branching habits and attractive bark textures.

White Oak trees, Dogwoods and Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick are examples of sculptural branching habits, while River Birches and London Plane Trees have beautiful exfoliating bark textures. Hellebores are also a great winter interest plant as that is their season to flower.

Each season gives us the opportunity to celebrate plants in different stages of their annual cycles. Incorporating elements throughout the landscape that create visual interest through each change in season establishes a harmonious design where each season’s appearance rivals each of the other seasons.

Planning ahead is essential to unify the landscape through the seasons and creating a changing display of interest through each season.

With winter quickly approaching, remember… there is still much to celebrate within the landscape.

Editor’s Note: Brian W. Bosenberg is a practicing landscape architect licensed in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maine and Vermont, and a principal in the firm of Bosenberg & Company Landscape Architects, Far Hills, N.J. He can be reached at 908-234-0557, info@bwbosenberg.com or www.bwbosenberg.com

GardenerNews.com

December 2017 9

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

We are not just another Garden Center, We are a Destination!

10 December 2017

NJ

Grand

GardenerNews.com

Champion

Christmas

(Continued from Page 1)

Tree

Winner

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 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.

The Spruce Goose farm is managed by the Bentons as a natural habitat for butterflies and songbirds with over 15,000 trees planted. They offer tiny trees for kids, table top, precut, and balled and burlapped trees.

The 2012 U.S. Census of Agriculture ranked New Jersey seventh in the nation in the number of Christmas tree growers. Of New Jersey’s 9,071 farms, 809 were cut Christmas tree farms with acres in production; only 690 farms actually sold cut trees, covering 4,611 acres. Those New Jersey farmers provided more than 68,471 families with Christmas trees in 2012. This census is conducted once every five years by the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

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.

2017 marks the 43rd year that the association has held its contest. And this is the 25th year that the Bentons have harvested Christmas trees on their farm. The contest this year took place during the 79th annual Middlesex County Fair in August of this year in East Brunswick.

Choose and Cut Christmas tree farms are part of New Jersey’s year-round agritourism industry, along with “pickyour-own” fruit and vegetables, wineries, on-farm educational tours and programs, hay rides and crop mazes.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

GardenerNews.com

December 2017 11

Certificate of Recognition

D. Weisman/Photo

Tom Castronovo, Executive Editor and Publisher of Gardener News was recognized by the Mayor and Township Committee of the Township of Warren for his accomplishments and the services he provides for the gardeners of New Jersey on November 16, 2017, during the Township’s Committee Meeting. From left to right are Mayor Carolann Garafola, Tom Castronovo, and Committee Person George Lazo.

Farmer Grants Available

The deadline for 2018 Farmer Northeast SARE Grants is December 5, 2017. Awards will be announced in March, 2018.

Farmer Grants are for commercial producers who have an innovative idea they want to test using a field trial, on-farm demonstration, marketing initiative, or other technique. A technical advisor―often an extension agent, crop consultant, or other service professional―must also be involved. Projects should seek results other farmers can use, and all projects must have the potential to add to our knowledge about effective sustainable practices.

Northeast SARE serves Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Learn more at www.nesare.org/Grants

SAVE THE DATE

Rutgers Home Gardeners School Saturday, March 17, 2018

Wini Applegate, a Ray of Sunshine

By Jeannie Geremia Contributing Writer

It’s a privilege indeed to write this tribute to Wini Applegate, a ray of sunshine, who affected many people through her selfless dedication to the environment and especially to her area of expertise and advocacy, the Barnegat Bay Watershed.

Wini was The Garden Club of New Jersey Inc.’s 41st President, serving from 2003-2005, and her theme of “Working Together, Imagine What We Can Do” still resonates today. Wini was an unstoppable spokesperson for the environment, clean water, recycling, and during her Presidency, oversaw the restoration of the gardens of the historic log cabin at Rutgers Gardens.

A parking area was replaced with a Rain Garden and a pavilion overlooking the Native and Wildflower Garden at Rutgers Gardens was constructed. We continue to celebrate Wini’s life and contributions as they have left an indelible mark on Bay Head and Mantoloking with her constant involvement on a local level for the health and wellbeing of the Barnegat Bay Watershed and the State of New Jersey.

Wini passed away just days before the dedication on October 7, 2017 of a Pollinator Garden named for her as a tribute to her by Seaweeders Garden Club of Bay Head and Mantoloking at the Bay Head Municipal Building. To attendees, a lasting memory of the perfectly beautiful day was that Wini seemed to be beaming her rays of sunshine down to the gathering as we saw a Monarch Butterfly ascend into a halo of light directly above us – truly unforgettable.

Wini was front and center in taking her talents as a florist on the road, teaching countless garden clubs and the public how to create clever, cutting-edge designs, making it fun and doable in

programs all over the state.

She specialized in using recyclable, inexpensive items in these floral arrangements, putting her recycling efforts to practical use.

Our Wini’s exuberance for floral design featuring a holiday theme had its apex in her historic project of holiday decorating at Drumthwacket, the Governor’s official residence. This project began in 1990 at Wini’s instigation with the Drumthwacket Foundation providing public tours during the holiday season to view The Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc.’s garden clubs’ decorating skills, providing a partnership that continues to this day.

Garden clubs vie for first place as each participating club is assigned a room or the exterior front porch and grounds, putting their design skills to the test. The Garden Club of America has joined in this yearly project as everyone comes out a winner. Please reach out to Drunthwacket for tour information during the month of December.

Wini Applegate was an inspirational leader who continually and relentlessly led efforts to protect our aquatic ecosystems by programs, protests, rallies and ongoing advocacy. Never taking her eyes off the goal, Wini constantly lobbied for clean, fresh water, railing against the use of plastic, styrofoam and plastic microbeads that contaminate our precious waterways and ecosystems.

She was a force to be reckoned with in her efforts to restore the ecological health of the 660 square miles that make up the Barnegat Bay Watershed. Wini served on the boards of Save Barnegat Bay and Clean Ocean Action, helping to see the implementation of the toughest fertilizer law in the nation, educating homeowners and the public in the need of reducing “people pollution,” and restoring the health of Barnegat Bay for now and for future generations.

Wini distributed thousands of Barnegat Bay Partnership’s 2012 pamphlet “Going Native: A Guide to Landscaping with Native Plants in the Barnegat Bay Watershed.” This guide not only served as an excellent tool for the Barnegat Bay area, but for the entire State of New Jersey. She schlepped posters, maps, materials everywhere she went and was generous in sharing these with likeminded individuals.

Wini was a WARRIOR and CRUSADER and was fearless in her devotion to promote and protect our environment.

Eileen McIntyre, President of Seaweeders Garden Club of Bay Head and Mantoloking said, “Wini Applegate’s name was synonymous with the environment. Wini walked the walk. She was always willing to help and teach us all.”

Former GCNJ President Onnolee Allieri’s fond memories of Wini include her never losing her kid’s delight especially when it came to May Day events. Wini oversaw the delivery of May Day baskets of flowers with Seaweeders members, putting them on door knobs in Bay Head and having the local children participate in May Day pole dancing celebrations.

Never resting on her laurels after her stint as GCNJ President, Wini went on to numerous roles, including National Garden Clubs, Inc. Environmental Studies School Chair, Environmental Conservation Chair and Protect Aquatic Systems Chair. She was the recipient of numerous awards and was our treasure.

Editor’s Note: Jeannie Geremia is The Garden Club of New Jersey First Vice President, GCNJ Wildlife Habitat Chair, and is a National Garden Clubs, Inc. Accredited Life 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

12 December 2017

GardenerNews.com

GardenerNews.com It’s no secret that over the last decade the “Green Industry,” garden centers and growers, have had their fair share of botanical struggles.

Hemlocks have woolly adelgid, oaks have bacterial leaf scorch (BLS) disease, elms have Dutch elm disease and elm bark beetle, impatiens have downy mildew and boxwoods have a whole host of issues, most recently boxwood blight.

Boxwood blight has been thrust into the foreground, but let’s not forget mites, leafminer and psyllid… OH MY! Our industry is badly in need of a foundation and screening plant to replace boxwood and new information is hoisting a plant back into the spotlight.

Holly Tea Olive, or False Holly, Osmanthus heterophyllus, has not really been a secret in the industry. In fact, the most popular cultivar sold in our part of New Jersey is “Goshiki.” A “spectral rainbow with new growth tinged pink and bronze, flecked with gold, maturing gold, cream, and green— all rather pretty when finally settled down” (Dirr’s Trees and Shrubs for Warmer Climates).

And while this cultivar has long been on the market, another one has too….”Gulftide.” For the past decade, many of us in the industry have been under

Recently I was blessed to return to my childhood stomping grounds along the Mississippi River in Mark Twain country (if you read “Life on the Mississippi,” that is of where I speak).

Like the weather has been in New Jersey, it was warm and dry, and the oak-hickory forests were still green instead of the burnished golds and yellows typical of late-October. But one tree stood out: Osage orange. Not common around here, it is very common along hedgerows and edges of dry woods in Illinois.

Maclura pomifera, Osage orange, is a member of the Moraceae, the mulberry family. It is best known for its large, grapefruit-sized fruits that are very apparent in late-fall. It is a very tough tree, of little landscape value, but the wood is often used for fenceposts and decks, as it is extremely rot resistant.

For a young boy in Illinois, the fruits made for excellent targets for rifle practice.

The other native mulberry we all know is Morus rubra, red mulberry. We know it mostly for its red, juicy fruits,

December 2017 13 Unique Plants

By Bob LaHoff Nursery Specialist

Holly Tea Olive, A True Christmas Gift

the assumption that “Gulftide” is a borderline “Hardy” plant.

Hardiness refers to a plants’ ability to survive temperature; adverse growing conditions, cold tolerance, heat, drought, wind and flooding are all components defining this.

We are a Zone 6b in Berkeley Heights, N.J. (-5°F to 0°F) which means this is the coldest temperature that plants are able to survive here. Zone 7 is (0°F to 5°F) and is close to our coastline.

For years, I have seen Osmanthus h. “Gulftide” listed as a Zone 7a plant in catalogues.

However, a recent trip to a grower in interior Pennsylvania has redefined “Gulftide’s” hardiness for me. Sitting in a wide-open field was a block of False Holly “Gulftide” that have been nestled down there for the past several years.

Now at an appreciable and marketable size, four to five feet tall, these beauties were ready for sale. And given the fact that they

have been in the soil for these past several years, enduring cold and bitter winters, we can all rest assure that they are every bit as hardy for Zone 6b or even colder.

Speaking for myself here, this is very exciting. “Gulftide’s” ability to fill a need as a foundation plant and prove itself useful for screening is only part of its charm. What if I told you that it tolerates heavy clay, deep shade and is deer-resistant too…it is!

With extremely spiny leaves, a lustrous dark green, “Gulftide” can also have intoxicating flowers in the fall followed by small blueblack fruit. All this on a plant that can grow six to 10 feet or more.

Capable of growing higher than a basketball hoop, yet taking up only a percentage of the footprint spruce and pine would, this English holly look-alike is more than promising.

Aside from “Goshiki,” there are several other fabulous cultivars that are just as useful for smaller foundation plantings.

“Ogon” has bright yellow foliage and grows wider than it does tall. A reliable performer in light shade, this evergreen brightens up any tiny, dark nook in the landscape.

Do your best to protect it from “blazing sun” and desiccating winds though.

“Akebono” may be a bit of a tease and prove to be as elusive to find as the Holy Grail. Complete with mauve colored foliage that matures to white variegation against green through the summer, its glossy leaves continue to mature well into autumn.

Another elusive type is “Purpureus.” The new shoots on this one are a deep purpleblack. A color seldom seen in landscapes, “Purpureus” is well worth the hunt and finishes larger than “Akebono,” between six and 10 feet.

A plant ID giveaway, when identifying False Holly, is its opposite leaves…holly, Ilex, has alternating leaves. No serious insect or disease problems

Tree Notes

By Steve Schuckman NJ Certified Tree Expert

The Mulberry Family which, while edible and quite tasty, tend to be messy, especially since this tree is rarely cultivated; it shows up in your fenceline when seeds are deposited by birds. It has little landscape value, but is a good wildlife food source in wooded lots.

The other mulberry that is quite weedy is white mulberry, Morus alba. This species is native to Asia, but was brought to the States with the early settlers as is was the food source for silkworms, hence silk production. It has since escaped cultivation and is now naturalized in Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Michael Dirr describes its landscape value in one word: none! Fruit is white to pink, sometimes darker, and makes a huge mess from feasting birds. It is often found along

the shore as it is quite salt tolerant.

Those are the members of the mulberry family you already know, but there are others that are economically important. The one known best in New Jersey is Ficus carica, the common fig.

While not native to the U.S., it is commonly cultivated worldwide.

Forming a rather loose small tree or shrub, it is only truly hardy in Zones 8-10.

Fruit is a closed vase, with the seeds inside, and the receptacle becomes fleshy and sweet at maturity. It is a prized late-summer treat.

In the South, it can reach 15 feet or more, but here in New jersey it is easily killed back by freezing temperatures.

Since it blooms on new wood, it will still flower

and fruit, but not as heavily.

Therefore, fig lovers go to extremes to protect their trees, from wrapping them in tubes of leaf-filled plastic, to digging trenches and lowering the tree down and covering it with mulch. There are numerous other ways folks do it, but the goal is the same: have a big tree next year. I have seen wellsited trees never protected, and they seem fine, but that is rare. There are numerous cultivars on the market, some show better hardiness, but all it takes is a couple of nights in the teens to do some damage.

The other Ficus you may know are common house plants. The banyan tree and Indian rubber tree are often sold as small potted plants, but do beware they can get large. If you have visited the

threaten Osmanthus. However, should scale or aphids find their way to yours, rest assured there are easy remedies for such.

The aforementioned cultivars of Holly Tea Olive are predictable, long-lived plants that have often been described as “tough as nails.” Asian in origin, Osmanthus have adapted quite well to New Jersey’s climate and soils.

Still proving to be difficult for our wildlife to digest, Holly Tea Olive is truly durable and “Gulftide,” I believe, will carry many to “the promised landscape.”

Finally, given all that Osmanthus can do, don’t overlook the fact that it also makes for handsome cuttings in your holiday arrangements and wreaths.

Editor’s Note: Bob LaHoff is co-owner of Hall’s Garden Center and Florist in Union County, a member of the Union County Board of Agriculture, the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association, Reeves-Reed Arboretum Buildings and Grounds Committee, a lifetime member of the Conifer Society and past member of the retail council for Monrovia Growers. He can be reached at (908) 665-0331.

tropics these are commonly used plants at resorts, and yes, they get big. Banyan tree is well known for sending down aerial roots, forming massive spreading trees. The one I remember is in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. It forms an entire town square.

The other mulberry member one sees in the tropics is Artocarpus, or bread fruit and jackfruit. Cultivated since ancient times, these plants produce large starchy fruit that was important to early Polynesian island travelers.

Baked or roasted, supposedly quite like bread…but I did not find them so tasty. Like taro, more like glue. To each his own.

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 Certified Tree Expert.

He can be reached at smschuckman@verizon.net

14 December 2017

GardenerNews.com

News from the New Jersey Visit to Robson’s Farm in Burlington County Emphasizes Produce New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher highlighted Jersey Fresh late season crops with a visit to Robson’s Farm in Wrightstown to emphasize that locally grown produce and other farm products remain available in farmers markets and stores around the state.

Secretary Fisher and other guests took a walking tour of several fields in the primary growing areas of Robson Farms.

“Many of our farmers have had a great year with various crops and just because it’s November and Thanksgiving is approaching we want to remind everyone that Jersey Fresh produce is still available,” Secretary Fisher said. “We want our farmers to finish off a strong year and people to finish off the season with the great taste of Jersey Fresh produce throughout the state. It’s good to buy local because you know you are getting the best wholesome food, but it also helps the local economy.”

New Jersey ranks in the top 10 in the production of several crops, including sixth in the nation in squash production, which is one of the many late-season crops.

The 2016 squash crop for New Jersey was valued at $13.7 million.

Other crops with a late harvest that are available include kale, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, radish, cabbage, cauliflower, cranberries, apples, and turnips. For regular updates on the availability of Jersey Fresh farm products, consumers are encouraged to consult the Department’s weekly “Jersey Fresh Availability and Forecast Report” published on Monday afternoons throughout the growing season. The weekly report can be accessed at http:// jerseyfresh.nj.gov/find/JFAvailReport.pdf.

“We have had an excellent season and it has been great to see all our work come to fruition with the recent harvest,” said Robson’s Farm owner and operator Rose Robson. “We continue to have loyal customers and appreciate the new ones who come here to sample and buy the new and different produce we grow. We look forward to seeing members of our community all year long.”

Robson's Farm is a fourth-generation orchard fruit, vegetable, and cut flower farm. Rose Robson’s father, Neil Robson, passed away in 2006 and while the large farm was sold, 40 acres of the original farm were kept. In 2013, after a career in pharmaceutical sales, Rose Robson returned home to continue the family farming tradition.

Robson also keeps an up to date blog at http://www. robsonsfarm.com.

“It’s been such a rewarding experience to come back and be a part of a such a wonderful community and a great industry,” Robson said. “I really like interacting with people and seeing them enjoy Jersey Fresh produce and our Jersey Grown items, too.”

Along with a variety of produce, Robson’s Farm also grows and sells cut flowers and gives customers the opportunity for pick your own flowers. Rose Robson also teaches classes on how to make evergreen and floral wreaths, and fruit blocks, which are similar to wreaths, but contain real fruit.

Robson’s Farm also participates in different Farmers' Markets and has a Market CSA, where customers can have a debit account with the farm that can be used at the tailgate market or on the farm’s Purple Farmstand, which is open Thursday-Saturday during the summer months.

New Jersey FFA Member Loew Wins National Proficiency Award

Cumberland County Resident Honored At National Convention Cumberland County’s of the four finalists received. He hopes to become a Joshua Loew was named “To see Josh walk up on biological scientist in the the winner of the National that stage made me so proud future, studying animal FFA Proficiency Award of what he has accomplished species and ecosystems. in Outdoor Recreation - and the work he has put Loew was the New Entrepreneurship/Placement in,” said Nancy Trivette, Jersey FFA State Sentinel at the 90th Annual National the New Jersey Program for the 2016-2017 school FFA Convention and Expo Leader, Food, Agriculture, year. He also has competed in Indianapolis, Ind. Loew, a and Natural Resources in fruit and vegetable and member of the Cumberland Education. “We had such a poultry identification, team Regional High School FFA great week, and to see it demonstration, individual and a Newport resident, was capped off with Josh winning demonstration, turf and one of four finalists for the was just a wonderful way to nursery, and environmental award. finish our experience there and natural resources events, The proficiency awards this year.” and attended various other recognize outstanding The final part of the workshops. student achievement competition included an Other national winners in agribusiness gained extensive interview after from New Jersey came through establishment of a arriving in Indianapolis. in the Agriscience Fair new business, working for He practiced for that with Division. Darrel D’Souza an existing company, or Trivette and NJDA State FFA and Jonathan Shen, members otherwise gaining hands- Specialist Erin Noble in the of the Biotechnology FFA on career experience. weeks before the convention. Chapter in Monmouth The Outdoor Recreation - But the development of his County, won Division 6 in Entrepreneurship/Placement public speaking skills had the Environmental Services/ award is one of 47 proficiency been taking place for the last Natural Resource Systems program areas FFA members few years after joining the category. A top individual can participate in to develop FFA Chapter at Cumberland from New Jersey was Kass valuable experience and Regional High School, which Wojcik of Newton FFA, leadership skills at the local, is led by sponsor Patricia who was 10th overall state, and national levels.

Thorne. in Environmental and “It was just an amazing “Josh winning this Natural Resources Career honor and very humbling award is a great example Development.

Several to hear my name called as of how FFA can make a other NJ FFA members and the winner,” Loew said. “To positive impact on a young chapters received Gold, even be a finalist for it was person’s life,” said Secretary Silver, and Bronze awards incredible, and it just means of Agriculture Douglas H. in various categories. For a so much to be the winner. I Fisher. “The FFA sponsors in full listing of national award owe a big thank you to my our schools give their time to winners click here. teachers and mentors over teach the life skills that have In New Jersey, more than the years who have pushed a lasting impact in members’ 2,500 FFA members in 37 me, challenged me, and lives and it’s wonderful to chapters engage in personal, encouraged me. Being a part see our members honored career, and leadership of FFA is something I will for their work on the national development activities that cherish the rest of my life, level.” challenge them to excel as and even though my family Loew’s nomination came they develop agricultural members are not farmers, in large part because of his skills and competencies for being a part of FFA can lead employment at Beaver Dam the future. you to many different paths Boat Rentals on Oranoken The National Proficiency in life. I never dreamed I Creek. While being an award is sponsored by could win an award like this on-the-water guide where he Yamaha Motor Corporation when I started in FFA. pulled as many as six boats USA as a special project “Every skill has been at a time through an intricate of the National FFA significantly improved by waterway system, Loew also Foundation. The National FFA. There’s nothing that learned to identify multiple FFA Organization provides FFA hasn’t improved in my species of wildlife and plant leadership, personal life.” and tree life. His regular growth, and career success Loew became eligible interaction with customers training through agricultural for the national award after broadened his conversational education to 649,355 student winning the New Jersey skills during his five years members who belong to one state FFA competition earlier at the job, where he is of 7,859 local FFA chapters this year and was the first comfortable discussing a throughout the U.S., Puerto New Jersey member to be a wide range of topics.

Rico, and the U.S. Virgin finalist for this award since Loew believes the Islands. The organization is 2006. Loew received a $500 experience helped him also supported by 225,891 scholarship for winning the develop leadership, alumni members in 1,934 national honor, which is in teamwork, customer service alumni chapters throughout addition to the $500 that each and critical thinking skills. the U.S.

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December 2017 15

Department of Agriculture

New Agricultural Educational Logo Highlights Expansion of Program

New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher announced that the department has unveiled a more relevant and colorful new logo to depict the exciting breadth and depth of the instructional program traditionally known as “agricultural education”.

The instructional program will now be known and identified as ‘New Jersey Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Education’ and utilize the logo depicting various aspects of the global agricultural industry such as: the science of agriculture (microscope), plant

New Jersey Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources Emphasized In Design systems (plant), animal schools and school students’ whose schools systems (head of an administrators to engage in articulation animal) and food science increase their students’ agreements with colleges systems (fork and knife). choices by expanding and universities. As The words “Food, their programs into an example, Rutgers Agriculture and Natural these areas.”

University offers up to Resources Education” New Jersey Food, 17 transfer credits for appear in bold letters Agriculture, and high school Curriculum to emphasize the Natural Resources for Agricultural Science instructional program Education serves more Education (CASE) that prepares students than 2,500 students courses. for more than 250 in 31 school districts “These kinds of careers in agriculture. that include 36 FFA courses challenge “We want everyone chapters. All students students to develop to know that while enrolled in NJ Food, their full potential and agriculture is the basis of Agriculture and Natural can also give them a this educational model, Resources Education head start on their the curriculum also programs in schools educational and career includes a larger scope of with FFA chapters are goals,” said Nancy classes that can benefit FFA members. College Trivette, the NJDA State students from various credits for rigorous Program Leader, Food, backgrounds who have academic/STEM-based Agriculture and Natural broad interests,” Fisher agriculture courses are Resources Education/ said. “We encourage available to high school State CASE Leader

and State FFA Advisor.

“These classes can be an excellent avenue for students who live in urban, suburban or rural areas to explore new areas and expand their knowledge base.”

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Education administers the Office of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Education and is committed to preparing people for the global industry of agriculture with quality instructional programs in Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources.

2017 “Jersey Fresh Love” Photo Contest Winner Brigantine Restaurant Owner Captures Top Prize

Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher announced that the Grand Prize Winner of the 2017 Jersey Fresh Love photo contest is Nicole Gaffney, a chef, recipe developer, blogger, and videographer who also owns Soulberri Restaurant in Brigantine.

The grand prize for Gaffney was a $500 gift card to a Jersey Fresh restaurant. Her restaurant of choice is Steve and Cookie’s By the Bay located in Margate.

The restaurant sources Jersey Fresh produce from several local farms including corn and tomatoes from Liepe Farms; greens, beets, peppers and herbs from Marolda Farms; peaches and apples from Wm. Schober Sons; tomatoes, cucumbers and basil from Happy Valley Berry Farm; and heirloom

tomatoes and cucumbers from Cherry Lane Farms.

Throughout the 2017 season, Secretary Fisher encouraged Jersey Fresh fans to submit photographs from all over New Jersey that highlighted: favorite fruits, vegetables or dishes; a local farmer, farmers market or roadside stand; a favorite restaurant that serves Jersey Fresh dishes; or a visit to a New Jersey winery, pick-your-own farm or agri-tourism activity.

“I am all about Jersey Fresh with everything and I love supporting the movement,” Gaffney said. “I’m a big gardener and I do a lot of food photography.

If I make something with Jersey Fresh produce I use the Jersey Fresh Love hashtag, #jerseyfreshlove.”

The winning photo featured tomatoes and Gaffney says she enjoys making a wide range of recipes with Jersey Fresh tomatoes.

“I love that I won for tomatoes because tomatoes are my favorite ingredient,” she said.

“I have a ton of tomato dishes I like to make at home. When you are dealing with a good Jersey Fresh tomato, you don’t have to do much with it. They have so much flavor on their own.”

Participants entered the contest by sharing photos on Instagram from June 1 through August 31 with the hashtag #JerseyFreshLove. Each week one photo was chosen to receive a prize pack that included a Jersey Fresh apron and other items bearing the Jersey Fresh logo. At the end

of the contest, the Grand Prize winner was chosen for originality, creativity, photo composition and relevance to Jersey Fresh. Jersey Fresh Love contest participants shared 1,600 photos.

“For all who participated in the #JerseyFreshLove photo contest, we appreciate seeing your favorite Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables, visits to Jersey Fresh markets and restaurants, and agritourism adventures,” Secretary Fisher said.

“Thank you for the ongoing support of local New Jersey farmers, markets, restaurants, wineries, breweries, and more.”

About Soulberri Gaffney opened Soulberri last spring. It is a unique and forwardthinking brand serving fun, healthy and family

friendly food in the central business district of Brigantine. The menu is small and consists of fresh homemade Acai bowls, creative fruit/ vegetable smoothies, and high quality, locally roasted coffee drinks.

Soulberri sources local Jersey fresh kale, blueberries, and honey for use in their menu items. The restaurant is open on weekends through October and then will re-open in April.

About Steve and Cookie’s Steve and Cookie’s

By The Bay is owned and operated by Steve and Cookie Till and is an acclaimed New American restaurant serving upscale fare including seafood, salads and pasta as well as a wide range of homemade desserts and a raw bar.

16 December 2017 To assure our plants are thriving and healthy, many factors will need to be looked at.

Soil structure, texture and drainage are key. Nutrient levels and the mineral content are more factors.

Some of the most harmful can be extremes of weather.

In our neck of the woods, we endure some of the most profound weather contrasts in the country. Hence, the term transition zone for New Jersey. Drought or heavy amounts of rainfall can both create damage that may not show up for years.

This all sounds daunting to those who maintain plants, and it is. However, there are tools which can assist these caregivers in these tasks.

Aside from the mechanical and cultural practices, which include soil testing and amendments as well as installing physical drainage and changing grades, there are ways available to manage pests and prevent potential damage.

Pest management in landscape situations should rely on prudent use of control measures. Proper identification is the first step.

There are many variables in the development of plants I recently spent a few days in Louisville, Ky., attending the National Association of Landscape Professionals’ Landscapes 2017 conference.

The GIE+Expo and Hardscape North America shows are run in conjunction with the conference and offer anyone in the green industry an amazing three days of education, products and services and a chance to “play” with the equipment they are interested in.

It was my first time attending this show, which many of our members have talked about as if it were the “Holy Grail” of landscape conferences. The conference and expo did not disappoint.

The Landscapes conference consisted of several days of educational classes, panels, workshops and peer group discussions. Upon registering for the conference, I was amazed at the offerings available, but happy to see them as well. The GIE+Expo and HNA also offered educational classes throughout the entire show, as well as a trade show featuring new and exciting entries into the industry.

You see, landscape professionals are not the scruffy, unkempt grass-cutters that most people picture them to be.

GardenerNews.com The Landscaper

By Evan Dickerson Landscape Professional

Predicting: Magic or Science? and pests. Keying into the life cycle of the target pest will ensure control when the pest is most vulnerable.

The best control of pests is achieved by monitoring their development. This is a costly venture when the amount of possible pests is taken into account.

Using a system to anticipate pest activity is a way to more accurately target pests. The use of phenology, the study of the times of recurring natural phenomena related to climate, and Growing Degree Days (GDD), which is used to measure the amount of heat that has accumulated in a given season, creates such a system.

Insects and plants both need a certain amount of consistent heat accumulation before they will go through the various stages of

development.

Scientists have known for years that this data could be tracked and therefore the growth predicted. Since most insect and plant development is limited below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, this is usually set as the base temperature.

GDDs on a given day are then calculated by adding the maximum and minimum temperature, divided by 2 and subtracting the base temperature. This would give you the GDD number.

The exact base temperature will vary between insects and plants as well. However, this system has proven to be much more accurate in predicting plant and insect activity than the calendar method.

Generally, March 1 is used as a starting date in our area and the cumulative GDD’s would then be used to

predict activity. For example, the gypsy moth hatch will occur between 90 and 100 GDD. This would then be tracked on a growth calendar with a running total GDD’s.

Phenology is the study of plant growth related to the climate. Factors which influence this study include temperature, length of the day and moisture. Events such as bud break, leafing out, flowering and fruiting can be related to GDD’s.

This correlation is then used to predict when a pest may appear in the landscape and when it is most susceptible to control. The plants that are used as hosts are called indicator plants. They are generally common to a wide range, hardy and easily recognized. An example of this system would be the eastern tent caterpillar, which is in an early larva

The NJLCA Today

By Gail Woolcott Director of Operations

Back to School They have grown up, they have educated themselves and they are true professionals. Many company owners, as well as their employees, spend countless hours taking classes to improve their business sense, their skills and keep up with the changing regulations for their pesticide and fertilizer licensing.

It is important when you are hiring someone for your home to use a contractor that has all the proper insurance and licensing.

It is important, if you are a contractor, to have these things as well, considering the steep fines for not complying, as well as the possibilities of injury or damage.

In New Jersey, anyone who does landscaping, beyond mowing, blowing leaves or trimming shrubs, must have a Home Improvement Contractor Registration number. Anyone who plants flowers, shrubs and

trees or lays sod/establishes a lawn, installs hardscaping, etc. must register. To register, a contractor must prove that he/ she has commercial general liability insurance at a minimum of $500,000 per occurrence.

Furthermore, if the landscape professional is applying pesticides or fertilizer, they must also have a license for doing so (yes, even for Round-Up). To obtain a license, a pesticide applicator must take a minimum of three four- to sixhour courses, then sit for an exam that they must pass. A pesticide operator (most likely the person applying the pesticides to a home) must also take a Basic Pesticide Training Course, then work under a licensed Pesticide Operator for at least 40 hours of on the job training.

In order to renew a license every two years, the Operator must obtain a set amount of credit

hours of additional recertification training. A certified Fertilizer Applicator must do several hours of online education, then take an exam to be certified. He/she, too, must recertify after obtaining a set amount of CEU’s each year.

These are just three of the required licenses/registrations required in New Jersey. In addition to required licenses, certifications and registrations (including a new Tree Care License, Licensed Irrigation Contractor, Licensed Landscape Architect), there are also optional certifications that a landscape professional can earn. Organic Land Care Professional, Certified Arborist, ICPI (Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute), Certified Nursery Landscape Professional, Segmental Retaining Wall Installer and our own Landscape Industry Certified Professional are just some of the certifications

stage and most vulnerable between 100-200 GDD. This coincides with the Saucer Magnolia being in early bloom.

There are formulas for just about all insects and indicator plants for each time period. Over the winter months, plans can be made to familiarize yourself to this type of system. The Rutgers Extension Service can provide more information on these numbers and there are many resources available to assist you in compiling a list to be used as historical data to develop your own tracking.

This system lends itself to an Integrated Pest Management approach and as you can see a system such as this can be a guide for the prudent use of control measures as well as a fascinating way to investigate and understand nature.

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

What I found most fantastic in Louisville, as well as at the NJLCA’s many events and trade show, is how much the attendees want to learn and grow.

Furthermore, I met many students from colleges throughout the U.S., who are working hard for their degrees in green industryrelated fields.

There were classes on running their businesses, investing, marketing, and running crews, along with separate tracks for lawn care, landscape management and design/build/installation.

Long gone are the days of “the guys who do your landscaping” being uneducated.

These contractors are professional, well-educated, know about the environment and design and are honest businessmen and women. They are beautifying our state, helping us remain “green” and bringing forth the future of land care and construction.

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

She can be reached at (201) 703-3600 or by emailing gwoolcott@NJLCA.org

GardenerNews.com

December 2017 17

Wednesday, February 28, 2018 8:00 am - 3:30 pm Meadowlands Exposition Center 355 Plaza Drive, Secaucus, NJ 07094

• DEP & Fertilizer Credit Classes • Many DEP & Business Classes INCLUDED in Cost of Attendance* • Over 150 Exhibitors • Discounts - Discounts - Discounts!

• Trade Show Floor Seminars • Many Fantastic Giveaways • Pre-Show Educational Workshops on February 27th

• DEP y Clases de Crédito de Fertilizantes • Muchas DEP y Clases de Negocios INCLUIDAS en el Costo de Asistencia* • Más de 150 expositores • Descuentos - Descuentos - Descuentos!

• Seminarios de ferias comerciales en el piso • Muchos regalos fantásticos • Talleres Educativo sera previo el 27 de Febrero

Register Early!

Save $10 per person if you register before February 1, 2018.

www.NJLandscapeShow.com 201-703-3600

* All DEP recertification credit classes and business classes on February 28th are included with registration for the trade show. Those classes tied to Pre-Show Educational Workshops may not be included. See website or registration form for full details.

LNJ2018Ad-GN-Full.indd 1

9/26/2017 3:35:20 PM

18 December 2017 Amazon is taking over the world. At least that is the case if you believe just a few of the headlines that have been published over the past few weeks. The online sales company started with the selling of books and then quickly moved on to many other areas. It seems as if whatever they touch turns to gold. Now, they have a presence in almost too many segments to keep track of.

Earlier this year, they announced that they were buying the upscale supermarket chain Whole Foods. At least initially, the acquisition appears to be a huge success. The subsequent rise in the price of Amazon’s stock shares more than offset what they agreed to pay for Whole Foods. In essence, they got Whole Foods for nothing.

Of course, they have not fully integrated Whole Foods into Amazon yet, and there is a lot more that still has to happen, but it appears to be heading in the right direction.

What effect could Amazon have on agriculture? Could it revolutionize the entire industry in a similar way that the book-selling industry was

GardenerNews.com The Town Farmer

By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

Amazon and Agriculture

changed? Or could it not have any substantive effect at all? As is usually the case, the answer is more than likely somewhere in the middle.

When Amazon announced its purchase of Whole Foods, the news impacted other supermarket chains in a negative manner. The consensus was that Amazon would be able to muscle other competitors out of the way just as it has in other areas where it does business.

That might be true when it comes to the non-perishable items that supermarkets offer, but will they be able to accomplish the same results when it comes to produce, meat and dairy? With nonperishable items, there is always the ability to sell it the next day. With perishable items, however, that option is

not available. It takes a lot of steps with everything having to go right for a head of lettuce to make it from a farmer’s field to someone’s kitchen in good shape.

Everything from harvest itself, to post-harvest handling and cooling, to refrigerated transport and distribution, and finally storage and sales, must all happen in a seamless manner for that head of lettuce to provide a satisfactory eating experience for the consumer.

One small hiccup or misstep along the way and all can be lost.

It would seem that Amazon should be able to successfully use Whole Foods’ existing infrastructure to accomplish this at the retail supermarket level, but will they be able to transition perishable sales to its online shipping model, which

has been so successful with so many of their other products remains as a big question.

One way in which Amazon might successfully leverage its new position in the supermarket sector is by obtaining and utilizing the data on their customers’ purchasing and consumption habits. Amazon has already proven that they have an almost innate ability to know what their customers need before the customers even know that they need it themselves. It is one thing to be able to track a customer’s buying habits when it comes to books and electronics, but imagine the insight that Amazon could develop if they had the ability to track these same people’s grocery habits as well.

If all of this data was able to be utilized in the proper

fashion, the possibilities for its successful usage are almost endless. For example, if a customer purchases a lot of oranges on a regular basis, then they might be an excellent candidate for some form of a targeted advertisement promoting a new type of juicer.

Or, someone who buys a lot of sweets and bakery items during the holiday season might find themselves needing a weight loss program after the New Year.

They say that information is everything. If the information is put to good use, it is an extremely powerful tool that a company can use to its advantage. Let’s just see where all of this takes us!

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 the Mayor of Tewksbury Township. He also served as a director for the New Jersey Farm Bureau and is a past president of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture. Peter has also been featured on NJN, News 12 New Jersey and on the Fox Business Network.

New Farm Service Agency and Rural Development State Directors

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced on November 3, 2017, a slate of Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Rural Development (RD) State Directors, all serving as appointees of President Donald J. Trump. FSA State Directors help implement U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policies in planning, organizing, and administering FSA programs in their respective states. They are also responsible for running the day-to-day activities of the state FSA office. Similarly, RD State Directors work to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural America.

“These state directors will help ensure that USDA is offering the best customer service to our farmers, ranchers, foresters, and agricultural producers across the country,” Secretary Perdue said. “FSA and RD both play a critical role in helping the people of agriculture, and are able to connect with people in their home states. They are the initial points of contact for millions of our USDA customers. Our goal is to help rural America prosper, and these state leaders will be of great assistance in that task.”

The following appointments are for New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania: New Jersey State Director: Barry Calogero Barry Calogero brings over 30 years’ finance experience across various domestic and international operations.

New York State Director: Clark Putman Clark Putman brings over 20 years’ experience as a dairy farmer along with 29 years of experience serving as a career civil servant with the Farm Service Agency.

Pennsylvania State Director: Gary Groves Gary Groves returns to the USDA having previously served as the State Director for Rural Development in Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Purdue University School of Agriculture, lives on a farm in Wyoming County and raises Belgian Draft Horses.

Pennsylvania Rural Development State Director: Curt Coccodrilli Curt Coccodrilli has been integrally involved in numerous efforts to address the needs of rural Pennsylvania, promoting rural economic development and leading campaigns to ensure state and federal regulations recognize the need for such development.

GardenerNews.com I moved into a new house and decided to have my lawn mowing company re-seed the property this fall. My lawn was in decent shape when I moved in, I would give it a “B” grade, but since I’m in the lawn business, I felt I’d better have the best lawn on the block. The job went pretty well, but they could have done much better, let’s explore why.

We decided to do the work in early-September.

As I’ve mentioned many times, early-fall is the best time to seed your lawn. I happened to get home a little earlier than usual that day and I could see how the project progressed. The lawn areas were mowed first and then it was time to start the aeration process. I was not present on the lawn for every moment they were working, but looked out the window every 15 to 20 minutes from the house or walked out and gave them the thumbs up signal every once in a while.

December 2017 19 Turf ‘s Up

By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

Seed-to-Soil contact is the key…

Aeration works best utilizing a round metal drum with weight attached to a pull-behind tractor or walk behind-type aerator you can rent at the power mower shop. The aeration “drum” can have spikes which punch holes into the soil four to five inches deep or plugs that can pull out soil plugs in order to reduce compaction and improve water, air and nutrient penetration into the soil for better root and grass plant growth.

The landscaping crew had both a tractor-pull and walk behind aerator crisscrossing the property to aerate all lawns area evenly and completely. The lawn looked pretty torn up at this time but this is what you

want to see in order to get good seed-to-soil contact.

I supplied some lawn and soil foods to apply after aerating so these nutrients would penetrate deep into the root zone; they spread them after aeration was complete. What’s next, seeding time! Of course, I provided high-quality Jonathan Green grass seed; this is always a must for best long-term results.

They started seeding while I was making a phone call. I looked outside and they were almost done when I noticed something I did not like, they were using a whirlybird rotary-type spreader to apply the seed!

This is a big no-no, a large portion of the grass seed

was just sitting on top of the existing grass blades and would not get down into the soil to germinate. What a waste after all the great effort. You need to use a power machine to seed into existing lawn areas for best results!

Well, to make a long story short, I asked them why they did not use a slit seeder and they said they do their seeding this way almost all of the time; I had to bite my tongue. A few weeks later, yes, some of the seed germinated and thickened the lawn but, I also had grass growing in the cracks of the sidewalks, in landscape and flower beds, in mulched areas around trees, all over the

Fertilization of the fern eggs eventually produces an adult spore-bearing fern and the cycle repeats. Thus, in ferns no flowers are present and no seeds are produced, but conditions must, at times, be very wet or fertilization cannot take place.

The amazing fact is that several tropical ferns, using this inefficient type of reproduction (for a plant), grow large enough to rival medium sized trees.

Ferns make a beautiful addition to any garden and are particularly useful in shady areas where most plants grow poorly if at all.

New Jersey has 47 species of native ferns. Of these 47, Christmas fern, Polystichum acrostichoides, is the easiest to grow under a variety of conditions.

This fern grows well in moderate to dense shade and in moderately dry to wet areas. Christmas fern can even adapt to growing indoors. Outside it grows

best in slightly acidic, moist soil on hillsides with good drainage and moderate shade.

Christmas ferns grow in circular clusters up to about three feet’ wide and three feet high. They can be easily propagated by crown divisions. Simply take a large fern clump on a cool moist day and give it a severe haircut; cut back all the fronds about 50 percent.

Then split the root ball with an ax, sharp shovel, or large knife, into pieces. After the initial hacks, you may be able to use your hands to split the root mass along lines of least resistance. Try to include at least three leaves in each division and a good tuft of root about two inches by two inches. I was able to split a two-and-a-half-foot adult plant into 23 divisions, of which 19 survived into the next year. If you do better than that, let me know and I will record you in my list of plant heroes.

Christmas fern is also

the easiest fern to propagate from spores. To test if the spores are ripe, tap the frond and see if any spores are released. You can also leave a leaflet, sporangia faced down, on a piece of white paper overnight. Ripe spores will leave a brown dusting on the paper.

Ripe spores can be sown in a partially covered fish tank or any container, like a plastic shoe box, where you can increase the humidity but also have a little ventilation.

Look for the gametophytes and spray them with water (hopefully with minimal chlorine) every week for four weeks. After a while, little fern plants should start uncurling in your container.

For more details on how to do it right, Google “How To Grow Ferns From Spores.”

Christmas fern gets its name from the fact that it is evergreen and still beautifying your yard during winter. It was once a popular Christmas decoration.

place. Needless to say, I will not use their services anymore.

Like growing corn, tomatoes, trees, shrubs or flowers, you need to have proper contact with the soil to succeed. Do not cover the seed with too much topsoil, just lightly rake the seed into the top quarterinch of soil; do not bury the seed. Mix peat moss or any organic matter into the soil and apply grass seed over it.

Use a seeding machine if at all possible to slit seed the grass into the soil for best results when over-seeding.

I know I have covered this a number of times before.

I hope your fall seeding was successful. Fortunately, my lawn actually looks very good at this time. I’ll give myself an “A.” 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

When Will My Christmas Fern Flower?

By Hubert Ling Your Thanksgiving cactus blooms at Thanksgiving and your Christmas cactus flowers during the holidays, but when does your Christmas fern bloom?

Don’t hold your breath!

You might have to wait a few hundred million years for your fern to bloom since ferns haven’t evolved that far yet!

In place of flowers and pollen, ferns reproduce in a manner similar to animals.

A fern spore will grow and form a small, thin, green, heart-shaped plant which looks like a translucent spot of lettuce leaf. Gametes (eggs/sperm) are produced by this structure, aptly named the fern gametophyte.

The sperm and egg which combine are generally from different gametophytes, which reduces the possibility of self-fertilization.

Christmas fern grows all over Eastern North America, from Canada to Mexico. In New Jersey, it is found in all counties of the state. It is somewhat tolerant of rabbits, deer, drought, black walnut, and poor, rocky soil.

Christmas ferns are not generally used for food by animals, but are useful to prevent erosion in steep, shady hillsides and to provide year-round cover for ground-nesting birds and small mammals.

If you don’t have ferns in your garden, this is the one to start with. If you do, this one is the easiest to propagate. It won’t take over the whole yard; it remains unaggressive as individual mounds, generally quite separated from each other.

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 2017

GardenerNews.com

GardenerNews.com

December 2017 21

Gardener News Columnist Recognized for Her Contributions To Wildlife

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean, left, Jeannie Geremia, center, and Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman chat before the award ceremony.

For the 12th year, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey presented Women & Wildlife Awards to four special women for their leadership on New Jersey’s rare wildlife.

Gardener News featured columnist Jeannie Geremia, who is also Vice President for the Garden Club of New Jersey, is one of the four women that were honored this year to receive the 2017

Women & Wildlife Service Award in front of wellover 100 people. Geremia has followed her passion for protecting pollinators by leading, inspiring and educating others on the importance of pollination

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman presents the Women & Wildlife Service Award to Jeannie Geremia.

and wildlife habitat gardens for the past decade. She works to engage others in gardening for pollinators, as well as ensuring funding to support these efforts.

The other three women that received awards that night are Hazel England, Kelly Mooij, and Kris Schantz.

One of Geremia’s most notable accomplishments is her leadership in the designation of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly as the New Jersey State Butterfly.

She spoke to many members of the New Jersey State Legislature, and recruited Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman, with her enthusiasm and vast knowledge on the species.

Geremia recognizes the important of environmental education as well, and strives to share her mission with the public. Sponsored by the BEE GAP Committee of the Garden Club of New Jersey, she created attractive Pollinator Education Signs that are displayed statewide at local garden centers, libraries, nurseries and public gardens, These posters highlight the plants needed for the life cycle of

butterflies, birds and bees.

Geremia is also a popular speaker on bees and butterflies with the Garden Club of New Jersey, and gives programs throughout the state. She also has created and presented over 75 Pollinator Education programs, and has written over 90 articles – and counting – for Gardener News on wildlife preservation, conservation and growing our decimated pollinator population.

The festive night brought heartfelt tributes to these remarkable leaders, capped with Geremia’s passionate rallying call for moving forward in challenging times. Former Gov. Thomas Kean captured the importance of teamwork and conservation in his own keynote remarks.

Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman the primary sponsor of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly legislation, presented the award to Geremia.

The 2017 Women & Wildlife Awards took place on Wednesday, November 1 in the Coach Barn at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, Somerset County.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Jeannie Geremia thanks Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman for supporting her and presenting her with the award.

22 December 2017

GardenerNews.com

GardenerNews.com It just goes so fast, I swear it was summer last week.

Honestly, I don’t know where time goes. What I do know is that I always consider the fall and winter months cooking season. Yes, this is a bit odd since I cook my butt off all summer, but it’s different this time of year. I actually cook for my family and myself more this time of year.

I can experiment at the restaurant and spend my Sunday afternoons cooking for my girls. I usually don’t do dessert recipes, since I really don’t enjoy making desserts.

Desserts require accuracy

December 2017 23 From the Deep

By Craig Korb Executive Chef

How can it be Christmas/Holiday Season Again? and a lot more patience than cooking savory foods. You can’t “improvise” as much with desserts. It has always been my arch nemesis.

I respect the art of desserts so much, I just can’t deal with the measurements. Some desserts are easier than others

Maple-Bourbon Sauce

though, and bread pudding is one of them. Bread pudding is awesome and easy to make. It is popular all over the world, from the U.S. to Ireland to Belgium to Mexico.

When I think of bread pudding, I generally think of New Orleans. It is generally

made using stale bread, eggs, cream and sugar. Other spices, chocolate, dried fruits, and even bourbon can be used.

To me, the best bread pudding starts with a really good baguette that has gotten stale and set out for a couple days to get nice and dry.

Bread Pudding (serves 4 to 6)

1 cup bourbon of your choice, Jim Beam is fine 1 cup good quality real maple syrup

2 stale French baguettes 6 eggs, cracked and put into a bowl and beaten 1 cup sugar 1 cup heavy cream 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup whole milk 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

method-place bourbon in a small sauce pan and reduce by half -once reduced, add maple syrup and simmer for 5 minutes -set aside

method-cut bread into crouton sized cubes and place into a 9-by9 Pyrex dish -set oven to 325 degrees -heat heavy cream, milk and cream to a low simmer -whisk in cinnamon and sugar and simmer until sugar is dissolved -whisk in eggs very slowly -pour egg mixture over

bread cubes, making sure all the liquid is absorbed by the bread -bake in center of oven until lightly browned -let cool and drizzle maplebourbon syrup over just before serving -optional* serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Another good addition to a good bread pudding is the sauce.

In this recipe, we will be using a maple-bourbon sauce, and please get real maple syrup for this, it makes all the difference. The other key is to actually let the stale bread sit in the egg mixture long enough to soak up all the batter.

This recipe is also great because it can be made ahead of time and warmed up the next day. Topping it with some fresh whipped cream also makes this even that much better. Good luck with this and Happy Holidays!

Editor’s Note: Craig Korb is executive chef at The Crab’s Claw Inn, Lavallette, New Jersey. He has an Associates degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelors degree in Food Service Management from Johnson and Wales University. For more information visit www.TheCrabsClaw.com or phone (732) 793-4447.

Winter: How to Keep the Warmth In and the Pests Out

By William A. Kolbe B.C.E. As we turn our attention away from the garden in the winter; we need to focus on the inside of our homes and storage sheds.

Pests are seeking shelter from the cold, and unfortunately our warm homes seem cozy to them, too. It is important to take preventative measures to keep pests out because they can cause more hazards than just cobwebs in the corner.

Rodents are known to carry diseases, such as Salmonella and Hantavirus, certain spiders can bite, causing serious side effects, and cockroaches can be a trigger for asthma and allergies.

Seal cracks and holes on the outside of your home to help prevent rodents from getting inside. Be sure to check the areas where utilities and pipes enter the home. A mouse can fit through a hole the size of a dime. Replace loose mortar

and weather stripping around the basement foundation and windows.

Eliminate all moisture sites, including leaking pipes and clogged drains. Extra attention should be paid to kitchens and bathrooms, as these areas are particularly vulnerable to cockroach infestations. Install door sweeps and repair damaged screens in windows.

Screen vents to chimneys.

Keep attics, basements and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.

During the holiday season, people bring trees and other plant items indoors and rummage through decorations to hang around the home. As such, homeowners should follow these top three tips to ensure the holiday decorating is done right: Check Greenery for Insects Remember the famous scene in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” when a squirrel leaps out of “the Griswold

family Christmas tree,” sending panic throughout the Chevy Chase abode? While comical, many people don’t realize a situation like this could actually happen in their own home. Spiders, mites, moths and other pests have been known to nest in live greens like trees, wreathes and garlands, which often end up being used to decorate the home during the holidays.

Therefore, homeowners should inspect these items for evidence of pests and shake them out before bringing them indoors. This will help to minimize any chance of an infestation in your home.

Inspect Your Holiday Décor and Store It Properly To festively prepare for the holidays, people have begun to rummage through boxes of wreaths, ornaments, figurines and strands of twinkling lights to decorate their homes for the most wonderful time of the year.

However, most of these decorations have likely been stored since last season in attics, basements and garages

- all of which provide ideal habitats for pests. Before bringing decorations into the main living areas of the home, it’s important to unpack boxes outside and inspect them for signs of a potential pest infestation like gnawing marks and rodent droppings.

Once we ring in the New Year and it’s time to take down the decorations, make sure all items that you normally store in the garage, basement or attic are placed in a sturdy, hard plastic container with a secure lid.

This quick tip will help to ensure rodents don’t find a way into the decorations and become an unwelcome surprise when it’s time to decorate the following year.

Keep Firewood Away From the Home The winter season is also a popular time to snuggle by the fireplace with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate. But, if you are planning on bringing firewood into the home to start a fire, it’s important to

inspect the pieces of wood for pests that can easily hitch a ride indoors, like spiders, termites and ants. Outdoors, firewood should be stored at least 20 feet from the home on a raised structure, such as concrete blocks. Mice and ants can make their nests in wood piles and easily gain access to your home if the pile is nearby. Rodents can hide in clutter, so keep storage areas well organized, and store boxes off of the floor.

Editor’s Note: William A. Kolbe, BCE is Director of Technical and Training for Viking® Pest Control based out of Warren, N.J. He is a Board Certified Entomologist and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Entomology with a minor in Ecology from the University of Delaware. Bill is a member of The Denville NJ Community Gardens.

His career in Professional Pest Control started in June 1974. He can be reached at 732-356-3100 or visit www.vikingpest.com

24 December 2017

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December 2017 25

Find your future with the USDA

Each year the USDA needs new college graduates to fill 50,000 jobs in the food, agricultural and natural resource system.

Become a Horticulturalist, a Florist, a Turf Scientist, or an Agronomist Horticulturist

Making food, medicine, and pleasure from plants.

The Latin words hortus (garden plant) and cultura (culture) together form horticulture, classically defined as the culture of garden plants. But today horticulture is more than garden plant culture.

Horticulturists work in crop production; plant propagation; plant breeding; genetic engineering; plant physiology; plant biochemistry; landscape design, installation, construction, and maintenance; and storage, processing, and transit (of fruits, berries, nuts, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs, and turf).

They improve crop yield, quality, nutritional value, and resistance to insects, diseases, and environmental stresses. They make plants more adaptable to different climates and soils and better fit for food uses or processes.

And they grow and improve plants used for medicines or spices.

Horticulturists can work in industry, government, or educational institutions.

They can be cropping systems engineers, wholesale or retail business managers, plant specialists in the landscaping industry, propagators and tissue culture specialists (fruit, vegetables, ornamentals, and turf), crop inspectors, crop production advisors, extension specialists, plant breeders, research scientists, and educators. You’ll find horticulturists in offices, laboratories, greenhouses, and out in production or research fields.

In college take courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, genetics,

physiology, statistics, computer science, landscape design and construction, and communications to complement plant science and horticulture coursework. Plant science and horticulture courses include plant materials, plant propagation, tissue culture, crop production, post-harvest handling, plant breeding, crop nutrition, entomology, plant pathology, economics, and business. For many careers you must have a master’s or doctoral degree.

In high school take basic courses in rhetoric and speech communications, mathematics, chemistry, biology, and computer sciences.

in single large stores. Many florists start their own small businesses. Supermarkets, wholesale florists, large hotels, and resorts also hire florists.

Most successful florists like business, people, and design. Formal training isn’t necessary for entry level positions. But to compete for owner or manager positions in today’s market, you need a college degree. You should take courses in floral design, personnel, selling, finance,management, marketing, and foliage plants. Work experience is not just important, it is necessary for upper-level positions.

To be a florist, take art, math, botany, accounting, and communications courses Florist in high school. You can also It’s a bloomin’ business. gain valuable experience by working for a florist during Florist A flower shop employee holidays when sales are processes incoming flowers, brisk. designs floral arrangements, Turf Scientist works with customers, and delivers flowers. Those Your championship in management positions course. Turf Scientist develop advertising Turf scientists must be programs, determine what skilled in science, business, products they will sell, and personnel management. create display themes, In their first jobs, they and supervise employees. often work outside caring Managers conduct sales for lawns, golf courses, interviews to secure park sites, athletic fields, or wedding, commercial, and grounds around corporation special events accounts. headquarters. They use their Managers also make scientific knowledge to financial decisions based on maintain turf, as well as to their businesses’ financial operate computer-controlled records and goals. irrigation equipment and You’ll find most highlytechnical machines. employment opportunities As turf scientists advance in in traditional retail florist their careers, they become businesses, which are still coordinators, managers, or the backbone of the flower assistant or branch managers industry. A typical business in corporations. In these is small and hires staff for positions, they still must rely designing and sales. Larger on their scientific expertise businesses hire managers to to make good purchasing operate branch stores or to decisions and to explain act as department managers tasks to their employees,

but much of their time is spent creating and managing budgets, coordinating projects, and managing an organization with numerous employees.

Turf scientists can be golf course superintendents, turf managers for sports stadiums, park managers, grounds managers for corporate headquarters, sod producers, lawn care professionals, sales representatives for companies that produce turf care products, researchers, or teachers in colleges and universities.

To be a turf scientist, you need a college education.

Take courses such as turf management, soil fertility, weed science, plant pathology, entomology, and horticulture. You should also take courses in chemistry, algebra and calculus, accounting, management, business and technical writing, and communications to improve your business and people skills.

In high school, take as much biology, chemistry, English, mathematics, and physics as possible. Other extremely helpful courses include public speaking, Spanish, and computer science.

Agronomist Your field of dreams. agronomists in the lab Agronomists deal with interactions among plants, soils, and the environment.

They use sophisticated research tools and techniques to develop new crop hybrids and varieties that grow more efficiently and are more beneficial to society. Soils specialists conduct research in everything from the very basic to applied issues of

soil and water management and land use. Agronomists research ways to produce crops and turf, and ways to manage soils in the most environmentally friendly way. Agronomists can be found teaching, conducting business, and doing research in food production and environmentally oriented industries around the world.

Agronomists work for USDA, State Departments of Agriculture, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and as agriculturists in foreign countries. They work for banks; farm co-ops; seed, ag supply, and lawn care companies; and government agencies.

Agronomists also are employed as weather forecasters, environmentalists, researchers, and teachers.

To be an agronomist, you should have an interest in science and environmental issues. A bachelor’s degree is necessary to obtain a rewarding and productive job. In college you should enroll in agriculture, biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and statistics courses, as well as broadbased general education courses, including English and speech. You should enjoy working with people and should have a keen interest in applying science to practical feed and food production issues.

The high school college preparatory curriculum that includes biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics will provide an excellent background.

English, speech, and foreign language will strengthen your communication skills.

Find your future at www.agriculture.purdue. edu/usda/careers/index.html

26 December 2017

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Breeding Resistant Chickens for Improved Food Safety

By Jan Suszkiw Public Affairs Specialist A new test developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in College Station, Texas, could make it easier to breed pathogen-resistant chickens.

The test identifies roosters whose blood contains naturally high levels of two key chemicals, cytokines and chemokines.

These chemicals mobilize the birds’ innate immune response, according to ARS microbiologist Christi Swaggerty, in ARS’s Food and Feed Safety Research Unit.

Using the new test, commercial poultry breeders can single out roosters that have a strong immune response and use them to selectively breed a more robust flock. Such resistance, especially during the birds’ first week of life, may lower costs

related to animal well-being and food safety.

Protecting chickens from pathogens involves sanitation, vaccination, biosecurity and use of antibiotics and other medications.

But some chickens have an especially robust and efficient immune response and can resist pathogens, notes Swaggerty.

The researchers used the test to select roosters for breeding a line of resistant broilers. They then exposed the resistant broilers to several pathogens. They compared the resistant group to a group of susceptible broilers bred from roosters with low cytokine and chemokine levels.

The published results showed that the susceptible broilers had more pathogens and signs of infection than the resistant group.

Ultimately, such resistance could mean fewer pathogens remaining on birds at the processing plant and improved consumer safety,

Swaggerty notes.

Swaggerty and her colleagues study the genetics of chickens’ resistance to foodborne diseasecausing pathogens, such as Salmonella and Campylobacter.

Some species of these two bacteria together cause 2 to 3 million U.S. cases of foodborne illness in consumers and 450-500 deaths annually.

Another poultry disease, coccidiosis, is caused by a singlecelled parasite known as Eimeria.

In the U.S., coccidiosis inflicts annual production losses of up to $800 million, making this intestinal disease a significant threat to nearly 9 billion U.S. meat-type birds.

Editor’s Note: Jan Suszkiw works for the USDA Agricultural Research Service. She can be reached at 301-504-1630 or by emailing Jan.Suszkiw@ars.usda.gov

USDA to Measure Final 2017 Row Crop Production and Grain Stocks with Two End-of-Year Surveys

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is encouraging producers to respond to two upcoming surveys – the December Agricultural Survey and the County Agricultural Production Survey – that are critical to row crop producers around the country. The results of the surveys help determine the structure of the 2017 farm payment and risk management programs administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency.

“We need producers to respond to NASS surveys and respond accurately,” says NASS Agricultural Statistics Board Chair Joseph L. Parsons. “Farm programs that are important to row crop producers rely on farmer-reported NASS data.

When enough producers do not respond to the surveys, NASS is not able to publish data. Without these data, the Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency may not have all of the information that is needed to base the programs that ultimately serve the row crop producers. Producers can lose out when there is no data to determine accurate rates for loans, disaster payments, crop insurance price elections, and more.”

The County Agricultural Production Survey will go to 170,000 row crop producers beginning November 3.

Responses are due by January 15, 2018, and NASS will publish county-level results for corn, soybeans, sunflowers, and sorghum on February 22, 2018, in the Quick Stats database. These county-level data are critical for USDA farm payment determinations.

The December Agricultural Survey will go to 84,000 producers beginning November 29. Responses are due by December 21, 2017, and NASS publishes results in the Crop Production 2017 Summary report on January 12, 2018.

Information collected in this survey also feeds into the county estimates for row crops. The survey also asks about grain stocks stored on-farm.

When producers receive the surveys, they have the option to respond using the secure online questionnaire or return it by mail. NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified.

These and all NASS data are available online at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications and the searchable Quick Stats database. Watch a video on how NASS data are used at www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBW-g1FgLNs.

Full Moon, December 3, 2017 Eastern Daylight

TIP OF THE MONTH

Did you know that the poinsettia’s main attraction is not its flowers, but its leaves? The flowers of the plant are the yellow clustered buds in the center (termed “cyathia”). The colored leafy parts are actually bracts or modified leaves, that turn color in response to the plant forming flowers. When buying a poinsettia, make sure it has the buds, preferably not yet open. Protect it from exposure to wind or cold on the way home from the garden center, florist, or store. Poinsettias are highly sensitive to cold temperatures and even a few minutes of exposure to 50-degree F or lower temperatures will cause them to wilt. Water thoroughly, then allow top of soil to dry out between waterings. This plant is prone to root rot if soil is too soggy.

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December Columnists

Tom Castronovo Gail Woolcott Bob LaHoff Larry Katz Craig Korb Al Murray

Bruce Crawford Brian Bosenberg Hubert Ling

Todd Pretz

Douglas H. Fisher Steve Schuckman Peter Melick Evan Dickerson

Contributing Writers

Jeannie Geremia William A. Kolbe B.C.E. Jan Suszkiw

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Special Dates to Remember this Month DECEMBER 12TH December 12th is National Poinsettia Day in the Unites States. The date marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American botanist, physician and Minister to Mexico who in 1828 sent cuttings of the plant he’d discovered in Southern Mexico to his home in Charleston, South Carolina. Botanically, the plant is known as Euphorbia pulcherrima. Poinsett died Dec.12, 1851.

DECEMBER 16TH On December 16, 2017, Wreaths Across America will be at Arlington National Cemetery to Remember and Honor our veterans through the laying of Remembrance Wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes and the act of saying the name of each and every veteran aloud.

If you would like to participate in the wreath-laying, and attend the ceremonies occurring that day throughout the cemetery, please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org

SPRAY TECHNICIAN NEEDED

Small, growing company (NJ Deer Control) is looking for a backpack spray technician. Tech is needed to spray landscapes with a natural deer repellent. Must enjoy working outdoors. Landscape/spray tech experience is a plus, but not required. Valid driver’s license is a must.

Paid training period then $14-$15 hourly pay with 30-40+ hr work week available! Please send resume for possible interview.

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December 2017 27

28 December 2017

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